HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM NEATO COOLVILLE

Wishing all you boils and ghouls out there a Happy Halloween!

This month zipped by in a flash and the 2009 Halloween Countdown is almost over. I hope that you’ve been clicking on the countdown banner in the sidebar and visiting some of the other Halloween bloggers. There’s been some excellent posting going on this year!

A Big haunted thanks to everyone who has stopped by this month. I’ve really appreciated all your comments and emails!

Congrats to Kodama, the big winner of the Monster Head Races!

Thanks to Major Pepperidge for supplying his fab photos for the Halloween Flashback Fifty-Nine post!

More thanks goes to the Williams brothers, Larry and Tim. Without you ghouls KRYP-TV would be kind of bore! Go watch Vlad's Halloween greeting!


Tomorrow, Neato Ghoulville will slither back under a rock until next year and the blog will be restored back to Neato Coolville. Posts will be on the slim side for most of November, cause the mayor needs a bit of a break. Hey, I gotta scrounge some stuff up for 12 Days of Christmas!

Everyone be safe, have fun and be neato cool to everyone this Halloween!

TRICK OR TREAT SMELL MY FEET GIVE ME SOMETHING GOOD TO EAT

Now that’s a line up of trick or treaters! Zorro, Skeleton Ghost, Supergirl, Mighty Mouse, Teddy Bear, Donald Duck, Squaw and a Moon Monster from Halloween 1958.

That Moon Monster looks like he’s up to something. Oh wait, look! He’s going to push that detonator button.


The Jack O’Lantern on Mighty Mouse’s trick or treat bag notices the detonator, but the other kids are too busy smiling for the camera.

Let's hope Supergirl and Mighty Mouse stopped the Moons Monster's dastardly plot to blow-up Halloween.

Oops, I guess I was jumping to conclusions again. That's just the button to turn on his Moon Monster lights on his mask. Of course, I should have known 'cause this little guy showed up in this slide two years later. And you know without his mask he looks like a good Moon Monster.

This is one of my favorite Halloween images in my found snapshot/slide collection.

CHECK OUT ALL THE STAR WARS HALLOWEEN PHOTOS

There's no photo proof, but I was Darth Vader for Halloween in 1978. I've always wished for a photo from that night, but at least I can see a bunch of other kids dressed as their favorite Star Wars character over at the flickr group, Growing Up Star Wars. As co-creator of GUSW with my pal Glen Mullaly, I can say we always get a kick out of seeing new Star Wars Halloween images added to the group.



Go check 'em out for yourself and relive some Halloween memories Star Wars style. If you have any photos of yourself related to Star Wars from 1977 - 1985, we invite you to add 'em to the group. You can visit Growing Up Star Wars by clicking here.

CALLING ALL HAUNTED MANSION FANS CHECK OUT THESE ANIMATIONS

David over at Quasi-Interesting Paraphernalia Inc. has created some amazing animatations based after unused Haunted Mansion concept artwork. These "labor of love" toons really take you inside a What If... Haunted Mansion. They're one of the best things I've seen all month!


Go check 'em out by clicking here!

Just for fun and since today is Halloween go watch a couple more of David's animation wizardry here and here.

3 HALLOWEEN PACK-O-FUN COVERS

BATSON'S PROFESSIONAL STAGE WARTS

"The ones that stay on" - is the tag line on this 1979 package of stage warts. Two of the warts didn't stay on as advertised as they've fallen to the bottom of the package. I guess we can give Woochie Industries a pass, because it has been 30 years.

ILLUSTRATED JACKS #18

Illustrated by John Huehnergarth and taken from 1967 The Riddle Book.

MY NEPHEWS DRAW HALLOWEEN

Last year I featured some of my nephew's artwork. Now his little brother has created some little masterpieces too. Here's some artwork that he made in his Kindergarten class -





And one more from the older nephew.

WATCH A VERY SPECIAL EPISODE OF ASK VLAD

Visit Weird Hollow to see Vlad sing his heart out!

OVER IN THE HOLLOW - A PERFECT KIDS BOOK FOR HALLOWEEN

Have you seen the new Halloween kid’s book Over in the Hollow? If you haven’t you need to pick one up. Like now! Drop whatever you’re doing and click on your favorite online book store and treat yourself or any kiddies in your life, this book.


Over in the Hollow by Rebecca Dickinson and illustrated by S. Britt is chocked full of spooky happy fun! The story was inspired by Olive A. Wadsworth’s classic counting rhyme, Over in the Meadow.


Thanks to flickr I discovered S.britt’s work a couple of years ago and have been a fan ever since. Over in the Hollow is his first illustrated book and he really hit the ball over the cemetery fence with this one. It might only take a few minutes to read the lovely story by Rebecca, but you’ll spend a few minutes on each page enjoying S.britt’s artwork.

I think my favorite page is either the Frankenstein page or the skeleton page. It’s hard to pick just one and I especially like all the little details he’s thrown in.
Now I know what book we’ll be putting on the coffee table every Halloween, Over in the Hollow!

Also, be sure to check out S. Britt’s new website. It’s just as fun as playing a board game!

ILLUSTRATED JACKS #17

Take from this 1970 Woman's Circle Magazine.

SPOOKY CRACKER JACK RIDDLES

ILLUSTRATED JACKS #16

From a 1970's or 80's Cracker Jack Tattoo Book.

TRICK OR TREAT WITCH KIT

We get it already about the plastic bottle! Sheesh, kind of a rip-off if you ask me. C'mon, for $2.98 I want a plastic bottle!

GET WELL FRANKENSTEIN - A SOUVENIR FROM LAKE OF THE OZARKS

In the 1970's it was hillbillies, fishermen and water skiers that was associated with the Missouri vacation spot known as the Lake of the Ozarks. Seeing Dr. Frankenstein and his Monster on this Lake souvenir greeting card makes me smile from ear to ear! The only thing to make this card better would be a hillbilly Dr. Frankenstein and a hillbilly Monster. That would be better than Ozark fool’s gold!

LOOK MA, I GOT A BABY RUTH CANDY BAR FOR HALLOWEEN

Remember how much fun it was after you got home from trick or treating and you started going thru your candy loot? This 1961 slide photo captures that very moment and many generations can look at this and find a common piece of nostalgia.


This photo is a great example that Halloween is truly a holiday for children. Sure, as adults we might dress up and attend a few parties, but when it comes down to it the best times were those few nights when we masqueraded running door to door in search of candy.

HAUNTED HOUSE ARCADE GAME

I always get excited when I find a working arcade game from the pre-video days. Earlier this year I enjoyed playing a few games of Midway's 1972 Haunted House. Here are some photos that I snapped of this classic game.

You can watch a 9 min. video all about this game by clicking here.

WOW - I FOUND A ROCK THAT LOOKS LIKE A HUMAN SKULL

Earlier this year I made an amazing discovery. I wish I could say I was exploring some far off island dodging native spears and jumping out of booby traps when I made my discovery.

Instead I was visiting a friend at his place of business. We were outside leaning on his truck chitchatting when I looked down and noticed an odd looking rock. It was sticking out of the ground right next to my Chuck T’s and it was literally peaking up at me. The half that was exposed looked like a profile of a human skull.

That's right, a HUMAN SKULL!!!


I dug the rock out expecting it to be part of a larger rock, but when I freed it from the dirt it was small, only about two inches wide. The rock is uncanny as it looks like a deformed shape of a human skull. I gotta a second opinon from my friend who agreed that it most certainly looks like a skull. We started laughing and singing the Twilight Zone theme after we realized that next door is a funeral home. Then all of a sudden we looked at each other and we both said, “Hope it isn’t cursed?”




When I show people this geological oddity everyone says the same thing, “That rock is creepy. It looks like a human skull.” Yeah, when you look at it at different angles you can still make out the shape of a skull.

Yesterday, I shot a low-rez video of the rock on my desk.



Might be time to call Ripley’s Believe It or Not!

HALLOWEEN FLASHBACK FIFTY-NINE

Get ready to open those Trick or Treat bags ‘cause here comes some Kodachrome treats courtesy of Major Pepperidge. That’s right, the good Major has once again sent over some handpicked Halloween slides for all of you good Neato Readers out there.

Let’s take a look at this group from 1959. Wow, that was fifty Halloweens ago!

Here’s Little Miss Princess getting her photo made just before she goes off to school. I bet she’s filled with excitement for the school Halloween fair!


Looks like the other kids on the block are lining up waiting for the school bus.


Is there a reason the fireman isn’t standing next to the Devil?

Ah, those darn flame retarded masks are so hot and uncomfortable.


The Witch and Donald should look over at the Devil, ‘cause he apparently knows how to stay cool.


You wear your face on top of your head.

Waiting for the school bus is such a boring drag. Hurry up bus!


The kids are getting restless. Oh wait, it looks like they see the bus coming.


I guess Pumpkin Girl’s mother got the idea for her costume from this Good Housekeeping article.


If Pumpkin Girl was pushed over, I wonder if she could get up?

Once at school, the kids find their place in line.


I-AM-A-ROBOT. TAKE-ME-TO-YOUR-LEADER. KLAATU-BARADA-NIKTO.


Oh that Ricky and his robot spaceman costume. He’s been talking in his robot voice all morning! C’mon kid, give it a rest.


It’s apparent that Little Miss Princess doesn’t like how Bobby the Wolf smells.


He smells like a combo of Greasy Kid Stuff, hot rubber and Log Cabin Syrup.

Now the parade line is moving. The kids will soon be zigging and zagging around the school. Why? I don’t know, but for some reason this is what mid-century kids do at school to celebrate Halloween.


Just a few moments after this photo was shot, Jailbird Johnny tripped over his ball and chain taking down five kids and the teacher with him.


Good thing Caveman Kid doesn’t live in North Dakota. Brrr...


“Oh my, what mother would dress their child in that costume? That boy will be scarred for life.”


Yep, that’s Gary back there ready to enter the door. Poor Gary, he just wasn’t the same after wearing the Easter Bunny costume.


He really wanted to be Frankenstein, but his mom thought he would be the cutest little trick or treater in his bunny suit. This was the day kids started to pick on Gary and they never stopped. He was picked on thru elementary, junior high, high school, college, the army and even at work. Poor poor Gary.


Sniff sniff sniff. Yep, Bobby the Wolf still smells bad.

The Devil, the Ghost, the Gypsy and the Headless Hobo take up the slack at the end of the line. They better hurry up or they’ll miss out on the popcorn balls and apples.


The Headless Hobo doesn’t need any of those things, so it’s probably not a big deal.

Overall it looks like it was a swell day at the Halloween school fair back in '59.

Thanks again to Major Pepperidge for suppling these fab slides and be sure to visit his vintage Disneyland blog. It’s called Gorillas Don't Blog and it’s like taking a trip back in time every day.