All Hallow's Oh-Nine!

Happy Hallowe'en everyone!

Maskatorium!

I am super jealous of this guy's amazing collection of masks! Looking through all these fantastic faces is a great way to kill some pre-hallowe'en hours.

Top Ten Tinglers

For your holiday viewing pleasure, The Horror Blog has asked various horror-related people to compile a top ten list of their favorite horror movies (me included). Check out the link above for all the lists, and compare against your own...

Scared Silly

Monsterama pal Paul Castiglia is launching the Scared Silly blog on Halloween as a lead-in to his forthcoming book (of the same name) about classic Hollywood horror-comedies. Scared Silly examines the popularity of mixing humor and horror-- which is precisely our purview here on Monsterama, so you know I'm excited! Castiglia’s blog and book will offer readers a fun overview of horror-comedy films spanning the 1920s through the 1960's, including films with Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd on through The Little Rascals and Bowery Boys, to Bob Hope, Abbott & Costello and Don Knotts. It's going to be great.

Ghost Busting Book

Did you know that Dan Akroyd's home life was the inspiration for Ghostbusters? His Great Grandfather, Dr. Samuel A. Akroyd, was a Spiritualist Medium who held séances at the family home in the early 1900's. And Dan's father, Peter Akroyd, has written a book about those experiences and more in A History Of Ghosts; The True Story of Séances, Mediums, Ghosts, and Ghostbusters. From USA Today, Dan Akroyd says, "I remember when I was about 4 or 5 my grandparents and mom and dad discussing what went on in this room. It was all in hushed tones, as if I wasn't supposed to hear. It was about the séances that were held here."

Voices From The Netherworld

I get a lot of people asking me if they could do a voice for my show. Or, more realistically, asking if I could tell them how to get into the business of voice acting. Honestly, I have no idea. But I know someone who does. If you're really serious about it, there's no better person to post questions to than Cory Burton. Cory isn't only the voice of Argost and Van Rook for the Secret Saturdays-- as well as many many other animated voices-- he's passionate about the Art of voice acting, and extremely knowledgeable about it's history and craft.

Future Tut?

For the Tutenstein fans out there, looks like the new Hasbro Studios is starting to get serious! Anyone out there want to see all-new episodes?

I am a Wild Thing

Saw the film adaptation of Where The Wild Things Are on Friday, and thought it was a gorgeous little art film. Not for everyone, but I certainly loved it, despite the fractured family content feeling very close to home. It was, in fact, emotionally rough going for me, which is why it's taken a couple of days to post about it. As a single Dad mucking about in the aftermath of a failed family, I all too strongly identified with the Wild Things-- particularly Carol. Kind of poignant that the original Sendak book meant so much to me as a child, given to me by my Father after he and my Mum split up, and now the film resonates so clearly with me as an adult on the other side of the divide. Heart-achingly lovely. Thanks to all involved.

Secret Disguises

Anyone dressing up as Secret Saturdays or Tutenstein characters this Halloween? Please send me your photos, and I'll post them here on Monsterama! And if you're in the Philippines, I'd love some pics of the Secret Saturdays Pumpkin Party where "...Doc, Drew and Zak Saturday are giving out prizes to kids who can help them solve mysteries by identifying the disguised villains who are trying to sneak into their Halloween party."

Twilight Zoo

All this month, the little town of Elora, Ontario (just a short drive from where I live) will be full of freaks and frights as they kick off another wonderful Monster Month. As he's been doing for a decade now, local artist Tim Murton has covered the town's quaint old buildings with white creepy creatures in nightmarish proportions, called, appropriately, The Twilight Zoo. This year Elora is expanding their claim on the holiday by adding the first annual Monster March... a grand Halloween Parade through the darkened downtown streets. I will personally join in the March as my gruesome alter ego Prof. Primate, the Devolved Doctor on Saturday October 24th beginning at 6:00 PM. Please join us, won't you? Thanks again to Halloween Town for making it super easy to pull the costume together.

Hollywood Hallowe'en!

Seeing as I'm in Burbank during the Hallowe'en season, it's only fitting to dedicate a post to the legendary Bob Burns. Bob is responsible for inspiring and directly mentoring some of the greatest horror FX guys in the business via his annual Hallowe'en 'shows', and he's got a gorgeous site featuring a documentary in four parts, with a new segment added each week leading up to All Hallow's Eve. Prepare to be blown away by some of the best private hallowe'en props and FX ever built. The film is riveting, and HIGHLY recommended Monsterama material. Jan Alan Henderson has an interview with the amazing Mr. Burns here. Thanks to Scott J. for the links!

Another Cover

Here's the second cover (Cartoon Network Action Pack #45) to the upcoming 2-part Secret Saturdays story, "The Lost King Of Africa". Shades of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle...

Zombie Plague

They're going for the World Record of undead, so if you're in or around New Orleans on October 31st 2009, put your best zombie suit on and shuffle on down! From Humid Beings, "The multifaceted, ever evolving troupe, The New Orleans Bingo! Show is spearheading the attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records “Largest gathering of Zombies“. Up until recently, the USA held the record with 3,894 zombies in attendance. The record was recently topped at the Big Chill festival in Ledbury, UK in August with an incredibly close 4,026 people.

Saturday Morning Monsters

One of my favourite mags, the creeptacular Canadian publication Rue Morgue just put out their Hallowe'en issue, and the Secret Saturdays make an appearance. In an article called "TV's Coolest Cartoon Creeps", the Saturdays rank alongside such unforgettable animated freaks as Casper the friendly ghost, Milton the Monster, The Gruesomes, Groovy Goolies, Fangface, Beetlejuice, and Ruby Gloom... many of whom I've blogged about here over the years. I won't spoil the fun, though... you'll have to go dig up a copy to see the full list.

Hammerstad!

Seems like everyone's been blogging about the awesomeness that is Norwegian artist Kristian Hammerstad, but I couldn't resist the overkill, as his stuff is pure Monsterama magic. The work is decidedly Charles Burnsesque, but has a poppy gore charm all it's own. From Screamstress...“Some of my first memories of being awed by artwork was seeing skateboard graphics that the older guys in my neighborhood had.”

Potty Monsters

Loving the new kiddie book written by Kelly DiPuccio and illustrated by the brilliant Mike Moon, How To Potty Train Your Monster. The scans don't do it justice-- the art is shockingly day-glow! Mike is one of the few truly Creative Executives in animation. An Emmy-Winning Art Director (for Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends) and current VP of Animated series for The Disney Channel. From Line Boil..."...if a creative executive also happens to have some art chops, then by all means - hire that person immediately! And that’s exactly what Disney did several years back..."

The book would make a wonderful Hallowe'en gift for the pre-schooler in your life.