Birthdays.

Yes, dear, long-suffering S&Pers, just a few weeks ago, this humble homely house celebrated it's 4TH year of spooky shenanigans.

FOUR years of the Skull & Pumpkin.

Now, I now this year has been lean, and the pickings slim, compared to the previous years, and much of that has to do with turmoil and unplanned moves in my life.

It's not going away -- this place will get back to normal when I do -- but these things go in cycles, and for now, it is quiet, thoughtful, and calm in here.

One reason for some of the turmoil is that today marks my 45th birthday.

Now, I am not upset or scared or freaked by turning 45. I certainly am not going through any crisis of life.

But I am going through some crises concerning my future career, the next part of my life that I will try my best to accomplish.

It demands thoughtful consideration, considerable emotion, and a lot of rigorously honest self-evaluation... and all of that takes time.

So here's to a few birthdays, and to all of us who find ourselves in limbo now and then -- it's good to know we're in this thing together...

... and that we have our Monsters, our Hallowe'en, to bring us back to life, every time.

A toast...

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!!!

Happy 4th of July!

Ah yes, S&Pers!

It is the hot, sunny day and warm, firework-poppingy night when we celebrate how diverse, bizarre, messed up, wonderful and unique this little Noble Experiment called America has always been.

We here at the Skull & Pumpkin salute America, the American Dream, and the small but vocal group of American Citizens who hold dear their freedom to celebrate the darker side of life, who have a leg up on everyone else when it comes to dealing with fear, darkness and death... simply because they explore it all the year 'round.

God Bless America!

Shuffle ever onward, American Troops of Hallowe'en Love!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!

P.S. Watch this space for a special announcement coming very, very soon. You will soon be able to have some homemade, handbuilt Skull & Pumpkin goodies direct from the October Country... details will come in a few days.

Onward!

 

DDSPatriotic!

BOO-rthday.

44.

Four decades, plus four years.

Ten years, four times. Then another 10% again.

It feels... well, it definitely does not feel like 25 or maybe even 30. But it feels alright.

Especially when your family knows you so well that when you return home from work the evening before your birthday (when you will be very busy all day), you get...

Yes, it's a zombie cake.

Not to be confused with Zombie Lake, 

which I believe had a smaller budget.

 Oh it's in a witch's cauldron, but Zombie punch, anyone?

A savory noodle/tomato filled pastry actually called a zombie but which 

I prefer calling a zomboli, along with little handmade tomato-filled... umm... zombolini. 

Served with tomato soup. Brraaiiiinnsss... yummy!

 Hallowe'en decor...

 Had this little guy for ages now. Feels like home.

My little undead buddy can't seem to free himself but

nods in pleasure at the festivities...

... as purrs Hallowe'en.

They even had a little fine entertainment on the tube.

Yes, as we ate zombolini, they ate Sloppy Jimbos.

All was right with the world.

I do love my family.

Anyway, 44 sure feels just like 43. Who knew?

DDSP!

Happy THIRD-iversary, you ol' S&P!

That's right, loyal S&P-brains!

Time to get up and dance...

 We've got the band ready...

 Dr. Henry and Fritz are digging up the keg...

... all because the Skull & Pumpkin is celebrating its

THIRD ANNIVERSARY!

It's a bit difficult to believe, but this little homely house of Hallowe'en horrors has had its doors open to you fine, fine Autumn People since June 21st, 2009.

I can't believe I have stuck with it -- I never follow through with anything!

Yet here we all are. Even the zombies are full of life today...

We will be open all day and night, enjoying the S&P goodness.

In honor of a new year of publy pride, I have changed up a few images and links along the sides of the main page. Click them, see where you end up.

I have also added a few special tracks to the S&P Jukebox -- first, Side One of a great Disney/Decca LP from 1949 -- Bing Crosby once again narrating Washington Irving's classic ghost story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow!

It's a unique version -- not just a recording of the audio bed from the animated film, so it's worth a listen even for those of you who are very familiar with the film.

Then I added a medley of haunting organ music from the greatest dark ride of all time, The Haunted Mansion!

Dancing, carousing, spinning tales, talking Hallowe'en and all things spooky -- these are the heart and soul of the Skull & Pumpkin.

I thank each of you -- now over one hundred thousand unique visits! -- who have helped create this old pub, and helped to keep it alive!

So party on, my little monsters...

(source)

And as always, raise them high now, and join me in our traditional toast --

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

Happy Anniversary, you ol' S&P.

And happy birthday Betsy!

Another year of Hallowe'en love to come...

Slainte'!

Welcome, welcome, pubbies!

A fine Saint Patrick's Day to one and all.

Yes, our beloved Hallowe'en Pub is still a pub, and I'm still Scots-Irish, so we celebrate Saint Patrick's day right and proper!

I am still having difficulties with the hosting site for our radio and jukebox, but I have been able to get the radio updated with some St. Patrickey goodness for us...

First, The Wakeful Ghost, an episode of the CBS Radio Mystery Theatre first broadcast in March of 1975.

It is the odd tale of an American visiting relatives in Ireland who enlists the help of an ancestor's ghost (how Irish!) and the ghost's partner-in-misdeeds, a leprechaun (how IRISH!), to help him snag the woman of his dreams.

Then, a fun and freakish little story of an Irish lad who runs afoul of some very insistent Little People who charge him with a very ghoulish burden late one foggy night...

Tighe O Cathain (or Tadg O Cathan OR Tige O'Kane) & the Corpse is a creepy little drama first broadcast in 1982 on the excellent CBC series Nightfall. Worth every minute of listening, trust me.

Alas, I could not really edit the jukebox much, but I did add one piece, an excerpt from the late, great composer Paul Weston's 1974 suite Memories of Ireland. I call this movement Irish Origins -- I don't really know why.

Who knows how the Irish mind works?

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful St. Paddy's Day and Night, talking, loving, drinking, singing, eating, and remembering that Hallowe'en owes so much to Ireland.

I also want to wish my sister Julie a very happy birthday! May it be filled with fun and fortune!

A toast...

... and

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

O'ZOM-beeee!

Thanksbirthday.

Today I am thankful for everything in my life.

We all should be.

But I have an extra little glimmer of gratitude that this year, Thanksgiving falls on the (would've been) 95th birthday of our dear Uncle Forry, Dr. Acula himself, Forrest J Ackerman!

Boy am I thankful for everything this crazy guy gave us.

Folks, enjoy your families and friends this Thanksgiving Day. 

Remember to tell them you love them.

And be glad we live in a mixed up place where our love for the creepy is allowed to flourish, thanks to pioneers like ol' Uncle Forry!

DUMDUMSHREKGOBBLEGOBBLE!

"Give this man satin undies...

... a dress, a sweater and a skirt, or even the simple lounging outfit he has on...

... and he's the happiest man in the world!"

Today we celebrate the birth of one Edward Davis Wood, Jr., the man directly responsible for some of the greatest film moments of my life. 

He challenged our notions of personal liberty and social acceptance as both Glen and Glenda. He turned the San Fernando Valley into spooky gator and octopus filled swamp land while giving the Monster a Bride. He bravely forsook exalted alien ruler tradition by jumping over Plans 1 through 8 and going right to Plan 9!

This was a great man. And there's not a statue, or a plaque...

Hey, he wasn't very good at what he did. 

That's not the point, though. He LOVED what he did, and LOVED what he tried to do, and LOVED that he even tried.

Obviously, he wasn't afraid to love, or to try. I think more people should live by his teachings. Well... at least what he taught before he became really sick.

Eddie, I'm going to do my best to tribute you this year. It won't look great, which will be just perfect. It will look spooky.

And hopefully, some guests will walk away realizing, as you did, that perfection is in the mind of the beholder.

Edward D. Wood Jr.

(1924 -- 1978)

And for everyone else following along, please head to The Ed Wood Project Fan Page on Facebook. We're trying to raise funds to give Eddie a cenotaph (that's a headstone or marker even if there's no remains) at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, where his wife Kathy Wood is buried. The land has been generously donated by the owner of the cemetery, we just need to purchase/create the cenotaph itself. 

A toast... Happy Birthday, Eddie!

DDSP!

Bradbirthday.

Most of you Autumn Folk who frequent this humble establishment know very well that we love our Hallowe'en library.

Our shelves strain under the weight of fine fantasy, horror, and dark beauty dressed as poetry, prose, philosophy, and other pages that enchant and inform.

Among the stacks and shelves reside the collected works of one of the world's most celebrated writers, who also happens to be (arguably) the greatest champion of Hallowe'en and lover of all things spooky in American literature.

And today he celebrates his 91st birthday.

Is it really possible he's ninety-one? The Perpetual Kid is this old?

Then again, is it possible he was ever this young?

Dear God. Ray Bradbury.

Friend of one Forrest J Ackerman, from whom Ray received early help in publishing, and with whom he shared a long and wonder-filled friendship.

Ray (L) and Uncle Forry in costume.

So many words written.

So many dreams he has dreamed.

So many dreams his dreams have caused me.

So many enriching, inspiring, impacting images he has granted the world...

His own painting of The Hallowe'en Tree, 1960

It is quite simply impossible for me to overstate his influence in my creative life as a writer, musician, painter, sculptor and most blessedly as a Hallowe'en artist, an Autumn Person.

My love of his work is pure and boundless, and my gratitude for his existence is exceeded only by my inability to properly express it.

Raise 'em high, fellow Autumn People...

A toast -- I don't know how tired you are after such a remarkable life, but here's to hoping you see at least a few more Hallowe'ens, Ray.

You've given so many of us so much Hallowe'en magic.

Happy birthday.

DDSP!

Another Alien-iversary.

Oh, I know it's not really all that Hallowe'en-ish.

Not at first glance anyway.

But you can't deny the impact this film made on Hallowe'en costuming... for 25 years.

Yes, it's been TWENTY-FIVE YEARS to the day since the unveiling of the incredible sci-fi-horror-action rollercoaster ride, Aliens!

I saw it that very night at one of our area's very first all-stereo-THX-big-screen theatres, with half a dozen friends, and will never forget that night. Pure adrenaline, pure admiration, and pure Ripley magic.

Classic.

From various Alien lifeforms to Space Marines to the superheroine Ripley herself, Aliens has certainly, inextricably woven itself into the fabric of our fantasies, and that easily includes Hallowe'en costumes, themes and effects.

There are guys making their own powerloader suits for various conventions and yes, for Hallowe'en.

Aliens. 25 years of Game over man! and Get away from her you bitch!

Of course, we'll have this one running all day long here at the ol' S&P. 

To you, Ripley.

Happy anniversary. 

Mostly...

DUMDUMSHREKPOPCULTURE!

43.

Forty three.

Not old, surely.

Not young either, of course.

Just how it is.

I think I am one of the luckiest people in the world, and I know that a large part of that luck has to be the wonderful friendships I have been able to enjoy and maintain over these long years.

So... a toast.

Happy birthday to me, sure -- your humble pubkeep, crazy Hallowe'en guy, musician, singer, builder, silly person.

Happy Friendship to each and every one of you.

And thank you.


DUMDUMSHREKPOP!

It's the little things.

Welcome, loyal S&P-brains!

I sure hope a fun and festive Fourth of July weekend was had by all. I know we had a marvelous time here at the S&P.

One thing I've always loved about July 4th is that it's only three days out from my birthday.

As a kid, this was a real boost. Everyone was together enjoying family fun and when it had to end, I'd just think  that's okay, in a few days I'm going to celebrate all over again! and any sadness about wrapping up Independence Day was gone.

So... tomorrow's the big day.

But last night my lovely V and Kiara and the family put together a very nice evening of food and fun that I was not at all expecting.

They even pulled out the Hallowe'en decor just for the occasion, right in the middle of Summer.

So... d'you think these people know me?

Two of my favorite tablecloths.

My nephew, the famous Mr. Jack, picked this other Jack to be my drink goblet all night.

The same Mr. Jack also put this pirate skull together for a beautifully

buccaneerin' centerpiece.

I have to admit, though, my favorite thing all night had to be

this truly unique pumpkin cake made mostly by hand

mostly by my granddaughter Kiara!

No, I did not make her put 43 candles on it.

But look at this thing:

Atop the cake is an iced marshmallow stem, and the surrounding images

are a bat (upper side) and the pumpkin's jack o'lantern face at the bottom (he has

very purpley-black rouge cheeks, don't you know?). It was a bundt cake, so

she filled the center with a mix of icing, mini marshmallows and graham

crackers... delicious!

Pirate skull, Kiara and a spoooooky pumpkin-faced cousin o'mine await the 

carving of the Great Pumpkin Cake.

I really am a lucky fellow. To be surrounded by loving family and friends who know and understand my love for Hallowe'en is fortunate enough; to have them share that love is a true blessing.

Hallowe'en in July. Just one of the perks (and quirks) of living the life I live.

I just wish it didn't have to be so humid and hot.

DDSPerspiration!

A bow to a master.

Hello, S&Pers.

I hope you're all enjoying your weekend and your Summer so far.

Things are keeping your humble pubkeep quite busy, but I had to make time today for a celebration of one of the most pioneering, legendary makeup and effects masters in the history of television and cinema.

Folks, raise your glasses -- a birthday toast to the one and only

Dick Smith!

Dick is celebrating his 88th birthday today!

Wait, you're not asking 'Dick who?', are you?

This is the man who brought the world such incredible characters, such memorable faces, as:

Dustin Hoffman's Little Big Man (1970)

Max Von Sydow as Father Merrin, and

Linda Blair as Regan, and

Eileen Dietz as Pazuzu/Captain Howdy in The Exorcist (1973)

The incredible Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone, and

Al Pacino as Michael Corleone in The Godfather (1972)

Robert DeNiro's insane Travis Bickle, the Taxi Driver (1976)

Scads of gory ghosts in Ghost Story (1981)

Oscar-winning makeup sessions for Oscar-winning actor F. Murray Abraham, as

aging composer Antonio Salieri in the brilliant Amadeus (1984)

Oh, we could go on for days.

He did so much to advance the art of film, television and stage makeup and effects in his long career, not only earning Oscars, Emmys, Saturns and other awards but influencing an entire industry with innovative techniques, new ideas and time-tested methods.

He also advanced the awareness of and enthusiasm for special effects and makeup for kids and young adults in a series of handbooks and makeup products in the '60s and '70s.

I believe I've already told you the story of my history with this revolutionary

magazine. This little '60s tome may have single-handedly created all the

major makeup artists working in the industry since the '70s. No joke.

In the '70s, Smith's line of do-it-yourself makeup kits inspired and excited

every monster and horror geek in Monster Horror Geekdom, and provided 

effects and results that had previously been unobtainable to Hallowe'en Kids.

A treasure trove.

The genius of Dick Smith. But for you, so much that makes our Hallowe'en special would be gone. You created monsters and mad men, helped us create them too, and then taught and inspired the makeup masters who gave us so many more monsters and mad men, and aliens, and demons, and...

Again, raise a glass, everyone --

Happy birthday, Mr. Smith!

DUMDUMSHREKPOP!