tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-245587662024-03-17T22:03:54.369-05:00SECRET FUN BLOGKirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.comBlogger503125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-8937882687840442552023-10-26T17:31:00.016-05:002023-11-03T00:27:03.604-05:00BLOGGING ON MY WEB LOG ABOUT THE HALLOWEEN OF 2023<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">It’s all coming back to me. I type about stuff that I like, and hopefully it will result in a handful of people finding </span></span><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">some extra</span></span></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> amusement during their lunch break. What’s in it for me? I, along with future generations, will have access to documentation of this year’s Halloween. At least until Google inevitably kills off Blogger.</span></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For a variety of reasons it was difficult to invest much time towards spooky fun </span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">during the last couple of Halloween seasons</span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. For a different variety of reasons this year presented more opportunities for me to engage. So that’s what I’ve been doing, in as much as reality has permitted. I’ve also decided to return to form and write about the many </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">ways that I’ve been experiencing this Halloween season.<br /></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some years are defined by a new, sought-after Halloween product release. A few years ago there was the twelve-foot skeleton. Last year everyone was assembling the three Boo Buckets. This year, one item was able to overshadow even the new Carmella Creeper monster cereal. At least for me it did. In early August I saw a tweet from <a href="https://twitter.com/SammyHain" target="_blank">Sammy Hain</a> that showcased a piece of wall decor that simply says “Halloween is Skeleton.” </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1jvP6dW8CCQAP1W6sWxr9SzsJRgXzxhs8cJH-GzAzR19Y9lb__iJ7M_SYIFuTIOg3hxCQeSKUJKf37GUUhl7Qds2lTEOjvwXXmvaLOECdvqr0X0sRqFoEsZx1juxxYR0Kqfam6AJTB1JHaOwusJxHzO-cQPzx5bu_rSKqFXvgG6RPpwVKN1AO2A" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="673" data-original-width="584" height="519" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh1jvP6dW8CCQAP1W6sWxr9SzsJRgXzxhs8cJH-GzAzR19Y9lb__iJ7M_SYIFuTIOg3hxCQeSKUJKf37GUUhl7Qds2lTEOjvwXXmvaLOECdvqr0X0sRqFoEsZx1juxxYR0Kqfam6AJTB1JHaOwusJxHzO-cQPzx5bu_rSKqFXvgG6RPpwVKN1AO2A=w450-h519" width="450" /></a></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I laughed out loud in a rare, literal LOL moment. These are some of my favorite words, and yet I’d never seen them arranged in this baffling and hilarious new way. My questions were answered a couple of replies later when Graves Make RosesBloom pointed out a product from a previous year that said, “Halloween is Skelefun” that featured a more appropriate image. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7BFsu1p4mj5cBiaaA-cql6K61Ahv-EG8wfkDZvtWWNWQYIiL-WxDwugw4C0NPa3CGKNO__KqFNIrVh8qSi_mJZMOMwwL7t-xxqxiAJy0K1DqO-NbTK1Egk5q-j5wMxWjolwiVHn4YiNqM3CFc-WKTR9uHf_XjeqauW448vk6z0i4MZ7vpWHaTQw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="1125" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7BFsu1p4mj5cBiaaA-cql6K61Ahv-EG8wfkDZvtWWNWQYIiL-WxDwugw4C0NPa3CGKNO__KqFNIrVh8qSi_mJZMOMwwL7t-xxqxiAJy0K1DqO-NbTK1Egk5q-j5wMxWjolwiVHn4YiNqM3CFc-WKTR9uHf_XjeqauW448vk6z0i4MZ7vpWHaTQw=w299-h412" width="299" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The misfire of a decoration shot to the top of my want list. I recognized the logo on the nearby stuffed pumpkin's tag from the Dollar General store, so the next morning before work I raced to the nearest location. Their Halloween stuff was only half unpacked but I saw a printed schematic taped to the shelf. No space was reserved for “Halloween is Skeleton.” There are two more Dollar General stores in my town (which says a lot about my town) but neither of those had the prize either. </span></span></p><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A second look at the Twitter thread revealed that the decoration came from a place called Popshelf. I would later learn that this is the “upscale” version of Dollar General, and it’s pretty new. I followed a link to their site and I happily added the piece of decor to my virtual shopping cart, yet soon I realized that ‘in-store pick-up’ was the only option for anything on the site. Useless! Except for the fact that it shows the product availability at stores near me. They were plentiful, but unfortunately the “near me” was an hour and a half away. My afternoon plans changed in an instant, fueled by fear that this item would be recalled.</span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">After my lengthy drive, on which I pondered why I’m like this, I found the Popshelf store. I trotted through the automatic doors and honed in on the Halloween section. It was soon evident that Halloween was NOT skeleton in that place. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">I asked an employee if they had it and she directed me right back to the shelves I had just scoured. I mentioned the “in stock” message on the web site, and sheepishly asked if I could talk to someone else who might be in the know.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A few minutes later a manager emerged. I showed her the jpeg image and laughed nervously as I tried to explain my new obsession out loud for the first time. Then to add some gravity I found myself admitting that I’d just driven ninety miles for this one and only purpose. I can’t even imagine the weirdo vibes I was giving off, but to my shock, she agreed that it was funny, and seemed to understand my fondness. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I know the concept of locating a missing product “in the back” is practically an urban myth, but I asked anyway. Suddenly more shock as she said to me, “Would you like to go in the back and look around for yourself?” This statement defied all logic. For retail workers (and I have been one of them) the back is a privilege, a bastion, and a sanctuary. It’s one of the few things that separates them from the masses, and I had an invitation.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I rambled on about how honored I was as I crossed the threshold. My delight faded when I saw a maze of tightly-wrapped Tetris-like boxes, on dozens of pallets, all at least eight feet high. The man arranging them said there was no way that we could locate a specific anything. I knew he was right. I went ahead and explained my absurd desire. Lo and behold, he too was sympathetic! He chuckled and his hopeless demeanor shifted. He started moving pallets around while describing the type of box it would be in, but I foresaw a lengthy search ahead. And while he seemed game, I didn’t feel right putting a halt to the afternoon’s business, regardless of how Skeleton Halloween may be. I think it’s due to my experiences growing up with some people who habitually abused the the kindness of store employees. I let him off the hook and asked if they would call me if they found it. As I wrote down my number (next to which I drew a large illustration of the product) I lacked any faith that they would follow through. I was already envisioning myself traveling to the next closest location on some upcoming weekend.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The next day “Popshelf” appeared on my phone screen. Without hesitation I repeated my journey, reveling in the absurdity of it all while trying to ignore the sheer wastefulness of the endeavor. Yet on the other hand, the physical pursuit is a big part of the fun. The hunter/gatherer lobe of my brain was more than content to see the lengthy quest to completion. Plus I knew that I was carving a new Halloween memory into my pumpkin head. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">When I barged into the store, the guy spotted me instantly and yelled “Man, we already sold out of them!” During a long, breathless pause I decided that he was joking. And he was. They were happy to deliver the goods, and I picked up a couple extras for some other Halloween-loving friends who also understand pure greatness. I was also pleased to know that at the very least I had given the Popshelf staff something interesting to talk about over the last twenty-four hours. All of this is exactly why Halloween is indeed Skeleton.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8yxtGGsU4Zt2UWBUb1zjoi3_6Fp1NFp4M_VVGa7KxapkwbsG-J__C6yp4-H4Q5qX42MdT1Tkp5wKspI4K4h9RbZSjerp3minYM8YWMLH843aze4Oi9AhrKUPWD61Xw5TKPtN4S71Mb3_NsuSmGZ9_W6WXaceoCIBEXHeYta_9RdfGYUPl5nXOkw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8yxtGGsU4Zt2UWBUb1zjoi3_6Fp1NFp4M_VVGa7KxapkwbsG-J__C6yp4-H4Q5qX42MdT1Tkp5wKspI4K4h9RbZSjerp3minYM8YWMLH843aze4Oi9AhrKUPWD61Xw5TKPtN4S71Mb3_NsuSmGZ9_W6WXaceoCIBEXHeYta_9RdfGYUPl5nXOkw=w558-h558" width="558" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> __</span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><p></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfco_LpKsUFP2pSQGKWWgOyxmegZ-wG55rKsax6X1eqeHFPCHl6JBdr71BDvh3eD0ZMMosbs2laNlthWBKbggpJJIFSn3rtaCfUDFnwu0Sh3jnk39QUVZPxMj_zPDhC981FA4SbmgqxSPpMYb6gpWh2Akxhie9JRz5_JZAKbDIrN6knAOkKv7Z-g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhfco_LpKsUFP2pSQGKWWgOyxmegZ-wG55rKsax6X1eqeHFPCHl6JBdr71BDvh3eD0ZMMosbs2laNlthWBKbggpJJIFSn3rtaCfUDFnwu0Sh3jnk39QUVZPxMj_zPDhC981FA4SbmgqxSPpMYb6gpWh2Akxhie9JRz5_JZAKbDIrN6knAOkKv7Z-g=w659-h494" width="659" /></a></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As the season approached I ebayed a few more additions to my vintage Halloween cassette collection. I’d never seen T.A. Hamilton’s </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-style: italic; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Terror Treats</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> (1988) for sale before, probably because it was only available through the magicians’ black market. Though it warns that it’s “FOR HAUNTED ATTRACTION USE ONLY” somehow this copy found its way into the private sector. Presumably, the disgraced party responsible for this has been ousted from the haunted attraction guild. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I think the recording is better than most dollar store tapes, but some bold claims on the package set me up for disappointment. It says it’s the “single most diabolical Haunted House Soundtrack ever created,” “designed by experts in the field of Audio, Theatre and Illusion,” and contains “psychological stimulants and subliminal enhancements to produce desired effects.” Best I can tell that’s referring to some low oscillating tones throughout.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Spooky Halloween Sounds</i> (1990) is my least favorite spooky tape approach, which is to say it strings together a series of isolated sound vignettes with pauses in between. It would be fine for an editing library, but it's not a great way to “Turn your home into a Haunted House!” I recognize some of the sound effects from other tapes, but I haven’t the will to do any cross-referencing. </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The best of the bunch is <i>Halloween Tricks and Treats</i> from the Madacy label. It’s a sister release to the beloved <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bkj18HyoxY" target="_blank">Horror at the Graveyard</a>. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="white-space: pre-wrap;">My all time favorite narrator has another spooky story to tell, and I would listen to him read a multivitamin label. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xhd3A5EflSI" target="_blank">You can hear it here.</a></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSWxZjVRjc82cYbA6O2aVRpkIb9GWurTWInBgOR_HlsRuJ6ZuZcDjWDoNSTYTY73LJ-BUoipdbu5yigWMPZ9_rMF05l9ihZhzvBC7GLpka86NISMYjoVThlTo9IdUeL80tnWnflZa_kH5oQENRKBBSA1_prW3IDAf3bPDZj5EAsowARn0nsMijbQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="3733" height="435" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjSWxZjVRjc82cYbA6O2aVRpkIb9GWurTWInBgOR_HlsRuJ6ZuZcDjWDoNSTYTY73LJ-BUoipdbu5yigWMPZ9_rMF05l9ihZhzvBC7GLpka86NISMYjoVThlTo9IdUeL80tnWnflZa_kH5oQENRKBBSA1_prW3IDAf3bPDZj5EAsowARn0nsMijbQ=w567-h435" width="567" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In the realm of vintage horror paperbacks, I had some fun finds over the summer. I managed to locate both <i>Dark Gods</i> and <i>The Ceremonies</i> by T.E.D. Klein in two different states within just a couple of weeks. He was once the editor for <i>Twilight Zone Magazine</i> which seems to have trained him in the art of originality and avoiding cliches of the genre. He spends a great deal of time fleshing out the worlds and characters before he introduces the horror. I saw a tweet by Matt Cardin that had this to say about <i>The Ceremonies</i>…</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">“Did you know that Klein's classic 1984 novel not only tells a gripping horror story but gives the reader what amounts to a mini-course in the history of weird, Gothic, and supernatural horror literature?
In making Jeremy, the novel's protagonist, a graduate student and college instructor who is preparing to write his dissertation on Gothic and weird literature, Klein creates a narrative vehicle for conveying insightful reflections on many classic texts, presented as entries in Jeremy’s journal. These include the likes of:
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">The Castle of Otranto </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1764) by Horace Walpole
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">The Mysteries of Udolpho</span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);"> (1794) by Ann Radcliffe
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">The Monk </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1796) by Matthew Lewis
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">Melmoth the Wanderer </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1820) by Charles Maturin
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">Carmilla </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1872) and "Green Tea" (1872) by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">Dracula </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1897) by Bram Stoker
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">Northanger Abbey </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1817) by Jane Austen
• "The White People" (1904) by Arthur Machen
• "Ancient Sorceries" (1908) by Algernon Blackwood
• </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">Supernatural Horror in Literature </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">(1927) by H. P. Lovecraft
These same works—especially "The White People"—also form a thematic background to the cosmic horror at the center of Klein’s novel. This clever approach makes </span><span class="r-36ujnk" face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249); font-style: italic;">The Ceremonies </span><span face="TwitterChirp, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(247, 249, 249);">a must-read not only for its own literary and entertainment value but as an instructional and inspirational text for both students and writers of supernatural horror fiction.”</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This is why I’m currently reading that one.</span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I also found several titles by Clive Barker at my local thrift store, which is about as unusual as finding a cloven baker, or a clove burger on the shelf. Then I stumbled upon a new-to-me used book store in the area that has somehow escaped my google map searches for years. I picked up some cool stuff there too, especially during a buy-one-get-one-free sale. I finally reclaimed the first printing of <i>The Shining</i> paperback, a book I had foolishly donated to some lucky thrift store years ago.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh0MXvUmkk69GaQ5cKYxEztwPIx_SZbZBr4n24RWHyH3bI8JbtCHEvDey9lQacLm9RlaZ7HsLlfq298jJNTc4sD4gENybbk8vPP_byTthsnDdBNRrRvdoRVIo3BI04QJu8rUIezHeZr9P_Kc1ILDOnnYnIEXdmf9_-0OfCZ_NVIPfWPWCv7xHFRw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2336" data-original-width="3818" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh0MXvUmkk69GaQ5cKYxEztwPIx_SZbZBr4n24RWHyH3bI8JbtCHEvDey9lQacLm9RlaZ7HsLlfq298jJNTc4sD4gENybbk8vPP_byTthsnDdBNRrRvdoRVIo3BI04QJu8rUIezHeZr9P_Kc1ILDOnnYnIEXdmf9_-0OfCZ_NVIPfWPWCv7xHFRw=w671-h411" width="671" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__ </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A spooky project I’m working on sent me down a research rabbit hole of 1970s unexplained-type documentaries. I've seen many of these and I'm extremely fond of the <i>In Search Of</i> television series, but I was entirely unaware of <i>The </i></span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>Amazing World of Ghosts </i>(1978) written and directed by Wheeler Dixon. It’s a scattershot masterpiece of stock footage, library music, and truly unhinged speculation. The narration by Sydney Paul is both earnest and soothing all at once. The show puts me in a wonderful headspace, scratching an itch I didn’t know I had.</span></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="481" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Ou9scEaCwlQ" width="578" youtube-src-id="Ou9scEaCwlQ"></iframe></span></span></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">At times there is a welcome contrast between the grim subject matter and the upbeat, seemingly random production music. It’s as if to say that ghosts and UFOs should be celebrated, and not feared because the possibility of their existence is exciting; not scary. It reminds </span></span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">me of one of my favorite recordings, the street audio from the defunct World of Illusions attraction in Gatlinburg, TN. If <i>Amazing World of Ghosts</i> leaves you wanting more, there’s an extremely similar “sequel” called <i>World of Mystery</i> (1979)</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9r830tIDzmM" width="320" youtube-src-id="9r830tIDzmM"></iframe></div><br /><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">__<br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDfeBNBYH_cp9YaqNFJAuyOFhDe0VbYfDTKQsn7lPiB8y1xh5V1TEB6U424TsAsKQrNzunjxbgbSkSP-cGBH6Eq0Kr5P871Zqv_njKljxFW_46aZ0HFlXF39dLF_Ra7Ka2cwN-cDk_RUMffnc5m8IEWRCLSxKE_QyvDTRZOXrFIze4VQgYP2IKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjnDfeBNBYH_cp9YaqNFJAuyOFhDe0VbYfDTKQsn7lPiB8y1xh5V1TEB6U424TsAsKQrNzunjxbgbSkSP-cGBH6Eq0Kr5P871Zqv_njKljxFW_46aZ0HFlXF39dLF_Ra7Ka2cwN-cDk_RUMffnc5m8IEWRCLSxKE_QyvDTRZOXrFIze4VQgYP2IKg=w530-h398" width="530" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibIgETep4Mg02r3VGHbR_wcLE9g-OgYH0MWfc_sEdUZCgvshhea3aTTzL_UKtm3lkWnVmdRryiJZRsWIEslaCHZLCXfUACJkzFMLFGyW6FXyRGsHyapam72l8rJicNpv7Y0QNrxki-ibItT9wJOkYRA_5TwsHNTaPJnvSBQHpCzhnrQGsHvo3iEA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEibIgETep4Mg02r3VGHbR_wcLE9g-OgYH0MWfc_sEdUZCgvshhea3aTTzL_UKtm3lkWnVmdRryiJZRsWIEslaCHZLCXfUACJkzFMLFGyW6FXyRGsHyapam72l8rJicNpv7Y0QNrxki-ibItT9wJOkYRA_5TwsHNTaPJnvSBQHpCzhnrQGsHvo3iEA=w523-h392" width="523" /></a></div><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In September I finally completed <i>The Last of Us Part II. </i>It’s a great game that is made even greater with the inclusion of this Halloween shop environment.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></span><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq3i5S0RHRGpn4ojcGjRfL330IMLi8K58aG5YchM5P2c1wAtN8ZJ-iX976UxOur41fKZOAeNfgr3htcLePoG2ZeIQ26Dr_CTSeWI4Vz_wdY0JhCdWY0HtixHPvOCeZ0Slgrv4AOuFaj1_q6dKOWaX8rpuwT7h4tWd-hHVtRYfeJvv5SiMWiyUXAQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="283" height="401" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjq3i5S0RHRGpn4ojcGjRfL330IMLi8K58aG5YchM5P2c1wAtN8ZJ-iX976UxOur41fKZOAeNfgr3htcLePoG2ZeIQ26Dr_CTSeWI4Vz_wdY0JhCdWY0HtixHPvOCeZ0Slgrv4AOuFaj1_q6dKOWaX8rpuwT7h4tWd-hHVtRYfeJvv5SiMWiyUXAQ=w322-h401" width="322" /></a></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Thanks to a tip from <a href="https://twitter.com/slimyswampghost" target="_blank">Trevor Henderson</a> I started listening to <a href="https://archive.org/details/NightfallUPGRADES" target="_blank"><i>Nightfall</i> </a>which is a horror radio drama that was aired between 1980 and 1983 by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. For the most part the writing and production value is great, and there are some truly chilling episodes. The stories are surprisingly potent considering that they were on the public airwaves. These have been my go-to for every dog walk and day trip, so I’ve now heard nearly every episode.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><br /></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglgd2HPfhP52ihCanrnGCo2eCaROpf2aZEMjOkusqzylAKV-aAkaKbac9N6t5WMDCUg16srM3EtxNsSgg0PDQarv0ibFDWoKo3TTvoFgD7RGbOxRLiCBX2GpWXbeKbTth-0IwXFRnGhIE0s4X2iIWRUM0o4Sjd8Ui8_jio-5QKJX-mStinB9Yi_w" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglgd2HPfhP52ihCanrnGCo2eCaROpf2aZEMjOkusqzylAKV-aAkaKbac9N6t5WMDCUg16srM3EtxNsSgg0PDQarv0ibFDWoKo3TTvoFgD7RGbOxRLiCBX2GpWXbeKbTth-0IwXFRnGhIE0s4X2iIWRUM0o4Sjd8Ui8_jio-5QKJX-mStinB9Yi_w=w542-h722" width="542" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><p></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If there's time, I enjoy creating something Halloween-related during the spooky season. This year my friend, an artist named <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rum_wolf/" target="_blank">Rumwolf</a>, invited me to show some of my work at a Halloween event at a nearby art gallery. This motivated me to create this new painting of a dime store display of Halloween stuff, a subject firmly wedged up my oeuvre. The rubber skeletons pictured are the first ones I ever owned. When I was a kid I won them at ski-ball at an amusement park. </span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><p style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: left;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieZUrvFR2-or_ps0u9_WfXmxPjXofaY9h0CI6lhn69z_Fg6FzO5BX7vpgQ2VJGZh-71xQnddqpEOpFsfEH16uCcEsl6uTg__PL3b1JNxERsAbITWamSGHhzJXh4lNbeMRSWfdsLuOK3pzLIJ0fO5QyfwzLCfCA0jaYEPAiuE5v3_ayFkeuPEPtUg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="505" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEieZUrvFR2-or_ps0u9_WfXmxPjXofaY9h0CI6lhn69z_Fg6FzO5BX7vpgQ2VJGZh-71xQnddqpEOpFsfEH16uCcEsl6uTg__PL3b1JNxERsAbITWamSGHhzJXh4lNbeMRSWfdsLuOK3pzLIJ0fO5QyfwzLCfCA0jaYEPAiuE5v3_ayFkeuPEPtUg=w674-h505" width="674" /></a></span></span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I displayed it with some older pieces and made a little sidewalk installation. The trick or treater represents my childhood fear of having to wear a winter coat over my Halloween costume.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">__ </span></p><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the last ten or so years I’ve frequented a nearby Halloween festival with various friends and family members. This year we decided to take things to the next level by driving to St. Louis to visit Creepyworld, a haunted park that boasts over 13 spooky attractions. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi2d_-6wtItwXLXKQyx-7q441c-hBNpAVX1K26bkhg0ZBky-zdkzp7foq_51UnjNVkLmZ9TRbdVJHMtRQlY8PBzSzJwxznR3gCnWkLkLK1PJ4egAo1QT5T11zWHNR9kZOVBt5tcfIwQfee32I107LJdMcFmgYqTSXZhXG9pNq1oEXGaI-dWzfspA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="437" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgi2d_-6wtItwXLXKQyx-7q441c-hBNpAVX1K26bkhg0ZBky-zdkzp7foq_51UnjNVkLmZ9TRbdVJHMtRQlY8PBzSzJwxznR3gCnWkLkLK1PJ4egAo1QT5T11zWHNR9kZOVBt5tcfIwQfee32I107LJdMcFmgYqTSXZhXG9pNq1oEXGaI-dWzfspA=w582-h437" width="582" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><p><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The line just to enter the park was surprisingly long. It eventually rounded a corner to reveal a sea of people ahead of us, standing in the same line. This seemed to be the norm judging by the "Freakshow" production that was in place to entertain the queue. I grew concerned that we wouldn’t get to see all the spook houses during our dwindling time frame. The line finally filtered directly into the first haunted house which had a mental hospital theme. The actors, props, and environments made for a solid haunt, and as I approached the end I was eager to see what else was in store. The exit emptied directly into <i>another</i> line that led directly into the next walk-through. Thankfully it was much shorter. After exiting the next haunted house, the line continued into the next one, and the next! The entire park was one continuous line!</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">While this was a bombshell for me, it wasn’t all bad. Mainly because if you’re in that line before they close shop, you are guaranteed to see every single thing in the entire park. </span><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;">But I’m still perplexed. It seems like the sort of idea you’d come up with at an elementary school sleepover. “What if there was an amusement park, and it only has haunted houses, and it’s all just one giant line.” Creepyworld has been going on for twenty-five years, so I’m sure they’ve learned a lot. Still I was surprised at the lack of opportunities to buy snacks, or souvenirs, or just wander around, or go to the bathroom, or even sit down. We opted for the additional hayride package, and getting to sit was worth the price of admission. I was also surprised that there was no pre-entry mention of this whole system. (Unless somehow we missed it.) Well, consider yourself warned. </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn5FNhFqlRk5t1jYVDSigmm9xDVJ2L6sQaVXS9RowsJDv6XNw2p6guFBR1aCMD87YbshJ1TxSSRAjgwR9ehjK8YUgho_lo9Xqipe1YpIuMVYpJkYWDupMikZD-J-3ciyJV0l3aaBQrKIiq9qbIrqpT85pxH17zc8Xh7lDDKGUdN9hmgy943bubPQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgn5FNhFqlRk5t1jYVDSigmm9xDVJ2L6sQaVXS9RowsJDv6XNw2p6guFBR1aCMD87YbshJ1TxSSRAjgwR9ehjK8YUgho_lo9Xqipe1YpIuMVYpJkYWDupMikZD-J-3ciyJV0l3aaBQrKIiq9qbIrqpT85pxH17zc8Xh7lDDKGUdN9hmgy943bubPQ=w399-h532" width="399" /></a></span></span></div><p></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">We stopped by Half-Price Books on the way out of town, and I must give a huge shout-out of gratitude to my friend <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kyleblairart/?hl=en" target="_blank">Kyle</a> for pointing out a book that I had walked right by. <i>Haunted Houses</i> by Larry Kettelkamp was in my elementary school library and frightened me like no other! It has <b>photographs</b> of ghosts. So why do people continue to debate the issue? This is a major relic of my spooky existence.</span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZMxgEDzlo5KBReqo86vv_4Km2ONspL9jKRX75SPDq-fvHWHCBfugW8fu8viPigY6ew8FIuCiEygO-JKjTHVU50hQAxG3_lIWLi64wHCIikI0gs-l8sr6Lkxi2AOLouerMBVjCtsYk9AvNIzZkKZyiaKRDjp7DI9bzXsd804jhNc0QH68SZqVLUQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="3024" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjZMxgEDzlo5KBReqo86vv_4Km2ONspL9jKRX75SPDq-fvHWHCBfugW8fu8viPigY6ew8FIuCiEygO-JKjTHVU50hQAxG3_lIWLi64wHCIikI0gs-l8sr6Lkxi2AOLouerMBVjCtsYk9AvNIzZkKZyiaKRDjp7DI9bzXsd804jhNc0QH68SZqVLUQ=w446-h446" width="446" /></a></span></div><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">The last time I threw a Halloween party I was in my mid-twenties, and it ended with a house fire. At this stage in life my entire assembly of local friends could only constitute a “gathering” at best (which is not a bad thing.) However, this year some of my former students who share my aesthetic wanted to have an old fashioned Halloween party at my place. This gave me an excuse to deck things out more than usual, and we had a great time. One of the highlights for me was getting everyone in a darkened room and putting on my <i><a href="https://youtu.be/_yC3ArLHx94?si=lXq4VBx_ScJBhbnO" target="_blank">Dr. Druid’s Haunted Seance </a></i>album. The first side is all about unifying the group for the spiritual task ahead, so he goes through a bunch of goofy old parlor tricks that make it appear that everyone is all-knowing and powerful. The crowd totally got it. Then I played a chilling story called <i>Mr. Fox</i> by <a href="https://youtu.be/0f3qfRYQAmE?si=dv0xIFL0YCK7YA18" target="_blank">The Folktellers</a>, followed by <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PEAp_iGV1c" target="_blank">The Haunting</a></i>, a short record from 1971 (which was sold through comic book ads) that’s designed to be played in the dark for a group of kids. It creates the illusion that a blood banshee is moving around the room devouring little boys. It was magical to hear these recordings played and appreciated by people in the year two thousand and twenty-three.</span></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Other random tidbits: </span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As usual, throughout the summer I started piecemealing physical media to be enjoyed in October. This year I was drawn to movies that involve haunted attractions, be it dark rides or walk-throughs. These include titles like <i>The Funhouse</i>, and <i>Ghoulies II</i> for their dark ride content and haunt-centric films like <i>The Houses October Built, Haunt,</i> and <i>Hellfest</i>. I can overlook countless cinematic shortcomings if a movie <i>feels</i> like Halloween</span></span><p></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span></p><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">One of the movies with the strongest Halloween feels is the <i>WNUF Halloween Special</i>. I ordered a new version of the blu ray slip cover. This is the first time I've ever ordered a slip cover for a film I already own. What a weird phenomenon, but that art is too cool. It’s even sillier since the existing slip cover is one of my all-time favorites. </span></span></p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgahQtHh_dvKMBFDTlah6rgoaUpYwT39S8TXZdIxB0tSGXDFR8ar14jvUFOELts2WIVJC38SpoweGtA-2b50dFO1VrNRwbDWkhbfppSe87PqIvbaCDare_knhE0UfHdlTNdiZ5awe5bMcbEdYNt3P5Plnna5SVYgL-8qR2dR76OC-yXfWAEkKrQzQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgahQtHh_dvKMBFDTlah6rgoaUpYwT39S8TXZdIxB0tSGXDFR8ar14jvUFOELts2WIVJC38SpoweGtA-2b50dFO1VrNRwbDWkhbfppSe87PqIvbaCDare_knhE0UfHdlTNdiZ5awe5bMcbEdYNt3P5Plnna5SVYgL-8qR2dR76OC-yXfWAEkKrQzQ=w461-h614" width="461" /></a></div><br /><br /><p dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I thrifted this <i>Boogymen</i> DVD, which is something I’ve been aware of for decades but had never watched. It’s exactly what I expected.</span></p></span><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"></span><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeM0OhlQ2O4P2C0w5sZT9TCDlV46FPmiiztCx_HIMWTBphCWRW8rK0p0Yl2pjIlPNEAnDDbc-l8Om6gAb3kQPZiBoCspJCaZWsXfrDf6dvRUq4YzYYGmIA-vk7CdQrvCgbNZjof8Ozq_CikPFwS06ZfMUPry03n8sSJsXDj11GXbrJRIQjQesHig" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1806" data-original-width="1393" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjeM0OhlQ2O4P2C0w5sZT9TCDlV46FPmiiztCx_HIMWTBphCWRW8rK0p0Yl2pjIlPNEAnDDbc-l8Om6gAb3kQPZiBoCspJCaZWsXfrDf6dvRUq4YzYYGmIA-vk7CdQrvCgbNZjof8Ozq_CikPFwS06ZfMUPry03n8sSJsXDj11GXbrJRIQjQesHig=w416-h540" width="416" /></a></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I bought one of these little skeletons at Target because they are gorgeous.<br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHnG4mxnricdI7fFssjXoEQkVbi67HmLjyFc1HPajIR-_zTP2NS6he3LFXPYcytlsoDYXoh4cVDBeZUJGRL5od3aTmaVP1w9Dxb3udlHt3_fLp8-1suQptSoTDI5d93R4SDywWNVd4MuqK6ycuplIwtq-ah46hmmHtiFTqxvK7vFzTIlbLbv60Zg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="615" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHnG4mxnricdI7fFssjXoEQkVbi67HmLjyFc1HPajIR-_zTP2NS6he3LFXPYcytlsoDYXoh4cVDBeZUJGRL5od3aTmaVP1w9Dxb3udlHt3_fLp8-1suQptSoTDI5d93R4SDywWNVd4MuqK6ycuplIwtq-ah46hmmHtiFTqxvK7vFzTIlbLbv60Zg=w463-h615" width="463" /></a></span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />There is an odd trend this year of products breaking from the traditional Halloween color scheme with a palette that leans towards Easter. I'm not a fan of most of it, but here's another one that I liked enough to get.</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtytMj1qHZw3ZnwlzjlC9qYRbZySr-GrcoNjkydRjrx6J876rLCBaT3NLiqNRdoZKU46xsnW5jIN0RVR_c-CcDUnp0BxKkusJO4PvQz_53nV8uvoOmtRg-4HHRtZRRs7vSe6WfesF61jN25N5EEtwBfol1RFYNLv6huYyBSzjJM7KsKSct8D_Krw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="603" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgtytMj1qHZw3ZnwlzjlC9qYRbZySr-GrcoNjkydRjrx6J876rLCBaT3NLiqNRdoZKU46xsnW5jIN0RVR_c-CcDUnp0BxKkusJO4PvQz_53nV8uvoOmtRg-4HHRtZRRs7vSe6WfesF61jN25N5EEtwBfol1RFYNLv6huYyBSzjJM7KsKSct8D_Krw=w452-h603" width="452" /></a></span></span></div><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br />Well, that’s my report so far, and there’s still some time before the big night. Sadly, I’ll be teaching a two and a half hour software class to college freshmen that evening, so it’s a good thing I’ve already been able to do so much celebrating. </span></span></p><p><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: small;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Happy Halloween!</span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><span id="docs-internal-guid-90d4b7d8-7fff-1838-8b7f-fd1d41acb22b" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span></p><p></p>Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-25962906771574563002021-06-28T19:09:00.005-05:002021-06-29T15:21:41.228-05:00THE SECRET FUN SPOT IS DEAD. LONG LIVE SECRET FUN SPOT!<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK6S12kk9y16eODjAS4Rap0gLdY-i85Oceq9U17wWgbIPsNUAens_R7K9m069sZXvTnBUgUratfIvNJ2h0lOv-ogbNwRhDZgzfOa-C4lpUWZ9jzJc7usrXsX4CFyEdYb6SsP-1A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="1000" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQK6S12kk9y16eODjAS4Rap0gLdY-i85Oceq9U17wWgbIPsNUAens_R7K9m069sZXvTnBUgUratfIvNJ2h0lOv-ogbNwRhDZgzfOa-C4lpUWZ9jzJc7usrXsX4CFyEdYb6SsP-1A/w640-h488/sfsplash.jpg" width="640" /></a></p><p></p><p>Imagine being a painter and one day all that you've ever painted suddenly disappears. The canvases are still there but the paint has turned invisible. In a way, that's what happened to me after I deviated from traditional artistic materials and chose a new kind of "paint" called Adobe Flash.</p><p>In the year 2000 I worked for a subsidiary of Hallmark making newfangled greeting cards that could be sent and received instantaneously. And the pictures moved! And they were interactive! And they were free! We called them e-cards. All those innovative features were made possible by the program Flash.<br /></p><p>When I was off the clock I used my knowledge of this powerful new medium to improve the rest of the internet by enhancing my website SecretFunSpot.com with image galleries of things like vintage bike decals, old Halloween photos, and a couple animated shorts. This was before "web 2.0" where everyone started contributing their own photos and memories via sites like Flickr. So for a long time if you wanted to see an image of Kenner's Hugo, Man of a Thousand Faces, my site was one of like, two places to see it on the world wide web. Thanks to Flash, you could virtually disguise him right on your screen!<br /></p><p>Then the iphone came out. In a calculated move to dethrone the format, it didn't support Adobe Flash. This kicked off a decline that eventually resulted in the total demise of Flash in early 2021. Suddenly, the Secret Fun Spot became extra secret when all the content was shrouded in error messages. (My seven hundred plus e-cards had already vanished years ago.)<br /></p><p>Truth is, I understand the problem with one company having total control of a format. Though it's amazing that Adobe created something so advanced that practically the entire web became dependent on them. I'd say that's still the case with much of the design and publishing world's reliance on the Creative Suite. The current monopoly isn't a good thing. We have to pay their monthly subscription to maintain our livelihood. (Yes, there are alternative programs, but Adobe is still pretty universal.)<br />Now that we're living in the future, it's so strange that artists and designers must be cautious of overnight obsolescence. With a flip of a switch a ton of the world's most recent creations became practically inaccessible. (Oh, how I miss<a href="http://www.orisinal.com"> orisinal.com</a>.) Meanwhile the pyramids of Giza are over there scoffing. And seriously, how long will things like JPEGs last? </p><p>But I'm not here to lament Flash, or even the end of Secret Fun Spot. (I stopped updating it nearly twenty years ago.) Today as I finally cancel my web hosting, I'm reflecting on the ways that silly site literally changed my life. It exemplifies how creating projects for the love of it can connect you with others, and turn into work
that will feed your family. The bulk of my creative life including my books, writing gigs, art commissions, gallery shows, and film projects can be traced to the Fun Spot in some form. The culmination of these projects and personal relationships have amounted to countless life-enriching experiences. All of that helped me get into my current visual arts faculty position at a university. At last my work is no longer in danger of iphone compatibility issues or going out of print. </p><p></p><p>The Secret Fun Spot reached over 2.5 million "sessions" since its inception in 1998. Over the years I've received hundreds of emails from people who were thrilled and touched by the journey it took them on. J.J. Abrams even mentioned it in an interview in <span style="font-style: italic;">Rolling Stone</span> magazine! (May 15, 2008):</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tylYFhQhh7OAS9zyDdIGfyU7Gmsfw64BgWfkxv3ZJrbVvLpXHeSg18nw2AuA2rixyTxcV3LztlKEE5IBDcnInQ5Iq-Yz3ocdaCIAo5JpOhEpb8DDk0L8OtmsmtWKWp4j-mh5mg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="278" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0tylYFhQhh7OAS9zyDdIGfyU7Gmsfw64BgWfkxv3ZJrbVvLpXHeSg18nw2AuA2rixyTxcV3LztlKEE5IBDcnInQ5Iq-Yz3ocdaCIAo5JpOhEpb8DDk0L8OtmsmtWKWp4j-mh5mg/" width="320" /></a></div><br />So now I'm going to redirect the Secretfunspot.com domain to this site. (Not that this site is seeing much attention from me these days, but still.) So I offer a hearty thank you to those of you who ever paid a visit to the Secret Fun Spot, and especially those of you who ended up sticking around with me. It's been <i>fun</i> and that's no <i>secret</i>! (ingenious!)<p></p><p>I'll leave you with a memorial image gallery of some of the image galleries. Don't try clicking the buttons because you shouldn't poke at dead things.<br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIHyHYWSIUF6io8VO_lf9jspY0acA7XWaWPhxMLeP3wdPrBvNRkK1qWVn44Zt1lQOsVo3GyijjJkOi_C8j3ov-KPzEZFKy8BoieNCCaOLlQnnriSIJuVRIEtA5pQjxO3JVv3Xjg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="938" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcIHyHYWSIUF6io8VO_lf9jspY0acA7XWaWPhxMLeP3wdPrBvNRkK1qWVn44Zt1lQOsVo3GyijjJkOi_C8j3ov-KPzEZFKy8BoieNCCaOLlQnnriSIJuVRIEtA5pQjxO3JVv3Xjg/w640-h442/Untitled16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizddC65eWhDX84uPrhqwVZHJ0D9vT6guGdwLqLJUA0DCxwY-tt61vdBw2RV9gPpVaqzHa2NGmiGa_ybVSViIbfpOQkOBU6gnKyzoQPSiRGfaPc6BBd3fBEgKxhmr_zUw-JQY8igQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="892" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizddC65eWhDX84uPrhqwVZHJ0D9vT6guGdwLqLJUA0DCxwY-tt61vdBw2RV9gPpVaqzHa2NGmiGa_ybVSViIbfpOQkOBU6gnKyzoQPSiRGfaPc6BBd3fBEgKxhmr_zUw-JQY8igQ/w640-h452/Untitled-16.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuYlr2JvvpWw5PPQkAD6axBsCGhwWOblqrylp2uvwrY0HnxfyPOn6y5yb4NJUvWRQVjwqQSYRZk4jgBp4MMBXOzYDvln1Cf3rPXnRgZUAoQieDrU4Mbz8TbFAop6ioDOl02lVjQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="898" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRuYlr2JvvpWw5PPQkAD6axBsCGhwWOblqrylp2uvwrY0HnxfyPOn6y5yb4NJUvWRQVjwqQSYRZk4jgBp4MMBXOzYDvln1Cf3rPXnRgZUAoQieDrU4Mbz8TbFAop6ioDOl02lVjQ/w640-h414/Untitled13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuWSGGz3Mzcbuf9lySBOILeG7ZPl2Ff7Gof2S_mT8TlSonBZzRBhI5U8JLEQELRbq3YyUpF9Nu8WjIGujisQrkrTyR6l-sDhy0TVUcrq9zMrlFPul2vzRIjvti55_o_NAHHT2Xg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="906" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDuWSGGz3Mzcbuf9lySBOILeG7ZPl2Ff7Gof2S_mT8TlSonBZzRBhI5U8JLEQELRbq3YyUpF9Nu8WjIGujisQrkrTyR6l-sDhy0TVUcrq9zMrlFPul2vzRIjvti55_o_NAHHT2Xg/w640-h454/Untitled10.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvWv4Ofnlo7wWtMpdeqouja4Jv74xflGYr74rzjyP4SC6D8U3Syz0Za4u6HxYQ3Un_q2yVl9b1sQqLWpuc6OmAT2kACLYbAmmbWwzv2ACLgiVI1jKbhMmxxfGS8LoSazteFgChQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="632" data-original-width="956" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmvWv4Ofnlo7wWtMpdeqouja4Jv74xflGYr74rzjyP4SC6D8U3Syz0Za4u6HxYQ3Un_q2yVl9b1sQqLWpuc6OmAT2kACLYbAmmbWwzv2ACLgiVI1jKbhMmxxfGS8LoSazteFgChQ/w640-h424/Untitled11.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ifm2BsyGPHKKOhlvCKg2qk4J2Xu1tdDCMC8uBXPQN__wsWiExiKto8AQ_LpuY6uFEcdMwNRvNHth85VPNUKKDtpD63fshgJCh5tNVqhCE5dZtzxYHhweePrGQa7iY1I6U7t27g/" style="margin-left: 1em; 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float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1740" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoc6sz5xWHJ7BB6SRc7glK3BGw79xzHbdVjdkYIVZQvcSpiveieMpoNuwUp_qixoOhfcD4G8okJA4ZReMAkr7AcCBS0TLbArS8gD1xrFLKwarA0qxq0lqyxBqkRAy_8YGOMc2m9g/w640-h362/albumsmess.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><br /></i><p></p><p><i> </i></p><p><i> <br /></i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><i>This article originally appeared on Monkey Goggles, a sadly defunct project from the gang at <a href="http://mcphee.com" target="_blank">Archie McPhee</a>. Of all the things I've ever written, this is one of my favorites. So here it is, back on the internet where it belongs.</i></p><p><b>The Do’s and Don’ts of Self-Titled Record Albums </b><br /></p><p>We humans have only been able to record our music for a
hundred-something years, but in that short time we’ve arrived at some
standard practices. For instance, recording artists sell bundles of 10
to 15 songs at a time, and these collections are called albums. Cover
artwork and a title are carefully selected and assigned to each album;
in many cases this happens well before the record is leaked online.</p>
<p>Likewise, certain conventions have emerged in the realm of album
titles. Titles are usually a short phrase or a single word that
corresponds with the theme or tone of the music. They can be poetic and
profound, consider: <i>Rubber Soul</i>, <i>Loveless</i>, <i>Urban Hymn</i>s or <i>Nevermind</i>.<i></i> Some records are named after a song that appears on the LP; examples include <i>Pet Sounds</i> and <i>Thriller</i>. Others are simply named after music in general, such as Madonna’s album <i>Music</i> as well as <i>Music</i>, the first CD from the band 311.
</p><p>Many artists have chosen to name albums after themselves; these are
known as self-titled or eponymous records. R.E.M. actually called their
1988 singles compilation <i>Eponymous</i>, which was pretty cool. (Though it should be noted that The Alarm did this five years earlier, which deducts some of that coolness.)</p>
<p>At its best, the self-titled record is an act of elegant simplicity;
at its worst, it becomes a baffling ordeal. Let’s explore the possible
scenarios of self-titling with hopes that future bands might avoid
pitfalls such as Santana Syndrome or Weezeritus.</p>
<p><b>THE SELF-TITLED DEBUT: DO</b></p>
<p>If you’re ever going to self-title, then your first album is the
perfect time to do it. It makes an efficient, dignified statement: This
is us and this is our music. The eponymous debut album is a
respectable move that will place an artist alongside some of the most
influential musicians in history. The seemingly endless list of acts
who have carried on this rich tradition includes Wilson Phillips, The
Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, The Doors, Rush,
Black Sabbath, Van Halen, Kraftwerk, Queen, Red Hot Chili Peppers,
Aerosmith, The Clash, The Smiths, The Eagles, The Cars, Duran Duran,
Journey, The Ramones, The Stooges, Violent Femmes, Madonna and “Weird
Al” Yankovic to name just a handful. (Sorry, I really cracked myself up
starting that list off with Wilson Phillips.)</p>
<p>The only act who has ever made a mistake in releasing a self-titled
debut is Hoobastank. That name should have been avoided entirely.<br /></p>
<p><b>SELF-TITLED DEBUTS BY SELF-TITLED BANDS: DON’T</b></p>
<p>Groups like Huey Lewis and the News and the The Allman Brothers
already took the easy road when they named their band, so a first album
title with a little pizzazz would have been nice. (Granted, Huey gets
some credit for making up a stage name; he was born Hugh Anthony Cregg
III.)</p>
<p>As lame as it is to self-title everything, the efficiency is
undeniable. There was a time when Jon Bon Jovi could answer the
questions <i>who are you</i>, <i>what’s the name of your band</i> and <i>what’s the name of your album</i> by simply flashing his driver’s license.</p>
<p><b>THE SELF-TITLED ALBUM THAT’S LATE IN THE CAREER: USUALLY A DON’T</b></p>
<p>Why wait until the third, eighth, or twelfth album to go eponymous?
Sometimes it’s meant to indicate reinvention, like when Heart
transitioned to a more pop oriented sound on their album <i>Heart</i>. Other times it proclaims the end of artistic integrity, as is the case of Metallica’s fifth album <i>Metallica</i>.</p>
<p>Bands deserve a pass if there is a legitimate reason behind the decision. Take <i>The Beatles</i>, the ninth LP by The Beatles. The record was to be named <i>A Doll’s House</i> until a British group called Family released the similarly titled <i>Music in a Doll’s House<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20170514003421im_/http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=arcmcp-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B00009PBWV" style="border: medium none; margin: 0px;" width="1" /></i>. Despite this effort, many listeners still struggle to tell the two bands apart.</p>
<p>Smash Mouth held an online contest inviting their fans to name their
third album. Their followers managed to come up with the winning
appellation: <i>Smash Mouth</i>. The disgrace was completed by the fact that more people named the album than actually bought it.</p>
<p>The stupidest possible time to self-title is on the second album. (Unless it’s the first release in the States, i.e. <i>Elton John</i>.)
It gives the impression that all creativity has been depleted by round
two. Prince did it, and so did Collective Soul. What a bunch of
goobers.</p>
<p>This practice doesn’t necessarily mean that a band has declared
creative bankruptcy; The Velvet Underground, ABBA, and The Carpenters
all did it on third albums which weren’t too shabby. But there’s really
no method to this practice. Kid Rock went eponymous on his fourth
release, Echo & The Bunnymen on their fifth, and The Cult waited
until their sixth. Wilco’s seventh album is called <i>Wilco (the album)</i>. The Cure held out until album 12 for some reason, and The Beach Boys
self-titled their 22nd and final studio album as if to announce that
they had officially hit the bottom of the artistic barrel.</p>
<p><b>MULTIPLE SELF-TITLED ALBUMS: DON’T. PLEASE… JUST DON’T.</b></p>
<p>A shocking number of recording artists have decided to put out more
than one, and in many cases several, self-titled albums. Fleetwood Mac,
Diana Ross, Duran Duran, Cher and Cheap Trick are all guilty. Whether
their intentions were rooted in profound artistic statement or just
plain apathy, it causes grief among the fans. It makes it confusing to
discuss an artist’s career and it can even make it tricky to buy their
albums. The worst offenders are Seal and Weezer, each with three
self-titleds apiece, and then there’s Peter Gabriel, who didn’t bother
naming his first <i>four</i> records.</p>
<p>A word of warning to any artist considering mid-career and/or
multiple eponymy: fans just won’t put up with that crap. Listeners
refuse to go to the trouble of calling a CD “Metallica’s self-titled
fifth album” and rightfully so. They avoid this rigmarole by
collectively assigning their own title, like “The Black Album.” Trouble
is, the public will look to the most obvious visual cues available for
inspiration, and the results are predictably dull. An album’s color, for
example, is a no-brainer. It started with The White Album and
continued with unsanctioned names like They Might Be Giants’ <i>Pink</i> album, Collective Soul’s <i>Blue</i> album and Weezer’s <i>Blue</i>, <i>Green</i>, and <i>Red</i> albums.</p>
<p>If colors aren’t an option, then fans will go with a prominent object
on the cover. When Pearl Jam didn’t come up with anything better than
<i>Pearl Jam</i> for their eighth effort, the fans looked to the inexplicable
chopped avocado featured on the cover. Voila! The<i> Avocado </i>album. The Cult wanted to get back to basics with a self-titled sixth album — title overruled! The<i> Black Sheep</i> record was also renamed for its cover art. And in what is perhaps the only clever instance of this phenomenon, the self-titled <i>Alice In Chains</i> was nicknamed <i>Tripod</i> based on a three-legged dog on its jacket.</p>
<p>Fans used the same technique to deal with the Peter Gabriel debacle.
The cover photo on his debut shows Peter in a car. It became <i>Car</i>. Peter’s fingers appear to leave scratch marks on his second album cover. This became <i>Scratch</i>. Can you guess what they named the one where half of Mr. Gabriel’s face is melting? <i>Mr. Melty Face</i>? No, just <i>Melt</i>.</p>
<p>By album number four, the powers that be were through screwing around
and released the record with a sticker on its cover that said <i>Security</i>.
Gabriel seemed to take the hint and started naming his records. His
lack of album-naming practice was evident in the fact that his
subsequent three records were respectively named <i>So</i>, <i>Us</i>, and <i>Up</i>.</p>
<p>Some artists like Chicago, Scott Walker, and Led Zeppelin put out multiple self-titled
LPs, but they had the courtesy to number them. Seal forced his
appreciators to do this, and he further convoluted the situation by
giving his third record a proper name. So his unofficial discography
goes: <i>Seal I</i>, <i>Seal II</i>, <i>Human Being</i>, <i>Seal IV</i> and so on. It sounds like a horror movie franchise.</p>
<p>Fan-named titles have also spawned from year of release (<i>Cheap Trick ’97</i>) and song names (Genesis, the <i>Mama</i> album). The point is, if you don’t name your album then everyone else will, and you’re not going to like it.</p>
<p><b>MULTIPLE SELF-TITLED ALBUMS BY A SELF-TITLED ARTIST: DO NOT!</b></p>
<p>It’s true: Santana released <i>Santana</i> in 1969 and <i>Santana</i> in 1971 (which was the band’s third album, no less), proving that Carlos Santana is the laziest rock star in history.</p>Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-45220546101837308932020-10-19T22:54:00.000-05:002020-10-19T22:54:07.475-05:00THE HUNT FOR 'SIDE A'<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZUKlUjzVLb00x_gZj0B74melDc05xnBv2Cmm7i_oc483edKfiXJuWimDH9yQh3wwUb-RdDUnYIti9PMrr2PcyNik6USV0qj3uYcW3N9Ufve7_I6cjLawnxm5wqyfMoE5TMXZYg/s2048/hauntingphoto.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="2048" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZUKlUjzVLb00x_gZj0B74melDc05xnBv2Cmm7i_oc483edKfiXJuWimDH9yQh3wwUb-RdDUnYIti9PMrr2PcyNik6USV0qj3uYcW3N9Ufve7_I6cjLawnxm5wqyfMoE5TMXZYg/w640-h348/hauntingphoto.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>The photo above is the result of a three-year-long hunt that began when <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/search/label/Halloween%20Tape%20Review">I was reviewing a series of vintage Halloween cassette tapes in 2017.</a> The Chamber of Horrors by TONY (USA) has carved its spooky face into the Jack-O'-lantern of Halloween history thanks to its unique, 'decent into madness' approach to sound effects. (<a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-8-chamber-of.html">See my original review.</a>) But the common release of the recording is literally only half the story. <br /><br />Chamber of Horrors was originally the B-side to a more elaborate production called The Haunting: A Horror Story. The rarity of this edition, and the obscured "Side A" and "Side B" markings (see photo below) suggest that it was discontinued and reissued with the Chamber of Horrors sound effects repeated on both sides. Was it it simply too terrifying for young Halloween consumers, as some have suggested?<br /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgW48DlrnK5cFOIw3nXrAv4eMZ9h8TT005p_g1nFl5d2xNHjcpho32VCdXR4Ed93ZjczooKp1_KRDqg6W-ie2IuzhRKkwARfFbpMmRvv1WmWpWlQrP0c49lyZ0rzsOfyOdXfcbQ/s2048/chamber.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="2048" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRgW48DlrnK5cFOIw3nXrAv4eMZ9h8TT005p_g1nFl5d2xNHjcpho32VCdXR4Ed93ZjczooKp1_KRDqg6W-ie2IuzhRKkwARfFbpMmRvv1WmWpWlQrP0c49lyZ0rzsOfyOdXfcbQ/w640-h348/chamber.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The second edition containing the same effects loops on both sides</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The elusive variant with its perfect ghost and haunted house artwork became the object of my obsession. My hunt didn't involve trips into the wilderness, or even the act
of leaving the chair where I currently sit. However, it was an ebay adventure
in perseverance and timing. I laid 'email search alert' traps, but the delay from inbox to web site amounted in two painfully lost auctions. I resorted to compulsively live searching whenever I found time. This went on for two years. It was ultimately a late night ebay visit where I, armed with a litany of generic search terms, found it in a nondescript lot, and finally "buy-it-now'd" my way to the grail. The joyous victory was intensely magnified by this year's harrowing months of uncertainty.<br /></div><p>Now I share my delight with you. After years of being conspicuously absent from Youtube, I have uploaded the precious Side A. Please enjoy it and use it to help make yours the happiest possible Halloween!<br /></p><p></p>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jaiaHXCAxGY" width="560"></iframe>Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-26641086566325014342019-10-30T20:09:00.000-05:002019-10-31T09:53:37.369-05:00THE RETURN OF THE GIANT HALLOWEEN MASKSIn 2003 my all-time favorite graphic design team,
the Charles Spencer Anderson design co., created the phenomenal
marketing materials (as well as some products) for Target's Halloween
campaign. This was the crossover of the century for me— CSA versus
Halloween! To make matters better, they used vintage Ben Cooper masks as
source material, <i>and</i> enlarged them to be taller than I was as a trick or treater! In fact, I wore the identical Frankenstein mask in 1981.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDKAuXBZOVxPNBC2x9O6tDLntLh_URAe_L2D0MVH6IOwHjdmgLBeqnLE2zDMGsqLtykiJVFd1YrgpQ8ZkEOpBjizJxF2XUuppJyp7aLvtgP3De0GDFSVfiXodSvKJBtRaTjAJJA/s1600/csa6o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsDKAuXBZOVxPNBC2x9O6tDLntLh_URAe_L2D0MVH6IOwHjdmgLBeqnLE2zDMGsqLtykiJVFd1YrgpQ8ZkEOpBjizJxF2XUuppJyp7aLvtgP3De0GDFSVfiXodSvKJBtRaTjAJJA/s640/csa6o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In 2007 I wrote<a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2007/10/csa-halloween.html" target="_blank"> this blog post about the campaign,</a>
where I shared some photos that I took back when photography was forbidden
in stores, and when I was still using film. I also lamented my failed
attempt to acquire the masks after the season. (Customer service claimed
they were to be donated to a local school after use.)<br />
<br />
Well, the
internet heard my wish, and over the past twelve years I've received a
continual trickle of emails about the masks. They came in three
categories: those asking me to assess the value of their masks (my lone
blog post made me the leading authority on the internet), those offering
to sell me their masks (these were the most common), and even a few emails from kind people offering to
just <i>give</i> me the masks. I perked up at the latter, but soon
discovered that shipping five foot faces can cost hundreds of dollars. A personal pick-up option was offered once, but they were located more than a day's
drive away, again amounting to a major chunk of money and time.<br />
<br />
About
a year ago I received another generous free offer from a woman named
Kat. Kat actually worked on the Target marketing team and helped make
the campaign a reality! Her set of masks were a job perk, and she'd been
using them as Halloween decorations for years. But the time to "pay
them forward" had come, and my writing convinced her that I'd provide
them with a good home.<br />
I could immediately tell that Kat lives her
life with vigorous heart and soul. She initially gave me a list of rules to
agree to, should I accept the gift. The first rule was that I too must pass
them on freely when my time with them is over.<br />
<br />
I
loved her approach, but I explained the issues I'd encountered before.
Kat persisted. Every couple months she told me about another possible
shipping method she was researching. Whenever one thing didn't pan out
she would move on to the next. This went on for nearly a year.
Eventually she offered to drive someplace near me to make a hand off, even though places near me are far from her.<br />
<br />
In July my family took a three hour jaunt to Kansas City to meet Kat. She ended up driving about <b><i>eight hours (one way)</i></b> to meet us there<i><b> in order to give us some free ginormous masks!!</b></i>
Kat invited a good friend of hers to go along on her road trip, and she made
the perfect suggestion to meet at the Nelson-Atkins museum of art. We met, and she's exactly the kind of person who would make a sixteen hour round trip to give someone giant masks. For the record, I was bestowed with the princess, the fireman, and yes, Frankenstein's monster.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUz9bxWatpd6YaIlgxqPxPlSvMADNqaq6b4gXNrS60NhGYSvdBIVQP2IM4WbO3AGbqI3GzTI65zXDkTiPec9ztqm2N2B9uKnQnu4_CdinReWGWWYENeHDof-vzz9S2bEvRVVUoQ/s1600/IMG_0588.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeUz9bxWatpd6YaIlgxqPxPlSvMADNqaq6b4gXNrS60NhGYSvdBIVQP2IM4WbO3AGbqI3GzTI65zXDkTiPec9ztqm2N2B9uKnQnu4_CdinReWGWWYENeHDof-vzz9S2bEvRVVUoQ/s640/IMG_0588.JPG" width="486" /></a><br />
<br />
We talked for about an hour before the museum kicked us out at closing time. We have many shared passions and our careers overlap. Before we parted Kat offered to give me her ongoing advice and perspective in relation to my role as a creative, and an educator, and that's even more valuable than giant costumes. Thanks Kat for being the best possible type of human being! Happy Halloween!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpoOMHZRMD9NBPe-kMxLcm53r6uwgkKEysS6XXTj6aQckE1BBz52DVjQ_kgdVoZALCzEA5Mp0o8X-YfvAc4LnbjLTl7_vOMHUyqmnMelKWYILcmsNgu0dbSefunxvIafb4hX3uQ/s1600/IMG_2138.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHpoOMHZRMD9NBPe-kMxLcm53r6uwgkKEysS6XXTj6aQckE1BBz52DVjQ_kgdVoZALCzEA5Mp0o8X-YfvAc4LnbjLTl7_vOMHUyqmnMelKWYILcmsNgu0dbSefunxvIafb4hX3uQ/s640/IMG_2138.JPG" width="486" /></a><br />
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-50678336575349772882019-10-27T21:51:00.000-05:002019-10-31T17:04:13.740-05:00THE HALLOWEEN O' 2019Once again, I assembled a list of Halloween activities and then followed my list. Here is what that looked like this year...<br />
<br />
<b>1. Decorate for Halloween</b><br />
Here's my latest innovation...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVHUecT2eEJaG_tG9uBvOJRzlO6bmUtO6V_KbopSsizSHJqjVSo3svZ8bagY4C4n5JItLDzVtrwS9nLB1hL99HCFIgMwjPvy1KWOaBcgF2cBYUDdvGa8uEEPARL6dqJ-ecnXoRw/s1600/IMG_1990.jpeg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbVHUecT2eEJaG_tG9uBvOJRzlO6bmUtO6V_KbopSsizSHJqjVSo3svZ8bagY4C4n5JItLDzVtrwS9nLB1hL99HCFIgMwjPvy1KWOaBcgF2cBYUDdvGa8uEEPARL6dqJ-ecnXoRw/s640/IMG_1990.jpeg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>2. Make Halloween mood table</b><br />
This year's theme: Mcfarlane Monsters<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHRHpt67QUHokwtE0Ug82FrUpzZURdDHr2PwVp5-TVfAIUA4Hlw3U6FtHEYI0a5tNpDdI3gXnU0-uGLPlvu13I4squ-E7X6lBWqYwv4d43lXFpW2FAKSxDraixSaCWgzqO9HXHA/s1600/IMG_1982.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHRHpt67QUHokwtE0Ug82FrUpzZURdDHr2PwVp5-TVfAIUA4Hlw3U6FtHEYI0a5tNpDdI3gXnU0-uGLPlvu13I4squ-E7X6lBWqYwv4d43lXFpW2FAKSxDraixSaCWgzqO9HXHA/s640/IMG_1982.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>3. Change phone wallpaper</b><br />
This is from a 1970s blacklight poster <b><br /></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAcEBSxRCH_gzGrMQeKpYOtvETlk0KUrc_UII-QpwrVdZg-c-KYkL7FgyhQNMmuWZUBAjHPcrGz7KvLQtG0zuWQF_q7Om-G8-VT69mcfp2gyf1s5K0DChVlsesRK-tQYE8fbv1A/s1600/IMG_1681.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAcEBSxRCH_gzGrMQeKpYOtvETlk0KUrc_UII-QpwrVdZg-c-KYkL7FgyhQNMmuWZUBAjHPcrGz7KvLQtG0zuWQF_q7Om-G8-VT69mcfp2gyf1s5K0DChVlsesRK-tQYE8fbv1A/s640/IMG_1681.JPG" width="360" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>4. Seek out new Halloween decorations and spooky toys </b><br />
This year I made a startling discovery that rocked the Twitterverse.<br />
"<span class="css-901oao css-16my406 r-1qd0xha r-ad9z0x r-bcqeeo r-qvutc0">Attention Spooky folks: these decorations from Dollar Tree are essentially the Silver Shamrock masks from Halloween III!"</span> <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9nIZlo4o2lQAmn6hyphenhyphenNedDM2fL9Lp8Jsfj_ZBB7C-bvgiVGW11Veo0kLzB7Nwip5hZUQa3GFjWLSTN7wy6OBVs-OGX8Azl1yaKfFjq-tgE59eM8v_MiAgObBcbp0NXaUw3lwnNQ/s1600/EFp5VQfWoAE7Bdp.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9nIZlo4o2lQAmn6hyphenhyphenNedDM2fL9Lp8Jsfj_ZBB7C-bvgiVGW11Veo0kLzB7Nwip5hZUQa3GFjWLSTN7wy6OBVs-OGX8Azl1yaKfFjq-tgE59eM8v_MiAgObBcbp0NXaUw3lwnNQ/s640/EFp5VQfWoAE7Bdp.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>5. Read one of my vintage horror paperbacks</b><br />
I ended up listening to the first book of Blackwater by Michael McDowell.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37sELLK3QbopsHOTq_icaO0KcsJVJQUizbu9UWhGUXMorqp8GCY54QtM5SUPbrqDAo2NsSR6jn-XcUjWysDZBa32uDVp4JqkZdME3dNyamhFeDdtSj-WViHZj1bjcgstf_mHZzg/s1600/IMG_2143.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37sELLK3QbopsHOTq_icaO0KcsJVJQUizbu9UWhGUXMorqp8GCY54QtM5SUPbrqDAo2NsSR6jn-XcUjWysDZBa32uDVp4JqkZdME3dNyamhFeDdtSj-WViHZj1bjcgstf_mHZzg/s640/IMG_2143.JPG" width="420" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>6. Play a spooky video game</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvoOYIddYzZmGoQSCDUp2uUUJlRBx1z08XPSgDHXjbT42uPbyD7NyStS2VBUKduQb7-nxGxzhM1nJnI26Sbn6N6MXMB6BA9smQcG-JI-Po9OobrcJEaN_2VunXkJLq9Dhq56KGA/s1600/blairwitchgamewallpaper-2-1024x576.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSvoOYIddYzZmGoQSCDUp2uUUJlRBx1z08XPSgDHXjbT42uPbyD7NyStS2VBUKduQb7-nxGxzhM1nJnI26Sbn6N6MXMB6BA9smQcG-JI-Po9OobrcJEaN_2VunXkJLq9Dhq56KGA/s640/blairwitchgamewallpaper-2-1024x576.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
<b>7. Watch pre-selected pile of Halloween entertainment</b><br />
I found the bulk of these over the past year at thrift stores and flea markets. (Though a few are perennial watches.) My greatest score was the entire <i>In Search Of</i> series for $7. Over the past two months I've made it through all of these. Well, not all the <i>In Search Of </i>episodes.)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4OAA_Is9XTyNqlGK6kVucgWQgyOaR9xWXGfZbSP597vff2Bvx1nuAW-0FZfhNWdkWzxmnwzDSxzjc_3vOos6dplHFEByATbsOFKyGEjMEMJJrdfBUEZ6uA5dWYvoCSZO5FCTEg/s1600/IMG_2090.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD4OAA_Is9XTyNqlGK6kVucgWQgyOaR9xWXGfZbSP597vff2Bvx1nuAW-0FZfhNWdkWzxmnwzDSxzjc_3vOos6dplHFEByATbsOFKyGEjMEMJJrdfBUEZ6uA5dWYvoCSZO5FCTEg/s640/IMG_2090.JPG" width="304" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>8. Subscribe to Shudder and watch stuff</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzYkd00ftu7_BRWlOtAUIwOuBbt_9yvEe4o5-BIU89wH0bs7AuoR0_itFCBNLM1eSPSOiN7t-9x9zAO2NcM20yDMMDrirm59JWFeDv7-ftcJaw5yKFod3UYpqv5Zmv_LPR3nuVQ/s1600/IMG_1915.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCzYkd00ftu7_BRWlOtAUIwOuBbt_9yvEe4o5-BIU89wH0bs7AuoR0_itFCBNLM1eSPSOiN7t-9x9zAO2NcM20yDMMDrirm59JWFeDv7-ftcJaw5yKFod3UYpqv5Zmv_LPR3nuVQ/s640/IMG_1915.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b><b>9. Make a fire in the backyard fire pit</b> </b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uw2kafp8uEpOYarO4bBvEsWLgnPHL7u8bRSRHTN5sKscWgQCiG6i1exAICz9Nb2h31nluIsbk2u8xvqUj1mCW5-1cl83b-UY0MMvhQJOTwbVEOtLhH_HM8VCNfy4F-BI5CNc3w/s1600/IMG_2015.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-uw2kafp8uEpOYarO4bBvEsWLgnPHL7u8bRSRHTN5sKscWgQCiG6i1exAICz9Nb2h31nluIsbk2u8xvqUj1mCW5-1cl83b-UY0MMvhQJOTwbVEOtLhH_HM8VCNfy4F-BI5CNc3w/s640/IMG_2015.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>10. Create a horror playlist. Listen while walking/driving around.</b><br />
I really just copied a couple peoples' existing lists, and then customized them to my liking<b>.</b><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FB3qorpeQ3fUOyVcH0VYdwGB6whJbZ7bTCxwH0s1J9QbTs6pywx6cCoUcvkPHKJriSKS9Gv6-5XBPdGPPSlsSB_Cxs4fPC-4hs31o8TGULXRr-oLdELW1QOe-CU6HbVbXKGCGw/s1600/spot.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0FB3qorpeQ3fUOyVcH0VYdwGB6whJbZ7bTCxwH0s1J9QbTs6pywx6cCoUcvkPHKJriSKS9Gv6-5XBPdGPPSlsSB_Cxs4fPC-4hs31o8TGULXRr-oLdELW1QOe-CU6HbVbXKGCGw/s640/spot.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>11. Seek out some of the seasonal stuff that like-minded people are tweeting about</b><br />
This year it was the Mountain Dew mystery flavor (i.e. Candy Corn), the blow mold decorations from Michaels, and the Universal Monster Bend-ems from Walgreens.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCNXMIi8KZYxTBd1x2Ad5cH-5SdAhNvnfehZLlKVXQoTykAOWHnC9kJpSD2foRqKIOWz7PQ0Sral6LEUBGQfqvT_r0PTOts9fCUuJR1eLmfCGbYXQavGZcs987mkVMNbFdvTwKw/s1600/IMG_2033.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtCNXMIi8KZYxTBd1x2Ad5cH-5SdAhNvnfehZLlKVXQoTykAOWHnC9kJpSD2foRqKIOWz7PQ0Sral6LEUBGQfqvT_r0PTOts9fCUuJR1eLmfCGbYXQavGZcs987mkVMNbFdvTwKw/s640/IMG_2033.JPG" width="422" /> </a><br />
<br />
<b>12. Write a blog post</b> <br />
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<b>13. and 14. Go on an October day trip/Go Halloween shopping in another town</b><br />
I've been able to do a lot of this, thankfully. I make it a point to travel roads I've never traveled if possible, and go through towns I've never visited. Naturally I picked up lots of goodies.<br />
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<b>15. Spend Halloween with my family </b><br />
And this will happen Thursday.<br />
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For me, the scariest thing about Halloween is the thought of letting the season slip by without doing whatever I can to enjoy it. This year I have nothing to fear.<br />
Happy Halloween!<br />
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-78317248413981641362018-10-28T20:21:00.004-05:002018-10-30T22:48:54.091-05:00HALLOWEEN 2018Greetings internet traveler! I just want to commemorate this Halloween season with a rundown of how things have played out this year. It's been a different type of season for me because this is the first Halloween in nine years that I've had a full time, day-to-day job as opposed to a precarious freelance lifestyle. This has created the classic time vs. money conundrum. Last year I was able to <a href="https://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/" target="_blank">review a different vintage Halloween cassette </a>every single day in October, while this year work-related time constraints kept me from crossing off several major items from my annual list of Halloween goals. (I discovered <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2016/10/more-than-you-care-to-know-about-my.html" target="_blank">a couple years ago</a> that lists can help keep the Halloween magic from slipping through my fingers.) Here's how it went...<br />
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1. Decorate house for Halloween </div>
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<i> Done</i></div>
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<i> </i> </div>
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2. <s>Go on October trip to Toronto</s></div>
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3. <s>Go to Chicago toy show</s></div>
<i> Both were not prudent given my work situation </i><br />
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4. Go to a Halloween event</div>
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<i>See below</i></div>
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5. See a horror movie in the theater<br />
<i> Saw Halloween (2018)</i><br />
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6. <s>Make my Halloween mood table</s></div>
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<i> No, but my house evokes a strong Halloween mood this year</i></div>
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7. Drive to a nearby town and go Halloween shopping</div>
<i> Went to several</i><br />
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8. Play a Halloween themed video game<br />
<i> I started playing Fortnite to bond with my son earlier this year. Then I kept playing. This October it became Halloween themed</i><br />
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9. <s>Read an 80s horror paperback</s><br />
<s><br /></s><i> Didn't make the time </i><br />
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10. Watch my pre-selected Halloween movie pile<br />
<i>Got through almost all of it. It included things like: WNUF Halloween Special, Trick 'r Treat, Hereditary, Channel Zero: Candlestick Cove, Ghost Stories, Ghost Story, Return of the Living Dead, Mandy, The Town that Dreaded Sundown, Phantasm III and more</i><br />
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11. Have friends over to watch scary things </div>
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<i>Yes, two friends came over on two different nights and watched IT (2017), and Carrie respectively</i></div>
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12. Create something with a Halloween theme</div>
<i> See Below</i><br />
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13. Make a Halloween blog post </div>
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<i>Work in progress</i></div>
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14. Celebrate Halloween with my family</div>
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<i>Still to come </i></div>
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It was a work-related errand that kicked off my "pre-Halloween" back in September. I wandered into Lowe's on a Wednesday morning and lit up when I saw a fresh display spooks sitting on hay bales. I picked up my very first life-size plastic skeleton, the kind that GLOWS IN THE DARK. The Lowe's manager lady gave a triumphant shout across the store and declared that I had bought the first Halloween item of the year. Other customers chuckled when I laid him on the floor in front of the cash register. In the parking lot yet another lady made a joke as I was putting him into the passenger seat of the truck. With expert timing I retorted, "Now I have someone to talk to." and a group of shoppers all laughed. It felt like I was in a movie where the happy-go-lucky character has the perfect skeleton buying experience while the opening credits pop on and off the screen.</div>
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A week later the skeleton was accompanied by a plastic light-up Jack-o-lantern. I found it at the Tulsa flea market and it has all sorts of sentimental value for me. First, my uncle stored his Matchbox cars and plastic toys in a treat bucket of this very same design. So I would dump out this pumpkin head during nearly every childhood visit to my grandmother's house. It also still has its $1.47 Woolco price tag stuck to it... <br />
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And best of all, the man who sold it to me said it was a classroom decoration for years. It has a masking taped label on the bottom that says "[Something] Boys & Girls, Salina, KS" I think Woolos (Wootos?) may be a teacher's name, and it's dated Oct. 26, 1975.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHbXQ_OVNcX0l_xhoukWJPtDpl3aLb5L2yCEOONy5918Yebif3nJ4N6bXlmqf6Hw2RazEDJbE5rq2cT5lLaVibn0vO195xGd3QrOWIya3ju12UxZqk3gOoNIUt8kvcI68sPAqcw/s1600/IMG_4869.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1600" height="506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNHbXQ_OVNcX0l_xhoukWJPtDpl3aLb5L2yCEOONy5918Yebif3nJ4N6bXlmqf6Hw2RazEDJbE5rq2cT5lLaVibn0vO195xGd3QrOWIya3ju12UxZqk3gOoNIUt8kvcI68sPAqcw/s640/IMG_4869.JPG" width="640" /> </a><br />
I was about to pay for it when I saw this on the floor under the table...<br />
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It's the Kay Lande and Wade Denning Halloween classroom record! It includes the song <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yorLPuUMPYU" target="_blank">"Halloween"</a> that we sang in grade school Music class, and was the official theme song for the holiday in my mind. The digital version of this has been my go-to every year since I discovered it on the legendary Scar Stuff blog. It's a great, not-too-scary album that I could play for my son when he was very little.<br />
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It's quite possible that this record was stored alongside the jack-o-lantern, only to emerge once a year into a room of lucky children. Those pumpkin eyes probably saw costumed kids dancing to the record on chilly Kansas mornings year after year. Sigh.<br />
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September also found me on the ebay, searching for collectible reminders of forgotten Halloween memories. This cloaked skeleton figure popped up... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvP-FAQxBK2O8_rnHDpqVJykuGcOA-443e0tGPEq5cK5T5jufjgggBa4469EoF_quBBnUMBO13RnaaR17ucUhp314vkGjinzVCqoKwc0DRI18wKwKB07rDRsal1EWUFWSLmaY3w/s1600/IMG_4578.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1154" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOvP-FAQxBK2O8_rnHDpqVJykuGcOA-443e0tGPEq5cK5T5jufjgggBa4469EoF_quBBnUMBO13RnaaR17ucUhp314vkGjinzVCqoKwc0DRI18wKwKB07rDRsal1EWUFWSLmaY3w/s640/IMG_4578.JPG" width="460" /> </a></div>
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It's not a toy, or a decoration per se, but more of a craft item for the doll collecting set. I closed the tab and moved on. Yet, obviously I own it now, so what happened? Well, it popped up in another one of my search results and I started thinking about it. It's from 1987, and it reminds me of the sort of thing that might have caught my attention when I was a kid on shopping days when my mom would drag me from store to store. Her stores catered to moms of course, so sometimes anything distantly toy-like was all there was to focus on during the endless visits. Halloween expanded the possibilities. It could be something like a stuffed black cat, or a felt monster, or a witch cake decoration. But I liked this concept of Halloween fun for moms and grandmas.</div>
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It still has a tag on it that mentions the Virginian sisters who made it. That caused me to imagine their whole brainstorming session behind the skeleton man. Two sisters sitting in Virginia in 1987 (or '86 if they had a lot of lead time) discussing their upcoming collectible Halloween dolls. This delights me. Then I wondered what I was doing on that day. I also wonder who bought it, and why it reeks of cigarette smoke and perfume.</div>
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I was also struck by his little flannel shirt sleeves. This clearly isn't a grim reaper, but an adult wearing a handmade costume of his own design. The bones look hastily painted on the smock, and I can't tell who's craftsmanship that reflects, the doll maker or the doll's. This flannel-and-jeans wearing guy was probably working the 1987 jaycee's haunted house. This portrayal of a homemade haunter also stuck with me. All of these thoughts motivated me to bid, and when I finally did, I grew terrified that I'd lose the auction. (Turns out I had no competition.)</div>
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A couple weeks later I got a call from good ol' Mike Becker of Funko fame. He said he was planning a Halloween fundraiser called Monster Mask-O-Raid, and he was seeking vintage Halloween photos, as well as artwork for the show. Thanks to my new job I have access to screen printing equipment, which is an art form that has eluded me all my life. In a moment of revelation, I decided to combine my desire to screen print with this art opportunity, and the spark of inspiration was none other than the flannel shirt-wearing grim reaper.</div>
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I spent a couple weeks brainstorming, sketching, and finalizing my design which turned into a series of die cut-style Halloween decorations featuring the skeleton man and his decorated neighborhood.<br />
The night before my shipping deadline I bribed a college student with a pizza dinner in exchange for supervising me as I attempted to ink my first designs. (I had already called in other favors earlier in the week to get assistance with printing the transparent film and burning the screens.) The first batch was a success! My goal was to make a series of 25 sets of three. <br />
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After my pizza-fed student teacher left I started having trouble with the black ink. My sets dwindled as the ink bled and dried in all the wrong places. Feeling defeated, I decided to stop before I ruined all my orange prints. Then it dawned on me that if I could salvage just one of each design I could submit a single complete set of three. That's what I did, and here's how they turned out...<br />
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The mask on the kid is based on a real mask that I saw on one of <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2011/07/1978-travelers-novelty-catalog.html" target="_blank">my old blog posts </a>about a Traveler's Novelty Catalog. (Bottom left)</div>
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Just like this Halloween season itself, I didn't live up to my own grand plan, but I'm still very happy with the outcome.</div>
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One thing that did turn out right was number four on my list...</div>
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4. Go to a Halloween event</div>
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There's a cave in Missouri that's been showing spooky movies inside it around Halloween. (In previous years they've put on a spook house in the cave, which also sounds neat.) Their sign is good too...</div>
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The exterior is pretty well decorated which gave us a jolt of Halloween magic... </div>
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I took my son to see Beetlejuice, which was his first time to see it. When it was over he looked around and said, "Oh, yeah, I forgot we were in a cave." It was a uniquely surreal experience. Water from the ceiling dripped on me several times. Maybe next year I'll see a horror show there. They screen The Descent (2005) on Halloween night.<br />
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Yesterday was another Halloween-ish time spent at a corn maze and pumpkin patch...<br />
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Those were my most notable events this month. The weather was super hot in early October, then it turned crazy cold and rainy a couple weeks ago. There were quite a few nice and gloomy days. These offered plenty of smile-inducing moments like picking up my pizza order at the gas station and seeing this guy hanging in the window. (Yes, I eat gas station pizza. Casey's tastes like a childhood pizza party.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2MsiQhqtaLMg65O3X2z49adeFuvAdL5VMclqkrbmA0-k7LEJZsRffs8D8K7MKA1AhGnOc91eFamXupZgSj93t0gpMcOn1VfI9eBIViPPVrbGJvk017fWPMktZ6SVE_iIzoSUXQ/s1600/IMG_4784.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1061" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP2MsiQhqtaLMg65O3X2z49adeFuvAdL5VMclqkrbmA0-k7LEJZsRffs8D8K7MKA1AhGnOc91eFamXupZgSj93t0gpMcOn1VfI9eBIViPPVrbGJvk017fWPMktZ6SVE_iIzoSUXQ/s640/IMG_4784.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I also got my most popular ever Twitter post with this video and the caption:<br />
"The Halloween decoration I hung outside my own window has legitimately terrified me three times now."<br />
which is very true... <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzaG9daGUFujGcqoHpyOU0c0kYUTGMcUOsAO0ZjFbZq_gMhOK8Lsl1BdR7xbS3KP9rFpnEfwMe66e8' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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There was also a lot of shopping. Flea markets...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6SC7iunzGyUBHUcYDeu3Z4NHDcovn5THCuGtvHX2MxkS2HA_dAwSwC2ffZiD8Qgn8uVvY9gieRnzOe-RQw5rych3xmhiOpJ55DC_sNw0fALyXcKzGv9sOxcTZHf9hEC7bXgTRw/s1600/IMG_4549.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF6SC7iunzGyUBHUcYDeu3Z4NHDcovn5THCuGtvHX2MxkS2HA_dAwSwC2ffZiD8Qgn8uVvY9gieRnzOe-RQw5rych3xmhiOpJ55DC_sNw0fALyXcKzGv9sOxcTZHf9hEC7bXgTRw/s640/IMG_4549.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And Target, where you can find an official Mego Frankenstein action figure in the year 2018!..<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsJwXgwA8G2uKxUm_LwE0NePLRWAj4uQP8ME2D5Smill5uTpsKFTm1FKksFKOVLiWGy4-e2j3-WZ9iYv4cDu0_vWvpU2vBVtsfjTK0NxHBJrw5BWrYLi3-j0e_mGHF3oloNXq3g/s1600/IMG_4866.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1100" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfsJwXgwA8G2uKxUm_LwE0NePLRWAj4uQP8ME2D5Smill5uTpsKFTm1FKksFKOVLiWGy4-e2j3-WZ9iYv4cDu0_vWvpU2vBVtsfjTK0NxHBJrw5BWrYLi3-j0e_mGHF3oloNXq3g/s640/IMG_4866.JPG" width="440" /></a><br />
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Last year the big challenge was finding the plastic Skeleton Army that was being sold in some Dollar General stores. My twitter feed was full of boastful people lording them over me. I went to a half dozen locations before I was finally able to track them down in the next town over. This year they followed with a Mummy Army and I was poised for another hunt, but apparently the success of the skeletons convinced them to put the mummies in nearly every location.<br />
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But most of my shopping was online. Like this amazing skeleton from Boss Fight Studio that I found thanks to a tip from a twitter pal, <a href="https://twitter.com/NecroticDoctor" target="_blank">The Pathologist</a>...</div>
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And this British import of the mini Stretch X-Ray! Thanks to a tip from <a href="https://twitter.com/atters1000" target="_blank">another Twitter pal.</a></div>
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And yet another Twitter pal,<a href="https://twitter.com/andynyman" target="_blank"> Andy Nyman,</a> sent me this superb dime store "Lochness Monster," also from the UK!</div>
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There's also these (which came from a store, now that I think about it.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9gDnCkIsdcORyAc-l0IONQqZsFBkU64WqVVwPPVL774UlF4XBFwk3YLeEoSGRjKPz5GaKRAx3FaedT0u_Yon0g8vtI0hwLATZdpAIlv51tf3cyPmAZ82DaRbdh_5OMoDNBkrRg/s1600/IMG_4862.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik9gDnCkIsdcORyAc-l0IONQqZsFBkU64WqVVwPPVL774UlF4XBFwk3YLeEoSGRjKPz5GaKRAx3FaedT0u_Yon0g8vtI0hwLATZdpAIlv51tf3cyPmAZ82DaRbdh_5OMoDNBkrRg/s640/IMG_4862.JPG" width="480" /></a> </div>
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I couldn't resist the amazingly ridiculous, ridiculously amazing Savage World horror figures from Funko...</div>
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And light-up Halloween III pins from <a href="https://cameraviscera.com/" target="_blank">Camera Viscera</a>...</div>
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But my favorite of all Halloween products this year is this perfect Beistle skeleton blanket from <a href="https://www.creepycompany.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=creepy%20company&utm_campaign=g-search-brand-trademark-exact&utm_content=251397081763&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItsKJ152t3gIVFrbACh1nDgjyEAAYASAAEgJlbPD_BwE" target="_blank">Creepy Company.</a></div>
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Welp, it's late and I should post this so I can get back to work. I'll leave you with some pics of graveyards and moons from this season. Happy Halloween!<br />
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<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-90043974966577485772018-08-09T20:08:00.001-05:002018-10-29T22:57:49.495-05:00THE LOST ROAD TRIPS: PART III- NYC VIA TENNESSEE AND WILDWOOD, NJ<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>“The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream.”
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<i>― Jack Kerouac, On the Road: The Original Scroll </i><br />
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Starting a blog posts with a literary quote is a first for me, but I've been thinking about the connection between dreams and road trips. It's simple: I often dream about road trips, and road trips often feel like dreams. Certain destinations seem to have built a permanent spot in my dream world. There are also several imaginary locations that I revisit again and again.<br />
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It makes sense, considering the impact that travel has on our psyche. We interrupt the flow of our daily lives to carve out a journey that offers a constant stream of new stimuli, sometimes visiting places that stop at nothing to amuse and delight. When I'm on a trip I'm well aware that the day I'm living will likely be imprinted in my head until death. Trips are my mental benchmarks that help me sort out the years. It's no wonder that the places we visit almost take on a spiritual significance. (Neil Gaiman's book "American Gods" demonstrates this by making tourist attractions, House on the Rock and Rock City Gardens, literal meeting places for the gods.)<br />
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Somehow my 2016 excursion to New York was more dreamlike than most. The whole premise of the trip was a dream come true. I was invited to the NY Comics & Picture-Story Symposium to give a presentation on comic book ads and novelties. It's a modest monthly event that takes place at Parsons New School and is hosted by one of my favorite graphic novelists, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ben_Katchor" target="_blank">Ben Katchor</a>. (Ben's work usually centers around the fictitious history of objects, industrial design, and urban rituals. Sometimes he incorporates the old novelties that I'm so fond of. In fact, one of his books is called "Cheap Novelties: The Pleasure of Urban Decay." Nothing else can put me in the same headspace as Katchor's work.) The event was the perfect excuse for a road trip, so I brought my friend Chris along and we set out to make it as epic as possible.<br />
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Since epic was the goal, our first stop was Graceland.<br />
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I had never been before. Strange, I know, considering my taste for tourist traps, and that Graceland is located on a frequently traveled route. But the timing had never been right, and reports from other people had dampened my interest. For years all I'd heard is that it's smaller than you'd expect, you can't go upstairs, and it's expensive. These statements are not unfair. I had to remind myself that Graceland's cultural significance made up for the fact that I could have spent an entire day at a theme park for roughly the same price. </div>
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The size wasn't a shock thanks to the many warnings, but what did surprise me was its sheer coolness. To me, the common notion of a dream house is usually less than dreamy. Mansions can feel cold and impersonal, but I found Graceland to be extremely cozy and inviting. </div>
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For those unfamiliar, the tour groups assemble at a visitor center across the highway from Graceland proper. The line for the bus corralled us in front of a printed backdrop of the Graceland gates. A photographer snapped souvenir photos that would be available for purchase at the end of the tour. Chris and I placed our bets as to how much those puppies would run. I guessed low. Turns out they were thirty-five bucks apiece. That's for a photo in front of <i>an illustration</i> that was taken <i>across the street </i>from the real thing. Our tour ended at closing time so the backdrop was empty and we snapped our own free photos; an act fueled by the rebellious spirit of Rock N' Roll.</div>
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There are plenty of complete Graceland photo tours on the web, so I've narrowed this down to my favorite rooms. First is the kitchen.</div>
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I'm so ready for all-over wood surfaces to make a comeback. I don't care if it's the real thing or flimsy paneling. The idea that rooms need to be "opened up" with light colors is a plague on our society. (I wouldn't mind the return of avocado appliances either.) Elvis's kitchen put me at ease. Nothing else could make him seem so human. <br />
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Even with all its '70s deco glitz, the TV room still has a basement-ness that keeps it humble. It seems surprisingly attainable now. The space is eighty percent sectional furniture and mirrors, and these days the triple screens are almost quaint.</div>
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In what was likely an effort to keep up with today's sophisticated consumer, each guest was issued an ipad to hang around their necks. The device had the ability to sense your location, and serve up a 360 degree interactive tour of your surroundings. I get the value in being able to touch on certain objects and learn more information, but it means that you're often staring at a Quicktime virtual view of the same room you're actually standing in.<br />
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The Jungle Room was the pinnacle of lush lounging. The next-level feature was a mini waterfall where you might expect to find a fireplace. This is yet another trend that I would welcome on a mass scale.<br />
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I noticed that someone had left a compact disc on a chair in the roped-off room. There's no way it was an accident. Could it have been an offering put there by a budding musician who sought a blessing from The King? When I walked back through the disc was gone. Possible explanations are: (A) the staff was very vigilant, (B) Elvis received his sacrifice, or (C) it's an Illuminati drop point.</div>
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There we go. Finally, some of my lighthearted commentary. I'm not
sure why this post has started out so pensive and then price conscious.
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Truth is, the Elvis factor was pretty much secondary for me. I was so in awe of the environment that I had to remind myself that a modern legend had been cooped up in there, and even died right upstairs. But I'd pay theme park prices to see most any extravagant time capsule homes with shag carpet and green steel tanker desks. </div>
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By the way, I asked the attendant if she'd seen any ghosts walking around. Her reply was "no," but that's because she'd only worked there for two weeks.<br />
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You are correct if you guessed that we stood before the grave obnoxiously quoting the scene from <i>This Is Spinal Tap</i>, and harmonized a barbershop raga version of "Heartbreak Hotel."<br />
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Elvis's house closed, but the stores didn't. You could divide the souvenir shops into three tiers. The gift shop in the Graceland complex offered the officially ordained shopping experience. It's full of the highest order of Elvis gear at premium prices. Right next door in the Graceland Crossing shopping center was Souvenirs of Elvis Presley Boulevard. I was disappointed by it's carefully controlled inventory. It's like they had a couple dozen focus group-approved designs that were applied to the standard types of merchandise. <br />
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Thankfully, I spotted Boulevard Souvenirs, not to be confused with— wait, actually being confused with Souvenirs of Elvis Presley Boulevard may have been their entire plan.<br />
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Boulevard Souvenirs was everything I look for in a souvenir shop: cramped, haphazard, and longstanding. There was plenty of stock that first arrived when Clinton was president. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS4IEwhe2lMtPyvLSZxbpfk3Ldxw6ugbTyDqOONzbLEJFS3CnWH4iBddaaMbn3Xp3SicMECPNy5I2oG8igwXVVe3GapRdcAtj8OHh2lnAQ6ztVxg9eHa0XV9yr_YgO1yWyEXCJw/s1600/IMG_7884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBS4IEwhe2lMtPyvLSZxbpfk3Ldxw6ugbTyDqOONzbLEJFS3CnWH4iBddaaMbn3Xp3SicMECPNy5I2oG8igwXVVe3GapRdcAtj8OHh2lnAQ6ztVxg9eHa0XV9yr_YgO1yWyEXCJw/s640/IMG_7884.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The shop was full of items produced by risk-takers, items too unorthodox to be considered by the upper echelon of the Elvis estate. Seeking official endorsement would be a waste of everyone's time. I bought a foamcore stand-up Graceland that fell apart in my hands, and a poorly designed bumper sticker dated 1994. I've spent a couple hours in search of that goofy sticker hoping to scan it for this article. In the process I did find an old photo that I put on a friend's Facebook page, and that inadvertently connected me to another old friend who I hadn't talked to in a quarter century. So it was worth it.</div>
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Day two took us to the twin cities of Tennessee tourism, Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. I've <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2007/07/what-i-did-on-my-summer-vacation-part.html" target="_blank">written about</a> this wonderful part of the world before. Both towns experienced a boom in tourism when the Great Smoky Mountains National Park was established in 1930s. Gatlinburg was first to develop as a tourist spot, and is more pedestrian friendly...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnYPQsxW-Ev4BQHqhtiL3HMSYHQhL3qXSTXU64im0oHE830qJLJ7TZECUM2yvrUg12mAE7lSGSVuPzbggxwl5ZMavh_AqiVWIHhryoeOZrlHbkxl2IDScOQ0UB95Mm9TxlASacg/s1600/gat.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnYPQsxW-Ev4BQHqhtiL3HMSYHQhL3qXSTXU64im0oHE830qJLJ7TZECUM2yvrUg12mAE7lSGSVuPzbggxwl5ZMavh_AqiVWIHhryoeOZrlHbkxl2IDScOQ0UB95Mm9TxlASacg/s640/gat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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While Pigeon Forge has bigger attractions that are less concentrated...</div>
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We spent the bulk of our time in Gatlinburg. It's nestled in a valley beneath tree-covered hillsides which, to me, sets it apart from other tourist meccas like the Wisconsin Dells, Orlando, or Branson. I'm also sentimental about it because it's the first place I've ever been where multiple haunted walk-throughs were plopped right in the middle of a shopping district. To my joy, many businesses on the Gatlinburg strip had gone unchanged since my first visit as a teenager. So I made it a goal to take photos of things that looked more or less like they did thirty years prior. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmd8XtKmkD0V9tkGPmVnkXe8s8DtFRzgn1JRgqTnBy94GUP09pKt84L7Jqd2LYtnMxVyukN_RlWCXE8QHVGjgvqTluoF-VUeAsN2UB3cf2P7oXfp-Yi7AcF0Hl83c5lvmFLspoQ/s1600/IMG_7896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZmd8XtKmkD0V9tkGPmVnkXe8s8DtFRzgn1JRgqTnBy94GUP09pKt84L7Jqd2LYtnMxVyukN_RlWCXE8QHVGjgvqTluoF-VUeAsN2UB3cf2P7oXfp-Yi7AcF0Hl83c5lvmFLspoQ/s640/IMG_7896.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18-j-QRQKdDPwLLedVgVEaFKSYDvoKWhHdJOC8X4xZ_BvVJ8bOdARa0niRzbAhtwy5tSExQyF7V4vHBZJet0ZSeMmCEyOhUCAH4sFvzXLkAQdsAIwzwZGzSF51loh6bVtBZ-6iA/s1600/olesmoky.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1161" data-original-width="1600" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg18-j-QRQKdDPwLLedVgVEaFKSYDvoKWhHdJOC8X4xZ_BvVJ8bOdARa0niRzbAhtwy5tSExQyF7V4vHBZJet0ZSeMmCEyOhUCAH4sFvzXLkAQdsAIwzwZGzSF51loh6bVtBZ-6iA/s640/olesmoky.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Why stop there? Maybe some subtle Photoshopping can help bring out the 1985 in them...</div>
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This one even has payphones and a neon animal print...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlIzFYGWfjytdv6p9hcmJcsUd52BhYbCvf1dqaYsWKiTtIEoAruGvNuosJwQDFMrhKEXF-vTluH70vKMhx0yccaw64mb6WjfjhQvuFJECBE7G5nbfN9VLlwFIZAx9wjYndDEZOA/s1600/shoneys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPlIzFYGWfjytdv6p9hcmJcsUd52BhYbCvf1dqaYsWKiTtIEoAruGvNuosJwQDFMrhKEXF-vTluH70vKMhx0yccaw64mb6WjfjhQvuFJECBE7G5nbfN9VLlwFIZAx9wjYndDEZOA/s640/shoneys.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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I love visiting places where the economy can support more than one freestanding marshal arts supply shop... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkXDjRb6cwjrcLT4ZJhAIDnLhDk9qo4KMmVOz8pmzUEAanKiM9SE0uE8w5T_eUKBrIlH6nvJ-prHtBCBqkH1KPAkWiThzfJ_KVvmqDhovRIUmsjQ7-lao4bRT7AbQ3J1jcKbLMw/s1600/IMG_7930.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkXDjRb6cwjrcLT4ZJhAIDnLhDk9qo4KMmVOz8pmzUEAanKiM9SE0uE8w5T_eUKBrIlH6nvJ-prHtBCBqkH1KPAkWiThzfJ_KVvmqDhovRIUmsjQ7-lao4bRT7AbQ3J1jcKbLMw/s640/IMG_7930.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I just noticed that there's a mask from the movie <i>Scream</i> showcased the front window. This means that the Ghostface mask was a vital piece of their marketing strategy, selected for its potential to lure people inside. I appreciate that so much.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaf9vqC3w5TJeX74KuylMrQhzGl1FTmMAzxUvNcHimgzBROoqCUNV2vsZuhZ7xj7uxOs1tPAoCTs367wmandUhLoFIm6GcQVVY0Pqfj_2J9umTquDdze5ZDy9C11FG_cEQKlHNg/s1600/scream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="435" data-original-width="656" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaf9vqC3w5TJeX74KuylMrQhzGl1FTmMAzxUvNcHimgzBROoqCUNV2vsZuhZ7xj7uxOs1tPAoCTs367wmandUhLoFIm6GcQVVY0Pqfj_2J9umTquDdze5ZDy9C11FG_cEQKlHNg/s320/scream.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I've been sitting here thinking about this, and it occurred to me to check the Google Maps street view just to see if it's also visible there. (Admit it, you were thinking the same thing.) Turns out, the Google view is four years older than my photo, but look, there it is! And it's on some sort of canvas! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHHBYR36ftUtW6_XG-XGzagMsLB_hfJpxbUUw4SaA5DLnOolvACSg7l7bBBik8_lx3Pc61lJJFDJyj-Q9W8O5bnoPOX-Vmobwf3hUqtCLiAajWiLLdgTbIkiMdHqXqf6fl5PVlg/s1600/scream2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="482" data-original-width="699" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHHBYR36ftUtW6_XG-XGzagMsLB_hfJpxbUUw4SaA5DLnOolvACSg7l7bBBik8_lx3Pc61lJJFDJyj-Q9W8O5bnoPOX-Vmobwf3hUqtCLiAajWiLLdgTbIkiMdHqXqf6fl5PVlg/s640/scream2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now I'm looking up Ghostface mask trivia. Four years before the movie <i>Scream</i>, the original Ghostface design was part of a 1992 line called "Fantastic Faces" by Fun World, the same company responsible for one of <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-2-thrillerchiller.html" target="_blank">the worst Halloween cassettes</a> of all time. The mask was originally called “The Peanut-Eyed Ghost.” There's a dispute over who created the initial design between former employee Brigitte Sleiertin-Linden and her former boss, Alan Geller. (Geller also claims he thought <i>Scream</i> was a student film when he licensed it. This contradicts Wes Craven's recollection of lengthy negotiations. I believe Brigitte.)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEDBbdJfyXdalQGKZCwca_2DcyaOjyHBSCdaKPNRjYL0eWRQ88GnYg5Ypiphl8eB3scxmAUYild4BACXrrWPdjXstR8fAxOMaqWD1dh0G_Az2s0AiWoOfcITe1W9tbN_aRlb3eg/s1600/Funworldad.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeEDBbdJfyXdalQGKZCwca_2DcyaOjyHBSCdaKPNRjYL0eWRQ88GnYg5Ypiphl8eB3scxmAUYild4BACXrrWPdjXstR8fAxOMaqWD1dh0G_Az2s0AiWoOfcITe1W9tbN_aRlb3eg/s640/Funworldad.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Anyway.<br />
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One of my favorite things on earth is Gatlinburg's one and only World of Illusions. I've written about it before, but it's been ten years and my feelings have changed. It straddles the line between monumental rip-off and national treasure. Sixty-eight percent of its Trip Advisor reviews are rated "Terrible." But the following one star review is exactly why I'd give it five stars... "It looks like it was built 50 years ago and not touched since then."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXZJNvWrnB_wRQaT9louQNxLmHbvAr9nN9GoO9Fvwa_iZ9yHkScrmFxAwHbR1dQ2GNiFTssL5P8XT1IXs928WITDCnbKIT-a8EqU-Debh5qlHOjcIFFB5mSb5XrKC2zTqeUdMLg/s1600/IMG_7956.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXZJNvWrnB_wRQaT9louQNxLmHbvAr9nN9GoO9Fvwa_iZ9yHkScrmFxAwHbR1dQ2GNiFTssL5P8XT1IXs928WITDCnbKIT-a8EqU-Debh5qlHOjcIFFB5mSb5XrKC2zTqeUdMLg/s640/IMG_7956.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
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There are plenty of "4D" screen-driven attractions these days. Isn't there room for three dimensional figures that move with the assistance of loud, oily motors? If anything, it serves as a historic record of how special effects and magic tricks used to be done: with special lighting, mirrors, and wires. But its greatest mystery is how it has endured the decades. It has to be one of the last of its kind, and I fear its demise.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7x1v-YJr2qy9gzknJDToZczCH_mrfSG64USIKREME3PQivhyphenhyphenI3EYJzPl8HsX1W91-fHZjUkS4mJOOhsBhciolLV3tv1O4o5kdQgHHnQ3mH9q4U47tsWAuHGUw-OpuhWGRWxMJg/s1600/IMG_7965.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7x1v-YJr2qy9gzknJDToZczCH_mrfSG64USIKREME3PQivhyphenhyphenI3EYJzPl8HsX1W91-fHZjUkS4mJOOhsBhciolLV3tv1O4o5kdQgHHnQ3mH9q4U47tsWAuHGUw-OpuhWGRWxMJg/s640/IMG_7965.JPG" width="480" /> </a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O51zgc55xpSVmQ73OYsn9gz1YLX2sfZqOil-PDKaCSlMiH9HG_VdsE_avYHBN57FJ-8rzs7tpnSnG8rSNDaepCxLmSNlXbT5UcoreqpfAef8iOkxDeFiVMn7oJr7euRisiuh8g/s1600/IMG_7960.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1172" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8O51zgc55xpSVmQ73OYsn9gz1YLX2sfZqOil-PDKaCSlMiH9HG_VdsE_avYHBN57FJ-8rzs7tpnSnG8rSNDaepCxLmSNlXbT5UcoreqpfAef8iOkxDeFiVMn7oJr7euRisiuh8g/s640/IMG_7960.JPG" width="468" /></a><br />
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To entice foot traffic World of Illusions deceptively fills their spacious lobby with "hot" characters of the day i.e. Harry Potter, Spider-Man, Padawan Anakin, Frodo (formerly Mini-Me), even a makeshift Neo and Trinity from <i>The Matrix</i>. It's like a history of summer blockbusters. However, on the inside the latest property is probably<i> Star Trek: The Next Generation.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13SgVX8VGbe8cAG_1l10x1vq9C3NwFPfpcvD5ZakP7-4aJmlXyTBz6tQ15B2FDvNz8xPyVMQXpSRILxz2zUpiLjIgRjoL03uh-BsPUAfVTPH7dxQ7ZJmXUjCzW7JZv6KheCAihA/s1600/IMG_7967.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh13SgVX8VGbe8cAG_1l10x1vq9C3NwFPfpcvD5ZakP7-4aJmlXyTBz6tQ15B2FDvNz8xPyVMQXpSRILxz2zUpiLjIgRjoL03uh-BsPUAfVTPH7dxQ7ZJmXUjCzW7JZv6KheCAihA/s640/IMG_7967.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The concept of combining a wax museum with magic trickery sounds great, but World of Illusion's greatest weakness is the shockingly short duration (with an arguably disproportionate admission price.) Compared to other local museums like Ripley's, or Guinness World Records, the number of (working) exhibits are minuscule. The first time I completed it, I thought I had walked out a fire exit by mistake. There's not even a final gift shop, you're jettisoned into a service ally. I'm guessing it takes about seven minutes for the average visitor to take it all in, and that's if they study the toy magic tricks and printed illusions on the walls, including the "magic eye" poster they probably bought at a nearby shop in the '90s. We camped inside for nearly an hour, soaking up ever detail and documenting everything. I roamed from entrance-to-exit again and again, thrilled to exist inside that dark hallway.<br />
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The exhibits were behind glass and some were so dim it was difficult to see. It felt like struggling to make out images in dreams. To my delight, at least half of the exhibits were spooky in nature. There's Frankenstein, a werewolf, and at least two vampires, one of which was part of a "Dracula to bat" room...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CnoQlIZDm7AOiZ5ZGDxXLyLphGT0-Sxj0RpQiAH8few8jKxBOtSVPabW7JFYUb-HknrtzKO2q0HFId1paCWyKph__CgBjbpfHKE2qe2sm5fTnVN6IJiyaPMK4_EIimPaoN7GZw/s1600/drac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CnoQlIZDm7AOiZ5ZGDxXLyLphGT0-Sxj0RpQiAH8few8jKxBOtSVPabW7JFYUb-HknrtzKO2q0HFId1paCWyKph__CgBjbpfHKE2qe2sm5fTnVN6IJiyaPMK4_EIimPaoN7GZw/s640/drac.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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The "new Vampire/Werewolf Illusion" advertised out front was
unfortunately, an update to the classic "Girl to Gorilla" sideshow act... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRlAzSz_1CoBe3riK6bbUCJqigl1Fez5VSRycnofA-IO3wRMLZtMuFlwqm0YeoY-p5PKQKUsCIpyFLjA-cVM8jfsOL5PZMY10EJ-BeiM1uQjJiJ4NDRmM6nrxBWg5Vz_rUkNTYA/s1600/IMG_7982.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="832" data-original-width="916" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkRlAzSz_1CoBe3riK6bbUCJqigl1Fez5VSRycnofA-IO3wRMLZtMuFlwqm0YeoY-p5PKQKUsCIpyFLjA-cVM8jfsOL5PZMY10EJ-BeiM1uQjJiJ4NDRmM6nrxBWg5Vz_rUkNTYA/s640/IMG_7982.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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There was also a grim reaper wearing a re-purposed Batman suit!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAf1S0ei8agg9MiSRZFtUeinKg0QOuS0dVF4DYav8IURVgXgbCv9g-8Le0lwIYgBWAsuWnOSGYfydHCk8ZAycObX7RfU1eS0x79JejgLVFdL8b1zEaQa_AXgGTJ57Q-ArCQqwcmQ/s1600/IMG_8000.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1073" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAf1S0ei8agg9MiSRZFtUeinKg0QOuS0dVF4DYav8IURVgXgbCv9g-8Le0lwIYgBWAsuWnOSGYfydHCk8ZAycObX7RfU1eS0x79JejgLVFdL8b1zEaQa_AXgGTJ57Q-ArCQqwcmQ/s640/IMG_8000.JPG" width="428" /> </a></div>
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But that's not even the best thing about it. When the face turned human, it was revealed to be Charles Bronson! That's not a joke, or a coincidence, it's a former figure from one of the town's defunct wax museums. I repeat, they had Charles Bronson as a grim reaper in a Batman suit! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCWWEmfJuv6qAnpHZFA-2vH00756xWxIDHKIIDwU39NoM1Kxy0aND3YVFAD9Je-44BQFPppVNw7h6Vbd6OzhbfCJglaqIwqFmJAYMLBKxGphoiewUrlIsvJdSBLlxfZqM1bgLwA/s1600/IMG_8001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1386" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRCWWEmfJuv6qAnpHZFA-2vH00756xWxIDHKIIDwU39NoM1Kxy0aND3YVFAD9Je-44BQFPppVNw7h6Vbd6OzhbfCJglaqIwqFmJAYMLBKxGphoiewUrlIsvJdSBLlxfZqM1bgLwA/s320/IMG_8001.JPG" width="277" /></a></div>
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But that's not the only formerly-unemployed wax figure. They tried to pass
Alan Alda off as a Doctor Frankenstein! Didn't even take off the dog
tags! Was this the product of a masterful sense of humor, or did the
management think that customers would be too moronic to notice?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1U2sCaMCdv4_f4GsPQsdIwCX9tuXNzBS9_cK3dgYE5tQrNi4xvVFalHhz3FHSaBbVp4qwN-qT-S2GxL6kYrNCnu-QmdIR2OWpShwe-fYJOrP_L4VeOQ4LDaQKG6X5Y2QO0uYw_w/s1600/alda.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="638" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1U2sCaMCdv4_f4GsPQsdIwCX9tuXNzBS9_cK3dgYE5tQrNi4xvVFalHhz3FHSaBbVp4qwN-qT-S2GxL6kYrNCnu-QmdIR2OWpShwe-fYJOrP_L4VeOQ4LDaQKG6X5Y2QO0uYw_w/s640/alda.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo borrowed from a Flickr user named "touristtrap"</span></div>
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The monsters aren't nearly as creepy as Superman using his powers to secretly see Louis Lane's unmentionables.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzgAcW5M5d4C5_g0GZFU0MVlfy5xzkKVviJgmqdTsCP2Pg3GflSw5tgic4aHtFBuuaSthAjZcKjTKHBMIPQXfa4zMF1Mbf-FB78iWp_PiPa5ySCwQKvqVkhN9-DfTkpAOOpS7pw/s1600/IMG_20070615_0086o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="784" data-original-width="593" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnzgAcW5M5d4C5_g0GZFU0MVlfy5xzkKVviJgmqdTsCP2Pg3GflSw5tgic4aHtFBuuaSthAjZcKjTKHBMIPQXfa4zMF1Mbf-FB78iWp_PiPa5ySCwQKvqVkhN9-DfTkpAOOpS7pw/s640/IMG_20070615_0086o.jpg" width="484" /></a><br />
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It would seem that once E.T.'s hot streak was over, he was painted green and incorporated into a <i>Star Trek</i> exhibit. And people complain about the eight dollar admission?!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOSjR7saEyHgBhZEo1RSWYT8AiHlThbopPmfWB_tWlbUVJzLb-pLTJhHKo3T1SGpqRNNx-_asPVAEnlAIr2zyarWEG7sazRkWWO1SiVDo4_txvIMdb1N2MWnglpZl3LSYwFJuyg/s1600/IMG_7994.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOSjR7saEyHgBhZEo1RSWYT8AiHlThbopPmfWB_tWlbUVJzLb-pLTJhHKo3T1SGpqRNNx-_asPVAEnlAIr2zyarWEG7sazRkWWO1SiVDo4_txvIMdb1N2MWnglpZl3LSYwFJuyg/s640/IMG_7994.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Once again, Elvis Presley was there to entertain us in the form of a singing bust. A looped medley of "Hound Dog" and "Heartbreak Hotel" echoed relentlessly from a damaged recording. Speaking of Audio, one of the most amazing things about the place is the recorded "barker" that they pipe out onto the sidewalk. It's clearly a product of the 1970s, and I applaud them for ignoring the inaccuracies and just pressing "play" every day.<br />
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<iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9r830tIDzmM" width="560"></iframe>
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If you crave a further look at the World of Illusion, here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mr0WWjJaokg" target="_blank">recent video tour</a> that's pretty good.<br />
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Late afternoon arrived too soon, and we still needed to get a lot closer to the coast in order to stay on schedule. We agreed to explore one more wood-covered block before heading back to the car. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHxcYb82TnLDAh6mkxifTpO2_WDbXwlGmF5rkc1OuuOmeEDyjThMCn7VL1fxu4nAyGOhIDJmuKHY6UVMfQUHK8RvHjja0gXTmn83vyoXjzp3e81OEDIiwsKB6zRTqJSfTiT09Q/s1600/IMG_8015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1600" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnHxcYb82TnLDAh6mkxifTpO2_WDbXwlGmF5rkc1OuuOmeEDyjThMCn7VL1fxu4nAyGOhIDJmuKHY6UVMfQUHK8RvHjja0gXTmn83vyoXjzp3e81OEDIiwsKB6zRTqJSfTiT09Q/s640/IMG_8015.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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My dreams recurrently involve finding neat little shops in mysterious towns. World of Illusions had already put me in a dream state, but for a moment I truly questioned whether I was awake as I saw an out-of-reach store called Doc's Magic Castle. Stores in my dreamworld are often inconveniently located, showing up on precarious hills, or other impossible places. I frequently arrive at closing time, or during a blackout. (These frustrations don't match the waking realization that none if it ever existed.) <br />
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We navigated a three story mall that never abandoned the beloved diagonal wood trend of the 70s era. Passing a nearly empty arcade on my way up supported my dream theory. </div>
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We found the facade of the magic shop, and to my thrill Doc's Magic Castle looked like a castle. However— the front gates were locked, and the lights were out. Of course it was closed, just like a dream.</div>
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Then a mysterious voice from inside said, "Give me a moment and I'll open that for you." It wasn't a magic trick, the clerk was getting ready to open! The place sprang to life quickly and a few other customers followed us in. Doc's was a neat magic shop with an extra layer of Gatlinburg aesthetic, like a dragon that could breath smoke. We eavesdropped on a boy with a heavy Tennessee accent who apparently performed street magic for tips. Leaving that scene was tough, but we had miles to tend to.<br />
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Back on the road, it wasn't long before darkness fell and sprinkles of rain followed. The moment was right for me to break out my now-ancient MP3 player, pre-loaded with content for a variety of situations. For general fair-weather travel, I had a K-Tel collection of Truckin' songs. For the long stretches of nothing I had entire four-hour episodes of "Rick Dee's Weekly Top 40" from the 1980s. For the rainy, eerie climb over the Kentucky Appalachians I had a real gem set aside. <br />
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In 2003 WFMU launched the <a href="http://wfmu.org/365/">365 Days Project</a> where an audio oddity was posted every day for a year. The overall experience changed me as a human, but one of my favorite discoveries was a found cassette recording of a portion of a radio show called <a href="http://wfmu.org/365/2003/279.shtml">"Is Paul Dead?" ( a link to the audio is on the web page.)</a> It's a lengthy exploration of the legend of Paul McCartney's death coverup. The host goes well beyond the common "clues," and delves into wildly imaginative leaps of logic to support the conspiracy. The content is fascinating enough, but the tone and production value brings it to a chill-inducing level. The music places the recording sometime during the late '70s. The host's earnest delivery, and the music bed that includes the <i>Close Encounters</i> soundtrack and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjFKQY2IjZc">Tomita's "Bermuda Triangle" album</a> give it the same vibe as those documentaries on unexplained phenomenon that were popular in the decade. When you pop it on you think, "This might be fun for a couple minutes," and a half hour later you're disappointed that it's over. It's one of my all-time favorite pieces of art.<br />
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Day three was reserved for the New Jersey coast. One yet-to-be-visited place that had been on my radar for a long time was the Wildwood boardwalk, former home of the legendary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0okhO_tSfhc">Dracula's Castle dark ride</a> which burned down in 2002.<br />
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I had heard that things don't open until May, but it was the last week of April, so what's one week? It turns out that one week was the difference between open hotels, and no open hotels, between a town and a ghost town. Here's the scene we found...</div>
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It was cool in a Scooby-Doo kind of way, but it took some getting used to. <br />
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Places that were open included: a couple t-shirt shops doing prep work for the following week, a toy shop, an arcade full of crane games, and two pizza joints. As Chris and I tried to determine the best pizzeria, workers from each place walked out of their empty buildings to woo us. We were each handed menus, and told about VIP discounts, free refills and other amenities. The decision was paralyzing. I don't remember what finally coaxed us inside one of them, but I feel bad that we dealt such a blow to the other place. <br />
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I decided to find the Caribbean hotel where I'd tried to make a reservation. It was mid-century gorgeous.<br />
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But somehow, in all my years of nostalgia-obsessed intenetting, I never learned that the entire town is a sanctuary for 50s and 60s hotel design! It was mind-blowing, block after block of "doo wop" architecture (also known as Googie, or Populuxe style). The area is known as the Wildwoods Shore Resort Historic District where the structures are saved and restored by the The Wildwood Doo Wop Preservation League. <br />
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How had we <i>stumbled</i> across a place like this? Again, it felt like— one big dream!<br />
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As we traveled closer to our painfully contemporary hotel, there was time for a final stop to see Lucy the Elephant in Margate City, New Jersey. This had been on my roadside bucket list for decades because it appears in nearly every book and documentary about wacky roadside architecture. Built in 1881, it's one of the oldest of its kind. It was visited by tourists back when road trips required horses.<br />
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We made it to New York City with several hours to suck up some sights. Everyone was taking photos of the Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty, but I took this picture, just in case nobody thought to photograph the inside of a Times Square souvenir shop that day.<br />
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Elvis himself appropriately made a final appearance in the form of a costumed impersonator posing for tips. I didn't know he was there until I heard him angrily accusing us of taking unpaid photos of him. Chris defended us and a minor verbal spat broke out. As he walked away he flipped us off and told us to, "Eat a dick."<br />
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It was perfect! I mean, come on, that's not just dream-like, that's the kind of stuff you'd write into a novel. That's a full blown literary theme! We went from visiting hearth and home of the real Elvis Presley, to a run down robot of him in Gatlinburg, to a bitter New Yorker insulting us personally. Clearly, the trip had reached a turning point.<br />
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I gave my talk and had a blast. As a college instructor I'd forgotten what it was like to have an audience that's interested, enthusiastic, and there on their own volition. <br />
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On our last full day on the road I wanted to check in on one of my favorite little tourist spots, Cave City, Kentucky. The biggest (man made) attraction there, Guntown Mountain, was teetering on the brink of collapse the last time I'd been through. We discovered the place had shut down after changing the name to "Funtown Mountain" and some failed renovation efforts. Consequently, what I once described as "the perfect souvenir shop"(<a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2014/08/a-tale-of-two-road-trips-part-i.html" target="_blank">in this old post</a>) was boarded up. The mood turned bleak, and as if on cue, dark storm clouds began to roll in. (Thankfully, as of this summer the place is operating again under the name Froggett's Guntown Mountain.)<br />
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Rather than return to the interstate I wanted to investigate the defunct Mammoth Cave Wax Museum that went up for auction in 2012. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRPsObPWIeaS9r9LFsznOtmc5uBVt9u3KXtoUK4340AloEkZ4l-eGbYLntYKBRjr1-2Gq_dZGhSjL8oLpE5IRi6I3dT7XH4P_sKlIGHX_ycqlV-X2zWwUrN0bQNOlYn_qoF2CBA/s1600/IMG_8209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCRPsObPWIeaS9r9LFsznOtmc5uBVt9u3KXtoUK4340AloEkZ4l-eGbYLntYKBRjr1-2Gq_dZGhSjL8oLpE5IRi6I3dT7XH4P_sKlIGHX_ycqlV-X2zWwUrN0bQNOlYn_qoF2CBA/s640/IMG_8209.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lHrooZqoXncRDxVi2s_6rsSYSvCGZQDDCmnDgHKIDMaHFcMQfktgxoYpJiNsbkriyLOnwR97IBoiFT5hQTiGbiYuU2gi4IE6sMtGGaGliSL2xtbSH_tAjN4FmxTsf7IeJfbwZg/s1600/IMG_8210.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6lHrooZqoXncRDxVi2s_6rsSYSvCGZQDDCmnDgHKIDMaHFcMQfktgxoYpJiNsbkriyLOnwR97IBoiFT5hQTiGbiYuU2gi4IE6sMtGGaGliSL2xtbSH_tAjN4FmxTsf7IeJfbwZg/s640/IMG_8210.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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It
opened in the 70s and had a mini golf course, an ice cream shop, a
tank of fake sharks, and an alpine village called Pixie World. There
was also a sizable apartment for the management to live on site. I used
to fantasize about buying it. The owners were hoping they could pass the
torch along to someone else, but I heard the contents were sold to
various buyers, ensuring its demise. Sheesh, maybe following up the Guntown Mountain discovery with another grim stop wasn't a great idea. Elvis's grave was cheerier than this.<br />
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Speaking of which, yet again Elvis had a poetic connection to our journey. His statue had been in there for decades. Just as he had <i>left the building</i>, it seemed like he had left us to face our daily lives once again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKjhTsB0DAFik8oS-j0wWLArlwUIpqSTDShBOzcO_hBWlYjHMzWF-pXDv8hBj5mKbTOkI8av83SK20Q3ceJcKx7GHiKDpaJXZkkGrtfnxrAFLnODjIA_kEnY0qKtpRlHF4E-Otg/s1600/8065723372_7b28a9411b_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKjhTsB0DAFik8oS-j0wWLArlwUIpqSTDShBOzcO_hBWlYjHMzWF-pXDv8hBj5mKbTOkI8av83SK20Q3ceJcKx7GHiKDpaJXZkkGrtfnxrAFLnODjIA_kEnY0qKtpRlHF4E-Otg/s400/8065723372_7b28a9411b_z.jpg" width="295" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Photo from 2011 by Flickr user jacobkrejci</span></div>
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(Here's a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97XoYoR-pzA" target="_blank">video tour</a> of the Wax Museum grounds that's made even better by some abandoned Halloween decorations.) </div>
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The horizon was flickering with wild lightning when we saw a sign for a rock shop and mystery house four miles away. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RrMN2UTt-vZrrsCTYnQ5CvA-Z2xvqbtGrtArJw4OuDFnbac2gV-VmVSzh1ZtIOIqcvcTCDTbQjuU3CZhqr4ju3w0KiNoAHAsbcU_hJlSIayKOdtmze_hyphenhyphenwPk644a55PucnBJgw/s1600/IMG_8202.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1243" data-original-width="1600" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RrMN2UTt-vZrrsCTYnQ5CvA-Z2xvqbtGrtArJw4OuDFnbac2gV-VmVSzh1ZtIOIqcvcTCDTbQjuU3CZhqr4ju3w0KiNoAHAsbcU_hJlSIayKOdtmze_hyphenhyphenwPk644a55PucnBJgw/s640/IMG_8202.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Was it worth an eight mile round trip knowing it would be closed, and the storm was about to rage? Of course it was. As we pulled into the driveway the storm let loose. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZxB9qDpM7DlkYFkv2mckUl7pA1nwwazLZL5WS2P2pWRZC1fKjgoTenLT0hI6-kIP5KhOoV1n-dcGahy5MZNsW7fdWMqqvBCATAioQs5CZ1JOIpiAAAIGdU5dI3NC2nBhulO_-A/s1600/IMG_8227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1305" data-original-width="1600" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirZxB9qDpM7DlkYFkv2mckUl7pA1nwwazLZL5WS2P2pWRZC1fKjgoTenLT0hI6-kIP5KhOoV1n-dcGahy5MZNsW7fdWMqqvBCATAioQs5CZ1JOIpiAAAIGdU5dI3NC2nBhulO_-A/s640/IMG_8227.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The fun was over prematurely, like waking up from a good dream before you're ready. Everything around us was closed, dark, soaked, or out of business— except for the combination Long John Silver's and A&W! The lobby was a welcome dry refuge, heavy with a familiar deep-fried aroma. They cooked me up a batch of chicken planks (as I still call them) and a side of complimentary krums. We sat in the otherwise empty dining room devouring our trays of batter-dipped comfort as the storm gave the windows a thrashing.<br />
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With precision timing, the after-dinner skies grew merciful. Chris surveyed the patio, looking like an Edward Hopper painting.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CAOeZhrejokhu3ZQ1XxhjcWUe9xt1mQk_gmXZOOLJylw-2tWNm27rG0bbom0dSylsE-E0HL1cy-jsyuMyLAYZUGkwrUBlPU9nHserh-FstnHtqN9_FqAIk_dFq-7zVKQaRw2wQ/s1600/IMG_8229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9CAOeZhrejokhu3ZQ1XxhjcWUe9xt1mQk_gmXZOOLJylw-2tWNm27rG0bbom0dSylsE-E0HL1cy-jsyuMyLAYZUGkwrUBlPU9nHserh-FstnHtqN9_FqAIk_dFq-7zVKQaRw2wQ/s640/IMG_8229.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The ride to our next bed was smooth and clear. Once again we were living the dream.</div>
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-26229684486899530052018-07-19T19:47:00.000-05:002018-10-29T22:57:49.405-05:00THE LOST ROAD TRIPS: PART II- NEW JERSEY VIA OHIO<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A few years ago I traveled to New Jersey with my friend Scott for two reasons. The first was to take part in the Toyman toy show in St. Louis where Scott was a vendor. The second was the chance to possibly appear on a TV show. I signed a thing saying I wouldn't discuss details about the show appearance online, so I'll continue to not discuss it. Technically there's nothing to discuss because the segment never aired. They never said why, but I assume it's because I somehow ruined it, even though I was just standing in the background.</div>
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Toyman is the best toy show I've ever been to. I haven't done the major ones like the Chicago Toy Show, but I've been to dozens of cons and fests all over the nation, and I loved how focused this one was. There were no panel discussions to distract you from that sweet vendor floor, and for the most part the content was vintage, as opposed to new products based on vintage properties which dominate most pop culture events. Toyman happens eight times a year so it fosters a strong community of vendors, most of whom posses superhuman table-curating powers. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymRsPDjF2KSvSXxoyG0AEhcGSqsliyeUvBIDO1UtQI-42VVjCHWHkUDD5QJNK4MpFwagygrhotoJpBho0Zah2s9FI_YCHqTViG4c1T45DVanjgHs2nFSiQrw4sOjdL7ZQQEqwgg/s1600/IMG_0151.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1075" data-original-width="1600" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymRsPDjF2KSvSXxoyG0AEhcGSqsliyeUvBIDO1UtQI-42VVjCHWHkUDD5QJNK4MpFwagygrhotoJpBho0Zah2s9FI_YCHqTViG4c1T45DVanjgHs2nFSiQrw4sOjdL7ZQQEqwgg/s640/IMG_0151.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The only downside is going when you're on a tight budget. The freelance life is said to be "feast or famine," and I wasn't feasting at the time. I spent less than thirty bucks, but my biggest triumph was a trade. I found some little MPC monsters for less than a dollar each, and when I showed them to my favorite toy vendor, he informed me that they were a super rare vending-size variant. I swapped two for a "Warrior Beast" Skullman (with repro cape, but original knife), and a purple version of a "Dragonriders of the Styx" shirtless demon.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyt3c7vYmpsZ-I5hpK8CKS-f9LIqrdfkd8OO07_y-Jv0q3mGfrc6_9-Li9HD-EvB_icGCMokOSthy4t6ws2wrbK6MgHK1qUZO3ppL2yewI1VXRbRmYLhQoFizzygg7gHkyp0C3g/s1600/IMG_0170.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmyt3c7vYmpsZ-I5hpK8CKS-f9LIqrdfkd8OO07_y-Jv0q3mGfrc6_9-Li9HD-EvB_icGCMokOSthy4t6ws2wrbK6MgHK1qUZO3ppL2yewI1VXRbRmYLhQoFizzygg7gHkyp0C3g/s640/IMG_0170.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The second, much longer leg of the trip took us through Ohio. Alarms went off in my brain reminding me about a store, somewhere in the state, that several internet friends have gone out of their way to email me about. A google search brought up Foy's Halloween stores in Fairborn, Ohio. It was on the way, AND in the perfect spot for an overnight stay!<br />
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It was late on a Sunday night when we pulled into town. The GPS led us to a spacious Main Street that was covered in neon— and skeletons! It felt like something out of an urban myth, a downtown that's decorated for Halloween year round. We were the only living beings in sight which added to the dreaminess of the moment. Instantly recharged, we hopped out to take some pics... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA7CWhiU6wHK1piF4SIQE8ckX-613q4Ic3Gze-ZFsPZDNfse1A1x2aQ7DvGp3AbXqaCoNo_K0wQy7DdbQRrV7_nke25Dwh5h5ORMcTuTb_5Y_AB89lJ6k1wyBndmes9h8Q4IQwg/s1600/IMG_6538.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA7CWhiU6wHK1piF4SIQE8ckX-613q4Ic3Gze-ZFsPZDNfse1A1x2aQ7DvGp3AbXqaCoNo_K0wQy7DdbQRrV7_nke25Dwh5h5ORMcTuTb_5Y_AB89lJ6k1wyBndmes9h8Q4IQwg/s640/IMG_6538.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEENqn6UgQ5hyphenhyphen2uovOTXtDbfMIw62s006Q1avjyJBDwCoUXkPuP0C6JEOTTb6_v5cLLb7i81MCJcRLkh4SVPhmz5szTvXphRaFk-60AMiy0XJ6pgPaQ4gmKRtQQyJoPIEijs0bzQ/s1600/IMG_6544.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEENqn6UgQ5hyphenhyphen2uovOTXtDbfMIw62s006Q1avjyJBDwCoUXkPuP0C6JEOTTb6_v5cLLb7i81MCJcRLkh4SVPhmz5szTvXphRaFk-60AMiy0XJ6pgPaQ4gmKRtQQyJoPIEijs0bzQ/s640/IMG_6544.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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When morning finally arrived, the thought of that street being open got me out of bed quicker than usual. Daylight revealed a wonderland...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxna4aIe4i_00V-FFC_QJwT6PeE9Lv8Bpp0l-MN82bIcEblArqTbLWeigdv-XeJ8tmt35Q005tVBmporBLvOHF0r63_iw2tlS9EhDmrRS9kwHOb7P5NTcTzCQhnMvNuVmI2j0VA/s1600/IMG_0185.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="984" data-original-width="1600" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSxna4aIe4i_00V-FFC_QJwT6PeE9Lv8Bpp0l-MN82bIcEblArqTbLWeigdv-XeJ8tmt35Q005tVBmporBLvOHF0r63_iw2tlS9EhDmrRS9kwHOb7P5NTcTzCQhnMvNuVmI2j0VA/s640/IMG_0185.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
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The Foy's empire is comprised of six different storefronts spread across two blocks. The main concentration includes an authentic dime store, a diner, a Halloween shop, a kids' costume shop, and a haunted house supply store! The grown-ups costume shop is isolated from the rest, but that's okay because it's right next to a row of book, collectible, and toy shops.<br />
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That street is almost exactly what I'd describe in a "what if" conversation... <br />
"What
business would I open, if I could open anything? That's easy, a classic
dime store full of toys, magic tricks, pranks, and candy. Wait..no! I'd
sell spooky stuff too, year round! Wait, why just the one store? I'd
take up the whole block, and it would have a Halloween shop... and a haunted house
shop... and a diner..."<br />
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According to <a href="http://www.daytoncitypaper.com/behind-the-masks/" target="_blank">this article</a>
the head of the operation is Mike Foy, a third generation business
owner. The five and dime was first to open in 1929, by his grandpa. Mike seems to be responsible for spooking up the enterprise. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtegf-soST9ZnWwDJHA82abVJKZcqW1koeP-c6UvqcdIesko200ON51HDTrkHIeuQLbGWIJ-Mz5w4sKY8-1Ywe3tXgm71s672GvRq9h4PqnKdXhk4VVYPLJKQXDq1RdDBEOr5Enw/s1600/IMG_0188.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtegf-soST9ZnWwDJHA82abVJKZcqW1koeP-c6UvqcdIesko200ON51HDTrkHIeuQLbGWIJ-Mz5w4sKY8-1Ywe3tXgm71s672GvRq9h4PqnKdXhk4VVYPLJKQXDq1RdDBEOr5Enw/s640/IMG_0188.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv9N7IiPIZphFlaUjYrxHRZpys3e2FTRdrNEe_n8r4oHGyL1x2XGgunhTFdyS6W9i2RwWQAS8XVANj_WHX_1UhqkmYvHn38KkX7isCHdkxdPGOeGWpgszDuyfWc-qG-1SleU-xg/s1600/IMG_6614.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtv9N7IiPIZphFlaUjYrxHRZpys3e2FTRdrNEe_n8r4oHGyL1x2XGgunhTFdyS6W9i2RwWQAS8XVANj_WHX_1UhqkmYvHn38KkX7isCHdkxdPGOeGWpgszDuyfWc-qG-1SleU-xg/s640/IMG_6614.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The mind-blowing visit was clouded with a longing that
still lingers. Since we were there on a Monday morning in the
off-season, out of all the places I listed only the dime store and the costume
shop were open. They were great (the dime store was phenomenal), but
these photos make me feel like a ghost with unfinished business.
Somehow, I must return to haunt this street again.<br />
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But here's some of what I did see.<br />
The costume shop was packed with all the familiar bagged costumes and loads of accessories. What made it stand out were the displays around the parameter of the ceiling...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTktu29sCwseQztAMpBbqZVyjU0g9hxdOc_i_SQAYehsdN2hl_kcniO1ipBe5SFlanhNf71wGKX75DQ7s2qzz7UPFMONHuq0M_xN9ljBOFc04uXoUiIRaQlk9DVkt48qfKwVeLog/s1600/IMG_6559.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1134" data-original-width="1600" height="452" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTktu29sCwseQztAMpBbqZVyjU0g9hxdOc_i_SQAYehsdN2hl_kcniO1ipBe5SFlanhNf71wGKX75DQ7s2qzz7UPFMONHuq0M_xN9ljBOFc04uXoUiIRaQlk9DVkt48qfKwVeLog/s640/IMG_6559.JPG" width="640" /> </a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX8glQmTrAEutAKJYTiOlk2Ua-gjoxBm5NGTW7_DVMSDcv9fnl_1agmSaiWQLVIVhBFsmfm8_hlgJ7wpq-Sfa3d9VHmk25fidq5FStOJN3Kb_lW_MPVa2bdYtpTxZH93V5PwzOw/s1600/IMG_6562.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1298" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX8glQmTrAEutAKJYTiOlk2Ua-gjoxBm5NGTW7_DVMSDcv9fnl_1agmSaiWQLVIVhBFsmfm8_hlgJ7wpq-Sfa3d9VHmk25fidq5FStOJN3Kb_lW_MPVa2bdYtpTxZH93V5PwzOw/s640/IMG_6562.JPG" width="518" /> </a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RA7K1UwD86AowuddFovrwIWOKxDyLfLGmKIficXN7MqY70rMcR0l3eyLJbzTkzYWiT5qJWqrxJBrgFYGp-LRYnp3aa13ruwke-q5NdN9Mr0W0e2YH_bG6lq1FPSXE1ojAjVtPg/s1600/IMG_6555.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RA7K1UwD86AowuddFovrwIWOKxDyLfLGmKIficXN7MqY70rMcR0l3eyLJbzTkzYWiT5qJWqrxJBrgFYGp-LRYnp3aa13ruwke-q5NdN9Mr0W0e2YH_bG6lq1FPSXE1ojAjVtPg/s640/IMG_6555.JPG" width="480" /> </a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ07WcoLWUpSHFQ4TILv-fI4GI30Dgd6lmsA_Kct7jRYpkNDoGPxtiecZgATNm0zoVpU01jOSFPbBivu4ej-PB2VeMVG0d74Y1PMKHTbghhOFN09-hEMUYg5lPjoMLL2bDUImzw/s1600/IMG_6558.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGQ07WcoLWUpSHFQ4TILv-fI4GI30Dgd6lmsA_Kct7jRYpkNDoGPxtiecZgATNm0zoVpU01jOSFPbBivu4ej-PB2VeMVG0d74Y1PMKHTbghhOFN09-hEMUYg5lPjoMLL2bDUImzw/s640/IMG_6558.JPG" width="640" /> </a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYFHfhW7amurc_RZjBdagjRihtAvIFcxmu-0lmzHVSfjV-z4yDLEjV18qQT0zUAaPmY5Kvx7gulvIucgj2QII6u-GcMlEnS5rPL1rOngw3IXPK5wTa26sblFYt5LyMQa2AakYlg/s1600/IMG_6551.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMYFHfhW7amurc_RZjBdagjRihtAvIFcxmu-0lmzHVSfjV-z4yDLEjV18qQT0zUAaPmY5Kvx7gulvIucgj2QII6u-GcMlEnS5rPL1rOngw3IXPK5wTa26sblFYt5LyMQa2AakYlg/s640/IMG_6551.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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The variety shop is the heart of the enterprise. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq0giahB6DEguXVsiRnFVaja1pHzV4mmL1-4MeDum2QFQAOMseffGbOU1aZNhqJVURGOikmTDrxLl32Mba8qw02dhjnJjVZYZ523GxN8DYypLLOzynMWwngBiV7PUlU_KciyuJw/s1600/IMG_6563.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq0giahB6DEguXVsiRnFVaja1pHzV4mmL1-4MeDum2QFQAOMseffGbOU1aZNhqJVURGOikmTDrxLl32Mba8qw02dhjnJjVZYZ523GxN8DYypLLOzynMWwngBiV7PUlU_KciyuJw/s640/IMG_6563.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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The signage was a symphonic medley of metal, vinyl, neon tubing, and hand-painted wood.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhy7BZ8TI6ZhODV0Bg9jdyudJAzRHJDZ1PAvrI6Eogi4rcKt4he-oznIJD9cngZhy3CFdzcdwh9vQiHM357kK-5CK1NQRMCwUPLhqxX_QhGufIcxB_F3sYLzgfYs60i7wc8HQgw/s1600/IMG_6570.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhy7BZ8TI6ZhODV0Bg9jdyudJAzRHJDZ1PAvrI6Eogi4rcKt4he-oznIJD9cngZhy3CFdzcdwh9vQiHM357kK-5CK1NQRMCwUPLhqxX_QhGufIcxB_F3sYLzgfYs60i7wc8HQgw/s640/IMG_6570.JPG" width="640" /></a> <br />
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I walked in and my eyes climbed a central tower of magnificent objects. The base was a display of bulk candy beneath a bay of security monitors, topped with the biggest advertisement for Don Post masks I've ever seen. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLU650rzW48sLg4CpTtP2lAhIYA7cQj1-SDYrvnJAKYc5DYucAo_UGam-wI2bWmia6fBWvBQNcFmVNA0kqGH-YQUZyeR0RBgsBj6z6LJoKsOUXwXRHJbHOqHaBxbb7B39isRNupQ/s1600/IMG_6599.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLU650rzW48sLg4CpTtP2lAhIYA7cQj1-SDYrvnJAKYc5DYucAo_UGam-wI2bWmia6fBWvBQNcFmVNA0kqGH-YQUZyeR0RBgsBj6z6LJoKsOUXwXRHJbHOqHaBxbb7B39isRNupQ/s640/IMG_6599.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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I immediately thought of the movie <i>Halloween III, </i>and then moments later the masks from the film were staring back at me, right next to an astounding selection of Michael Myers heads.<br />
Imagine popping in to grab a Myers mask before a party and being confronted with this decision. It's like hash brown styles at Waffle House. Do you want your mask: chopped, smooth, bleeding, chunky, or covered in hair?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLduq-ta9pcG3hp1LavcEjDa-5zOxtC8mv-Yo81IF82CTFvANq3mucSlnIh3V-mM3reeJEcMt0iTqEwkb2JGB04-X4wiD2zZFhKqGoz0Kh2JIi47d9roddadfGtx7NSrFbophPxA/s1600/masks1.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLduq-ta9pcG3hp1LavcEjDa-5zOxtC8mv-Yo81IF82CTFvANq3mucSlnIh3V-mM3reeJEcMt0iTqEwkb2JGB04-X4wiD2zZFhKqGoz0Kh2JIi47d9roddadfGtx7NSrFbophPxA/s640/masks1.jpg" width="640" /> </a><br />
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(The one on the top row with the milk jug lid showing deserves its own film franchise.) <br />
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I didn't pay attention to the price range, but some look like they could cause you to miss a car payment, while the model in the top right could have been used as packing material for the rest.<br />
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Tough choice? How about one of our dozen Jasons?<br />
We apologize for only offering eight different Freddy Kruegers. But this is just the general store. Check out our Halloween shop for the <i>real </i>selection.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrimZuQWFef23glgIl-3vxlp5GpvVw2iugCR2c2UrULl38VzRW02Ek21bYcJm4wSi7_uTGSlYEksMt7pTn4C4eiWBamPprDopmAC-FXGVD-c5nUGDNeGzUUnBdDh6b1qs0YmikQ/s1600/masks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDrimZuQWFef23glgIl-3vxlp5GpvVw2iugCR2c2UrULl38VzRW02Ek21bYcJm4wSi7_uTGSlYEksMt7pTn4C4eiWBamPprDopmAC-FXGVD-c5nUGDNeGzUUnBdDh6b1qs0YmikQ/s640/masks.jpg" width="382" /></a></div>
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This was all behind a glass display that ran the length of the building. The content segued seamlessly from costumes to ninja weapons to magic tricks and so on. It's hard to see, but there's a full spinner rack of pranks stuck right on top. There were also plenty of over-the-counter novelties like alien putty and whoopee cushions. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQO7Mjm-Zdm-vQszk2eqJKA9tMY8I5Ijk5GVl1kZip-J3PwlHamaFYU6MfRjPLhrUw9oa9ETps4H8Q5L-o6f1YJNPWieOZhniAfq9XfyXx4Wf2ACNacEmcKIq7k6a4ogESPxgPw/s1600/IMG_6602.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLQO7Mjm-Zdm-vQszk2eqJKA9tMY8I5Ijk5GVl1kZip-J3PwlHamaFYU6MfRjPLhrUw9oa9ETps4H8Q5L-o6f1YJNPWieOZhniAfq9XfyXx4Wf2ACNacEmcKIq7k6a4ogESPxgPw/s640/IMG_6602.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yz4lhp6SB8DadAUcQVfUR56rlz9LsPQXlB6xKw1eHRw3Zn9Zm00IUAbSlwWPFMGGdv87Z7dEEgw0HZ1ktSdh5KkehEBY0Mcg0a64x1QoP7X9D0w9JrbyhIdSWT5nOCayhRrIXw/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0yz4lhp6SB8DadAUcQVfUR56rlz9LsPQXlB6xKw1eHRw3Zn9Zm00IUAbSlwWPFMGGdv87Z7dEEgw0HZ1ktSdh5KkehEBY0Mcg0a64x1QoP7X9D0w9JrbyhIdSWT5nOCayhRrIXw/s640/IMG_0172.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The magic items are behind a sliding glass door. (Just as they should be!) The assortment covers all different manufacturers and decades. The handmade starburst sign with the word "magic" gives me chills. That Phony Burger behind it is from the 1960s... <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBUh69TaKtajr-ir9Xs3hIPHOLR3jTGgvz3PR4_egbKP-kDZ_wjsIBSJB6Y1Z0i6FlseacEWWoG-SepckLQ1-OxRCSEg6RqJ9UUUIV9Tn-Fk15SgRLJlffMwo1m7O9zdtrFTIvw/s1600/IMG_6605.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1363" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbBUh69TaKtajr-ir9Xs3hIPHOLR3jTGgvz3PR4_egbKP-kDZ_wjsIBSJB6Y1Z0i6FlseacEWWoG-SepckLQ1-OxRCSEg6RqJ9UUUIV9Tn-Fk15SgRLJlffMwo1m7O9zdtrFTIvw/s640/IMG_6605.JPG" width="544" /></a><br />
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Near the front door, morning-fresh popcorn warmed under an electric bulb. A container of cold fruit flavored juice was available at the legacy price of twenty-five cents. This was my breakfast.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzcHOqjshBWmBQ_pfcHaZMNI_WITPh0WOoz_kzmpZMje8AJbuaPQkmMBPgY606ZKeB1wGAgTChG3QGb7tvdbV3xq4WAWSU5UEt351ce5XnHjYQIRH73EacNmQXFDL6br2DOrqDQ/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzcHOqjshBWmBQ_pfcHaZMNI_WITPh0WOoz_kzmpZMje8AJbuaPQkmMBPgY606ZKeB1wGAgTChG3QGb7tvdbV3xq4WAWSU5UEt351ce5XnHjYQIRH73EacNmQXFDL6br2DOrqDQ/s640/IMG_0183.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
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Another bank of candy concealed a more practical aisle of tourist-wear and office supplies. The concentration of merchandise had a soothing effect on me, like swaddling on a colicky baby.<br />
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Beneath the selection of souvenirs was a shelf where you could force your hand into various containers of rubber trinkets and squish them all at once.</div>
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Not enough places sell rubber bats by the piece for fifty cents.<br />
I was profoundly impressed that they offered so many subtle variations of skeletons. My skeleton collection grew that day.<br />
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A mini shrine to the founder was taped on a massive case of bulk jelly beans.<br />
If my loved ones are reading this, I'd be more than honored to receive the same treatment in lieu of a traditional grave.<br />
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Another day on the road took us to Red Bank, New Jersey, where Scott had set up a big toy purchase from "popculturist guru" Rob Bruce (seen pointing at me below.) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlqR_YDHjfEMeNIJDZLFr7HtjtpMs1YcrbQIfR8ZhkYz-J6500WLBr4C-fYTYZwPj1_0PeOT1BVMRbpr5Bs4MReDY3eFBDkzEtQYLXO3DoJhyphenhyphengGCflTSbaMEM-KtmYPZW1r3LBw/s1600/IMG_0197.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1264" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlqR_YDHjfEMeNIJDZLFr7HtjtpMs1YcrbQIfR8ZhkYz-J6500WLBr4C-fYTYZwPj1_0PeOT1BVMRbpr5Bs4MReDY3eFBDkzEtQYLXO3DoJhyphenhyphengGCflTSbaMEM-KtmYPZW1r3LBw/s400/IMG_0197.JPG" width="315" /> </a><br />
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We didn't visit his main stockpile of toys, but we did get to see
his hallowed office! With his blessing, here are some photos (a bit blurry due to the pounding of my pulse.) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLS6wuT7iVPiqORS39dHjAfUTVaKy5w2mV4gkaDIYDg-R6ZFB7ah9NdfivGTvNERVP20SkInm2mm_ZYeWhhi0RDMftCyxhm6b6x2FtgRiOknODSrwUZ__zY5u6ESjSX4nBdwhS0g/s1600/IMG_0199.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGuh5GqjysDqyh9oY1R46sVSdDqpeg2f0-5_4bbFX8d54IaxpWD4UcIfoGYtypQmmND84h4GmzLvlZHR4I7-QNOEQqIeVb2-8Fs50kCxkorlcpJxO0-kDPyclFeZ3735k3blfOVw/s640/IMG_0204.JPG" width="640" /> </a><br />
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Rob's fascination at the time was limited edition art toys and vintage bootlegs (i.e. the spider-men seen below), an inevitable choice for anyone who has possessed every mass produced toy in existence. </div>
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Rob took us to his usual lunching spot which had the healthiest food I've ever shared a room with. He talked about the envy-inducing collector culture in the northeast, and he told us about the time he got to go on tour with the Ramones.<br />
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At his recommendation we traveled to a shop in Asbury Park called Groovy Graveyard.<br />
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The shop was more proof that the northeastern United States has a perfect storm of the elements needed to create a collectors' wonderland:<br />
<b>-A
high population</b><br />
Generations of stuff-buying families who have stayed in the region.<br />
-<b>A concentration of resources</b><br />
Disposable income, frivolous spenders, questionable purchases by both the normal and the weirdos.<br />
-<b>People
with diverse tastes</b><br />
People from different backgrounds, cultures,
educations and belief systems who bought Jazz, Punk, Hip Hop, and obscure
film scores. Independent, Horror, and Documentary films once watched by
historians, geeks, and cinephiles. Now they're done with it, and it's
our job to preserve and archive it all.<br />
<b>-Basements</b><br />
These are not a given
where I live. I've heard that it has something to do with the frostline
up north, or it's too damp here, or the ground is too hard. Whatever the
reason, much of the country lacks what is both a storage space, and a breeding ground
for cultural study, and comic reading, and roll playing games, and hiding from social situations.<br />
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Asbury Park will always have a layer of magic on it for me because it was home to the beloved S.S. Adams Prank and Magic company. Strangers have sent me emails over the years updating me on the state of the building (and its transition into condominiums). This was my chance to check up on it and pay my final respects. There was little remaining evidence that this was the world's premier novelty company for nearly a century.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUQBRou6AhmnWfhd6-dKz1dhOY9gXozAnBUvlTtXHWweTupPsQrYDImQ4vlXrMKdsAlegjiTITQ8Lgpz62jkxiXbhSlp0u85DhgI2eFsqQNJGheMHUk9_5X6McyBc7sWaXh1Nww/s1600/IMG_6640.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1392" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZUQBRou6AhmnWfhd6-dKz1dhOY9gXozAnBUvlTtXHWweTupPsQrYDImQ4vlXrMKdsAlegjiTITQ8Lgpz62jkxiXbhSlp0u85DhgI2eFsqQNJGheMHUk9_5X6McyBc7sWaXh1Nww/s640/IMG_6640.JPG" width="556" /></a><br />
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I've been enticed by the Silverball Museum and arcade for years because it's often mentioned on a live-streaming podcast called "The Best Show with Tom Scharpling." My day in Asbury Park was my big chance to finally experience it. It was exactly as great as I expected it to be. Aisles of beautiful and functioning pinball machines awaited. Getting photos of them without players took precision timing...<br />
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The next day we visited Jay and Silent Bob's Secret Stash comic shop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06fWW7zoW6i02PvUJhYoFsAqwNBf-ZQSu0OJ2B_N1DHx61e_HjS3ssueVXN7xR_e6aAyIj65msRTt5xvcOZRDB_t0mJuvbvs3yCst_Hrn9WfQIWVRwztEwOED5UAADvp4aYRFSA/s1600/IMG_0236.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1191" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg06fWW7zoW6i02PvUJhYoFsAqwNBf-ZQSu0OJ2B_N1DHx61e_HjS3ssueVXN7xR_e6aAyIj65msRTt5xvcOZRDB_t0mJuvbvs3yCst_Hrn9WfQIWVRwztEwOED5UAADvp4aYRFSA/s640/IMG_0236.JPG" width="476" /></a></div>
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It functions as both a store and a studio for the show "Comic Book Men" on AMC. So there's more elbow room than many comic shops, and as you can see the lighting is heavy duty. (The thing on the left is a prop from the Kevin Smith movie "Tusk.")<br />
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Most of the products were new comic books, but they did have a display case of View Askewniverse memorabilia. Speaking of which, we did run into Brian O'Halloran who played Dante in <i>Clerks</i> (1994). On the way there I had thought, "Hey, what if we ran into someone from a Kevin Smith movie?" followed immediately by "That's ridiculous, what am I thinking? Why would they even be there?" and yet, there he was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlvRuF3Vy5-0SSZRo1sJzFiOI-Hcrjsk0uSL-kMPWgyyVTIlOzAdAXv9niWS0oD8jaEBGHI0U6Y2Wbhe1f-Yh0SXuwxp3ytRLtA3ratoENHC-MTPOCm3S_8nBERzPkmwGcvZgIA/s1600/IMG_0218.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="1600" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUlvRuF3Vy5-0SSZRo1sJzFiOI-Hcrjsk0uSL-kMPWgyyVTIlOzAdAXv9niWS0oD8jaEBGHI0U6Y2Wbhe1f-Yh0SXuwxp3ytRLtA3ratoENHC-MTPOCm3S_8nBERzPkmwGcvZgIA/s640/IMG_0218.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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There was also a moment when one of the "Comic Book Men," Bryan Johnson, and I were the only two people in a room. Brian dropped a Gatorade and it rolled toward me, but stopped about eight feet from where I was sitting. Part of me thought that maybe I should pick it up and hand back to him, but again, it felt like a long way. I was frozen with this dilemma while he chased down the bottle muttering "For f***'s sake." as I sat and watched awkwardly. We never said a word to each other.<br />
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Here are a few more places I saw in the Garden State...</div>
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On the way home there was an excellent tribute to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at one of the rest stops. (Pennsylvania has <i>the best</i> rest stops.) The glassed-in shelf was full of vintage souvenirs...</div>
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We stayed with a friend in Nashville who showed us the sights.We went to the tourist row of shops and bars. Many people wore boots, but I suspect very few were cowboys or cowgirls.</div>
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The Ernest Tubb Record shop was full of history, but their music supplies were low. (Those white things in the mostly empty racks on the right was their CD selection.) They were ripe for the vinyl comeback and I hope they've embraced it since my visit.</div>
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I got to take a peek at <a href="https://hatchshowprint.com/" target="_blank">Hatch Show Print</a> design shop, which is a graphic designers' destination in itself... </div>
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We went to yet another store that's supported by a reality TV show. Antique Archaeology is where some of the loot from "American Pickers" ends up.</div>
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The selection is amazing, but it's not a place for bargain shopping.</div>
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This concludes my eastern tour of "rooms full of stuff." More lost road trips to come! </div>
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-83194586760649683712018-07-08T22:05:00.000-05:002018-10-29T22:57:49.473-05:00THE LOST ROAD TRIPS: PART IPeople often tell me that they miss my travelogues. To be more accurate, one person told me that they miss my travelogues, however, that person is a magician. (Hi Frank.) A magician's request carries tremendous weight in my personal economy of things, so here goes.<br />
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In the last few years I've been on several all-American road trips that I have failed to share with the internet. Ideally, I would drop all the photos into a Kodak slide carousel, invite you all into my darkened living room, and let you enjoy a slice of pie as I cycle through photos to the sound of Esquivel records. A series of blog posts will never come close to that, but you can still eat pie if you want.<br />
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Only one of my outings was a pure vacation where I got to choose the destination and route. The rest were unrefusable opportunities or ride-alongs which limited my roadside kicks to places that happened to be on the way. When there's a bigger goal, a schedule to stick to, and the route is at the mercy of a carload of independent wills, each successful stop is an unexpected triumph. When Fate is your bus driver, that lack of control can be offset by a near-overdose of serendipity when things do turn out great. <br />
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For my first post, I'd like to make an addendum to the <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2015/10/one-amazing-day-at-accoutrements-archie.html">massive write-up</a> of my 2015 visit to the Archie McPhee headquarters. It was so massive that I didn't try to squeeze in the sights we saw along the highway. The first one was a doozy, Casa Bonita in Denver, Colorado.<br />
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I've been meaning to pay tribute to the Casa Bonita franchise since the earliest days of this blog, but the subject is overwhelming. When I was a kid the Tulsa location was like a local taste of Disneyland. The interior resembled a Mexican village on a starry night complete with a maze-like cave and a huge video arcade. I'd heard legends of the flagship Denver location for years, with its cliff divers and magic shows, but this was my first visit. I'm only going to include a couple token photos here to leave open the possibility for a dedicated post in the future. But I will say that it was immensely bigger and better than I had dreamed. I couldn't have been more excited to discover that this location had spooky stuff too, like a walk-through monster cave!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdN8eCkraTI52uZN0oL0m9mQftOYcnmQ2v-5QyJQRV9oxFq-HtdvSjo4R3pskrsJOQaHIEftnCFsNjly3PQqGBjznbxq7Ddxp2Y6LCA7uGQmqBwQFZTYRz9KA1BWIAEOqt2s94Q/s1600/125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdN8eCkraTI52uZN0oL0m9mQftOYcnmQ2v-5QyJQRV9oxFq-HtdvSjo4R3pskrsJOQaHIEftnCFsNjly3PQqGBjznbxq7Ddxp2Y6LCA7uGQmqBwQFZTYRz9KA1BWIAEOqt2s94Q/s640/125.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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There is an elite class of roadside attraction that uses dozens, if not hundreds of billboards to tantalize drivers down the off-ramp. <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2006/06/see-rock-city_115151871796010944.html" target="_blank">"Rock City Gardens"</a> in Chattanooga and "South of the Border" in Dillon, South Carolina are my favorite examples. The multitude of signs I encountered for a place called Little America resembled a collection of stock photography, but the "billboard onslaught technique" always works on me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK71CFyt0oqBRZPXp6LHX3R_KMbC_TTRaHnpl6GTxM2a4_t-XitJq9FaxeTCoAzYMfiiP3MvIZClsrg765iAayrCkMoOTIdcJ98t-xXa70N5QfHEdcEYLTmKhDFKfWe2vbNbXng/s1600/zz242.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCK71CFyt0oqBRZPXp6LHX3R_KMbC_TTRaHnpl6GTxM2a4_t-XitJq9FaxeTCoAzYMfiiP3MvIZClsrg765iAayrCkMoOTIdcJ98t-xXa70N5QfHEdcEYLTmKhDFKfWe2vbNbXng/s640/zz242.jpg" width="480" /> </a><br />
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I immediately got the sense that this place was a major highlight during the golden age of American road-tripping, and Wikipedia confirmed it. Little America opened in 1952 and soon became a fixture of the Lincoln highway, the nation's first transcontinental road. It doesn't need to boast any novel amusements because in the unforgiving Wyoming countryside all it takes to become a traveler's oasis are the basics: fuel, food, lodging, coffee, "spotless restrooms," cocktails, and a service garage, most of these available 24 hours a day. Its sixty-five gas pumps made it the world's largest service station for a time. Such a comfy, ample, supply depot can make a driver reluctant to return to the lonely road. It feels like leaving the Prancing Pony to wander the barrens of Middle Earth.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXsfGP5ZvIR5BeOqa4I5yt0Jz3MMWakqFZG7blzYTmCFxD-0RIPsT9unR4bt6QDAyKftOdYuHUjVfedGDA2q9KSuEoFW20VWStOsmR4FWGdgxTcBD8OtJ3-iNooId35Pc0bF3kg/s1600/247.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="613" data-original-width="1600" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDXsfGP5ZvIR5BeOqa4I5yt0Jz3MMWakqFZG7blzYTmCFxD-0RIPsT9unR4bt6QDAyKftOdYuHUjVfedGDA2q9KSuEoFW20VWStOsmR4FWGdgxTcBD8OtJ3-iNooId35Pc0bF3kg/s640/247.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(Here's some foreshadowing...) <br />
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The complex has two competing themes. The name and the presence of penguins refers to a base in Antarctica reminding visitors that this dose of civilization is highly secluded. According to a legend on an old advertising flyer, the founder, S.M. Covey, made a vow to build this place into a "haven and a refuge" after he was once stranded in a blizzard on this very site. He deemed its construction "a promise kept...a dream come true."<br />
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Covey had a real penguin shipped across the sea to serve as a living mascot. The bird died in transit, and the stuffed carcass is still on display in the lobby— a reliquary to a corporate martyr. I couldn't get a photo of "Emperor the Penguin" because it was in the process of being cleaned. So at least they clean it.<br />
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Penguin statues are scattered among the other visual motif, Georgian style architecture of early America. The mix of zany and historic gives the place a unique vacationland appeal. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wzFt-fpwNAunhlUjQzCf5xej9nV8ImGh_kf9ZIC6LYyxXFItxLKFnNaiRzPpj0sohbMZKfCklHCUbMUr-s5WHsV_l5M-fIfY2BP_WHLOCYNYwVoYCP4DiREeri9y8CAvM2whHg/s1600/zz241.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wzFt-fpwNAunhlUjQzCf5xej9nV8ImGh_kf9ZIC6LYyxXFItxLKFnNaiRzPpj0sohbMZKfCklHCUbMUr-s5WHsV_l5M-fIfY2BP_WHLOCYNYwVoYCP4DiREeri9y8CAvM2whHg/s640/zz241.jpg" width="480" /> </a></div>
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Speaking of unique appeal, I knew nothing about the history of the place, but I got the sense that it wasn't itself anymore. Like the sign out front, it seemed somehow incomplete. Sure enough, online photos show that a
cartoon penguin was part of the original design. Unfortunately,
they look to be in the final stages of shedding their mid-century
whimsy. The newest signs attempt to class up the joint.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttNLfHSZxvHB0rw3ZNMZW2qcdVWMVE2duX_4_D2xsi1Ux9AbOZqkwBjlVNYr3HiroSzERzWSjYd-t-L7zCFSjCDI0soOrBxkFS03_Islx8P9JNicOjcZun88OVJa9rh4SdPcA4Q/s1600/signs.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttNLfHSZxvHB0rw3ZNMZW2qcdVWMVE2duX_4_D2xsi1Ux9AbOZqkwBjlVNYr3HiroSzERzWSjYd-t-L7zCFSjCDI0soOrBxkFS03_Islx8P9JNicOjcZun88OVJa9rh4SdPcA4Q/s640/signs.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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Their billboards went from this to this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKuxpIq5n94UUE5ybH39n7hGHoL8EN9GQyV6Zg5dx-63OdedTXhqQuC86eq-fyUG9b-65jYuicMzxtcYRnxLAFgLN3x6P5HEsC6-LmIm_leOjcwbdkiN8A5SFubCBeau8s48c8Q/s1600/billboards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="537" data-original-width="1600" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUKuxpIq5n94UUE5ybH39n7hGHoL8EN9GQyV6Zg5dx-63OdedTXhqQuC86eq-fyUG9b-65jYuicMzxtcYRnxLAFgLN3x6P5HEsC6-LmIm_leOjcwbdkiN8A5SFubCBeau8s48c8Q/s640/billboards.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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(60s billboard photo by John Margolies, new sign photo <a href="http://www.clui.org/ludb/site/little-america-wyoming" target="_blank">via</a>) </div>
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Trying to play it straight goes against the very DNA of the establishment. Little America was designed from the ground up to cater to the boom of new families adventuring in their new family sedans. The shapes and colors of comic strips spilled into the real world to summon fun-seeking tribes. Regardless of the signs, this place will always be more like a theme park than a Colonial Williamsburg<b>.</b> <br />
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The overcast day of my visit emphasized the way the color and flavor has been drained. And now, so help me, I'm looking at vintage postcards for this place. I ache for a lost world...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFADihbnqD4BAes80YEXlscBem4U_3ujqHLcjty5aE7cWrO7FcMztie-DRTVdQ1YpqM6keK52OcT9K0UdCboRACr4hUaHUjtot2UyfCCcRFmRmMhCQwqfKZIvjlfbwn3DLcpixTA/s1600/14508633766_a9f7c480e2_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1021" data-original-width="1600" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFADihbnqD4BAes80YEXlscBem4U_3ujqHLcjty5aE7cWrO7FcMztie-DRTVdQ1YpqM6keK52OcT9K0UdCboRACr4hUaHUjtot2UyfCCcRFmRmMhCQwqfKZIvjlfbwn3DLcpixTA/s640/14508633766_a9f7c480e2_o.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
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All I want is this: It's 1966, and I'm a traveling novelty salesman. I coast into the Little America parking lot as smoke pours from under the hood of my Nash Rambler. I'm stranded for a week until a new part arrives, leaving me no choice but to survive on their amenities, and wander the grounds chatting up fellow tourists. During the week I break my personal record for rubber skeleton sales.<br />
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When you're traveling hundreds of miles through featureless plains, a couple of simple stone monoliths are enough to get everyone excited enough to stop. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_Monument" target="_blank">The Ames Monument</a> was part of Union Pacific's effort to improve their reputation after a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cr%C3%A9dit_Mobilier_of_America_scandal" target="_blank">financial scandal</a> in 1867. It's a tribute to two brothers who financed the first transcontinental railroad during a time when many proclaimed the duo to be "kings of fraud."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRrKwu-YCQ-CR6GDg0LBx-kAX56FvgQznmKinDZm4_YfXkC7734228AdpbzCZIIHzO_u7WEdwbXGbZMEfOm6kG_mvb3bC1_qBsd-Gm8y6JEdy8M5qgAkkxdnTlpUs8obRTTk0rQ/s1600/zz198.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1358" data-original-width="1600" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjRrKwu-YCQ-CR6GDg0LBx-kAX56FvgQznmKinDZm4_YfXkC7734228AdpbzCZIIHzO_u7WEdwbXGbZMEfOm6kG_mvb3bC1_qBsd-Gm8y6JEdy8M5qgAkkxdnTlpUs8obRTTk0rQ/s640/zz198.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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I'm learning all of this now because I couldn't be bothered to read the three plaques at the foot of the pyramid. I was just happy to find an empty lot where we could stretch our legs and let the powerful winds hold up the weight of our leaning bodies.<br />
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About twenty miles down the road there was a more self-explanatory attraction, The Wyoming Abraham Lincoln monument which has been at this location since 1969.<br />
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The visitors center looked disheveled. I like that.<br />
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This view from the Lincoln monument looks like something that would be
framed on a wood-paneled wall in the corporate headquarters of a
trucking company...<br />
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These back to back attractions were followed by an empty expanse that made me wish I had an electric car. Wyoming could do a better job with their monument dispersing.<br />
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A couple hours later I was relieved to find a gas station, but to call it that is an understatement. This was a Travel Plaza of great significance,<i> The</i> Sinclair station <i>in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinclair,_Wyoming" target="_blank">Sinclair, Wyoming</a></i> that's positioned in front of <i>the</i> <i>Sinclair</i> Oil Refinery. This gave me the opportunity to pump my favorite brand of gas (based solely on the corporate mascot) while staring at the place where it was concocted.<br />
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Considering that the refinery is close enough for them to drop off the gas during their coffee breaks it would stand to reason that the fuel would be cheaper. Not so.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh413iiH09LaUqKXOEcBE2GY4FGkGSEB-3tP3w_I142or_wpM3RI9mkZ2exmAXb4yO_KcjaTKBBBumDhH_qPi6UcliTpwpzFy9FQDIHp9ywZ01Om59p7lyuHtA8t_V2tpXIqLWYoQ/s1600/zz225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1190" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh413iiH09LaUqKXOEcBE2GY4FGkGSEB-3tP3w_I142or_wpM3RI9mkZ2exmAXb4yO_KcjaTKBBBumDhH_qPi6UcliTpwpzFy9FQDIHp9ywZ01Om59p7lyuHtA8t_V2tpXIqLWYoQ/s640/zz225.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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On the way back from my Archie McPhee adventure I was more relaxed. I was thrilled with my visit, and in no hurry to return to real life. Following a tip from a friend we stopped at Multnomah Falls, Oregon.<br />
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The humid, cool air was refreshing, and the hovering scent of firewood from the visitor center made a blanket of cozy. The moss covered surfaces were like cushions for your eyes. It's no secret that I'm crazy about the junk food equivalent of roadside attractions, but I can absolutely appreciate such a nutritious place.<br />
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For lunch we stopped at Spooky's Pizza in The Dalles, Oregon. I still don't know what the mascot is, or why it's called Spooky's but I love both of those things. I'd like to think he's a ghost in a bow tie, but I'm often prone to thinking that things are ghosts. All their web site says is that it opened in '66, closed in the 80s, and reopened in '99. (That's '66 upside down!)<br />
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Like Pizza Hut, there is synergy between the signage and the rooftop. But they've topped the hut with multiple pinnacles and clerestory windows that match a functioning chimney.<br />
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The chimney looks to be attached to this massive fireplace. The Pizza Hut of my youth also had a massive fireplace. This taught me that pizza tastes better when you're near hot black iron. (Another example is in this old<a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2008/05/pizza-parlour.html" target="_blank"> Pizza Parlour review</a>, from back when 22 comments on a post was normal.)<br />
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This painting was a clue that there may have been more to the Spooky's experience...<br />
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Customized vending machines are the sign of a next level pizza joint.</div>
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A number of the yelp reviews that I read mentioned fond childhood experiences at the restaurant. Spooky's obviously embraces their history. Contrary to Little America, I'll bet that seeing old photos of this place wouldn't make me feel like I'd entirely missed out on something wonderful.<br />
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We stayed the night in Denver, and after my family settled in for the evening I went in search of the secondary market. There are times when I get powerful cravings to be surrounded by old media. Thus far, the trip hadn't offered much of that, so I hit the thrift store circuit. Once they'd all closed I got turned around in a complex of strip malls. A single store was still lit up. I made a moth-like approach and discovered Black & Read Books, Music, and News! It was <i>exactly</i> what I was itching for.<br />
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I opened one of the front doors and had to step around stacks of newly arrived boxes of VHS tapes. The store had the energizing aroma of paper goods slowly deteriorating. The vast inventory was organized with aging signs hand-written in Sharpie. I held monster manuals, board games, laserdiscs, and <i>Heavy Metal</i> magazines. It was open late, and the prices were very good. After buzzing for a couple hours, I left with mostly movie soundtracks on vinyl. There are still several more titles I wish I'd picked up. I returned the next morning to confirm that it wasn't just a dream...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4PZxEKujFFVaUW6VLJ4L5DnxO2Ad5uMwmKo_l7KjDxG4AFq7Bm4S3TWyDkkDcsC-Sscnla1qJkIeZmjhfWcz871Fsp98mZ93gsPxPuLBGwyBIQUfp87yfZdN6Xk6urx3y7i3JA/s1600/zz511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="990" data-original-width="1600" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW4PZxEKujFFVaUW6VLJ4L5DnxO2Ad5uMwmKo_l7KjDxG4AFq7Bm4S3TWyDkkDcsC-Sscnla1qJkIeZmjhfWcz871Fsp98mZ93gsPxPuLBGwyBIQUfp87yfZdN6Xk6urx3y7i3JA/s640/zz511.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The last leg of the trip took me by a place I have tried but failed to visit in the past. The home of the world's largest prairie dog. I missed it by about a year, but I think I'm okay with that. Online reviews are not kind. They have titles like, <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g38948-d195586-r216896748-Prairie_Dog_Town-Oakley_Kansas.html" id="rn216896748"><span class="noQuotes">"Heavy with shame for seeing this</span></a>." The problem was that the accompanying "zoo" seemed terribly mismanaged. Here's what remained...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaS9qcY0uq48DSJr3wahtlZY657xtD_APD55vWpJ2zlA2qB-n_sY9rxDI17kwCGVpKENgADVdjuWUv70cn9l_xyyjW-o5eO2wBsq30_c75uViFCRGfWstwaNZ7_O98hohz3l_pQ/s1600/zz514.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1187" data-original-width="1600" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaS9qcY0uq48DSJr3wahtlZY657xtD_APD55vWpJ2zlA2qB-n_sY9rxDI17kwCGVpKENgADVdjuWUv70cn9l_xyyjW-o5eO2wBsq30_c75uViFCRGfWstwaNZ7_O98hohz3l_pQ/s640/zz514.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The tantalizing fence was there to make sure that you paid your $10 entry fee...<br />
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The fake giant prairie dog was long gone when I got there, but Google images does not forget...</div>
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Here are some other sights from the road...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZb92E0QFYyqxWDhX09hJsnLQX-Quo8eIJMpiDjn4PxSxXqgE2olIl30TNR2vkhFZ7oNFfHGzntavjbtdF6a7JCid5yTlzGV9Lht_3zwbJbr1bukux0AEp6XKw1ziSDYVtdIkT9w/s1600/zz135.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZb92E0QFYyqxWDhX09hJsnLQX-Quo8eIJMpiDjn4PxSxXqgE2olIl30TNR2vkhFZ7oNFfHGzntavjbtdF6a7JCid5yTlzGV9Lht_3zwbJbr1bukux0AEp6XKw1ziSDYVtdIkT9w/s640/zz135.jpg" width="640" /></a> </div>
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That's a skeleton on the grill in April. Respect. </div>
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Buford, WY, with a population of one (which is now called <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/americas-tiniest-town-is-sold-and-renamed-phindeli-town-buford-wyoming" target="_blank">PhinDeli Town Buford.)</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUDB1neXPA99SntpuDuHCwkXVtc1v5EV2MwPfx4VeUi154sbWLUo5GaAY5gztKFYcZgmNkEic0myiLpNphg9DLrWsivsSrd29GT007m-MFT0ueTdqoL1_1uK-ByuLaCNTHIX8Eg/s1600/zz196.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUDB1neXPA99SntpuDuHCwkXVtc1v5EV2MwPfx4VeUi154sbWLUo5GaAY5gztKFYcZgmNkEic0myiLpNphg9DLrWsivsSrd29GT007m-MFT0ueTdqoL1_1uK-ByuLaCNTHIX8Eg/s640/zz196.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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A year-round Haunted House in Utah. More respect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LhmT2RKVLBSnwOIpZ975zlruo7EnoPWcxwJZMZRwrY-13rxMEzt9g0wFvv3qR3PNtrPvW6WCPFZGDzxPuUBChkReGNNV1qepeLw5lSHMf0t_lxXtSiuC3uPIKahlq5jKLCQV4Q/s1600/zz256.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8LhmT2RKVLBSnwOIpZ975zlruo7EnoPWcxwJZMZRwrY-13rxMEzt9g0wFvv3qR3PNtrPvW6WCPFZGDzxPuUBChkReGNNV1qepeLw5lSHMf0t_lxXtSiuC3uPIKahlq5jKLCQV4Q/s640/zz256.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The gas station where I learned that pumping your own gas was (at the time) illegal in Oregon...<br />
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Thankfully, there's no law against ninjutsu supplies and skeleton art...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC9md-FNb9K3HbEOuJ53j2R8ccJ5jy2QoBf9cddkXkP-TsRP-hzgkSb0JI9uSkoJ3W19PNLWsnFaQ11Psv42AaJvqBqk3xc_-YKWdBBLdxG90CAbYgWW4GM1tdwbbrXq3A2KeSg/s1600/260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqC9md-FNb9K3HbEOuJ53j2R8ccJ5jy2QoBf9cddkXkP-TsRP-hzgkSb0JI9uSkoJ3W19PNLWsnFaQ11Psv42AaJvqBqk3xc_-YKWdBBLdxG90CAbYgWW4GM1tdwbbrXq3A2KeSg/s640/260.jpg" width="568" /> </a></div>
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The windiest observation deck that is adamant about covering up vandalism...<br />
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The Mall in Hays, Kansas bucked all the new trends in outdoor signs for decades, and now they are better for it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFd0FeU2tZCVgW8_HFPktwwOm7sV4AHXIb3g4LXO3V794twrPoUYx-PXpo4iJDYofFmoKgGAr6EDGUqfNR56yB2Z6QrP7gAxqJzBl0Zu8p-tAxR7QDMskogn0xYJGbqdGS9Iz3Q/s1600/zz521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFd0FeU2tZCVgW8_HFPktwwOm7sV4AHXIb3g4LXO3V794twrPoUYx-PXpo4iJDYofFmoKgGAr6EDGUqfNR56yB2Z6QrP7gAxqJzBl0Zu8p-tAxR7QDMskogn0xYJGbqdGS9Iz3Q/s640/zz521.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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The same mall ignored all the graphic designers' doublespeak about the need for a unified logo, and they absolutely made the right decision.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlUIVvXRILaV_ThKCOXzkoYjpmUnSg_F-Y6ww_-UswyPmRDQUmY5LHkJ2nPFFWxlJfoO2CuZ0jXniARVLDbatXZDQum8zz8Xd5rZ52T0VlwzdN7hCDiUALmNZICXgf74HMsD6fQ/s1600/zz523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1600" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlUIVvXRILaV_ThKCOXzkoYjpmUnSg_F-Y6ww_-UswyPmRDQUmY5LHkJ2nPFFWxlJfoO2CuZ0jXniARVLDbatXZDQum8zz8Xd5rZ52T0VlwzdN7hCDiUALmNZICXgf74HMsD6fQ/s640/zz523.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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UPDATE: I found a postcard that indicates the above was the original logo, and the orange striped version is the update. And look, the interior was so warm and inviting. The stripes were once on the mall exterior too! Why, as a society, have we given up on color?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOGp9pyAZ3DaoOHf5i3Fe73KPZ-WV8DRuxy_sEeE35Ip7nN3OmhkXrAnnkPZQO8zNQj6bvQBaOLfPRPGdo6vTJA9231XRHL2tJWWjizKY61GSKWWXGP9uLyf3law0qIpqB48Sxg/s1600/card00640_fr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="600" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlOGp9pyAZ3DaoOHf5i3Fe73KPZ-WV8DRuxy_sEeE35Ip7nN3OmhkXrAnnkPZQO8zNQj6bvQBaOLfPRPGdo6vTJA9231XRHL2tJWWjizKY61GSKWWXGP9uLyf3law0qIpqB48Sxg/s640/card00640_fr.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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More lost road trips are on the way!<br />
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-9057402980993561122017-10-31T00:53:00.000-05:002017-11-06T01:49:55.280-06:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #31: The Hallmark Halloween Tapes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9tZ-7unRZ9L5daQr22ZLzbpmN_JWIpKzHz7WnBCGvY_-8WD0mSxc523g7enq336KMZwSxRVkt-cweM6Gnwwv3H8jDkfMbVsb2uz4qAFQvuJ57ZTfnGJsIz_oyg4ETZpFkpG29w/s1600/hallmark4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1043" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9tZ-7unRZ9L5daQr22ZLzbpmN_JWIpKzHz7WnBCGvY_-8WD0mSxc523g7enq336KMZwSxRVkt-cweM6Gnwwv3H8jDkfMbVsb2uz4qAFQvuJ57ZTfnGJsIz_oyg4ETZpFkpG29w/s640/hallmark4.jpg" width="640" /></a>
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Hallmark put out four different Halloween cassettes between 1986 and '89 during the peak of the Halloween cassette trend. The tapes were part of their annual Halloween promotions. For example, if you spent five dollars, you could get a tape for $1.95 (Which really wasn't less than most Halloween cassettes at the time.) The first three releases share a great deal of content (see specifics below) while the '89 release was an all new recording. I have many questions about these tapes, and perhaps the answers rest deep in the Hallmark archives, but for now I'll happily rely on pure speculation.<br />
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<b>Title:</b> <i>The Haunting Sounds of Halloween</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Hallmark<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1986<br />
<b>Also popular from Hallmark that year:</b> Black cat and witch Merry Miniatures<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWQmpm6r9OA-TLjwi1C1TibR6GrdjGfPXvYHsZhWjReNEVqJMXNd3SzxI7sS9gRu6hP0T0KPe3MEPUMHvvtitPTouho7oryuzSNdsVkHbOW1MEcrY_msufKlrbzwcCa04vFJghQ/s1600/merryminiatures.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWQmpm6r9OA-TLjwi1C1TibR6GrdjGfPXvYHsZhWjReNEVqJMXNd3SzxI7sS9gRu6hP0T0KPe3MEPUMHvvtitPTouho7oryuzSNdsVkHbOW1MEcrY_msufKlrbzwcCa04vFJghQ/s400/merryminiatures.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> around 60 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> Yes<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> Cinematic music, some synth, and some pipe organ music<br />
<b>Narration: </b>No<b> </b><br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>"Aren't you a little big to be trick or treating?" and other lines of dialogue<b> </b><br />
<b>Review:</b> Hallmark has always presented a grandma-friendly version of Halloween that complimented the discount store blood and disfigured monster masks. It often found its way onto teachers' desks and store clerk smocks, and I always welcomed the sight of it. Naturally, their Halloween cassettes follow the same whimsical aesthetic. <br />
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Rather than a harrowing soundscape, the Hallmark effects come at you methodically, and with a bit too much dead air in between each noise for my taste. The mood stays tongue-in-cheek as a handful of actors speak comical lines. Most are written to work with a trick or treat porch scenario like: "My, what an ugly costume." and, "Didn't the other kids tell you not to come here?" The effects in between are death-free; instead they focus on things like door hinges and cats.<br />
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<i>The Haunting Sounds of Halloween</i> is the rarest of the four Hallmark releases. It was seemingly replaced the same year it came out with <i>The Sounds of Halloween </i>(see below).<i> </i>The assortment of sound effects are almost identical and presented in the same order. The difference is that <i>Haunting Sounds</i> repeatedly plays John Williams' theme to the 1979 version of "Dracula." There's also a synth track that I can't identify (and neither can the Shazam app) which doesn't necessarily sound scary. It reminds me of the beginning of an '80s movie. My sense of wild speculation tells me that the tape was pulled and replaced due to a lack of legal clearance on the music. (The credits only list <a href="https://www.discogs.com/artist/1868892-Paul-Whitehead-3">Paul Whitehead</a> after Music Production.) Was it supposed to be placeholder music, or was this intentional thievery, or just a misunderstanding? The answer to all of those questions is "yes."<br />
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Legal or not, <i>The Haunting Sounds of Halloween</i> is well produced and creates an amusing, spooky atmosphere without traumatizing youngsters.<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4ILlXvTFytX27Iemxx2TbE8ZBa3bmqRh8PBHHL0TvF1d_Nj3lsBofyOAncFt1uLraxHVpMyPubiEa8T7j2XRl_cnyD81sHwrOb6OagMxlT74JzgED8ZmKN8ZqWyA5WxbGdsSKw/s1600/hallmark1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1043" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt4ILlXvTFytX27Iemxx2TbE8ZBa3bmqRh8PBHHL0TvF1d_Nj3lsBofyOAncFt1uLraxHVpMyPubiEa8T7j2XRl_cnyD81sHwrOb6OagMxlT74JzgED8ZmKN8ZqWyA5WxbGdsSKw/s640/hallmark1.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Title:</b> <i>The Sounds of Halloween</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Hallmark<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1986<br />
<b>Total Runtime: </b>37 Min<b> </b><br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories: </b>No<br />
<b>Music: </b>"Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor," and a bunch of Halloween friendly pop covers.<b> </b><br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<b> </b><br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>See previous review<b> </b><br />
<b>Review:</b> As mentioned above, the sound effects side of this recording is virtually the same as<i> The Haunting Sounds of Halloween, </i>but without the music (except for good ol' "Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor.") There are also added flourishes to existing sounds (like reverb) and a few added extras, like a monster roar after some dialogue, as well as some general shuffling around. Unfortunately, the edits take a significant bite out of the runtime.<br />
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In what may be an effort to make up for this loss, side two is now full of Halloween party staples: "Ghostbusters," "Monster Mash," "Thriller," "Purple People Eater" and another dose of Bach. This was probably convenient in the mixtape era, but the downside is that the cover songs are a hollow shell of the original recordings. But that can be entertaining in its own way. The Vincent Price stand-in is delightfully droll, and completely loses track of the rhythm. They made the wise decision not to use a Michael Jackson impersonator, and opted for a female vocalist instead. Paul Whitehead is once again the music producer so it's nice to know he didn't lose his job after the first album. <br />
<br />
<i>Sounds of Halloween</i> suffered a loss after the previous release, but there's some new fun to be had. It's kind of a yin yang situation.<br />
<b>Rating: </b>3 of 5<br />
<b><br /></b>
Here's the closet that I can find to streaming audio...<br />
<b><br /></b>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/iNh04TDfNsc" width="560"></iframe>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4c6p1Li5MzJNiqrHQLpkqe2U1hU1MQhte-pyw6gEywuq1ffcI0Dbb-uuTlRC-B3oilP5dY_biIgAiWSdm3WE1JYOfTmc0HfZK4Ml_4R4FeM3Aak1s__7QFFpKcQMsT_N64AzlA/s1600/hallmark3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1043" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE4c6p1Li5MzJNiqrHQLpkqe2U1hU1MQhte-pyw6gEywuq1ffcI0Dbb-uuTlRC-B3oilP5dY_biIgAiWSdm3WE1JYOfTmc0HfZK4Ml_4R4FeM3Aak1s__7QFFpKcQMsT_N64AzlA/s640/hallmark3.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Howl-o-ween Sounds</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Hallmark<br />
<b>Year: </b>1987<br />
<b>Also popular from Hallmark that year: </b>Lapel Pins<br />
<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8dR1ATHtnbjtOGaeamYte8jp060Zp6WGIYlBul8BGNR4IiB72PpkbbH9bXlXcbU7JMT9KFR9J21UMYDeWhFkHsGaLKN8Au6Sjy0tq6MpkVbelzbWrhi55QmkCDxEQmgh94Q3MQ/s1600/hm87.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf8dR1ATHtnbjtOGaeamYte8jp060Zp6WGIYlBul8BGNR4IiB72PpkbbH9bXlXcbU7JMT9KFR9J21UMYDeWhFkHsGaLKN8Au6Sjy0tq6MpkVbelzbWrhi55QmkCDxEQmgh94Q3MQ/s400/hm87.jpg" width="400" /></a> </b> <br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 45 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides: </b>Yes<b> </b><br />
<b>Stories: </b>No<b> </b><br />
<b>Music: </b>"Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor<b>" </b><br />
<b>Narration: </b>No<b> </b><br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>See previous releases<b> </b><br />
<b>Review: </b><i>Howl-o-ween Sounds</i> is easily the worst of the bunch because it includes the neutered effects of <i>The Haunting Sounds of Halloween </i>repeated on both sides. So there's no music at all except <i>of course</i><i> </i>"Toccata and Fugue in D-Minor " which is a basic human right at this point.<br />
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They released it a second time with a different cover, possibly to fill their Halloween tape void in 1988.<br />
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<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij6Pihsc0S-SGnylVx9ymuIttpeXJXDonRrxaRyQ0UuctGlbpjvHqIhYwMNOkEIY9gsMDYZe-bbTUFXRzfQ_FJIPHBfdk2_RVs-5P1WTlZ2lDogrGkeQPnwIujOuMc8DBSOYcpg/s1600/howl.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgij6Pihsc0S-SGnylVx9ymuIttpeXJXDonRrxaRyQ0UuctGlbpjvHqIhYwMNOkEIY9gsMDYZe-bbTUFXRzfQ_FJIPHBfdk2_RVs-5P1WTlZ2lDogrGkeQPnwIujOuMc8DBSOYcpg/s400/howl.jpg" width="270" /></a> </b><br />
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<i>Howl-o-ween Sounds </i>wouldn't be so bad if we didn't know what we were missing—but we do.<i><br /></i><br />
<b>Rating: </b>2 of 5<b><br /></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34-9ynLWB9piXpcuMynJTNRFvM-vU9mb3IMOmAmSa77xPl3amem9fB0ilitWq1gaFG_9JSMO-KGQjTBRTJdE6iWThqS4SaaUa5jtYS_cKjl06qqQmnzgxHcDtCDuaReqGwdeSEg/s1600/hallmark2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="992" data-original-width="1043" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi34-9ynLWB9piXpcuMynJTNRFvM-vU9mb3IMOmAmSa77xPl3amem9fB0ilitWq1gaFG_9JSMO-KGQjTBRTJdE6iWThqS4SaaUa5jtYS_cKjl06qqQmnzgxHcDtCDuaReqGwdeSEg/s640/hallmark2.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Spooky Sounds</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer: </b>Hallmark<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1989<br />
<b>Also popular from Hallmark that year: </b>Woodland Merry Miniatures<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rp3Xm3nF95NZ30Tt7SXRMfXLgYdachHuIk1T3i7igAqdkE3D95IAM9JyQY7g0qY_WhIW0ws8mXGDWiDmhHTIDgqykxgFUaqNovjrQb_M2KbCv7W8IdNbIKWdiS8B5lKN2SVFHQ/s1600/merryminiatures+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6rp3Xm3nF95NZ30Tt7SXRMfXLgYdachHuIk1T3i7igAqdkE3D95IAM9JyQY7g0qY_WhIW0ws8mXGDWiDmhHTIDgqykxgFUaqNovjrQb_M2KbCv7W8IdNbIKWdiS8B5lKN2SVFHQ/s400/merryminiatures+%25282%2529.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 60 Min<b> </b><br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<b> </b><br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<b> </b><br />
<b>Music: </b>Incidental music and a collection of spooky pop tracks<b> </b><br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<b> </b><br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>New wacky dialogue<b> </b><br />
<b>Review: </b>Three years after their foray into Halloween audio Hallmark must have realized that they had gotten all the mileage they could from <i>The Sounds of Halloween.</i> In 1989 they put together an all new album that follows their well established format of non-threatening sounds paired with kooky dialogue. Some of it is featured in this entertaining video...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZ9a-24DGyY" width="560"></iframe>
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They also went back to the half effects/half music model and filled side two with a set of newly recorded cover tunes that include: "The Munsters," "Monster Mash," "The Addams Family," "Ghostbusters," "Twilight
Zone," "Dark Shadows," and an original called "Haunting Melody." <br />
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With a fresh new tape under their belt they also released a fresh new promotion...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wm9aKL4FTbE" width="560"></iframe> <br />
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<i>Spooky Sounds</i> is a strong effort that proves that experience, and an ability to learn from one's mistakes can lead to new heights.<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5 <br />
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<b>HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE! </b><br />
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-19403506215726202632017-10-30T18:34:00.001-05:002018-03-24T00:38:01.050-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #30: Alfred Hitchcock Ghost Stories<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDXAML2KJqlkVAi_CNrGgPM2Qs4inAdtHOKj1JljdBvc2oZD8DLRjdLX31DM4Rxuy8r1YlF6pVxxxLt20DZTsQVSj7K0x0RPsulfyHSTopanExalpoe-WFJ9OQU8Dy0w4igAdTA/s1600/hitchcock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJDXAML2KJqlkVAi_CNrGgPM2Qs4inAdtHOKj1JljdBvc2oZD8DLRjdLX31DM4Rxuy8r1YlF6pVxxxLt20DZTsQVSj7K0x0RPsulfyHSTopanExalpoe-WFJ9OQU8Dy0w4igAdTA/s640/hitchcock.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Alfred Hitchcock Ghost Stories </i><br />
<i>(AKA </i><i><i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ghost Stories for Young People)</i></i><br />
<b>Manufacturer: </b>Wonderland Golden Records<b> </b><br />
<b>Year: </b>Cassette 1988, original recording 1962<b> </b><br />
<b>Total Runtime: </b>44 Min<b> </b><br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> Six different ones<br />
<b>Music:</b> "The Funeral March of a Marionette" written by Charles Gounod (The Theme to "Alfred Hitchcock Presents") also some incidental music<br />
<b>Narration:</b> All narration by John Allen<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Review:</b> This less-than-official-looking version of <i>Alfred Hitchcock Presents Ghost Stories for Young People</i> seems to be a legitimate reissue of the 1962 album which was also produced by Wonderland Golden Records. The decision to revisit the title in 1988 may have been due to the newfound popularity of cheap Halloween tapes, or it may have been an attempt to profit from the mid-80s version of the "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" TV series.<br />
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Alfred himself provides a 'wrap around' for the six stories. They are expertly narrated by John Allen, and enhanced with an effective soundtrack. The tales come from all different sources, and some may be familiar to those already interested in the genre. "The Haunted and the Haunters" seems to be a loose interpretation of Edward Bulwer-Lytton's 1859 short story of the same name. Its tone is a bit more dire than the rest, which are rarely frightening. "Johnny Takes A Dare (The More The Merrier)" is very similar to "Wait 'Til Martin Comes Home" as it appears on <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B3tPV8OJoE&list=PL6F46DB203BEAC3FB">Scary Spooky Stories</a></i> (1973).<br />
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"The Helpful Hitchhiker" is the same urban legend that inspired Red Sovine's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCeVP9WuA6I">"Phantom 309</a>," and the Large Marge scene in "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure (1985)." "The Open Window" by Saki was first published in 1914, and a different recording of it appears on Troll Records' <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2cgzzKTELg">Thrillers and Chillers</a></i> (1973). "Jimmy Takes Vanishing Lessons" was first published as a Childrens book in 1950.<br />
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Though the source material isn't always the strongest, it's fun to light up a room with the spooky sounds of yesteryear. It's also three hundred times better if you listen to it with a kid.<br />
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<b>Rating: </b>4 of 5<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8T255y7nKLY" width="560"></iframe>
<b> </b> Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-28218889001822160742017-10-29T18:58:00.000-05:002017-10-29T18:59:17.623-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #29: Chiller by the Cincinnati Pops <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjodI_T61S9D28G7QPr2S1l8HG0VhjGWKbFQQbry5bAIT4DOfU0HcdjUd2GtSZhaorpFbeBl6r2rNCmaELxkTBTLhpTtaqd-8pKOugZqva5G3DiBicPIqhBoIrq1FJ-syVjlRbg/s1600/chiller2.jpg"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjodI_T61S9D28G7QPr2S1l8HG0VhjGWKbFQQbry5bAIT4DOfU0HcdjUd2GtSZhaorpFbeBl6r2rNCmaELxkTBTLhpTtaqd-8pKOugZqva5G3DiBicPIqhBoIrq1FJ-syVjlRbg/s640/chiller2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Chiller</i> by the Cincinnati Pops conducted by Erich Kunzel<br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Telarc<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1989<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 59 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music: </b>Mostly music with a few sound effects vignettes <br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> The "dangerous" sound effects. See below<br />
<b>Review:</b> Back in high school, discussions about audio fidelity came up often because most of my friends were finally making the leap to compact discs, one Christmas and birthday at a time. My friend's audiophile dad taught us about the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SPARS_code">SPARS code</a>, a three letter sequence printed on the discs that told you "how digital" an album was. So "AAD," the least desirable in our eyes, meant that an album was recorded in Analog, mixed in Analog, and Digitized for CD. Of course the ultimate was pure "DDD" because nothing sounds better than digital, right? ...Right?<br />
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I raced home and examined my collection of about ten CDs. (Thank you Columbia House music club.) Not a single triple D in the bunch. What was the point of even buying CDs?! (Aside from sound quality, durability, instant access to individual tracks, and so on.) This feature suddenly rose to the top of my list of things to look for in a compact disc, ranking slightly above the recording artist and album. What a classic case of ruining something I vastly enjoyed just because the grass seemed greener elsewhere. It's more ridiculous when you consider that my "sound system" came from JCPenny and had three inch speakers.<br />
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At the time I didn't understand how rare DDD recordings were. The only one I'd ever heard was my friend's copy of <i>Nothing Like the Sun</i> by Sting. Occasionally I'd find one in the record store, but nothing I wanted to spend two weeks of allowance on. That changed one evening in the Soundtrack CD section of Sound Warehouse. (I'm ashamed to admit how self-satisfied I became when I finally had "the right" to shop in the CD department.) I grabbed a CD with a beautifully illustrated haunted house on the cover. I perked up when I saw things like "Night on Bald Mountain," "Twilight Zone," and "Poltergeist" on the track listing. Then my eyes zeroed in on the SPARS code (bottom left)...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpqNni1L2i3UAC_boJHKz5biHQMYD6M4zZg4wWI1O2mh6F4slVH3980Ze8ZPJZT7fzAlp3eg91W5MG5sg_-b9zwnW6WhpPQNbkYh61OnBf6VWlQdjOFZ8P7h5jnpb8WnNNfnb7w/s1600/118664111-2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEpqNni1L2i3UAC_boJHKz5biHQMYD6M4zZg4wWI1O2mh6F4slVH3980Ze8ZPJZT7fzAlp3eg91W5MG5sg_-b9zwnW6WhpPQNbkYh61OnBf6VWlQdjOFZ8P7h5jnpb8WnNNfnb7w/s1600/118664111-2.jpg" /></a><br />
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Triple D PURE DIGITAL! The cherry on top was a mysterious "Digital Sound Effects" warning for certain tracks. In the parking lot I tore open the booklet and read that these three tracks should not be played at high volume at the risk of damaging you speakers because the sweet digital fidelity is so powerful! I couldn't get home quick enough.<br />
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The first time I played <i>Chiller</i> I cautiously kept the volume dial around the "one" mark. I could hear a burst of lightning. I re-listened a few more times inching up the volume with each play. It's true, the warning tracks are incredibly loud, though I don't think my portable boom box was in any danger. But on a large system that thunderclap could give everyone in the room a heart attack.<br />
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On the other hand, I wasn't used to music that could get so quiet. There's such a dynamic range that the soft parts are nearly inaudible on low volume. But this has a great affect on songs like "Funeral March of a Marionette" when the first burst of percussion can give you a true jump scare. <br />
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I realize all of this has nothing to do with the cassette. I got the tape in a lot of unopened Halloween audio, and I don't plan on breaking the seal because I still have that delicious digi-clean DDD compact disc.<br />
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I didn't recognize a lot of the music titles when I bought it, but upon listening they were instantly familiar thanks to TV shows and movies. I discovered that "Danse Macabre" is the basis for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64tKLD49sis">Halloween song</a> I learned in school. I love about three fourths of this album<i>. Chillers</i> only loses me when some of the selections veer out of spooky territory. (Now I'm eager to check out the <a href="https://www.discogs.com/Erich-Kunzel-Cincinnati-Pops-Orchestra-Scary-Music/release/6179144">sequel</a> they made in 2002 that isn't afraid to wallow in less Classical pop culture.)<br />
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<i>Chiller</i> is more than just a well recorded album. It's a collection of seminal Horror music in the hands of experts. Also, the letters on the cover glow-in-the-dark!<br />
<b>Rating:</b> DDD<br />
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I can't find a streaming link, but it's on <a href="https://www.pandora.com/artist/cincinnati-pops-orchestra/chiller/ALlPt24ZrfPxX2k">Pandora</a> and <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/chiller/id74714138">itunes.</a><br />
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<a href="https://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/cd-review-telarcs-chiller.7826/">(Here's a detailed track by track review that I enjoyed.)</a><br />
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<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-17798184825213601762017-10-28T17:42:00.002-05:002020-09-14T20:40:13.286-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #28: Halloween Horrors<p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbasjhimyc0IyIRllJNSEUEx17pTh8b76F3LePNTemOCOj6y-JeMBXCi4d0uCK9lhTmgfoa10ayE0GHnFuisvPFYUfRIPQQUJmoci_rUmrLXLR5Ig23t5DKO1gmnhCYkOSXdIIw/s1600/HalloweenHorrors.jpg"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTbasjhimyc0IyIRllJNSEUEx17pTh8b76F3LePNTemOCOj6y-JeMBXCi4d0uCK9lhTmgfoa10ayE0GHnFuisvPFYUfRIPQQUJmoci_rUmrLXLR5Ig23t5DKO1gmnhCYkOSXdIIw/s640/HalloweenHorrors.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Halloween Horrors</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> A&M Records<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1977<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 30 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> Side one is a single story<br />
<b>Music:</b> No<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> "My baby! Have you seen my baby?"<br />
<b>Review:</b> It seems that A&M Records took note of a sales trend that started with the massively successful <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-15-disneys.html"><i>Disney's Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House</i></a> (1968) and continued with albums like<i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8QpjNVZr3Y"> Sounds to Make You Shiver</a></i> (1974) and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hA5Jhlx8tA&t=44s"><i>Ghostly Sounds</i></a> (1975). Their response was <i>Halloween Horrors. </i>This seems to be the only Halloween album released by a major record label (if you don't count Disney). It's also the only one I know of that uses the genuine Dolby "B" noise reduction system. Printing a blurry Dolby logo on the back of the sleeve doesn't count; sorry<i> <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-17-night-in.html">Night in a Graveyard </a></i>and <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-16-haunted-house.html"><i>Haunted House</i></a>.<br />
<br />
It's also likely that <i>Halloween Horrors</i> had one of the all-time biggest Halloween album budgets (which isn't saying much). This would explain why their search for voice talent was not limited to people who happened to be sitting in the office that day. They employed actors <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0068407/">Michael Bell</a>, and<a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0191520/"> Peter Cullen</a> who are probably best known for their work on G.I. Joe and Transformers cartoons of the '80s. The spectacular cover illustration comes from <a href="https://www.societyillustrators.org/gary-meyer">Gary Meyer</a> who also did movie posters for "Jaws 3," <a href="https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.gstatic.com/tv/thumb/movieposters/1883/p1883_p_v8_aa.jpg&imgrefurl=http://google.com/search%3Ftbm%3Disch%26q%3DThe%2520Deep&h=1440&w=960&tbnid=wsCJ6gneSLcLQM:&tbnh=160&tbnw=106&usg=__iOMFSiuy69ftZJmEM-KAd5ao0Ww=&vet=10ahUKEwiGsKyOpZTXAhVhy1QKHZzLB6wQ_B0IlgEwDg..i&docid=gHU-ZYixRWtyyM&itg=1&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiGsKyOpZTXAhVhy1QKHZzLB6wQ_B0IlgEwDg">The Deep</a>,""The Exterminator 2,""<a href="https://www.filmonpaper.com/posters/jason-and-the-argonauts-one-sheet-1978-re-release-usa/">Jason and the Argonauts,"</a> and more. His artwork is best experienced on the vinyl edition. Not only is the cassette insert tiny, it omits the wonderful back cover that is seen and discussed <a href="http://brandedinthe80s.com/6766/halloween-horrors">here on Branded in the 80s</a>.<br />
<br />
Side one features a fifteen minute "Story of Halloween Horror" that follows a young man visiting his newly inherited haunted estate. He recounts several legends surrounding the house during his drive over, and his visit confirms the tragic history.<br />
<br />
I first heard this at a dinner party when I was in fifth grade. Shortly after meeting the two brothers of the household they dragged me into their bedroom and insisted that I ignore their room full of exciting new toys, and give my full attention to their mysterious cassette tape. As the story progressed I was afraid that I was hearing something that I shouldn't have been. I wondered if their parents even knew what they'd gotten their hands on. During the climactic ghostly encounter the distress in the young man's voice and the distorted cries of the apparition struck me at my core. My parents had no idea why I was acting strangely for the rest of the night.<br />
<br />
Side two features "The Sounds of Halloween and other useful effects." These certainly proved useful for the countless record companies who strip-mined the record for some easy cash. For people like me who are tired of hearing all the thieves and imitators it's a treat to tap into the source material.<br />
<br />
<i>Halloween Horrors</i> set the standard for Halloween records and it remains a true classic.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 5 of 5</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GPUGkbnyjgk" width="320" youtube-src-id="GPUGkbnyjgk"></iframe></div>Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-81147662785653068982017-10-27T19:42:00.001-05:002017-10-27T19:59:48.643-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #27: Chillers by the Folktellers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKqmocwtMS5-8jrKc7e355BUJvORRrys9Ofy9jJvGvRygNSZgy-oU5wC8j6kOfDTfxxjPM-pVyl_QpnZH1EkmzDueDDfRJyie-lBc3OtnBxGQcHTvzrakLBDVhSkEsbd_POHckg/s1600/folktellersopti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSKqmocwtMS5-8jrKc7e355BUJvORRrys9Ofy9jJvGvRygNSZgy-oU5wC8j6kOfDTfxxjPM-pVyl_QpnZH1EkmzDueDDfRJyie-lBc3OtnBxGQcHTvzrakLBDVhSkEsbd_POHckg/s640/folktellersopti.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Chillers</i>, by The Folktellers<br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Mama-T Artists<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1983<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 39 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> Yes, seven of them<br />
<b>Music:</b> No<br />
<b>Narration:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Review:</b> Connie Regan and Barbara Freeman are the storytelling duo known as the Folktellers. <i>Chillers </i>captures their 1983 Halloween night performance for a live audience. The receptive crowd is treated to seven eerie tales and poems that consist of both original and borrowed material.<br />
<br />
This type of event reminds me of the sort of thing that would take
place at our small town fine arts center. Something the English teacher
would talk up for weeks, and even give you extra credit for attending. I can imagine my young self going to please my teachers, getting thrilled during the show, and leaving the auditorium to discover that the world is colder and more dangerous than I remembered.<br />
<br />
The <i>Chillers</i> packaging feels educational.
A gold sticker marks its status as an American Library
Association notable record, and the cover illustration on heavy, textured
paper somehow reminds me of art class. Maybe that's why it's
surprising when the stories strike such a dark, and genuinely
eerie tone.<br />
<br />
Please indulge me here, but this album unlocks a floodgate of memories, and reminds me of the role that school played in making Halloween special. It started when I was a first grader going about my business when my teacher, so casual and unannounced, stuck a life-size Dracula on the wall. It didn't seem possible. It seemed like something she could get in trouble for. <br />
<br />
As a kid you have so little control of your daily routine, and all of the sudden you find that your curriculum is sprinkled with spooky events that you didn't even have to ask for. Bats, ghosts, and pumpkins magically appear in the halls. The library display is full of books you didn't know they had: Alfred Hitchcock short stories, books on monster makeup, Halloween craft ideas and more. The <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2014/07/my-school-book-club-and-book-fair.html">school book orders</a> suddenly rival the Christmas Wishbook.<br />
<br />
In music class we were <i>required</i> to learn the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64tKLD49sis">Halloween song</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64tKLD49sis">Ghost of John</a>. We were<i> graded</i> on our ability to be a creepy kids chorus! Our parents' tax dollars went towards teaching us to make proper skeletons and Jack-o-lanterns in art class. Everyone got marched to the library for a surprise screening of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," just thrown into a Wednesday afternoon! <br />
<br />
October 31st wasn't even close to a normal school day. After blowing off the morning, the costumes went on and we were systematically paraded through other classrooms to be admired. Exotic students from older grades were brought to our hall for the mutual show-off session. Everything culminated with a personal desktop full of orange and black sweets. The plastic cupcake toppers were worthy decorations in their own right. Three decades later I still have some of them.<br />
<br />
After a satisfying night of trick or treating we returned to school for... the Halloween carnival. The building was hard to recognize with all the streamers and balloons and costumed crowds. Classrooms were midway games, the cafeteria was a festive town square cloaked in the scent of popcorn. The sixth grade locker corridor that we passed through every day had become a walkthrough haunted house! Behind massive sheets of black vinyl were hidden student council members, bloodied up and waiting to scream at us. The fact that it all happened in the school setting made it incredibly surreal. Only Halloween had this much transformative power.<br />
<br />
Sorry, where was I now? Ah, yes, the record.<br />
A week ago we played through <i>Chillers </i>as we sat around my backyard fire
pit under the October moon. It was ideal. The Folktellers, true to
their name, use their charming accents and seasoned storytelling to tap into the fireside
tradition. Their rural nightmares could have happened last year or
last century. It's Halloween listening at it's best.<br />
<br />
(By the way, the copy of <i>Chillers</i> that I bought on ebay was listed
as "written on by previous owners." In fact, it's signed by both Connie
and Barbara— the Folktellers themselves!)<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 5 of 5<br />
<br />
I can't find a source for easy streaming, but the album is out there if you know <a href="http://www.halloweenforum.com/halloween-music/146980-folktellers-connie-regan-barbara-freeman-chillers-mama-t-artists-mta-2-1-a.html">where</a> to <a href="http://scarystoriesworld.blogspot.com/2008/10/folktellers-connie-regan-and-barbara.html">look.</a><br />
<br />
Connie Regan still performs, and two of these tracks can be found on a CD called <i>Chilling Ghost Stories: Haunting Tales for Adults & Teens</i>, available on her web store...<br />
http://storywindow.com/store/<br />
<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-30481568926585354892017-10-26T21:16:00.000-05:002017-10-30T19:02:26.033-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #26: Elvira Fright Sound Tape<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPHrgk_94K7r6-L1oVyFop_DuEG41A5f-EiOwaIjOtWrSHumfb0IlXQ1zDOvdotQ_e4_nAJXqht9-jS6Axts9GzFEoCTGP-IaQoDA0Ud4WYXIQEtBCSBpsn62qtjvpJQw-uQ0jw/s1600/elvirafright.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaPHrgk_94K7r6-L1oVyFop_DuEG41A5f-EiOwaIjOtWrSHumfb0IlXQ1zDOvdotQ_e4_nAJXqht9-jS6Axts9GzFEoCTGP-IaQoDA0Ud4WYXIQEtBCSBpsn62qtjvpJQw-uQ0jw/s640/elvirafright.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title: </b><i>Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Fright Sound Tape</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer</b>: Imagineering Inc.<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; text-decoration: none;"></span><br />
<b>Year:</b> 1987<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 60 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music: </b>No<br />
<b>Narration: </b>No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>Creepy muffled funeral eulogy<b> </b><br />
<b>Review:</b><i> Elvira's Fright Sound Tape</i> marks an historic team-up between two Halloween institutions in their prime. Imagineering founder, Larry Liff invented hinged vampire teeth, and produced Halloween products with some of the all-time <a href="https://www.google.com/search?biw=1208&bih=897&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=Gj_xWdXSKIeL0wLk4oXoDQ&q=+imagineering+halloween&oq=+imagineering+halloween&gs_l=psy-ab.3...4241.7623.0.7793.11.10.0.0.0.0.223.1142.0j3j3.6.0....0...1.1.64.psy-ab..5.2.396...0j0i67k1.0.LfdqX001XsI">greatest package design</a> that feature the wonderful art of Gordon Viges (whose son once left a comment on this very blog!)<br />
<br />
Of course <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassandra_Peterson">Elvira</a> needs no introduction. Thanks to her we have the only Halloween recording with a celebrity endorsement. She followed the product from inception to completion, hand-picking the individual sound effects, and providing constant input during the engineering process. Not really. But she did record a one minute introduction.<br />
<br />
According to an <a href="http://dinosaurdracula.com/blog/halloween-newspaper-ads-3/">article on Dinosaur Dracula</a>, a store called McCrory's was selling the Elvira tape in 1988 for $2.99 while Topstone's <i>Horror Sounds of the Night</i> was a dollar less. This could be due to Elvira's licensing fee. Or maybe it's because Topstone could charge less since all of <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-19-horror-sounds.html">their content</a> was stolen. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckxGHRMV798hL4QqwBE70-XhXjHWefiYFJQ2VOiyudWmnVJFDxSV8lNcR12CTGEcyVBDUleUCO5nnQZB2rViSsrRn-2moUreOMecNtEoAc6xnT4YU5onQ8ry8TuPX7PfkRC5x9g/s1600/3-4.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgckxGHRMV798hL4QqwBE70-XhXjHWefiYFJQ2VOiyudWmnVJFDxSV8lNcR12CTGEcyVBDUleUCO5nnQZB2rViSsrRn-2moUreOMecNtEoAc6xnT4YU5onQ8ry8TuPX7PfkRC5x9g/s320/3-4.jpg" width="305" /></a> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEqut3eg5DtrDDQUPpoIGll1kw5-xJNEn0-0A8fMcsNVoNpvO2oMvHKaImNr7e4x6Rx1M_ZROWRAKdVskvr_LxgULRJLZ467Yee6C42qq-AISp6Edh2THIYRy-pauVM0jSo4oBcQ/s320/5-4.jpg" width="295" /><br />
<br />
<br />
<i>Fright Sound Tape</i> comes from a line of Elvira products that also included costume accessories and makeup. Most of it looks like existing products that were rebranded with the awesome exception of Elvira's official snake earrings.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwTwEYCEsNY38VzknsL3UMmeiM6K2wBFEa6nHyJoklrTtnB1pRHHlQh0AXp0nBt9RPweaLSO0eUm1oXT_wQh0F-FOQz3a1MAATHEkk-dkGwz_eRsrhOwdawE4v1w-WA_zFQlPqA/s1600/ELVIRAPRODUCTS.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwTwEYCEsNY38VzknsL3UMmeiM6K2wBFEa6nHyJoklrTtnB1pRHHlQh0AXp0nBt9RPweaLSO0eUm1oXT_wQh0F-FOQz3a1MAATHEkk-dkGwz_eRsrhOwdawE4v1w-WA_zFQlPqA/s400/ELVIRAPRODUCTS.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
So does the tape live up to its iconic heritage? Side one has a good variety of effects that are inherently spooky; antagonists and victims as opposed to stock thunder and slamming doors. Wind is overused but it ties everything together. It's like sitting on your porch on the windiest night of the year, and all this crazy, monstrous stuff just keeps happening for a solid half hour.<br />
<br />
The second half hour, side two, has a very different vibe. I wouldn't be surprised if it came from another source entirely. It's dominated by a man with a distinctive laugh who occasionally says "Come here." and, "Come to the Haunted House." He gets tiresome, but there's something about his maniacal yet casual tone that draws me in. It's like he wants to kill me, but he's a little too sleepy.<br />
<br />
Unlike side one, I recognized a lot of the effects: cats, monsters, and the "Lonesome Ghosts" scream (that I discussed in <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-22-sounds-of-halloween.html">this review</a>). What ruins side two for me are the unrelenting bursts of reverberating noise. It sounds like bits of reel-to-reel recordings that are sped up and processed to death. It's definitely unique, but it makes me miss the constant wind from side one, and I rarely miss wind.<br />
<br />
All in all, I think the tape is better than average, but it doesn't reflect the remarkable entities behind it. Although, as a horror hostess, Elvira can't be held accountable for the content. Her job is to present the world with the spooky fun stuff, and it's our job to have spooky fun with it. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> Side one- 4 of 5, Side two- 2 of 5<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXvaudLhYbEywzEdltNblocqJm3sDUV2dLFcESPQA7mbNGS0_J-35MjQEVGxlRxT_Vc1jbUcOonFpKnAFNYWAJTylkogAdjedsgmfzr4NQLegKePznzP9Fzkz9bhuajrhrm3MHA/s1600/elvirafrighttape.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIXvaudLhYbEywzEdltNblocqJm3sDUV2dLFcESPQA7mbNGS0_J-35MjQEVGxlRxT_Vc1jbUcOonFpKnAFNYWAJTylkogAdjedsgmfzr4NQLegKePznzP9Fzkz9bhuajrhrm3MHA/s640/elvirafrighttape.jpg" width="486" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="270" src="//www.dailymotion.com/embed/video/x14unbc" width="480"></iframe>
Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-72947859761421447632017-10-25T23:18:00.001-05:002017-10-25T23:18:47.565-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #25: Halloween Horror Tape<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirN9j1BWTe0v9-QbpF_F0Wiy7AJPMniL7IDm7ZesOzNRnnQSlmphY0tosdW6E8RS498FucT_SsJ9n6ejbjOWA6NCyAr9WbtceQLiYRqb_XNus2Bai0WXxezf8qT0Iq23C6OLCY2w/s1600/travelers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirN9j1BWTe0v9-QbpF_F0Wiy7AJPMniL7IDm7ZesOzNRnnQSlmphY0tosdW6E8RS498FucT_SsJ9n6ejbjOWA6NCyAr9WbtceQLiYRqb_XNus2Bai0WXxezf8qT0Iq23C6OLCY2w/s640/travelers.jpg" width="634" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Halloween Horror Tape</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Traveler Trading Co.<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1987<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 60 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> ?<br />
<b>Stories:</b> ?<br />
<b>Music:</b> ?<br />
<b>Narration:</b> ?<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> ?<br />
<b>Review:</b> As you can see, I have this tape in its wonderful packaging. I refuse to open it, and I can't find the audio online. So if you have it, then please let me know how it is.<br />
<b>Rating:</b> ?Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-68037640855631959702017-10-24T22:02:00.003-05:002018-01-15T00:37:20.039-06:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #24: A Spooky Night in Disney's Haunted Mansion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXHE_Kt7KWCSVP5iSHbti3CLy5q1ITh4baWnkvS_B91qWOcPPDcEZ1AQNc_SKjIXbuZ5n1DoKE2kljph823IP4_08le40hBZ6wdO__kPVfAbcmFC4pu18KYQoOmkyLo9ROIvFrw/s1600/disneyhauntedmansion.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXHE_Kt7KWCSVP5iSHbti3CLy5q1ITh4baWnkvS_B91qWOcPPDcEZ1AQNc_SKjIXbuZ5n1DoKE2kljph823IP4_08le40hBZ6wdO__kPVfAbcmFC4pu18KYQoOmkyLo9ROIvFrw/s640/disneyhauntedmansion.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>A Spooky Night in Disney's Haunted Mansion</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Walt Disney Records<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1998<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 25 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> One long story<br />
<b>Music: </b>"Grim Grinning Ghosts" can be heard during the story<br />
<b>Narration:</b> Yes<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> N/A<br />
<b>Review: </b><i>A Spooky Night in Disney's Haunted Mansion</i> is an adaptation of the Haunted Mansion ride as seen through the eyes of two original characters, Mike and Karen (played by Ron Howard and Robie Lester). Originally released in 1969 on LP as <i><span class="watch-title" dir="ltr" id="eow-title" title="The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion - Part 1">The Story and Song from The Haunted Mansion,</span></i> Disney made the odd decision to reissue this remastered version exclusively on cassette in 1998, though the format was already passe. The CD didn't come out for another eleven years.<br />
<br />
No matter which version, this album is a dream come true for Haunted Mansion fans, especially those disappointed that <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-15-disneys.html"><i>Disney's Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House </i>(1964)</a><i> </i>has no connection to the ride. Paul Frees' original narration from the dark ride has been split into two parts on the album: the Narrator performed by the legendary Thurl Ravenscroft, and the Ghost Host voiced by Pete Reneday. I miss Frees, but I can't pretend that Reneday's Ghost Host isn't more genuinely chilling than the original. He's got a cold, morose quality that caused me to switch off the album when I was a kid hearing it for the first time. (Only to return to the self-torture soon after.)<br />
<br />
I listened to an abridged version of the story (on a Donald Duck record called <i>Trick or Treat</i>) for many years before I grew the courage to experience the attraction. My intimate knowledge of the record only enhanced my first ride. It was like visiting an exotic land after studying it for a lifetime.<br />
<br />
I can't objectively talk about<i> A Spooky Night in Disney's Haunted Mansion</i>. To me it is a warm, swirling stew of childhood, history, and horror<i>.</i><br />
<br />
<br />
<b>Rating: </b>5 of 5<br />
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Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-21918704468477133842017-10-23T20:37:00.001-05:002018-08-10T00:57:38.079-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #23: Chamber of Horrors "NEW"<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvrRH5XEAbBWybJHiKLBbecVHHcZEcJF0YWdSg_MRUEMf44ZcZObMWeBzFR3YsqWsumC_vMXxlg67DMIVi4HYdRwtnpBxxvBT7xJQ0MIIR2qfgtNdoF1XGKUYasFmEScepB0W8A/s1600/chamber2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigvrRH5XEAbBWybJHiKLBbecVHHcZEcJF0YWdSg_MRUEMf44ZcZObMWeBzFR3YsqWsumC_vMXxlg67DMIVi4HYdRwtnpBxxvBT7xJQ0MIIR2qfgtNdoF1XGKUYasFmEScepB0W8A/s640/chamber2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b><i> Chamber of Horrors </i>"NEW"<br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Tony (U.S.A.) Inc.<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1990<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 25 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> Not exactly, but a loop repeats multiple times on both sides<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> Ongoing synth music<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>Attempted jump scare using a yell<br />
<b>Review:</b> I've established that the 1988 release of <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-8-chamber-of.html">Chamber of Horrors</a> is insane. I like to imagine that sometime in 1989 one of the higher-ups at Tony Incorporated finally heard the tape and shouted, "THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN SELLING?!!"<br />
<br />
He immediately discovered that nobody else in the office had ever listened to it either. A recall was ruled out after a quick cost analysis. With no other options, the decision to produce a new tape was finalized. <br />
Once an emergency assembly had gathered, the board demanded to meet with the man responsible for the 1988 edition. The product development manager stood before his colleagues, shouting on the phone,<br />
"What do you mean he's not here?! When will he be back?<br />
... <br />
Defeated, he announced to the room,<br />
"They said he was fired last year because he failed his drug test."<br />
______<br />
<br />
The 1990 version of <i>Chamber of Horrors</i> is a commendable effort that effectively paves over the past sins of the company. The effects sound fresh, the production value is good, and there's decent aural variety. A lot of attention was given to the music. What I assume to be an original score, gives <i>Chamber of Horrors</i> (1990) a distinctive voice in the Halloween tape pantheon. Most importantly, its existence demonstrates a message that we need to hear today: rational thinking, truth and love can triumph over chaos, and the mistakes of the past. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 4 of 5<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KGEWmHnyzEg?list=PL6hqI4GBcCdD797wYXdtjSPnhOf2I3x2_" width="560"></iframe>Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-23809879846021222922017-10-22T17:08:00.002-05:002017-10-22T17:09:44.378-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE #22: Sounds of Halloween<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT5fp-pvaXsvj0hw0wZMxjU-PK_6ERy2FtS179uhd5LQmtRynXFOhCsRlXbfHDy52-WAway8dcBhe1907SC782HjF3a-Onwh68-_geY1oWYZaq-fMQulMAYnn6Sli3DsSkp8eiQ/s1600/soundsofhalloween.jpg"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTT5fp-pvaXsvj0hw0wZMxjU-PK_6ERy2FtS179uhd5LQmtRynXFOhCsRlXbfHDy52-WAway8dcBhe1907SC782HjF3a-Onwh68-_geY1oWYZaq-fMQulMAYnn6Sli3DsSkp8eiQ/s640/soundsofhalloween.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Sounds of Halloween</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Madacy Entertainment<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1994<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 1 Hour<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> Yes<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> Opening theme (the same library music from the 1950s that appears on <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-17-night-in.html">Night in a Graveyard)</a> and some other ambient music throughout<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> Backward music and effects<br />
<b>Review:</b> All this reviewing makes me think about music critics. The blight of their job is all the unoriginal material they have to sift through. But imagine if they had to review albums that are literally two or three existing records spliced together. Okay, you could argue that this happens all the time with so much sampling going on, and mashup artists like Avalanches, Danger Mouse, and Girl Talk. Then imagine reviewing five different albums with five different titles that are all exactly the same recording.<i> Sounds of Halloween</i> is a mix of two or three records slapped together, and it's been released under at least five different titles.<br />
<br />
About half of the effects can be heard on <i><a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-17-night-in.html">Night in a Graveyard</a>,</i> and the rest sounds like <i><a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-18-scary-sounds.html">Scary Sounds of Halloween.</a></i> Who knows if <i>Sounds of Halloween</i> stole the material straight off of those records, or if they stole from the same records that those stole from.<br />
<br />
The audio has been repackaged numerous times according to the <a href="http://scarysounds.blogspot.com/2017/09/clones-repeats-and-waste-of-money.html">Scary Sounds of Halloween</a> blog.<br />
These are all the same album...<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBV1Hqw6IBwNDpF80JSQONZr5VDKa2pPvSlFP_8lF52vfO_FVdINN2JBBqgpJCsT5iAiIdy8x2J7cvYxdKRbz65jgZgVY3DCu3a9TT-fmJUN_zPUCjkCPst4f2Nv1y0yl0-hypg/s1600/covers.jpg"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBV1Hqw6IBwNDpF80JSQONZr5VDKa2pPvSlFP_8lF52vfO_FVdINN2JBBqgpJCsT5iAiIdy8x2J7cvYxdKRbz65jgZgVY3DCu3a9TT-fmJUN_zPUCjkCPst4f2Nv1y0yl0-hypg/s640/covers.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
<br />
Speaking of unoriginal content, I've yet to talk about the "Lonesome Ghosts" scream sequence that shows up on about forty percent of all my Halloween albums. The ghostly yawn can be heard <a href="https://youtu.be/IszioZhbhv0?t=28s">at the beginning</a> of Disney's 1937 animated short, and it was featured on the track <a href="https://youtu.be/SwbvGh17enU?t=23s">Screams and Groans</a> from <i><a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-15-disneys.html">Chilling, Thrilling Sounds of the Haunted House</a> </i>preceded by some shrieks. Knowing Disney's reputation for legally protecting their content, it's surprising that the sound has been used so much. Further proof that nobody pays attention to what's actually on Halloween records.<br />
<br />
<i>Sounds of Halloween</i> is still making Halloween memories thanks to a YouTube video (see below) that's received nearly a million views since 2011. It's unavoidable. It's like the standard government issue of Halloween records.<br />
<br />
It obviously gets the job done year after year, but in my eyes <i>Sounds of Halloween</i> has no honor.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 2 of 5<br />
<br />
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Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-10307031963734572862017-10-21T22:44:00.001-05:002017-10-22T17:28:17.824-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #21: Horror & Terror<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ79s9_3HPzxCcjq__7M62qBVKr7kMQsuyUv-zIORbv5TpCmGZHLgrWmYFIGHp4jj6eiLxkm1DPtG2tBmqZKgUJUrOVAPJwZXu7n446Zb8G60rRYWv8z-D1ffJBB1353l3ZlwOig/s1600/horrorandterror.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ79s9_3HPzxCcjq__7M62qBVKr7kMQsuyUv-zIORbv5TpCmGZHLgrWmYFIGHp4jj6eiLxkm1DPtG2tBmqZKgUJUrOVAPJwZXu7n446Zb8G60rRYWv8z-D1ffJBB1353l3ZlwOig/s640/horrorandterror.jpg" width="594" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Horror & Terror: Frightening Sounds Part I</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> K-Tel<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1995<br />
<b>Total Runtime: </b>About 50 Min<b> </b><br />
<b>Repeats on both sides: </b>No<b> </b><br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music: </b>A few musical bits with names like "Warped Chords" and "Melted Melancholy"<br />
<b>Narration: </b>No<b> </b><br />
<b>Distinct Audio: </b>The opening track (see below)<b> </b><br />
<b>Review:</b> Coincidentally, right before I sat down to review this tape I saw this bit of trivia: <b>"Terror</b> is usually described as the feeling of dread and anticipation that <i>precedes</i> the horrifying experience. By contrast, <b>horror</b> is the feeling of revulsion that usually occurs <i>after</i> something frightening is seen, heard, or otherwise experienced." via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horror_and_terror">Wikipedia.</a> Thing is, I would have probably made fun of the name for being redundant. I was also going to assume that there was no 'Part II," and it turns out that it does exist. I have grossly underestimated this tape.<br />
<br />
The first effect, 'Demon Drill,' is interesting because the sound of the drill has been remixed and put to a beat. It actually sounds like a segment of a Nine Inch Nails track. Unfortunately, this unexpected burst of creativity is gone by track two. The rest of the album is a collection of unrelated sounds that makes it seem like a production FX library. Maybe half of the content qualifies as spooky. It's very generic with the exception of a few pieces of music, a couple soundscapes, and a brief assortment of farts.<br />
<br />
My favorite thing about it is the simple, yet artful cover. I hope you enjoy looking at it because I can't find the audio online.<br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 2 of 5Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-70430142080278643712017-10-20T20:58:00.000-05:002017-10-22T17:32:15.954-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #20: Horrible Sounds of Halloween (Green text version)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidm4Hh2yOXaIyY9g74oVFD3rf_7XhUUiADxPbOb_uvRX3_kExU6n8PIpNog7ck-VRgFYxQVsnraRmFira-MrWjWLxiQSh1Otd9YoUTEVjPfDxAHBaESY7FhD5dM-JLwYwYmodIeg/s1600/horrible-sounds-again.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidm4Hh2yOXaIyY9g74oVFD3rf_7XhUUiADxPbOb_uvRX3_kExU6n8PIpNog7ck-VRgFYxQVsnraRmFira-MrWjWLxiQSh1Otd9YoUTEVjPfDxAHBaESY7FhD5dM-JLwYwYmodIeg/s640/horrible-sounds-again.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Horrible Sounds of Halloween</i> (Green text version)<br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Tony (U.S.A.) Inc.<br />
<b>Year:</b> Unknown<br />
<b>Total Runtime: </b>45 Min<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> Yes (Plus it repeats multiple times on each side.)<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> No<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> See below<br />
<b>Review:</b> The school bell's going to ring in ten minutes, and where's Sid? Here he comes! Oh, yes, he <i>finally</i> remembered to bring his<i> Horrible Sounds of Halloween</i> tape for the big trade. It's different from<a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-9-horrible-sounds.html"> the one you already have,</a> even though it has the same name. This one has <i>green</i> letters and Sid <i>guarantees</i> that it's not the same effects as the one you bought last Halloween; the one that has the guy who yells "Boo!" at the meowing cat.<br />
<br />
You didn't entirely believe that the tape was real until he pulled it out of his backpack. (What a terrible way to transport a cassette. You're lucky the tape didn't get tangled in his notebooks!) But the tape is now yours—at a hefty price. You're already missing your copy of
"Famous Monsters of Filmland" #171, but the promise of a new Halloween
record in your modest personal library outweighs the sacrifice.<br />
<br />
Your obsession with the new tape turns the day into a marathon. In third period you nearly get it confiscated for having it out during a lecture. Lunchtime is wasted as you wander the school parking lot trying to work up the courage to ask one of the high school students to play it in their car stereo. It doesn't happen.<br />
<br />
During fifth hour you write out a list of sound effects that you'd put on the perfect Halloween tape. Yours would include a haunted video arcade and authentic sounds from "The Creature from the Black Lagoon." Your decision to reexamine the tape on the bus ride home turns out to be a mistake. You let down your guard for a moment and that lug Jarred snatches it in his filthy hands. You can thank the all-seeing eye of Bonnie the bus driver for intervening.<br />
<br />
But now you're in the safety of your bedroom and nothing stands between you and your 'jam box.' You press play....<br />
...<br />
...<br />
Oh, thank goodness, Sid was right! You can already tell that this <i>isn't</i> like the black lettered one.<br />
...<br />
Wait. This does sound a bit familiar.<br />
...<br />
That heartbeat, and that music. This is the<a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-10-halloween.html"> heartbeat tape that you already have</a>! It looks different but it's the same thing! As your eyes begin to water you notice that it's not exactly the same— it's worse! They doubled up the audio and now the heartbeats are all out of sync, just a constant budda budda budda. They added some other junk to it too, but it's just awful.<br />
<br />
You press the stop button.<br />
...<br />
You wonder if Sid will do a trade-back. <br />
<br />
<b>Rating:</b> 1 of 5Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-69654701136352965402017-10-19T18:46:00.001-05:002018-08-10T01:34:32.868-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #19: Horror Sounds of the Night<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zCqcqVR4NnuuHBrE641UM-Ho3h0C83cP1VbRsMEp7aXuB1V0cnLRx742PfuXOKfyJTcL_l672AGYsf4RxZ1YrVlybhyn8jcxA71dKwWWEOLzC5CiEDKB22-5a7zJyerxF6RSjA/s1600/HorrorSounds.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zCqcqVR4NnuuHBrE641UM-Ho3h0C83cP1VbRsMEp7aXuB1V0cnLRx742PfuXOKfyJTcL_l672AGYsf4RxZ1YrVlybhyn8jcxA71dKwWWEOLzC5CiEDKB22-5a7zJyerxF6RSjA/s640/HorrorSounds.jpg" width="616" /></a><br />
<br />
<b>Title:</b> <i>Horror Sounds of the Night</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer:</b> Topstone Industries<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1986<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 30 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> Has an opening theme, and various background music throughout<br />
Includes a piece from Georges Bizet's “L’Arlesienne Suite"<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> An infamous masochistic segment (see below)<br />
<b>Review:</b> <i>Horror Sounds of the Night</i> is notable for <i>so many reasons</i>. First, it came from Topstone, a beloved Halloween corporation best known for making rubber masks since the 1950s. Their advertising artwork alone has left a permanent mark on <a href="https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/monsterkidclassichorrorforum/topstone-masks-t44981.html">horror culture.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqimFbaoJAL0Kiu6pbuEs9ofV9frV4dyWll6OzEYZgd2fqU10hz44SQtRohJe0PFUrHw4Dgn-L-bmjHCtwl4I-ijgowMhO2mGwj1MfXo4DVUwgXMwasR0G_DKPnyw8vGQGTpmmg/s1600/7702597032_3a7877c866_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtqimFbaoJAL0Kiu6pbuEs9ofV9frV4dyWll6OzEYZgd2fqU10hz44SQtRohJe0PFUrHw4Dgn-L-bmjHCtwl4I-ijgowMhO2mGwj1MfXo4DVUwgXMwasR0G_DKPnyw8vGQGTpmmg/s320/7702597032_3a7877c866_o.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRy98YAjq-T_IMqDKW54dtTC7PsTo4aixUcXbXZ0cDEbJmWgc76PJKFd64K0kgP0QLPQfY4eaOqFDB0ObuIOjIQ0hWmCqlj_aZHkLG6Lgs1oA6V-OL6l_miscxZkhOmh0RUDuCEQ/s1600/Monster-Mail-Order.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRy98YAjq-T_IMqDKW54dtTC7PsTo4aixUcXbXZ0cDEbJmWgc76PJKFd64K0kgP0QLPQfY4eaOqFDB0ObuIOjIQ0hWmCqlj_aZHkLG6Lgs1oA6V-OL6l_miscxZkhOmh0RUDuCEQ/s320/Monster-Mail-Order.jpg" width="232" /></a><br />
<br />
The cassette was ubiquitous. It was produced for many years, and sold through many outlets. Its 1986 release date put it slightly ahead of the Halloween tape glut in the late '80s. <i>Horror Sounds</i>, along with <i><a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-2-thrillerchiller.html">Thriller/Chiller</a></i> and the other <i><a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-14-thriller.html">Thriller Chiller</a></i>, usually gets a big reaction online, prompting commenters to type up a cavalcade of memories.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZ28271syXWLddSGnZPt-y9DhE-ME32cml8dB4Hds9ImYFlLOnhswf90lTNqAGZLxx7fXhxeMAD8JOilbLOXF8I8ppJgcRkeBXvOwYUJvUeHaiSfkh9X-WioXo1jr1L1MO6QUlQ/s1600/horrorsoundspacks.jpg"><img border="0" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxZ28271syXWLddSGnZPt-y9DhE-ME32cml8dB4Hds9ImYFlLOnhswf90lTNqAGZLxx7fXhxeMAD8JOilbLOXF8I8ppJgcRkeBXvOwYUJvUeHaiSfkh9X-WioXo1jr1L1MO6QUlQ/s640/horrorsoundspacks.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">1993 Topstone catalog via <a href="http://monstermasks.blogspot.com/2015/12/1993-topstone-catalog.html">Blood Curdling Blog of Monster Masks</a></span></div>
<br />
<i>Horror Sounds</i> was the subject of a <a href="https://www.leagle.com/decision/1986939788f2d1511916">lawsuit.</a> Surprisingly, it wasn't due to the content being misappropriated (which it was). It arose because Topstone terminated a contract with the guy who presented them with the idea, and then made their own tape independently. From the case file...<br />
<br />
"Plaintiff had conceived the idea of an audio-cassette tape of sounds
appropriate for Halloween. After producing and copyrighting his
recording, titled <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-3-hauntd-horror.html" target="_blank">"Haunted Horror,"</a> he entered into an agreement
designating defendant Topstone Industries as the exclusive distributor.
Topstone later terminated the contract and began marketing a similar
Halloween cassette titled "Horror Sounds of the Night." After purchasing
copies of the plaintiff's tape from Topstone, defendant D. Robbins
& Co. sold those copies, as well as Topstone's "Horror Sounds" tape,
to retail customers."<br />
<br />
The tape's legendary status is elevated by a segment that features an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYnHK1k9JKE">infamous exchange</a> between a sinister man and his female victim. The sexual undertones are hard to ignore. A shorter version of this is actually the album opener for a popular Children's Record called <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8QpjNVZr3Y">Sounds to Make You Shiver.</a> </i>(The moaning portion appears on side two as "Count Dracula and His Victim")<br />
<br />
This brings us to the last reason why <i>Horror Sounds in the Night</i> is notorious: <i>everything</i> on it is stolen. Well, I can't confirm that it was all illegally used. The fact that the aforementioned scene appears without the layers of chain and footstep effects may indicate that they had access to a source tape. But this is common practice in the Halloween tape biz, and it's hard to believe they would take the time to get legal clearance from three different companies for three different sources, especially considering the other lawsuit. <br />
<br />
So what were the sources? On the evening of November 8, 2013 a comment was posted on a site called <a href="http://monstermasks.blogspot.com/2010/10/horror-sounds-of-night.html">Blood-Curdling Blog of Monster Masks</a> by a user calling themselves barneyrubble. This comment stands as the most thorough and well-researched dissertation of the digital age regarding the source material behind <i>Horror Sounds of the Night</i>. I'm posting it here in its unaltered form, because changing even one word would be a disservice to the internet.<br />
<br />
"At the price for which copies of this cassette are selling, it's good to know that one can get all the recordings on this tape just by buying three old Hallowe'en LP's:<br />
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- BBC Records & Tapes's Volume 13: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6StbOU7ZOsg">Sound Effects DEATH & HORROR</a> (1977) (The first track on the cassette is taken from this album, listed here as "Phantom of the Opera ('Organ' Sounds)")<br />
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- Power Records, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaAF69Ylo8I">"Ghostly Sounds"</a> (presumed early '70s)<br />
(The second track on the cassette is taken from this LP, identified here as "The Phantom of the Cathedral". Two versions of this LP exist, with near identical album covers: the first edition has pink record labels, is reputed to have narration and lists "The Phantom of the Cathedral" as the second track on Side 2, after "The Mad Harpist". The second edition, with yellow labels, moves "The Mad Harpist" to the end of Side 1, and begins Side 2 with "The Phantom of the Cathedral", exactly as it is included on the "Horror Sounds of the Night" cassette.)<br />
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- Pickwick International, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_2038213300"></span>"Sounds to Make You Shiver"<span id="goog_2038213301"></span></a> (presumed mid-'70s)<br />
(Believe it or not, the entire remainder of the "Horror Sounds of the Night" cassette is taken directly from Side 2 of this album, in the same running order. It seems like the compiler of "Horror Sounds of the Night" found two favored pieces on the first two albums, then either got bored or distracted and just let the third album play until the tape ran out. On the original album, they are listed in order as "Witch Laugh", "Count Dracula and His Victim" (occasionally noted for its somewhat X-rated overtones), "Screams & Groans" (actually two separate tracks of screams, apparently made by the same lady who appears in "Count Dracula and his Victim"), "Moans & Groans", "Cats", "Dogs", "Banging Shutter", "Phantom Piano", "Creaky Door", and part of "Breaking Windows".)<br />
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If you shop around, you can get all three of these albums for less than $50 (with the BBC LP most likely being the most expensive one). I now have all three. Happy hunting! :)"<br />
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<b>Sentimentality Rating</b>: 5 of 5<br />
<b>Morality Rating:</b> 1 of 5<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Vr9y_NE-120" width="560"></iframe><br />
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Better quality, but embedding is disabled, so I can't stick it here...<br />
<a href="https://youtu.be/aVBQWR14RIQ">https://youtu.be/aVBQWR14RIQ</a><br />
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<br />Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-58019140835583789512017-10-18T19:34:00.001-05:002017-10-18T19:37:48.759-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #18: Scary Sounds of Halloween<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmayIQrCdfwXC5eVTCdKxBJmwQXotVc9Hmlbh-3D-tmpRut8qDDM22OOJV7NN5BdFCgz3TaxtXn2nPJyArz9LR0EoE1IE95WHrVG9yhWtEqjODDGMvtwvhyT8XtKBkUOR80dTdPQ/s1600/scarysounds---Copy.jpg"><img border="0" height="580" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmayIQrCdfwXC5eVTCdKxBJmwQXotVc9Hmlbh-3D-tmpRut8qDDM22OOJV7NN5BdFCgz3TaxtXn2nPJyArz9LR0EoE1IE95WHrVG9yhWtEqjODDGMvtwvhyT8XtKBkUOR80dTdPQ/s640/scarysounds---Copy.jpg" width="640" /></a></b><br />
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Scary Sounds of Halloween</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer: </b>K-Tel<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1991<br />
<b>Total Runtime:</b> 30 Min<br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> Some dissonant music on side two<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> The grunting monster<br />
<b>Review:</b> I'll make a pros and cons list for this one... <br />
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<b>Pro</b>: It's from K-Tel. Maybe I've been brainwashed from seeing at least one K-Tel record ad during every commercial break of my childhood, but I think K-Tel is a cool company. If they would have put out some AS SEEN ON TV Halloween records, I would have melted on the couch.<br />
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<b>Con</b>: Cat noises that sound ridiculously human. About as effective as just saying the word "meow."<br />
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<b>Pro:</b> Classic sound effects. It opens with the familiar wolf howl that we associate with all our favorite scary shows. Then the underused, yet universal "OooOOOooeeeEEEoooo!" ghost noise appears too. <br />
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<b>Con:</b> The grunting monster won't shut up. This guy seems to be the star of the tape, but he quickly loses his appeal. He's pervasive, high in the mix, and sounds way too much like Jabba the Hutt.<br />
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<b>Pro:</b> It includes a crying effect (at 17:54 in the video below) that was used in the video game "Left 4 Dead" to indicate the presence of a witch. This sound has conditioned players to go to on high alert and turn off their flashlights, lest they agitate the insanely powerful witch.<br />
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<b>Con:</b> It's very repetitive. That is, until the end of side two when it sounds like a completely different album.<br />
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<b>Pro or Con: </b>There's a Sci-Fi theremin type sound that brings to mind the noise that Greg Brady makes when he stages a phony UFO encounter.<br />
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The recording is a lot like the cover. There are some classic elements, there's one beast that dominates it, and overall it's a bit generic. <br />
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<b>Rating: </b>3 of 5<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/w-ZHFy1O8BQ" width="560"></iframe>Kirk D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05700097965524197825noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24558766.post-37257619688705230082017-10-17T20:10:00.001-05:002017-10-22T17:37:23.719-05:00HALLOWEEN TAPE REVIEW #17: Night in a Graveyard<b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GYEy6-hA5PeyscwG-KxMOfukLiwPFhPPFROOTMYK2zwMLtqihJ5Uvnf9vsEkjSuBpeePfjXT3UOiyhqMtZ7CzyB6qPuG0VlButCJGdiJomTHCCi6AgCGHWoTC6v0tU2mI1jqPQ/s1600/NightinaGraveyard.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0GYEy6-hA5PeyscwG-KxMOfukLiwPFhPPFROOTMYK2zwMLtqihJ5Uvnf9vsEkjSuBpeePfjXT3UOiyhqMtZ7CzyB6qPuG0VlButCJGdiJomTHCCi6AgCGHWoTC6v0tU2mI1jqPQ/s640/NightinaGraveyard.jpg" width="640" /></a> </b><br />
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<b>Title:</b> <i>Night in a Graveyard</i><br />
<b>Manufacturer: </b>Haunted House Music Co. (Golden Circle Inc.)<br />
<b>Year:</b> 1985<br />
<b>Total Runtime: </b>About 25 Min<b> </b><br />
<b>Repeats on both sides:</b> No<br />
<b>Stories:</b> No<br />
<b>Music:</b> A segment called "Midnight Music" that sounds like it's from "Night of the Living Dead."<br />
<b>Narration:</b> No<br />
<b>Distinct Audio:</b> Gremlin laughter<br />
<b>Review:</b> <i>Night in a Graveyard</i> is one of the three Halloween albums released by the "Haunted House Music Co." in 1985<i>. </i>I like to think of it as a non-musical option to its companion,<i> <a href="http://secretfunspot.blogspot.com/2017/10/halloween-tape-review-16-haunted-house.html">Haunted House</a></i>, for those times when you feel that music will diminish the experience.<br />
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If you've ever read "The Family Circus" you may recall that Bil Keane would turn to his son Billy for cartoons. In that same spirit I invited my eleven-year-old son to help review this tape. As we listened, I jotted down some of his thoughts...<br />
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As side one began he was skeptical.<br />
"They really overuse the wind. Pretty sure trees don't do... whatever that is, very much"<br />
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Then confusion set in.<br />
"Is that crying, or maniacal laughter?"<br />
"I've never heard a cat make that sound." <br />
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As his mind struggled to make sense of the soundscape, he formed a scene. <br />
"Makes me think I'm hiking up a stone staircase, going up a mountain to a cave. Bats are flying out, and witches are inside."<br />
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He gave purpose to some random cries.<br />
"Sounds like someone's lost, scared."
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Other associations were made. <br />
"Sounds like the ghost host from Disney."<br />
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Side two is full of random, individual sound clips that seemed to stoke his imagination.<br />
"Sounds like if dogs were at a play, and they were really not liking it."<br />
"Sound like if a giant were trying to sew, and kept poking his thumb with a needle."<br />
"Sounds like Donald Duck on laughing gas."<br />
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Though he's never seen a horror show he understood what the "Midnight Music" is about.<br />
"Sounds like the part in a horror movie where the murderer is in the house creeping around with a knife. Everyone's like, 'Where is he?'"<br />
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His final verdict?<br />
"I liked it. it was kind of cool. It had a lot if different things in it... variety."<br />
<b>Rating: </b>"3 or 4 out of 5"<br />
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Seeing how these tapes have been playing constantly in our house for weeks on end, I didn't expect him to get spooked. So I was surprised when he was too uneasy to take the recycling bin to the garage (one of his weekly chores) after our listening session. I offered him a flashlight and encouragement, but his solution was to invite our dog along on his dark journey.<br />
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Then a few minutes ago he asked me to investigate a face he saw in the ceiling vent. Tonight may be a long night.<br />
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