The Halloween Issue
Here we’re going to explore the phenomenon of the Halloween issue
PRANKS
This justifiably forgotten Halloween themed relic is most interesting not for what it is but, rather, for what it isn’t
What’s in My Halloween Bag…
What follows is a more-or-less random selection of Halloween-themed ephemera
DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW
This is certainly one of the most famous TV movies of the 1980s, if not of all time
DEATH MAKES A HOLIDAY: A CULTURAL HISTORY OF HALLOWEEN
The second of David J. Skal’s “Cultural Histories.” The first was 1993’s THE MONSTER SHOW, which took a rambling yet thoroughly enjoyable look at horror media
HORRORWEEN
Unlike the others, HORRORWEEN is composed of three standalone stories, all previously published in slightly different versions.
HALLOWEENLAND
While I don’t feel HALLOWEENLAND is fully successful, I was impressed with the lean, confident, almost Richard Laymon-esque prose, and will definitely be reading more Sarrantonio publications.
THE HALLOWEEN TREE
This kid book trifle isn’t Ray Bradbury’s best work, but is nonetheless an extremely readable and erudite display of imagination and phantasmagoric imagery.
HALLOWEEN (Edited by Paula Guran)
A selection of new and old stories make up this anthology about, as the title portends, Halloween.
HALLOWEEN (Novel by Curtis Richards)
One of the most revered and widely sought-after movie novelizations, Curtis Richards’ HALLOWEEN went through multiple printings (and covers) throughout 1979.