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idahomag-com · 6 months

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DIY Halloween Crafts for Kids

New Post has been published on https://idahomag.com/diy-halloween-crafts-for-kids/

DIY Halloween Crafts for Kids

DIY Halloween Crafts for Kids Unleashing Creativity in Spooky Delights

Halloween, that bewitching time of the year, is not just for the grown-ups to revel in elaborate costumes and eerie decorations. It’s also an enchanting occasion for the little ones, brimming with imaginative opportunities and crafty endeavors. In this article, we will explore a plethora of DIY Halloween crafts tailored for kids, sparking their creativity and transforming ordinary materials into spooktacular masterpieces.

1. Creepy Crawly Spider Webs: A Web of Creativity

Engage your little ones in the art of weaving with this simple yet delightful craft. Gather some black yarn, googly eyes, and glue. Help the kids create intricate spider webs on paper plates, enhancing their fine motor skills and patience. Adding plastic spiders to the web will add an extra thrill, making it a perfect Halloween decoration.

Encouraging children to create intricate patterns with yarn not only sharpens their motor skills but also teaches them the value of patience and precision. As they carefully weave the black yarn, their concentration deepens, and they take pride in their artistic creations. This activity serves as an excellent foundation for developing their attention to detail.

https://idahomag.com/best-halloween-costume-ideas-2023/

2. Boo-tiful Ghost Lanterns: Illuminating Halloween Nights

Transform ordinary glass jars into adorable ghost lanterns that illuminate the Halloween night with a ghostly glow. Encourage your kids to paint the jars white and add expressive ghost faces using black markers. Insert LED tea lights inside for a safe and spooky ambiance, making your home the talk of the town.

Creating ghost lanterns not only provides a creative outlet for kids but also introduces them to basic concepts of light and shadow. As they place the LED tea lights inside the jars, they witness the transformation from a plain jar to a glowing ghost. This hands-on experience fosters their understanding of the interplay between light and objects.

3. Pumpkin Patch Pals: Crafty Gourds for Endless Fun

Pumpkins are synonymous with Halloween, and crafting with them opens a world of possibilities. Let your little artists’ imaginations run wild as they paint, decorate, and carve pumpkins into ghoulish characters or friendly monsters. This activity not only hones their artistic skills but also teaches them the joy of turning ordinary objects into extraordinary creations.

When children engage in pumpkin crafting, they delve into the realms of imagination and creativity. Each stroke of the brush, every carved detail, and the placement of googly eyes allow them to bring their envisioned characters to life. This process enhances their artistic expression and boosts their confidence in their creative abilities.

4. Wickedly Whimsical Witch Hats: Fashionable Halloween Accessories

Witch hats are iconic symbols of Halloween, and creating mini versions can be a thrilling experience for kids. Provide them with black construction paper, colorful ribbons, and glittering embellishments. With a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of imagination, your little ones can design their witch hats, adding a fashionable twist to their Halloween costumes.

Designing witch hats not only encourages creativity but also introduces children to the concept of fashion and accessory design. As they choose ribbons and embellishments, they explore color coordination and pattern matching, enhancing their aesthetic sensibilities. This activity nurtures their interest in design and fashion, sparking potential interests in these fields.

5. Mummy Madness: Unraveling the Fun

Unleash the mummy madness by crafting spooky mummies using simple materials like toilet paper rolls and googly eyes. Let your kids wrap the rolls with strips of white tissue paper, creating mummy figures that are both adorable and eerie. This craft not only enhances their motor skills but also provides an opportunity to explore the world of textures and patterns.

Crafting mummies is an excellent way for children to understand the concept of texture. As they wrap the tissue paper around the toilet paper rolls, they experience the tactile sensation of different materials. This sensory exploration contributes to their cognitive development and enhances their ability to recognize and appreciate various textures in the world around them.

6. Haunted House Creations: Building Spooky Abodes

Encourage architectural creativity by crafting haunted houses from cardboard boxes. Provide various art supplies such as paints, markers, and craft paper. Watch as your little architects transform plain boxes into haunted abodes, complete with ghosts, bats, and other spooky elements. This activity fosters imaginative play and collaborative skills, making it a perfect Halloween group project.

Building haunted houses not only unleashes creativity but also teaches valuable lessons in collaboration and teamwork. When children work together to create a spooky masterpiece, they learn the importance of communication and cooperation. Each child’s unique ideas contribute to the overall design, fostering a sense of shared achievement and camaraderie.

Conclusion:

Cultivating Creativity in the Spirit of Halloween

DIY Halloween crafts for kids not only result in charming decorations but also nurture creativity, fine motor skills, and problem-solving abilities. By engaging in these crafty endeavors, children learn the joy of transforming everyday items into extraordinary creations, instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment. So, this Halloween, gather your young ones, unleash their creativity, and let the spooky crafting begin! Happy Halloween crafting!

#HalloweenCrafts #DIYKidsCrafts #SpookyCreativity #CraftyHalloween #CreativeKids #CraftingFun #ImaginativePlay #HauntedCreations #FamilyCrafting #GhostlyArtistry

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abvndonedbydisney · 1 year

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[ ben barnes, cis man, he/him. ] ✧･ﾟ is that [ NYK CHERNABOG ] who just stumbled into town? rumour has it that they’re the [ FORTY-TWO ] year old originally hailing from [ FANTASIA ]. if they had to choose a side they would consider themself [ EVIL ]. i’ve also heard that they’re [ CREATIVE ] but [ SADISTIC ] and have [ 1 ] child. i could almost swear i heard [ EVERYTHING BLACK - UNLIKE PLUTO ] playing when they appeared.

full name: dominykas chernabog.

nicknames: nyk or chernabog.

gender: cis man.

pronouns: he/him.

sexuality: bisexual.

age: forty-two.

date of birth: unknown.

zodiac sign: unknown.

aesthetics: the sound of a crackling of fire, the howling of tormented souls, a pitch black night, a smile that doesn’t quite reach someone’s eyes, a dark silk cloak, dark leathery wings that engulf someone’s frame.

children: damon chernabog.

𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘.

nyk chernabog wasn’t necessarily born, but more so created. some that knew of him created a story that he was the embodiment of darkness and pure evil, which might not have been far from the truth. from the moment he came into existence, he took up residency upon bald mountain. the dark ominous rock formation cast a shadow on the village beneath, a village that chernabog made it his duty to watch over. the main way chernabog often chose to entertain himself was by summoning forth the spirits of criminals and warriors alike along with fire which he transformed into illusions of sorts. he would then force the spirits to bend to his whims and entertain him, tossing them into the fiery pit of the mountain whenever he grew tired of them. after all, he could always summon forth more spirits in the long run so he never viewed any of his minions with much value.

this ghoulish delight occurred almost every night, the man hiding from the world with his massive spanning wings during the day despite his lack of need to sleep. the day’s blinding light was never welcomed, the light metaphorically serving as hope to the villagers. while chernabog enjoyed toiling in the lives of mortals and turning spirits into playthings, he found himself growing bored of the mundane routine that he had created for himself. while it was difficult to admit, he realized that loneliness was the root of the cause of this. despite not wanting to come to terms with this emotion, he set off on a quest to create a family for himself. he decided to use part of his own essence to create a spawn from the hellfire of the mountain.

while he was initially skeptical of his plan, the moment his son damon entered his life — he felt as if he had a purpose again. he didn’t need anyone else, he had already created perfection. he took care of him and doted on him endlessly, forcing the spirits to amuse both of them now. his proudest moment in life came when damon joined him in commanding who should perish and he consistently continued to make him beam with pride over the years by wrangling up souls for him. though some mortals were able to escape his grasp, the light inside of them combatted his abilities. it was those said individuals that caused him to collaborate with dr. facilier in the first place. two individuals bonded by the fact that they used dark magic and worked with spirits to do their bidding. it turned out to be a very mutually beneficial relationship.

that’s when they devised their plan to create a world made out of magic and trap the children of the heroes within a seemingly abandoned town. but things didn’t go as they initially planned. the moment vas was whisked away from him unexpectedly due to the spell’s backfiring, he set out to devise a plan to retrieve his daughter from this new world. what he didn’t expect was for facilier to send him to this world with no passage back to his own, now just as trapped as everyone else was.

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒.

his partner that back-stabbed him, dr. facilier.

#seperate.intro #( about && nyk chernabog. )#torture tw #death tw

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tvsotherworlds · 1 year

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ceilingfan5 · 4 years

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@thekingkez requested haunted house coworkers on twitter!

“Hey, spooky boss. Who’s spooky-working tonight?” Taako leans casually against the doorframe of the haunted house’s office, the normalest room in the entire estate. It doesn’t even have a single spiderweb, and there is one (1) bowl of extremely cheap candy on the table by the computer. Davenport sights and pushes up his fake glasses, not even remotely smudging his flawless ghost makeup.

“I seem to recall telling you not to do that, Taako.”

“Do what?” Taako grins cheekily. Davenport rolls his eyes.

“He just wants to know if Kravitz is on tonight,” Ren tattles from behind him, mixing a bowl of fake blood. She purposefully wipes her fingers on Taako’s shoulder, which only adds to his walking corpse aesthetic, but he gives her a double-dirty look anyway. She winks and sticks her pierced tongue out at him.

“Whether I do is none of your goddamn business, you absolute traitor!”

“But he does.”

“I know,” Davenport says. “And he is.”

“Oh yeah?” Taako’s so intentionally casual he threatens to slide onto the floor and lay there, casually. Not a care in the world. Certainly not one about a particular someone, who he may or may not have any number of feelings toward. They’re coworkers. That’s all. Taako herds the guests out the door and Mister The Grim Reaper chases them back toward the parking lot with his scythe. It’s a working, professional, work-related, work relationship for coworkers.

“Yes, and if you two get distracted again, I swear to god, Taako, I will use all of your tips to buy a bathroom rug with your face on it.”

“And think of me every time you shit.” Taako nods solemnly. “Very spooky-leaderly of you, captain.”

“OKAY,” Davenport says, clapping his hands twice. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

“It’s half an hour until the doors open, boss,” Ren reminds politely. “We’re still missing a few.”

“Then go fucking dust something, or get your costumes nastier, I don’t care. Give me at least two consecutive minutes of peace to get into character.”

“Aye aye, sp-”

Davenport glares at Taako. Taako giggles and walks away, Ren following him and covering her own laughter, and the two of them make good use of the fresh fake blood to pass the time. Taako takes a big sip and lets the blood pour out of his mouth and down his front, which Ren assures him is a good look, very ghoulish. Ten out of ten. No bones about it.

And within twenty-eight minutes, they’re all in place, except the Grim Reaper. Taako isn’t checking the door every fourteen seconds. It’s probably more of a casual, uninterested twenty-eight. Twice as long. Twice as casual. Nothing to worry about, of course. They can still do the scene without him, it’s fine, Taako just has to run further, and he only cares because he doesn’t want to run! That’s it. Nothing else.

He one hundo percent is not relieved and delighted when Kravitz bursts through the door, panting a little, cape slightly askew.

“There you are, bones,” he says, again, more casual than a manatee smoking a joint on a Saturday. “Started to wonder if the zombies had eaten ya.”

“More like midterms,” Kravitz mutters, adjusting his outfit. “I’m in real trouble if that test was as bad as I think it was.”

“Shame, shame. At least you can scare idiots to relax.” He grins, the fake blood still a little tacky around his mouth.

“You know,” Kravitz says, casual as a unemployed sloth in his boxers, “I was sort of thinking of another way to unwind.”

“Care to clue me in, mister undertaker?” Taako moves a little closer, and Kravitz closes in, and then they’re making out, too focused on each other to hear Davenport’s call downstairs--

“Look undead, people! We’re opening the doors!”

They hear the screams before it’s too late, of course, and they manage to get back to their positions on time, and their costumes look just fine with a little extra rumpling, but more than a few people comment on the Grim Reaper being a lot less scary with all of those kiss marks on his face.

Taako gets moved to the front of the house after that.

#taakitz #taz #tazb #taz balance #the adventure zone #the adventure zone balance #fan5fics #tw blood #cw blood #theyre all stupid and i love them #thank u!

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talesnbone · 3 years

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MERCEDES REYES ⟶ FAMILY AESTHETIC 001 ↳ the horned king, the raven

trigger warning: death, cannibalism, blood, body horror

quietly, she sat, holding the dusty book in her hands. bigger than her small fingers, but none the less she held tightly. she was expected to listen and read at the same time. her father’s smoke like voice flowing over her while she read over the poetry in front of her. he cared little for the petty things that mortals did, but if she were ever to get the revenge their blood deserved, she would need to understand them. despite if their actions in the mirror confused her.

“little wraith,” he caught her attention. claw like, skeletal fingers ran through her black hair, that wasn’t in the loose braid. gently curving around her small horns that were fledgling antlers compared to his. the magic had burned into her father so deeply, that even in the realm seemingly without it, the scars could not be removed. it had burned through her too. no longer magic. something more in the blood for what he had done. “what did i say?” there was no ire in his words, nor disappoint, a simple request.

“they mean little to nothing,” her words were small, as if she were trying to find the right ones. her eyes gazing downward to the spider webs by the mirror she was placed in front of. as if looking to the arachnids to assist in her reminder. “but like pawns on a board. we musn’t let them become too powerful.” she continued. her voice a little stronger. the horned king’s finger moved to rest under her chin as he tilted her head upward, so their eyes would meet.

his blazing red met her deep burgundy, something more akin to cooled blood while he waited for her to finish. “one must be ready to stamp them out when need be.”

a ghoulish smile curved the corner of his sharp mouth. his teeth were what she knew many wrote about in dark tales. she had read them. they had a feeling of more like home to her. like the shadows, cold and darkness. “very good,” he responded, tapping under her chin with the same finger that had been used to tilt it. satisfaction rolled through her. pride covering her spine in a gossamer type coating. like the spider webs she loved to trace with her eyes.

“how should one crush them?”

sharp teeth, smaller than her fathers but still, drawing small touches of blood from her bottom lip as she slid it over in thought. “that depends.”

“on what?”

“on if they deserve to suffer for what they did or thought to do,” her answer was strong. something that was carved into her mind. there was little room for error when her father’s teachings were always so clear. more translucent than the clouds above them.

“do they?” his hand moved from her chin, falling to his side, but his eyes stayed on her face.

her eyes had wandered to look to the mirror in front of her. watching how the light danced off the things that shimmered on the other side of what was meant to be reflective. instead it was a window. “always,” she whispered with focus. watching a little girl eat something that seemed to please her. a servant doting in on the other while the day moved on.

her eyes crept back to her father’s. “they always deserve to ache.” the softness in her voice began to bleed away as something like cold stone began to replace it. stronger than marble. sharper than the edge of a blade. “one must take their time. let them drown in their own lifeblood.”

the look in his eyes turned dark, but not in anger. instead, in pride. she had answered how he wanted. there was no doubt in her words. they were stronger than the bones that made up man.

“precisely, my little raven.” his hands moved to smooth over her hair once more, allowing pieces to fall in her eyes as he reached for the book. taking it softly from her hands. “what do you do when they have drowned?”

her lip curled slightly. a thing she had seen her father do, her teeth glistening something terrible. “i drink their blood. feast on their bones. then move onto the next.” she nodded her head, matter of factly. so simple. to devour those that would try to subdue them.

the horned king laughed. like a rattle of bones, shaking in a cage. pure delight filled him at his daughter’s words. her fascination with what people would taste like so clear, ever since she was a child. a blood thirsty urge he equated to another side effect of what he had done to himself. to their blood. while he barely had the urge to eat at all. a fine, deep wine his true enjoyment. she always had the urge to eat the oddest of things.

if it were bitter, potentially deadly, or even ashen and truly dead, her tastes were aligned with it. he wasn’t a fool. he knew she had tried the flesh of those that had passed in the shadow realm out of her own curiosity and urges. he knew his child.

“there are few true delights in this world, my little shadow.” he placed the book on the worn table near her. before turning back and holding out his gaunt hand. without hesitation, she stood and walked towards him. intertwining their fingers together as they began to walk out of the dark room.

they moved in silence as they made their way to the front door of their crypt like home. the sound of rain their only companion. his hand left her smaller one to reach for her cloak. wrapping it around her shoulders. he then reached for the gloves she wore to hide how her fingers were nearly more bone then skin like her fathers. but just enough stayed covered. her body not entwined with the magic like his once was.

daintily, only the way a young child could, she pulled the gloves on. making sure they slid into the curves of her fingers how they were meant to. a deep purple, like the cloak on her shoulders. graying and fraying at the edges but it was one of the few colors she leaned towards.

her eyes were slightly sunken, like the skin waiting to give way to the corpse underneath. but he looked on her fondly. still young but learning. he had little patience for most things in the world but for his little ghoul, he had learned how to be tolerant. she seemed to learn well that way.

“you must be sure to savor those delights when they come.” straightening out her cloak, he pulled the hood upward, hiding her long dark braid and the small antlers that signified their blood’s claim. “now, go.” he pat her head before he brushed the door open.

the wood creaking like a great beast. rain poured from the sky, but he could practically taste her excitement while she watched lightning crack through the expanse above. “i’m certain you and your companions can get up to something terrible before this evening. do so.”

“yes, father.” was all he heard before her small figure disappeared in between raindrops. no doubt she would find something to entertain herself with. as she always did. with any luck she would ruin someone’s day.

#death tw #blood tw #cannibalism tw #body horror tw #she waits seething blooming || mercedes #aesthetics || mercedes #aesthetics || all #tasks || all #m.task || oo1 #disenchantedtask

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gayrefrain · 6 years

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Francy Fanfic: one strange journey

Relationship: Frank/Nancy

Word Count: ~4k

Tags: No mystery just fun, modern!au, halloween fun, slight violence, happy ending.

“This may be your dumbest idea yet,” Nancy told Joe as she adjusted the awful Haunted Bride costume on her torso. There was no way for her to fix the cleavage exposure. It was just going to have to stick around at the level of Too Much. Thankfully, it wasn’t popping out.

“I don’t know,” Frank played Devil’s advocate as he stuffed hay down his shirt. “Remember the time he ran to save a horse from an explosion with no regard for his own safety?”

“I have no regrets,” Joe said loftily, adjusting his white button down. He was the lucky one, working straightforward security for Bayport Halloween Carnival’s House of Horrors. Nancy was to patrol one of the last rooms as a Miss Havisham-like bride, but supernaturally evil in a thrift store wedding dress. Frank was just outside as the last scare, the evil Scarecrow in the yard in a large, Colonial-like blouse and tattered pants. He could almost be a rugged werewolf if he didn’t have hay sticking out of his sleeves.

George was organizing the event for the local children’s hospital, a giant scarefest for the entire town. She’d been working since the beginning of the summer, which was a match made in heaven because she knew how to organize like no one else.

The original plan was to have Nancy and Frank to work security with Joe, but when they lost two cast members last minute, Joe offered them in place.

“Besides, I think I show room for improvement,” Joe added.

“For getting smarter or getting dumber?” Nancy clarified.

“Because it’s up in the air,” Frank smirked.

“Shut up, Scarecrow,” The blond brother said. “But in all seriousness, thank you guys, we were gonna be totally screwed since Biff and Vanessa got sick.”

“Well, you totally owe us,” She said. “This dress is like wearing a brillo pad.”

“And this hay is no cashmere either,” Frank griped.

“You need more, bro,” Joe patted him on the shoulder. “We have the pre-meeting in ten minutes in the foyer. Be there or be square.” He left.

“Lucky bastard,” She muttered as she put on the green necklace that glowed eerily around her makeup-slathered neck. Her entire face was painted a pale blue, and her lips were painted dark red, almost like blood. She was almost afraid to look herself in the mirror.

“Too much hay?” Frank turned to her.

Not as much as my boobs right now, she almost said but bit her tongue.

The banter with the elder Hardy boy had gotten weird recently. It was the first time in years where they were both single at the same time. She’d always felt a jolt when she hung out with him, solving cases and cheating death. She attributed it to that. But now, they’re just in college. And the attraction has strengthened into a constant hum.

“You look great,” She reassured. “But you need the hat.”

He donned the straw hat and spread his hands with solid spirit fingers, and she couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her throat. “It’s weird to see you laugh like this,” He gestured to her whole look.

“Should I cackle instead?”

“That’d be preferable.”

She took a deep breath, and released a ghoulish cackle.

“Oh my god, you’re terrifying,” Bess squealed with delight as she and Chet rushed in the room. She had two makeup bags hooked around her neck, dangling against her body. “You both are. God, I’m amazing.”

“Good work, Bess,” Nancy said. “Even though I feel like I’ll need a shovel to get this makeup off.”

“I have makeup wipes that will work wonders,” Her friend reassured. “But after some photos and the haunted house.”

Chet took quick preliminary photos of them both, and a couple goofy ones. They then took selfies, all four of them, before surrendering their phones to Chet, who was in charge of lighting and tech. Phones “ruined the illusion” according to George, so they all had to be relinquished until after the event.

“Shit, we gotta go to the meeting,” Bess said, looking at her own phone. “Let’s go.”

Nancy nearly tripped over the stupid heels she had to wear. “Did we really need these for the aesthetic?” She griped.

“Use the discomfort in your character,” Frank suggested. She stuck her tongue out at him as they made their way through to the beginning of the maze.

In the foyer of the house, George stood on top of an old chest, wearing all black. She whistled as people started to pile in. “This will be super quick, guys, then we can get into positions. We’ll start letting people in right at 6pm. We have security volunteers to trail behind each group to make sure they’re leaving in a timely manner. We also have them to make sure people don’t get too frightened, and take people out if necessary.”

“Like take them out-” Tony, dressed as a zombie, playfully slid his thumb across his own neck.

“Yes, Prito,” George’s voice dripped sarcasm as everyone laughed. “We’re going to kill the people here who get scared.” She moved on, trying to hide a smirk. “For the first hour, it’s going to be mostly kids and families, so don’t worry about being crazy scary. Keep it simple. After the first round and a fifteen minute break, we’re doing the next hour for older teens and adults. Bring out your A game there. Everyone entering has signed a waiver, because I won’t allow any of us to get sued. The participants have been informed that this is all in good fun, but if something happens, call out the safeword ‘pumpkin’ and we’ll have security come ASAP. But this is all for the lols, so don’t worry, just have a good time. Remember, we’re doing this all for charity. And it’s looking to be one of the most lucrative events at the Carnival-”

“Let’s give it up for George!” Nancy shouted, clapping. Immediately, every participant clapped and cheered, and whistles pierced the air.

George smiled. “Seriously, guys, thank you for all your help. Let’s make this best damn House of Horrors ever!” She swung up an arm in victory, still holding her clipboard. They all whooped and hollered again. “If you have any questions, let me or security know, we’ll be the only ones connected by walkie.” She titled the black communication device back and forth in her grip. “Remember, kids, what’s our safeword?”

“Pumpkin,” They all dutifully repeated back.

“Good,” She grinned. “Let’s keep some Halloween ass. Everyone, take your places!”

Nancy and Frank started the walk to the long walk to their end of the House of Horror. She nearly face-planted in the stupid heels, but thankfully Frank was there to catch her.

“I’m a bit worried about you,” Frank admitted as they walked to the back of the ‘house’ (it was really an elaborate stage within their school’s gym. “You have the major jump scare. Someone could get too scared.”

“I’ll be fine,” She grabbed his hand and to give it a reassuring squeeze, but recoiled at the sharpness of the straw sticking out of his shirt. “Jesus, you weren’t kidding about the hay.”

“I never kid,” He said, a twinkle in his eyes that wasn’t just the haunted lights strung through the gym. “But be safe.”

“Promise,” She reassured. “You too, you have the last one.”

They shook on it.

“God, you look terrifying,” He said, a smile tilting his lips.

She cackled again, but it lost its terror after she started to cough. “God,” She cleared her throat. “I won’t be able to do that all night.”

“You know the adage,” He said. “‘Nothing is scarier.’ Just say nothing.”

“Ooh, that’ll save my voice,” She beamed as they entered her “parlor.” She steadied herself on the heels. God, why did people wear these things?

“Places people!” George shouted, echoing through the hardwood floors.

“We better get in our places,” Nancy said.

Frank nodded. “Stay safe, Nance.”

She nodded back, and he left through the final door, a false one marked THE END before a fake cornfield with Frank standing by the real exit.

She stretched out her limbs, wincing at the rough fabric scraping against her skin. She contorts her face, and gets ready for a night of horror.

Working a haunted house was definitely not as entertaining as going through one. She had to do the same scare every five minutes, getting screamed at in turn, which is very disconcerting. One kid cried, but thankfully her mom was right there. Mostly, everyone was pumped and excited to be frightened. One kid even said as he left, “That wasn’t so scary” only to shriek when he saw Frank as a scarecrow. She had to stifle her giggle then. When it was Joe’s turn to pull up the rear of the group, he winked at her and faked being a Zombie with arms outstretched, or dancing like a 1920s can-can dancer. He switched it up every rotation. She couldn’t help but smile then either. The hour flew by, and then it was time for the break.

“How’s it going?” Frank walked to her room, taking off the ridiculous hat.

She kicked off her heels, and hopped on one foot so she could rub her feet. “When I can wear slippers, I’ll be thrilled,” She said, thinking of their friend group’s plans to watch horror movies and have a sleepover at the Hardy House that night when the event was over. “Otherwise, I’m great. We have a ton of people here.”

Frank nodded. Some of his makeup had sweat off, and his hair was matted to his forehead. Why did she find that so damn attractive?

“The event’s going real well,” He agreed. “The kids were so cute. Did you see the fairy princess?”

“I did,” She cooed, thinking of the little girl with a sparkly pink dress and tiara made of sequins. “She said she wished I’d fall in love again so I could be happy.”

“That’s adorable,” Frank said, then cleared his throat. She pressed her lips together and switched to the other foot.

Before she could respond, a sharp whistled pierced the air. “Actors!” George’s voice called through. “Meet me in the cauldron room now!”

Nancy and Frank shared a look. Leaving her shoes off to the corner, they walk to the cauldron room. George stood with Joe, Bess, and Chet as Iola stood as a cliche witch in front of giant bowl of neon goop.

“What’s going on?” Frank asked.

“We just got an influx of college students to the ticket booth,” George said. “They all want to do the haunted house too, so they asked if we could stay open another hour.”

Half of them groaned. Nancy was one of that half. Her feet were sobbing.

“I know,” The organized friend held up her clipboard appeasingly. “But it’s for charity, and the money would be record-breaking for the festival. But if you guys vote no, I’ll respect it and I’ll tell them no.”

Frank and Nancy shared a look.

“All those in favor of staying open the extra hour,” Joe shouted, cupping his hand around his mouth.

Every hand shot up, though some more reluctant than others.

George smiled, exhaling in pure relief. “I owe all of you, seriously. I’ll figure something out. Let’s get the next round started, peeps! Back to your places.”

“If I didn’t love George so much,” Nancy said as she and Frank walked back. “I’d kill her.”

“I don’t believe that for a second,” He replied. “Because I’d kill her first.”

Nancy laughed, then groaned at the stretch of the makeup on her face. “God, another two hours of this.”

“We can do anything,” Frank reassured them both. “Remember when we fought that guy on a train?”

“Frank, you can’t compare those two things,” She said as they walked into her room. “This is infinitely worse.”

He chuckled. “Good luck.”

“Break a leg,” She mocked and he left to his room. With a sigh, she slipped the torture devices on and went into terrifying guests.

Thankfully, the second hour was even quicker. She tried to entertain herself into getting more into the scares, and that made it go by faster. The teens and adults were a fun mix of skeptical and easier to surprise. They underestimated how terrifying they’d made the gym.

“Quick five minute break!” George’s voice called through on the speakers.

This time, she snuck into Frank’s room.

Frank must not have heard her, and she saw him perfectly still against the fake posts.

“Does that hurt your arms?” She asked.

No response.

“Frank, you can’t scare me, I literally rehearsed this with you last week,” She stepped up to her scarecrow-clad friend. She tapped him on the shoulder. But he didn’t move. “What are you-”

Someone grabbed her shoulders.

She screamed and tried to slash an elbow behind her but it was grabbed to stop impact. She thrashed in the grip.

“Nance!” A familiar voice shouted, and she stopped struggling. She turned around to see Frank laughing at her, brown eyes glinting in the light of the fake night sky and his own mirth.

“You ass!” She slapped his shoulder, a few of her own giggles escaping. “What is that?” She pointed to the body still attached to the pole.

“My acting coach,” He said, and took off a doll of a scarecrow. It wasn’t as tall as Frank, but it was realistic enough that she didn’t feel ashamed of her reaction. “Joe found him in the prop closet. I think it’s from Oklahoma!”

“You’re ridiculous,” Nancy said.

“I am impressed you were so quick to throw an elbow at me,” He said. “You’re badass.”

“We knew that,” She said, and he just smiled. “How are you holding up?”

“I’m okay,” He said. “My arms are gonna be spaghetti tomorrow.”

“My feet will be ribbons,” She said. “We’ll be quite a pair.”

“One more hour,” Frank said like it was a prayer, eyes closed. “We can do it.”

Nancy nodded then yawned. “You’d think I’d be exhilarated but I’m just exhausted.”

“Same,” Frank said.

“Back to your places!” George shouted, not bothering with the intercom.

“The college students,” Nancy said with faux impact. “Should be interesting.”

“They should be drunk,” He corrected. “Be careful.”

“You too.”

She went back to her room, cursing every step on her poor feet. Maybe George would pay her back with a certificate to a foot massage.

Time melted into a weird slow mix with fast, with how little she was absorbing all the events. She checked out, since most of the college students were drunk and scared easily with latent reactions. The poor security guards had to deal with a lot of lingering co-eds.

As Joe shoved the last one from her room, she caught him rolling his eyes grandly. She sent him a sympathetic smile in return.

Nancy had no idea how long they had left until the night was over. At least a half hour seemed to have past, but she had no way of making sure. If she was judging by her forming blisters, it was three in the morning. As she let herself lull into the repetition.

She heard the telltale shriek of the sewer room before her, caused by a sound effect of fake-rats and a “mole person” (really just a freshman in pale pink makeup and a spooky headlight) giggling. She braced herself for the general scare that was about to occur.

But then, for her own amusement, she got closer to the door so it would cover her when it opened. Might as well shake things up, it was nearing the end of the night. And people had been very receptive so far.

When the door opened, she waited until the person fully walked through. She jumped out from behind it.

“Boo!” She went classic.

The man screamed and punched her in the face. She hit the floor, smacking her shoulder into it with a violent thud.

“Oh god!” The same guy screamed again. Listening over the sounds of the cartoon birds chirping around her head, she could only hear him. Was he alone? “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry-”

Nancy’s head throbbed, and her nose pulsed. She gently touched her upper lip and pulled her hand away to find blood that wasn’t fake.

The other door opened.

“Nancy?” Frank whispered, and saw the scene before him. “What the hell?” He stalked in, causing the guy to stagger backwards.

But her friend didn’t pay him any attention as he immediately knelt to her side. “You okay?” He lifted her head up. “Pumpkin!” He shouted, and the lights flicked on. She winced, hopefully because of the sudden brightness and not a concussion.

“Are you okay?” He asked again, his fingers going to her hairline to move stray hair out of the way. His fingers were so gentle.

“I’m fine,” She said, but it was much breathier than it needed to be.

Joe, George and Chet burst into the room. “What happened?”

“I’m fine,” Nancy repeated immediately.

“I punched her,” The guy said right after. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t think there was anyone in here- and she scared me-”

“Kind of the point of a haunted house,” Joe snapped. Both he and Frank helped her to stand. “You alright, Nan?”

“I’m fine,” Nancy repeated.

“Oh god, blood,” Chet said. “I’m going back to the sound board.” He left.

“I’m taking her to an EMT,” Frank said, his hand still on her elbow.

“Nope, Joe, you take her,” George said. “Frank, we need you to keep it up in here, we only have four more groups left.”

“I’m so sorry,” The guy said.

“It was a clean break,” Nancy said, gently prodding her nose.

“Leave it be,” George ordered. “Let the EMTs handle it. Joe, can you take her to the first aid tent?”

Joe nodded.

“You, scaredy-cat,” George pointed at the boy. “You’re coming with me.”

George left, taking him with her, his head hanging low. She even found herself sympathetic. She couldn’t fault protection instincts.

“Take good care of her,” Frank said to Joe before turning to her. “Take care, Nance.”

She nodded and let Joe guide her out of the haunted house.

In the tent, the EMT first fixed her nose and cleaned her face. Then she checked her for a concussion, shining lights in her eyes and asking basic questions.

“Sure you’re not feeling dizzy?” The EMT asked.

“I’m fine,” She said. “Seriously, it was more just the surprise of it.”

“I’d feel better if you got an MRI,” Joe said, leaning back on a nearby stool, arms crossed.

“I don’t think they fit in the tent, Joe,” Nancy said obviously.

“I meant take you to the hospital,” Joe mocked back.

“I checked her vitals, reflexes, balance, the works,” The EMT said. “You’re coming up copacetic on all of them. I don’t think you need to go to the hospital. But, if you’re worried-”

“I’m not,” Nancy said, eyeing Joe.

The EMT, her name tag said CAROL, smiled, “Then I say all you have to do is take it easy, Ms. Drew. You just got a bit of a bruise, I think you’re okay. If you feel any sort of dizziness or nausea tomorrow, go to the hospital immediately, but I give you my all-clear.”

“Thanks,” Nancy said. “You heard her, J, you can go back to the House of Horror.”

“It’s already basically over,” Joe said, looking at the nearby clock.

“Nancy!” Someone called out, and she saw all her friends running up to the tent.

George pulled her into a hug. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Nancy relayed the news to all of them. “Just a bruise and a broken nose.”

“I saw them set it back,” Joe said. “Gross.”

“I’m glad you’re okay,” Bess said. “C’mon, I’ll get you cleaned up.”

As Bess pulled her away to the bathroom, Frank extended a hand to squeeze her shoulder once. “Glad you’re okay.”

“Thanks,” She said back, trying to ignore the warmness that spread from her shoulder to her chest and face.

After getting cleaned up and back in her normal clothes, the only thing about Nancy Drew that had changed since she entered school grounds seven hours before (wow, was it really seven hours?) was the fact she had a bandage on her nose.

“Hey, Marcia.” She turned to the sound of Frank’s voice. He too was cleaned up and back in a sweater and jeans. He looked like Frank, and that made her smile. No more weird cross-hatching on his face, no more weird dark nose like a clown, and no more dumb hat.

“Cute,” Nancy mocked his reference.

“You heard the plan, Frank?” Bess said, and Nancy was ashamed to admit to even herself that she’d forgotten her friend was right beside her.

“Yep, my house in twenty.”

“George is picking up pizzas,” Bess did a happy, little shoulder shimmy. “We’ve earned it. C’mon, I’m catching a ride with Joe now-”

“I can give you a ride,” Frank offered to Nancy, almost blurting it.

“Is that-” Nancy turned to her friend.

“Great!” Bess said immediately. “It was gonna be crowded with me and Joe anyway. We’ll meet you guys there.”

“Sounds good,” Nancy said as Bess took off. She hefted her bag of costume stuff. With no preamble, Frank took it and they walked out of the school. “Thanks.”

“Anytime. How’re your feet?”

“Thrilled to be back in sneakers,” She said as they walked over to the parking lot. “I hope no one recognizes us.”

“I don’t know how they could,” He said. “Bess did an amazing job.”

She nodded in agreement as they approached Frank’s van. “It’s nice to be me again.”

“Agreed,” He said as he put their bags in the backseat, then turned to her. “It’s nice to see you again too, without all the makeup. It’s good to see your face.”

“You too.”

“It was very terrifying,” He said as they got in the car. “Not knowing what was fake or real blood.”

“I’m sorry,” She said. The van roared to life.

“Not your fault at all,” Frank said. “C’mon, the concussed get to pick the music.”

“I would say I wasn’t diagnosed with a concussion,” She said as she plugged her phone into the AUX cord. “But I’m not giving up the opportunity to play DJ.” Frank took music very seriously, and only he got to pick if he was driving. Or Joe, if Joe beat him at a game of HORSE.

She put on the greatest hits compilation of The Mamas and the Papas on shuffle, and the first song was their cover of “Twist and Shout.”

The song soothed their frayed nerves along the drive. But then it played “Do You Wanna Dance” next.

Frank pulled over and killed the engine, just as the refrain, “(Love can never be exactly like we want it to be)/I could be satisfied knowing you love me” played.

“Frank, is everything okay?” She turned to him.

“Can I say something?”

She nodded in the darkness of one in the morning.

“When I saw that you were hurt, it was like all time stopped, until I could know you were okay,” He began. She opened her mouth as her heart stuttered in her chest, but he shook his head. “Wait, let me finish.” She nodded once more, mouth dry. “I can’t stand the thought of something bad happening to you, Nance. And I want to be around you all the time, to make sure you’re okay, that you’re happy. Because you make me so happy. I know things have been a bit off with us lately, but I was wondering if you’d- If it’d be alright if- if you wanted to-”

“Yes.”

In the faint lights from the houses around them, he smirked a little. “You don’t know what I’m wondering.”

“Then spit it out,” She said it with a smile.

“Nancy,” Frank began once more. “Would you go on a date with me?”

Her smile brightened. “Yes,” She said it simply, because with Frank it could always be simple. She leaned over the gearstick and kissed him, then pulled away immediately with a hiss when she bumped her nose to his cheek.

“Hold on,” He whispered, then tilted his head more comfortably. She didn’t bump her nose this time and they kissed. One hand went to the nape of his neck, and the other laid still on his heartbeat, beating just as fast as hers.

His hand cupped her face gently, the other getting tangled in her hair she didn’t bother to put back up in a ponytail.

“Our friends are probably wondering where we are,” Nancy pulled away an inch to say.

“They can wonder a little while longer.”

Note: so that’s my first Francy fic! I’d love to know what you guys think, or if you have any requests. I’m loving Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys right now, so I’m happy to create more content. Thanks for reading!

#nancy drew fanfiction #hardy boys fanfiction #frank hardy #nancy drew #francy #joe hardy #francy fanfiction

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theheadlessgroom · 5 years

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Fun little character game ! Fill in the below categories with 3-5 things that your character can be identified by. Repost & tag away !

TAGGED BY: Shamelessly stolen from @arachnofille TAGGING: All who’d like to do it!

EMOTIONS / FEELINGS : 

01. Love (romantic and familial) 02. Ghoulish delight 03. Loneliness 04. Annoyance (towards Constance, camera-wielding mortals, etc.) 05. Exhaustion (physically and mentally)

COLORS : 

01. Ash-gray 02. Midnight black 03. Blank white

SCENTS :

01. Accumulated dust 02. Vintage fabrics 03. Dabs of aging cologne and soap 04. Disturbed dirt 05. The faintest smell of perfume and powder

CLOTHING : 

01. A homemade top hat, well-kept after all this time 02. A golden wedding band, engraved with words of love 03. A worn cloak, inherited from his father 04. A simple suit, complete with matching vest 05. A pair of well-worn boots

OBJECTS : 

01. A beaten old hatbox, the interior stained with blood 02. A homemade top hat, his personal favorite 03. A wedding ring, sorely missing the matching one worn by Emily 04. A gnarled old cane, to help him keep his balance after losing his head 05. A needle, some thread, and some fabrics, the tools of a haberdasher

VICES / BAD HABITS : 

01. Hot-tempered 02. Possessive 03. Bitter 04. Heavily nostalgic

BODY LANGUAGE : 

01. Leering, grinning wickedly 02. Leaning tiredly, usually against his cane 03. Arms folded, defensive 04. Huddled up, closed-off to others 05. Leans forward, usually in earnest regarding news (especially about Emily)

AESTHETICS : 

01. Southern Gothic 02. Silent/1920′s Horror (German Expressionism; films of Tod Browning and Lon Chaney Sr.) 03. 1930′s-1940′s Horror (Black and White; Universal Monsters) 04. Beauty and the Beast/Death and the Maiden tropes 05. Wedding aesthetics (specifically groom-related)

SONGS :

01. House of the Rising Sun - The Animals

02. Magic - Mystery Skulls (feat. Brandy)

03. I Miss You - Blink-182

04. How Deep Is Your Love? - The Bee Gees

05. Simply Meant To Be - Nightmare Before Christmas OST

#About The Groom

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mysteriousmissweems · 7 months

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And they were roommates with a little cat buddy. (I headcanon that for the Nevermore uniforms, students could choose between a neck tie, a bow tie, or no tie. Larissa chose the bow tie because she felt like it.)

#larissa x morticia #(face) corruptible mortal state #(aesthetics) ghoulish delights #(morticia) the lumberjack to my stately sequoia #tish and rissie best friends forever!#(larissa x morticia) and they were roommates

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monsters-conquer-the-world · 6 years

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10 Games

For Jack’s 10th birthday, Will got him a RetroPie. Pretty cool, especially since it’s so easy to just dump a zillion games in there and let the kid go nuts. But that’s a one-way ticked to analysis paralysis, so Will had a a super sick idea. He asked me and Jess and some other friends to put together a list of 10 must-play classic/retro games and write a little bit about why we chose them. As someone who loves video games and writing and lists, I was ALL ‘BOUT THAT.

Now that Jack’s birthday has come and gone, I can share all the junk I wrote about these ten games that mean so much to me! Check it out:

I love this idea. I know the initial prompt was just "pick your favorites" but I couldn't help but impose a bunch of additional caveats. I know where this list is headed (and I have a pretty good idea of what games will pop up on the other lists)! I could have easily listed off 10 Super NES games or 10 N64 games, but I wanted to hit a variety of consoles and franchises. I would have liked to have hit a variety of genres and studios too, but I can't lie: I love platformers, and I love games by Nintendo. It was challenging but rewarding to shave this list down to ten--a lot of old favorites and recent discoveries couldn't fit on the list, leaving these few. The ones I've always treasured, the ones that stuck with me, the ones I memorized the music and sound effects to, starring the characters I love, exploring the worlds I wanted to live in. Maybe you'll dig 'em too.

NES

Super Mario Bros. 3

I had spent some quality time with our Atari 2600 well before we ever had an NES in the house. I have fond memories of playing but not really understanding Pac-Man, Haunted House, and the bleak nuclear apocalypse masterpiece Missile Command. But the first game I really wrapped my head around was Super Mario Bros. (and Duck Hunt, but that's not as relevant!). Mario and Luigi's multi-screen adventures under a friendly blue sky expanded my concept of what a video game could even be--plus it was super fun, and Rochelle and I could both play it together! Super Mario Bros. 2 was technically more impressive, but so weird (and flanked by so many similar games) that it didn't rock my world like Mario 1 did (though I of course have a huge soft spot for it anyway). Then Super Mario Bros. 3 came along and Mario had learned how to fly. It was bigger, more beautiful, and stuffed to the brim with secrets and surprises! It was so exciting even Mom and Dad would play it with us. Super Mario World is maybe the bigger, better, beautifuler game (and you can ride a FREAKING DINOSAUR), but I'll never forget the day I woke up to find my dad and sister playing this in the living room because we finally owned it. It was too good to just keep renting! Kid Icarus

I didn't catch Kid Icarus the first time around. I didn't even play it until high school, but I was inspired to track it down because of my love for Greek mythology and the Metroid series. Kid Icarus takes place in a world heavily inspired by (but still distinctly different from) the swords, sandals, and sorcery epics of ancient Greece! It's considered a "sister game" to the original Metroid, released around the same time by the same team, and the game shares a lot of the core elements that make Metroid so unique and awesome: eerily lonely, dangerous worlds to explore, a challenging beginning, player-empowering character growth, and a focus on exploring vast, often vertically-scrolling worlds with satisfying run'n'gun'n'jump gameplay. Kid Icarus borrows all the best stuff from Metroid, but tempers it with a slate of unique design choices: instead of one sprawling world, KI is split into discrete levels. The first world is an ascent out of Hades with vertically oriented levels, the second world is a horizontal trek across the surface world, the third is another vertical ascent into the sky, and the finale is a horizontal, forced-scrolling shoot-em-up to reclaim the heavens! Every fourth level is a sprawling, maze-like, Metroid-ish dungeon, capped off with a frantic boss fight! Plus, Eggplant Wizards, credit cards, and RPG-style character upgrades! They don't make 'em like this anymore!! Duck Tales

It's not as groundbreaking as Super Mario Bros. 1 or as innovative as Super Mario Bros. 3, but that doesn't change the fact that Duck Tales could possibly be my favorite NES platformer of all time. You don't need to know anything about or even like the original cartoon (or the comic books that birthed it) to appreciate the challenging charms of this hop'n'bop classic. Duck Tales only has a handful of levels, but they're huge, full of hidden treasures, packed with alternate paths, swiss cheesed with secret passageways, and just gorgeous translations of Disney's lush cartoon worlds. Getting to choose your own path through Duck Tales' roster of big beautiful worlds is reminiscent of the Mega Man games (also by Capcom). What really sets Duck Tales apart is controlling Scrooge. He's spry for a septuagenarian billionaire, but his real talents lie in swinging and pogo-sticking off his cane! It's delightful cartoon nonsense, but if you get the hang of it, it's also incredibly satisfying, allowing you to make some wild, death-defying maneuvers. If you dig this and find yourself hungering for more bounce-centric gameplay, Shovel Knight takes Scrooge's cane, turns it into a shovel, and builds a deeply satisfying modern classic around it. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze finally gives Cranky a chance to shine as a playable character, and he straight-up jock's Scrooge's style, cane and all. It rules.

Super NES

Yoshi's Island

The first thing you'll notice about Yoshi's Island is that it looks like it was drawn with crayons, markers, and colored pencils! The second thing you'll notice is that Mario is a freaking baby! It's an odd premise, but it all comes together in perhaps the best sidescroller ever made. With Mario mustache-less and diaper-clad, this game puts you directly in control of Yoshi, and he is a joy to play as. Hovering to extend his jump power, turning enemies into eggs and chucking them, and butt-stomping are Yoshi's primary tools of the trade, and they mix things up nicely. This doesn't feel like "just another Mario," but it also feels right at home in the Mario pantheon. Beyond the Yosh-man's most basic maneuvers, there are some wild power-ups that turn Yoshi into a helicopter, a train that zips along in the background, a mole-tank, and more, plus special areas where Baby Mario gets superpowers and runs up walls and stuff! Yoshi's Island is another magical micro-world, jam-packed with extremely clever and fun level design and very possibly the biggest and best boss fights of all time. Ya gotta play this one.

Donkey Kong Country 2: Diddy's Kong-Quest

I know I just talked about Yoshi's Island maybe being the best platformer of all time, but Donkey Kong Country 2 is right behind it, nipping at its heels. DKC2 has a wildly different aesthetic, dropping you into beautifully computer-rendered pirate shipwrecks, janky-but-glitzy night time carnival rides, endless bramble patches, a skyscraper-sized beehive, haunted forests, and more! They're not just beautiful to look at, but beautiful to listen to, because DKC2 features one of the all-time greatest video game soundtracks. Maybe the greatest. But this game ain't just another pretty face!

DKC2, like Super Mario Bros. 3 and Duck Tales, is stuffed to the gills with tricky little secrets and hidden areas and surprises. This game doesn't just have secret levels, it has a secret WORLD. This game doesn't just have a secret world, it has an entire secret ENDING. The classically solid platforming is accompanied by a wealth of mine cart challenges, awesome animal buddies, mini-games, and enough level design variety to keep you coming back for every last hidden treasure.

Super Metroid

Super Metroid doesn't just have secrets, it has mysteries. This was the first game to ever actually scare me. The first one to ever creep me out. And that just made me want to play it even more. It feels lonely and dangerous. Unlike the games earlier on this list, it is one HUGE and continuous world. It is a world of incomprehensible alien horrors, ancient moldering ruins, and high-tech space-faring bio-terrorists. This world, named Zebes, is a world where the sky continuously rains acid and almost every living thing inhabiting it wants to kill you. Good thing you're Samus Aran, the toughest, smartest bounty hunter to ever clean up Space Pirate scum!

Samus explores this acid-drenched nightmare planet by running, gunning, and jumping... but also by solving puzzles and thinking her way out of traps. With each power up she gets a little stronger, and can find her way deeper into this gnashing alien hellscape. It's a game that is sadly beautiful just as often as it is ghoulish. The story, simple and sketched-in as it is, is also deeper and more moving than you will ever expect. The boss fights are as massive, memorable, and epic as the ones in Yoshi's Island, but about a thousand times more intense and frightening. The music perfectly sets the dark, burbling mood of each region of Zebes, and by the end of the game you will feel like the most powerful hero in the galaxy. This mix of sci-fi, horror, and adventure isn't just a must-play, it's a life-changer.

Gameboy Color

Wario Land II

I love the Mario series, but I'm also absolutely crazy about Wario. He's a fat, greedy, chaotic, prideful, disgusting, bull-headed oaf. He's the polar opposite of Mario... and that's why I love him! He's not exactly a villain, but he's a definitely a troublemaker, and it is hilariously fun to walk (or stumble!) a mile or three in his shoes. The game before this, Super Mario Land 3: Wario Land is a ton of fun (as is Super Mario Land 2 before it!), but Wario Land II is the first one that truly feels like a Wario game. What makes this game so different? Wario can't be killed!

You read that right, there's (almost) no way to actually "die" in this game! No way to lose lives. That might sound too easy, or boring, or both, but it's not! Wario might be unkillable, but all KINDS of bad stuff can and WILL still happen to him. A LOT. He'll get flattened, set on fire, trapped in bubbles, fattened up, frozen, drunk, zombified, and more! And here's the kicker: those wacky conditions are required to solve the puzzles and challenges of each level! On top of that ingenious and perfectly wacky set of game mechanics, the story branches off in wildly different directions: you'll blow up the annoying alarm clock in your castle, play street basketball against a giant bunny, be nice to a chicken, visit Atlantis, race through a weird world of mouths, noses, and eyes, and more! There are multiple endings, multiple hidden exits, and multiple secret treasures and minigames to find and conquer. Almost all of the Wario Land and Wario Ware games are oddball masterpieces, but WLII is the perfect balance of weird, smart, funny, and challenging.

Nintendo 64

Super Mario 64

This is it. This is the game. In 1996, when I was in sixth grade, Super Mario 64 was the only thing I cared about. I begged and wished and hoped for a Nintendo 64 that Christmas, but it didn't come. I was crushed. Occasionally I was able to rent an N64 and Super Mario 64, and I'd lose whole days to this magical, miraculous game. When I couldn't rent it, I'd bug my classmates about it endlessly. "What level are you on? What's that level like? What stars can you get? What secrets have you found?" They'd answer a few of my ravenous, bug-eyed questions before getting uncomfortable and leaving to do something else. What was the big deal? Why was I (and still am) so obsessed?

The leap from Super Nintendo to Nintendo 64 was like the leap from console and computer games to virtual reality. But instead of short, funny minigames, it is a huge, sprawling world where anything seems possible. A magical, secret garden full of surprises, wonder, challenges, and secrets. Where the sun always shines in a cloudless sky... except when you plunge into the death-defying Bowser levels or the inappropriately terrifying Big Boo's Haunt. Oh Mario can definitely fly in this one like he did in Super Mario Bros. 3, but just the simple act of running around in circles and jumping through 3D space felt like a joyous miracle... one that puts 2-dimensional flight to shame. Each world (accessed by jumping INTO paintings in Princess Peach's sprawling but empty castle) is colorful, full of possibility, and chock full of distinct personality. Adventuring through 3D space for the first time ever was incredible on its own, but doing it in such richly detailed, lovingly crafted worlds made me want to play there forever. I still do.

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Take everything I just said about Super Mario 64 and multiply it by ten! Well, sort of. Ocarina of Time took the lessons learned from Super Mario 64 and applied them to the dungeon-crawling, puzzle-solving Legend of Zelda series. The result was an incredibly groundbreaking game that I cherished almost as zealously as Super Mario 64. I don't think it's aged as well, but I don't care. Ocarina of Time is a grand story, spanning seven years (!!!) and the entire fantastical country of Hyrule. As Link, you jump forward and back through time, meet strange and wonderful new friends, discover hidden kingdoms, face the blood-soaked evil of Hyrule's past, save its future, outwit cunning puzzles and traps, steal and ride a magnificent horse, challenge towering, Super Metroid-style end bosses, wield magical weapons, break hearts, play beautiful music, and go fishing. It's an entire, epic fantasy life in one little cartridge.

This was the first Zelda game I ever spent SERIOUS time with, and the fact that it plays like a fantasy-fueled hybrid of Super Mario 64 and Super Metroid means I've lost entire days to it. I've played it start to finish at least 8 or 9 times. It never gets boring. Like Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time invented how we make and play 3D games. This was the first 3D game where you could lock onto enemies and points of interest, plus a bevy of other camera controls that come standard in 3D games now (or at least they did for about a decade after Ocarina's release). The story is surprisingly cinematic and even gripping at times. You'll want to live in this world. You'll be sad when you see the end credits. Not because of the ending itself, but because there's no more game for you to play... until you start it all over again on the next save file.

Star Fox 64

Star Fox 64 was a life-changing event for me, just like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time. So is Star Fox 64 a slow-paced, exploration heavy adventure into beautiful and fantastical solitude like those other two games? N O P E. It's a guns-blazin', fast action, dogfightin', barrel rollin', rock'em sock'em intergalactic action epic in supersonic spaceships! Piloted by talking animals! That actually talk! YES!

Instead of the wide-open freedom of Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of TIme, Star Fox 64 either puts you on (invisible) rails in a forced-scrolling attack run or in a contained 3D arena. Here's the kicker though, the levels are all so perfectly designed and the action is so expertly paced that you never feel restricted. You're too busy racking up kill combos, saving your wingmen, and navigating through flying, burning space debris and buildings and asteroids and terrain to think about what you can't do. And even on rails, Star Fox 64 gives you ways to explore! Most levels have multiple exits and there are a whole mess of different, branching paths through the entire, war-torn Lylat system. The game is designed to be played start to finish in a single sitting, but experimenting with repeat playthroughs is the only way to experience everything this laser-blazing action classic has to offer. On top of all that, it's got a great story, iconic, meme-worthy dialogue, and an absolutely banging soundtrack. It might not have changed the face of interactive entertainment like Super Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time, but it delivered the ultimate shoot'em up space adventure.

#Super Apartment Friends #video games #mario #Metroid #zelda #NES #SNES #N64 #Nintendo

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nightmareonfilmstreet · 6 years

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[TRAILER] Anthology Film HI-DEATH Takes You on a ‘Hollywood Horror Tour’

Anthology horror fans rejoice! The low-fi independent horror thrills you’ve been waiting for hav arrived! From Nightfall Pictures comes the trailer for Hi-Death, an anthology film collection of five pint sized shorts full of ghoulish delights. With segments from directors Anthony Catanese (Sodomaniac), Amanda Payton ( The Crawler), Tim Ritter (Truth or Dare), Todd Sheets (Dreaming Purple Neon), and Brad Sykes (Camp Blood), Hi-Death is currently making its way across the festival circuit.

Framed as a “Hollywood Horror Tour”, the film’s gruesome segments include

Death Has a Conscience – Death has a heart. Is it yours?

Dealers of Death – Collecting Murder Memorabilia is a costly hobby, in more ways than one

Night Drop – Strange things are afoot at the all night video rental store

Cold Read – An actress has the audition from hell

The Muse – She’s the source of inspiration…and terror

This quintet of fun sized horrors is the follow up to 2013’s Hi-8: Horror Independent 8, an anthology of eight decidedly indie horror shorts lovingly shot on Hi8 video, directed by Tim Ritter, Brad Sykes, Todd Sheets, Donald Farmer (Demon Queen), Chris Seaver (Mulva), Ron Bonk (The Vicious Sweet), Anthony Masiello (Frames of Fear), and Marcus Koch (100 Tears).

Hi-Death is a love letter to the grind house days of yore. It has a heavy emphasis on practical effects, a zero-budget aesthetic, and is shot entirely on video. I do don’t know about you, but this sounds like exactly the sort of trash I need at three in the morning to make the voices go away. While we’ll be covering the movie here on Film Street, you can check out the Hi-Death Facebook page for more info on when Hi-Death will be playing in a theater near you

Are you excited to get another grimy horror anthology? What’s your all-time favourite? Let us know in the comments below, on Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and in the Horror Fiends of Nightmare on Film Street Facebook group!

The post [TRAILER] Anthology Film HI-DEATH Takes You on a ‘Hollywood Horror Tour’ appeared first on Nightmare on Film Street - Horror Movie Podcast, News and Reviews.

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les-legions-noires · 6 years

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Les Légions Noires (The Black Legions), was an important part of 1990s underground black metal, that originated in France in the early 1990s, shortly after Norway’s black metal explosion, when a small group of socially alienated teens fueled by hopeless anger among other frustrated emotions shocked the metal scene and their local communities with absurdly raw, maniacally misanthropic music and a rash of ideologically-manifested crimes. Les Légions Noires, for their part, represented a more deranged and bizarre perspective that further disoriented metal’s conventional aesthetic and philosophical standards. Theirs was a sound festering in demonic decadence directed towards a grave destiny by a self-destructive sense of existential oblivion. The aesthetic was a vision of life stripped to shreds, twisted and evil; rather than inspire with familiar musical aspirations, they sought to disturb with terrifying expressions of their unholy visions. Black metal descended further into the depths of inner torment and black despair. Les Légions Noires represented the ultimate response to Norway’s black metal revolution, exaggerating the destructive tendencies of Mayhem and DarkThrone with an unsettling sense of and ludicrous delight in morbid insanity.

Les Légions Noires was more about the will to existential disintegration than noble spiritual transcendence. The recordings, a large majority of which were strictly limited obscure demo tapes, were made at a time when black metal was nearing the end of its classic era, and the trend of slickly produced keyboard black metal albums was on the horizon. They came as if to announce and celebrate the death of black metal, with gloomy and haunting ambient recordings that sounded like black metal’s tortured ghost summoned in bizarre ceremonial rituals in dilapidated castles. In this fashion the bands of Les Légions Noires were like black demon-shadows ascending from the depths of Hell to take black metal back where it belongs, as music labels swooped in to commercialize the style.

"Black Metal doesn’t mean anything any longer. It has become the shame of Satan, undermined in it’s very essence by all those pathetic worms, false Satanists, traitors and bastards of all kinds, have gathered to insult our art, and the less one can say is that they really succeeded in making it pure shit, a simple and only matter of image, money, publicity."

Les Légions Noires belonged to black metal’s second wave, which formalized itself in the early 1990s. The French bands were never as technically accomplished as their Scandinavian influences, though they never made it a point to be so, preferring to emphasize atmospheric mood, imagination and aesthetic over musical sophistication. Undoubtedly skilled in atmospheric composition, much of the effect was due to the absurdity of the expression and the extremely raw nature of the sound.

This was a true underground phenomena that vehemently opposed the commercial tendencies that a few of black metal’s major proponents would find themselves indulging later in their careers, seemingly determined to fulfill its own pre-ordained destiny of total self-annihilation.

Musically, what distinguished Les Légions Noires from their Norwegian inspirations was the severity of their dissonant emphasis, which possessed the sound of a more violent and evil aspect, and the irregularity of their rhythms, typically embellished by the often clumsy drumming performed by musicians who either didn’t care about instrumental proficiency or outright rejected it as an aesthetic imperative. They were intent on invalidating black metal as a commercial prospect, largely eschewing the conventions of record labels and interviews as an ideology of the purity of obscurity, which shrouded the entire scene in mystery. They were able to intensify the raw sound and misanthropic spirit of black metal, and channel it through a unique creative identity rooted in the morbid decadence that permeates much of French philosophy and art. In this way, they invented an individual style and cryptic mythology (complete with the invention of an unpronounceable language), while expressing a nihilistic drama of the absurdity of meaningless suffering and torment within the context of an anguished will to emptiness. They were better dramatists and aestheticians than instrumentalists, possessed of an intuition of ghoulish mystiques with an artistic vision and expressive objective that was more oriented to fulfilling self-prophecies of oblivion than advancing musical technique.

On purely musical terms, most of the Les Légions Noires material is of dubious value, and because it is ultimately this that determines endurance and artistic significance in this medium, the cultural, aesthetic and philosophical adaptations of these bands appear trivial to many. However, the few examples of musical validation provide enough substance to treat the French scene with serious consideration as an artistic phenomenon. The confirmation is melody, best exemplified on Mütiilation’s Vampires of Black Imperial Blood and Remains of a Ruined, Dead, Cursed Soul, both of which exhibit Burzum-style wandering melodies with a romantic sense of exquisite melancholy, with Black Murder’s melodic diversity and Aäkon Këëtrëh’s brooding ambient melodic meditation offering further demonstrations. Vlad Tepes, who displayed the most impressive musical consistency of this collective, wrote distinctive songs developed out of perceptive melodies in a somber interpretation of the epics of Bathory and Celtic Frost, only more dissonant, violent, and atmospherically obscure.

"Currently any fucker that has nothing to do with our beliefs can get BLACK METAL releases, in record shops, because of those treacherous labels that have made the unfortunate and unpardonable mistake of not understanding what true BLACK METAL is . That is was born in darkness . Where it shouldn’t have come out of, and where it will return soon. BLACK metal has become the music of everyone, which is the total contrary of what it intended to become at the time of it’s genesis. All the structures, labels, zines, even worse, the bands themselves have exhibited as any other human musical style such as “Death Metal”. The bands betray themselves one after the other getting into ideologies that have nothing to do with Satanism ( Nazism, Viking Culture) missing up the original BLACK METAL style in all sorts of stinking and intolerable mixtures!!"

Their legacy is a phenomenon of an almost mythological quality, though it seems that most are acquainted with the scene through their occult-oriented obscurity and monochromatic cut-and-paste punk-style visual aesthetic rather than the actual music. The variety of offshoot noise projects and their goofy exaggerations have resulted in their more substantial efforts being discounted by less-informed metal fans.

Each band/project possessed a distinctive atmosphere manifested in what seems to be a shared compositional vision of perceptive harmony; pure and lucid dramatic sequences unfold as songs or soundscapes take form according to the experiential context of a particular mood, impressing upon the listener a deep feeling of wandering through dark and cryptic scenes. While this is a general concept of black metal songwriting, the French bands expressed within this fundamental idea an unparalleled caliber of inner-dark penetration and emotional catharsis, including reveling in an inherent degeneracy, the perversion of dark desires, and libertine justifications for self-destruction and spiritual deviance.

The bands of Les Légions Noires underwent through their music a ceremonial process of purification towards individualized definition, a descent into the abyss of inner darkness in demonic celebration of all the depravity and luxuria swirling within as a liberation from the constraints of the conditioned self, and out of which rises the nihilistically invented truth and freedom of an independent spirit, albeit shrouded in occult mysticism.

The central bands of the Les Légions Noires were Mütiilation, Vlad Tepes, Torgeist, and Belketre. The bizarrely-named members involved in these groups recorded other music in different incarnations, some of which were solo ambient/noise recordings.

#les legions noires #lln #black metal #france #mutiilation #vlad tepes #belketre

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aion-rsa · 5 years

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13 Essential Horror Comics

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Need some Halloween reading? We've got some of the best horror comics to scare you stupid.

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Other than superheroes, one genre has ruled the comic book world. Of course, that genre is horror, and since Halloween is imminent, we thought we’d take this opportunity to pay tribute to some of the greatest horror comics ever published. Now listen, these are just some of the groundbreaking, vitally important horror comics that have scared the feces out of readers for decades. We can probably pick hundreds of colon clenching, testicle shriveling comics to add to our ghoulish list, but these are the thirteen standouts, so don’t send us a severed head if we missed your favorite.

As a visual medium, comics are perfect for horror. From the garish scares of the Golden Age, to the groundbreaking horror of the '50s with EC Comics, to the gothic '70s and the experimental '80s, comic book horror has always had a rabid following and a place right alongside superheroes. Join us as we look at horrors past and relive some of the greatest terrors ever produced by some of the greatest and sickest imaginations in comics.

13. Fatale (2012-2014)

By Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

How does one combine classic crime noir, period drama, and Lovecraftian terror into an ongoing comic that not only scares, it fascinates? Read Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips’ Fatale to find out. For years, Brubaker and Phillips crafted some of the greatest crime fiction in comics with their seminal Criminal, but in Fatale, the creative duo proved they can do high octane horror with the same panache they did cops and robbers.

read more: The Best Modern Horror Movies

Fatale centers around a seemingly undying woman named Jo who has lived for decades. Jo has the gift (or curse) to make men become obsessed with her. Jo is pursued across the decades by a Lovecraft-inspired cult that wants to use her for their own nefarious purposes. The men that fall in love with Jo become her protectors and usually meet horrific ends. Fatale is a meditation on obsession and madness that will chill even the most stolid reader to the bone, and it's filled with subtle horrors and overt atrocities that will leave the reader feverishly turning the pages.

Buy Fatale on Amazon

Afterlife with Archie (2013 - present)

By Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla

Despite the critical love for Afterlife with Archie, many horror mavens still aren’t buying the fact that Archie Andrews and the Riverdale gang are currently starring in one of the most terrifying comics out there. But these so-called horror lovers better get with the program, because somehow, Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Francesco Francavilla have found a way to stay true to the Riverdale characters while crafting a truly compelling zombie horror tale that cuts deep, raw, and bloody.

read more: The 13 Scariest Moments in Afterlife With Archie

It all begins when Jughead’s beloved pooch Hot Dog is killed by a speeding car. Jughead begs Sabrina, the Teenage Witch to cast a spell to bring Hot Dog back to life, but this act curses Riverdale into becoming zombie central. This comic is not cute in anyway. All the same elements that make The Walking Dead such a monumental example of the zombie survival horror genre are on display in this masterpiece. And when a character dies, it’s a beloved figure from your childhood. And you thought the deaths in Negan’s circle hurt.

But through it all, the Archie pantheon remains true to form as Afterlife with Archie remains one of the greatest and unlikeliest horror comics of all time. Oh yeah, and if it wasn't for the brilliance of this series, we wouldn't have the brilliance of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, which also brought us a similarly brilliant Netflix series!

Buy Afterlife With Archie on Amazon

11. Tomb of Dracula (1972-1979)

By Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan

Marvel is mostly known for its superheroes, but starting in 1972, a very different kind of caped figure began stalking the Marvel Universe. For years, the comics industry had to operate under the Comics Code Authority, a self-inflicted ratings administration that strictly forbade the use of undead creatures. When the Code relaxed on this point in the early '70s, Marvel was able to delve into the dark worlds of horror, and delve it did. Marvel wanted to do horror right, so the House of Ideas looked to the classics, and terror doesn’t get more classic than Dracula.

At first, Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula comic was a bit directionless with multiple writers doing one or two issues apiece but when Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan took over, Marvel struck horror gold. For well over sixty consecutive issues, Wolfman and Colan crafted a world of gothic shadows and classic horrors, a world of vampires, bodice ripping romance, and gallons of vivid, constantly flowing blood, and it all somehow existed within the confines of the Marvel Universe.

read more: 14 Times Dracula Fought Marvel Superheroes

They also introduced an extended cast of heroes of villains who would both fight for and against the Lord of the Vampires. There was Rachel Van Helsing, the granddaughter of the original vampire hunter, Frank Drake, Rachel’s lover and vampire killer extraordinaire, Hannibal King, a kindly private detective that had to live with a vampiric curse, and Blade, the vampire hunter who helped kickstart the modern superhero film craze.

And, of course, there was Dracula, demonic, tragic, and terrifying, a regal figure that combined the Universal Pictures monster aesthetic with modern comic book storytelling. Tomb of Dracula was a relentless thrill ride into classic horror that left Marvel fans begging for more. It was also a master class in sequential horror storytelling as Colan masterfully rendered Dracula’s world of blood and shadows in symphony of artistic nightmares. Seriously, this title was near perfection and is just waiting for a cinematic adaptation.

Buy Tomb of Dracula on Amazon

10. Hellboy (1993-2016)

By Mike Mignola

Has there ever been a more ever-present horror character than Mike Mignola’s legendary Hellboy? Along the way, Mignola has built an ever expanding world of nightmares to thrill and delight even the most jaded readers.

read more: The Best Horror Movies on Netflix

In the world of Hellboy, anything goes from baby devils, vampires, sex cults, kindly sea creatures, murderous clockwork killers and classic monsters of ever shape and size, Hellboy has covered it all. And it is all presented by Mike Mignola, a visual horror master who knows no equal when it comes to shadows and chills. In Mignola’s world, the greatest monster is the greatest hero as Hellboy protects the world from the creatures of darkness.

When things go bump in the night, Hellboy bumps back and a generations of comic book fans wouldn’t have it any other way.

Buy Hellboy comics on Amazon

9. Locke and Key (2008-2013)

By Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodríguez

We would have totally included 30 Days of Night on this list but the series was just too darn short and the sequels were kind of lacking in potency, but rest assured, 30 Days is worthy of a mention because it set the foundation of horror that IDW Publishing was built on. And on that foundation was built a house, a house of terror and nightmares that only contemporary horror master Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez could master.

read more: 31 Best Streaming Horror Movies

Locke and Key borrows from all eras of horror, from the gothic foundations of the genre to the Lovecraftian and Poe inspired strangeness of the early 20th century to the contemporary slasher obsession of the modern age, Hill and his artist Gabriel Rodriguez stuff it all into the never ending horrorfest known as Locke and Key, an unrelenting ride into terror that centers on the Locke family and a history of demons, murder, betrayal, and possession. Locke and Key spins its own mythology and delivers fully realized characters that must endure unimagined terrors to survive and unlock the next door of a nightmare that seemingly never ends.

Buy Locke and Key on Amazon

8. Hellblazer (1988-2013)

By Just about anyone who’s anyone in the world of comic book horror.

Since John Constantine was introduced in the pages of Swamp Thing, this postmodern con man/mage has been your guide through the darkest corners of the DC Universe. In the original Hellblazer title from Vertigo, classic horror author after classic horror author guided Constantine’s adventure through the underbelly of the DC Universe. Starting with Alan Moore, and continuing with Jamie Delano, Neil Gaiman, Grant Morrison, Garth Ennis, Peter Milligan, Warren Ellis, Brian Azzarello, Mike Carey, Paul Jenkins...and that's just the writers! A sloew of artists like John Ridgway, Dave McKean, Tim Bradstreet, Guy Davis, and dozens more of the greatest minds in comics have explored horrors undreamed of and along the way.

Through Constantine, readers have been taken to hell and back as he fought every type of killer, monster, and demon imaginable, and he did it for fifteen awesome years during his Vertigo run. These days, Constantine is weaving his dark magic around the main DCU, but in the classic and genre defining Vertigo book, the trench coat wizard set the standard for modern comic horror.

I mean for real, this is the book that had the sheer creative balls to have Constantine actually give the middle finger to the devil himself.

Buy Hellblazer comics on Amazon

7. Preacher (1995-2000)

By Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon

Prepare yourself for some Dixie-fried mayhem, because when it comes to horror, Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon’s Preacher is the real deal. TV fans learned about Preacher’s special brand of atrocity over on AMC, but the TV series only scratched the surface of the depravity that the comic went to. You had metaphysical horror in the forms of angels and demons, you had classic horror in the form of vampires, you had grade-A gore in the form of the Meat Man and more exit wounds than you can shake a severed limb at, and you had a special brand of extremely humorous terror that would make Sam Raimi proud. Plus, Grandma Custer might very well be the most monstrous character in comic book history and that ain’t no hyperbole.

read more: The Most Shocking Moments From the Preacher Comics

But underneath the scares beat the heart of purely American romantic adventure that made readers truly care for the main characters. For every gag Preacher caused there probably was also a tear because it's a righteous adventure that made the spirit soar.

Plus, it had lots and lots of poo jokes.

Buy Preacher comics on Amazon

6. Sandman (1989-1996)

By Neil Gaiman and some of the greatest dream makers in comics

Yeah, we know what you’re thinking, “But Den of Geek, Sandman is fantasy, not horror!” And to you we say, read the Doctor Destiny in a diner story (from Sandman #6 to be precise) and tell us this series isn’t horror. If I was a librarian, I too would shelve Sandman under fantasy, but there are just so many potent scares in this unforgettable series that it had to make our list.

read more: Why Sandman is the Essential Horror Comic of the '90s

From Doctor Destiny to the dreadful Corinthian to a hotel convention for serial killers, Neil Gaiman and a host of artistic partners delves into some very dark places as the Sandman saga unfolds. For real, issue #6, the one with Doctor Destiny, is one of the single most horrific comics ever published. In many ways, Gaiman and friends redefined horror in Sandman even if horror was just one of the genres played with over the course of the series. Because after all, where there are dreams there are nightmares, and in Sandman, readers were shown some nightmares that can never be forgotten.

Buy Sandman comics on Amazon

5. From Hell (1989-1992)

By Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell

One of the most visceral, thought-provoking, and chilling comics of all time, From Hell is the speculative and meticulously researched tale of the origins of Jack the Ripper. Other than being one of the greatest horror comics of all time, Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s From Hell is also perhaps the greatest historical comic of all time as it paints a vivid picture of the era in which Jack did his bloody work. The attention to detail makes the horror all the more lurid as Moore and Campbell create an absolutely perfect treatise on how to historically educate readers while scaring the shit out of them in the process.

read more - The Weird History of Michael Myers Halloween Comics

This is one horrific comic made all the more terrible because many of the details of the atrocities that lie within these pages are absolutely true, even though much of the story itself is fictionalized. From Hell delves into the mind of madness and creates a chilling retelling of things so horrible that they can’t possibly be real...but they are. Sleep tight with that thought in mind.

Buy From Hell on Amazon

4. Creepy (1964-1983) Eerie (1966-1983)

By So many madmen, lunatics, and mad scientists

EC Comics may be the most famous horror publisher of all time, but Warren Publishing raised it to the next level of atrocity. Back in the day, Creepy and Eerie were the magazines your parents didn’t want you to read. Both magazines took an unflinching yet often times darkly humorous approach to horror. The black and white magazines really allowed the many Warren artists to darkly shine as visual masters like Neal Adams, Dan Adkins, Reed Crandall, Johnny Craig, Steve Ditko, Frank Frazetta, Gray Morrow, John Severin, Angelo Torres, Alex Toth, Al Williamson, and Wally Wood all were at their blood curdling best as they produced a metric ton of horror stories that delighted readers and horrified parents. Issue after issue, Creepy and Eerie pushed the boundaries of good taste as the body count mounted.

read more: The 13 Most Bizarre Appearances by Horror Icons in Other Media

The black and white legacy of Warren spawned many copycats, and even Marvel got into the black and white horror game in the '70s. While Marvel did some awesome work, its output usually paled in comparison to the cheeky and bloody madness of Warren’s output.

Buy Creepy and Warren collected editions on Amazon

3. The Walking Dead (2003 - Present)

By Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore, and Charlie Adlard

Now here’s a little comic you may have heard of. There hasn't been a bigger comic book success story in the 21st Century than The Walking Dead. When Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore first introduced this world back in 2003, it barley registered on fans’ radar. After all, did the industry need another black and white horror book? It turns out the answer was yes...yes, it needed The Walking Dead in a big way.

Since the publication of the first issue of the adventures of Rick Grimes and the rest of the survivors, The Walking Dead has become one of the biggest cultural touchstones in the world. The Walking Dead reinvented horror comics and presented a tale where anything can happen to anyone at any time. No character (or reader) was safe from a world that has died and continued to rot before our very eyes.

read more: Who Lives and Who Dies on The Walking Dead?

First artist Tony Moore than artist Charlie Adlard brought this horrific world to life and presented some of the most gory splash pages in the history of comics, where readers would be forced to endure some of the most potent bodily atrocities ever to be rendered on a comic page. The book's formula is simple: introduce characters, make fans fall in the love with them, and then rip them from our hearts. This same technique has translated to two TV shows that maybe you've seen.

Buy The Walking Dead Comics on Amazon

2. Swamp Thing (1973- present with so many horrific stops in between)

By Len Wein, Bernie Wrightson, Nestor Redondo, Martin Pasko, Alan Moore, John Totleben, Steve Bissette, Rick Veitch, Nancy A. Collins, Mark Millar, Brian K. Vaughan, Andy Diggle, Scott Snyder, and holy crap, so many more

Let’s just say it, Swamp Thing is responsible for modern comic horror. In the Bronze Age, Swamp Thing was a standout icon amongst the tons of horror characters introduced in an era that truly embraced the shadows. After all, Swampy was created by two masters of the horror comic, Len Wein and arguably the greatest horror artist in comic book history, Bernie Wrightson. But that was only the beginning.

After Wein and Wrightson weaved their dark swamp magic, Swamp Thing became a character on the fringes of the DC Universe. Swampy had a cult following, but he never really hit the big time. In the '80s, DC revived Swamp Thing and when British wunderkind author Alan Moore took on the writing duties of the title, comic book horror changed forever. All of a sudden, the old EC Comics formula was broken as Moore began to explore the truly forbidden. Sex, drugs, and taboos were all explored in an era where Super Friends still aired on Saturday morning TV.

read more: The Weird History of Friday the 13th Comics

Moore pushed the boundaries of the medium and of what his editors would allow by presenting page after page of mental and psychical atrocity the likes of which mainstream comics had never before endured. Through his work, Moore invented the Vertigo aesthetic and forced comics into a new age of thoughtful darkness. These comics set the stage and so many others like Rick Veitch, Nancy A. Collins and Mark Millar, to name but a few, followed in the bearded Brits footsteps each taking Swamp Thing a bit further into the unexplored darkness of imagination. And all the while, Swamp Thing was the readers' guide to terrors undreamed of.

Who can forget the reimagining of Anton Arcane and the Un-Men, the horrific rebirth of the Floronic Man, or the beautiful relationship between Abby Arcane and Swamp Thing? All these moments became burned into the souls of brave readers who endured the vile swamps of the DC Universe and found some of the greatest literary horror of the late 20th century.

Buy Swamp Thing comics on Amazon

1. Tales from the Crypt/ Vault of Horror/Haunt of Fear (1950-1955)

By Many Masters of blood curdling Mayhem

In the first half of the 1950s, one comic company ruled the roost when it came to vivid horror, and that company was EC Comics. EC published three horror comics that changed everything, Vault of Horror, Haunt of Fear, and the granddaddy of them all, Tales from the Crypt. Within these pages, readers found soul searing adult horror tales that still have a nightmarish impact on a readers over 65 years later. These tales often took the form of cautionary stories of revenge and irony in which a character who committed a malfeasance of some kind was hunted and forced to endure a deliciously unthinkable ironic fate.

Some of comics' greatest creative talent contributed to these books. Wally Wood, Al Feldstein, Harry Harrison, Harvey Kurtzman, Jack Davis, Joe Orlando, Reed Crandall, and many more all dug deep into the darkest parts of their imaginations to deliver some of the most soul piercing tales of mayhem ever produced in any medium. There can be no doubt that the story structure of these tales influenced TV shows like The Twilight Zone and also had a huge impact on the young minds of future geniuses such as Stephen King, Steven Spielberg, John Carpenter, John Landis, and so many more.

EC also introduced the concept of the horror host in these pages. The Crypt-Keeper, the Vault-Keeper, and the Old Witch would each introduce a tale in every issue. EC horror became so popular that a widespread movement to ban and censor comics to prevent juvenile delinquency was a direct response to the gore laced covers of EC horror comics.

read more: The Essential Episodes of Tales From the Cryptkeeper

Other than the introduction of Superman, Batman, and the Marvel Universe, no single comic had a bigger cultural impact on the mainstream world than Tales From the Crypt and the other EC horror publications, and it was all because some of comics’ greatest creative minds made it their business to scare the shit out of readers again and again and again.

Buy Tales From the Crypt comics on Amazon

Bonus Undead Entry!

Adventure Comics: Spectre (1974-1975)

By Joe Orlando, Michael Fleisher, and Jim Aparo

It may have only been ten issues, but the Spectre strip that ran in Adventures Comics #431-440 redefined superhero horror. Legend has it that after DC editor Joe Orlando was mugged, he decided to bring back the Golden Age hero The Spectre to become a symbol of hellish vengeance on Earth. With Michael Fleisher and the great Jim Aparo, Orlando plotted ten issues of visceral mayhem.

The unstoppable Spectre would hunt, stalk, and punish killers, thieves, and rapists, usually by transforming these scums of the earth into inanimate objects. Who can forget when the Spectre transformed a crook into paper while morphing himself into a giant pair of scissors? Many of these clever yet horrific demises would inspire some of the Freddy Krueger kills in the A Nightmare on Elm Street series of films.

read more: The Weird History of Nightmare on Elm Street Comics

Orlando and Fleisher brought the narrative nightmares, but it was Jim Aparo’s clever and surreal layouts that made this short lived series a classic of the Bronze Age. Before the Adventure Comics run, the Spectre was an almost forgotten footnote, but after this team conducted their ghostly symphony of nightmares, the world was reminded just how truly scary a comic can be.

I mean, for real, in one issue, Spectre turns some poor schmuck into a candle and melts him, how fucked up is that?

Read and download the Den of Geek NYCC 2019 Special Edition Magazine right here!

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Feature Marc Buxton

Oct 23, 2019

Horror

Afterlife With Archie

Tales from the Crypt

The Walking Dead

31 Days of Horror

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