#zero and oogie boogie are the exceptions

[aeris-blue]

AND BRINGING UP THE END WE HAVE—

Z is for Zero from the Nightmare Before Christmas 🎉

[tnbc-thoughtsandheadcanons]

Sally's Lament Review

Here is my complete review of the newly-released Disney Twisted Tales book, Sally's Lament. I will be making some comparisons to the TNBC sequel novel, Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, as well as other Nightmare adaptations and Twisted Tales books I've read thus far. This book, however, will be treated as it is - a 'Twisted' Alternate-Universe take to the movie's storyline.

Spoilers below!

Overall, I loved this book, and had such a blast reading it that I ended up binging it all in one day. It is an interesting Alternate take to the question - What if Sally was the one who discovered Christmas Town? I'm so glad Nightmare was chosen to be in the Disney Twisted Tale Series, as I've always adored AU takes to my favorite film of all time - Sally's Lament being no exception.

As I usually do in my reviews, I'll be breaking it into segments, starting with:

The Writing

Mari is a wonderful writer, and I enjoyed the dialogue and characterizations in here. There is a lot of playful/friendly banter between Jack & Sally, and I actually laughed at a few scenes in this book! The comedy is on-point and the Halloween Town-like dialect from Jack and Sally is nailed to a tee. There is a great comparison you can grasp between their world and customs versus Christmas Town's.

This book does follow something similar to Shea Ernshaw's Long Live the Pumpkin Queen, where the text describes Jack Skellington having 'dark eyes' rather than eye sockets...which is a valid literary choice and all I guess, but one that still catches me off guard, nonetheless.

I've been reading a few other Disney Twisted Tales books, and the three I have read were all around 500 pages. Sally's Lament, however, only came to 352. And I think it could've benefited from another hundred or so pages - as I feel like there could've been more exploration and drama at the end to give a much more satisfying conclusion to the conflict. (More on this later, under 'Story')

Characters

Sally's Lament introduces some new characters from Christmas Town, a few minor, but here are the new major ones - Abigail, Mr. Jingles, and Sootfang.

Abigail is a porcelain doll Sally meets during her first visit to Christmas Town, one of the Christmas toys who competes in a talent show in hopes of winning a spot on Santa's sleigh to be delivered to a child. (A little bit of referencing to Rudolph with the whole 'misfit toys', I imagine!) She quickly becomes Sally's friend and aids her throughout the story.

--While reading the Twisted Tales books, it's a common trope for a new side character to come in the picture who aids our protagonist in the story. Abigail fulfills this role, even relating to Sally as a fellow doll who has an imperfection. I honestly did not think much of Abigail, but she gets an absolutely-sweet ending in the Epilogue thanks to Santa, and I thought that was nice.

Mr. Jingles is the antagonist, who serves as the Supreme Court Judge and Executioner of Christmas Town, appointed by Santa Claus himself, to sort the 'nice' and 'naughty' residents of Christmas Town. Honestly? He's not as good of a villain as Oogie Boogie is (i mean, who COULD be?), but he does serve his purpose on hunting Sally down and enforcing order in the Town. The ending to his story is pretty quick, as he is exiled from Christmas Town, and I can't really say much about his character beyond that he served his job enforcing the 'Naughty VS Nice' enforcement on the Town.

And, finally, there's Sootfang, who is a large, 'scary' charcoal creature who holds the naughty prisoners for Mr. Jingles. His true character gets revealed pretty quickly, as he is an outcast in Christmas Town for being too 'scary' and was mistreated/judged for his looks and behaviors. He relates to Jack and Sally, as well as Halloween Town, where he ends up going to and living in after the story's events. (An ending Mr. Myzer in Zero's Journey COULD HAVE gotten, but I digress..!!! *Frustrated grumbling*)

...I now realize, writing this review, that none of these characters particularly latched onto me and I almost quickly forgot two of their names after reading the book. But they serve their purpose for the story, and I'm glad to see Sally meeting and getting a new friend like Abigail. And, as always, I'm sooo open to seeing new villains in the TNBC unvierse that aren't a resurrected-Oogie Boogie.

Story

The beginning, of course, follows the movie's events up until the scene where Jack Laments in the graveyard. Here, we finally see the drastic moment that changes everything and sets in-motion this alternate-universe:

Sally leans too far against a tombstone, and reveals herself while Jack is lamenting. He sees her. She tells him she knows he feels. They have an honest conversation on the Spiral Hill, and the story ensues..! Because Sally talks with him and gets to know Jack's feelings, he doesn't end up wandering into the Hinterlands - and instead retreats back into Town. Instead, Sally gets a different premonition, and gets pulled into a game with Zero, who lures her into the Hinterlands Forest and brings her to the circle of trees.

(AKA, Zero is the catalyst of the story! You devil dog, you! <3)

We learn that the 'twisted' take on the story is during Sally's first visit into Christmas town, where the residents are forced to be 'nice' to each other at all times no matter how they feel, as they are constantly being watched/monitored/listened to. They punish any residents who make it on the naughty list, where they are taken into a bag and never heard from again.

--We later learn they are being sent to a prison to be kept under watch by the charcoal monster, Sootfang. And here's where my key criticism comes into play:

When Jack & Sally eventually make it to the cave they are trapped in, near the ending of the book, they find the place...completely bland, where everything is painted white and there is nothing there but the prisoners. They explain that the bleakness is the 'point' of the prison, to lower the Christmas spirit of the elves/creatures in there, but this just seems like...a missed opportunity to me..? Considering that -

(i.e. in the Beauty & the Beast Twisted Tale, Belle is imprisoned at some point and finds other prisoners who are being physically beaten/tortured and brutally tested on. If something like THAT can make it into the Twisted Tale Series, then I think there could've been a much bigger punishment for the 'Naughty' prisoners..?)

I feel like there wasn't much 'Twisted' or dark content in this book like there are in others of this Series. Not a single swear-word they could've slipped in. Now, before this released, I and other fans were speculating that Krampus was going to be part of the 'dark' take of this story, physically punishing the bad children and serving as the antagonist. And, honestly, he could've easily replaced Mr. Jingles in here - enforcing their expectations of the children onto their own people, and getting carried away with it. I don't know if Mari wasn't allowed to use Krampus or something -- but I think, as a known Christmas legend, he would've fit perfectly into this role, and introduced some true 'twisted' physical punishments of these people..!

(Abigail could've gotten off waaaaay worse than a crack in her leg...just think of the twisted opportunities!)

Another thing that took me out of the story was how quickly Sootfang's true character is revealed and how he immediately becomes an ally to Jack & Sally. He has very little time to serve as an actual threat to the prisoners + our protagonists, and instead he's offered an immediate redemption and shelter in Halloween Town. Mr. Jingles' ending comes pretty quickly, too, as their revolt is Sally climbing to a tree and encouraging the Christmas Town residents to free themselves. I just feel like all of this...Jack & Sally's exploration of the prison, finding some difficulty in freeing the prisoners + fighting Sootfang, bringing Mr. Jingles out of power...could've been way more detailed and twisted than it was. This is where I think an extra 100 pages could've brought us more to this conflict.

Otherwise, the story was delightful, and I will go into an explanation as to why below:

Jack X Sally

Alright. Yes. Here we go.

I have both positive and negative criticism here - but mostly good things, as this book gives us more scenes and time spent between Jack Skellington and Sally as they go on an adventure to Christmas Town together. Their friendship + chemistry develops more, they share WAY more conversations, and there is some implied mutual crushing in here.

Let me get some of my issues out of the way here first - Sally's characterization in here is quite...different, and therefore makes her interactions with Jack a little different, too. She doesn't appear to be as shy in here as we see in the movie, where Sally struggles to be around him for very long without hiding or running away from him. In here, she apparently gets super comfortable enough to start joking with Jack right away, saying things like "What makes you think I think highly of you, Jack Skellington?", etc. etc.

Now, see, I wouldn't have a problem with this if the book establishes that Jack and Sally are already good friends and have some history together. But this is kind of cancelled out when Sally meets Abigail in Christmas Town, who she says is her "very first friend". And not Jack Skellington? Who she shared a deeply personal talk and joked around with? It just doesn't seem in-character to me that Sally would be so open with someone without already knowing and feeling comfortable enough around them. This would make a lot of sense with Jack, if the book just...treated them as prior friends before they adventure out to Christmas Town together. I don't see her being this flirtatious and jokey with someone she doesn't know very well. It makes this interaction feel a little OOC to me.

I've made a post early comparing a certain line in the book to the movie, where Sally initially denies any feelings for Jack and insists she doesn't want to be with him when Abigail brings it up. Yes, she's lying to Abigail because Jack is within earshot and in the conversation she confesses she think she's in love with him, but I should reiterate that I've always seen Sally as a dreamer and a romantic, who sings about her feelings for Jack and picks forget-me-nots to see if he loves her back. She's come to terms with her love for him by the point of the movie, so for her initial reaction to be a STRONG denial of feelings for him reads a bit OOC to me. I think she would be shy about it, but not something she'd deny right away, because Jack is arguably a big part of her daydreaming and the driving force behind some of her actions. She yearns for him to reciprocate her feelings! But this is probably just a personal nitpick of mine.

So, with that out of the way, the rest of their interactions are wonderful to read through, they clearly progress more in their relationship and get comfortable with each other. The joking and flirting makes more sense as time goes on, where they share an equal liking for each other and bond over doing things in Christmas Town. I LOVED the scenes in the vents, the chimney, the eggnog quicksand, where they are forced to be close together and Jack cares for Sally and vice versa. I just love reading them adventuring and spending so much time together, as they clearly get along so well and the fact that they both understand what they're going through and could use something new in their lives (to find each other through it) is just the cherry on top of it all.

I would definitely re-read this book just for these interactions again, we aren't gifted enough with stories where Jack and Sally legitimately spend more time together, as friends or a couple. So this was a wonderful gift to receive in that direction - I just wish Sally had her shyness and romantic nature in this book. I think the two of them coming to terms with their feelings for each other and getting together in the middle of their Christmas Town adventure would have probably been good for the story. I've always felt let down with the Disney Twisted Tales books treating romance as a secondary, last-minute thing...we can surely have Jack and Sally being together AND adventuring + taking down Mr. Jingles coexisting at the same time...

I will be releasing a brief post soon elaborating more about my qualms with Sally's characterization in here. So we'll put a hold on that for now.

Summary

Overall, I enjoyed my reading of Sally's Lament. As someone who has chosen to let go of my firm headcanons + beliefs in TNBC, I'm glad I can approach an AU like this with an open mind, knowing that things will be different and authors will make literary choices that I don't agree with. This book just misses the mark on writing Sally true to her character in the movie.

But the story was a fun read and I am just glad to see Jack and Sally together for a full adventure for once, instead of favoring one or the other. Just as I was happy to see them married and being royalty in LLTPQ. Jack was the focus for video games and the movie - and Sally for recent books and comic books, but we've finally gotten something that combines them together, and it's such a wonderful thing that I wonder why most media chooses not to do it.

Ultimately, I recommend reading this if you're looking for exactly what I described above - to read Jack and Sally on an adventure together, and if you don't mind her being different from how you saw her in the movie. I don't hate this book by any means, I enjoyed my read and what it offered to me, but I do wish Sally's Lament had been longer, had a better climax + resolution, and that the lead was written as the shy, romantic dreamer that she is instead of a default Disney Princess.

What did you guys think of the book? Feel free to tell me in my Inbox, or in a reblog/reply below!

[jules-has-notes]

What's This? — VoicePlay music video

People often debate what qualifies a movie as a true Christmas movie, and The Nightmare Before Christmas is no exception, despite the name of the holiday appearing in its title. But there's absolutely no question that its soundtrack is darn catchy. Which is why VoicePlay have made several music videos of those songs as their Halloween offerings, starting with this one. After all, professional singers often have to start rehearsing for holiday shows in October, if not earlier. Why not ease into things with a little gleeful spookiness?

Details:

title: What's This? (feat. J.None)

original performer: Danny Elfman as Jack Skellington in The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)

written by: Danny Elfman

arranged by: Layne Stein

release date: 30 October 2017

My favorite bits:

the lovely opening chords

J.None's tone of cautious wonder

Eli and Earl imitating the carolers and the ossilating movements of their vehicle from the movie

♫ "I might possibly go daffy…" ♫ followed by Layne popping a quack into his percussion riff 🦆

"But seriously? What is this? Ew!" coinciding with the lighting change & makeup reveal

singing undeterred while dodging incoming "snowballs"

those sweet harmonies on ♫ "coming from insiiide" ♫

Geoff and Layne excitedly leaning into the middle at the start of the crescendo

the silly character voices on the syncopated ♫ "What… is… this? Yeah." ♫

the combination of rhythmic clock ticking and lullabye-like cooing as the "children" drift off to sleep

♫ ⇘ "dre-eam-laaand" ⇘ ♫ "That was weird..." 😬

J batting away Earl's encroaching monster hands

Geoff's bouncy descending bass line

the abrupt ending

Trivia:

This song had been part of their holiday setlists for several years, including their annual residencies for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney World.

They finally recorded this version with J.None for their "Warm Up" EP, which was released two days after this video.

The UV-reactive makeup looks were designed and applied by Andy Wright and Lia Malamo from Makeup and Creative Arts. The fixitive they used was apparently very effective, since the guys said it took several days to completely wash off.

Each singer is painted to resemble a character from the movie. Eli is Dr. Finkelstein, Geoff is Oogie Boogie, J.None is (of course) Jack Skellington, Layne is the Mayor of Halloween Town, and Earl is Barrel.

When VoicePlay revisited this movie in subsequent years, the only singer to repeat a character from this lineup is Geoff, who had the lead on "Oogie Boogie's Song" in 2019.

The lighting changes were designed by Eli, and controlled by Kathy during filming. Meanwhile, Nick handled the audio playback and "color commentary" (perhaps code for "snowball" throwing?).

There are some sneaky Oogie Boogie faces in the set. Take a look at the black boxes behind Earl.

The lyrical silliness in this video's YouTube description was: " "What's this? What's this? There's white things in the air, What's this? There's white things in the air. What's Thi… " Wait… what are the words again?! Ok, back to zero everyone let's shoot this thing from the top again!"

When they were done filming, they had a little fun in breaking down the backdrop. Earl smash!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by VoicePlay (@thevoiceplay)

A fan was so amused by the destruction that they decided to not just draw the scene, they also animated it with a little speech bubble.

Leon King also indulged in some animation inspired by the glowing makeup.

[noisycowboyglitter]

Sally’s Summer Seashells: A Treasure Trove of Coastal Inspiration!

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A timeless masterpiece of animation and storytelling, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a captivating blend of Halloween and Christmas magic. This stop-motion film follows Jack Skellington, the charismatic Pumpkin King of Halloween Town, as he discovers the enchanting world of Christmas Town.  

With its haunting yet whimsical atmosphere, the film explores themes of identity, creativity, and the true meaning of the holidays. Featuring unforgettable characters like Sally, Zero, and Oogie Boogie, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" has become a beloved cult classic, captivating audiences of all ages with its imaginative storytelling, stunning visuals, and iconic musical score.  

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Whether you're a fan of Halloween, Christmas, or simply appreciate extraordinary storytelling, "The Nightmare Before Christmas" is a must-watch film that continues to enchant and inspire.

Express gratitude and strengthen client relationships with thoughtful Christmas gifts. Whether you opt for personalized items, gourmet treats, or experiential presents, the key is to choose something that reflects your appreciation for their business. Consider their interests and preferences to ensure your gift is well-received. From corporate

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gift baskets to eco-friendly options, there's a perfect gift for every client. Make this holiday season an opportunity to build stronger connections and create lasting impressions.

[freesvgus]

Nightmare Before Christmas SVG - Free High-Quality SVG Files Inspired by the Beloved Film

Immerse yourself in the whimsical and dark world of Tim Burton's "Nightmare Before Christmas" with our collection of high-quality SVG files. These free SVG files are inspired by the iconic characters, enchanting settings, and hauntingly beautiful visuals of the beloved film.

On our website, Freesvg.us, you can find a wide range of Nightmare Before Christmas-themed SVG files that capture the essence of this timeless tale. From Jack Skellington and Sally to Oogie Boogie and Zero, these SVG files feature intricate designs that can be used for various creative projects.

Whether you are a fan of the film, a collector of Nightmare Before Christmas memorabilia, or simply looking to add a touch of spooky charm to your crafts, our SVG files are perfect for you. Use them to personalize clothing, create home decor items, design party invitations, or bring your digital artwork to life.

Freesvg.us is dedicated to providing free resources for everyone, and our Nightmare Before Christmas SVG collection is no exception. With a user-friendly interface and a constantly growing library, our website ensures that you can easily access and utilize these SVG files without any cost or restrictions.

Join us on Freesvg.us and unleash your creativity with our Nightmare Before Christmas SVG files. Let the magic of this enchanting film inspire you as you embark on your own creative journey.

[thetownwecallhome]

TNBC Shower thought #6: Oog-booge revooge

(( OOC:

If you've followed this blog long enough you probably noticed the distinct lack of a certain gambling boogieman on here despite him being a staple of the franchise. The in-canon explanation is scattered throughout the blog as to why Oogie still be very dead, but I just gotta be honest with you all: I don't dig giving Oogie Boogie 'depth'.

I especially don't dig giving him depth by way of him having a connection with any other (canon) characters. Why?

If we're being totally cynical here, Oogie exists in Nightmare souly to make Jack not look as bad because Jack is the real antagonist of the story, not Oogie.

Oogie is the villain, the one who likes enacting harm, Jack is the heroantagonist all in one, he doesn't mean any harm but all of what happens in TNBC is his fault.

Oogie only plays a part in Jack's Xmas specifically cuz of Jack's lack of oversight and carelessness; even without Jack's specific instructions, Santa and Sally being Oogie's victims are his fault, and it's why Jack has to be the one to save them in the end. Whether or not you think Jack learned his lesson or is a bad person and TNBC is 'bad actually'i s it's own deep dive, but personally I really like followup material that show Jack being his best self (Zero's Journey: peppy, monsterboy pumpkin king doing what he can) as opposed to his worst self (Kingdom Hearts/Oogies Revenge Jack: uber selfabsorbed manchild who never cares about others feelings, despite the movie implying he's learned to do better).

All of this is coming up for me because the newest comic book for Nightmare went into the writer's canon backstory and it delved into one the ideas I absolutely hate: Oogie and Jack were once friends.

Making Jack and Oogie friends in the past or even just amicable to each other is a REALLY big misstep on the part writers, because it makes Jack's murdering Oogie in the film so much worse.

Oogie Boogie's death was the one part of Nightmare that truly disturbed me as a child. Having Jack so passively and aggressively skin Oogie alive and do nothing but scowl as his insides fall out in agony already makes Jack look like a Christian Gray level non-comeuppance-sue but ESPECIALLY if you tack on the idea that Oogie and him were friends once!

Jack's not Optimus Prime or Superman who's all about enacting justice and fighting for what's right tm. He's Jack Skellington. He's still a scary monster Halloween king of nightmares you don't want to mess with. In Henry Selick's words on the 2008 commentary track for Nightmare, the citizens of Halloween Town aren't 'monsters' (bad people) and neither is Jack, really. He's scary because that's his job but he and his town never mean actual harm, it's just that what they ENDS UP doing by way of Jack also being a self absorbed manchild which makes him actually dangerous.

Oogie is the exception to that. I always felt even as a kid, that the implication for why he's locked up by the rest of Halloween Town was always pretty clear: Oogie does mean real harm. Oogie wants to hurt people. He has no delusions of grandeur like Jack, yes, but he wants you dead for his own pleasure and that's really not okay and not 'a good scare'.

"It's much more fun I must confess when life is on the line, not mine of course, but yours old boy, now that would be just fine!" - Oogie, kinning the guy who runs McKanney Manor

Even the demo version of the final fight makes clear Oogie's idea of 'fun' is torture:

"No Jack, messing with MY IDEA OF FUN!"

Jack coming to his own and actually doing something about Oogie should be a moment of "Jack really IS back! 8D! And he's actually finally doing something about the incelcryptobro in his basement that he knows everyone dead! Jack's being responsible! 8D 8D!" for the audience, not "wow. Jack is dirtbag who never faces consequences and murders people for problems he caused 8C. And the movie takes his side because Jack's 'cool' and Oogie just so happened to be causing harm. The movie gives Jack an excuse. 8C 8C"

I'm not saying the latter is what you end up taking away as a viewer. I'm saying that's not the vibe you want and it's why for, in Jack's story, which TNBC is, Oogie really should be just a big bully with no nuance of his own. Or at least, no nuance that means anything TO Jack.

Oogie Boogie is kind of basic. I personally love him for that even though I don't know exactly how to write him and I want to make TNBC stuff without him as a villain. But believe me- as a villain lover I totally get the need to try and make more out of our potato-sack daddy.

If you're rightfully mad that the one BIPOC-voiced character in the cast is the bland ebbul dude, that's beyond valid!!! (no- I don't think think the coding or casting was intentional, but the pro-segregation coding in Lion King also wasn't intentional...doesn't mean it isn't problematic).

If you simply want a more interesting villain-big-bad that exists to make the main hero look better, that's all fine and good too.

Me personally, I'm currently stumped on how to flesh out Oogie and not make him a complete, actual monster by Halloween Town's standards. I'm currently trying to think around this...but we'll have to wait and see...

My biggest issue is how, because he's fun while he kills people, some fans go the opposite route Oogie is made into a harmless hammy bafoon stripped of all his teeth and his real personality. I'm sorry to do this but Oogie is NOT in love with Sally. Oogie is not Sally's sassy best friend who's great at calling Jack out on his bad boyfriend-ness.

That's not Oogie Boogie. That's Angel Dust but that's not Oogie Boogie.

I like my Oogie being a bully. Not a puppy dog, not a tragic character, just an actual unbridled monster in the midst of this town of performance scarers.

But...That's just my take, not yours. If you love Oogie being perfect and flawless to counteract Jack's supposed 'perfectflawlessness', if you wanna see him as a real nuanced character because Oogie is definitely a fun one...right on. I'm not your mom.

But yeah, that's why Oogie doesn't appear too much in my comics except for in prequel stuff. Granted, I do want to do more with him but I'm stumped as for now so Oogie stays double dead.

If he does show up and makes friends, expect his friends to not be Jack and Sally because Sally's got better friends and no way would Oogie trust Jack after all Jack's put him through.

In other news, I'm an annoying boomer now about the comics))

[buggybugkilo]

anyway now that it’s seven in the morning and i REALLY need to be asleep i’m gonna do a funky funky introduction for an oc i’ve had for about the same amount of time ive been fixating on twst

except he’s just as developed as all my other ocs

(i will actually do a full effort drawing for him..hopefully)

edit: replacing the image ahdhd

anyway so shoshi (name may be changed-im iffy on the name ngl) is based off of shock (nightmare before christmas) i have the other two from the trio and oogie (neon haired guy i’ve drawn a few times) too just need to make a proper intro for them

anyway then his cat familiar z-whos based off of zero

so shoshi is technically supposed to be like white pale but i don’t like it as much so he’s just a normal amount of pale

backstory stuff is a wip but the very base of it is:

shoshi comes from and kind of is (?) a ✨grim reaper family✨ living in halloween town (in which most ghosts will avoid him naturally..dude is almost completely oblivious to that fact)

his childhood wasn’t too bad-growing up he was a rule follower, had good grades, had a few friends-overall good kid so not much happening

the only bad thing being he has a goofy (/j) homophobic and transphobic father who was like hella transphobic

shoshi is trans and slightly fruity-so you can imagine how that went-basically being the bright happy child to being almost cut off from his father-eventually shoshi gave up on trying to get accepted by his father and instead said it was a phase and moved on-this being the main reason he grows his hair out

(when asked about going to nrc he just said he heard it was a good school and tricked them into thinking he was a dude)

anyway back to the being a grim reaper-z was a street cat that shoshi had befriended as a small child basically growing up with z- this cat was also supposed to be the first soul he would help guide-shoshi just didn’t (in a more dramatic way but that’s for me to write when i’m not still figuring everything out) and instead made z his familiar-z is linked to shoshis feelings and it’s rare to see the two having different reactions (so z would have to have a very strong emotion for it to show) which is kind of morbid now that i think about it but i swear it’s more of a in sync kind of thing 😭

the two others from the trick or treater trio are childhood friends

-

in general things

shoshi has very sensitive skin to the point where when going outside he has to use a sun umbrella (hence the being pale) which wasn’t much of a problem with halloween town being very cloudy and dark but now in nrc is quite off putting with the quiet and mildly reserved nature along with the sun umbrella

he often takes the role of being responsible for his other friends often scolding them for reckless behavior

shoshi is most definitely a cat dad kind of dude

he and z will give someone the most judgy look if they do something stupid

..and then cover for their ass five seconds later

definitely into darker fashion styles (so like alt or whatever wearing a bunch of dark colored celestial clothing is)

probably has trust issues ajsjdjdj

his dorm is a funky funky oogie boogie one i have yet to fully make (is vice president of it)

anyway now that it is a whole ass hour later i’m gonna go sleep

[vampacity]

So since Tim Button is ✨suprisingly✨ racist I will be shitting headcanons abt some of the characters ahme;

Emily from corpse bride,,,, she's a blue corpse. She can be any colour take ur pick I personally hc her as 4th gen american italian

Victor Van Dort

•He'a black but he bkeached his skin w/ chemicaks to be pale so he can be more excepted by the society

Victoria is,,,,, italian

Maudeline is german

Finis is polish

The skeleton children can be fucking aliens w/ that bone structure take ur pick (I personally hc them as incest children lmao)

Maggot is is a fucking maggot mby from africa or australia so he ✨spicy✨

Barkis is mixed (german/italian)

Jack skellington is nigerian (I can and will fight u on this) (also thanks to @crystaldaydream88 )

I hc Sally as mexican but @crystaldaydream88 reminded me that she's stitched up so. Take ur pick again

Oogie boogie is carribiean (also my personal hc,,,, take ur pick tho hes a green potato bag)

Doctor finklestien idk how to type that but him. Hes white. Unseasoned

Mayor is mixed black and white hes just rlly pale

Santa claus asian

Zero and scraps are dogs but,,, if u have any hcs idk pls comment I wanna know

Umm idk das all also also

Beetlejuice is black but he puts weird white chemicals on his face and that's why he has purple around his eyes and why he looks so pale he also bleaches his hair

[dayalloused]

4 and Shin? That's a dark one, but you write him well so I'd trust you with it. If you want something lighter instead, 17 for Shin!

Thank you for asking this! As you can see, I got into a very deep ramble about his life pre-death game and it doesn’t really tie in but I’ve kept it there :)  The last few parapraghs are the actual answers ahaha. Play some sad music in those paragrapths because I nearly cried with halloween music in the background.    4) What they would do if they had one month to live.   If Shin had one month left to live? We see it in the game kind of. Or at least kind of. Obviously imitating your ‘scary friend’ most likely abuser to try and turn everyone against your biggest threat isn’t going to work in real life. 

What the game and his 0.0% score does tell us (or heavily shove in our direction so we infer it) is that Shin is petrified of certain death to the point of desperation.

I do believe/headcanon that he is a very logical person. Almost everything he does is backed up by logic in the death game except for his last moments because screw logic that’s never worked before.  (The opposite of Keiji who’s likely very emotional until his potential last moments but this isn’t about him). So the question is, when did Shin’s last moments begin for him?  As the player, it’s when it’s that final choice between him and Kanna. To Shin this is likely a very different response. His last moments start the very second he gets told he’s doomed to die. Almost all of Shin’s choices in the game are emotional. Trusting Sara or at least earning her trust is the logical choice here. Making yourself her enemy because you are scared is the emotional one. He just lies to himself on the basis that she’s untrustworthy. Which, you can trick yourself into believing is logical.  It triggers a kind of flight or fight response in all our characters when they realise they can die here. All the cast barr Shin choose to fight and try and escape. Shin chooses the flight option here. Nothing he does actually prevents his death in the end. He just runs away from the inevitable doom. 

 I am once again inferring by comparing him to rest of the cast the death is a deep rooted trauma (and I definitely have thoughts on why). While the concept of death is one that scares everyone, no one seems to revel in it the way Shin does. He is living an incredibly safe life. A free lance programmer (by the sounds of it)  which earns an average of £60 an hour. He has a side job at a convenience store (that wasn’t a lie). He doesn’t leave his apartment much meaning he doesn’t have much of a social life. Shin is in a position in life where it’ll be near impossible to hurt him. Obviously he isn’t earning 60 quid an hour, but he has the potential too. Once he’s set up and successful, he’ll be able to die old. Alone, maybe not happy, but old.  For a guy likely in his early to mid twenties, things are bound to change but only as much as he lets them. From one person who will happily spend all their life in their own company to another, Shin isn’t going to change that. Not when he’s too scared to let someone past arms width and will avoid doing so. By the time he gets his game together and his skinny self to therapy it’ll likely be too late to make the same connections he has the chance too at his current age.  It’s not emotional because even the most introverted of introverts desires a life all alone. It’s a logical one for the fears and life he has. I don’t think that means he isn’t happy. It just thinks there’s a potential that he could have been happier. 

For Midori to have gotten as close as he was and no one to pull up the red flags his friends either didn’t care or didn’t exist. Most likely the latter seeing as he is very much in the process of mourning three years after his friends death. He likely wasn’t close enough to his parents to feel he could go to them over something as silly as Midori’s death. In the aftermath, Shin will be confused and muddled. In some ways, he’ll be elevated because he is free, he can move on. In other ways he’ll be lost, devastated and empty. Shin will also have a semblance of independence back. He doesn’t think he shows enough gratitude to his parents for materialistic items. Midori’s abuse was likely emotional or verbal. It probably consisted of vague threats, put downs, anger, power dynamics and a shrug at Shin’s emotions. I’m in no way a professional but after years of this Shin is going to think his emotions are something he should be able to handle himself, something he might not be able to do if he started to repress them in his teens. Shin likely has a warped sense of independence. Instead of being free from others control, he’ll likely think it means he can’t get help and must deal with everything alone. 

Being told that his death is round the corner strips two things that he values most away from him. He now has zero control over his life and worse, it ends with him dyeing. Shin would grasp for straws to have that independence back and therefore escape his own death. If he couldn’t get his independence back then he’ll try and avoid the end outcome. 

His last month would be a goose chase to avoid death. There’d be a list of everything he has to do. Fuck his jobs, fuck debt he needs to get to the hospital. Get checked up! Make sure he’s well. He’d do it everyday. Does he have enough medicine? Wet wipes, stock up on healthy food, hand sanitizer? Does he have enough hand sanitizer? Make sure his room is squeaky clean, don’t let anyone in, don’t answer the phone. Bolt the windows and live off ramen and debt for the rest of the month. Beanie on, beanie off, what is he going to die from? Has he prevented any possible cause? He’s forgotten to call his parents. That’s fine because he shouldn’t be dyeing anyway. It’s logical. It’s all logical. This is not his fear of death speaking through everything he is doing is logical! Now he just needs to figure out what’s causing this all? How did that person know? Then on the last day. He’d just give up. He’d finally pick up that phone and call his parents. He’d thank them and explain. He’d apologize for the debt because he’s swimming in it then he’d hang up. Shin would then proceed to cry in bed all day and trying to sleep so he just doesn’t wake up.  Then, while it’s a tragedy, I think he’d accept it. I don’t think he ever really thought he had a chance but his emotions drove him round and round in circles. Maybe he would regret his whole life and look back on it all. In a none death game scenario Shin seems like a brooder. He doesn’t have Kanna to live for so he has no reason to push forward. I think in the end he’d reach the conclusion his life was pretty pointless. Just as he’d slip from consciousness I imagine he’d think of Midori. Nearly everything we know about Shin seems to revolves about Midori . We, the player, never know him before the guy entered his life. That guy has a big impacts in his life and in a world where that was the only person to leave such a big mark? I think he’d go back to Midori. Especially with nothing to distract him from his mourning. 

It’s quite sad really. He lets his fear control him too much. Midori controls him too much and they’re both aware of that fact. But in the short, Shin would try and avoid his death. Hell he’ll likely die of exhaustion or caffeine overdose

His ending in the main game, I think that’s the best way Shin could have gone at that age. Dying for Kanna and letting go of his cynicism. 

Ending this off with 17 because I need that jokeness now, after all that. 

17) What would they sing at Karaoke? 

Everyone expects Shin to like bang out with some Beyonce or something. Maybe one of those silly little disney parodies. Everyone would make a joke about what he should sing because he’s indecisive as hell. 

Keiji Kai and all of those mature adults suggest Single Ladies,  Mr. Brightside,  Fireworks, Wannabe because classic Karoke songs you actually have to be able to sing when Shin 100% can’t? Count them in! 

Midori would suggest something embarrassing he knew wouldn’t even be funny to watch. Just painful. 

Gin, Sara, Reko and Alice are snickering behind their hands as they suggest Poor Unfourtunate Souls,  How Bad Can I Be (Alice ended up doing that one), The oogie boogie song and the price Ali reprise. 

When he refuses Sara refuses to let him get away with not being painted as some corny villian and dedicates her singing of Cruella De Vil to him.

Then Kanna taps on his shoulder and tells him what to sing and A: It’s Kanna’s suggestion B: It’s not and a bonus C if he’s drunk: He gets to whack a certain police officer and teacher with a hockey stick. 

And my inner theatre Kid shines through as he I say Shin sings Revolting Children and can’t get his letters write, drunk or sober. 

‘R e v o t l i n !’  instead of ‘ R E V O L T I N G’ 

‘S P L L!’ instead of ‘ S P E L’ 

‘TOO LATE FOR YOU?’ Instead of  ‘ 2-L-8-4-U ‘

I kid you not I have knows this song for years and I still struggle. You can not do that spelling rhythm first time. 

Also the lines. The lines!   We will become a screaming hoard.//Take out your hockey sticks and use it as a sword.// Never again will we be ignored.//We'll find out where the chalk is stored// And draw rude pictures on the board.

It’s such a childish song but it’s so hard. He struggles and struggles and one day he will get it because it’s so simple and why can’t he do it roght! Also, it suits him. Sue me.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6PXm34OBP8

[tnbc-thoughtsandheadcanons]

Hey!❤️ I know this is kinda random, considering the “Long Live the Pumpkin Queen” new hit… but I couldn’t help but wonder if the monsters in Halloween Town can die. What do you think about that?

I may have touched on this topic before, regarding why Halloween Town has graves and ghosts. It’s a pretty complex conversation!!

Death for the undead, at least in TNBC’s world, has been referenced to - although Oogie Boogie is the only on-screen death that we see(besides One dying in the Zero’s Journey comic. Which is interesting, because it shows us how death works in Christmas Town). So, we know *he* can die, but he may be an exception since he’s filled with bugs. When the Halloween Town Residents believe Jack Skellington died after getting shot down by the military, the Mayor delivers an announcement that Jack Skellington is now a “pile of dust”. Jack himself later mentions this in the Poor Jack song, where he’d be found in a million years as “only dust”.

In one of the original Workprints, the Halloween Town Residents make a grave/tombstone for Jack(although in here, Jack says they think he’s ‘destroyed’, and not outright ‘dead’). This may point to the Graveyard actually having tombstones to commemorate and/or bury the ‘destroyed’, ‘double-dead’, ‘dust’....whatever we can call the Residents that ‘pass’....

I don’t think I have a definitive answer/theory to this...Jack claims he’s dead in his Lament, but the Residents genuinely believe he had been no more after the Military shot him down. So, maybe in a physical sense, Residents *can* be destroyed, or they simply expire down to *dust*, after a certain amount of time..? I have no idea what applies to any of the Ghosts. The Grim Reaper himself makes a minor appearance in the Town Meeting. There’s a lot to speculate on!

[nerianasims]

Billboard #1s 1978

Under the cut.

Player – “Baby Come Back” -- January 14, 1978

Apparently I'm positively disposed to what's called "yacht rock"? I'd have called it 30-something dinner party rock. Anyway, apparently this is an example. Like all of that genre, this doesn't feel deeply emotional even when the words are. "I was wrong, and I just can't live without you." It's basically calm, and I'd even call it kinda groovy. It's not slow though. It's not going to change the world, but it's good background music for a party among people who have to get home before the babysitter needs to leave.

The Bee Gees – “Stayin’ Alive” -- February 4, 1978

I don't like the movie Saturday Night Fever at all. And I don't like its biggest breakout song either. The lyrics -- who cares, the lyrics are an excuse for Barry Gibb's falsetto to pierce your brain. I was going to clubs during the short disco revival of the 90s and I don't remember this song being played much.

Andy Gibb – “(Love Is) Thicker Than Water” -- March 4, 1978

This guy was a teen idol. I didn't understand the popularity of the teen idols when I was a teenager either. To me, they almost always have the sex appeal of a potato. As for this song, musically it sounds like a TV theme, and the lyric "love is thicker than water" gives me the giggles.

The Bee Gees -- "Night Fever" -- March 18, 1978

Barry Gibb's falsetto. Nope. The lyrics make this technically a love song, but they don't matter, this song exists to be danced to. Badly.

Yvonne Elliman -- "If I Can't Have You" -- May 13, 1978

This was written by Barry Gibb. Obviously I don't like it, though thankfully Yvonne Elliman's voice is fine. It's about how if she can't have you, she doesn't want anybody else. She sings in a kind of weird breathy way. And, as it's a Barry Gibb song, the second half of the song consists of the chorus repeating 50 times with some boring instrumental stuff.

Wings -- "With A Little Luck" -- May 20, 1978

That's quite the synth blast. Some of the lyrics are nice: "There's no end to what we can do together." But others are terrible: "The willow turns his back on inclement weather" and "with a little luck" repeated at least two dozen times. The message seems to be that you should pretend difficulties aren't there and just chant a bunch or something. But willows don't turn their "backs" on the wind. They bend with it, and that's how they avoid breaking. So this song's message makes no sense and it is musically boring except for the first couple bars.

Johnny Mathis and Deniece Williams -- "Too Much, Too Little, Too Late" -- June 3, 1978

Musically this sounds like a parody of the late 70s. It's weirdly peppy and sounds like a commercial jingle, but it's about breaking up. My brain keeps trying to mash these things together and returning a divide by zero error. These two paired up again later to sing the "Family Ties" theme, which is actually a better song, and I'm not saying the "Family Ties" theme is great.

John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John -- "You're the One That I Want" -- June 10, 1978

I confess: I like Grease. The musical, not the substance. Yes, it's nostalgia-bait, and it's goofy as hell in many ways. And yet I can't resist it. I also like this song. It's been picked over and analyzed to death, about how Sandy's changing for Danny how awful blah blah blah. Well, he was wandering around in a letter sweater before this song, planning to become a square for her. Then Sandy sings at him "You'd better shape up," and he ends up following her around in public on his knees. Sandy wouldn't have wanted Danny in the first place, and become friends with the Pink Ladies, if there weren't a "bad girl" in her screaming to get out. What can I say -- I identify. Also this song is catchy and fun, Olivia Newton-John is excellent at acting a song, John Travolta was excellent at cheese, and they had great chemistry.

Andy Gibb -- "Shadow Dancing" -- June 17, 1978

Andy Gibb died young because massive amounts of cocaine and alcohol wrecked his heart, so I feel bad about disliking all his songs. But feeling bad about his short life doesn't mean I feel good about his music. This was written by Barry Gibb, so of course I want nothing to do with it. Also Andy Gibb's voice is incredibly weak. The lyrics are about sex, whatever, I don't care because musically this song is pretty appalling to me.

The Rolling Stones -- "Miss You" -- August 5, 1978

It's interesting hearing Mick Jagger try to weaken his voice to sound like other male singers of the time. This is disco. With a rock edge, because it's the Stones, but still... disco. Specifically, Bee Gees-inspired disco. Including the falsetto interludes. Nope nope nope, I do not accept this from The Rolling Stones.

The Commodores -- "Three Times A Lady" -- August 12, 1978

I can't hear this song without hearing Buckwheat. So um. Lionel Richie is the lead singer here, and I don't like any Lionel Richie song I have ever heard, and this is a Lionel Richie song. Eddie Murphy's version as Buckwheat is better.

Franki Valli -- "Grease" -- August 26, 1978

Grease, the musical, is a not-really-guilty pleasure of mine. "Grease", the song, isn't. It's the worst song on the track. It's about nothing, it sounds 70s and not even 70s pretending to be 50s, and it's Franki Valli. Thankfully he doesn't do falsetto, but I still find his voice unpleasant. Also the song has almost nothing to do with the musical.

A Taste of Honey -- "Boogie Oogie Oogie" -- September 9, 1978

Disco, but disco with actual oomph, unlike anything that came anywhere near Barry Gibb. It's one of those dance songs commanding you to dance, and it works. It's got an interesting, and existent, bassline. Hazel Payne's voice is good. The song changes up a bit musically throughout. It's excellent, even if "boogie" sounds a little silly these days.

The Exiles -- "Kiss You All Over" -- September 30, 1978

I said "ew" when I saw this song on the list and I stand by that. There's a lot worse, certainly. I can't even pinpoint exactly why I feel "ew" about this song. The sentiment is fine. The music is fine. It's not a song where the guy demands something of the woman he's singing to without thinking of her feelings. I dunno. It's probably fine. Maybe it's the whole "fine" thing that makes me feel somewhat creeped out. It should be a sexy song and it's just not.

Nick Gilder -- "Hot Child in the City" -- October 28, 1978

This guy looks like Tom Petty. But he's no Tom Petty. The song's about a teenage sex worker, so uh, there's that. The singer doesn't sound too upset about it, but he doesn't sound too anything about it. This song should have some kind of grit one way or another, but it doesn't. It's nothing. And that's particularly bad when it's such a heavy topic.

Anne Murray -- "You Needed Me" -- November 4, 1978

Anne Murray has a beautiful voice. This song is about having been at the absolute bottom, then someone comes along and loves you, which is a great sentiment. But it should soar and never does. It lacks a chorus, and it needs a big blowout of a chorus. As-is, it feels unfinished and unsatisfying.

Donna Summer -- "MacArthur Park" -- November 11, 1978

Donna Summer is an amazing singer. But wtf is this. "Someone left the cake out in the rain" sung with incredible sorrow is just odd. And then it goes disco, because of course, but -- what? Show me someone's master's thesis on this and maybe I'll understand the song. As it is I am simply confused.

Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond -- "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" -- December 2, 1978

One singer whose singing I despise, and another singer whom I forget exists when I'm not reminded of him. Looking up the lyrics after trying to listen to the song for about 20 seconds, they're lamenting about a failing relationship. With the reasons apparently being "you don't bring me flowers/ you don't sing me love songs." Yeah, uh, if you want the same exact kind of romantic effort put into a long-term relationship as was there in the beginning, you will be disappointed. She doesn't bring you flowers, but what about that dinner she cooked? He doesn't sing you love songs, but how about the fact that he does the dishes and puts the kids to bed? No wonder divorce rates were so high in the 70s. Yep, I hate it.

Chic -- "Le Freak" -- December 9, 1978

This one was played a lot at the clubs I went to in the 90s. It's a good funky dance song with a memorable bassline.

BEST OF 1978: "Boogie Oogie Oogie" by A Taste of Honey. WORST OF 1978: "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" by Barbra Streisand and Neil Diamond, but also anything with Barry Gibb's fingerprints on it.

[loloslaystheday]

About Me I Guess

Aliases: Diva(Just the display name yknow), Rose, Strawberry, Jae

Gender:Female, she/her pronouns

Sexuality: Pansexual

Fav color: Purple, Black and Green

Fav Food: Mac n Cheese

Birthday: 1/26

My Favorite Entertainment

Anime

KnY, BNHA, AOT, Banana Fish, TPN, Naruto, Kakegurui(occasionally), High Rise Invasion, Amane Ga Kill, Assassination Classroom, Bungou Stray Dogs, Death Note, HxH, Spy x Family

Games

FNAF, Undertale, ACNH, CRK, Cuphead, Mario, Hackets Quarry

Shows/Movies

Princess and the Frog, Courage the Cowardly Dog, James and the Giant Peach, Nightmare Before Christmas, Wednesday, The Addams Family, Stranger Things, Matilda, Spirit Riding Free(don’t say nothing), Spirit, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, Cinderella(basically every Disney movie except a few new ones), Monsters Inc, Toy Story movies, more Pixar movies, more Disney and Nickelodeon shows, yknow? It’s a lot lol.

My favorite characters

Inosuke Hashibira

Dazai Osamu

Yumeko Jabami

Katsuki Bakugou

Armin Arlert/Sasha Braus

Ash Lynx/Eiji

Emma/Gilda

Naruto Uzumaki

Sniper Mask

Leone

Karma/Koro-sensei

Ryuk

Killua Zoldyck

Bonnie the Bunny

Frisk/Toriel

Cyd/Rodeo/Ankha

Cherry Blossom Cookie

Pork Rind

Peach/Bowser/Yoshi

Dylan

Tianna

Courage

Mrs Ladybug

Jack/Zero/Oogie Boogie/Sally

Wednesday/Enid/Thing/Tyler

Wednesday/Uncle Fester/Pugsley

Eleven/Mr Hopper

Matilda/Ms Honey

Abigail/All the horses/Snips

Spirit

Jasmine/Genie

Flounder/Ariel

Gus Gus

Boo/Sully/Mike Wazowski

Rex

[creepykingdom]

Episode 133 / Creepy Day 2 Halloween Time at Disneyland

SHOW NOTES:

On our second Creepy Day of 2017 we take a look at all of the Halloween offerings this year at the Disneyland Resort!  Including all of the brand new Halloween fun at Disney California Adventure and a review of this year’s Mickey’s Halloween Party!

REVIEW: (by Melissa A. Camacho)

It’s amazing what a little lighting and fog can do to get you in the Halloween spirit. At this year’s Mickey’s Halloween Party at the Disneyland Resort, both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure were decked out in fall and Halloween decorations. And for the first time ever, your ticket to Mickey’s Halloween Party allowed you into either Disneyland or DCA prior to the main event. In this review, I will be covering both parks and also giving you tips on this year’s party.

For those of you who have not heard of Mickey’s Halloween Party, it is a separate ticketed event that happens on select nights starting in mid September to Halloween at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. At this event, the park is closed early for regular attendees and the park is transformed into a full blown Halloween Party. Complete with a trick-or-treat candy trail, a dance party, Disney Villain appearances, the Frightfully Fun Parade and the Halloween Screams Fireworks; not to mention everybody is allowed to come in costume. Each year, this event sells out, and this year was no exception. So for those interested in attending next year, I highly recommend buying your tickets early.

We start off at Disney’s California Adventure. If you want to get a head start on your spooky day, take advantage of the early entry park-hopper and enjoy what DCA has to offer for the fall season. Early entry to either Disneyland or DCA starts three hours prior the main event. Unfortunately, I missed early entry this year (traffic coming up from San Diego was unusually bad) but, I was at DCA a few days earlier so I’m happy to report my take on the park on a regular day.

Before you even enter the park, you are welcomed by Oogie Boogie on top of the DCA entrance. As a huge fan of The Nightmare Before Christmas, I was already sold. I have never been into DCA around this time of year, so walking into Buena Vista street and seeing the vintage purple banners and bats immediately put a smile to my face. Going in farther, there is an epic Headless Horseman statue that exhales out smoke through its nostrils. It also makes noses and and lights up as the day goes darker.

Another new and bigger thing at DCA for this Halloween season is Cars Land’s Haul-O-Ween layover. Now, I am not a huge Cars fan, but this themed section of the park is my favorite. So adding a dash of spooky made it 10x, better in my opinion. There were car parts that created spider webs and ghouls. Many of the signs had creepy layovers which referenced classic Halloween and horror movies. Not to mention the perfectly themed treats they offered there which have been featured on numerous videos and instagram accounts by now. Luigi's Rollickin Roadsters had new music for your cars to dance to. And Ramone's House of Body Art was Day of the Dead themed complete with an altar for one of it’s characters. As a Mexican-American, it was really refreshing to see my culture being represented as genuinely as possible, considering the context of the land. I enjoyed it. My tip for this section of the park is to arrive at sundown. That’s when all the neon gets turned on and the whole environment feels different. Still cute, yet spooky.

Continuing with our trend of Day of the Dead, there is a Coco experience near Paradise Pier that features activities, music, dancers, folk art and food inspired by the Mexican tradition and movie. When I went to DCA a few days prior, I did not get to experience this part of the park myself, so I can’t give a first hand account of this seasonal experience. But, thanks to the internet, you can view all the colorful displays they have up.

Another new thing that DCA offers this season was Guardians of the Galaxy: Monsters After Dark, ride layover. Right out of the gate, the Guardians ride is noticeably different. The lights and projections on the building are different and kind of creepy. The story of the ride also changes, as you are now trying to help Rocket save Groot from the space monsters that have been let loose. I also felt that there were way more drops in this incarnation of the ride, which I highly enjoyed. The cool thing about this version, is that it’s not an all day layover. So if you want the little ones to enjoy the original, ride it during the day. My tip if you want to experience this scary version, is to ride it at or after the sun sets. It’s a digital layover so it gets converted in a short period of time.

Overall, the three hours you have at DCA will be enough time to look at all the new decorations and maybe ride a few things. Now onto onto Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland.

I have attended this event for the first time last year and I immediately fell in love. If you’re a fan of Halloween and all things Disney, then this is the event for you. My boyfriend and I Disneybounded as Oogie Boogie and Jack Skellington, respectively. The one thing I love about Mickey’s Halloween Party is the small crowds. There is practically no wait for any of the rides. Another thing that makes the event so different is ambiance of the park. It immediately puts everybody in good creepy mood.

As huge Disneyland fans, we all know that Disney spares no expense when it comes to their seasonal decorations. Besides the cute fall leaves and pumpkins on main street and other parts of the park, Disney bumps it up a bit for their Halloween party. The colored lights turn on, the spooky sounds creep up and fog covers Rivers of America as the Cadaver Dans start making their way down on a raft. If there’s one section that screams out creepy Disney, it’s New Orleans Square by Rivers of America. If that’s not your thing, then I suggest taking a stroll down the newly opened Big Thunder Trail. If you’re coming up from the Frontierland side, keep an eye out for the creature that lives in the old train ride tunnel. I honestly don’t remember if that was there last year, but it really freaked me out. The sound effects and lighting in that little section made me feel uneasy. Which looking back… still freaks me out just thinking about it. I still don’t know what that was suppose to be and no Google search is helping me. So if you’re brave, go check it out.

Besides my irrational fears of things unknown, the majority of the event was amazing. If rides are your thing, as they were for me and my boyfriend, I highly suggest riding Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy and Haunted Mansion Holiday. These rides have seasonal layovers that really put you in the Halloween (or Christmas) spirit. As some of you might know, each year the gingerbread house in Haunted Mansion Holiday is changed. And this year, it features a humongous Oogie Boogie gingerbread man. Again, I am a sucker for this guy, so I loved it. Biases aside, I wish the doombuggies would move slower at the ballroom scene just so everybody can see and appreciate all the little details of the gingerbread houses. Especially considering that it is all real gingerbread and sweats. While Haunted Mansion Holiday is less scary once Jack takes over, in my opinion, I can’t say the same for Space Mountain’s layover. So if your children get easily frightened, I say skip Ghost Galaxy. I think it’s a bit loud and the projections might be too scary for your younger counterparts.

Now it’s not a Halloween Party without costumes and candy. While you see your usual and more traditional costumes, there are some that certainly stand out. Maybe it’s the Disney magic that sparks people’s creativity or the photo opportunities that the park offers. Either way, some people went all out. I only captured some spooky ones, but there were plenty more varieties that people dress up as too. While you people watch, I suggest taking advantage of the treat trail that spans the whole park. I personally didn’t stop at all of the candy spots, but I got enough candy to fill my Zero popcorn bucket. When you first enter the park, you are given a treat bag and a map of the treat trail. At some stops, there are healthier and allergy friendly options for the trick-or-treaters.

I am not one for Parades or Fireworks, but for this event, I try my best to make some time to watch it. First is the Frightfully Fun Parade. Before the parade begins, the Headless Horseman makes his way down on a real horse holding his pumpkin head. Then parade begins. The floats are given as much detail as the regular parade floats but better because they feature spooky characters and Disney Villains. The parade itself is rather short but cute for what it is. They run it twice throughout the night. Now for the fireworks, I highly suggest either being in front of the castle or in the middle of main street. Both the castle and main street have projections casted on them. I was on the side of the castle closer to Frontierland and still had a decent view. Like I said before, I’m not much of a fireworks person, but this one sold me with the theme, projections, synced fireworks and pyrotechnics. If you ever attend Mickey’s Halloween Party, I suggest finding a good spot and watching it at least once.

Overall, Mickey’s Halloween Party is defiantly one of my favorite events to attend at Disneyland. I’m an annual passholder and I will gladly pay the extra money to attend this event. It has the perfect mix of Disney and creepy. I give this year’s event a five poison apples out of five poison apples rating.

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PICTURES: (By Melissa A. Camacho, Little Nikki, & James H. Carter II)

[ramajmedia]

Nightmare Before Christmas: Things That Make No Sense About Jack Skellington

He's the much-beloved Pumpkin King, but Jack Skellington of Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas has plenty of skeletons in his closet. Halloween Town's de facto leader (depending on how you feel about the mayor) has so much wrong with him, in fact, that an entire song, "Something's Up With Jack," was sung about him in the film by his fellow citizens.

RELATED: Tim Burton's 10 Best Movies, According To Rotten Tomatoes

Many of these issues are much more obvious than others, even serving as the heart of the film itself. However, others are so pervasive --in not just his culture, but our own-- that they even affect the real, live people who enjoy this macabre classic.

10 He Hires Lock, Shock And Barrel

Halloween Town's terrible trick-or-treaters have quite the reputation, which is why it makes no sense for Jack to call them in to kidnap Mr. Sandy Claws, aka Santa Claus, so Jack can be the new Santa. He actually makes this mistake twice; had he not already guessed that Lock, Shock and Barrel would completely fail in their mission, he witnessed their ineptitude when they brought the Easter Bunny through the portal instead.

Jack had to have known they would take Santa to Oogie Boogie as well, making Jack not only complicit in his fate, but also his torment.

9 He Doesn't Alter Santa's Look

Jack spends every waking moment not only experimenting on and studying elements of Christmas, but ensuring that all of the citizens of Halloween Town work to perfect their own version of Christmas. Every detail is painstakingly analyzed and tweaked until it's perfect in Jack's demented vision, which is obviously a terrible idea from the start... except for Santa's outfit, which he asks Sally to make for him.

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There is really no reason to have Santa's suit intact when everything else is obviously Halloween-themed. Perhaps Jack thinks it will help him blend in a bit, but since his ultimate goal is to "improve" Christmas, so shouldn't he do the same with the outfit?

8 He's Not The Hero

Many fans are quick to point out that Jack is, in fact, a villain. He upsets his whole town, works to create weapons of mass destruction, takes said weapons to Christmas Town, kidnaps Santa Claus, destroys everyone's holiday and puts just about everybody in great danger.

Jack may not mean to be so destructive. He may have everyone's best interest at heart. Then again, if that's what he thinks is a healthy execution of a holiday, we just don't know what to tell him. He also doesn't even bother to ask if Santa wants a "vacation," as he promises to give him, or whether or not he has permission to "borrow" the holiday.

7 He's Only Got Four Fingers On Each Hand

Jack's body is super weird, especially for a human who admits that he was once alive. Jack only has four fingers on each hand, and he's super long, thin and more monstrous than skeletal in terms of human shapes. Burton's other skeletons actually look like human skeletons, so why doesn't Jack?

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He also has a billion cameos, one of which puts him in a sunken ship (James and the Giant Peach). James was sailing from England to New York, so how did Jack's body get there? Where is Halloween Town, really?

6 A Random Grave Takes Him Home

Not only does Jack completely get away with ruining Christmas, with his only consequence being blown out of the sky (which, let's face it, for a deceased skeleton, isn't much of a punishment), he doesn't have to make anything right at all and he goes home through some random grave as a portal. Was that always a possibility? Is this used to travel through worlds at other times, and if so, why are we just learning about it? If not, how did Jack even know he could do that?

Jack does go home to save Sally and Santa from Oogie Boogie, but it's a situation he put in motion in the first place. So his big "learning moment" that heroes are supposed to have... was just getting blown out of the sky.

5 He's Got Kids

How a skeleton and a rag doll have kids is a great mystery, but fans assume they have five of them, since it's mentioned on the official soundtrack to the movie. Santa returns to Halloween Town several years later to find that Jack had "four or five skeleton children at hand." Perhaps he was only leading them in their xylophone band, but many fans believe these are his and Sally's kids.

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If this is the case, how did they reproduce in the first place, and why are they just skeletons and not hybrid monsters? Perhaps they were adopted, but the details are definitely unclear.

4 He Has A Pity Party 

During what is meant to be the moment of clarity of the film, where most heroes understand their mistakes and attempt to atone for them, things go a little awry. Not only does Jack completely let himself off the hook with zero responsibility for his actions, but he has a little pity party. A whole song is centered around why nothing turns out like it should for Jack, this poor practically worshipped figure with a community who loves him.

Then he suddenly declares that he did his best, and next year will be the best Halloween yet. Not only is there no real epiphany here, but there's no growth, which makes this movie that we all hold so dear rather pointless.

3 He Is A Terrible Leader

Jack is the worst "leader" for Halloween Town. He lies to the whole town about "Sandy Claws" to get them on board. He hates now nobody gets him, and even mentions the fact that nobody understood his dream in his big pity party at the end of the film. "How could they?" he sneers. In fact, almost every song he sings is about poor Jack and his problems, which truly don't exist save for a bit of boredom.

When missiles are launched and people are screaming, Jack just assumes he's being thanked. He issues no apology for not listening to Sally or leaving her to clean up his messes, then he declares his undying love for her. He only cares about himself.

2 He's Pretty Much A Jerk

Let's face it, this belovewd figure is quite a big jerk. The entire plot of the movie is due to his own midlife crisis as he decides he's bored with his life, and he puts the entire town through an unnecessary upheaval for his own creative pursuits. If the point of the movie was that his dissatisfaction with life was merely due to his not having a relationship with Sally, his previous behavior regarding her sure doesn't mesh with this motive.

Jack mocks the citizens when they don't understand Christmas Land, even though he doesn't really "get" it, either. He takes advantage of their admiration for him to manipulate them into making a new holiday and foregoing their life's work.

1 He Treats Sally Badly

Sally is supposed to be Jack's "dearest friend," in his own words, yet he is pretty terrible at being a friend. He doesn't listen to a thing she says, talking over her and ignoring her concerns. He has no idea that she's being kept prisoner against her will in Dr. Finkelstein's lab, which is really unbelievable if they are so close. He should have spent the film trying to free her, or talking the doctor into handing her over to him, rather than "making Christmas."

It's obvious that Sally is Finkelstein's servant, which should trouble not only Jack but the rest of her community.

NEXT: The Myers-Briggs® Types Of The Nightmare Before Christmas Characters

source https://screenrant.com/nightmare-christmas-jack-skellington-facts-trivia-unexplained/

[theartoflondon]

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Here’s a full look at this complete Tim Burton Beetlejuice / Nightmare Before Christmas mashup sleeve. Everything is FULLY HEALED except the new freehand Oogie Boogie and Zero on the inner bicep, which are fresh. I didn’t do the little ��13” on the wrist but I did inadvertently do 13 stripes on the candy cane and that’s just cool. (at The Black Lantern) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvvNBBPnJlq/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=11ryw1evwrrex

[disregardcanon]

end of the year writing meme: tagging anyone who wants to do this! i’m just bringing it back from last year again 

or: 2017 in fanfiction 

Total Stories Written: 62

Total Words Written:  150k ish  Average Words Per Story: somewhere 3-5k probably  Shortest Story: Skyscraper and Short Stuff at 302  Longest: Jane the Metahuman, my still incomplete the flash/jane the virgin crossover fic at  19,936 

Looking back, did you write more fic than you thought you would this year, less, or about what you’d predicted?

less, probably. i had a great fic stall over the summer and the first few months of the school year where i just couldn’t get anything written. also i have a ton of unfinished wips that i can’t apply to my word count.

What pairing/genre/fandom did you write most?

i wrote the most for snaibsel and young justice, though i didn’t get caught up on one fandom much  What pairing/genre/fandom did you write that you would never have predicted in January?

hannibal/brooklyn nine nine crossover fic. enough said Did you take any writing risks this year?

i wrote longer fics and some crossover fics, both of which scare me quite a lot so trying them out really paid off. 

Do you have any fanfic or general writing goals for the new year?

1. post a lot of fics for femslash february. i have a goal of at least 15.

2. write more original fiction.

3. maybe finish that yj season 3 fic i’ve started work on? maybe.

these are the exact same goals as last year omg

From the past year of writing, what was your… Best story of this year: 

you, me and the flash makes three probably. it’s the story that i’n the most proud of in general. i feel like i was able to work within the flash season 1 canon while also tweaking and adding things to make the ot3 work. 

Most popular story of this year: Imagined Infidelity is the most popular on all fronts but bookmarks, which belong to Mantis Prays to Oregon (a far superior fic in my opinion. that one’s of my favorites of the year) 

Personal favorite:

Borrowing Problems from the future was the first real fic i was able to complete in months after my writing drought, so i have a real soft spot for it, especially because it allowed me to explore alex fierro’s character a bit and try to fix a few problems i had with the way their relationship was handled. 

Most under-appreciated: 

i have two for this one, tbh 

the man in yellow in the living room with the knife: this is my flash/pushing daisies crossover which REALLY ends up working but hardly anyone read

The Spark that Will Light the Fire: what if rose tico was a stormtrooper and we actually addressed the stormtrooper issue in tlj? what if???? 

Most fun to write:

Jane the Metahuman. I haven’t worked on it in a while, but it’s always so fun to just slip into the universe where the jane the virgin characters and the flash characters are friends. it’s just so delightfully weird and fun to write. Story with the single sexiest moment:

Blame Me, I Will Wear It hate sex between iris west and a caitlin snow that’s almost kind of herself and almost kind of killer frost, enough said

Most “holy crap, that’s wrong, even for you” story: maybe All Katz Go to Heaven? I didn’t write a lot of fucked up stuff this year, but the idea that every person hannibal lecter has ever murdered ends up in Brooklyn Nine Nine is kind of a fucked up premise for a fic haha

OH WAIT maybe it’s grieving schrodinger’s dad? it puts zatanna zatara into a time loop of the day that her dad becomes doctor fate. 

Most challenging to write:

It was really hard to crank out the second chapter of dead girl walking, especially since i was trying to finish it during my ireland trip. it was a lot of heavy content, a lot of characterization issues, and some action scenes, which aren’t necessarily my strong suit. 

Biggest disappointment: Pushing Irises. it turned out well, but I also had zero motivation to continue it so it’s just a single chapter that ends on a cliff hanger. It might always be a single chapter that ends on a cliff hanger.  Favorite character to write:

this year i really enjoyed writing eleanor shellstrop and cisco ramon. i didn’t write either of them a lot, but whenever i did write them it was a blast. 

Favorite opening lines:

Zatanna crosses her arms over her chest as she leans against Bruce’s black SUV. The “parking lot” at this camp is a glorified field of grass. It rained last night, and there are muddy ruts left all throughout the field and little muddy puddles scattered everywhere. It’s disgusting and rundown and everywhere that Zatanna doesn’t want to spend three weeks of her summer. Endless Summer

Her first memories are of Ego, him cradling her in his arms, tickling her, telling her that he loves her. Her first memories are of him calling her daughter and her calling him dad. Mantis Prays to Oregon

The 99th precinct had a strict, no dating rule. At least, it acquired one the moment Holt showed up. She's pretty sure the old guy wouldn't have cared if they had an orgy in the break room. An Emoji is Worth a Thousand Words

Murder and money are messy businesses. Verger Virtues

The first thing that Rosa thinks when they get to the orchestra hall is that this dressing room will never be clean again. The decor is all bright white except for the places where it’s been stained red by blood. There are a lot of places where it’s been stained red by blood. All Katz Go to Heaven

Favorite closing lines:

Bart's going into uncharted territory. Trying to have friends and a family and be a hero in an era where he's not a slave or even a child soldier. He doesn't know how to go about it, but that's alright. He thinks he can work it out later. How To Fall in Love with Your Mark

“I love my dead gay wife,” Kelly says, hugging tightly, “and I love my dead trans son.” And they laugh, not because it’s funny, really, but because it’s ridiculous and happy. They laugh because somehow life just got so much better. We’re All Dead Here

They may be in the bad place, but they have a freedom now that they’ve never had before. here they are, a tortured academic, a hot rich fraud with legs for days and a selfish ass helping a demon to keep his job, with the help of an idiot DJ and his AI wife. Three hell-bound people just trying to make it in this crazy world, becoming better people and loving each other only after it’s too late.   Eternal Recurrence

"Stop taking your hand?" He asks, and Rey can't tell if he's joking.

"No," Rey says, "don't ever stop."

A Pair of Somebodies

Other favorite lines:

"Romance isn't just for the straights," she says. Pair the Spares

"He's not just a bucket head," Ahsoka says, cracking a grin, "he's the king bucket head." An officer of a notable rank comes up behind them, and stands respectfully to the side.

"No, he's Lord of the bucket heads," Aphra corrects, "you gotta get the title right."

"Lord Buckethead," the officer says with an enormous grin, "your presence is requested on the control deck." Anakin turns towards him, and holds his hand out immediately. The man makes a strangled noise, and he's pulled by the Force.

"Master," Ahsoka says, her voice wobbly. Anakin clenches his fist, and the officer falls to the floor, dead.

"Any more remarks?" Anakin asks. The other officers and troopers on the floor all divert their attention. They got the message: only Ahsoka and Aphra are allowed to tease Darth Vader. Ahsoka feels sick to her stomach. Between the banter and the sex, she had almost forgotten she wasn't supposed to feel at home here. Sympathy for the Devil

Jane Gloriana Villanueva is twenty eight years old. She is a lot of things: a published author, a mother of three, a beloved wife, a local gay icon. She is no longer a virgin. Unless, of course, your definition of virginity requires a penis going into a vagina, then Jane is still a virgin. These are all technicalities and have no bearing on our current story. Jane the Metahuman

Joe, however, had already heard the murmur, and knew that something very wrong was going on. He threw the door open and stormed into the room. Nora Allen, who was dead the last time he looked at her, was sitting up on the morgue table with the bloodstains still prominent on her shirt. the man in yellow in the living room with the knife

“It’s Brandy or the sea, child,” Ego says.

“Brandy,” Zatanna says, exhaling breath,  “I choose Brandy.” That was always going to be her answer. How could it not be, when the choice isn’t even just Brandy? It’s the port. It’s the sailors that it serves. It’s the whisky and the wine, and the whole damn bar,  and- ugh

This is a bullshit metaphor anyway.

The choice Ego offers isn’t between Brandy and the sea. It’s between the sea and the world. It’s not leaving Brandy for adventure, it’s destroying the entire harbor town for Ego’s bullshit god complex. Brandy Beats the Sea

A pile of blue beetles has emerged in the place of Jaime's body, like the Oogie Boogie man without his burlap skin.

Bart screams, and the Jaime figure laughs a laugh that isn't Jaime's as it shifts into something else entirely. The big, muscular Blue Beetle stands before him, maniacal grin plastered on his face.

"You're not Jaime," Bart says. The Beetle laughs, demonic voice over Jaime's.

"Am I?" He says, "you don't know. You won't know until it's too late." A sinking feeling settles in Bart's stomach, like a hush puppy that settled in with a gallon of Mountain Dew and a whole basket of fries.

"You aren't," he says. He wants the words to be true, but he doesn't know . He might be letting his guard down for a traitor to humankind. He might be falling in love with a monster. How to Fall in Love with Your Mark

"I told him I would. I promised that I wouldn't do this." Maybe she does have a problem. Maybe she should see Black Canary, or- or something. She has a chance at normalcy. She doesn't understand why she doesn't want it anymore.

She has a chance for true love and The American Dream, for the kind of life she'd dreamed of as a kid. She has a chance to settle down and be a normal fucking human with a normal marriage to a normal guy who wants a normal sort of happy ending. She doesn't know why she can't be satisfied with that.

Zatanna’s voice is soft and gently as she tells her, "Artemis, if you're supposed to be with him, then you should be able to be yourself with him."

"Are you trying to break up my relationship?" It's a cruel jibe, a reminder of Zatanna's (mainly) unrequited crush and her subsequent rejection. Zatanna barely looks phased.

"Are you?" The words knock the wind out of her. She hadn’t considered that, but now that Zatanna’s put the thought in her head, Artemis can’t stop considering it. At this point, Artemis doesn't know. climbed a mountain and turned around

Will Graham, the bride of Frankenstein and his monster rolled all into one. The Stuffed Dog

It’s destiny. Destiny is an otherworldly Eldritch beast, devouring everything in its path. It eats up all other options, and leaves only one path. It wraps its hideous, shadowy tendrils around her and drags her back into the dark. This is destiny like Ragnarök, fated to happen and rip the world apart.

  mountains out of molehills

“I wanted to find her and run away,” Finn says, “I just didn’t want to be a stormtrooper anymore, Rose. I wanted to run as far away from the First Order as I could, but then I met Rey. So I came back for her. I never signed up for the Resistance. I just want Rey and I to be safe.” Rose feels a twist in her gut. This might be worse than finding out he wanted to desert. This is knowing the reasons behind it, having to see him as human in his mistakes and understand why he made them.

Oh how heroes fall and then stumble back up again.

The Spark that Will Light the Fire

Most telling fic:  international harvester certainly tells you something about my background. also the fact that i, too, want to make out with a girl in a combine