Can you believe it…after all that planning, preparation and fun its all over. Halloween 2009 is now just a sweet memory. I hope all of you had a great time doing whatever you did. I wound up working my butt off to finish all the decorating and cooking just minutes before my guests arrived. It was a hell of a lot of work, but we did it. And I had a great time. Without further ado, here are some pictures from our Halloween party. (Click on them to see the whole picture).

These couple of ghouls have gone wild. Notice the flicker bulbs in the hanging lamp. These very effective props were bought from Party City. We wrapped the walls in Scene Setters to give the look of a cold dungeon. The man sitting in the chair began as a scarecrow, but I found a great prop laboratory switch. When you switch it down, it lights up as if its electric and a man screams. So this became our electrocution chair. I’m planning on working on this prop to escalate it for next year. Finally the staircase provided a perfect spot for the Hanging Haunted portraits from my previous blog.

Our fog machine zombie was a big hit. We also had the soundtrack to the Disneyland Haunted Mansion playing in the front yard. I think the adults loved it even more than the kids. This year was small but very effective. Next year, I plan to expand the yard haunt and add a few more tricks. You might wonder why I go through so much trouble? The payoff is the expression on the kids faces. I remember seeing awesome yards when I was a kid and I never forgot them. They were so creative and fun to me. So maybe I can do that same thing for someone else, and leave that lasting impression. After all, it helps to preserve the traditions of our favorite holiday. HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!

What’s so fun about running through a corn maze on a hot October afternoon? Last year I tried one (in an attempt to answer that question for myself). What started as a nice little jaunt through those fields of husks became a mind-bending, nerve-wracking race to finish the maze as quickly as possible. Usually, corn mazes aren’t so dramatic…but let me give you this bit of advice. Go to the bathroom BEFORE you enter any maze! Trust me. When your bladder doesn’t feel like its going to pop, a corn maze can totally be an enjoyable thing. Read more »

You may not have realized it, but if you’ve driven in Los Angeles, then you’ve experienced what its like to be a zombie. I noticed this today as I woke myself from another mindless drive down the 405 freeway. And as I looked around, I noticed everyone else had the same empty expressions on their faces…just like a bunch of zombies. Well if we’re all so good at being zombies, why not put that energy (or lack of it) to good use? This Saturday, August 15th, join the So.Cal Zombie Walk in West Hollywood.

What the heck is a Zombie Walk you ask? Its an organized gathering of people who will dress up as zombies using costumes and makeup and walk around a predetermined route. Why would anyone want to do this? To have fun of course! Participants are encouraged to act the role by moaning, limping and doing whatever else zombies do (minus the eating brains thing). And it gets better! Zombie Walk organizers usually help raise awareness for local charities such as Toy’s for Tots, or local food banks. Ah..zombies with heart! There are zombie walk groups all over the country, so if you can’t make it to this one, look up your own local group. C’mon guys! Lets get out there and be mindless together!

Well, another year of Comic Con has come and gone. The convention goers have packed up their rare comics, new toys, mangled costumes and random swag and headed for home. For those of you that are wondering what you missed, I’m here to give you the scoop. Yes, a week late, but it took me that long just to go through all the flyers and free stuff I collected! You may have already heard about some of the post comic con buzz, but I’ll give you a unique look at some of the stuff that you would have seen if you spent two days roaming up and down the convention hallways.

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So as San Diego Comic Con nears, I thought I’d tease you with highlights from yet another recent convention…the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors. Fangoria magazine has been bringing horror entertainment news to fans for over twenty years. Their magazine covers everything from feature films, video games, comic books, collectibles, and monster movie makeup among other things.

The convention kicked off at 9am with an organized Zombie Walk. You know, I did notice a bunch of people that resembled the undead, but I thought they were all just having bad hair days. Read more »