First caturday in November is always the first after Halloween. Most jack-o-lanterns are still lounging around people’s porches. Mine unfortunately didn’t even last the weekend. I attribute that to the fast that I bought the pumpkin early this year and warm weather we had weeks ago.
Anyways, the theme this month is Halloween Encore. So, while the pumpkins might be ready for pie, we can leave our decorations up until it’s really time for Christmas.
Andrew Pokhalchuk
Every Sunday in October is Poe Sunday, the day we celebrate the Master of Macabre, Edgar Allan Poe. This year, I’ll suggest the best movie adaptations of Poe’s work.
Raul Garcia writes and directs this dark animated anthology of Edgar Allan Poe’s most beloved gothic tales, featuring both new voiceover and original pre-recorded narration from horror’s most legendary actors and directors. It’s colorful surrealist animation and perfectly ghastly for Poe lovers to watch on Halloween night.
Imagine the remnants of the Last Halloween. Ever wonder what will they find years later, in the aftermath, at the height of the apocalyse, when the dust clears and the sun returns, when the fate of human race can no longer be calculated and civilization hangs by a thread? Will it be brightly covered streamers, lifless dolls, broken trick-r-treat pails, torn party flyers, weathered movie posters, or tattered costumes? How would they know how to carry on?
The theme this month is dystopian Halloween. I was inspired by this piece titled “The Last Halloween” artwork by Roman Durbina.
Artist: Roman Dubina
Social Media:
https://instagram.com/romandubina_art?igshid=NjZiMGI4OTY=
Company/Studio/Website:
https://www.deviantart.com/users/outgoing?https://twitter.com/RockFunRoman
The theme this month is Dystopian Halloween. What Halloween traditions survive a post-apocalyptic landscape will be up to the survivors. For some of us, Halloween is instilled in our soul. We’ll easily find a way to celebrate the dead. That’s what comes to mind when I found this awesome spooky art from Kellen Carranza.
Artist: Kellen Carranza
Company/Studio/Website:
https://www.artstation.com/artofkellencarranza
Where to Purchase Goods:
https://www.designbyhumans.com/shop/KellenC/
In 1953, United Production Artists produced an 8-minute animation based on Edgar Allan Poe’s The Tell-Tale Heart. This surreal psychological horror short film, narrated by James Mason and distributed by Columbia Pictures, became the first animated film to earn an X rating in the UK. The reason? Well, that’s just what old stuffy white dudes do when someone makes a film about killing old stuffy white dudes for no reason.
Click here for more information on The Tell-Tale Heart from 1953.
The theme for October is dystopian Halloween. This piece entitled The Guardian by Jeffrey Smith, creator of “Light Of Conscience” and “Persona Theater” series, captures the mood of the month.
Artist: Jeffrey Smith
Website/Studio: https://www.deviantart.com/ascending-storm
Social Media: https://instagram.com/ascendingstorm?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Where to Purchase Goods:
https://www.inprnt.com/gallery/ascendingstorm/
Happy October! After starting late this Halloween season, I’m now ready to post the schedule of this year’s 31 Days of Halloween Celebration. The theme this October is dystopian Halloween. With the doomsday clock ticking down, due to savages like Russian dictator Vladamir Putin and gun-crazed trump-loving jesus-freaks, it’s probably way past time to think about how humankind plans to survive the apocalypse, in particular, how we’ll preserve our traditions and holidays, like Halloween.
Part of the month, we’ll have some fun with the dystopian Halloween-horror theme, but I have decided to mix in some good old-fashion Halloween traditional themes as well, cuz, I just love talking about those Halloween memories.
Have a safe and happy Halloween season!
31 Days of Halloween Schedule
Monday Macabre
Mondays are always dedicated to Haiku, but every Monday in October we’ll explore a dystopian Halloween.
Tuesday Terror
Every Tuesday, I’ll share my favorite scary movies that I believe make great Halloween season viewing.
Wicked Art Wednesdays
Every Wednesday, I’ll share some spooktacular Halloween art with an apocalyptic twist. I might even post some my own original Halloween pencil stencil art.
Throwback Thursdays
Preservation of Halloween traditions is important for several reasons. Every Thursday, let’s explore the origins of some Halloween traditions and muse over whether these traditions might survive the apocalypse.
Friday Fright Nightcaps
Ghosts aren’t the only ones who like to get sheet-faced on Halloween. Check back every Friday for Halloween season-inspired cocktails.
Sinister Saturdays
In the past few years, Sinister Saturdays have always been dedicated to food and Halloween recipes. The problem was, besides my being the worst cook in America, people are simply reluctant to let you share their recipes online, even if you give them complete credit and link back to their website. So, in the true spirit of Sinister Saturdays, we’re just going to let the demons loose that day and see what they come up with.
Poe Sundays
This year’s tribute to the master of macabre, Edgar Allan Poe, will feature my thoughts on the best Poe adaptations on film.
4th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge 2022
#Halloweenhaikuchallenge
Share your most original or scariest visual Halloween Haiku photos during October for a chance to win some prizes.
More details about the haiku contest will be announced on October 18th.
Join in the fun, and follow me @Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Instagram and @Halloweenkristy on Twitter
Happy October! Best month of the year! It’s so exciting that there are going to be five Caturdays this October!
While looking for art, I came across this piece by Wendy Snow-Lang, an artist who lives in Salem, MA. It was so simple, yet intriguing. It’s entitled Trust and it felt perfect for our theme this October, dystopian Halloween.
For more art from Wendy Snow-Lang, please visit: https://instagram.com/theoctoberhouse1031?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
To purchase art: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheOctoberHouse1031?ref=profile_header
The theme this month is Halloween Memories. This September, I’m celebrating the return to Middle-Earth with the debut of Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power this past week on Amazon. One of my favorite memories is seeing The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring in the theaters.
Artist Kajenna creates fabulous animal art and her Halloween cats are my fave. Lucius reminded me so much of Lord of the Rings, I just had to share.
For more amazing Kajenna art, visit here: https://www.deviantart.com/kajenna/art/Lucius-633886619
To purchase art prints: https://kajenna.weebly.com/#
What goes into a good spell? Mugwort? Thyme? Bat Wool? Dragon’s Blood? Most witches know the first and best ingredient is your intentions. What are you trying to achieve? Focus on that. Your intention is what makes the spell powerful. The rest of the ingredients can come from your kitchen, your garden, the Apothecary down the street, it doesn’t matter where you get them, as long as your intentions are good. Remember, you get back what you put out. And don’t forget to write it all down for next time.
The theme this month is a Witches Halloween Spellbook.
Witch Cat by Joao Vagner inspires me to create some Halloween haiku with this month’s theme in mind.
To view more fangtastical art and purchase prints of this one, please go here: https://www.artstation.com/prints/canvas/MQOG/witch-cat
Halloween Horror Haiku 