Happy Friday! Christmas Day is three days away and whether you’re done shopping or just getting started, you need some good movies to take your mind off the stress of the horrordays! You gotta hand it to Santa and Krampus, these two guys are quite decisive about that naughty and nice list. You’re on one or the other, but never both! So, to celebrate Creepmas, and, in keeping with our Merry & Fright theme of traditional Christmas with spooky vibes, I compiled a list of holiday horror where we can cheer on the good guys and the bad guys who get chopped up into tiny pieces!
Nightmare Before Christmas Gremlins Krampus Rare Exports: A Christmas Tale Deadly Games A Christmas Horror Story Silent Night, Deadly Night Black Christmas (1974 version)
If you’re looking for great books to gift your spooky loved ones this season, keep reading!
Most of these suggested books I own myself or totally plan on buying. I love classic horror by all the greats and I’m also proud to support indie writers and I hope you will too. I’ve marked the ones available in digital format that make great last-minute gifts or stocking stuffers.
Best Indie Urban Paranormal so real you might go looking for these people and places series:
Consumia’s Spiritual Emporium, Book I of the Omnist Series by Rob Weldon* – $6, $16, $26; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available via Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Best Monster Fantasy Turned into a Video Game and Hit TV Show Series:
Blood of Elves, Book I of the Witcher Saga by Andrzej Sapkowski* – $9, $12, $25, $60; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available (Complete Boxset shown in image below) via Amazon and Barnes and Noble
Best Steamy Indie Paranormal Romance:
Hex and the Single Witch by Roxanne Rhoads – $12 paperback via Amazon
Best Indie Fantasy-Horror-SciFi:
Cast a Cold Eye by Derryl Murphy and William Shunn* – $2, $35 Kindle and hardback via Amazon
Best Classic Halloween Story:
The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury* $5, $15; Digital, paperback, hardback and other formats available via Amazon or Barnes and Noble
Best Fun-Sized Stories to get you into the Halloween spirit:
We Bleed Orange & Black: 31 Fun Sized Tales for Halloween by Jeff Carter* – $7 paperback via Amazon
Best Comprehensive Halloween History book I can’t wait to own:
The Better Days Books Vintage Halloween Reader by Various authors – $23 paperback via Amazon
Best and Fastest Way to Understanding Halloween Folklore and Traditions:
Creating Your Vintage Hallowe’en: The folklore, traditions, and some crafty makes by Marion Paull – $15 hardback via Amazon
Best Compact Taschen Icons Picturebook:
Halloween: Vintage Holiday Graphics Edited by Jim Heimann, Forward by Steven Heller – $17 paperback via Thriftbooks
Most Comprehensive, Deluxe Hardback Halloween Picturebook Collection:
Vintage Hallowe’en: Tricks, Treats & Traditions by Robert Pandis – $75 hardback
This sought after vintage Halloween picturebook is typically sold out, but I included it here because sometimes you can find it selling on secondhand markets online.
Best Someday I’m gonna own that Book:
Dracula,1897, 1st edition by Bram Stoker – $200-37,000
If you ever come across an ugly little book that looks like this, keep it!!!
*Makes a great last-minute gift or stocking stuffer!
Not sure what you gift your favorite Halloween lover this Creepmas? Well, you came to the right place. It’s going to be a Christmas to dismember with these cool and creepy holiday gift ideas!
Bundt Haunted Manor Cake Pan from Nordicware $36 – For the Halloween Baking Lover
Trick R Treat Sam Bitten Lollipop Bag from Trick or Treat Studios $59 – For the Halloween Lover on the Go
Elvira’s Very Scary Xmas 8″Clothed Figure Collectible by NECA $60 – For the Elvira Halloween Horror Collector Lover
Wednesday Nevermore Loungefly Mini Backpack, Pre-order Exclusive from Entertainment Earth $69 – For the Trendy TV Halloween Lover
Spooky Shoes like Chocolaticas Widow Heart – Mary Jane Flats by Hot Chocolate Design $85 – For the Halloween Spider Lover
6-Ft Pre-lit Purple Halloween Christmas Tree $92 from Costway at Target – For the Halloween Christmas Lover
Halloween Glass Ornaments from Christmas Traditions Store 19.99 for 12 or $9.99 for 6 – For the Halloween Christmas Lover Who Needs Ornaments for the Tree
“Dome of Doom” Light-up Haunted House Sculpture from Bradford Exchange $119 – For the Classy Yet Fun Halloween Decor Lover
Gothic Halloween Tea Sets from Angioletti Designs $165-185 – For the Gothic Halloween Tea Drinking Lover
Happy December! I can’t believe it’s the last month of 2023. It’s been long ridiculous year. The theme this month is Merry and Fright. It’s a traditional Christmas vibe with a little dash of spooky sprinkled in. I’ll have lots of cool haiku, gift-giving guides, scary holiday movies lists and free gifts to give away so stay tuned. Season’s Screaming!
winter wonderland creatures stirring for creepmas all merry and fright
Remember to support Small Business Saturday and shop independent or local shops. Below are only a few unique and reputable spooky shops independently owned and operated all-year long which I support and highly recommend for all your Creepmas shopping this year holiday season.
Celebrating 29 years, Dark Del provides a home for truly independent booksellers, movie memorabilia collectors, horror fanatics, and other spooky stuff in the greater Los Angeles region. The store is located in Burbank and often holds in-person signings and events. Del is also an awesome author and editor of works, such as Dark Delicacies horror anthology series and the suspense-western, The Survival of Margaret Thomas. If you live in L.A. area, stop by this weekend!
Part oddities, part occult, part horror shop, part mystics museum, Mystic Museum is one-of-a-kind place for horror and occult fans. Taking up an astonishing three storefronts, the corner store is Camp Horror, an 80s horror themed shop that carries horror movie apparel, memorabilia and more.
Next door, the oddities shop, find rare, vintage and occult items for your arts and craft. You’ll barely notice that you crossed over to Mystic Museum, a place for goth decor, apparel, books, jewelry and more. Inside that shop is a door, where, for a donation, you can enter the parlor room that houses original artwork and vintage items celebrating curated themes throughout the year.
And, then, there’s the exhibit down the street…trust me, Mystic Museum is a kooky, dreamy, satisfying day trip.
I adore Halloween Town Store. Open all year long, this costume shop is a few doors down from the original main store, which carries everything from Halloween props and spooky clothing to original art prints and spooky, vintage, pop horror collectibles. Check everyone off your list in one visit.
Online:
Gingerbread Bag by Backstitch Bruja
Creepmas wrapping paper or Krampus Folklore Mug as seen below by Spooky Cat Press
If you live in Europe, or outside the USA and looking for an amazing Halloween shop, then, try October 31st store, owned and operated all year along by Spooky Wil.
October 31st is da domb! In addition to carrying some great stuff from artists and creators all over the world, Wil also produces original crafted art and merchandise and ships internationally.
October 31st also often carries out-of-print, discontinued, or rare Halloween or spooky collectibles that can’t be found in the US, sometimes at regular retail price. Yes, shipping costs are little high, but scalpers and secondary markets on Ebay or Amazon, are gonna charge mark up prices and charge for shipping too. You can reach out and interact with Wil beforehand, he’s super sweet, and he packs items with great care. Shop from Wil. Keep a good guy in business!
Hope your holidays are full of merry and fright! Happy Creepmas!
Happy Frankenstein Friday! Time for another Friday Fright Nightcap! Tonight, we celebrate Universal monster Dr. Frankstein with a classy cocktail stitched together with a bunch of different ingredients, just like his creations!
Ingredients: 2 oz. Midori 1 oz. vodka 1 oz. white rum 1 1/2 oz. Sprite .5 oz. St-Germain elderflower liqueur
Mix ingredients well. Garnish with Maraschino cherries or fresh fruit. Serve chilled.
You can stream Universal’s Frankenstein, 1931, on Peacock, with a paid subscription.
Peter Cushing reprises his role as the brilliant Baron Doctor Victor Frankenstein in this sequel to The Curse of Frankenstein 1957.
Having escaped the guillotine with the help of a hunchback man named Karl, Baron Frankenstein escapes to Germany and assumes the name of Dr. Victor Stein, where he equally caters to the rich and helps the poor with their ailments at a local pauper’s hospital.
It’s been three years since this new Dr. Stein showed up, and the local medical council is miffed with him for refusing to join their stuffy board, so they dispatch three advocates to see what he’s up to. Among them, young scientific admirer Dr. Hans Kleve, who recognizes the Baron immediately and returns later to blackmail Stein, but he doesn’t want money, he wants to partner up!
Turns out, Dr. Stein’s new gig is a bit of ruse, since now he’s able identify patients who are about die or lose a limb, which helps him collect body parts for his experiments much more easily.
Dr. Stein shows Dr. Kleve his newst creation and relays plans to transplant a living brain into a healthy body. In fact, he’s already found a donor, his henchman Karl, who is more than willing to swap his decrepit body for a new one, especially after meeting Dr. Stein’s new assistant Margaret.
At first, the transplant is a success, but when Dr. Kleve tells Karl he’s a medical sensation, Karl panics, knowing that Dr. Stein’s previous experiment, transplanting the brain of an orangutan into a chimpanzee turned the poor creature into a cannibal.
Karl runs away after killing the lab’s vile janitor during a violent fight and hides out in the stables belonging to Margaret’s Aunt.
Unfortunately, Karl’s deformities eventually mysteriously return and Karl does indeed turn cannibal. After killing a few townspeople, Karl then heads to a party to kidnap Margaret but is caught. He screams out Frankenstein’s name and the whole town now knows Victor Stein is really the outlaw Baron Frankenstein!
Although not quite as scary as the first film, Terence Fisher directs another well-plotted out thriller with stellar performances from the cast all around. I ways loved how Fisher allowed Cushing not to portray Frankenstein as a madman but more an overzealous brilliant scientist. I recommend this one for the high production quality, the comedy of 1950s special effects, great performances, and the glorious melodrama like only a Hammer Horror film can provide!
Happy International Artist Day! Today we celebrate the dark fantasy art of Diana Levin of Ghoulish Bunny Studios!
Diana Levin’s art could be described as both whimsical and menacing. Her imaginative and unique style embrace death and horror, all while capturing the natural beauty of an enchanted forest or a fantastical world.
Diana and her author husband Shawn Givens travel around to different conventions and trade shows all over the USA. They’re two of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. Stop by and say hello!
Enter the 5th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge for a chance to win a witchy prize pack containing a canvas bag and an enamel pin featuring the art of Diana Levin!
Halloween Horror Haiku 
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