Friday Fright Nightcaps – Tropical Void

Happy Friday! It’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps! Not gonna lie, I’ve spent two weeks chasing purple, a perfectly purple cocktail that is.

Unfortunately, my experiments have rendered every color but purple. In any event, I present to you the Tropical Void. It’s not purple. It’s not black. It’s something inbetween.

Ingredients:

2 oz. Grapefruit soda
1.5 oz. Dark Rum
.5 oz. Blue Curacao
.5 oz. Grenadine
1 oz. Pineapple juice
1.5 oz. Cranberry juice
Splash of lime juice

Mix ingredients well. Garnish with Maraschino cherries or fresh fruit. Serve chilled.

Happy Halloween!🎃

Wicked Art Wednesdays 2026 – John Dunn

Last week I got a little discouraged by all the AI artwork, more specifically the hoarding of information and promotion of ads and bs in search engines. It seems like the world wide web is now locked behind paywalls and prejudices.

Just when I was about to give up, I came across the Hero Complex Gallery. Today we pay tribute to the illustrator and graphic designer John Dunn, who pop culture artworks and alternative movie posters can be seen on hcgart.com

Artist: John Dunn
Company/Studio: www.johndunnart.com

Why we love it: John Dunn’s artwork and alternative movie posters are exquisite and anyone who pays tribute to Hammer Horror is a super cool dude in our book.

Where to Purchase art: https://hcgart.com/search?type=product&q=john*+dunn

“And Be Immortal” ©️John Dunn, prints available for purchase at Hero Complex Gallery

Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/johndunn_art/

Happy Halloween!🎃

Trick or Treat Tuesdays – 80s Horror Movie Trivia

Happy Trick or Treat Tuesday!

Horror movies are the backbone of Hollywood. From Universal’s classic monsters to Hammer horror, 80s slashers to A24’s psychological terrors, every great horror movie has unforgettable characters, whether they’re vile villains or hopeful heroes. Can you match these totally awesome tubular 80s horror classics with their best characters?

Laurie Strode hides out from the Bogeyman, again, in Springfield, IL.
MacReady and others come face to face with unknown alien species in Antarctica.
Alison and Suzie fight off bogus killer robots at the mall.
Freddy, Burt, and local punk rockers fight off zombies in the cemetery.
Donna and Tad get trapped in their Ford Pinto by a rabid St. Bernard.
Frank brings home a strange puzzle box to his daughter Kirsty who then gets targeted by demonic Cenobites.
Charley Brewster and Peter Vincent just aren’t buying Charley’s new neighbor is an everyday average guy.
Nancy and friends can’t sleep with child killer Freddy Krueger running around in their dreams.
Caleb and Mae are just bloodier version of Romeo and Juliet in Oklahoma.
Ash Williams gets lost in time in his neverending battle against the Deadites.

Match these ten character clues to their respective scary movie titles and post your responses in the Comments Section.

Happy Halloween!🎃

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Boo-Scary Margarita

Happy Friday! Tonight’s Friday Fright Nightcap is a deep blue concoction called the Boo-Scary Margarita. It’s only got 4 ingredients and it’s highly customizable to taste.

Ingredients:
2 oz.   Tequila Blanco (white)
2 oz.   Cranberry juice
1 oz.   Blue Curacao
1 oz.   Sour Apple

Garnish: Rim salt or sugar or fresh lime

Pour chilled ingredients into a mixer and shake well. Then, pour into a glass with a salted rim.

I tried to make my own black rim salt and it turned blue-green. It could’ve been cool but my glass was too wet or the salt was too cheap, who knows, it didn’t stick right.😄

Please don’t drink and drive.

Happy Halloween!🎃

Wicked Art Wednesdays 2026 – Kurtis Rykovich

I have to be honest, searching for art is not like it used to be a few years ago, hell, just last year even. AI and capitalist marketing of goods, often AI rendered art, is heavily promoted in search engines making it nearly impossible to find anything. This could seriously be my last Wicked Art Wednesday if I don’t come up with another plan.

That said, I chose a phenomenal artist whose stunning art is worthy of closing out my Halloween 2026 schedule. I present to you the fine art of Kurtis Rykovich!

Artist: Kurtis Rykovich
Company/Studio: The Art of Kurtis Rykovich

Where to Purchase Goods: https://www.rykovich.com/

Why we love it: Spooky cats, fantastical creatures, haunted images, spooky and cute, colorful macabre, it’s all here, a visionary smorgasbord for your eyeballs.

Social Media: https://www.instagram.com/kurtisrykovich/

Kurtis Rykovich sells prints and original art online and you can meet him in-person at Midsummer Scream, Oddities & Curiosities Expo, and other shows.

Happy Halloween!🎃

Trick or Treat Tuesdays – Old Halloween Trivia

Happy Trick or Treat Tuesday! Traditions and customs may have changed over the years and across regions but Halloween has been a community celebration since Celtic times. Do you know the answers of these old Halloween trivia questions?

Post your responses in the Comments Section.

What ancient Celtic festival from Ireland and Britain became the precursor to Halloween?

Before pumpkins, these vegetables were often used to make lanterns to ward off evil spirits on Halloween night.

What’s the name of the popular paper company that became famous for manufacturing Halloween decorations?

What were the first Halloween party books filled with party planning ideas, recipes, and decorations released in 1909 by this same company called?

What’s the name of the company thst made inexpensive plastic masks and vinyl smocks that became an iconic American symbol of Halloween?

Name one of the four major popular Halloween postcard artists whose scary works are now a collector’s dream (hint: if you click the link, you’ll find some names). 😊

Happy Halloween!🎃

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Bloody Paloma

Happy Friday! It’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps! Tonight, we’re choosing another refreshing concoction with a twist, the Bloody Paloma!

It’s a basic Paloma with some grenadine, a bit of cranberry juice, and splash of lime juice to cut back the sweetness. It also gives it a darker red hue. Best when served chilled.

The real stars of a good Paloma is grapefruit soda and tequila blanco

Ingredients:
4 oz. Grapefruit soda
2 oz. Tequila Blanco (white)
.05 oz. Grenadine
1 oz. Cranberry juice
Splash of lime juice

Opt Garnish: Red syrup or Black rim salt

Pour chilled ingredients into a glass and mix well.

Bloody Paloma, best when served chilled.

Even though I chilled my ingredients, it’s been so hot out west that I threw in some extra ice cubes.

Garnish would really make this picture pop better but unfortunately I ran out of black rim salt.

Enjoy! Drink and drive responsibly!

Happy Halloween!🎃

Wicked Art Wednesdays 2026 – Spookiesboo

Artist: Kimmy Perez
Company/Studio: Spookiesboo

Where to Purchase Goods: https://spooksieboo.com/

Happy Nightmares art print by Spookiesboo

Why we love it:

Spookiesboo is the epitome of spooky and cute! It’s been so great to watch her little independent art shop grow into a full-on art branded merchandising business, including exclusive collaborations, with Laika Studios, Coraline, Paranorman, Yo Gabba Gabba! and many more!

Explorer Coraline Enamel Pin, $15, Spookiesboo x Coraline (TM)

Social Media:

Instagram

Tiktok

Coraline(TM) x Spooksieboo (TM) Ghost Children T-Shirt, Hot Topic (currently sold out)

In addition to her online shop, you can find Spookiesboo in-person at San Diego Comic Con, Midsummer Scream and various trade shows across the nation throughout the year.

Trick or Treat Tuesdays – Witchy Trivia

Happy Trick or Treat Tuesday! Only a witch (or a really motivated person) can answer these witchy movie trivia questions correctly.

Post your responses in the Comments Section.

What was the name of this 1922 silent Scandinavian film showing the evolution of witchcraft?
This role proved to be a cursed part for this actress when she and her stunt-double were badly injured in two different pyrotechnic fires while filming the Wizard of Oz.
Name the two actresses who attended Satan’s School for Girls before becoming “angels”.
In 1999, this witchy tale gave birth to a whole new sub-genre of horror films.
Robert Egger’s directorial debut about a puritan New England family plagued by witches was also the big screen debut of which actress?
Amy Madigan won an Oscar portraying this witch in Zach Creggar’s folk horror Weapons.

Happy Halloween!🎃

Friday Fright Nightcaps – Haunted Blue Vodka

Happy Friday! It’s the return of Friday Fright Nightcaps! It’s October and 100 degrees out west, not very Fall nor Halloween weather but what can we do.

I recently gave up soda and took up sparkling water as a go-to beverage. Of course it was only a matter time before I started experimenting like mad scientist mixing concoctions. Haunted Blue Vodka is this week’s freakish refreshment.

Ingredients:
2 oz. Blue Curacao
1.5 oz. Chilled vodka
4 oz. sparkling water (I choose coconut La Croix)
Splash of lime juice

Garnish: fresh fruit, flowers, tiny umbrella (opt)

Pour chilled ingredients into a glass and stir well.

Tastes like alcoholic soda water, which may not be everyone’s cup of tea, I’m gonna warn ya up front. But, you can play around with the recipe and add more sparkling water if it’s too strong or vice versa. Honestly, it’s probably a better summer drink than fall but it’s kinda perfect for a SoCal Halloween.

Have fun. Please don’t drink and drive. Be safe out there this season!