Winner of 24-Hour Flash Halloween Haiku Challenge

Congratulations to Gary Blackwell for winning the Halloween Prize Pack!

A house built apon
Chicken legs, children run scared.
Grandmother’s cauldron.

Happy 6th Anniversary to Halloween Horror Haiku!

This month marks the 6th anniversary of Halloween Horror Haiku. While, I’ve stepped back this year to focus on work and my health, I do still post new haiku once a month and on special occasions.

I want to thank everyone for stopping by to check out my blog. Originally, I was going to do a traditional haiku challenge and run a contest for a few weeks, but time constraints keep me from posting as often as I’d like this month. So, instead, I’m holding a flash haiku challenge for 24 hours, starting at 12pm PST on April 30th until 12pm PST on May 1st.

Since April 30th also marks the official halfway point to Halloween and Walpurgisnacht or Witch’s Night, our themes for the contest will be Halfway to Halloween or Witch’s Night. Your original haiku must feature one of the two themes to qualify. Traditional haiku rules apply. Good luck!

SUBMISSIONS:

Only 3 haiku permitted per contestant. You may post here in the comments section or on Instagram or Threads. Don’t forget to use #halloweenhaikuchallenge in your social media posts AND tag me! @halloweenhorrorhaiku

Please see Contest Rules and Eligibility Page for more details.

PRIZES:

1st Place Winner wins a Halloween prize pack, retail valued at $50 (see contents below). 2nd and 3rd place winners will win a Halloween Disney Pin from 2022 season and their choice from the Halloween Grab Bag. I’m emptying the grab bag, so this is a great chance to nab a Disney Halloween pin collectible for free!

1st Place Winner Halloween Prize Pack: Wilton Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Halloween Non-stick Cake Pan (1); choice of a collectible Haunted Mansion Bride pin, Mickey Halloween Pin, or Mickey and Minnie Halloween pin set from 2023 season (1); Disney Halloween magnet from 2022 season (1) and some Spooksieboo springtime spooky stickers.

2nd & 3rd Place Winners: 1 Collectible Disney Halloween Pin and a grab bag item, plus some Spooksieboo springtime spooky stickers.

Thanks again for all your love and support! Only a few more months until the unofficial 2024 Halloween season is upon us! It’s gonna be big. I can feel it!

Top Ten Horror Movies with an Antichrist Theme

January is the month of rebirth and renewal. No one takes this more seriously than Satan himself. Lucifer’s been looking for ways to escape Hell since the dawn of time and what better way than to create a mini-me of evil. That doesnt bode well planet Earth, cuz once the devil is free, the forces of evil will unite to destroy the human race for good, or so the story goes…

Filmmakers have been using the spawn of Satan as a horror trope or a theme since before Technicolor, but only a true film master can make audiences feel like they need an exorcism after watching a film. These are my picks for the top ten movies invoking the Antichrist

The Omen, 1976
Prince of Darkness, 1987
Rosemary’s Baby, 1968
Angel Heart, 1987
The Devil’s Advocate, 1997
When Evil Lurks, 2023
Omen II, 1978
Final Conflict, 1981
The Vatican Tapes, 2015
Holocaust 2000, 1977

Thursday Terror – Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde

Hammer’s unique story mash up between Burke and Hare cases, legendary serial killer Jack the Ripper, and Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a mesmorizing gender-bender thriller.

Set in infamous Whitechapel at the height of Jack the Ripper’s murderous spree, Dr. Henry Jekyll (Ralph Bates) hell-bent on his quest for immortality, crosses moral barriers with his experiments.

At first, the young doctor pays a local mortician to acquire body parts of newly-deceased women who end up in the morgue, but when supplies run low, the doctor enlists the grisly services of two lowly gentleman, Burke and Hare, who indiscriminately kill unsuspecting victims and bring their dead bodies to Dr. Jekyll.

But Dr. Jekyll’s serum has unintended consequences, when it transforms his own body into the body of a beautiful woman, who he eventually names Mrs. Hyde (Martine Beswick). He tells his noisy neighbors, including his admirer Susan (Susan Brodrick), that the alluring woman now living with him is his recently widowed sister.

Between The Ripper and Burke and Hare, the city of Whitechapel is gripped by fear. Someone eventually finds out about deadly duo’s murderous deeds and they succomb to the town’s pitchfork. This leaves Dr. Jekyll at a disadvantage, just as he was making progress with his serum.

Sister Hyde quickly realizes her demise is tied to Dr. Jekyll’s research, so she begins stalking the dark alleys of Whitechapel herself for young female victims to murder in the name of science.

Back in 1971, the idea of a man transforming into a woman was really taboo stuff. For some moviegoers, that in of itself was the horror. Despite the obvious misogynistic horror trope of making every other woman who appears on a screen a victim, this film really pioneered LGBTQ and woman empowerment themes.

Martine Beswick really stands out here with her cutthroat and sensual performance as Sister Hyde. She’s one spooky bitch, and probably deserves a little more attention in the pantheon of horror villains. If you’re new to Hammer Horror, definitely give this wickedly smart thriller a watch.

All the spooky prizes…

Here’s a look at all the cool spooky prizes you could win this season.

It’s free to participate in contests, but you must follow the Contest Rules and be a follower of this page and/or @Halloweenhorrorhaiku on Instagram to qualify.

Look out for my upcoming contests!

Random Grab Bag Prizes:

Random Contest Prizes:

Halloween Haiku Challenge Prizes:

Wicked Art Wednesday – Defective Pudding

It’s Wicked Art Wedenesday and today’s artist, DefectivePudding is a self-taught illustrator and visual artist. Her works have been shown in galleries, conventions, and various art shows throughout the U.S. She draws inspiration from Halloween and vintage toys.

Artist: Christa D.
Social Media: https://instagram.com/defectivepudding

Company/Studio/Website/Store: https://defectivepudding.square.site/

Society 6: https://society6.com/christadippel

Trick or Treat Tuesdays

Wicked Art Wednesdays – Enchanted Bruja

Enchanted Bruja is SoCal Artist who loves drawing animals and Halloween themed art.

Alex has also created several cool tarot decks, including Enchanted Bruja Oracle, 30 card oracle deck and guide, which I own and adore.

This deck is so beautiful, spooky, and inspiring. It never fails to lift my spirits and gimme a boost in the right direction. I totally recommend picking up your own set!

Artist: Alexandra Bunch aka The Enchanted Bruja
Social Media: https://instagram.com/the_enchanted_bruja

Company/Studio/Website/Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheEnchantedBruja

Enter the 5th Annual Halloween Haiku Challenge for a chance to win a copy of this print!

Trick or Treat Tuesdays!

First person to correctly answer all 5 trivia questions in Comments section below wins a prize.

Prize:

Winner receives a Disney Halloween fridge magnet.

Remember, you must be a Halloween Horror Haiku follower and a US resident to qualify to play trivia. See Contest Rules page for more details.

Welcome October!

Happy October! Happy Halloween! Today, we kick off the first day of the Halloween Haiku Challenge. Share up to 3 of your best original or scary haiku for a chance to win cool prizes. Contest runs all month long and the grand prize is a witchy prize pack valued over $60. Go to contest page for details.

We celebrate all 31 days in October. For schedule go here. Today is spooky Sunday! Spooky Sundays are going to be like anything goes days. This weekend, I’m up in June Lake, CA, celebrating the wonderful mountain air and all things Fall.

It’s beautiful up here and I highly recommend a visit back to nature once a year. I’m pretty sure that’s what I’ve been missing in my life in recent years.

So far, we humans only inhabit one planet, pumpkins only grow on planet Earth, Fall only comes around once a year, and Halloween happens every October. We need to take better care of our planet and appreciate the natural beauty of this world, otherwise, we’ll lose all this.