TransWorld EAST COAST dates announced!

I'm now realizing that I forgot to share the news, but TransWorld's Halloween and Attractions Show is finally coming to the East Coast!

A week ago, TransWorld announced that they were adding a new show. In addition to the St. Louis show, a Haunters Convention will now also be happening in Philadelphia, starting next year!

Yesterday, they announced the location, sponsors, and show/tour dates for 2024. TransWorld's East Coast Haunters Convention will be held at The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, April 25 - 28, 2024.  

Attendee tickets aren't on sale yet, but Exhibitor registration forms have opened up. I hope to attend!!

See the announcement photo below or click here for the IG post

The Headless Horseman's Laugh

Walt Disney's The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad has been a Halloween staple since early childhood, when I would fast forward through the Wind in the Willows segment so I could get to the "good stuff"... The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

An aspect of this adaptation of Irving's original tale that thrilled me as a child is the introduction of the Headless Horseman by way of his terrifying, ghostly cackle.  IMDB credits Billy Bletcher as the voice actor behind the Horseman's laugh.  In my mind, there is no other evil laugh that comes anywhere close to this one.

Listen to a collection of the laughs below (0:30). The first half is without echo, but the second half is how they are heard in the film.

Bucket-heads

Yard haunt by David T Janasiak in Caledonia Wisconsin.  I love how overgrown this looks.

Photos are from his Instagram: @dtjanasiak

Now Drinking: Black Mountain Bandito

A last minute cocktail post in honor of Cocktail Day!  I have completely exhausted my monthly booze budget, but I had to make this one... Tonight I'm drinking my all-time-favorite cocktail: a Black Mountain Bandito!

This drink was created by The Dime bar in Gainesville FL, and ever since having one there, I've been making copycats at home. Pretty happy with my homemade recipe so far. I use the same ingredients as The Dime, though the ratios may need some more tweaking.  Here's my version:

Black Mountain Bandito

- 1½ oz Amaro Montenegro

- ½ oz Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur

- 1 oz Mezcal

- 1 orange peel

Pour ingredients into a rocks glass over ice (one big cube works best here) and stir.

Flame an orange peel over the drink, and drop in.

This cocktail is boozy with a smokiness you get on the exhale after you sip, and I find that this is balanced nicely with the botanical Montenegro.  I'm no sommelier though, so that's pretty much the depth of my analysis haha.  

Happy drinking!

Listening to: Viral Incubation

New album by Void Stasis, published by Cryo Chamber (a great ambient music label). From their Instagram:

Void Stasis returns with the sequel to their debut album Ruins. A dark gritty and industrial sci-fi album that tells a story of an alien planet expedition gone wrong. Void Stasis is a collaboration from Kristof Bathory of Dawn of Ashes, Scott Denman of Die Sektor and Marie Ann Hedonia.

Recommended for fans of Xenomorphic soundscapes, Sci-Fi horror and gritty alien atmospheres. CD and Digital version comes with a 16 page booklet with logbook excerpts written by Void Stasis.

Love the idea of the logbook.  I'm a big fan of found-artifact horror-mysteries, and the pairing of ambient tracks with readable writings creates an engaging multi-media experience.

Click below to listen and purchase:

Now Drinking: Poison Apple

A simple drink that can be mixed or drank as a depth charge

Ingredients:

- 2 parts Ancho Reyes Chile Liqueur 

- 6 parts Hard Cider of choice

Recipe:

Pour chilled cider into pint glass. Then, pour in Ancho Reyes and mix. 

(To drink as a depth charge, drop a shot glass of Ancho Reyes into a pint of cider and chug)

I'm pretty sure I got this recipe from Ancho Reyes' website years ago, but I haven't been able to find it there or anywhere else online.  Which is a shame, because I quite like the drink!  Nice to sip, with a spicy kick. Gets that buzz going a little faster than your standard cider, which I'll never complain about.

New Original Song: Introduction to The City

This track starts slow and dark, eventually building into something a little more heroic.  Trying to capture the feeling of taking a night drive through a new city for the very first time.

Click the image below to take a listen!

Haunt Theory: What's He Building In There?

What's he building in there?

What the hell is he building in there?

He has subscriptions to those magazines

He never waves when he goes by

He's hiding something from the rest of us

He's all to himself

I think I know why

He took down the tire swing from the pepper tree

He has no children of his own, you see

He has no dog

And he has no friends

And his lawn is dying

And what about all those packages he sends?

What's he building in there?

With that hook light on the stairs

What's he building in there?

I'll tell you one thing

He's not building a playhouse for the children

What's he building in there?

Now what's that sound from under the door?

He's pounding nails into a hardwood floor

And I swear to god I heard someone moaning low

And I keep seeing the blue light of a T.V. show

He has a router and a table saw

And you won't believe what Mr. Sticha saw

There's poison underneath the sink of course

But there's also enough formaldehyde to choke a horse

What's he building in there?

What the hell is he building in there?

I heard he has an ex-wife

In some place called Mayors Income, Tennessee

And he used to have a consulting business in Indonesia

But what is he building in there?

What the hell is building in there?

He has no friends

But he gets a lot of mail

I'll bet he spent a little time in jail

I heard he was up on the roof last night

Signaling with a flashlight

And what's that tune he's always whistling

What's he building in there?

What's he building in there?

We have a right to know...

Photo taken while visiting some family outside Louisville.
Original song by Tom Waits

Listening to: We Are Not Ourselves

By Halloween At High Noon.  I love how this song captures the feeling of opening your front door to a busy street, full of happy trick-or-treaters. The title of the song reflects the spirit of Halloween, where we can hide behind masks and costumes and be whoever we want to be. 

Then again, for so many of us, it feels like Halloween is the only night when we are ourselves.... 

Click below to listen:

Incredible decorations by @12monthsofoctober

Listening to: Runaway

From The Neon Demon soundtrack by Cliff Martinez (Drive, 2011 [and the Red Hot Chili Peppers]).

Haven't seen this psychological horror, but stumbled across this track today. I may have to watch it for the music alone. 

Click below to listen:

The Mummy Ghost

New prop by Pumpkinrot

Click the image below for the story...

Part of the ongoing Hexeglaawe series

October Nights

Pumpkin-headed ghosts and string lights.  Simply perfect. 

Beautiful photo by Adam Czarnik