THE CREATURE THAT ATE HALLOWEEN

No photo for this blog post... I don't really want to "make light" of the situation (despite this post's title).

Fact is that Hurricane Sandy (dubbed "Frankenstorm" due to it colliding with another weather system that doubled its impact) has devastated a great deal of the East Coast.

For the second year straight, in my state Halloween has actually been canceled (well, at least postponed). Last year you may recall a freak snowstorm that weighed down all the tree branches and power lines and caused havoc. But that was nothing compared to this latest storm.

It seems silly to apologize but I had indeed been planning to complete and post my review of The Three Stooges in Orbit for today. It wasn't meant to be as obviously I've been occupied with other things the past few days, none the least of which is the fact that I have no power, phone or internet (I'm creating this blog post now due to the kindness of local merchants allowing me to use their wifi).

You may also recall in my last post (which you can read by clicking here) I was supposed to be giving a talk on Vincent Price tonight at another local merchant's place (the event is a Halloween dinner with entrees made from Vincent Price's recipes). That's been rescheduled to this Sunday, November 4th at 5PM.

Anyway, I just want to wish everyone out there all the best. My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the storm. I encourage everyone out there to help someone in any way you can. Even just helping one person can make a difference!

DISHING UP DASTARDLY DELIGHTS FOR HALLOWEEN

So what's on your menu for Halloween? Broiled bat? Wolfbane stew? Seafood Lagoona?

This Wednesday at the Orange Squirrel restaurant in Bloomfield, New Jersey patrons will be trick-or-treated to a special Halloween night menu consisting of entrees made from recipes out of Vincent (and his wife Mary) Price's cookbook!

Owner-chef Francesco Palmieri, a popular chef who has made appearances on such TV programs as The Today Show is also a big Vincent Price fan and decided to do something with a bit of a Translvanian twist this Halloween. He's encouraged fans to show up with their favorite Vincent Price memorabilia and remembrances and he's even enlisted little 'ol me to share my thoughts on the crown prince of horror. I'll be sharing some of the more interesting anecdotes about Price - not just the actor, but also the avid art collector, dog lover and gourmet chef (read more about Vincent's forays into cooking by clicking here).


(Photo): Vincent Price, Francesco Palmieri holding a copy of the cookbook "A Treasury of Great Recipes" by Vincent and Mary Price.

As you know, I'm a longtime Vincent fan (and if you don't know, just click here to read one of my posts about the iconic actor). I've also written a chapter in a book of essays on Vincent published by Midnight Marquee Press and I'll be giving away autographed copies of the book (as well as some copies of my Archie's Weird Mysteries book and perhaps some other surprises) to those lucky patrons who answer my trivia questions correctly.

Of course, unless you're one of those ooky-spooky creepy crawlers who've been living under a rock these past few days, you may know that the entire East Coast is getting pounded by a weather event that's been appropriately (for this time of year) nicknamed "Frankenstorm." That means the Halloween dinner could possibly be canceled. We'll see.

Please click here for more information on the Halloween happening, and perhaps we'll see you there!

Now enjoy this clip of Vincent Price discussing fine cuisine with a panel of expert muppets... er, I mean chefs! Bone appetit!

CARTOONEY CREEPSTAKES: MAD MONSTERS PARTY IN CALI WHILE COMIC FANS GATHER IN THE BIG APPLE!

Hey Scared Silly fans - this is your weekend if you live on the East or the West Coast! That's because you'll have two chances to indulge in some cartoony horror-comedy goodness.

Let's start with my pal Patrick Owsley, one of the premiere cartoonists and illustrator of many notable pieces of licensed merchandise. This Saturday, October 13th Patrick is taking part in a special event at the Van Eaton Gallery in Sherman Oaks, California. Patrick has a "Mad Monster Party" piece in the art show, alongside many other cool artists. Plus, Rankin/Bass Author & Historian Rick Goldschmidt will be on hand to autograph his "Mad Monster Party" book! It's a true "Mad Monster Party" and it will be swinging from 6PM to 10PM that night. If you're in the area, consider yourself invited!



The same day, yours truly will be appearing at this year's New York Comic Con, held at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City. I'll be autographing copies of both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of "The Best of Archie Comics." As I mentioned a post you can read by clicking here, Volume 1 includes one of the "Archie's Weird Mysteries" stories I wrote. It all happens at the Archie Comics booth, #1720 from 4PM to 5PM. Of course, there are a gazillion other cool comics and comic industry pros to check out at the event as well - a "must-go" for fans of comics, toys and genre films... and you'll find more than a few "monster" fans there, too!

Now, here's some video of me shot a couple weeks ago at another comics-related event, as the Kids Comic Con volunteers trekked to Manhattan for a street fair benefiting the Ronald McDonald House - ENJOY!

TRICKS AND TREATS

...and so another month is ending.

...and so I never got another review up.

With apologies to my faithful fans, "real life" has just done a number on my time. I am seeing some light at the end of the tunnel though so I'm hopeful to have a review or two up for October (especially with it being the month of Halloween after all).

Of course, I'm not going to leave you totally unsated as September exits.

Instead, I'm going to let you enjoy the delights of Charley Bowers. I was introduced to Bowers by friend Paul Etcheverry whose blog "Psychotronic Paul" often covers similar ground to the cinematic, comic and pop culture delights we enjoy here at Scared Silly.

Others have written more eloquently and extensively on Bowers than I possibly could (to learn more, click here and here and here) but in brief, Bowers was both an animator/cartoon director of the silent era (a run that included the animated series based on Bud Fisher's popular Mutt & Jeff comic strip) as well as a live-action comedian-director from the silent and early sound era. His films were lost for many years but when some were finally discovered there was a resurgence of interest in Bowers.

Bowers stock-in-trade was his penchant for surreal animated effects... and not just in the cartoons he directed. His live-action shorts that survive are chock full of crazy visual effects that are mind-boggling, mind-numbing and everything in-between!

I'm not certain any of the Bowers live-action shorts would technically qualify as "horror-comedy" (as opposed to Mutt & Jeff cartoon, Slick Sleuths) but There It Is certainly comes close. Interestingly, Bowers uses a macabre villain called "The Phantom" in both Slick Sleuths and There It Is. Without further ado, I present to you a slice of cinema that is surely unlike anything you're likely to have seen before. Here it is: There It Is!

GET "SCARED SILLY" FOR CHARITY THIS WEEKEND!

Greetings Scared Silly fans! Just a quick note to let you know about my upcoming appearance at the next Superheroes for Hospice charity comic convention taking place this Saturday, September 17th at the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown, New Jersey on Route 35. I will be there from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m autographing copies of my ARCHIE’S WEIRD MYSTERIES and VINCENT PRICE books along with various comic book projects.


Also on hand will be my pal Thomas Hall who will be signing copies of his award-winning R-13 (aka ROBOT 13) as well as his horror-comedy project KING! (which I recently highlighted – click here to read all about it)...



There will also be plenty of comics for sale from all decades to purchase as well as other great comics creators on hand to autograph comics, do sketches and sell original art. Proceeds will support the patients and families of the Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center. Established in 1981, the Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center, located at 95 Old Short Hills Road in West Orange, provides comprehensive care for patients with advanced illness, and their families, throughout ten counties in the State of New Jersey.



The Barnabas Health Hospice and Palliative Care Center supports inpatient units at Monmouth Medical Center in Long Branch, and Newark Beth Israel Medical Center in Newark, NJ, as well as Van Dyke Hospice at Community Medical Center in Toms River. It also provides home care and services for individuals in long-term care and assisted living facilities.

Now enjoy a spooky yet kooky clip from the “Archie’s Weird Mysteries” TV cartoon that takes place… where else?... in a mall!

CARTOONEY CREEPSTAKES: "THE DEADLYS" BY CHRIS M. CANTRELL

Greetings Scared Silly fans!

Welcome to a brand-new new feature on this blog: CARTOONEY CREEPSTAKES. I received a note from a reader asking me to plug one of his favorite horror-comedy online comic strips and I got to thinking, “With my own background as a writer of horror-comedy comic books (namely “Archie’s Weird Mysteries,”) why not make discussion of non-movie horror-comedy a regular feature?”

So, CARTOONEY CREEPSTAKES will be just that. In-between classic horror-comedy movie reviews, I’ll post about how the genre is being tackled by cartoonists, whether doing comic strips, comic books or animated cartoons. Sometimes it may even be take some other form – for example, I have a friend who does silkscreen art that is cartoony and clearly inspired by the likes of Edgar Allen Poe, Charles Addams and Tim Burton. CARTOONEY CREEPSTAKES will be the feature where such folks can be spotlighted.

In addition to new projects, I’ll occasionally dip back into history to feature some classic comic or cartoon from the past.

In truth, I’ve been doing all of the above all along (click here and here and here and here and here for other examples). The difference now is that I’m making this an official feature by giving it a name and by setting a goal of delivering such a post at least once a month. With my crazy schedule as of late it will also help to have such posts in-between my more in-depth movie reviews (and it offers you faithful readers some new content while you await those reviews).

Before I let the preamble ramble on too far, let’s get right into this first official installment. As mentioned above, a reader named Dan Bostaph asked that I please give special mention to Chris M. Cantrell’s web comic, The Deadlys. Here’s his email, reprinted with his permission:



“Recently, Chris' web comic "The Deadlys" got hacked. Everything was either deleted or virus-contaminated. He tried to reconstruct the site from his backups, only to discover that the virus used had contaminated his backups, too. Fortunately, a Data Recovery Specialist helped him get back all his strips.

Nevertheless, Chris was, upset, and just about ready to pack it in. A few of his fans, including myself, encouraged him not to give up. He agreed.

Now, Chris has redesigned the website, with extra security, more features, and he even intends to write & draw a second feature "Vampire Teenage Mystery Solvers", using a younger version of one of his characters.”



Per Dan, “The Deadlys" is “a little slice of Charles Addams's territory, if the Addams' had been written by Hank Ketchum.” It chronicles life in suburbia for Jack Deadly – a goale-masked Jason-esque fiend; his vampire wife, Elizabeth and children Morgan and Viktor.

“They deal with job stress, unwelcome relatives and everything else modern life can dump on a family of monsters,” Dan continued. “In short, fun.”

Dan went on to explain that much of Chris's readership is AWOL, and he needs a hand getting started again. His strip returns today, September 17th. I encourage you to check it out at the new website address, www.thedeadlys.com

One last thing: Dan states that he is “not connected to Chris, and don't get any money from the strip, I just get the enjoyment.” That’s enough of an endorsement for me! Enjoy!

A "SHORT" BREAK

Scared Silly fans... August was just one of those months. A lot of stuff to deal with in the "real world" prevented me from getting a proper review written and posted. I'm hoping to make up for it in September but until then, here's another public domain two-reel short subject for your viewing pleasure.

"The Old Barn" is another short produced and directed by comedy film pioneer Mack Sennett. You may recall the early (1931) Sennet-helmed Andy Clyde talkie, "Ghost Parade" that I posted a few months back. That was an early short but this one is even earlier - going all the way back to 1929!

"The Old Barn" also features Andy Clyde, so you get another chance to see a younger Clyde playing his patented old man character (as opposed to the older Clyde of "Spook to Me," a 1945 short that I reviewed last month).

Also in the cast are Johnny Burke, Thelma Hood and a pair of ubiquitous supporting players, Daphne Pollard (of Laurel & Hardy fame) and Vernon Dent (constantly bothered, bewildered and beleaguered by the Three Stooges).

This one creaks a bit, and not just because it's about the titular old barn. The pacing is a bit off, as often happened in early talkies as directors and actors tried to find their footing in the new-fangled world of films with speech. Still, there are a few effective spooky moments and bits of comic business worth a casual glance for horror-comedy fans, so take a look:

NOTE: Due to embedding problems caused by the length of this short, I am unable to provide a direct file for your immediate viewing. However, just click here to watch "The Old Barn" on Camelot Broadcasting's Comedy Shorts Channel webpage.