More to show in future posts.
Haven't posted squat in a week, and won't be able to post much for the next few days. Trying to get Casa Cabeza fixed up before we move in, and am also planning with the Voodoo Queen how much of our much-too-large collection o' creepy crap to move in, and how best to display it all.
We want to go for a Sixties-modern-home-crossed-with-a-carnival-haunted-house feel.
Doesn't every new home owner?
How to tell if your boss is a zombie.
In my last post about this year's Zombie Fest was a photo with my completely bare face hanging out. This was too much for reader Gustav of Pig Whistle, W. Virginia, who complained, "Seeing your face more naked than ever before made me more determined to never to look at your blog before breakfast." He added, "Why would you uncover it by shaving?"
And Pinnochio wearing a Van Dyke on his face just wouldn't cut it. But not to worry-- I'm all hairy in the chin and mouth area once more!
Last month, Pittsburgh's annual Zombie Fest was held for the first time at the Monroeville Mall, the site where much of the shooting for the original Dawn of the Dead was done.
Due to problems with a camera, I wasn't able to upload pictures I took at the event until just recently. But here they are, combined with some supplied by generous friend Meg!
The drunken severed head, attached to his prosthetic body, gets a grip-- from Prof. Emcee Square, the suave zombie host and organizer of Zombie Fest!
Fest guest Dr. Kim Paffenroth, author of Dying to Live and Gospel of the Living Dead and fellow LOTT D blogger , talked with me over breakfast-- and never once made an attempt to get at my brain! But I did try to get into his head-- How many people does one get to meet in a lifetime who are both authors of zombie literature AND theologians? He was an interesting, clever conversationalist-- and we were both sober!
Cool music was part of the Fest, as it has been in past years.
The Legendary Hucklebucks got their mojo workin' as they performed some great psychobilly!
And speaking of hard-charging rockers, GENE SIMMONS of freakin' KISS was there enjoying the events!
Here's a drunken zombie! Just what I aspire to be.
The drunken zombie smells my brain (it is, after all, marinated in fine distilled spirits) and comes after me!
Zombie Fest-- always a great event for all ages!
Then comes the baby escaped from it's carriage!
As Romero might have predicted, the "con" in "zombie con" stands for "consumerism"
I live in Pennsylvania. Having only moved to this region of the country only few years ago, I'd never heard of this shipping company, which was started here in PA.
Having walked though cattle pastures as a kid, I thought the name was pretty funny.
Adam G at Cool-Mo-Dee-- a blog I recommend-- posted a classic Peanuts strip this week. It was part of his sharing the news that United Features Syndicate has put online their entire comic archive for free. This includes a 50 year archive of Peanuts strips.
This summer I was sent an satirical version of the exact same Peanuts daily. It's how Schulz' creation might be if written for today, say for an alternative weekly. It made me laugh.
For my fantastic new banner! Visit Pierre's astounding sites, Frankensteinia and Monster Crazy.
Damn pirates have all the luck in getting staff for their presidentail (oops--Freudian slip) presidential campaigns. What bonnie lassies! Arrrrr!
The picture above came from this article (and an accompanying photo essay) about the candidacy of the most unlikely campaigners for President. Recommended.
At least it is here in the US of A.
Here at Max the Drunken Severed Head/Allen's Brain headquarters (above) we're discussing the polls. They all seem to show we're trailing Obama and McCain by a gi-normous margin. But I don't believe we're going to eat electoral dust. No! I believe we can come from behind!
But I'm putting on my best face (I saved 50% on it at a post-Halloween sale) as I'm in this race to win!
Now, to amuse you, the great erectorate, I present some political images and video that's funny and/or weird.
Do it now! Forrest Ackerman, the first and longest-serving editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, who taught young Baby Boomers and generations after the Boomers about classic films of horror, fantasy and sci-fi, and did it all with word-play and puns, has been battling pneumonia.
His friend, playwright and film scholar Terry Pace reports, "Earlier in the day [Halloween], Uncle Forry returned from a one-day stay in the hospital (his life, his choice ... and one that we must respect). He is bravely battling pneumonia, but in spite of his weakened condition he was in good spirits when we spoke. He had been greeting a steady stream of trick-or-treaters throughout the evening and had just finished watching Are You Smarter Than a Fifth-Grader? on television when we called. (He made certain we knew that he had passed the show with flying colors.) "
Now would be an excellent time to send a card or letter.
And, while I'm on the subject of Forry, get the latest ish of RUE MORGUE magazine. A portrait by FMOF artist Basil Gogos of the uncle of every Monster Kid is on the cover! The mag also features a long interview with the 4E, the original "imagi-movie" fan.
There is also plenty of other material on classic horror films, as well coverage (with photos) of very gory films. Should appeal across generational lines, if older, and/or conservative readers can past the grue.
Bet you didn't see my post for the Nov. 1, the Mexican Day of the Dead. Scroll down and see it or click here.
I was lucky enough to receive an e-mail from my friend John M., a soldier serving now in Kososvo. John led an effort at the Universal Monster Army to have members there donate items for local children.
"Well kids, it's been fun out here. Lots of adventures....the ruins of Novo Brdo castle...looks like Castle Frankenstein. I also drive past a lot of huts that look like a blind shepherd lives in them. Very picturesque... At night you can hear the wolves howl.
"I was especially amused by one of the Polish officers I work with. He popped his head in the other night and said "Goot Eeevening..." My roommate said 'Who the hell was that, Count Chocula?' I about fell over laughing.
"Just to let you guys know what I'm doing, I am tasked with sensing what the local population is feeling about the social, political and financial climate. I go out with my team six days a week to meet with people and see what's up. Then I come back to base and submit a daily report about anything significant. I deal with poverty stricken farmers out in the country, beggars on the streets, wealthy business owners and Euro jetsetter, every social strata you can imagine. No overt danger as yet, although the roads get a little scary at times. Remember Harker's trip in the carriage to Castle Dracula? Been on THAT road. In an SUV with bad tires..."
"I learned Halloween is celebrated over here even though Kosovo is a mainly Muslim country. Seems they admire Americans so much they adopted the secular version of Halloween."
So members generously sent stuff for Halloween. John sent a message to several people about it.
Just wanted to give you a glimpse of Halloween in my little corner of Kosovo.
"We had well over 1000 people, the vast majority of them unaccompanied children, show up in front of the municipal theater and along the street. Imagine a large street event, like Mardi Gras or the Central West End Halloween Party in St. Louis, but with children instead of drunken adults. There were many creative costumes reflecting the culture and perceptions of American horror. Some were downright surreal and scary. Very effective use of makeup and scrap material. Attached are some photos.
"Anyway, the children started showing up around 5PM and milled about like some Tiny Town riot scene. Kids were throwing firecrackers, roving in packs like wild animals and howling and screaming for no apparent reason. I was thinking it was part Lord of the Flies and part Peter Pan Wildboys with a bit of Logan's Run thrown in. I had eight soldiers with me, and we had a hard time keeping ahold of our equipment, let alone maintain an authoritative presence. I finally hammered out a situation where we paraded the children in costume across the steps of the theater to applause. Then we split up into three groups and made our separate ways back to the trucks.
"Anyway, thanks to all who sent stuff. The Halloween event went over well in spite of the anarchy. I swear I was stressed more last night than any other time during my mission so far. I had Iraq combat vets ready to break. Had to send two home early. Seriously. We laugh now, but it was pretty intense. LOL!
Thank you, John. I salute you!
Update: I received more pictures from John, showing some of the staff who packed the treats for the kids, some of the goodies given out, and a few pics showing the decor of the event. About the decor, John writes, "Here's pics of the chow hall entrance as decorated by some of the local Albanian Kosovars. The faces are sculpted dough for the most part, and some of the cats and rats are sculpted aluminum foil."
Here they are for you to get a post-Halloween kick out of!