Happy Halloween!

Just wanted to take a second and wish everyone an extra spooky and Happy Halloween! We hope everyone has found some choice pumpkins, and maybe found a few new pumpkin patches to peruse through all the participating sites on this year's Countdown. A ghoulish thank you to everyone who has participated and to everyone that has stopped by for all the macabre glory. Happy Halloween Everyone!

A Reminder...

As we close in on Halloween itself, I'd like to thank everyone for participating in this year's Countdown to Halloween. There were, according to my count a couple of days ago, 206 participants this year, which is amazing considering that I think there were less than a dozen of us when we started this five years ago. Last year we had just shy of 160, which was twice as many as 2008.

I've been to every participant's blog at least once this season and am impressed by the wide variety of posts and the quality that shows how much hard work everyone has put into this. After ringing everyone's doorbell I can honestly say I didn't get a single rock. I plan to go through everyone's entire month of posts in a leisurely manner that will allow me to enjoy them meaning that my Halloween season will extend past the new year. I hope that many of you will do the same.

This leads me to my IMPORTANT REMINDER.

In light of the number of participants, and to make things as easy as possible in putting together the 2011 list of participants, please email me using "Countdown to Halloween" as the subject and include a link to your blog. This way I will have everyone's contact information on hand, and towards the end of next August I'll be able to contact everyone who participated this year about whether or not you'd like to participate next year. This would be a HUGE help, and save me hours of time trying to track everyone down and will also guarantee that no one is overlooked. If you're reading this, please take a moment and do that before you forget.

I'm sure everyone is saving their best posts for last and I can't wait to see them. I hope everyone has enjoyed this year's Countdown and has the best Halloween they've had since they were ten years old.

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Photo Contest

Here's a contest that's been running for a few weeks, but should be of interest to many of you participating in the Countdown to Halloween this year. You still have a couple of weeks to enter and there are daily prizes as well.

Halloween is one of the year’s biggest holidays for taking pictures – whether snapping shots of a that perfect, homemade costume or a tot tucked into a pumpkin suit. Today, Fujifilm and Rite Aid announced their annual Picture Perfect Halloween Photo Contestis again accepting entries. This year’s grand prize winner will receive an all expense-paid trip for four to Hersheypark in the Dark, as well as a fangtastic array of photo prizes.

Now through November 8, photographers of all ages and skill levels are encouraged to register, submit Halloween-themed photos and vote for their favorites in six categories:

·          Best Pumpkin

·          Cutest Baby Costume

·          Best Kids Costumes

·          Best Teens and Adults Costumes

·          Best Pets

·          Spooktacular Decorations

There will be first, second and third prize winners for each category. To see more about the prize packages, click here or see the release below.

Beyond the contest prizes, visitors to HalloweenPhotoContest.com can enter to win daily giveaways. More than two thousand items will be awarded throughout the contest. Giveaway merchandise includes: picture frames and personalized photo t-shirts, puzzles, mugs, stickers, mouse pads and free photo prints.

HalloweenPhotoContest.com also features expert photo tips to help capture the spirit of the holiday, decorating ideas and printable jack-o-lantern stencils to create a spooktacular Halloween ambiance, and delicious recipes courtesy of Kraft Foods. In addition, site visitors will find free digital scrapbooking kits, fiendishly clever party game suggestions and more.

2010 Rondo Awards

I wanted to take this opportunity during the 2010 countdown to mention the annual Rondo Hattan Classic Horror Awards created by David Colton and Kerry Gammill at the Classic Horror Film Boards. Since October is a month filled with spooks, creeps, ghosts and horror influenced fun in general, and since so many of us are taking the time to expore and share with this in mind, I thought it would also be a good time to start watching out for examples of movies, books, magazine articles, recent art, bloggers, toys, and DVD releases that go above and beyond, broadening and enriching the overall horror genre we all love.

If you have some extra time this month, you might consider heading on over to the 2010 Rondo Award Nominations thread at the Classic Horror Film Board and making some suggestions, or backing up some nominees. Before you stagger on over there, you might want to read about the awards and peruse the nomination and voting guidelines as well. The Rondo's are also on Facebook...

Dave Lowe's Prop Making Contest

Countdown to Halloween veteran Dave Lowe has always been generous with sharing how he makes amazing props from the most inexpensive materials. Now he's turned a challenge by his 8-year old niece, Devin into a contest for everyone.

The grand prize winner will see their name and winning prop featured in the October 31st Para Abnormal cartoon, which Dave creates on a nearly daily basis.

To enter the contest all you need is a 12 oz. soda bottle, a bunch of imagination and the contest details which can be found here. The deadline is Midnight, October 29th.

In the meantime, if you haven't already visited Dave Lowe's blogs this Countdown to Halloween, then drop by and pay them a visit using the links above.

Amazing Sculptures From Artist Tom Taggart

A couple of years's ago during my own countdown I posted about the amazing artwork of Tom Taggart. Tom has a bunch of new work for sale that I thought people participating in the Countdown to Halloween would be interested, including his amazing "Eye Pods" above. The eye pods are $250.00 plus shipping.

He also makes great ornaments suitable for both Halloween and Christmas. These are $40.00 plus shipping.

You can get a better sense of the scale of these pieces in the following photo of Tom and his better half posing among his creations.

He also sells clocks for $500.00 featuring various monsters such as the seasonal one shown below.

You can see more on his website. Contact him here for more information and be sure to mention the Countdown to Halloween.

This Year's Participants

WELCOME TO THE 2010 COUNTDOWN TO HALLOWEEN!

If you want to know which houses are giving out the good candy this year, then look no further than the list below. Remember when you stop by to say thank you by leaving them a comment for all the hard work they've put into making Halloween the greatest holiday of the year.

All sites are listed alphabetically. Keep checking back as updates will be made all month long. It's never too late to join in. Just let us know who would like to be included and send us a link to your blog(s) that you'd like to have included.


IMPORTANT NOTE TO PARTICIPANTS: It's nice to see a lot of new faces this year as long as many returning participants. If you don't see yourself on this list, or would like a blog added, removed, or renamed on this list. Please leave a note in the comments section below. Also, please check the comments section here and see if we had problems adding your blog. Every effort was made to contact everyone who participated last year, but a number of last year's participants did not have any contact information attached to their blogs. To simplify things for next year, I'm asking each of you to email me (universalrobots@aol.com) with "Halloween Countdown" in the subject line. Please include a link to your blog. This way I'll be sure to have everyone's emails for next year and no one will be overlooked.


Now that that's out of the way it's time to put on your masks and start trick or treating. Happy Halloween!

Alien Spouse

All Eyes And Ears

All Things Horror

And Everything Else Too

Anime Hell

Arbogast On Film

Armagideon Time

Apetoes

Art By Bubba Shelby

Atom Kid

Atomic Accident

Atomic Fox

Batty's Bath

Blackwood

Bel's Nook

The Bliss Massacre

Blog of Frankenstein

The Boo Blog

Branded in the 80s

Brass Halo

Bully Says: Comics Oughta Be Fun

Cabrina at Large

Caffeinated Joe

The Captured Bird

Castle Monster

Catalogue of Curiosities

The Cathode Ray Mission

Cavalcade of Awesome

Celtic Pumpkin

Christopher Tupa

Chuck Norris Ate My Baby

Cinema Du Meep

The Cinema 4 Pylon

Cinema Suicide

(clever reference) Halloween Blog

Coffee Homeground

Cool-Mo-Dee

Comic Reading Library

The Comic Treadmill

Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom

Count Gregula

Crafty Lady Abby

The Crazy Apron

Creature from the Blog Lagoon

Creep Show 2: The Ultimate Halloween Experience

Creepy Cupcakes

Creepy Pictures

Crumpits and Creepies

Cult of the Great Pumpkin

Curse of the Mummy's Blog

Daph's Dark Little Corner

The Dark Art of Chad Savage

The Dark Sublime

Dartman's World of Wonder

Dave Lowe Design

Davis Graveyard Spiderfest 2010

Davis House News

Digital Meltdown

Distinctly Jamaican Sounds

Diversions of the Groovy Kind

Doo Wacka Doodles

Dork Forty

Dr. K's 100-Page Super Spectacular

Dracula's Crypt of Collectibles

The Drunken Severed Head

The Dungeon Collector Lounge

Edge of Forever

Family-Friendly Halloween Movie Countdown

Fantasy Ink

Fenwright Manor

The Fenwright Museum of Yesteryear

Frankensteinia

Friday Nite Fries

Frog on the Pumpkin

The Gallows

Geektarded

Ghosts! Witches!! Monsters!!!

Go-Go Godzilla

The Goods

The Gothic Tea Society

Gothtober

Halloween Addict

Halloween Holler

Halloween Overkill

Halloween Special

Halloween Specials

The Halloween Tree

The Hanging Harlot

Haunt Style

The Haunted Closet

The Haunted Library

Highbury Cemetery

Holiday Hollow

Horror Host Graveyard

Horror Paradox

The Horrors of it All

Hot Costumes Blog

I Wear My Snark Upon My Sleeve

I Zombie Lover

The Inferno Music Vault

It's a Southern Thing

John Rozum.com

Kaedrin Weblog

Kelly, the Queen of Darkness: Halloween, Haunting and Life

KinderScares

Langes Fädchen, Faules Mädchen

The Laughing Reindeer

Leianea's Halloween

The Lightning Bug's Lair

Limerwrecks

Magic Carpet Burn

Mark Harvey's World

Me and You and a Blog Named Boo

Melissa Valeriote's Fantastical World of Holidays

Michael May's Adventureblog

Mr. Chicken's Yard Haunt

Mr. Gable's Reality

Mrs. Zog's Halloween Countdown

Monster Crazy

Monster Movie Music

Monster Spookshow Radio!

Monsterland Ohio

The Moon is a Dead World

Moongem Comics

Mother Firefly's Faster Pussycats!

Movies at Midnight

Music You (Possibly) Won't Hear Anyplace Else

Musty TV

My Monster Memories

My Power is Beyond Your Understanding

My Scary Halloween

My Two Yen Worth

Neato Coolville

Necropolis

Need Coffee.com

Negative Pleasure

Negative Pleasure 2

Never Sleeps Again

Orange and Black

OrangeHipsters

Para Abnormal

Paul's Fare

Plaid Stallions

Plan D Podcast

Plastic Pumpkins

Potato

Psychobabble

Pumpkinrot

Puppatoons

Radiator Heaven

Raggedys and Recipes

Random Acts of Geekery

Redecorating Middle-Earth In Early Lovecraft

The Ringmaster's Realm

The Roads of Autumn Dusk

Scrap Squares

Scare Me On Fridays

ScaryMary's Monster & Pin Up Mash

Secret Mountain Laboratory

The Sexy Armpit

Sexy Witch

Shades of Gray

She Walks Softly

She's Batty Designs

Shellhawk's Nest

Sideshow Cinema

Silent Film Monsters

Sketchup/Screw-Up

Skull-a-Day

Slash the Zombie

Spooky Laboratory

Spooky Little Girl

The Spooky Vegan

Step Up to the Mike

Stephanie Buscema

Strange Kids Club

The Surfing Pizza

Swing with Shad

Tales to Astonish!

Tedwrd

Terror Titans

THAT...Was My Foot

Thiel-A-Vision

Things That Don't Suck

13 Visions

This Literary Life

Tiki Ranch

Tiny Sepuku's Distractions From Doing Comics

Trick Or Blog

Trixie's Treats

Twin Cities' Monster Kids and More

Two Thumbs, Eight Fingers

Uncle Ernie's Creature Ink

Unique Unusual or Interesting

Universal Horror Sounds

Vintage Postcard Blog

Weird Hollow

Whatever I Think of

Who is Afraid of Tim Burton?

Who Killed Orrin Grey?

Wicked Crochet

Wicked October

The Windesphere Witch

Wonderful Wonderblog

Working Dead Productions


Zombos Closet of Horror

Sara Turner's The Ghosts of Pineville

I thought I'd take this opportunity to point you all to one of the coolest comics I've read in awhile, Sara Turner's The Ghosts of Pineville. Sara is one half of Cricket Press, a specialty screen-printing outfit that does some amazing gig posters, holiday cards and prints, as well as some awesome comics. The story follows the adventures of three friends, Chopper, Hank, and Glory as they investigate the mystery of a local ghost story. Sara is pulling from some fun influences like the Monster Squad, Goonies, and Stand By Me in building her story and I think it's the sort of comic that will bring a smile to any kid at heart (especially around this time of year.)

The Ghosts of Pineville is currently unfolding for free as a webcomic updating twice a week. But for those who can't wait, you can also pick up a really nice print edition, as well as a super-cool related mini comic called the Cherrished Collection of Emily VanWart at her Etsy store. Sara's really pushing the boundries of boutique silk screened mini comics with the latter, incorporating some really exciting ideas on how to convey story and tone, and I highly reccomend picking up a copy. If you do, tell her the Countdwon to Halloween sent ya!

The Windesphere Witch has a Contest for You

The Windesphere Witch one of our Cryptkeepers for the Countdown to Halloween is generously inviting everyone to participate in a contest; a Halloween decorating contest. The prize is a $50.00 gift certificate from World Market. Details can be found here. Be sure to thank her while you're there.

Frankensteinia Giveaway!

Frankensteinia in conjunction with Yoe! Books and IDW Publishing is generously giving away two copies of Dick Briefer's Frankenstein signed by author Craig Yoe.

Details can be be found at the always excellent Frankensteinia which is celebrating the Countdown with posts about all manner of Frankenstein related books.

Some Literary Treats From One Of Our Members

Bree Ogden of participating Countdown to Halloween blog This Literary Life has some fun events happening this month that she wanted to share with you. So if you love scary reading material make sure you stop by and ring her doorbell.

Special Offer to Countdown Participants

Pete from Crazy Dog T-Shirts is kindly offering $5.00 off to everyone participating in this countdown. Whether you are blogging, or just reading the blogs this means you. use the code HALLO5 at checkout for your $5.00 discount. This offer is good through Halloween.

They have zombie t-shirts, Halloween t-shirts and even Halloween costumes among their many offerings. Visit Crazy Dog T-Shirts and let them know you came from the Countdown to Halloween.

Countdown to the Great Pumpkin

As "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" is no doubt near and dear to everyone participating in the Countdown to Halloween, I thought you'd be interested in seeing the countdown that the Peanuts are having this year. Here is the press release for "Countdown to the Great Pumpkin" social media game.

PEANUTS FANS: CELEBRATE 60 YEARS OF HALLOWEEN MEMORIES—

LINUS IN THE PUMPKIN PATCH! CHARLIE BROWN’S ‘I GOT A ROCK’! —

IN “COUNTDOWN TO THE GREAT PUMPKIN” SOCIAL MEDIA GAME

By Sharing Favorite PEANUTS Videos, Quotes, Pictures and More,
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, MySpace and Foursquare Users Can Commemorate

The 60^th Anniversary of the World’s Most Beloved Comic Strip

And Earn Points Toward a Special PEANUTS iPad—and a Chance at $25,000!

Maybe it’s Linus waiting in the pumpkin patch for the appearance of the Great Pumpkin. Or Charlie Brown looking in his trick-or-treat bag and saying, “I got a rock.” Or Snoopy in his Halloween costume as the World War I Flying Ace. Everyone has a favorite PEANUTS Halloween memory.

No wonder, since Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and the gang have been celebrating the holiday for 60 years—ever since Charles Schulz published his first PEANUTS comic strip on October 2, 1950. That’s six decades in which to gather a treasure trove of great memories—which grow even richer when you share them with your friends.

That’s exactly the fun of the brand-new “Countdown to the Great Pumpkin” social media game running through October 31. PEANUTS fans can share their favorite PEANUTS quotes, videos, pictures, news and more via their social media accounts—and in the process, earn points toward a custom PEANUTS pre-loaded iPad! The winner will then have a chance to win an additional $25,000. Weekly winners will receive prizes throughout the contest includingThe PEANUTS Collection from Little, Brown and Co.; Snoopy Flying Ace Xbox game from Smart Bomb Interactive; It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown from Running Press; and the Deluxe Holiday Collection 3-pack DVD set from Warner Home Video.

Members of the Schulz family—including Charles Schulz’s son Craig, daughter Jill, and widow, Jeannie—will be playing along, offering their own PEANUTS memories and suggesting some of the daily to-dos.

“One of the things that has always given me the most pleasure about PEANUTS is the way it creates a joyful bond between people,” says Craig Schulz. “Using social media is an excellent way to share your love of those classic PEANUTS moments that have been a part of your life for so long—and what could be better than the fact that now you can get rewarded for it, too!”

From now through October 31, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare and MySpace users can visit www.greatpumpkincountdown.com and register their accounts to participate in the “Countdown to the Great Pumpkin” game. Players will earn points by completing the “Daily To-Do”—a different PEANUTS-themed task each day.

Among the “To-Dos” are special activities linked to new PEANUTS-themed exhibits at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C., and at the Charles M. Schulz Museum in Santa Rosa, California. On October 1, a special photograph of Charles Schulz by famed photographer Yousuf Karsh will be unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery. Game participants will be asked to update their status to announce the induction, and to “Like” the Charles M. Schulz Museum’s Facebook page.

“It’s a tribute to Sparky’s great genius that his portrait will hang in the National Portrait Galleryand that he has an entire museum devoted to his work,” says Jeanne Schulz, widow of Charles “Sparky” Schulz. “We wanted to be sure and include these museum events as part of the Countdown to the Great Pumpkin, so that everyone knows they can enjoy the art of PEANUTS any time of year.”

Other “To-Dos” include:

• updating your status with special PEANUTS Halloween quotes
• changing your profile picture to a PEANUTS character
• sharing a favorite PEANUTS video or comic strip
• posting pictures of PEANUTS characters in their original 1950s look

The player with the most points at the end of the game will win a specially customized Apple iPad that comes pre-loaded with a variety of classic PEANUTS comic strips, books, and videos—including, of course, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!). Each week, the player who earns the most points will receive a special PEANUTS gift package worth at least $75—so it pays to keep playing the Countdown all week long.

The grand prize winner will then have a chance at an additional $25,000 prize if he or she picks the correct two out of fifteen sealed envelopes.

“Needless to say, Halloween was always a great time at our house when Craig and I were growing up—though of course we had a variety of ‘characters’ living with us all year long!" says Jill Schulz, daughter of Charles Schulz. “This year the holiday will have special meaning for me, for my own children—and for PEANUTS fans of all ages. I can see people bonding over shared memories as they start PEANUTS-related conversations with their old and new friends during Countdown to the Great Pumpkin.”

PEANUTS Worldwide

The PEANUTS characters and related intellectual property are owned by Peanuts Worldwide LLC, a joint venture owned 80% by Iconix Brand Group, Inc. and 20% by members of the Charles M. Schulz family. Iconix Brand Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: ICON) owns, licenses and markets a growing portfolio of consumer brands including CANDIE'S (R), BONGO (R), BADGLEY MISCHKA (R), JOE BOXER (R), RAMPAGE (R), MUDD (R), LONDON FOG (R), MOSSIMO (R), OCEAN PACIFIC(R), DANSKIN (R), ROCA WEAR(R), CANNON (R), ROYAL VELVET (R), FIELDCREST (R), CHARISMA (R), STARTER (R) and WAVERLY (R). In addition, Iconix owns an interest in the ARTFUL DODGER (R), ED HARDY (R), ECKO (R), MARC ECKO (R), ZOO YORK (R), MATERIAL GIRL(TM), and PEANUTS brands. The Company licenses its brands to a network of leading retailers and manufacturers that touch every major segment of retail distribution from the luxury market to the mass market in both the U.S. and worldwide. Through its in-house business development, merchandising, advertising and public relations departments Iconix manages its brands to drive greater consumer awareness and equity.