The Halloween Society
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halloweensociety.bsky.social
The Halloween Society
@halloweensociety.bsky.social
The Halloween Society was an influential group dedicated to masks, monsters, & the media macabre. Today, co-founder Ron Magid is torchbearer and memorist of the society. Book here: https://www.halloween-society.com/book
Happy Boxing Day!
Outer Space Men (Colorforms, 1968)

Colorforms (yes, them) created these “bendy” action figures to work with Mattel’s Major Matt Mason line, which only had one alien. Classic example of filling a (alien) niche!

The toy designer has a great site: melbirnkrant.com/outerspacemen/
December 26, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Merry Christmas! Ho-ho-oh no!
TALES FROM THE CRYPT: “And All Through The House” (twice!) 🎅

Kick back with hot cocoa and watch both versions of this infamous EC Comics slayer Santa story, the 1972 Amicus film starring Joanne Collins and Richard Donner's 1989 HBO TV episode (S01E02)
December 25, 2025 at 5:02 PM
All I Want for Christmas Is…
Haunted House game by IDEAL (1962)

Standing 14” tall (waist-high to the kids who played with it), this 3D haunted house had a jewel in the attic, monsters behind every door, and a cardboard owl spinner (originally a plastic box, before those kept breaking)
December 23, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Mask Monday
Cortland Hull's holiday card (1987)

Halloween Society member Cortland Hull established his own wax museum, The Witch’s Dungeon,  in 1966 at age 13. Cortland was tutored by a murderer’s row of great FX masters like Dick Smith and Don Post Sr. More here: preservehollywood.org/history
December 22, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Do you see what I see?
RARE EXPORTS: A CHRISTMAS TALE (2010)

Sure, you have your GREMLINS and NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, but do they posit Santa as an imprisoned, slumbering elder god? Leave it to the Finns to turn Christmas into two kids racing to keep Saint Nicholas from rising…
December 19, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Looking for a last-minute stocking stuffer / Hanukkah gift? Give the gift of horror history with THE HALLOWEEN SOCIETY, VOLUME 1:  UNEARTHED!
www.amazon.com/Halloween-So...

And if they already have that, impress them by giving them Volume 2! 🎃

Happy holidays!
December 17, 2025 at 5:05 PM
Mask Monday
THE GOLEM: HOW HE CAME INTO THE WORLD (1920)

To celebrate Hanukkah, we bring you Der Golem! The beautiful mask of this creature from Jewish folklorewas sculpted by Dante Renta and released by The Halloween Society circa 1983
December 15, 2025 at 5:03 PM
Happy Hanukkah on Sunday!
Do you see what I see?
CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE (1944) 

Robert Wise’s first directing credit is a ghost story where the lonely daughter of original cat person Irena (Simone Simon) conjures up her mother’s spirit; the story climaxes on Christmas Eve
December 12, 2025 at 5:02 PM
All I Want for Christmas Is…Ben Cooper rubber monster toys (1973-1980)

The great Ben Cooper costume company distributed these two “jiggler” toy lines: the House Haunters "generic" monsters and Creature People insectoids. Even Godzilla (the final jiggler)! Thanks to www.TheGalleryofMonsterToys.com!
December 10, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Mask Monday
HOUSE Premiere (1985)

When the Halloween Society was hired to trick out the HOUSE movie premiere, you get Big Ben (David Lady) and Ron Magid flanking a friend who’s just hanging around (Vol. 1, p. 497)
December 8, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Krampusnacht
HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS! (1966)

Rejoice! Tonight, Krampus comes to collect the naughty children!

Today we’re going with the American Krampus: Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch! The original animated version will always be first in our hearts
December 5, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Do you see what I see?
ANNA AND THE APOCALYSPE (2017)

A holiday favorite, this zombie Christmas musical about the end of the world at a Scottish high school is scary, funny, and sometimes truly touching (“Merry Christmas, Dad”). Favorite songs include “Break Away” and “Soldier of War”
December 3, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Mask Monday
Happy Holidays from The Halloween Society!

Joe and Alice Reader and their House of Horror Studios creations circa 1988, bringing you the Halloween Society’s best wishes for this holiday season

Can't you hear them singing, “Do you see what I see?”...
December 1, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Happy Black Friday! Consume!
THEY LIVE (1988)

Look, we have nothing against Black Friday, we just want to make sure everyone knows what it means. Happy shopping!

And keep those sunglasses on, if you know what we mean ;)
November 28, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Happy Thanksgiving! (for the US folks)
The biggest turkey of them all: NIGHT OF THE LEPUS (1972)

Ron’s favorite horror movie turkey makes #1 because “the terror consisted of gigantic bunnies, who are very cute even when they're blown to pieces by little humans!”
November 27, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Turkey Time
THE RAVEN (1935)

Ron says "Starring terror titans Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, this Universal classic makes the list because Lugosi’s Dr. Vollin, a self-proclaimed Edgar Allan Poe expert, can’t seem to make a single statement about Poe that isn’t completely wrong!"
November 26, 2025 at 7:05 PM
Mask Monday
Dr. Ravensclaw's House of Horrors

Carnival barker Dr. Ravensclaw (a 24yo Ron Magid) brings Halloween to this Thanksgiving week. Dr. R appeared at several of Rich Correll’s haunted house fundraisers for the John Thomas Dye School in the mid-80s (Vol. 1, chapter 7)
November 24, 2025 at 5:03 PM
With All The Trimmings
Guests - HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959)

What’s a Thanksgiving dinner without guests (paid $10,000 apiece, of course)? Bonus points if you and your partner are planning on killing each other off during the festivities…in EMERGO! (Cue flying turkey carcass!)
November 21, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Turkey Time
CURSE OF THE DOLL PEOPLE (MUÑECOS INFERNALES) (1961)

Ron says “this is horror Mexican-style at its creepiest. Its cheap look is a feature, not a bug–it looks like it’s set in somebody’s living room.” So invite Talky Tina and the Zuni fetish doll over for movie night!
November 19, 2025 at 5:04 PM
Mask Monday
Ron’s Don Post collection

Ron’s customized Don Post masks: the Wolfman (1941), the Phantom of the Opera (1925), and the Frankenstein monster (1931). 

Who’s your favorite classic?
November 17, 2025 at 5:03 PM
With All The Trimmings
The Jelly Monster (THE SIMPSONS S31E08, “Thanksgiving of Horror: The Last Thanksgiving”)

Attempting to replicate cranberry sauce as his family escapes Earth, Bart creates a deadly Blob-like creature who meets his end in the most festive way possible.
November 14, 2025 at 5:01 PM
Turkey Time
THE GIANT CLAW (1957)

25 Years Later calls the creature in this bad-movie classic an “Enormous Rubber Anti-Matter Space Turkey.” We call it "You wanted Ray Harryhausen, your budget demanded a studio in Mexico."
November 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Mask Monday
The Halloween Society goes Italian (c. 1985)

It wasn’t Thanksgiving but February when Dante Renta (L), Guy Thorpe (middle), and Ron Magid (at end) broke bread at Micelli’s Hollywood to celebrate Ron’s 20-<cough> birthday
November 10, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Thanksgiving - With All The Trimmings
Pie - THEATRE OF BLOOD (1973)

For Thanksgiving month, today's theme is pie. Recall Vincent Price's delicious turn as a scorned actor cooking for critic Robert Morley. (This scene qualifies for "stuffing".)

FYI, Diana Rigg co-stars.
November 7, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Who was part of Uncle Creepy's fan club?
November 5, 2025 at 8:41 PM