The Man Who Created the Most Iconic Movie Posters of All Time
From 1930 - 1938, Hungarian-born artist Karoly Grosz reigned supreme as the greatest illustrator of movie posters in Hollywood. Today, some of his original prints fetch over half a million dollars each, proving that great art will never go out of style.
Love it or hate it, this is the device that added a laugh track to some of your favorite TV shows including The Munsters, The Addams Family, and Bewitched.
(YouTube Video) How It’s Made: Candy Corn
How do you make the perfect Halloween candy? Just mix sugar with sugar. Mmm!
Who Came First: The Addams Family or The Munsters?
It’s complicated. You’ll see.
London After Midnight: The Holy Grail of Lost Horror Films
The last known copy of this 1927 Lon Chaney classic was destroyed by fire in 1965. If you have a copy in any format, it’s time to dig it out. The copyright expired in 2022. You’ll be rich!
Mourning Jewelry: “I’ll Be Wrapped Around Your Finger“… Literally!
Wearable memorials to the dead became a fashion statement between the 17th and early 20th centuries. In some cases they became miniature tombs holding hair, bones, and ashes of the deceased.
The Making of Disney’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (1949)
The Headless Horseman from this classic Disney tale made quite an impression on generations of fans young and old despite having only three minutes of screen time. The story behind its making is a tale as well.
Dennison’s Bogie Book: Turn Back the Halloween Clock 100 Years
The Dennison Paper Company hit it big when they dove into the Halloween market, producing annual party guides called Dennison’s Bogie Book to help sell their crepe paper wares. One hundred years later, these tiny books are highly coveted by collectors for their vintage appeal and timeless tips.
How To Be a Vintage Ghostbust… er… Ghost Hunter
If ghosts are real, this is how you find them. What should you do when you find one? That’s up to the ghost.
The Addams Family Auditions (1964)
Rare photos of unknown actors and actresses in costume vying for parts in an iconic TV series. Did producers make the right choices?
What Happened to Beverly Owen After She Left The Munsters?
Was it worth leaving the show to marry her sweetheart? Maybe fame isn’t everything.
Frankenstein’s Monster: How Universal Pictures Copyrighted a Public Domain Character
Five things you should never do to avoid getting crushed by their lawyers.
Are Black Cats Really in Danger of Being Sacrificed on Halloween?
Urban legend says they are targets of Satanic rituals. Who keeps statistics? A pet health insurance company weighs in on the debate.
Monstro Bizarro: Lyle Blackburn’s Immersive Cryptozoology Podcast
Bigfoot, Mothman, and swamp monsters: fact or fiction? Either way, they make great stories and Lyle knows how to tell ‘em.
How Mummies Became Hollywood Icons
From their first appearance in 1899’s Cleopatra’s Tomb, it was obvious they were made for the big screen.
(YouTube Video) DIY Tombstones
If you’re like most of us, sometimes it’s just more fun watching somebody else do it.
Milicent Patrick - Monster Maker
How a former Disney artist’s monster design helped save Creature from the Black Lagoon from a watery box office grave.
Legendary Artist Basil Gogos Makes You Love Horror Films Even More
Legendary Famous Monsters cover artist Basil Gogos inspired generations of movie-goers (and future artists) with his colorful monster portraits. He was so good he could even make a monster look good! Take a look at this much-loved artist’s profile and portfolio.
The Real House That Was Used For The Addams Family Exterior Shots
Unlike The Munsters home on the Universal Studios backlot, The Addams Family producers used exterior shots of a genuine 1887 mansion in LA for their home.
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Home Is Now a Restaurant
The home was dismembered (heh), moved to Kingsland, Texas, and converted to an eatery. Don’t ask for the catch of the day. It might be someone you know.
The History of the Ben Cooper Halloween Costume Company
Oh, those disposable costumes from our youth that we spend hundreds of dollars to collect today. Ira Cooper answers questions about his family’s now-defunct business.
How They Did It: The Invisible Man’s Captivating FX Shots
Before CGI, director James Whale used wires, hand-painted cels, and double exposures to create movie effects that have withstood the test of time for over 90 years.
The Real Inspirations for Poe’s Strangest Tales
Despite Poe’s image as a strange, sad and disturbed man, perhaps he was just a normal guy like us writing about the terrifying world that he lived in? Honestly, things were pretty weird 200 years ago.
A Horror Director’s Worst Nightmare: Losing the Rights To His Own Film
A simple omission in Night of the Living Dead’s opening credits let the movie fall into the public domain.
Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: Eye of Newt in Cauldron Bubble
The real ingredients in Macbeth’s witches cauldron may not be as ghastly as they sound.
Found: The Original “Wilhelm Scream” Sound Recording - with Outtakes!
A classic SFX that appears in over 400 movies and TV episodes. No death scene is complete without it!
These cursed artworks reportedly cause sickness, misfortune, and death (along with ghostly sightings and bumps in the night). What lies behind the eyes that watch you while you sleep?
The Alms House Women of Castle Rising
Have you ever seen this old photo of witches sipping tea before they hopped on their brooms and wreaked havoc across the English countryside? Turns out it’s not quite what you’d imagined.
Made from real crystal to give it power, these objects are still used by seers, magicians, and even weathermen.
Were Witches Really Burned at the Stake During the Salem Witch Trials?
Over 300 years later, people still have a morbid fascination with a horrifying death.
Lizzie Borden Wasn’t Very Nice to Her Mommy and Daddy
One of American’s first women of murder. But did she really do it? Some Lizzie Borden fans say no. Some Lizzie Borden fans say yes!
Why Do Witches Ride Brooms? (Folklore and Pharmacology)
Everybody blames the Pagans for this one, but maybe ladies of the Middle Ages just liked to get high?
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow Was Based on a True Story
Truth is stranger than fiction. With a little creative license, Washington Irving made this tale a Halloween classic.
How Europe Solved Its Werewolf Problem: 300 Years of Trials and Executions Undoubtedly Worked
Brought to you by the same people who believed in vampires and witches.
Grave Guns and Coffin Torpedoes
If they won’t let you rest in peace, take them with you! Once grave robbing became an industry in the 1800s, some folks decided to fortify their graves with defenses that would permanently discourage any thief from disturbing their remains.
Spirit Photographers or Frauds?
Cashing in on a hoax that swindled the lost and grieving.
From a harmless toy to a tool that possess your soul. Where did it come from and how does it work?
The Incredibly Wicked History of the Jack-O’-Lantern
From a folktale about the devil, to swamp gas, to the Celtic tradition of hanging the severed heads of your enemies from your horse’s neck. Surely it’s one of these? Or maybe it’s a little of each.
Lycanthropy: When Believing in Werewolves is All in Your Head
Yes, it is a real psychiatric syndrome that can cause you to believe you’re a wolf, cat, bird, or bee - but everybody knows wolves have more fun.
Battle of the Spiritualists: How the Dead Broke Up a Dear Friendship
Harry Houdini refused to admit that he used real magic during his illusions even though Sherlock Holmes author Arthur Conan Doyle insisted that he did. Then Doyle went too far to prove it.
The Catacombs of Paris Is One Attraction That Never Gets Old
Hundreds of years and millions of bones later, this space-saving monument to the dead is one attraction that never gets old, mainly because it’s still active!
Water Witching: Who Or What Controls the Dowsing Rod?
Is it science, spirits, or the work of pranksters? Eight thousand-year-old cave paintings make you wonder how it could survive this long if there’s no truth to it. Is this lost technology of the Ancients?
The Grave of Abhartach: Ireland’s Vampire King
Bram Stoker’s original inspiration for Dracula may have been an Irish warlord rather than a Romanian prince. Historians present their case.
Richard Mansfield Knew How to Make His Fans Scream
This handsome fellow had the ladies swooning, till he went into his on-stage transformation as Mr. Hyde in an act so terrifying that women fainted and men ran from the theater in fear. It didn’t hurt his reputation (or ticket sales) when his ghastly performance made him a prime suspect as Jack the Ripper.
The City Buried Beneath Seattle
In 1889, Seattle burned to the ground. The city covered the old buildings under tons of earth and rebuilt on top of them, leaving a hidden world beneath the streets of modern-day Seattle.
