It’s October. That means one thing to writers of the dark fantastic — Halloween! To some writers it’s a chance to go on a major pimping spree and try to drum up some sales. And why not? It’s that time of year where all things horror are okay in the court of public opinion. For me, however, it’s something all together different. October is no different than any other month — with regards to how I go about the daily business of fright.
You see, I love horror and all things spooktacular. This desire for the scare has flowed through my veins since I was a young boy. In fact, some of my favorite childhood moments are centered around the month of months.
I was one of those kids that had his toys apart hours before my parents had a chance to watch me enjoy the gift. My curiosity insisted itself upon me and possessed me to find out just how that thing worked. Because of this, I would cannibalize tiny lights from toys and attach them to cheap plastic masks in order bring those monsters to life. It was my little way to tell those around me that, yes, I take this seriously — even at the age of seven.
But as far as Halloween costumes were concerned — on magnificent purchase stood above all else. You may not remember them, but I certainly do. Kooky Spooks. These debuted around 1979 and were inflatable “masks” that perched upon your head and included water-based make up to cover your face and a plastic poncho to drape over your body.
When I was a kid, Kooky Spooks were the Mac Daddy of costumes and were the one Halloween purchase that I didn’t have to augment with lights or sounds. Kooky Spooks were perfect. My all time favorite Kooky Spooks was the bat. The closest thing to demonstrating the coolness that is Kooky Spooks was this odd “Evil Twins” video. Around 0:26 you see a pair of Kooky Spooks in action.
Post-Kooky Halloween, my costumes veered more toward the home-made variety — mostly because I discovered a knack for creating costumes with more flare and creativity than Ben Franklin (an odd little store in my home town) had to offer.
I would love to see someone bring the likes of Kooky Spooks back. I don’t see it happening, mostly because Halloween costumes have turned into little more than adding the word “sexy” to nearly anything you can imagine or dressing up like Heisenberg or a reference to any given pop culture meme. And that’s fine. But for me, Halloween will always be about casting my memory back to a time where the holiday served more as an homage to the love of the fright, than the libido, laugh, or lampoon.
Of course, if Kooky Spooks did come back, they’d probably come with fishnets and a micro skit.
Wait … I think I’m okay with that.
Happy spooking everyone! Come back soon for more Halloween memories.
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