2008 Halloween Countdown 24 Bonus - Blog Alert: Adventures In Nerdliness

Darius has a cool new logo featuring Elvira at his blog, Adventures In Nerdliness, to celebrate the Halloween season. He has mad skills to be sure since he used the "Yours Cruelly" header that I included in my last post. Be sure to also check out his posts about nerd girls, archaic game materials, Dungeons and Dragons, comics and other topics that nerds like me enjoy.

2008 Halloween Countdown 24: Elvira At Claypool Comics Part 1

Claypool Comics was created in 1993 and began publishing Peter David's Soulsearchers and Company, Richard Howell's Deadbeats and Phantom of Fear City. They also obtained the rights to publish Elvira, Mistress of the Dark comic book series that lasted for 166 issues and two trade paperback collections. Cassandra Peterson had input in the series and even suggested several stories. The artists and writers varied from story to story with Richard Howell serving as letterer, editor and writer for several of the stories.

The company stopped printing in July 2006 thanks to the fact that Diamond Comic Distributors would no longer carry their titles. Deadbeats made the shift to online publication in April 2007 but alas they lost the license to publish the Elvira, Mistress of the Dark series.

I do not have the entire series nor do I have any of the paperback collections. Each issue of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark has photo covers, black and white interiors and two stories. I will be posting the covers of the issues that I have for the next couple of posts.

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #3 (July 1993) featured "Curse & Tell Part Two: Charmed, I'm Sure" and "All in the Family Chapter Three: House Party".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #3 cover

Yours Cruelly header
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #4 featured "Carrie On, Classmates" and "All in the Family Chapter 4: Exeter Only".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #4 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #7 (November 1993) featured "Over-Exposed" and "Death Takes A Honeymoon".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #7 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #8 (December 1993) featured "Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow (or get cable!)" and "Child's Christmas (with whales)".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #8 cover
Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #9 (January 1994) featured "Dino Park" and "Femme Noir".

Elvira, Mistress of the Dark #9 cover

2008 Halloween Countdown 23 Bonus: Kansas Lottery Haunted House Tickets

In reponse to Wonderful Wonderblog's Halloween Instant Lottery challenge, I present to you two Kansas Lottery Haunted House tickets. Neither is a winner but you can see all the neat little symbols that you have to match.

Kansas Lottery Haunted House tickets

2008 Halloween Countdown 23: Elvira Accessories, Makeup, Tattoos And Air Freshners

Imagineering held the rights to Elvira in the 1980s and put out everything from child costumes to wigs. They also made accessories and makeup. I did manage to find the snake earrings, wristbands, Macabre Makeup Crayons, Midnight Kiss Lip Color, Flashy Lashes, Nightmare Nail Enamel and temporary tattoos.

I did open the snake earrings and tried them on. They have screw-like fastners so even people without pierced ears can wear them. Luckily, I bought two packages of the wristbands but only opened one.

Elvira snake earrings from 1986 and wristband from 1984

Elvira black lipstick and black nail polish both from 1984

Elvira eyelashes from 1987 and makeup crayons from 1984

Elvira temporary tattoos from 1989
I found these pictures of Elvira makeup and accessories online:

Elvira Look-A-Like Make-Up Kit from 1986

Three different Elvira make up items

A pack of Elvira temparory tattoos and press-on nails
In 1989, Medo put out Elvira air freshners. I am not sure how many different ones they had but I managed to snag two at a local store and found a third one online.

Two Elvira air freshners from 1989

Elvira air freshner

2008 Halloween Countdown 22 Bonus: Worlds of Fun Halloween Haunt

Worlds of Fun is an amusement park in Kansas City, Missori. Every year they put on a Halloween Haunt. I have been to Worlds of Fun once several summers ago but I have never made it to their Halloween Haunt...yet. Here are two videos so beware of gruesome images that may give you nightmares.

Asylum Island at Worlds of Fun

Bloodshed haunted house 2007

2008 Halloween Countdown 22: Elvira Drink Holders And Slice

I have a plastic Elvira Coors cup but it is packed away with the majority of my glass collection. I do have one of those make-a-mug with a print out of the Mistress of the Dark. Unfortunately, the color is reddish and I should reprint it. This post features some Elvira drink holders that I found at various places online.

Elvira beer stein with art by Susie Morten

Elvira coffee mug

Elvira's Night Brew glass
I never knew about Elvira promoting Slice in 1989 and 1990 but here's the proof:

Go Psycho With Elvira cup from Slice

Slice Go Psycho With Elvira display sign

Life-size Elvira Slice display
She also promoted Mug Root Beer in 1989 and 1990 but I have yet to find any promotional items from those ad campaigns if they exist.

2008 Halloween Countdown 21 Bonus: Alice Cooper's Munster Mash Marathon

I finally got to see the commercial for Alice Cooper's Munster Mash Marathon. The shock rocker is hosting eight hours of The Munsters starting 4 pm East/1 pm West on Friday, October 31st. The website has the promo video, an online trivia game called "Alice Cooper's Munster Mash", titles of the episodes that will air and clips from the series.

Alice Cooper has been in several comic books starting with Marvel Premiere #50 (October 1979) with the story titled "From The Inside".

Marvel Premiere #50 cover
Next came the unauthorized biography from Rock N' Roll Comics #18.

Rock N' Roll Comics #18 cover
Finally, there was a three issue comic series from Marvel Music called The Last Temptation by Neil Gaiman and Michael Zulli.

The Last Temptation #1-3 covers
The only comic that I have with Alice Cooper is Rock N' Roll #18. I do have several of his albums on vinyl, cassette and/or cds. I am surprised that no one has turned his Welcome To My Nightmare album into a comic book yet.

2008 Halloween Countdown 21: Elvira's Night Brew

The Mistress of the Dark's relationship with the Coors Brewing Company became rocky because they wanted to tone down her sexy image (that's why you see less of her cleavage). She decided not to renew her contract in 1996 and decided to start her own beer label. The result was Elvira's Night Brew and I managed to buy a few six packs (I wished I had all the bottles and holders but I did keep seven bottles and two holders). Only one of the local liquor stores stocked Elvira's Night Brew and a six pack sold for $5.79 at the time. The dark beer tasted much better than Coors and Coors Light. Unfortunately, Elvira's Night Brew only lasted a year since she could not enter the Colorado Beer Convention since her neckline was too low.

Six pack of Elvira's Night Brew #1

Six pack of Elvira's Night Brew #2

Empty bottle of Elvira's Night Brew

Elvira's Night Brew bottle labels
I found the following promotional items on eBay:

Elvira's Night Brew glass

Elvira's Night Brew circular tin sign

Elvira's Night Brew life-size standee

2008 Halloween Countdown 20: Elvira Promoting Coors

Elvira met the Coors Beerwolf in 1986 when the beer company was doing their Silver Bullet campaign. She became the official national spokeswoman for Coors Beer Co. for the month of October starting in 1988. I do have a few items of her promoting the beer. I managed to get an Elvira Coors Light vinyl sign from 1991 that measures seven inches by seven and a half inches. I was able to get this from one of the local liquor stores for ten dollars. I could have gotten a large banner but the store manager wanted fifty dollars for it so a friend at the time bought it since I did not have the money (the friend moved away a few years ago and I don't know what ever happened to the large banner). The sencond promotional item that I have is a table standee that is eight and half inches tall. I managed to get this at a local beer joint for free.

Elvira Coors Light vinyl sign from 1991


Elvira Coors Light table standee from 1991
I found the following promotional items on eBay:

Elvira and Beerwolf poster from 1986

Elvira Coors sign from 1986

Elvira coaster for Coors Halloween Party Night

Elvira Coors Halloween Party Night sign

Elvira Coors Halloween Party Night yard sign

Elvira promoting Coors t-shirt

Elvira Coors Fright Zone table standee

Elvira Coors Mali-Booo Beach light display

Elvira Coors Light table standee from 1990

Elvira Coors Flick or Treat sign from 1994
Special treats for all you big ghouls out there:

Elvira Coors Light Mali-Boo Beach commercial

Elvira and Thing from The Addams Family Coors Light commercial

2008 Halloween Countdown 19 Bonus: Werewolf By Five Man Electrical Band

In the mid-1970s, I received an 8 track titled Heavy Hits and one of the songs that quickly became my favorite was Werewolf performed by the Five Man Electrical Band (the other song was Things Get A Little Easier, Once You Understand by Think). The song was orginally released in Canada in March 1974 and was the last single to chart for them. The 8 track cassette and player are long gone but I can enjoy the song once again thanks to YouTube. Not only am I posting the video but also the lyrics.

Werewolf performed by the Five Man Electrical Band
Werewolf
Performed by Five Man Electrical Band (1974)

Momma said “There’s something weird ‘bout Billy
I looked in his room, his bed wasn’t slept in at all last night
But Papa said “Ah, now Momma don’t you go talking silly
He’s just a young boy, he’s just sowing his wild oats and that’s aright”
But momma said “No, something real strange ‘bout my Billy
Farmer down the road said he lost a few of his sheep last night
I know he’s my own flesh and blood but he makes my blood run chilly
‘Cause I saw from my window and he was on the hill just screaming at the moonlight”

Is it any wonder
We hate to see the sun go down
And is it any wonder
We hate to see the full moon coming ‘round

So Papa said “I guess there’s only one thing to do ‘bout Billy
Hand me down my gun son and bring along that silver dinner bell”
But Momma said “Papa I beg you don’t kill him
‘Cause I just couldn’t bear to think about my baby in hell”
He went down to the blacksmith got him out of bed and said
“Get your fire hot
Oh shut up your shutters close down the doors, we’re gonna need all the heat you got
‘Cause I want you to melt my silver bell down to a single shot
I got a job to do and I got to get it done before the sun comes up”

So is it any wonder
That we hate to see the sun go down

Then we heard a shot and I said “Papa got him”
Then we heard a scream and Momma smiled and said “Betcha Billy got him”
But when I lifted up my eyes there was Papa in the doorway staring at the floor
And my big brother Billy never did come home no more

Now is it any wonder
We hate to see the sun go down
And is it any wonder
We to see the full moon coming ‘round

2008 Halloween Countdown 19: Marvel Spring Special #1

Marvel Spring Special #1 (October 1988) is the official comic book adaptation of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark movie by Sid Jacobson with pencils by Ernie Colon and inked by Romeo Tanghal. The cover was done by Ernie Colon and Joe Jusko. The black and white magazine is forty-four pages so I will only be posting the first page to give you an idea of the artwork. This is a nice companion to the movie but several scenes are not in the magazine (especially my favorite where Elvira is being spied on). Only one black and white pinup of her is found inside while the back cover has a color pinup. The ads for Stray Toasters and Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers could have been dropped for more pinups of the Mistress of the Dark.

Marvel Spring Special #1 cover

Inside front cover

Marvel Spring Special #1 page 1

Elvira closeup pinup

Back cover
Unfortunately, no one has yet to make a comic book adaptation of her second movie, Elvira's Haunted Hills, which is the better of the two in my opinion.

2008 Halloween Countdown 18 Bonus - Blog Alert: Tomb Of Dracula At Jon's Random Acts of Geekery

Jon's Random Acts of Geekery has a special "By the 10's" post featuring every tenth cover of Tomb of Dracula from Marvel Comics. I only have two issues of the horror comic book series (#1 and #9). Be sure to check out his other posts dealing with monsters, superheroes and other fun topics.