October...Day Twenty Nine...

Good evening boils and ghouls,

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday.  Last evening I had a conversation with my youngest daughter about how I feel about Halloween - that it is a day that I treat much like people treat Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter...or whichever day you want to treat differently than "just another day". As the years have gone on I've felt that Halloween just doesn't stack up (in other's minds) as important enough to just revel in - pause and enjoy. Instead it's been a day that I may get to enjoy partially. This might seem like me just whining, but I feel strongly about it. I want to spend the day carving pumpkins, listening to fun Halloween music, watching Universal Monster movies or Halloween cartoons.  Sit in a darkened room with pumpkins glowing and just "be". 

Many years ago I spent lots of time on Halloween - the industry - and really wanted to make a living at it.  I was doing sound design for haunted houses and theme parks.  I was recording my own music.  I was spending time with some really wonderful folks and networking to get to know other like minded people. 

I met Rochelle Santopoalo (pictured above with me about to bite her) who ran Happy Halloween Magazine and The Global Halloween Convergence. Through her I met a wonderful group of people that continue to be friends of mine to this day. Rochelle really knew how to bring people together, make everyone feel included and foster fun and magical experiences. The pictures on my blog tonight were found in a file cabinet and I wanted to get them out there on the internet as I'm not sure the last time any of my "Halloween friends" have seen them.

Here I am getting made up to be a vampire by Todd McIntosh - the makeup artist for Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Also in the make up chair is Dusti Morton - a friend I dearly love.

It was fun having this opportunity - to be made up by a famous makeup artist.

John Pearson and I met thanks to Rochelle.  John has been responsible for so much great artwork and has created lots of it for me - my label, studio and albums. The Fleshrot: Songs from the Dead album was 100% driven by him.

Sean Coleman and Glen Blinn are another pair of guys that I had the chance to meet thanks to Halloween (and Rochelle).

Sean and I have remained in close contact (as have John, Dusti and I) and it's wonderful to have such a creative, fun and amazing group of friends in my life.

When I think of Halloween I think about trick-or-treating as a kid, working in haunted houses in junior high and high school, buying my first home and creating my first home haunt, making music for the Halloween industry, taking my kids trick-or-treating, these wonderful friends I've met THANKS to my love of Halloween (the industry, Rochelle, etc...).

So many memories passed and so many more to come. So when I talk about Halloween it means as much to me as your favorite holiday.

Happy Haunting,

Mark Harvey