But it can also be for a good cause, too.

Elaine Hand loves dressing up in costume. She was in a full-fledged witch costume at a recent speaking program I had in Illinois! (Maybe it’s in her blood; her mother was born on Halloween :) The thing that makes her a Champion of Childhood in our book is that she wears costumes all year long! Here’s how it started, in Elaine’s own words:

“This all started with being a witch — going to my clients during the week of Halloween and giving them wisdom from the wizard (motivational Halloween sayings) and candy from the witch. It has just grown from there.”

And grown it has! A client of hers asked her to consider coming to a local school in costume to serve as a mystery reader:

“I do it maybe once every six weeks or so – depends on when asked. I usually go to three or four classes per visit – normally kindergarten thru second, maybe third grade. When possible, I act the book out if conducive. I also have a snowman, reindeer, Easter bunny and chipmunk. It just makes me smile, as well as others.”

Elaine is not a professional mascot or part of a theater troupe or working a part-time job at Subway standing on a street corner in costume waving at cars. She’s a regular person with a successful career who is not afraid to wear a costume outside the confines of Halloween. She knows how awesome it can be.

We hope you’ll be inspired by her lead and take part in our latest Small Rebellion.

But be warned: If you do, you’ll probably get Adultitis so angry it’ll make the Grinch look like Santa Claus.

A Champion of Childhood is someone instilled with the soaring spirit of childhood who rallies against rules that don’t exist while engaging in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine the slavery of Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. We like shining a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against Adultitis. See more here.

The hot debate in school districts around the country is whether to “Halloween” or not. When I was in school 30 years ago, every class had a Halloween party and the younger kids got to dress up and partake in a Halloween parade throughout the school, which was a super fun treat for everyone. One teacher even had the unique tradition of making homemade donuts in class, complete with sprinkles. It was an awesome time of year. Fun for the sake of fun!

Halloween was not so fun for me, though. To be honest, the stress and anxiety started each year about October 1st when the costumes started popping up in the stores and pictures of jack-o-lanterns started donning windows. These outwards signs of the inevitable holiday filled me with dread and sadness. October 31st would soon be here. Not again!

Right around when I was six, my parents decided that Halloween was not something our family would celebrate anymore. Up to this point, we had taken part in the usual traditions (trick-or-treating, handing out candy, decorating pumpkins). My older sisters spent their childhood years doing these things. My only memory of trick-or-treating was when I was in kindergarten and I thought it was the coolest concept in the entire world. Holy buckets (of candy)! My mom had made me a homemade costume of a cat and I loved it. She even drew whiskers on my face with eyeliner!

My parents had started watching a TV program that was strongly discouraging the practices of Halloween. Coming from a strong Christian foundation, my parents had an eye-opening experience that brought them to the conclusion that Halloween was not something they wanted any of us to partake in. I remember the night exactly when we went around the house and took down the festive decorations that we had so excitedly put up a week before. One by one, they all came down and were thrown away. My simple youthful view was that they were “bad” because it was a night that Satan loved and we cannot celebrate with Satan. Pretty freaky. And pretty freakin’ confusing for a kiddo my age.

Inevitably, what followed were years of lies and shame. I was embarrassed to tell my friends and teachers that we didn’t go trick-or-treating and I was resentful to my parents that I never got to go. I lied to my classmates about what I was going to be each year, often pretending “I didn’t know yet” and the next day would lie again, acting as if I had went. I faked out my parents by acting like I didn’t care either way because I didn’t want to rock the boat or make them feel bad.

My parents meant well. Their hearts were in the right place. To this day, I don’t hold anything against them because honestly I know they were only trying to prevent exposing us to things of an evil nature. Very, very good intentions; hard to argue with their motives.

Thirteen years ago when I started teaching kindergarten, the debate to ban Halloween in the school district was in full swing. The core of the debate was that it WAS indeed a religious holiday (separation of church and state). Boy, as you can imagine, this brought up some sensitive issues for me. Things I hadn’t thought about in years. So sensitive that I found myself unable to share my experience from childhood with my colleagues.

As it stood when I had left the school after teaching five years, the 5 and 6 year olds were still allowed to have “fall parties” with costumes and treats, but it was a fight from year to year. In those five years of teaching I got to see the holiday through the eyes of these kindergarteners. It was a real gift! For weeks prior, they would savor the anticipation of wearing their costumes and the excitement about seeing what their friends would be dressed as. There was nothing but pure delight to be found when the kiddos got to walk the halls of school in their costume for the Halloween parade (which by that point had then been limited to walking through the kindergarten classes only). And of course — the candy! Cupcakes with little orange pumpkins, orange Hi-C, festive napkins.

Pure, honest, innocent fun.

No child ever mentioned Satan or the “day of the dead.” Evil never got brought up. No one ever talked about the religious origins of the holiday or the satanic worship practices. Heck, most people don’t even know they exist.

The argument is being made that if schools are not allowed to let other religious holidays be celebrated (Jesus at Christmas, menorahs, etc.) then why should this religious holiday be allowed to continue?

Here’s my (maybe too simple) answer…

Many holidays that are celebrated in our culture in the United States have SOME sort of religious origin. Heck, the entire foundation of the origins of this country are religious. Didn’t this country get founded on the concept of finding religious freedom? Over the years the religious core of the holiday has faded into the mainstream and the secular traditions have taken the spotlight. A few examples…

Valentine’s Day. Are only Catholics allowed to celebrate this day? Yes, it’s all based on St. Valentine. Same holds true for St. Patrick’s Day. The more obvious ones of course are Christmas and Easter. Yet I know practicing Jews who put up Christmas trees and atheists who dye Easter eggs.

Where’s the line between overanalyzing and respect?

Should we stop acknowledging Father’s Day in our culture because some people do not know their fathers?

Halloween and every other holiday are great opportunities to be mindful of HOW you celebrate it and what you choose to put emphasis on.

At the end of the day, every parent has to make their own call and do what’s best for their family. Jason and I have been very intentional about our Halloween traditions. Our family is intentional about steering clear of the extreme scariness and I’m not big fans of overabundance of the revealing costumes for women, so we opt out of this part of the holiday. However, we all dress up. Lucy looks forward to what we’re all going to be. Our neighborhood has a Halloween parade through the streets led by a firetruck, which is a hoot. Our best friends join us in costume for the parade, then we do some trick-or-treating, followed by a dessert first (candy, of course!) dinner together back at our house while we take turns going to the door to hand out candy to our neighbors. And don’t forget the annual viewing of “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.” Our dinner menu is usually something very fall-ish and under the category of comfort food (think shepherd’s pie or homemade soup and warm bread). It’s a night we all savor and I suspect will continue to for years to come.

Unfortunately, life is filled with endless inevitable opportunities for hardship and sadness. We’ve seen this far too many times through our work with Make-A Wish.

When the opportunity for some pure, honest, innocent fun arises, you can bet I’ll be the first in line with my pumpkin bucket to get me some of that.

It would seem that of all of the world’s professions, “pediatrician” would be near the top of the list when it comes to those that are most conducive to wearing Halloween costumes at work. Ellen does every year. While she’s not the only person who does, it strikes me that at the hospital she’s worked for over 26 years, she is in the minority.

Even more notable is the effort she puts into her costumes. She’s pictured above dressed as the Man with the Yellow Hat from Curious George. The pants, shirt, and hat were purchased at Savers, an resale shop that supports Big Brothers & Big Sisters. “It amazed me that somebody actually wore those yellow pants,” she said, “But I suppose there’s no accounting for taste.”

Although she often likes to make her costumes (“I think it’s a good lesson for parents that they don’t have to go out and spend a lot of money to have fun,” she says.) she has also gone as a pink gorilla, a banana, a chicken, and a cow (complete with udders.) My favorite part is that she gets custom name badges made up showing her in costume, which actually come in handy from time to time:

I save the ID badges with my picture in costume on a bulletin board at my house. One very dry March, I had a fire at the house while I was at work. The police had my name, but they didn’t know how to contact me. They tracked me down because of the ID badge with my picture in costume. They called the hospital and told me to come home. So having those fake hospital ID’s saved my house!

It seems like a crime to not wear a Halloween costume to work when you have the chance. Ellen surmised that she thinks most people are probably afraid of being perceived as unprofessional. She’s probably right.

I’m of the belief that people like doing business with people they like. And people like people who are having fun.

Contrary to popular belief, having fun at your job and being really, really good at it are not mutually exclusive.

In fact, Ellen confirms my belief that the two usually go hand in hand.

A Champion of Childhood is someone instilled with the soaring spirit of childhood who rallies against rules that don’t exist while engaging in ruthless, senseless acts of silliness that undermine the slavery of Adultitis and its unadventurous version of adulthood. We like shining a light upon the most remarkable among us, holding them up as a dazzling example of what we should strive for in this epic battle against Adultitis. See more here.

Halloween is exciting for kids and adults, too;
Dressing in costume: a thing we all love to do.

But why settle for parties or just Trick or Treat?
What if you wore one when you went out to eat?

Perhaps shopping for groceries or driving car pool;
Or serving on jury duty would even be cool.

Or maybe while getting your vision corrected;
Just wear your costume somewhere unexpected.

Adultitis won’t like it and people might stare;
The rebellion is knowing that you just don’t care.

Halloween is the best. I love that it’s free of the obligatory gift-buying and mountains of stress that usually accompany the other major holidays. Halloween is pretty much just about fun. And zombies.

I also love that although Trick or Treating is still a domain of childhood and rambunctious teenagers, it’s not uncommon for grown-ups to get in on the costume-wearing fun. However, most of us over the age of twenty usually require a bit of “costume cover.” You know, that socially acceptable event or occasion where it’s “appropriate” to dress up.

But what if you dressed up in costume for a dinner out with your sweetheart? Or for your weekly trip to the supermarket? Or for jury duty?

This premise is what has inspired our latest “officially-sanctioned” Small Rebellion. It’s called “Halloween Unleashed,” and the challenge is this:

The MISSION: Wear a Halloween costume somewhere that’s unexpected. Bonus points if you get a picture and share it online with the hashtag #smallrebellion7

You can include friends or family — in fact, that makes it more fun and will help increase your bravery! — but wearing a costume to the office-sanctioned Halloween party or to take your kids trick-or-treating (although awesome!) is not what we’re going for.

This is your chance to expand some boundaries and send chills down the spine of Adultitis!

(Click here for inspiration.)

Fun Size Award
You know how Halloween candy has been shrunk down to “Fun Size,” which is code for “How Small Can We Make This and Still Convince You to Pay Us Money For It?” What’s fun is how they trick you into eating the equivalent of 735 full-size candy bars before you realize what hit you.

But I digress.

Well, this is a “fun-sized” version of Audrey Hepburn. Fewer calories than the candy equivalent, but just as sweet!

Best Dynamic Duo
It’s Agnes and Minion from Despicable Me. Well done kids, well done!

Taking Things To A Whole Other Level Award
Amanda’s daughter Nevaeh wanted to be a Barbie for Halloween. Amanda thought that being a Barbie was a little “blah,” so instead…

I made her a “Barbie Box.” She was Barbie in a box for Halloween. In her box I taped in accessories with clear tape, to make it look more like a Barbie box. I took pictures of her in her costume, blew them up and put them on the back of the box with captions, the back also has a Mattel logo, a barcode and Barbie head logos. One side has her name writen down the side with the Barbie head logo and the other side has “Barbie” writen down it with a Barbie head logo also. I really enjoyed making this for my daughter and she loved it. :)

We do too, Amanda! Well done!

Best Doppelgänger Award
This costume is a few years old (circa 1985 and ’86), which only makes it all the more remarkable. Bill Robbins “bears” a striking resemblance to a famous punky QB and Chicago icon, Jim McMahon. Only one of the four photos here is the real Jim McMahon — can you guess which one? (Hint: it’s the black & white newspaper pic.)

The Seriously, Not Just Anybody Can Pull This Costume Off Award
This one goes to Ryan Haack, who went as songwriter and performer, Tony Memmel. (Who just so happens to have been born without a left forearm.)

In related news, you have to check out the awesome costume fellow professional speaker and paralympian Josh Sundquist put together. He wasn’t an official entry into our Halloween parade, but if he were, he would have won a “major award.”

Best Group Costume (Runner-Up)
It’s always fun to see a whole family dressed up in the same costume, especially in this case, where the kids’ birth order breakdown works out perfectly. Granted, Jack Jack isn’t wearing a mask, but no one wanted to force the issue and risk having him turn into a goblin with an attitude problem.

Best Group Costume
This family emerged at the last minute to take the prestigious Best Group Costume Award for the second straight year! (They embodied the Tortoise and the Hare last year.) Here’s what Phyllis had to say about this year’s costume:

Our son wanted to be a piggy for Halloween. So we added a bow tie to his front and a coin to his back so he could be a piggy bank! Daddy was a hammer. (To crack open the bank. Eeek!) Mommy and future brother-or-sister were change for the bank! I hope you like them. We had fun making & wearing them! :)

Not Eligible to Receive An Award Award
Our family teamed up with two of our best friends to transform into The Avengers. I think we rocked it. Although we can’t give ourselves an award (because it would be incredibly lame), we do have every right to be proud of our effort and show it off to you here, because this is our blog, after all.

Each of our award winners will all be receiving a special “Trick or Treat” goodie box with items from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. A special thanks to everyone who submitted photos — it was so fun to see everyone’s creativity on display!

Check out all of this year’s entries, as well as the winners from previous years:
• 2010
• 2011

Halloween has come and gone. For those of you that still have candy leftover from the big haul, I applaud your self-control. We try to limit the amount of candy that comes into our house because we know the chances of it lasting more than twenty-four hours is about as good as that moldy jack-o-lantern throwing itself away.

But if you have some extra candy corn, Snickers bars or Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups* hanging around, Curbly.com has assembled a great roundup of 10 recipes that use leftover Halloween candy. Check ’em out here!

* Anyone that has any Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups leftover at this point should be deported. Because I’m pretty sure they’re communist.

Made with my iPad.

All you have to do to participate is post a photo of a great Halloween costume on our Facebook event page. It could be a photo of YOU as a kid (or an adult), a picture of your own child, or even a themed group shot. All of our award winners will all be receiving a special “Trick or Treat” goodie box with items from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand.

We always have a hoot with this, and you can check out the winners from 2010 and 2011. Just like in a classic Halloween parade, the real fun comes in checking out everyone else’s costumes.

Need some step by step guidance? Just follow these instructions:

1.) Make sure the photo you want to share is on your computer.
2.) Make sure you are logged in to Facebook and have “liked” Kim & Jason.
3.) Go to the event page and click on the Add Photo/Video icon (circled below).

4.) Click on “Attach Photo/Video” and then locate the photo on your computer.
5.) Finally, add any comments you’d like to add in the comment box, then click “Post.”

That’s it! Deadline for entries is November 1, 2012. Join our Halloween Parade and share your photo today!

Become a fan of Kim & Jason on Facebook and get the first scoop on the crazy things we’re up to as well as other behind-the-scenes treats. Kim & Jason Nation unite!

Daniel Davis makes monsters for a living. Daniel and his wife Dawna are the purveyors of Steam Crow, a neat little Arizona-based company that draws monsters, invents their stories, and makes products based on them. I stumbled across Steam Crow at the San Diego Comic Con last summer and was blown away by their colorful, whimsical booth. In a sea of licensed Star Wars and superhero memorabilia, here was someone successfully selling their own original creations (which is no easy feat!). And when I learned that this husband and wife team worked together and traveled to shows with their son — affectionately referred to as Goblin Boy — I knew I had to interview them.

In this chat, Daniel and I have a man-to-man talk (our wives were otherwise preoccupied during the interview) about how one gets started drawing monsters and, more importantly, how one gets to the point where he believes he can make a living doing it and quits his “safe” job at a credit union. We also talk about the importance of permission granters, the misperceptions of “overnight success,” the realities of going into business with your spouse, and of course, why Halloween is so awesome. (Daniel and Dawna host an event called Keen Halloween with the goal of helping you make Halloween even better.)

I think you’ll find this interview to be a real treat!

Run Time: 30 minutes, 06 seconds
Download MP3 (28.9 MB)

Links:

• SteamCrow.com
• Keen Halloween

In an effort to take awesomeness to a whole new level, how about making glow-in-the-dark chalk! We think it’s a great way to spookify your sidewalks this Halloween. Crystal from Growing a Jeweled Rose has provided the complete instructions for making glowing chalk. It requires making up some batches of glow water (how awesome does that sound?!) and fortunately, she has the recipe to that as well. Thanks Crystal! (And thanks to Kathleen Cummings for sharing the link :)

Consider it a sign that you’re on the right track.

Keep going.

The Sellout by Jason Kotecki. Made with iPad.

Taking free candy that someone is offering from the trunk of their car is normally not a very good idea. But we heartily endorse it in the case of Trunk or Treat. Also known as Halloween tailgating, trunk-or-treating is like trick-or-treating, except instead of going door-to-door for candy, you go trunk-to-trunk.

In these organized events, people gather in a parking lot with their candy-filled trunks open, while kids in costume go from car to car collecting the sweet currency of Halloween. We heard about this a few years ago while at a speaking gig in New Jersey, but the tradition has been going strong for many years in different parts of the country. It’s a great way for people who live in rural areas to make trick-or-treating more efficient, where visiting neighbors who live miles apart is quite the chore. It’s also a nice solution for people who live in Adultitis-ridden neighborhoods where few people hand out candy. And of course, churches and schools are also prime sponsors of trunk-or-treating events, as they serve as great safe and fun community builders.

As you might imagine, a Trunk or Treat event can be as elaborate as you want to make it. Many people go all out in decorating their trunks. Prizes could be awarded for best themed or scariest trunk or costume. Spooky music, a costume parade, Halloween crafts and games, and of course yummy treats like candy apples, cinnamon donuts, and apple cider would be perfect add-ons.

Of course, kids love it because they can keep making rounds and gather more candy in less time.

Perhaps you could participate in a Trunk or Treat event this year. Or maybe you or your organization could organize and host one for your community. It’s an Adultitis-proof way for people of all ages to enjoy the fun of Halloween!

Photo credit: Robert Stolarik

The Cinderella Cindershmella Award
Amanda’s 6-year-old daughter Nevaeh is a big fan of the Disney princesses. But instead of trying to be Cinderella or Snow White, she decided to create her own identity and declared herself the Princess of Fall. Why not?

The Politest Werewolf Award
We love the fact that Nate grew his hair out for this role, but the whole write-up from his mom Amy was heartwarming:

This is my son, Nate. He wanted to be a werewolf, but both of us didn’t want to make him a scary one. We grew out his hair to make it shaggy, I sewed the furry mitts myself (granted, I’m not a seamstress, but my mother did teach me how to handsew a few things) onto a pair of old gloves with 40% off fabric, we found the plaid flannel at TJ Maxx, the teeth at CVS for a $1 and all the makeup came from my own kit. MAC Chocolate eye shadow is your friend! He has Asperger’s and ADHD, and has sensory issues, so the act of me even having him sit and not move to put make up on was a huge undertaking for him. But he did it and I was so proud of him. He was amazed by what I could do with what I had at home. He said, “Wow, Mom, you did so great!” He got SO many compliments from folks who said what a great costume he had. He FELT great in it. I think we both enjoyed this experience of building this costume together and enjoying the fruit of our labors. He was so happy to wear it and I was so happy to walk around with him and have our neighbors tell him what a “polite werewolf” he was.

The Best Inanimate Object Costume
Ok, so fireworks technically aren’t exactly inanimate, and this photo is a little blurry, but have YOU ever tried to photograph fireworks? There’s no doubt that this one scores HUGE on creativity.

The Best Group Costume from That One Book About That One Wizard That’s Pretty Popular
Harry looks great and Hedwig is priceless.

The Pun Intended Award
Gina is our only back-to-back winner. Last year’s plastic army galbecame this year’s Smartie Pants. Nice.

Costume That Makes Us Most Want To Eat Bratwurst Award
And drink beer.

Nail polish was used to create the designs on his Lederhosen. Nice touch.

Best Lighting Award
In photography, lighting is everything, and it sure added to the spookiness of this entry. And all the witchy details bring it all together. Nice execution!

Best Group Theme
We LOVE this concept. We’re curious if the tortoise was able to pull it out, as the little one clearly seems to be the underdog. But kudos to Dad for being willing to sport the giant pink rabbit costume that reminded us of A Christmas Story. We salute you, Dad.

All of our award winners will all be receiving a special “Trick or Treat” goodie box with items from the Kim & Jason Lemonade Stand. A special thanks to everyone who submitted photos — it was so fun to see everyone’s creativity on display!

Check out last year’s winners here.

Halloween has come and gone. After bribing Lucy with M&M’s (her new favorite treat), she DID put on her Elmo costume long enough to get a plastic pumpkin half-full of candy. Victory!

Last year the three of us donned themed costumes. (Frankenstein, the Bride of Frankenstein and their pet skunk… um, yeah. I know… go with it.) So, a while back as October 31st drew closer, Jason and I started chatting about THIS year’s theme. With an almost two-year-old, a major consideration was what we could actually convince her to wear. Considering “no” is her favoritest of words, we knew we’d have to pick something really fascinating to get her to actually put it on.

We tossed around idea after idea. Most were followed with the infamous roadblock: “Yeah, but.” Dead ends led to frustration. A few ideas that seemed fun became far too complicated and detail driven. With October being one of our fullest months for speaking programs, the last thing we wanted to do on our time off was run errands all around town putting this together. (Side note: Jason and I despise errands. I’m still waiting for a drive-through Wal-Mart or Target.)

In a “Come to Jesus Moment” one morning about a week before Halloween, we both realized something. We still had no costumes and this “fun” idea of having a theme had transformed into a source of stress. Yuck. What’s the point?!

When your source for fun becomes stressful, it’s time to re-evaluate.

And I’m so glad we did.

We asked ourselves WHY are we trying to do themed costumes? Answer: It would be fun.

And why was the planning not fun anymore? Answer: Too much thinking, not much time, and the lack of interest to invest evening hours running errands.

So, we decided to take our own advice and found a way to do this with less stress and more fun — we simplified things. We took one evening and had a fun family shopping outing to find something fun we’d each enjoy individually, with no pressure of a theme.

I LOVED my friend’s comment on our family photo on Facebook:

“The old ‘Mexican-Pirate-Elmo’ costume. You are probably the only people in the country to have that combo.”

Yep, he’s right. And I’ll tell ya… it was fun AND stress-free.

Jason has always wanted to be a pirate. I LOVED the idea of wearing a fun hat, a little face paint, and being able to stay warm under a blanket during our chilly Wisconsin trick-or-treat neighborhood parade.

Since Lucy LOVES Elmo right now, we were magically (magic = M&M’s) able to get her to put on her costume without tears. (Tears on Halloween = missing the point)

Do you find yourself stressed out by your efforts to have fun?

What sources for fun have you found to be stress-free?

How can you skip the stress and still enjoy the fun?

We compiled a spiffy eBook filled with every single Halloween-related Kim & Jason Weekend comic ever created, and you can read it for free! From Trick-or-Treat excursions to Jason’s candy trading post and his drawings that come to life, you’ll have fun reliving the duo’s Halloween antics. It’s conveniently formatted for both easy screen viewing and printing — why not print out your favorites to decorate your workspace or home for the spooky season!

––>Download (1.5 MB)

Halloween is the best. Costumes, candy, and a good scare — who could ask for more!? We’ve created a ton of things over the years with the sole purpose of helping you avoid being haunted by Adultitis this time of year. This post is a collection of some of our greatest hits. Read, watch, and listen your way to the best Halloween since you were six!

Read
Recipes for Boogers on a Stick. An interview with a guy who sports several Halloween tattoos. And more tips than a witch could shake a broomstick at. Don’t miss any of these treats:

9 Gross and Gruesome Halloween Treats

Interview with Mr. Halloween

How to Make This the Best Halloween Since You Were a Kid

29 Awesome Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin Designs

Halloween Happiness

31 Ways to Escape Adulthood This Halloween

The Official Drink of Halloween

Watch
Hi ho video! Take gander at the video from our live Halloween show and chuckle at some very helpful public service announcements regarding candy and costumes.

5 Things You Must Do This Halloween – EA Show #43 (LIVE)

PSA: King Size Candy

PSA: Halloween Costumes

Listen
Fire up the iPod and listen to some classic online radios shows in which we share some great (and easy) costume ideas, talk with a guy who makes gory monsters for a living, and discuss whether or not we think adults are ruining Halloween.

EA #36: 6 Easy But Awesome Halloween Costume Ideas

EA #37: Toby Sells on Making Monsters for Movies & TV

EA #38: Are Adults Ruining Halloween?

Sign up to receive our free newsletter to get regular reminders and tips for stressing less and having more fun. Consider it a well-deserved jolt of happiness for your inbox.

Share Your Thoughts…
What do you think about this week’s show? What’s your favorite (and least favorite) Halloween candy? Do you have a favorite costume or scary movie? We’d love to hear from you! Leave a comment below or in the video itself by clicking the little plus sign in the player. Got photos or videos? Send ’em to eashow@kimandjason.com
A video used to be embedded here but the service that it was hosted on has shut down.| Subscribe with iTunes | Download (194 MB)

Linkety Links

• Check out Jason’s list of top 5 worst Halloween treats ever over at the Dadomatic blog.
• Watch this commercial for Doug’s “My Buddy” doll and tell us it doesn’t look like Chuckie from Child’s Play…
• Learn everything you ever wanted to know about wrestling’s classic tag team, the Road Warriors.
• Looking for pumpkin carving ideas? Check out this list of stellar efforts.

Become a fan of Kim & Jason on Facebook to be alerted about our next live show, which you obviously won’t want to miss. Kim & Jason Nation unite!

We’re here to serve.

iPod Version (12.5 MB)

Halloween is the time of year when kids and adults alike exercise their creativity and imagination, often in the form of being gross, creepy, and scary. If this isn’t a childlike holiday, we don’t know what is! It’s no surprise that Halloween has become the favorite holiday of many adults. Hey, no gifts to wrap, cards to send, or birds to cook. It’s simply about having fun. Now you may be a bit too tall for trick-or-treating, but that doesn’t mean you have to eat healthy (boring) grown-up food at your Halloween party. Have some fun getting creative with your menu. From Boogers on a Stick to Kitty Litter Cake, we’ll get you started with 9 gross and gruesome ideas that are guaranteed to get your guests having a good time!

––>Download (526 KB)

* * * * * *

Jason: Tell us a little bit about your job, what you do, and how you got to be known as Mr. Halloween.

Chris: Well, Mr. Halloween has followed me since my childhood. Being an artist I was always drawing, and it just so happened – this is a funny story – that way back, I want to say fourth, fifth, sixth grade, all the way through high school, they always had contests in Ohio where you would actually paint the outside of a business in any given city.

And so we’d start school and I was always sketching Halloween pumpkins and witches and all that. From fourth grade all the way through my senior year I won the contests for the school, and I was always out there painting Halloween stuff.

But I also have to thank my mom because she loved Halloween. Looking back on all the pictures that I have of the family, she was always the one that was most in-costume, with the biggest smile, encouraging us to carve pumpkins and make our own costumes at Halloween.

So, as you see all the time on TV with athletes, I’ve got to thank my mom. You know, it’s one of those things where it was real important. So that kind of followed me then when I started my career at American Greetings. Everyone found out that I was actually collecting Halloween antiques and that I had quite a history of that, and I have a couple tattoos that are Halloween tattoos.

It’s kind of weird. I like to play the scary one, so it’s been that way for a long time. In a sense, even though I started as an illustrator on the board at American Greetings and kind of worked myself up to an art director and all that, because I have such a love for the holiday and such an interest, they said, “Well, why don’t you help every year with trends? Think in terms of a year out, where we want to be in the way of color and subject matter. Work with as many of the staff as you need to to come up with new ideas based on a proven subject matter.”

So it was just the matter of then going out – it really starts about the end of August – and looking at a lot of different aspects. Mostly women’s fashion, because 95 percent of our products are bought by women. So you’re kind of looking at color.

We also have some color organizations in New York City that we are members of. We fly out to New York and look at the colors a couple years out at that point. But then you’re just projecting where you want to be the following year. I have a group of artists that do that, and it’s just wonderful to work with such creative people, but to also do something that is a part of your passion as well.

Jason: That’s cool. So what tattoos do you have?

Chris: Well it’s interesting. I also collect original turn of the century Wizard of Oz books, because I love The Wizard of Oz. In the actual second book, I think it was, Jack was a highly respected member of Oz, and so the tattoo I have on my leg actually has the pumpkin head of Jack and the symbol of Oz.

On my back I have a frowning and a smiling pumpkin.

And then I have the the pumpkin patch. The weeds and all the vines go down to other areas on my back. It’s something I’ve had for a while. But when you have a passion you don’t mind doing that kind of crazy stuff.

Well, my wife wasn’t happy, but hey, that’s just the way it is.

Kim: Oh, that’s so cool. Tell us a little bit about your antiques and memorabilia. How did that all begin and what’s your favorite item that you have?

Chris: Yes, it’s interesting. My parents passed away young and I inherited a lot of boxes. I found so much of my mom’s stuff that she had collected from the ‘40s and kept. I said, “Boy, now I know why she so loved Halloween as a family-oriented holiday.”

In my early 20s when my wife and I would travel around the United States, one of the first places I’d want to go visit would be the nearest antique store. Even though we might be at Mt. Rushmore or we might be in L.A., I was going through the Yellow Pages looking for antique stores. It just started clicking that way and it’s been probably well over close to 30 years that I’ve been collecting Halloween antiques, way before they got too expensive for people to do it.

So it’s just something I have up all year-round. I have display cases in all parts of the house, and I also have little sneaks of Halloween in the kitchen and the dining room and the bedrooms. When people visit, every part of the house is a little bit special about Halloween.

And from my standpoint, Halloween antiques especially are a little bit about the loving spirit of those people that actually kept that pristine Halloween antique over the decades. I end up getting something in my possession, and it brings me such joy because I know the love that that person had for the holiday has now entered my house and my collection. So it’s really special.

Jason: Do you have a favorite item in your collection?

Chris: Well, you know, I love my Halloween postcards and greeting cards, because that’s where it gets kind of personal. People are talking about the time of year and the harvest and missing the family, and “I can’t wait to see you during Christmas,” you know, things like that.

It’s interesting because the addresses are not like you have a long numeral address. It’s like 12 Central Street. I mean, that’s all it is, and even when they say “Give me a call,” the telephone number’s like three digits.

Kim: Wow.

Chris: Way back in the ‘20s and ‘30s, that’s all it was. So that kind of thing is very endearing to me because it was special enough that someone kept that close to their heart, and now I have it as part of my collection, so it’s wonderful.

Jason: So, as a trends person, how have you seen Halloween change over the years?

Chris: You know, I think it changes, but it changes fashion-wise, it changes in color. But I have to believe that everyone goes back a little bit to their childhood when they think in terms of Halloween. Of course, it’s like that as Christmastime as well. I think when you talk about Halloween to people and they bring up their memories about Halloween, they smile.

I think it’s a little bit about the fact that they remember when they were children and running around the neighborhood and getting candy. And going to school in costume and having a great time, and also the memories with their family at that time.

So when I talk in terms of what’s happening in the way of product, it’s a little bit of looking back, but looking back with an eye towards where color is going to be a year from now, or where styled art is going to be.

But yet, the subject matter and the warmth in the copy is always going to be there, and maybe a little bit from where you’ve come from. And in terms of what decade you grew up in. And then how can we put that into our product? So it’s a little about looking forward and looking back at the same time.

Jason: And it seems like adults really are taking Halloween back.

Chris: Yes, they really have. I mean, next to New Year’s Eve parties and Super Bowl Sunday, Halloween is the third largest celebration that adults involve themselves in. It’s become a $5 billion industry. You can just go through suburbia and people are decking out the outside of their homes with the lights and spider webs and all kinds of wonderful things.

And I think it’s just a wonderful release for people at this time of year with the pressure they have at work and all of that. They just kind of go back and say, “You know what? I remember how this used to be. And as an adult, and maybe part of a wonderful family, I’m going to continue to celebrate this.” So I think it’s just a wonderful time of year.

Kim: What was Halloween like for you as a kid? Obviously you say it was really great and you have some awesome memories. What do you remember the most?

Chris: Well, you know, it always started probably a week before when my mom and dad would get one of the largest pumpkins there were. All of us kids would carve pumpkins that we knew were going to be put out on the front porch. And of course you would have to make the yearly scarecrow in the front yard.

My mom would bake apple pies and things like that, so you’d have that smell in the house. And of course, it’s all about the smell outside, because with the turning leaves and the way that the light and the sun changes outside as well, it creates warm shadows at this time of year.

You can tell I’m excited just to be talking about it, but it’s what you see visually and the smells and everything else I think that gets you going. Then all of a sudden it’s a couple days before Halloween, and of course time has changed, so there’s no light out at 6:00.

You know, it’s the anticipation of going out and just running yourself ragged trick-or-treating with your friends. It’s just wonderful memories.

Then as you get older, instead of watching, going to the movies of course. And I remember as a child going to horror movies – they were black and white at that time – and being scared to death. And now of course it’s all DVDs and cable television but it’s just a wonderful time of year.

Jason: So what about these days? What do you do for Halloween? What’s your favorite Halloween activity now?

Chris: Yes, I have to say I’m running around now as an adult. I mean, there are probably three or four different neighborhoods that I need to go to, and I only have two-and-a-half hours.

And I have my video camera, my normal camera. My wife is with me, we’re running around, I’m trying to photograph families. I’m photographing the way people have decorated the outside of their homes. I’m invited inside homes now because people know I’m coming every year, so they need me to come in and they take pictures with me and their family.

Kim: It’s Mr. Halloween!

Chris: Yes. It’s kind of fun. But for me it’s always about going out on trick-or-treat night and just hearing the laughter of the children and the wind blowing through the trees. And hopefully it’s going to be a night where it’s cloudless and there’s a moon out casting a wonderful shadow on everything. Oh my God, it’s wonderful. I can’t wait!

Kim: It’s coming soon!

Chris: Yes, it’s coming soon.

Kim: Well, we always end our interviews with a question that gets you thinking back to childhood.

Jason: Which is not too hard for you at this time of year.

Chris: No, it’s not.

Kim: This is a very easy one, but what was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

Chris: Well, there was a time in my life when I was a teenager where I’d get pretty decked out. And I think one time I was a werewolf, and I spent hours and hours and hours on it. This was before I really bought rubber masks and things like that.

I made myself up really, really good. I would actually be on all fours a lot and then come up to the door and I’d be on my haunches. But I was so good that I’d scare everybody away.

So I just had to go in the house at that point because my mom and dad were going, “You know, no one wants to come to our house this year.” And so I ended up having to go out because they didn’t want me around. But from my standpoint, I created such a buzz in the neighborhood and everybody wanted me to go up to their house.

Kim: It must have been pretty convincing if people were so scared of it, Chris.

Chris: Oh, I know, but it’s all about the trick and the treat. People don’t remember that, I would always tell kids when they used to come to the house, “So, what kind of trick do you know, because it’s trick-or-treat? Do you know why you’re saying trick-or-treat?” and all that. There’s a little bit of that history that a lot of kids don’t know.

Jason: So, tell us about that. What was the original concept behind Halloween?

Chris: Well, boy, Halloween goes back so far, but I would have to say it started way back in New England, way back in I want to say the 1860s. There were farms back then and people had a lot more parties in those days. You’d go to a barn party and you’d have to entertain in order to get anything, whether it be the food or it was part of the harvest festival. So people put on skits, and actually had to do things. They just couldn’t come. You had to come with something in the way of an entertainment.

So it’s a little bit about the “trick” in treat-or-treat and you’d get a treat. In New England, they kind of said to people, “Well, is it a joke? Do you have to come in and say something? Something to make them laugh? What kind of trick?” You’re doing something magical or something when you ask for a trick-or-treat, and you have to do something in order to get a treat. So it kind of goes back to that, and I don’t know if people even know that these days. But it’s so funny to hear kids going “trick or treat.” They usually don’t want to do it anymore.

Jason: It’s all about the magic words. I guess kids will do whatever they can do to get candy!

Chris: Absolutely, yes.