Classic Monsters Group Art Show at Halloween Town

Halloween Town, also known as my Favorite Store in the World, always has cool art on display in their Parlour Gallery - in the past, they've done tributes to Halloween (the holiday, not the film), Edgar Allan Poe, Disney's Haunted Mansion and more. Now they're set to unveil an all-new show on Saturday, December 1st, and it might be their best yet. The theme? Classic Monsters! In addition to the already impressive roster of artists, including special effects legend Rick Baker, there will be artwork by Rob Zombie (but fanboys and girls, be advised that Mr. Zombie himself will not be in attendance).

The opening night reception runs from 7 to 11pm, with artwork on display through December 30. Halloween Town is located at 2921 Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank, CA, and the Parlour Art Gallery is free to visit.

Mad Monster Party Group Art Show

Mad Monster Party? is a Rankin-Bass stop-motion TV movie from 1967, which means it is totally nutty and sort of surreal in the way that cartoons from the swingin' sixties/early seventies often are, and it features the vocal talents of both Boris Karloff and Phyllis Diller doing that inimitably bizarre Phyllis Diller laugh (RIP Phyllis and her cackle), so you know it's good.


After you drink that in, mark your calendars, because the Van Eaton Galleries in Sherman Oaks will be paying tribute to the movie's groovy ghoulies with a group art show that opens with a reception on October 13th from 6 to 10pm.

Check out the website for more info. The Van Eaton Galleries are located at 13613 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, CA.

Poe Renaissance in Full Effect

"They are neither man nor woman -

They are neither brute nor human -

They are Ghouls"

- Edgar Allan Poe, "The Bells"

I am, and always have been, a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe. (Are you shocked?!) There are few writers of any era who are as unerringly spooky as Poe, who are constantly dancing on the edges of madness regardless of subject matter - in fact, my personal favorite of his poems is the rather innocuously titled "The Bells." It seems that Poe mania is sweeping through L.A. lately - could it be because the 160th anniversary of his death is approaching this October? In any case, here is a brief recap of recent (and forthcoming!) events that fellow Poe fanatics will appreciate:

It seemed to begin with this spring's Poe-inspired art show at Halloween Town in Burbank, which just so happens to be my favorite store of all time, and a must for any Halloween enthusiast. If you missed the show, click on the link for an overview of the artists who were involved and a brief taste of their artwork. (Side note: It looks like the next art event at Halloween Town will be "A Tribute to the Haunted Mansion," coming this December! I'm unutterably excited about this, and will post more details as they emerge.)

I also discovered that Dark Delicacies, my second favorite store of all time, will be offering "four new scents based on the work of Edgar Allan Poe," as crafted by those "purveyors of fine esoteric goods, perfumes & potions" over at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Check them out in person at Dark Delicacies at 2 PM on August 23rd. In addition, DD will be holding a signing on the same day for Poe's Tales of Death and Dementia, illustrated by spooky artist extraordinaire Gris Grimly! Click the "Signings/Events" link on their website for more details.

Finally, the Steve Allen Theater has extended its run of Nevermore, a Poe-themed one-man show starring Jeffrey Combs, written by Dennis Paoli and directed by Stuart Gordon, through the end of August. Catch it on any Friday or Saturday evening next month - but make sure you order tickets ahead of time, as the show has been selling out nonstop. From the Steve Allen Theater MySpace:

Celebrate the bicentennial of Edgar Allan Poe's birth with the star of Re-Animator, From Beyond, and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine & Enterprise. Set in 1848, Nevermore is loosely based on real events and follows Poe on a cross-country speaking tour fraught with strange occurrences that signal Poe's descent into madness.

AFTER AUGUST 2, PERFORMANCES OF NEVERMORE WILL TAKE PLACE EVERY FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT IN AUGUST UNTIL THE 29TH!

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS NOW: CLICK HERE!

$10, 8PM, FREE PARKING