Halloween & Me

"Halloween" in a country like Singapore, essentially means yet another "reason for alcohol-soaked parties and basic states of drunkenness while dressed in well, "halloween-costumes", or some might insist, a mild-interpretation of "cosplay". I suspect these are the main activity-functions for anywhere else in the world. This is the one time you can dress like a witch or a don a skeleton-suit and effectively scream as a banshee (male or female, mind you) and you'd not get a second glance of indignity. Hell, you might even get a 'smile' for your efforts.

"Trick-or-Treat" is an extremely foreign concept to me. The closest we (Chinese) have is perhaps the Mid-Autumn Festival, where kinds go out and around public parks carrying ornate or simple paper-made lanterns, lit via candles or battery-run bulbs and flashing lights. No ghouls or scary notions here, just wandering around like lost souls holding a lantern in their hands … heh.

The concept of knocking on other folks doors and hoping to get away with candy, is such a foolhardy notion, folks might look at you like you were trying to sell over-priced drinks for charity at the gateway. As a celebration of the dead, we have the Seven Month Festival (known more popularly as "Hungry Ghost Festival"), and no, we don't go knocking at strangers doors at all.

But you know what? With the risk of myself sounding like an old fuddy-duddy naysayer of 'fun' - HAVE A FABULOUS HALLOWEEN, folks! *MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA*


[Above-L: Art by SHON / Right: Art by Patricio Oliver]
All I want to do on Halloween these days, is to scope out nifty illustrations online, and as well check out swell toys - both production and customized - with a Halloween-theme, consisting primarily of carved pumpkin-heads, zombies, ghoulies and possibly goblins, and a dash of the undead (which reminds me of my newly found desire to watch The Vampire Diaries ~ *MUAHAHAHAHA*).



Shown here are images of Mikie Graham's ZOMBIE ART PROJECT - featuring zombified-versions of Playmobils - released each day for the month of October and featured on TOYSREVIL, and to me really personifies the spirit of independent art, the festive season, and of reviving (ironically) the Playmobil-figures which were a huge part of my childhood. LOVE.


[hand-painted 'Gourds' by Valleydweller]