Halloween Memories: "The Comic Book House"

Exactly thirty Halloweens ago, my friends and I strategically chose a new neighborhood for our Trick-Or-Treating campaign. Besides having far more houses to visit, that part of town was also more conspicuously wealthy than the neighborhoods we were used to.  Even as knuckleheaded kids, we were savvy enough to understand that Ritzier Houses = Better Candy.  Not only did the wealthy folks hand out more candy, but they'd occasionally blow our minds with FULL SIZE candy bars, not the stubby, ironically-named "fun size" candy bars.  No lame popcorn balls, apples or pennies from those Big Spenders!

Just when we thought it couldn't get much better than receiving full-size candy bars and (I swear) dollar bills, we knocked on the door of the Purple House, a large home whose eccentric owners had painted the exterior with a bright, retina-blasting purple.  What happened next is kind of a blur. The door opened...then (I think) a Heavenly chorus sang praises while a hand dropped a beautiful, glowing COMIC BOOK into each of our bags.  Not lame comics like Richie Rich or Archie, but real, honest-to-goodness superhero comics! Since all of us were avowed superhero comic book fans, you can imagine our joy and dumbfounded astonishment over receiving such an unexpected bounty.

Me?  I vividly remember getting Secret Society of Supervillains #5, which featured a clash between an army of DC's greatest heroes and villains.  In other words, a cosmic out-of-body experience for my eleven year-old self.

Once we all came back down to earth, my friends and I did what any kids would do in that situation:  we hastily rearranged and mix-matched our costumes to appear that we were entirely different kids and went back for more comics!  We probably didn't fool the Purple House dwellers at all, but they gave us more comics anyway.

Needless to say, from that time onward, the "Purple House" would then be known as "The Comic Book House".

So there you have it....my most fondly remembered Halloween night.  An embarrassing amount of candy, a little cash, and a couple of free comics.  I ask you: could life get any better?

This post brings a close to my month-long Blog of Horror celebration. I  hope you've enjoyed it as much as I've enjoyed planning it and putting it together.  Thanks to everyone who dropped by to vote on a poll or to offer a comment. Your feedback and participation really make my day!

Happy Halloween!

Comments

[Seth]

Great content all month, Mark, congrats. Especially the Bizarro Avengers and "Man-thing/ Swamp Thing."

[Mark Engblom]

Thanks, Seth! I'd been meaning to get to the Man-Thing/Swamp Thing stuff for awhile, and the Blog of Horror month seemed to be the perfect time to fit it in.

I'll definitely do another series of Bizarro polls next year...so I'll start patrolling the photo sites shortly after Halloween for a whole new crop of goofy costumes!

[cinephile]

The Purple House?? Wait, Prince gave kids comics for Halloween?? I always knew he was cool! (:

[Mark Engblom]

LOL! No, this house was way up in Duluth, Minnesota....but you gave me an idea:

"Purple House, Purple House...

I only wanted to get your comics for my tricks an' treats...

Purple House, purple House..."

(to be sung to the tune of Prince's "Purple Rain" while accompanied by the slowly swaying arms of the audience holding lit butane lighters)

[Thomas Aylesworth]

That's an awesome story! I have the entire run of SSoSV, bought new when I was around the same age. Great comics. Thanks for the memories.

[Mark Engblom]

Hi, Thomas! Glad you liked the tale of The Comics House. I hadn't thought of that place in years and years...it just popped into my head the other day, crazier yet that it was exactly 30 years later.

Weird how some stuff sticks with you. Of course, nothing from algebra or physics class stuck with me....so there you go.