Halloween Month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with this nostalgic look at the Big Five monster-themed cereals from General Mills.
In a world that has seen an Emoji movie I have no idea why there’s no animated monster rally movie featuring this quintet. Or at the very least maybe some new monster cereals like Banana Witch or Grape Goblin or something. Maybe “Zom-Bea”, a female zombie whose cereal looks like tiny brains.
COUNT CHOCULA
First Appearance: 1971
Voiced like Bela Lugosi, this cartoon vampire preferred his own chocolate-flavored, marshmallow-sprinkled cereal treat over sucking the blood of his victims. “I vunt to eat your cereal!” was, in fact, his tagline in contrast to the cliched vampire declaration “I vunt to suck your blood!”
Count Chocula cereal is still in stores seasonally – September and October.
The cartoon character’s imitation Bela Lugosi voice was a nice nostalgic nod to fans of classic horror films, especially in regard to the Count’s rivalry with another General Mills Monster Cereal Mascot. Continue reading
RANDOLPH-MACON CONQUERS DIVISION TWO – NCAA Division Three’s RANDOLPH-MACON COLLEGE YELLOW JACKETS borrowed a page from the NAIA by toppling a higher division team yesterday. The Yellow Jackets edged NCAA Division TWO’s EMORY & HENRY COLLEGE WASPS in a 34-31 thriller. 
KNOCKING OFF NUMBER SIX – Up in the NAIA the 14th ranked INDIANA WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY WILDCATS hosted the number six team in the nation – the MARIAN UNIVERSITY KNIGHTS. The Wildcats put the Knights on Upset Alert from the beginning, with a 17-0 lead in the opening Quarter. They never looked back from there, ultimately winning a 41-7 blowout. 
NUMBER EIGHT TAKES A FALL – Staying in the NAIA for a moment, the BETHEL (TN) WILDCATS welcomed the 8th ranked GEORGETOWN (KY) COLLEGE TIGERS. A 7-7 1st Quarter tie remained unchanged at Halftime before the Tigers went up 16-7 in the 3rd Quarter. In the explosive 4th Quarter the Wildcats came from behind for a 25-24 triumph. 
GIANT-SIZE SUPERHEROES Vol 1 #1 (June 1974) 
THE CANNED FILM FESTIVAL STARRING LARAINE NEWMAN (1986) – Halloween Month continues at Balladeer’s Blog with this look at a neglected Movie Host show, since Movie Hosts/ Horror Hosts are as associated with Halloween as are monsters and cosplay. 
THE SHOW: The Canned Film Festival Starring Laraine Newman. From June 21st to September 13th of 1986 this syndicated program sponsored largely by Dr Pepper aired on Saturday nights in various time slots around the United States. Elvira’s show Movie Macabre had run from 1981 to 1986 and was winding down. 
THE HOSTESS: Laraine Newman may be best known for Saturday Night Live and for her character actress work, but she had been a member of The Groundlings improvisational comedy troupe … As had Cassandra Peterson aka Elvira. Newman was also known as an aficionado of horror and fringe cinema. 
NCAA DIVISION TWO – 1. UNIVERSITY OF WEST FLORIDA ARGONAUTS (Defending National Champions) ### 2. NORTHWEST MISSOURI STATE BEARCATS ### 3. FERRIS STATE BULLDOGS ### 4. COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES OREDIGGERS ### 
5. GRAND VALLEY STATE LAKERS ### 6. VALDOSTA STATE BLAZERS ### 7. UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA TIGERS ### 8. HARDING UNIVERSITY BISON ### 
FAUST: LOVE OF THE DAMNED (1987) – Written by David Quinn with artwork by Tim Vigil. Halloween Month continues here at Balladeer’s Blog with this review of the 1987-2012 “adult” comic book series Faust. This series included very graphic and very unusual sex and violence while offering a twisted update on the story of Faust selling his soul to Mephistopheles. The year 2000 Brian Yuzna (’nuff said) movie version of Faust: Love of the Damned is pretty bad but does capture the blood-soaked, anarchic WTF air of the series. 
THE ENSOULED VIOLIN (1880) – Written by THE Madame Blavatsky. A gifted Austrian violin player named Franz Stenio is drawn to occult studies while away at college. Hearing dark legends about how Niccolo Paganini supposedly acquired his otherworldly skill with the violin, Franz carries out some of the rumored rituals in real life, to bloody and deadly effect. The fallout is horrific. CLICK 
THE WERWOLVES (1898) – Written by Honore Beaugrand. A pack of werewolves prey upon victims in Canada. Plenty of unusual takes on lycanthrope lore with a north of the border touch. These particular werewolves are of Iroquois extraction which, along with the cold and snowy backdrop, helps to make this Canadian horror tale stand out from the rest. CLICK 
TOPPLING NUMBER SIX – In NCAA Division Two, the UNIVERSITY OF CHARLESTON GOLDEN EAGLES played host to the number 6 team in the nation – the NOTRE DAME COLLEGE FALCONS (School Motto: “No, not THAT Notre Dame”). The Golden Eagles put the Falcons on Upset Alert with a 17-14 Halftime lead and ultimately won the game 38-28. 
NUMBER NINE FALLS, TOO – Staying in D2 for a moment, the 23rd ranked UNIVERSITY OF WEST ALABAMA TIGERS took it on the road against the country’s number 9 UNIVERSITY OF WEST GEORGIA WOLVES. A 24-17 lead for the Tigers at the break ended up in a 38-20 Upset victory for them. 
HISTORY IN THE NCCAA – The ERSKINE COLLEGE FLYING FLEET, in their very first year of intercollegiate football, notched their first ever victory yesterday. It came against their guests the VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY OF LYNCHBURG DRAGONS. The Flying Fleet were chasing the Dragons 7-3 in the opening Quarter but were on top 24-7 come Halftime. They never looked back on their way to a 59-13 blowout. 
SPIDER-MAN Vol 1 #132 (May 1974) 
The Old Gods Waken deals with Silver John performing with other musicians at a music festival, then getting drawn into a property line dispute between the Forshay family and two sinister British men calling themselves Brummitt and Hooper Voth. As usual in our hero’s travels there are dark supernatural forces at work behind this boundary dispute – forces ultimately dealing with Pre-Columbian entities and transplanted Druidism. 
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