Spoops: The Little Spirits Of Halloween

Who changes the leaves? Summons the autumn winds? Wakes ghosts and spirits to haunt houses and chill the air? Why, Spoops, of course! They hatch from the smallest gourds in your local pumpkin patch at the start of every fall, then tend to your town to ensure everything is just right for Halloween.

My friend A.J. Locascio has a children's book coming out this August, based upon the small creatures he invented and sells throughout the year - The Spoops.  I'm a proud owner of a few of them.

As someone who has looked into getting a book published, I have nothing but immense respect for the people who can pull it off.  It's truly impressive.  

Super excited for A.J. and illustrator Laurie Conley.  Looking extremely forward to adding this one to my growing collection of children's Halloween books.

Click here for his Spoops IG.

Click here to pre-order the book.

31 Books Of Halloween

A really neat feature over at Jenna's IG account:  Thirty-one of her favorite Halloween-centric books of all varietals.  She'll be posting for the rest of September and October.  

Some images from her recent postings are below.

Click here for her IG.

It's Halloween

Zacherley's Vulture Stew

Firft, get a head. Fimmer thoroughly in broth for three dayf, to which muft be added juice of deadly mufhroom (ufe feveral), a handful of mandrake rootf dug at full moon, alfo deadly nightfhade a goodlie quantity, three toadf and a black widow fpider. Now add your vulturef (at leaft two they are meagre birdf though ftrong in flavor). Be careful that they are firmly tied or they will flop out of the pot and caufe a great commotion. Three hourf before midnight of the fifth day, remove the vulturef from the broth, ftuff well with henbane and fet afide. Now fift the brew of featherf (fifting if eafier than plucking and befidef fome monfterf are ticklifh) and combine brew and ftuffed birdf for another three hourf. On the ftroke of midnight, ferve your fupper with a garnifh of fried locuftf, followed by blood pudding for deffert.

Autumn Window

Art by Sam Wolfe Connelly.

The Mysteries

A book by Bill Watterson and John Kascht.

Really grateful to Revenant Manor for recommending this one to me.  I was completely unaware it existed.  As a fan of Watterson for decades, I can't explain the joy knowing he was making art again.  Anyone who was a fan of his comic Calvin & Hobbes probably knows what I'm talking about.  Waking up and reading that daily strip was pretty much magic every day.  He created this small world that was as real as anything else on this planet.  And his artwork and humor were second to none.

I highly recommend this "fable for grown-ups."

In addition to recommending this book, Revenant Manor also sent the below link.  It's pure gold for people obsessed with the reclusiveness of Watterson, as it's an interview with both artists about their creative process.  

Click here to watch.

Huge thanks, RM!

Stitching A Laugh To Darkness

The art of James Hutton.

More works here.

The Art Of Valeria Giordano

Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the stillness gave no token,
And the only word there spoken was the whispered word, “Lenore?”
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back the word, “Lenore!”—
Merely this and nothing more.

- Edgar Allan Poe

More works here.

Wocco

The artist's IG here.

The Art Of Kento IIDA

More works here.

Jester IV

Foolery, sir, does walk about the orb like the sun, it shines everywhere.

-William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night

Work by Joonas Ryynänen.

The Art Of Warwick Johnson Cadwell

Soooo many amazing works at the link below...