Welcome to the 2023 Leftover Pizza Halloween Journal! Make sure to check back frequently over the next couple months up until the big day for random journal updates!

GRIMEY - 10/31/23

Happy Halloween, everyone! It’s been a great season for us, absolutely one for the books, and it always sucks to see it go but only for a few minutes because the holiday train doesn’t stop until after new years! Here’s our final Halloween episode for the season if you haven’t tuned in yet; it’s a nice little Halloween wrap up comprised of things we both felt needed to be mentioned. Listen tonite or tomorrow as you wheep while you throw your jack-o-lanterns in the trash.

As I type, we still have a few hours of Halloween magic left! Use it wisely! I’ll be turning in for the night with some leftover candy from tonite’s trick or treaters and rocks chosen warrior, Sammy Curr with Trick or Treat since it’s finally streaming somewhere for the first time (Screambox, btw).

We hope you enjoyed the season and everything we brought to the table this round. We will catch you with a journal very similar to this one but full of turkeys, Christmas trees and all that jazz very soon! Thanks for being here with us! Much love!

- Leftover Pizza

GRIMEY - 10/30/23

It’s Halloween eve so, naturally, I’m cramming in as much Halloween as I can before the big day. I started off with some Halloween episodes of Treehouse of Horror, Home Improvements, Roseanne and Family Matters (the good stuff) but quickly remembered that I forgot to check out the TMNT Saturday Morning Adventures Halloween Special. So, I decided to give it a spin. I ABSOLUTELY had to reserve a spot in the journal for this one. The return of CREEPY FUCKING EDDIE!!!

It’s totally true, Creepy Eddie is indeed featured in the story as well as on cover b. Not just featured in the story, he IS the story! Without spoiling too much, it’s Halloween and Eddie manages to make his way back to suck the turles into his nightmare dimension. The turtles then have to figure their way back out.

They joke back and forth about Eddie being a parody and it’s mentioned multiple times that they need to keep the Freddy references on the down low. It’s a really great and fun read that I HIGHLY recommend. Man, if you would’ve told me decades ago that Creepy Eddie would be featured in a TMNT comic in 2023, I would’ve never believed you. What a time to be alive!

GRIMEY - 10/28/23

Sometimes I do toy photography and end up with a pretty cool outcome. I present to you the 2023 Monster Bash at Castle Dracula! Admittedly, I rushed the production of this image (literally a half hour in my basement just before recording another show) but I still think it turned out pretty well. It also happens to be the image we used for the Halloween Playlist episode (of the same name) for this year which you can listen to wherever you catch your podcasts; if you’re into that sort of thing.

I always loved the idea of partying on Halloween night with real monsters, so much that my fascination with the idea actually made its way into our annual playlist show. I don’t know if I just have an overreactive imagination or all the cool Halloween commercials that felt like over the top Halloween parties simply left that much of an impression on me. Maybe both?

There really isn’t much else to say about this one. Ultimately, I needed any excuse to have it showcased here where maybe someone from 15 years in the future will find it and say “hey, that’s an awesome picture.”

GRIMEY - 10/26/23

Tonight, I’d like to share probably my favorite purchase of the season; these two absolutely epic Casper pieces! I know, this has been a Casper heavy season from me but, hear me out. Pepsi and Universal Studios history together is no secret. We’re all well aware that they were the soda of choice during Halloween in the 90’s. While most of us 80’s and 90’s kids are familiar with the Monsters invading all Pepsi and Frito Lay lore, Casper snuck his way in the spotlight during the 1995 Halloween season and this is one BIG example. It’s a shame it’s so frowned upon to advertise in ways us 90s kids are familiar with. Stuff like this doesn’t really happen anymore and for that, these pieces have earned their stay in the 2023 Halloween Journal.

GRIMEY - 10/25/23

A while ago on my trip to see Killer Klowns, Critters and Ernest Scared Stupid at the Mahoning Drive-In, my girlfriend and I made a few pit stops along the way. We ended up at this place in Bellefonte PA called Unlimited Treasures. This place doesn’t look like much from the outside. Hell, even when you walk in, it doesn’t look like much until you start making your way through the many rooms that make up this place. Seriously, this place was like a maze!

Long story short, this place kinda rules. I was caught off guard by SOOOOOO MANY different nostalgic items from vintage toys to board games but I think the thing that stunned me most was this Talking Freddy Doll by Matchbox! This is something you almost absolutely never see in the wild and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I didn’t buy him but I had to at least take the opportunity to get a photo of us. Aren’t we adorable?

DEREK - 10/23/23

Boy, this season sure is flying by, isn’t it? While I’d like to update this journal more frequently, I simply haven’t found the spare time to do so! From every day hustle & bustle to not-so-routine home renovations, lots of things have been sucking up time this year. All that being said, I’ve STILL somehow managed to squeak in some seasonal activities here and there. Halloween…uh…finds a way.

You may remember in my last journal entry that I had found a map of Halloween displays located throughout my home town. Well I’m happy to say that we’ve actually found the time to go out looking for some, mainly due to the insistence of Halie (she knows I’ll be cranky come November if I don’t get the spookies & ghoulies out of my system now.)

I have to say, these mini scavenger-hunts have absolutely been the highlight of my season. In a year that’s included both visiting HHN and seeing Hocus Pocus on the big screen, I think that’s pretty impressive, and speaks to the whole point of Halloween. It’s not always about the big, flashy, “good for Instagram pics” events; it’s about finding people and places that share the same love for the holiday as you.

We’ve seen a LOT of displays so far (19 as of this writing), so here’s a quick look at some of our favorites:

This Pennywise was synced up to music & would sing along. The family had actually set up their own radio station that you needed to tune your radio to so you could listen along! Brilliant!

Might be the most fake tombstones I’ve ever seen in a single yard, and they were all handmade!

Pirates were apparently a very hot theme this year. Three different houses, mind you!

We also managed to hit the town and check out a local haunted hayride at the Century Sportsman’s Club, which I found out about from Dann of Dannarchy. Small plug, but if you miss the old internet and are looking for some truly amazing Halloween reading & recs, you cannot go wrong with his site! Anyways, I didn’t manage to snag any shots of the hayride itself but I can assure you it was worth the $20 entrance. Almost everything was being run by kids & teens, with a handful of adults sprinkled throughout. I was actually surprised by the quality of the attraction and what they were able to pull off, plus they even had a walkthrough after you finished up the hayride. I could definitely see myself going again if only to hang out by the smoky bar, slamming some lite American beers while half watching Beetlejuice on a crappy projector.

Finally going to end with another Svengoolie session. This time he was showing one of my favorites, Abbott & Costello Meet Frankenstein! I had forgotten that last year my Uncle had actually gifted me a copy of the shooting script, so I made a night out of following along.

It was a pretty neat experience, getting to see what changed along the way and also realizing just how much improv the comedic duo used to do in those old films. I really do suggest that you do the same if you’re able to get your hands on a copy, as it breathed some new life into a movie that I’ve seen too many times to count.

GRIMEY - 10/22/23

Our new friend, Adam, over at The Great Pumpkin Project was kind enough to send over a couple of his pumpkin tags for the 2023 Halloween season. What is the Great Pumpkin Project you ask? Adam has taken it upon himself, since 2015, to do the greater good…. no, the GREATEST good for his surrounding area. Each night in October, he places a new jack-o-lantern in a random deserving spot. From cemetery gates to a park bench; anywhere public demanding the presence of a jack-o-lantern is fair game. The tags, literal works of art created by an artist of his choice each year, are then fashioned to the pumpkins to kind of spread the word.

I’ve loved this idea ever since I heard of Adam years ago through our mutual friends over at Haunted Hangover. It’s a fun way to keep the Halloween spirit flowing, especially in a small place like mine where it’s not necessarily bumping like it was back in the 90’s. The idea of randomly placing jack-o-lanterns around town is legit poetry.

I had a few pumpkins at home already carved up from my pumpkin carving party I held last weekend so I decided to just use one of those. I left this fine looking Jack (my best one, honestly) under a beautifully vibrant red tree in a park downtown proudly sporting his tag. There aren’t many ways to improve an already beautiful fall tree; jack-o-lanterns are the exception.

GRIMEY - 10/21/23

Tonight, I was able to catch a viewing of Hocus Pocus on the big screen at the local movie theater. I’m still blown away ours decided to go through with it. We’re talking about the town that, at one point, fought against showing Harry Potter because it displayed children actively partaking in witchcraft. Need I say more?

Obviously, being in this community of 80s and 90s nostalgia, we are all at least a little bit intrigued by this flick but, for me, it’s always been something I’ve been obsessed with since the first time I watched it. And it wasn’t something I kept strictly for the season. This movie was on at all times of the year. So, seeing it the way it was meant to be seen while simultaneously stuffing my face full of way too much garbage was a real treat.

GRIMEY - 10/20/23

Mission complete! Snagged all four buckets one day at a time four days in a row. My insides are wrecked from four days worth of nuggies, fries and orange Hi-C but desperate times call for desperate measures!

I keep going back and forth as far as which one I dig the most, but it always comes down to the Mummy bucket. I feel it is the most McDonald’s-y of the bunch; almost like it barely fits with the other three when they’re side by side. To tell the truth, originally, I wasn’t sold on any of them the moment I saw them but the more I look, the more I feel they’re a strong addition to McDonalds Halloween buckets in general, especially by todays standards.

One thing I noticed while I was sitting in the restaurant for the final bucket was the amount of buckets going out the drive through window and doors. And I’m not talking about us adult collectors. There must’ve been at least 30 to 40 kids all smiling from ear to ear walking out of that McDonalds with a spooky pail. I was truly blown away. I was under the impression for years that stuff like this doesn’t happen with kids anymore. This brings me hope that, as much as I feel Halloween as a whole has been so drastically watered down over the years into this strange amalgamation of trunk or treat and 2 hour, only during the day light, early trick or treat curfews, there are still kids who find enjoyment out of the season.

GRIMEY - 10/18/23

The children three, with their bags full of candy, inched closer to the quiet neighboring house. There was a chill in the air as it softly whistled; the ground held a damp hazy mist. Closer they slowly crept to the darkness that filled the doorway. Waiting within was a masked figure. “Trick or Treat!” the eager children exclaimed, but the figure behind the mask remained silent. No words, nor breath, or sound but the calm rustle of an autumn breeze between stalks of corn.

A year had passed since the children went missing. In a previously empty spot on the quiet neighboring houses lawn stood an assembly of three ghastly scarecrows with skeletons for bodies. Helplessly, they hang with pumpkins atop their heads, forever rotting.

-Grimey

GRIMEY - 10/17/23

Today is THE day! Okay, so some of you already had them since yesterday or the day before; my local McDs only got them today so don’t @ me!

Was hoping for the Mummy which, in my opinion, is the most McDonalds looking pail of the bunch but I’m strangely drawn to them all. Even this Hi-C, orange sherbert looking skeleton! I don’t know if it’s the idea of getting spooky pails like the good ol’ days or the fact that they’re all new designs; they all have a certain charm to them and I look forward to hunting the rest down!

GRIMEY - 10/16/23

It was a busy weekend but Halloween squeezed its way in Saturday night. I had my niece and nephew over for some horror movies and pumpkin carving. We started the night with Jason Takes Manhattan since they never seen it. I know how people feel about this one but I still love it even if it’s just for the intro and the maybe 30 mins of city time; it has a certain charm for me that seems to escape everyone else.

We then moved to Freddy VS Jason. People love to lie and say their first horror movies were the epic and brutal most loved titles. I’m gonna be upfront here and tell you, I started with Halloween Resurrection and Freddy Vs Jason. FvsJ was actually the first horror film I saw in theaters and it’s one I haven’t watched much recently but I can still quote scene to scene. You rarely forget your first.

We ended the night with the new Goosebumps series from Disney which I regrettably didn’t take photos of for this update. Without spilling too many beans, after only watching two episodes, I’m surprised by this one. It’s a little more serious than I anticipated a Disney property to be. I’m talking broken bones exposed kinda stuff. Very unexpected but appreciated. They switched up details more than I cared for them to, but I didn’t hate what I saw.

We carved quite a few pumpkins, here’s the lineup. I’m sure it’s way too early for them to be hollowed out and displayed; I’ve never been too at timing. But, I’ve got a few bigger ones I’m saving for the last week to carve up…… Which isn’t very far away now that I look. Insane to think we’re already half way through. Just another reminder to enjoy it while you can even if it means simply setting up a projector for a night of horror movies and pumpkin carving with friends and family.

GRIMEY - 10/12/23

Allow me to introduce you to my newest spooky acquisition; the 1995 Casper and uncles jack-o-lantern stack from Trendmasters!

My folks had these things years ago when I was a wee tike, only they were separate jacks for each character. This feels somehwere between the realm of a totem pole and the Christmas Story leg lamp; it’s downright breathtaking!

So, tonite, I recorded in style! What a vibe! Speaking of recording, we got our final Patreon bonus episode for the Halloween season in tonite! We will be recording the big one Sunday night and they’ll be up VERY soon after so stay tuned!

DEREK - 10/11/23

Anyone else feel like it’s been one of those “weird” seasons, or is it just me? I can’t quite place my finger on it, but it just feels like this year we’re lacking something. I know that’s baffling to say in a year that gave us a brand new cereal monster but it’s how I feel! So in an attempt to course correct a bit, I’ve been trying my hardest to make my own magic, so to speak.

Let’s start with what I’ve been watching. I found out that Svengoolie was showing Killer Klowns last Saturday, so I made a plan to sit down and watch him for the first time in over a year since moving into our new place. What a delight! I always forget how much I enjoy his show, and if I’m being honest…I think he’s my favorite horror host? Nothing against the other big names in the space, but I love how corny Sven is. The whole production reeks of public access television (in the best way possible) and it truly feels like he’s doing a style of show that simply doesn’t exist anymore. If you love nostalgia, you’ve gotta love Svengoolie!

I recently breezed through James Rolfe’s excellent autobiography, A Movie Making Nerd, which prompted a rewatch of some old AVGN Halloween episodes. In our Facebook group I mentioned how Cinemassacre’s Monster Madness series started at the exact right time in my life, influencing my love of horror and acting as my own personal roadmap - helping a tween-me navigate the genre. While I tend to revisit Monster Madness often, I’ll admit it’s been a while since I dipped back into the older nerd episodes. There’s a part of me that was worried they wouldn’t hold up, but I’m happy to report that for the most part, they do. The Dracula episode in particular had me in stitches at numerous points, and in an overlapping moment with LP, he even reviews Drac’s Night Out for the NES!

Here’s something fun that I stumbled across; a Halloween displays map for my hometown! This idea was first brought to my attention in The American Scream (one of my all-time favorite Halloween watches, mandatory yearly viewing) when one of the subjects of the doc makes a map of all the other home haunts in town. I thought it was brilliant and was sad that one didn’t exist for my city, while also lacking any ambition to put in the work and make a map of my own. Well, wish no more because some other fine folks decided to have a go at it and share it with the rest of us! I’ll try my best to get out there and put this map to good use…when I do, I’ll even take pictures for you all! Deal?

Now, here’s the most random thing that you’ll find on the Halloween journal all season. Guaranteed. When my girlfriend took a trip to the dentist yesterday, I didn’t think she’d be coming home with a seasonal toothbrush. I mean, why would I? This is something totally and completely unique, and now I kinda want to grab a beer with her dentist? Like, you know the guy loves the season as much as we do if he’s willing to go through the trouble to get a knock-off Casper printed on an orange & black toothbrush. Maybe he’s got a home haunt of his own on that map…

Finally, I’ll leave you all with yet another of my new-to-me McDonald’s Halloween plates. This one is a charming piece from 1995, and features four of our favorite anthropomorphic chicken nuggets in very traditional monster garb. My favorite bits being the classic spooky house that’s been built on a cliff, for some reason, and the classic golden arches imprinted on the face of the Moon itself. If I’m being honest, I can absolutely see Mickey D’s trying to be the first company to advertise in outer space, so maybe this serves as a blueprint instead of just a silly little throwaway joke on a novelty plate? Only time will tell, I suppose.

DEREK - 10/3/23

Well hello there, it’s been a little bit since we’ve last talked! Don’t worry, I wasn’t neglecting you on purpose…I was just really busy during my visit to the sunshine state! For those of you who have been around long enough, you may remember that I was supposed to visit last year and my trip ended up getting canceled due to a hurricane. A bit of a bummer at the time, but holy hell did this year make up for last year’s disappointment!

While the purpose of the trip was to visit with family, as per usual we still managed to sneak in a bit of Halloween festivities despite 90 degree weather. As per usual, we made the voyage to the motherland Universal Orlando for Halloween Horror Nights 32 and man…what an event they put on this year! We only went for one night this time, but with the help of a few express passes we were able to cram almost everything in, hitting 7 of the 10 total houses. Unfortunately, going at such a break-neck speed also meant that I didn’t end up with many photos from the event at all. I do have a bunch of video footage as I was smart enough to take a GoPro with me, so if I actually get off my ass and edit it, maybe you’ll get to see it someday!

My favorite house of the whole event was Universal Monsters Unmasked, bar none. It was so cool to see an entire haunted house dedicated to some of their oft neglected monsters; killers that never seem to get their time in the limelight like the Phantom, Hunchback, and Jekyll & Hyde. Not to mention that this house had me screaming like a toddler!

While it’s not Halloween related, I felt like I absolutely needed to share this can (?!) of Gatorade I found. I was never around when it was the norm to see this drink in a can or a glass bottle, so to say my jaw hit the floor when I glanced at the cooler is probably an understatement. Yes I drank it and no, I didn’t save the empty can, so this photo on this website is the only way I’m preserving this memory.

Lastly after getting back home, I was tipped off about a yard sale that I might have been interested in. I decided to go and check it out and wouldn’t you know it, they were right! Turns out it was the yard sale of one of the workers at my local comic book shop, and she was putting out some absolute FIRE. My eyes were immediately drawn to this board game that I had never heard of before, called Shrieks & Creaks. It was released back in 1988, and despite it’s age, the game looks to be complete and in excellent condition! I can’t wait to try it out, but I need to find a cassette player first before I’m able to report back. Hopefully that’s soon! Anyways, I’ll try and get back to posting here more regularly for the remainder of the month, but don’t get mad at me if I’m busy watching Svengoolie instead.

grimey - 10/1/23

Happy October 1st! I painstakingly cleaned up my front yard and trimmed all the bushes yesterday so I could start setting Halloween decor up today. Somehow, it’s still 80 bagillion degrees here in PA so the vibe isn’t quite there yet but it’ll be here and gone in the blink of an eye so hold onto it while you can!

I didn’t do much different from the 3 or 4 or even 5 previous years. I actually kept it to a dull roar and just put up my scarecrows and some cornstalks. My mind is subject to change later in the coming weeks but for now, this and a little lighting will do.

We will have a few surprises coming VERY soon hopefully by the end of this week and we hope you dig it so, stay tuned!

grimey - 9/22/23

I have to say, I really feel Walmart is stepping up their game when it comes to Halloween. Cruising the aisles the other day, you can imagine my excitement when I happened upon 5 or 6 different LED neon Halloween lights.

These things, for one, are dope as hell. Especially the pumpkin design. And two, they’re SUPER cheap! Like around 13 bucks cheap. That’s saying a lot! LED lights like these can go for WAAAAY more anywhere else. And, on top of all of that, they look pretty damn good considering the price point and where they were purchased.

I haven’t found a space to hang them as of yet but that didn’t stop me from plugging them in and enjoying the ambience from my desk. During the Walmart visit, I thought long and hard about the necessity of this purchase and concluded I couldn’t leave them behind. I can already tell I made the right choice. I mean, come on, check out those vibes!

grimey - 9/16/23

After a relatively busy Saturday, I’ve decided to treat myself to something both easy to make and classy. What has more class than Halloween shaped pieces of frozen, breaded, processed chicken? Easy answer; ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

I was a little put off by these at first. Immediately out of the bag, they look basically nothing like the packaging depicts. Plus, distinguishing each shape from the next was close to impossible. I had an easier time trying to clear the water level from the original TMNT game for the NES. Ok, maybe I’m exaggerating a tad but it’s been a seriously long day.

I couldn’t JUST eat nuggies so I opted for some microwave mac and cheese for my side. Talk about gourmet. Admittedly, it would’ve been way more seasonable to use something like Cheetos Box of Bones Mac and Cheese but I haven’t seen any in the wild this year. Currently hosting my own Treehouse of Horror marathon on Disney+. This is what’s best about the season; being able to make shit up on the fly and have yourself an easy and effective spooky night even if it is just spooky chicken pieces, not so spooky elbow mac and some cartoons. This night is infinitely cooler than most.

grimey - 9/15/23

What I’m about to talk about might seem like such a simple or small update but, trust me, as simple as it is it’s an absolute GAME CHANGER! Picture driving around your home town, listening to spooky tunes with the cool breeze flowing in through a cracked open window, hunting for Halloween bric a brac….. the perfect scenario, right? Take that picture perfect script and add to it the Crisp Autumn Air Little Tree car air freshener! This thing, like most air fresheners, is super strong at first but once it’s had time to marinate a little in the atmosphere of your car…. it’s fall heaven. It’s like a fresh batch of your grandmas favorite fall potpourri; it’s warm, spicy, woodsy and cozy in all the right ways. I didn’t even mention the aesthetic! I drive an orange Subaru Crosstrek, so these things really compliment the colors of my car pretty well. I love the depiction of these whimsical and majestic fall leaves; it’s a nice touch! I have no idea how long they’ve been making these beautiful seasonal car fresheners or how long they will continue to make them, but they’re the PERFECT addition to a seasonal drive. Do yourself a favor and pick one of these bad boys up; you won’t be disappointed.

DEREK - 9/14/23

Cough cough, sneeze sneeze! Apologies for the lack of updates, but I have been sick! I’m calling this my new September tradition, because for the last two or three years I’ve somehow managed to catch a gnarly headcold (I think you may even be able to hear me sniffling in one of last year’s Halloween shows). That being said, last weekend I actually did have an excellent, spooky time!

For starters, I began my weekend bright and early over at my local apple orchard. I made sure to get my ass out of bed so that I could make my first meal some fresh out the fryer Apple Cider donuts. Let me tell you, they were like little drops of heaven. After stuffing our faces, we wandered into the store (pictured) and grabbed a bushel of Honey Crisps because they are the greatest apple and I will not be told otherwise. I didn’t end up picking my own…yet. But I’m sure I will!

Later on in the evening, we decided to head out to our very first haunt of the season! We took an hour or so ride to Fall River, Massachusetts (the home of Lizzie Borden) and checked out the Factory of Terror.

Years ago now, Factory of Terror had branched out into multiple locations - one of which was actually right down the street from my parent’s home. I remember going and not being very impressed, so I was a little skeptical about giving them another shot. Let me tell you, I’m sure glad that I did! This really was a great haunt, with a variety of detailed sets to marvel at as you made your way through.

From sanitariums to killer plants, and even an evil clown section, they really swung for the fences and managed to tie it all together fairly well. And for those of you wondering, yes, I do still jump like a 10 year old while walking through the haunts!

Finally, I got a very early 30th birthday gift from my sister! While I don’t enter my third decade until November 10th, I think you can see why she decided to give me my gift a bit early. I’m only showing one plate now, but she got me a set of four McDonald’s Halloween plates that I absolutely adore! They are my children now. I love them.

I’ll make sure I take pictures of the rest, and will post them up here on the journal periodically throughout the season to make me moment last!

grimey - 9/13/23

I’m assuming, if you’re reading this, you already follow us on Instagram and probably already know we found both the mystery Fanta and Voodew 2023. Our buddy Louie from Haunted Hangover and I decided to do a taste test for you all that you can either watch on YouTube or listen to wherever you get your podcasts. I won’t spoil the details here in my rambling paragraph but I will say I’m sure I’m not right in my guesses because I almost never am. Plus, maybe I’m just an idiot but I truly feel that this years flavors for both are very hard to pinpoint. Fanta really doesn’t have any context clues as to what the flavor could be. Voodew on the other hand has been said to have teamed up with an “iconic candy” this time around. Even so, I’m still relatively stumped. Regardless, we both do make our attempts at guessing what each might be. If you’ve tried either or both, feel free to let us know what you thought of them!

grimey - 9/12/23

Was able to grab the new Pumpkin Spice Frosty last night from a late night Halloween hunt. Went to Walmart and Dollar Tree for a few things and noticed on the way the Wendy’s sign happened to say something to the effect of “pumpkin spice frosty is here!” Even though it was a day early than the release, I decided to check it out. Oh, they had them. I grabbed a small; I should’ve grabbed the biggest size they’d allow. Hell, if I knew I could get away with filling a bucket had I provided one, I would have. This thing is top tier. I didn’t have a lot of hope for this one. Admittedly, I do love pumpkin spice things but sometimes they’re almost too pumpkin spicy and almost render themselves with an unpleasant flavor profile. Not the case for these. Picture a cup full of pumpkin pudding shots with that classic Wendy’s Frosty texture. Absolutely amazing! This is something I’m surprised took this long to become a reality and I’m hoping it isn’t a one and done kind of thing. I could easily see this doing well each year from now until the end of November. Regardless, this was my first one but certainly won’t be my last one of the season. A+

DEREK - 9/8/23

Finally, my very first journal entry of the season! I’d feel worse that it’s taken me so long to write something here, but it’s been about a million degrees out lately which has made it hard to get into the spooky headspace. With last weekend being a holiday, I forced myself to suck it up and finally do some decorating.

I did only stick to interior decorating for now, as I’ll be traveling later in the month and don’t want to leave my outdoor stuff alone & unsupervised while I’m gone. That being said, the big addition this year to our decor is our haunted library! The library in our house already looks fairly spooky as is, and we just kept finding library-adjacent pieces as we were out shopping. I love when things come together so effortlessly!

My favorite little nook in the room has to be my Legend of Sleepy Hollow shelf. I think its still lacking a little…something…but not sure what. Maybe some dead leaves? Either way, how frickin’ cool is that Ichabod tombstone? Shout out to Michaels for having the best Halloween decor so far this season.

Here’s the rest from the mini-tour, not-pictured is all the black lace adorning tabletops and window boxes. As you can see we also found a Hocus Pocus-like haunted book, the classic Haunted Mansion candle holder, and no haunted library would be complete without a copy of I Spy: Spooky Night!

I also wanted to mention that I finally found both Carmella Creeper and the Great Pumpkin cereals! Carmella is fine, but I still cannot wrap my mind around the fact that this Charlie Brown cereal exists. It seems so out of left field, and yet, I kind of can’t believe that they hadn’t already made it back in the 70s or 80s?

It’s a vanilla flavored cereal, and I have to admit that I didn’t have very high hopes for how it’d taste. I’m happy to report that it’s very tasty, and not unlike a vanilla cupcake. It’s sweet, but not overly so, and the cereal pieces are almost like Styrofoam, but again not in a bad way. I can see myself polishing off the box before the Great Pumpkin makes his way to my local pumpkin patch.

That’s going to do it for this entry, here’s hoping I’m back here really soon with another update!

GRIMEY - 8/30/23

I meant to do this the other day but time got away from me. Anyways, Saturday was eventful nonetheless.

I made my first visit to Spirit Halloween of the season. The first trip is always the best; everything feels so new yet so familiar. I had to see a couple of the new guys in town. Also, the Spirit Halloween here resides in the back of a long hallway in a dead mall. It’s fitting in such a strange way. I’m just waiting for it to take over the entire mall at some point.

I spent a few moments with Ed Gein, a Mars Attacks alien and, of course, Slim from Killer Klowns. Admittedly, I’m ashamed I haven’t wasted at least 3 pay worths of cash on the entire Killer Klowns collection so far. There’s just not enough room where I sleep. Selfies, unfortunately, have to suffice.

I ended up taking advantage of their buy one get one 50% off sales and snagged a couple shirts. The Monsters one I already owned but it shrank a good deal and is now a work shirt. The other is new to me. I know these Halloween safety shirts are played out as all fuck at this point but I still love them.

Next, I ran to Walmart to see what goodies they had awaiting. I’m always on the hunt for the newest Halloween candy and they had a few in store. Found Sour Patch Kids Apple Harvest, Dum Dums Fall Mix and a summery batch of candy corn pretending to fit in with fall. No seriously, Cotton Candy, Lemonade Shake-Up, Strawberry Funnel Cake, Lemon Lime Snowcone? The only two of the batch that remotely say “Fall” are the Kettle Corn and Caramel Apple. Weird choices but, I digress.

Next, certainly not new but I know I hadn’t gushed about them last year, we have some treats for my little monsters at home. These spooky batches of Temptations cat treats are brilliant. Cats don’t give a shit about the packaging other than to chew on the plastic. We buy these because we love the idea of getting our pets something spooky. Like a bunch of suckas, they got us. I added the little pumpkin plushy which happens to be a dog toy. Mochi can turn anything into a cat toy. Mochi approves.

Anyways, thanks for reading and remember to check back frequently for more fun Halloween updates!

GRIMEY - 8/26/23

Today, I stacked a bunch of spooky junk on my desk in my basement and took a sweet photo of it. So, consider this our sincerest welcome to the 2023 Leftover Pizza Club Halloween Journal! If you remember last year, we started the journal a little late in the game; almost a third of the way through Halloween, I believe. We want to start things off on the right foot this year and take full advantage of the early stages of the Halloween season, which happens to be….well….right around now! What we’re really saying is we’ve been holding off since July 5th and can no longer take the mental anguish of not being able to burn pumpkin scented wax melts. So, if you’ve already made your first or even second Spirit Halloween runs, we’re there with you and we are ready! Speaking of last years journal, click here for a fun little look at how that went!

First and foremost, Derek and I would like to apologize for a super late August show. Due to some technical difficulties, we ended up scrapping both the free and bonus shows (talk about scary), which we had in the bag early, and started over from scratch. But, we totally feel like it was worth the re-record because the free show turned out to be an absolute BANGER for our first of 3 totally free spooky Leftover Pizza Halloween shows this season! In the latest episode, we dive into all things pertaining to WHEN HORROR GOES KID FRIENDLY! We only had one rule; no AYAOTD, Goosebumps, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark or other super obvious choices. What you might find are some weird Frankenstein toys meant for toddlers, a cartoon ghost that resembles some nightmare slasher, and also some trolls who turn into bloody bone piles when hit with milk. Be sure to check it out here or wherever else you might listen to podcasts!

Next, you can read not one but TWO new articles written by the main man, Derek! I know, it’s been some time since we’ve truly posted steadily in this place but, we assure you, the wait hasn’t been for nothing! Join Derek as he ventures into his ode to The Halloween Outlet! If you’re a Patreon subscriber, you can head there to catch the second article now! In this exclusive article, Derek explores the Fright Catalog website from 2006! There’s something very beautiful and nostalgic about dead webpages, and we think you’ll agree!

Lastly, I’d like to say what an awesome season we have ahead of us! When I say we’ve been hard at work here at Leftover Pizza, I truly mean it. We have a lot of cool shit planned for you guys (some of which I’m absolutely gutted I can’t quite share the details with but trust me it will be worth it!) I’ve left a few images above with no context for a little hint at one of the cool items we have in store so stay tuned! This might be the absolute coolest fucking thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of doing (yeah, it’s that cool!)

Again, we will have 3 free Halloween shows Aug, Sept and Oct, as well as 2 Patreon exclusive bonus shows for Sept and Oct so if you’re not a subscriber and have been thinking about joining, consider this your sign! It’s about to be a fun one and I hope to see you all there!

Over the next few weeks up until the end of the season, you can expect to see this journal updated sporadically as we encounter new and exciting Halloween and Halloween adjacent things to gush about as well as any other posts that may pertain to the season like new episode announcements and so on. There are already a ton that are just waiting at the click of a button so remember to check back once in a while and not be a stranger!