Old Halloween Newspaper Ads, #6!
The return of the Halloween Countdown means that I get to dust off one of my favorite spooky-themed article series, Old Halloween Newspaper Ads.
It’s a deep dive into aspects of the season you’ve probably forgotten, all thanks to clippings from ancient newspapers. Get set to bask in the glories of Lionel Kiddie City and giant bottles of Coke.
Taco Bell’s Black Jack Taco!
(October 2009)
Ten years later, and I’m still ticked that I heard about this promotion a day too late. On Halloween night in 2009, Taco Bell gave free “Black Jack Tacos” to anyone who dared to go trick-or-treating there. Unbelievable!
The taco innards were standard fare, but the crunchy shells were dyed jet black. It’d only rate as a cool gimmick in 2019, but back then, many news outlets treated it like the weirdest thing imaginable, practically daring people to suffer through it. (Generally speaking, the further back you go, the more histrionic the fast food coverage becomes.)
Even in 2009, word traveled across the internet far slower than it does today. If Black Jack Tacos debuted this year, they’d be trending on every social media platform, and 85% of the people I communicate with would be yapping about them nonstop. Read More…
Dino Drac’s 2019 Halloween Countdown!
People like you and me, we spend most of our time just surviving. We distract ourselves as often as we can with whatever we can, but there’s always this quiet pulse of survival, like it’s what we’ll settle for even if it’s nowhere near what we’re hoping for.
But then, for two months each year, we say “fuck that” and live. Really, truly LIVE.
Welcome to Dinosaur Dracula’s 2019 Halloween Countdown.
WATCH IN HD ON YOUTUBE! (GORY!)
I started the Halloween Countdown back in 2003. If I’m being honest, it’s what made me such a nut for the season. In my quest to write about Halloween stuff nearly every day for two months, I discovered that the season had soooo much more to offer than I’d ever given it credit for.
It makes me sad to think that there are people who hear “Halloween” and still think it’s just about, say, pumpkins and costumes, or worse, just about that one night. The beauty of this season is that it’s everywhere and limitless. Trips to supermarkets, neighborhood walks and even just flipping through TV channels all take on a new meaning. Halloween makes the mundane magnificent. It salts everything.
Over the next two months, I’m gonna prove that to you again and again. Whether I’m covering this year’s spooky junk food, some old ghost-filled movie or a trip to Yankee Candle, I hope the real message comes through: The magic of this season is that you never have to be bored, and that adventure is literally always achievable.
Never forget that, even if all you have time for are Starbucks runs and the occasional deep dig on Netflix.
We are going to have quite a time, my friends, starting RIGHT NOW. Here’s what new to kick off the 2019 Halloween Countdown:
After you watch this year’s Countdown intro video, join Madd Matt as he shows off yet another bag of Halloween junk. This is the first of several-to-many videos this season, so if you’re not already subscribed to Dino Drac on YouTube, go do that!
There will be a huge pile of new articles during the Countdown, starting with the sixth edition of Old Halloween Newspaper Ads. Dive into Halloween seasons past by way of ancient newspaper clippings, and remember a world with Black Jack Tacos and three-liter Coke bottles.
Dino Drac’s Halloween Jukebox has returned, and it’s better than ever! Now stuffed with *150* spooky tunes, the Halloween Jukebox finally works on both desktop and mobile devices! Let it be your background noise, all season long!
(To access the jukebox on desktop, look for the jukebox graphic on the right-side column of any page. On mobile, it’s on the dropdown menu at the top.)
Dino Drac After Dark never went away, but now it’s back in season! This is the site’s “secret” late night section, where people chat about whatever while watching weird YouTube videos. Dino Drac After Dark will be updated all season long, and hopefully every night! Make it a regular stop!
I’m so excited to dive into this season, and I’m insanely thankful that so many of you have chosen to do that with me. Your encouragement means that I have legitimate reasons to bake under hot lamps while wearing zombie makeup, and to blow my car payment on skull-shaped candy. There is no “this” without “you,” and I am SO grateful for your support.
Enjoy the new stuff, and get ready, because there’s so much more of it to come.
Muahahahaha.
Purple Stuff Podcast: Evil Clowns!
While Dino Drac’s Halloween Countdown doesn’t start until next Friday, it seems like many of you are counting this weekend as the official start of the spooky season. Well, good news: So is the Purple Stuff Podcast!
As some of you will remember, our show was originally conceived as a Halloween-only podcast. It obviously became more than that, but we still consider this season OUR season, and the shows we do between now and Halloween are super important to us. (And, we hope, to you!)
To kick off our 2019 Halloween celebration, me and Jay from The Sexy Armpit are gonna haunt your dreams with a list of EVIL CLOWNS from all walks of pop culture. We’re tackling everyone from Pennywise to the Killer Klowns, and even that weird pineapple monster from Power Rangers.
Click here to listen to this week’s show!
It’s our sincere hope that you’ll let us score your drives as you zip around town chasing haunted Yankee Candles and cans of Mountain Dew VooDew.
As a reminder, the Purple Stuff Podcast is also on Patreon, where you can access exclusive bonus shows every month. (August’s will be dropping very soon, of course!)
Enjoy, and remember to make the most of this weekend, even if it’s super hot out. There aren’t that many weekends left between now and Halloween!
Dino Drac’s Eerie August Funpack is here!
Okay guys, it’s time. Dino Drac’s Eerie August Funpack is the first of three Halloween-themed Funpacks, and if you’re already a subscriber, good news: You’re locked in for all of them, assuming you don’t cancel!
The rest of you will need to act quick, but hey, I’ve been warning you about that for months!
AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. ONLY!
The Eerie August Funpack is loaded with spooky goodies that’ll kick off your Halloween season in style. You’ll find a bunch of vintage treasures along with some of this year’s hottest Halloween candy, and also a pack of Street Fighter: The Movie cards for some reason.
You know the score by now. The Funpacks are sold on a subscription basis. It’s $25 a month (shipping included), and for long as you remain subscribed, you’ll keep getting new boxes of old nonsense each and every month!
Scroll to the bottom for ordering info, or keep reading to learn about *everything* you’ll receive in the Eerie August Funpack!
Leading the charge this month is a special two-pack of Burger King Beetlejuice figurines, from 1990! These figures were given out in special Kids Club Meals way back when, and while you only received one in every Kids Club Meal, I’m gonna give you TWO!
There are six different figures in the set. You’ll receive a random pair. Each figurine is double-sided, so it’s kinda like you’ll be getting four figures. (If you couldn’t tell, these toys were based on the old Beetlejuice animated series.)
Your figures will still be in their Burger King factory baggies, and then tucked into a custom Dino Drac bag. The factory baggies are dusty after all of these years, but the figures inside are in unused condition! (They will look SO GOOD on your Mood Table!) Read More…