Halloween's Funny Bone-1960's Style
Halloween is a Laugh.
The 1960s was the decade of spooky spoofs that were the funny bone of Halloween all year round. Horror became campy fun TV shows and cartoons. The scary stuff of Halloween was turned into funny characters we still can't forget. The influence of those silly characters stretched into decades beyond and rebooted into new versions of movies and more.
Growing up in that era, I was exposed to those characters. I also had fun dressing up as them for Halloween. How many kids pasted black holes on a white sheet and went trick or treating as Charlie Brown in his holey ghost costume? We still use the phrase, "I got a rock" to mean things didn't work out as we wanted them to.
From funny frights cereal to silly Halloween songs, the 1960s were the epitome of Halloween fun. Scroll down and see for yourself!
Snoopy poster by Tom Whalen.
Casper the Friendly Ghost just wanted to be friends with the living, but he frightened them anyway. "It's a ghost!"
Casper was rebooted in the 1990s as a CGI character in a movie with Christina Ricci.
It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
This Halloween classic is a holiday favorite. What's funnier than Lucy running around crying, "Dog germs!" after Snoopy licks her face?
The Great Pumpkin rises from the Video patch.
The Munsters were the first family of Halloween fun. Munsters Photo card.
The Munsters lived in a rundown house on 1313 Mockingbird Lane. Herman worked at a funeral parlor and looked like Frankenstein. His father-in-law, Grandpa, was a vampire who indulged in mad experiments. Herman and his wife Lily had a werewolf son, Eddie and took in their orphan niece, Marilyn, who, unfortunately, was hindered by her "normal" looks.
The Addams Family were weirder than the Munsters, but just as much fun. Addams Family photo card.
The Addams Family consisted of Uncle Fester, Grandma, Gomez, his wife, Morticia, and their children, Wednesday and Pugsley. Their butler, Lurch, seldom spoke, but did growl often. Thing was a disembodied hand that gave a "hand" when needed and Cousin It was a hairy creature that stopped by on occasion. The family was weird, but thought they were normal.
Monster Poll
Which family was your favorite?
The Addams Family got a reboot in the 1980s, only this time in the movies. The original TV series also spawned a Saturday morning cartoon and a Broadway play.
Frankenberry, BooBerry, and Count Chocula were spooky fun breakfast cereals. Photo shared on Flickr.
These cereal characters were so popular they were reinvented as toys, dolls and even lip balm!
Bewitched was a comedy about a mortal who married a witch. Bewitched wallpaper.
Bewitching Videos
The Great Darren Debate
Dick York played Samantha's husband. He was the original Darren. However, ill health forced him to leave the show in 1969. Dick Sargent took over the role and played Darren until the show ended in 1972. To this day, people still debate over which one was the best Darren. What do you think?
Which Darren?
Green Ghost Game was played in the dark and had trap doors with creepy things inside and green ghosts.
Monster Mash by Bobby "Boris" Picket is still played on the radio every Halloween. My Original album cover.
Rock out to Monster Mash
Scooby-Doo and his Mystery Machine pals made us laugh as they solved mysteries. Anyone have a Scooby snack?
Scooby-Doo Where Are You? debuted in 1969. The cartoon was revamped several times right through to the 1970s. Scooby, Shaggy, Daphne, Fred, and Thelma were recreated in toys, games, and lunch boxes. There were also made for TV full length animated movies and two live movie remakes.