31 Days of Horror Halloween Day extra 01 Halloween Cartoons and TV specials

As a kid I looked forward to Halloween each year. Not just for the dressing up and trick or treating. And not just because it meant the 5 channels we got would start showing lots of horror movies. And not because it being October my uncle would be taking me to a horror film every week. What I looked forward to the most was all the animated Halloween cartoons the big 3 networks would show.

I have noticed over the past decade that fewer and fewer of these specials get aired each year. And we aren't getting many new ones. So I thought it would be fun to talk about a few of my favorites.

Garfield's Halloween Adventure AKA Garfield in Disguise

This classic special from my childhood first aired in 1985 on CBS. And I watched it every year until sometime in the mid 90s. I even had it recorded on a Betamax tape for awhile.Garfield and Odie go out trick or treating dressed up as pirates. They end up in a boat going down and a river and thanks to a mis-communication end up beached on an island with a creepy mansion. Where they get attacked by pirate ghosts.

Sure currently Garfield has been stuck in a rut for 20 years. But back in the mid 80s he was at his peak. I am pretty sure this special was the first of many Garfield specials. And it became one I had to see each year.

In the mid 2000s I realized I had not seen it air in years. Did some research and while it has gotten a DVD release, This release is edited. So I searched for years for an unedited copy. And just a few weeks back I found a rip of someone's recording from the mid 80s.

My friends asked me to gather together some movies,holiday specials and cartoons for us to watch today. So this one was quickly added to the viewing list. Garfield's Halloween Adventure gets a B.

Beavis and Butthead Halloween special

This special first aired in October 1995 on MTV. By this time my cable company had dropped MTV and replaced it with VH1.Thankfully one of my best friends lived in another part of Moss Point and still got MTV. So the night this aired we all gathered together,drank way too much beer and laughed so damn hard.

It is Halloween and Beavis and Butthead want to go trick or treating. Beavis puts a pair of briefs on his head. And says he is dressed up as a nad. Butthead dumps liquid cheese all over himself and says he is nachos. We get your typical Beavis and Butthead hyjinx. And lots of the videos played during the episode have a horror or Halloween theme. The Beavis and Butthead Halloween Special gets a A-.

Claymation Comedy of Horrors

First airing on CBS,I think it was CBS,in 1991 this special is from Will Vinton studios. Who are best known for their California Raisins specials. And the classic Will Vinton Studios X-mas Special. Honestly I do not think I saw this special until about a week ago. While watching it I remembered nothing about it. And by 91  I was more worried about what parties I was going to at Halloween than watching holiday specials.

The animation is the excellent stuff we saw in the Raisin commercials and their classic X-mas special. And as with everything else from Will Vinton the humor is really good. With stuff that works for the kids that are watching. And other jokes that will fly over the kids heads but get the adults to laugh.Claymation Comedy of Horrors gets a B.

Roseanne

I love the Roseanne sitcom. And almost every year the best episode was the Halloween one. The Connors reminded me of a family that lived near me when I was younger. They were working class and didn't have much extra cash. But they saved up year round so they would have extra money to spend on costumes and for decorations for their home for Halloween. I looked forward each year to seeing what the Connors dressed up as.And how they decorated their home.

Two of the Halloween episodes stand out in my memory. The first one has Roseanne just not feeling Halloween that year. So instead of going to the lodge Halloween party she stays at home. Falls asleep on the couch and gets visited by the Ghosts of Halloween Past,Present and Future. And like in the previous and future Halloween Roseanne episodes she has a great prank planned. My favorite part of the episode is when we got the past. And get to see Roseanne in High school at a Halloween dance. She dresses up as Ginger from Gilligan's Island,"You know if they had never made it to the island."It wasn't until re-watching it last year that I realized teenage Roseanne is played by a young Sara Rue.

The other episode I really love is a much later one. Jackie is married to Fred now. And Jackie and Dan are  trying to pull a great prank on Roseanne. My memory might be bad but I seem to remember they have placed a bet. And if they can prank Roseanne they win something. After many attempts,it looks like Dan and Jackie have given up. Then Roseanne walks into her bedroom and catches Dan in bed with Fred.

I know Anchor Bay and now Mill Creek have put out dvds that have all the Roseanne Halloween episodes. Usually in October I see this DVD selling for $5.Which it is totally worth. The Roseanne Halloween episodes get a B- overall. With the two I mentioned above getting A's.

It's the Great Pumpkin,Charlie Brown

First airing October 27th 1966 on CBS,this is the first Halloween special I remember seeing. And besides for 1 year in the mid 90s,I have watched it each October.

I got a good feeling that everyone reading this has seen it. So instead of explaining the plot in my trademarked halfass way, I will just focus on the things and moments in the special that stand out for me.

The picture above shows the main Peanuts gang in their Halloween costumes. I love how each costume is a white sheet with either holes cut out to see through or a mask. The one kid with the Davy Crockett hat on top of the sheet is my favorite. Now I have seen plenty of Halloween costumes. But never seen in person someone use an old sheet to be a ghost. Another standout moment is when Snoopy is day dreaming. And he is engaged in some dogfights ,while using his doghouse as a plane. Plus as is normal with the early Charlie Brown Holiday specials the music in this one is a great jazzy sounding mixture.It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown gets a perfect A+.

It was last year in October when I was lamenting how there hadn't been a new Halloween cartoon special on any of the broadcast networks in years.Then I was reading a blog and saw that ABC had aired a new one. "Toy Story of Terror" is the next entry in Pixar's Toy Story franchise. I quickly found a copy and reviewed it last year. Toy Story of Terror review . The toys are with their new owner,this is set after Toy Story 3,and are on a vacation. They are all in the trunk of the car watching some old horror film on a portable dvd player. The car blows a tire and the family quickly pulls over at a roadside motel.Where creepy things start happening. I love how a Pez is included in this special.

Toy Story of Terror gets a A.

So I got a favor to ask anyone reading this. In the comments below tell me what your favorite Halloween special is.