Horror countdown

From x-entertainment, I got a couple of e-mails this week from readers wanting to know if I'd be doing a "traditional" Halloween Countdown this year. While my sanity would certainly benefit from doing a bunch of shorter blog entries, I've come to realize that the holidays are all about suffering for my bullshit art. YES, there will be a very traditional and very what-you're-used-to X-E Halloween Countdown this year. Very soon, in fact. Don't want to marry myself to a launch date just yet…but very soon.

And, now that I think about it, this will be the fifth annual Countdown. The fifth! Thanks to everyone who e-mailed in with suggestions and donation offers. If anyone else thinks they have something I can cover this year, drop me a line.

Hit the town last night on the hunt for spooky goodness, and among other things to be reported on in due time, I came across the beauty seen above: A Freddy Krueger hanging decoration. Only slightly expensive with its thirteen dollar price tag, I believe this a new-for-2007 item. I love the shit out of it. It's perfect for Halloween, but Freddy's reach is jusssst broad enough to make this one a genuine perennial.

The quality is terrific — Freddy's head and hands are made of some kind of awesome rubbery material that's both realistic and fun to touch, while his trademark sweater is real wool, or at least, such a good facsimile that I don't feel the need to fact check.

Look close at Freddy's glove. I sure wish I did when I was at the store. Apparently, some hooligan saw fit to rip off three of Freddy's four glove blades, leaving him both a less effective killer and a constant middle finger-giver. I'm gonna head back to return it for not-wrecked version, and it'll be interesting to see how the conversation with the store manager goes.

I don't feel like measuring the hanging Freddy decoration, but if you're looking for some sense of size, he'd make a great hand puppet. Once I improve my ventriloquism skills, I'll be available for Bar Mitzvahs.