Day 18: Mars Attacks (1996) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
Mars Attacks (1996)

"Mars Attacks" (1996) is a gleefully fun, chaotic movie filled with little green men (and woman) who pants Humanity at every turn and laugh while the World burns.  The effects don't hold up very well, and didn't even when the movie first came out.  I know they were trying to do a fake stop-motion effect for the Martians with Industrial Light and Magic, but I didn't think it ever jelled.  I would like to see everything left the same, but the Martians and effects given another pass through a Cray Computer out there and see how it would come out today.

While I was never lucky enough to own the actual "Mars Attacks" cards from back in the day (I did have an ungodly amount of "Star Wars" cards, and other movie-based Topps cards), I have seen them published in books when I was younger, and now they can be found on the Internet.  But, they also went hard, were darkly funny. and delightfully gruesome.

Here's an Animated .GIF of... [Martians break in as the artist and his computers are set on fire and used to toast marshmallows, which are then also set on fire and used to toast even smaller marshmallows].  Ack! Ack! Ack!:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 17: The Blob (1988) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Blob (1988)

"The Blob" (1988) was a great remake, in the mold of "John Carpenter's The Thing" (1982)--it took a relatively well-known B-Movie and remade it into a Grand Guignol of paranoia and terror.  People you didn't expect to die would suddenly be half-digested on a wall, or someone is pulled into a sink in ways that are really horrifying.  The special effects and buckets of slime in "The Blob" still stand up today--another crowning achievement of 80's horror, IMHO!

Of course, I am slightly biased, as this is the stuff I grew up on, for better or worse.  Probably mostly worse, now that I think about it; but I stand by my decisions.

Here's an Animated .GIF of The Blob:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 16: Hellraiser (1987) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
Hellraiser (1987)

Hey, hey, it's marginally past the halfway point, and to celebrate it's the 1987 Clive Barker directed bondage fetish/meets blood-soaked gorefest, "Hellraiser".  The introduction of the Cenobites to the horror canon is a good inclusion, IMHO.

Yea, Pinhead was only known as "Hell Priest" or "Lead Cenobite" in the first movie, and only got his reluctant nickname after the movie came out, but it is one of the few times where the alleged wisdom of the crowd was actually correct: Pinhead is a better name. 

Here's an Animated .GIF of Pinhead having such sights to show us--a completed Rubik's Cube!

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 15: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Whew, this one is uncomfortably close to the deadline, but here's Freddy from "A Nightmare on Elm Street" (1984), with a little under an hour to spare.  It's the quintessential "He'll kill you in your dreams" character.  The first movie was far more a straight-up horror/slasher style movie with a few bits of comedy, before becoming a semi-self-referential comedy with horror/slasher bits to it.

Here's an Animated .GIF of the beloved 80's horror icon, Annie Lennox from the Eurythmics, along with Freddy Krueger:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 14: Halloween (1978) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
Halloween (1978)

He's got a denim onesie, a very sharp chef's knife, and he has a silver spray-painted William Shatner mask and knows how to use it: It's Michael Myers from the John Carpenter classic, "Halloween" (1978). 

Here's an Animated .GIF of everyone's favorite Ambassador of Halloween, Michael Myers:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 13: Friday the 13th (1980) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
Friday the 13th (1980)

Hey, hey, done with the "Friday the 13th" (1980) many 10's of minutes before midnight!  This one was done much later than I would have liked.  I had finished the digital painting I originally planned for today, October 13th, and started working on Jason Vorhees for October 14th.  I then realized "Hey, wait-a-minute, TODAY is the 13th!  Why don't I finish up Jason for today's post instead, and flip-flop the two?"  So, I finished up Jason for today's post instead, and flip-flopped them.  Sigh, if I were a smart man (and I've never been accused of such a thing), I would have noticed that much earlier and done it right the first time.

Originally, it was gonna be Jason with his trademark hockey mask and machete, even though he didn't get it until "Friday the 13th: Part 3" (that's right, folks--he was a zombie kid in the first one, and wore a gunnysack over his head for the second one, before moving on to the hockey mask in the third movie).  Y'know, half-@$$ it a bit.  But, then I thought it would be more interesting to do up the child, Jason V., as he was in the first movie and ask for the hockey mask.  And here we are...

Here's an Animated .GIF of young Jason, fresh from a swim in Camp Crystal Lake:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 12: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974)

It's all about family in "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre" (1974).  A messed up, creepy, psychopathic family.  But, you know what they say: "Blood is thicker than water."  And, in this case, there is lots and lots of blood--not necessarily theirs.

While not as graphic as many horror movies afterwards, it's creepy vibe is off the charts.

Here's an Animated .GIF of everyone's favorite make-up influencer, Leatherface:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 11: The Fly (1986) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Fly (1986)

Oh, look color!  We've moved on from the Universal Classics and into something more modern.  Um, "Modern" being a relative term, of course.  In this case, it is David Cronenberg's "The Fly" (1986).  Originally, the word balloon was gonna have a shotgun in it, but that seemed a little too dark for my happy-go-lucky Blog.  Granted, my sense of humor can run Vantablack, but I decided to dial it back a little for this one time for y'all.

Anyhoo, 80's horror is in a class all its own and I grew up with a steady diet of it as a youngster.  As always, there was a moral panic that watching such monster movies would warp ones morality and look how normal I turned out!  (Wait, does "normal" need scare quotes in that context?)  It is also peak Cronenberg body horror.

Here's an Animated .GIF of The Fly.  The David Cronenberg one, that is:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 10: The Fly (1958) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Fly (1958)

A scientist with a giant fly's head on his shoulders?  What's not to love with 1958's "The Fly" with Vincent Price?  OK, this head is technically from the "Return of the Fly", as the original "The Fly" had a head that looked like a furry rubber mask with bug eyes that just barely went over top of his head (which it probably was), while the one from the "Return of the Fly" looked like a real-ish fly head done up like one of those giant Papier-Mâché heads you see in parades and such.  So much, much cooler!

Also, I've always wondered about the most horrifying part of the movie: What the H-E-Double Hockey Sticks is up with the teeth/gums of André Delambre, the main scientist, after the transformation into a human head on a fly's body?  Absolutely the most terrifying part of the ending with him trapped in a spider's web as he screams "Help Me!"  

Here's an Animated .GIF of The Fly, who could rally use some help.  Looking at that left hand, he probably needs help with his fly...  I'll show myself out after that one:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 09: Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954)

It's the 1954 "Creature from the Black Lagoon", this time.  I know I said I was tired of doing monsters asking for ladies (lest most of the monsters seem to have the same request), but who can resist a face like that, I ask you?

One more of the Classic Horror movie before moving into something more recent.  Well, in color, anyways.

Here's an Animated .GIF of The Mummy, who need TP for his sarcophagus:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 08: The Mummy (1932) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Invisible Man (1932)

Boris Karloff's "The Mummy" (1932) is the original, silver-screen Terminator--Relentless stalking, h will not sleep, he will not stop, he will keep on persuing until you are dead by his hands.  The spirit of Harlan Ellison will be paying me a visit for that one!

Here's an Animated .GIF of The Mummy, who need TP for his sarcophagus:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 07: The Wolf Man (1941) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Invisible Man (1933)

Click to Embiggen

Hey, one week down... Several-and-a-half to go.  I have to admit, that The Wolf Man was always near the bottom of the pack (pun partially intended) when it comes to the Universal Monsters.  Sure, it could be seen as a metaphor for, say, puberty, for example.  Changes in one's appearance and behavior, hair growing in surprising places, simplistic grunts and growls in response to inquries, hairy palms--you name it!  But, mostly, it was kind of boring.  But, it was a monster movie, so I was compelled to watch it as a kid.

Also, I'm sure almost every male monster would just be a lady in the speech bubble as to what they want, but that was getting old in a hurry.  So, The Wolf Man, in this case, just wants a big ol' ham.  Y'know, the same thing my dumb dog always wants, why not?

And, here's an Animated .GIF of The Wolf Man:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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Day 06: The Invisible Man (1933) - 31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026

31 Days of HELL-O-Ween 2026:
The Invisible Man (1933)

Click to Embiggen

Here's "The Invisible Man" (1933), as portrayed by Claude Rains.  And, yeah, he isn't wearing pants.  I was debating just having the entire robe open and floating, but boxers with hearts on it seemed more amusing. 

The movie's special effects amazed me as a kid when I watched it.  Heck, they are still pretty amazing when I watch it now, IMHO.  And those awesome, awesome sunglasses are pretty darn cool.

And, here's an Animated .GIF of The Invisible Word Balloon... er, Invisible Man:

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STEP ONE: Here are the quick pencils done on a 2,000px x 3,000px canvas @ 300dpi in Rebelle 8 Pro.

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STEP TWO: Here is the finished digital painting.

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Done Digitally with Rebelle 8 Pro.

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