Misplaced Pages

#343656

117-408: Bongo, at some time in its history, printed Simpsons Comics , Simpsons Comics and Stories , Futurama Comics , Krusty Comics , Lisa Comics , Bart Simpson , Bartman , Itchy & Scratchy Comics and Radioactive Man . Zongo Comics , also created by Groening, was Bongo Comics' counterpart geared towards mature audiences. Groening launched Bongo Comics Group in 1993, perceiving

234-476: A Christian holiday, being the vigil of All Hallows' Day. Celebrated in Ireland and Scotland for centuries, Irish and Scottish immigrants took many Halloween customs to North America in the 19th century, and then through American influence various Halloween customs spread to other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century. Popular activities during Halloween include trick-or-treating (or

351-643: A "rare few" in rural communities as they were considered to be "deadly serious" practices. In recent centuries, these divination games have been "a common feature of the household festivities" in Ireland and Britain. They often involve apples and hazelnuts. In Celtic mythology , apples were strongly associated with the Otherworld and immortality , while hazelnuts were associated with divine wisdom. Some also suggest that they derive from Roman practices in celebration of Pomona . The following activities were

468-590: A Christianization of an earlier pagan custom. Many Christians in mainland Europe, especially in France, believed "that once a year, on Hallowe'en, the dead of the churchyards rose for one wild, hideous carnival" known as the danse macabre , which was often depicted in church decoration . Christopher Allmand and Rosamond McKitterick write in The New Cambridge Medieval History that the danse macabre urged Christians "not to forget

585-482: A bargain that Satan can never claim his soul. After a life of sin , drink , and mendacity, Jack is refused entry to heaven when he dies. Keeping his promise, the Devil refuses to let Jack into hell and throws a live coal straight from the fires of hell at him. It was a cold night, so Jack places the coal in a hollowed out turnip to stop it from going out, since which time Jack and his lantern have been roaming looking for

702-608: A carnival fun house, powered by steam. The House still exists, in the Hollycombe Steam Collection . It was during the 1930s, about the same time as trick-or-treating , that Halloween-themed haunted houses first began to appear in America. It was in the late 1950s that haunted houses as a major attraction began to appear, focusing first on California. Sponsored by the Children's Health Home Junior Auxiliary,

819-434: A chair, holding a fork between the teeth and trying to drive the fork into an apple, or embedding a coin in the apple which participants had to remove with their teeth. Another common game involves hanging up treacle or syrup-coated scones by strings; these must be eaten without using hands while they remain attached to the string, an activity that inevitably leads to a sticky face. A similar game involved hanging an apple from

936-477: A common feature of Halloween in Ireland and Britain during the 17th–20th centuries. Some have become more widespread and continue to be popular today. One common game is apple bobbing or dunking (which may be called "dooking" in Scotland) in which apples float in a tub or a large basin of water and the participants must use only their teeth to remove an apple from the basin. Variants of dunking involve kneeling on

1053-431: A heaven filled with angels and a hell filled with devils", a motif that has permeated the observance of this triduum . One of the earliest works on the subject of Halloween is from Scottish poet John Mayne , who, in 1780, made note of pranks at Halloween— "What fearfu' pranks ensue!" , as well as the supernatural associated with the night, "bogles" (ghosts) —influencing Robert Burns ' " Halloween " (1785). Elements of

1170-473: A lack of funny books in the comic book industry at the time: "I go into comic book stores and look at all the stuff, and, for the most part, it looks like fairly grim science-fiction and superhero stuff ... I guess I just thought there was room out there for funny comic books." The company launched four titles, the bi-monthly Simpsons Comics and Radioactive Man Vol. 1 , and the thrice-annually Itchy & Scratchy Comics and Bartman . Groening hoped that

1287-657: A mega-bomb explodes, parodying Bruce Banner getting caught by the Gamma Bomb in the Incredible Hulk #1), the Bongo series' Claude was not wearing tattered clothes. In the comic book, Claude's survival is due in part to a large thunderbolt-shaped shard of metal embedded in his head by the explosion. Claude would attempt to remove the bolt throughout the book series, but each attempt has nasty consequences which results in it being put back in his scalp again. Additionally,

SECTION 10

#1732801712344

1404-735: A newspaper in Kingston, Ontario , Canada, reported children going "guising" around the neighborhood. American historian and author Ruth Edna Kelley of Massachusetts wrote the first book-length history of Halloween in the US: The Book of Hallowe'en (1919), and references souling in the chapter "Hallowe'en in America". In her book, Kelley touches on customs that arrived from across the Atlantic; "Americans have fostered them, and are making this an occasion something like what it must have been in its best days overseas. All Halloween customs in

1521-482: A number of lives during Rome's sultry summers. By the end of the 12th century, the celebration had become known as the holy days of obligation in Western Christianity and involved such traditions as ringing church bells for souls in purgatory . It was also "customary for criers dressed in black to parade the streets, ringing a bell of mournful sound and calling on all good Christians to remember

1638-463: A nun, priest, monk, etc.); a coin , that they would become rich; a bean , that they would be poor. The game features prominently in the James Joyce short story " Clay " (1914). In Ireland and Scotland, items would be hidden in food – usually a cake, barmbrack , cranachan , champ or colcannon  – and portions of it served out at random. A person's future would be foretold by

1755-511: A parody of Alice in Wonderland . It was released in April 1995 and tells the tale of Lisa Simpson getting caught in an alternate reality called Wordland while chasing after a postman. The postman turns out to be Ned Flanders and while he gives her a tour through the wondrous world they get caught by Mr. Burns . Burns forces Lisa to battle him in a game of Scrabble; she accepts and after

1872-449: A place to rest. In Ireland, Scotland, and Northern England the turnip has traditionally been carved during Halloween, but immigrants to North America used the native pumpkin, which is both much softer and much larger, making it easier to carve than a turnip. The American tradition of carving pumpkins is recorded in 1837 and was originally associated with harvest time in general, not becoming specifically associated with Halloween until

1989-507: A raised seal stamped onto it. Radioactive Man was one of the four "premiere" series released by Bongo Comics in late 1993. The series has been released in two volumes, an early run from 1993 to 1994, and the current run that's been going on since 2000. Smaller Radioactive Man stories have also been published in Simpsons Comics . As a tie-in promotion of The Simpsons Movie a special "Radioactive Man Comic Book Edition #711"

2106-597: A secular Halloween custom. It is recorded in Scotland at Halloween in 1895 where masqueraders in disguise carrying lanterns made out of scooped out turnips, visit homes to be rewarded with cakes, fruit, and money. In Ireland, the most popular phrase for kids to shout (until the 2000s) was " Help the Halloween Party ". Author Nicholas Rogers cites an early example of guising in North America in 1911, where

2223-613: A special Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with them. Each COA was individually numbered and had a raised seal stamped onto it. Bart Simpson comics were first published in the United States in late 2000, and have remained on a bi-monthly schedule until mid-2011. The comic book series is centered on the Simpsons star Bart Simpson , but it also features the children of Springfield and each issue commonly has several short stories. The Australian edition of Bart Simpson comics

2340-426: A startling similarity to Alan Moore's Watchmen , with Radioactive Man taking the part of state-supported hero Doctor Manhattan. The comics are published as if they were the actual Simpsons universe's Radioactive Man comics; a "1970s"-published comic features a letter written by a ten-year-old Marge Bouvier , for instance. The comic also takes the idea that the title has been running since the 1950s and each issue of

2457-498: A string with a coin embedded; the coin had to be removed without using hands. Another once-popular game involves hanging a small wooden rod from the ceiling at head height, with a lit candle on one end and an apple hanging from the other. The rod is spun round, and everyone takes turns to try to catch the apple with their teeth. Several of the traditional activities from Ireland and Britain involve foretelling one's future partner or spouse. An apple would be peeled in one long strip, then

SECTION 20

#1732801712344

2574-577: A while she gets upset and smashes the board. Suddenly she wakes up and discovers it's all a dream. Simpsons Summer Special was a one-issue comic book. It was printed in December 2001, and was only available in Australia and New Zealand. The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis is a four-part, two-volume crossover between the worlds of Futurama and The Simpsons . Written by Simpsons Comics writer Ian Boothby and pencilled by James Lloyd,

2691-470: Is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day . It is at the beginning of the observance of Allhallowtide , the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints ( hallows ), martyrs , and all the faithful departed. In popular culture, the day has become a celebration of horror and

2808-447: Is a customary celebration for children on Halloween. Children go in costume from house to house, asking for treats such as candy or sometimes money, with the question, "Trick or treat?" The word "trick" implies a "threat" to perform mischief on the homeowners or their property if no treat is given. The practice is said to have roots in the medieval practice of mumming , which is closely related to souling . John Pymm wrote that "many of

2925-610: Is a limited-edition one-shot comic book that was available only at the 2014 San Diego Comic-Con . Simpsons Super Spectacular was a comic book series published by Bongo Comics. It was first released in 2005 in the United States. The series acts as a continuation of the Radioactive Man comics with the inclusion of the Springfield-universe superheroes including Homer Simpson as Pieman, Bart Simpson as Bartman as well as Stretch Dude and Clobber Girl from

3042-553: Is a list of comic book series published by Bongo Comics based on the American animated television series The Simpsons . The first comic strips based on The Simpsons appeared in 1991 in the magazine Simpsons Illustrated (not to be confused with the comic publications from 2012 bearing the same name), which was a companion magazine to the show. The comic strips were popular and a one-shot comic book entitled Simpsons Comics and Stories , containing three different stories,

3159-451: Is a popular Irish Christian folktale associated with the jack-o'-lantern, which in folklore is said to represent a " soul who has been denied entry into both heaven and hell ": On route home after a night's drinking, Jack encounters the Devil and tricks him into climbing a tree. A quick-thinking Jack etches the sign of the cross into the bark, thus trapping the Devil. Jack strikes

3276-489: Is associated with the macabre and the supernatural . One theory holds that many Halloween traditions were influenced by Celtic harvest festivals , particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain , which are believed to have pagan roots. Some go further and suggest that Samhain may have been Christianized as All Hallows' Day, along with its eve, by the early Church . Other academics say Halloween began independently as

3393-748: Is one of the quarter days in the medieval Gaelic calendar and has been celebrated on 31 October – 1 November in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man . A kindred festival has been held by the Brittonic Celts, called Calan Gaeaf in Wales, Kalan Gwav in Cornwall and Kalan Goañv in Brittany ; a name meaning "first day of winter". For the Celts, the day ended and began at sunset; thus

3510-485: Is that in order to preserve his secret identity, Claude is constantly wearing various types of hats, in order to conceal the lightning bolt-shaped shrapnel sticking out of his head. Issue #1 of the Bongo comic differs from Radioactive Man #1 as seen in The Simpsons episode " Three Men and a Comic Book ". While featuring a similar scenario and accident (Claude getting his trousers caught on barbed wire just before

3627-571: Is the world's largest Halloween parade and America's only major nighttime parade, attracting more than 60,000 costumed participants, two million spectators, and a worldwide television audience. Since the late 2010s, ethnic stereotypes as costumes have increasingly come under scrutiny in the United States. According to a 2018 report from the National Retail Federation , 30 million Americans will spend an estimated $ 480 million on Halloween costumes for their pets in 2018. This

Bongo Comics - Misplaced Pages Continue

3744-483: Is up from an estimated $ 200 million in 2010. The most popular costumes for pets are the pumpkin, followed by the hot dog , and the bumblebee in third place. There are several games traditionally associated with Halloween. Some of these games originated as divination rituals or ways of foretelling one's future, especially regarding death, marriage and children. During the Middle Ages , these rituals were done by

3861-483: The Aos Sí , or the souls of the dead, and received offerings on their behalf, similar to ' souling '. Impersonating these beings, or wearing a disguise, was also believed to protect oneself from them. In parts of southern Ireland, the guisers included a hobby horse . A man dressed as a Láir Bhán ( white mare ) led youths house-to-house reciting verses – some of which had pagan overtones – in exchange for food. If

3978-487: The Celtic-speaking countries , some of which are believed to have pagan roots. Jack Santino , a folklorist , writes that "there was throughout Ireland an uneasy truce existing between customs and beliefs associated with Christianity and those associated with religions that were Irish before Christianity arrived". The origins of Halloween customs are typically linked to the Gaelic festival Samhain . Samhain

4095-679: The Scottish form of All Hallows' Eve (the evening before All Hallows' Day ): even is the Scots term for "eve" or "evening", and is contracted to e'en or een ; (All) Hallow(s) E(v)en became Hallowe'en . Halloween is thought to have influences from Christian beliefs and practices. The English word 'Halloween' comes from "All Hallows' Eve", being the evening before the Christian holy days of All Hallows' Day (All Saints' Day) on 1 November and All Souls' Day on 2 November. Since

4212-613: The Simpsons episode " Treehouse of Horror X ". Issue 10 also featured an adventure starring the 'Unleashed Legion', a superhero team composed of superhero versions of the Simpson family pets Santa's Little Helper and Snowball 2 , Mr. Teeny (Krusty the Clown's pet chimpanzee) and a parrot owned by Captain McCallister. Simpsons Super Spectacular has ended on 17 October 2013. Simpsons Classics (or Best of Simpsons Comics in

4329-676: The United Kingdom . It was announced on July 27, 2018 that there would not be publishing any Simpsons Comics issue after the release of #245, as Bongo Comics was planning to shut down. The final issue was published on October 17, 2018. On November 24, 1993, there was a signing at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles, where members of the Bongo Comics group (Steve Vance, Cindy Vance, Bill Morrison, & Matt Groening) autographed 500 copies of Simpsons Comics #1 and gave out

4446-432: The autumn season , such as pumpkins, corn husks , and scarecrows , are also prevalent. Homes are often decorated with these types of symbols around Halloween. Halloween imagery includes themes of death, evil , and mythical monsters . Black cats , which have been long associated with witches, are also a common symbol of Halloween. Black, orange, and sometimes purple are Halloween's traditional colors. Trick-or-treating

4563-517: The effect of witches , who were believed to accompany the malignant spirits as they traveled the earth". After 1605, Hallowtide was eclipsed in England by Guy Fawkes Night (5 November), which appropriated some of its customs. In England, the ending of official ceremonies related to the intercession of saints led to the development of new, unofficial Hallowtide customs. In 18th–19th century rural Lancashire , Catholic families gathered on hills on

4680-549: The 18th century, "imitating malignant spirits" led to playing pranks in Ireland and the Scottish Highlands . Wearing costumes and playing pranks at Halloween did not spread to England until the 20th century. Pranksters used hollowed-out turnips or mangel wurzels as lanterns, often carved with grotesque faces. By those who made them, the lanterns were variously said to represent the spirits, or used to ward off evil spirits. They were common in parts of Ireland and

4797-697: The Calvinist doctrine of predestination . State-sanctioned ceremonies associated with the intercession of saints and prayer for souls in purgatory were abolished during the Elizabethan reform , though All Hallows' Day remained in the English liturgical calendar to "commemorate saints as godly human beings". For some Nonconformist Protestants , the theology of All Hallows' Eve was redefined: "souls cannot be journeying from Purgatory on their way to Heaven, as Catholics frequently believe and assert. Instead,

Bongo Comics - Misplaced Pages Continue

4914-529: The Christian tradition, serves as "a reminder of death and the transitory quality of human life" and is consequently found in memento mori and vanitas compositions; skulls have therefore been commonplace in Halloween, which touches on this theme. Traditionally, the back walls of churches are "decorated with a depiction of the Last Judgment , complete with graves opening and the dead rising, with

5031-415: The Clown (April 2017), The Mighty Moe Szyslak (June 2017), Bartman Spectacularly Super Secret Saga #1 (August 2017), Bartman Spectacularly Super Secret Saga #2 (October 2017), Bartman Spectacularly Super Secret Saga #3 (December 2017), and Chief Wiggum's Felonious Funnies (March 2018). Simpsons Comics and Stories was a one-shot comic book edition of the magazine Simpsons Illustrated . Due to

5148-473: The Crossover Crisis was published in 2010. Both shows would cross over on television in the episode " Simpsorama ". Comic Book Guy: The Comic Book is a five-part comic book mini-series starring the character Comic Book Guy . The five issues were released between July and November 2010. The Simpsons Best Superhero Stories Ever! The Collector's Edition is a limited-edition comic book that

5265-480: The Irish and Scots, though "In Cajun areas, a nocturnal Mass was said in cemeteries on Halloween night. Candles that had been blessed were placed on graves, and families sometimes spent the entire night at the graveside". Originally confined to these immigrant communities, it was gradually assimilated into mainstream society and was celebrated coast to coast by people of all social, racial, and religious backgrounds by

5382-523: The Puritans of New England strongly opposed the holiday, along with other traditional celebrations of the established Church, including Christmas. Almanacs of the late 18th and early 19th century give no indication that Halloween was widely celebrated in North America. It was not until after mass Irish and Scottish immigration in the 19th century that Halloween became a major holiday in America. Most American Halloween traditions were inherited from

5499-852: The San Mateo Haunted House opened in 1957. The San Bernardino Assistance League Haunted House opened in 1958. Home haunts began appearing across the country during 1962 and 1963. In 1964, the San Manteo Haunted House opened, as well as the Children's Museum Haunted House in Indianapolis. The haunted house as an American cultural icon can be attributed to the opening of The Haunted Mansion in Disneyland on 12 August 1969. Knott's Berry Farm began hosting its own Halloween night attraction, Knott's Scary Farm , which opened in 1973. Evangelical Christians adopted

5616-583: The Scottish Highlands in the 19th century, as well as in Somerset (see Punkie Night ). In the 20th century they spread to other parts of Britain and became generally known as jack-o'-lanterns . Lesley Bannatyne and Cindy Ott write that Anglican colonists in the southern United States and Catholic colonists in Maryland "recognized All Hallows' Eve in their church calendars", although

5733-522: The UK) is a series that publishes old issues of the Simpsons Comics . It has been released on a quarterly schedule every year since 2004, and each issue reprint two issues of the initial Simpsons Comics series. Many Simpsons Comics have been reprinted and collected in trade paperbacks by the American publisher HarperCollins since 1994. Several issues from Krusty Comics , Lisa Comics , Bartman and Itchy & Scratchy Comics have also been included in

5850-617: The US in the early 20th century, as often for adults as for children, and when trick-or-treating was becoming popular in Canada and the US in the 1920s and 1930s. Eddie J. Smith, in his book Halloween, Hallowed is Thy Name , offers a religious perspective to the wearing of costumes on All Hallows' Eve, suggesting that by dressing up as creatures "who at one time caused us to fear and tremble", people are able to poke fun at Satan "whose kingdom has been plundered by our Saviour". Images of skeletons and

5967-552: The United Kingdom by the publishing company Titan Magazines , under the same titles. Various stories from other Bongo publications released in the United States, are also reprinted in the UK Simpsons Comics . The same titles are published in Australia by Otter Press . Issues of Simpsons Comics , Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror and Bart Simpson have been collected and reprinted in trade paperbacks in

SECTION 50

#1732801712344

6084-585: The United States are borrowed directly or adapted from those of other countries". While the first reference to "guising" in North America occurs in 1911, another reference to ritual begging on Halloween appears, place unknown, in 1915, with a third reference in Chicago in 1920. The earliest known use in print of the term "trick or treat" appears in 1927, in the Blackie Herald , of Alberta , Canada. The thousands of Halloween postcards produced between

6201-416: The United States by HarperCollins . The Simpsons' Treehouse of Horror was an annual horror series. It was published around September–October, for Halloween , every year from 1995 to 2017. It takes its name from the annual " Treehouse of Horror " episodes of The Simpsons . Like the episodes, the comic book always feature three stories in each issue. The stories are written and illustrated by some of

6318-455: The bolt's presence would save his life numerous times in increasingly bizarre ways. Maintaining the satirical standards of the television show, these comics often parodied genre comic books, and the reader can follow the evolution of Radioactive Man from a 1950s irradiated hero through the politically reactionary or radical years of the 1960s and 1970s, and the dark, troubled years of the 1980s and 1990s comic book hero. Indeed, one comic displays

6435-501: The bonfire were carried sunwise around homes and fields to protect them. It is suggested the fires were a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic  – they mimicked the Sun and held back the decay and darkness of winter. They were also used for divination and to ward off evil spirits. In Scotland, these bonfires and divination games were banned by the church elders in some parishes. In Wales, bonfires were also lit to "prevent

6552-520: The cartoon series of the same name, in 2000. 2012 saw the company change their logo, and a new creative director was unveiled, with Nathan Kane promoted internally to replace the departing Bill Morrison. It was announced at San Diego Comic-Con in July 2018 that Bongo would be shutting down in October. Simpsons Comics #245 was the final issue released by Bongo. Simpsons Comics The following

6669-621: The dead , especially the souls of the givers' friends and relatives. This was called "souling". Soul cakes were also offered for the souls themselves to eat, or the 'soulers' would act as their representatives. As with the Lenten tradition of hot cross buns , soul cakes were often marked with a cross , indicating they were baked as alms . Shakespeare mentions souling in his comedy The Two Gentlemen of Verona (1593). While souling, Christians would carry "lanterns made of hollowed-out turnips", which could have originally represented souls of

6786-570: The dead are traditional decorations used as memento mori . " Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF " is a fundraising program to support UNICEF , a United Nations Programme that provides humanitarian aid to children in developing countries. Started as a local event in a Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood in 1950 and expanded nationally in 1952, the program involves the distribution of small boxes by schools (or in modern times, corporate sponsors like Hallmark , at their licensed stores) to trick-or-treaters, in which they can solicit small-change donations from

6903-583: The dead to gain vengeance on their enemies before moving to the next world . In order to avoid being recognized by any soul that might be seeking such vengeance, people would don masks or costumes". In the Middle Ages, churches in Europe that were too poor to display relics of martyred saints at Allhallowtide let parishioners dress up as saints instead. Some Christians observe this custom at Halloween today. Lesley Bannatyne believes this could have been

7020-487: The dead; jack-o'-lanterns were used to ward off evil spirits. On All Saints' and All Souls' Day during the 19th century, candles were lit in homes in Ireland, Flanders, Bavaria, and in Tyrol , where they were called "soul lights", that served "to guide the souls back to visit their earthly homes". In many of these places, candles were also lit at graves on All Souls' Day. In Brittany , libations of milk were poured on

7137-492: The early 20th century. Then, through American influence , these Halloween traditions spread to many other countries by the late 20th and early 21st century, including to mainland Europe and some parts of the Far East . Development of artifacts and symbols associated with Halloween formed over time. Jack-o'-lanterns are traditionally carried by guisers on All Hallows' Eve in order to frighten evil spirits . There

SECTION 60

#1732801712344

7254-519: The end of all earthly things". The danse macabre was sometimes enacted in European village pageants and court masques , with people "dressing up as corpses from various strata of society", and this may be the origin of Halloween costume parties. In Britain, these customs came under attack during the Reformation , as Protestants berated purgatory as a " popish " doctrine incompatible with

7371-443: The fact that it "solves the rural conundrum in which homes [are] built a half-mile apart". Halloween costumes were traditionally modeled after figures such as vampires , ghosts , skeletons , scary looking witches , and devils. Over time, the costume selection extended to include popular characters from fiction, celebrities, and generic archetypes such as ninjas and princesses . Dressing up in costumes and going " guising "

7488-536: The feast days associated with the presentation of mumming plays were celebrated by the Christian Church." These feast days included All Hallows' Eve, Christmas, Twelfth Night and Shrove Tuesday . Mumming practiced in Germany, Scandinavia and other parts of Europe, involved masked persons in fancy dress who "paraded the streets and entered houses to dance or play dice in silence". In England, from

7605-459: The festival begins the evening before 1 November by modern reckoning. Samhain is mentioned in some of the earliest Irish literature. The names have been used by historians to refer to Celtic Halloween customs up until the 19th century, and are still the Gaelic and Welsh names for Halloween. Samhain marked the end of the harvest season and beginning of winter or the 'darker half' of the year. It

7722-466: The graves of kinfolk, or food would be left overnight on the dinner table for the returning souls; a custom also found in Tyrol and parts of Italy. Christian minister Prince Sorie Conteh linked the wearing of costumes to the belief in vengeful ghosts : "It was traditionally believed that the souls of the departed wandered the earth until All Saints' Day, and All Hallows' Eve provided one last chance for

7839-550: The graves of the dead, although it is a secular celebration for others. Some Christians historically abstained from meat on All Hallows' Eve, a tradition reflected in the eating of certain vegetarian foods on this vigil day, including apples, potato pancakes , and soul cakes . The word Halloween or Hallowe'en (" Saints ' evening" ) is of Christian origin ; a term equivalent to "All Hallows Eve" as attested in Old English . The word hallowe[']en comes from

7956-459: The graveyard of Holy Spirit Hospital in Rome presented a scene in which bodies of those who recently died were arrayed around a wax statue of an angel who pointed upward towards heaven . In the same country, "parish priests went house-to-house, asking for small gifts of food which they shared among themselves throughout that night". In Spain, they continue to bake special pastries called "bones of

8073-589: The holiday. Haunted attractions are entertainment venues designed to thrill and scare patrons. Most attractions are seasonal Halloween businesses that may include haunted houses , corn mazes , and hayrides , and the level of sophistication of the effects has risen as the industry has grown. The first recorded purpose-built haunted attraction was the Orton and Spooner Ghost House, which opened in 1915 in Liphook , England. This attraction actually most closely resembles

8190-683: The holy" (Spanish: Huesos de Santo ) and set them on graves. At cemeteries in Spain and France, as well as in Latin America , priests lead Christian processions and services during Allhallowtide, after which people keep an all night vigil. In 19th-century San Sebastián , there was a procession to the city cemetery at Allhallowtide, an event that drew beggars who "appeal[ed] to the tender recollections of one's deceased relations and friends" for sympathy. Today's Halloween customs are thought to have been influenced by folk customs and beliefs from

8307-416: The household donated food it could expect good fortune from the 'Muck Olla'; not doing so would bring misfortune. In Scotland, youths went house-to-house with masked, painted or blackened faces, often threatening to do mischief if they were not welcomed. F. Marian McNeill suggests the ancient festival included people in costume representing the spirits, and that faces were marked or blackened with ashes from

8424-399: The houses they visit. It is estimated that children have collected more than $ 118 million for UNICEF since its inception. In Canada, in 2006, UNICEF decided to discontinue their Halloween collection boxes, citing safety and administrative concerns; after consultation with schools, they instead redesigned the program. The yearly New York's Village Halloween Parade was begun in 1974; it

8541-410: The item they happened to find; for example, a ring meant marriage and a coin meant wealth. Up until the 19th century, the Halloween bonfires were also used for divination in parts of Scotland, Wales and Brittany. When the fire died down, a ring of stones would be laid in the ashes, one for each person. In the morning, if any stone was mislaid it was said that the person it represented would not live out

8658-459: The late 19th century and early 20th century. Another popular Irish game was known as púicíní (" blindfolds "); a person would be blindfolded and then would choose between several saucers . The item in the saucer would provide a hint as to their future: a ring would mean that they would marry soon; clay , that they would die soon, perhaps within the year; water, that they would emigrate ; rosary beads , that they would take Holy Orders (become

8775-435: The life cycle and rites of passage of local communities" and curbing them would have been difficult. In parts of Italy until the 15th century, families left a meal out for the ghosts of relatives, before leaving for church services . In 19th-century Italy, churches staged "theatrical re-enactments of scenes from the lives of the saints" on All Hallows' Day, with "participants represented by realistic wax figures". In 1823,

8892-753: The medieval period, up until the 1930s, people practiced the Christian custom of souling on Halloween, which involved groups of soulers, both Protestant and Catholic, going from parish to parish, begging the rich for soul cakes, in exchange for praying for the souls of the givers and their friends. In the Philippines, the practice of souling is called Pangangaluluwa and is practiced on All Hallows' Eve among children in rural areas. People drape themselves in white cloths to represent souls and then visit houses, where they sing in return for prayers and sweets. In Scotland and Ireland, guising —children disguised in costume going from door to door for food or coins—is

9009-403: The mid-to-late 19th century. The modern imagery of Halloween comes from many sources, including Christian eschatology , national customs, works of Gothic and horror literature (such as the novels Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus and Dracula ) and classic horror films such as Frankenstein (1931) and The Mummy (1932). Imagery of the skull , a reference to Golgotha in

9126-491: The most famous people in the comic book business. The series had stories created by such industry professionals as Garth Ennis ( Preacher ), Dan Decarlo ( Archie Comics ), Evan Dorkin ( Milk and Cheese ), Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan ( Blade , Archie Comics , Tomb of Dracula ) and musicians Gene Simmons ( Kiss ), Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie as well as Pat Boone . The stories usually parody modern horror stories and films, and feature distorted versions of

9243-399: The new company would revitalise the industry, and held discussions to publish cross-overs with characters from other publishing companies. The comics use original story-lines rather than simply adapting episodes of the television series; however, in 2011 editor Bill Morrison explained that the stories "fit in with the continuity of the shows." The company launched Futurama Comics , based on

9360-671: The night of All Hallows' Eve. One held a bunch of burning straw on a pitchfork while the rest knelt around him, praying for the souls of relatives and friends until the flames went out. This was known as teen'lay . There was a similar custom in Hertfordshire , and the lighting of 'tindle' fires in Derbyshire . Some suggested these 'tindles' were originally lit to "guide the poor souls back to earth". In Scotland and Ireland, old Allhallowtide customs that were at odds with Reformed teaching were not suppressed as they "were important to

9477-408: The peel tossed over the shoulder. The peel is believed to land in the shape of the first letter of the future spouse's name. Two hazelnuts would be roasted near a fire; one named for the person roasting them and the other for the person they desire. If the nuts jump away from the heat, it is a bad sign, but if the nuts roast quietly it foretells a good match. A salty oatmeal bannock would be baked;

9594-741: The people of Springfield . Simpsons Comics One-Shot Wonders was a series of single-issue comic books. Eighteen titles have been published from 2012 to 2018: Ralph Wiggum Comics (February 2012), Bart Simpson's Pal, Milhouse (April 2012), Li'l Homer Comics (August 2012), Maggie (October 2012), Professor Frink's Fantastic Science Fictions (February 2013), The Malevolent Mr. Burns (June 2013), Two One-Shot Wonders in One (July 2013), The Wonderful World of Lisa Simpson (December 2013), Duffman Adventures (April 2014), Kang & Kodos (August 2014), McBain (December 2014), Jimbo Jones (September 2015), Grampa Simpson's Adventure (December 2015), Krusty

9711-449: The person would eat it in three bites and then go to bed in silence without anything to drink. This is said to result in a dream in which their future spouse offers them a drink to quench their thirst. Unmarried women were told that if they sat in a darkened room and gazed into a mirror on Halloween night, the face of their future husband would appear in the mirror. The custom was widespread enough to be commemorated on greeting cards from

9828-432: The poor souls". The Allhallowtide custom of baking and sharing soul cakes for all christened souls, has been suggested as the origin of trick-or-treating. The custom dates back at least as far as the 15th century and was found in parts of England, Wales, Flanders, Bavaria and Austria . Groups of poor people, often children, would go door-to-door during Allhallowtide, collecting soul cakes, in exchange for praying for

9945-412: The protection of God when approaching their dwellings. At Samhain, the Aos Sí were appeased to ensure the people and livestock survived the winter. Offerings of food and drink, or portions of the crops, were left outside for them. The souls of the dead were also said to revisit their homes seeking hospitality . Places were set at the dinner table and by the fire to welcome them. The belief that

10062-429: The readers thought Itchy and Scratchy was best in short, violent bursts and that full-length stories only took away from the visceral shock of the cartoon, so the comic book series was canceled in 1994. Itchy & Scratchy continue to be featured in Simpsons Comics as short stories while Simpsons family members are watching TV. There were three different versions of the first Itchy & Scratchy issue available at

10179-455: The readers' frequent attempts to guess the identity of 'Junk Mail Guy', the incredibly sarcastic man who answers the letters and has apparently been locked up in a basement. The U.S. and Australian editions used to have Junk Mail , but it disappeared beginning with #114. But returned some time later. On March 20, 2013, Bongo Comics released the "200th issue" of the "Simpsons Comic," with the issue having an extra special supersized story. Since

10296-473: The real series is a random issue from that run. So one issue might be issue #357, the next #432 and the next #567 etc. Radioactive Man was merged with Simpsons Super Spectacular in 2005. Bartman and Radioactive Man was a 16-page one-shot released in 1994. The comic was featured in the Hero Illustrated magazine, and it contained a mini poster of Bartman and Radioactive Man . The story

10413-446: The related guising and souling ), attending Halloween costume parties, carving pumpkins or turnips into jack-o'-lanterns , lighting bonfires , apple bobbing , divination games, playing pranks , visiting haunted attractions , telling frightening stories, and watching horror or Halloween-themed films . Some people practice the Christian observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lighting candles on

10530-525: The release of the first Simpsons Comics issue in the United States in 1993, the comic book series has been published at some point in the following countries around the world: Australia , Brazil , the Czech Republic , Estonia , Finland , France , Germany , Hungary , Italy , Lithuania , Mexico , the Netherlands , Norway , Portugal , Russia , Serbia , Spain , Sweden , Turkey , and

10647-588: The sacred bonfire. In parts of Wales, men went about dressed as fearsome beings called gwrachod . In the late 19th and early 20th century, young people in Glamorgan and Orkney cross-dressed . Elsewhere in Europe, mumming was part of other festivals, but in the Celtic-speaking regions, it was "particularly appropriate to a night upon which supernatural beings were said to be abroad and could be imitated or warded off by human wanderers". From at least

10764-436: The series consists of Futurama Simpsons Infinitely Secret Crossover Crisis and The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis II . Released as its own series independent of Simpsons Comics and Futurama Comics , part one was released on August 21, 2002, followed by part two on January 28, 2003. Parts three and four were published in 2005 as The Simpsons Futurama Crossover Crisis II . A hardcover edition comprising all four parts of

10881-572: The so-called ghosts are thought to be in actuality evil spirits". Other Protestants believed in an intermediate state known as Hades ( Bosom of Abraham ). In some localities, Catholics and Protestants continued souling, candlelit processions , or ringing church bells for the dead; the Anglican church eventually suppressed this bell-ringing. Mark Donnelly, a professor of medieval archaeology , and historian Daniel Diehl write that "barns and homes were blessed to protect people and livestock from

10998-470: The souls of the dead from falling to earth". Later, these bonfires "kept away the devil ". From at least the 16th century, the festival included mumming and guising in Ireland, Scotland, the Isle of Man and Wales. This involved people going house-to-house in costume (or in disguise), usually reciting verses or songs in exchange for food. It may have originally been a tradition whereby people impersonated

11115-909: The souls of the dead return home on one night of the year and must be appeased seems to have ancient origins and is found in many cultures. In 19th century Ireland, "candles would be lit and prayers formally offered for the souls of the dead. After this the eating, drinking, and games would begin". Throughout Ireland and Britain, especially in the Celtic-speaking regions, the household festivities included divination rituals and games intended to foretell one's future, especially regarding death and marriage. Apples and nuts were often used, and customs included apple bobbing , nut roasting, scrying or mirror-gazing, pouring molten lead or egg whites into water, dream interpretation , and others. Special bonfires were lit and there were rituals involving them. Their flames, smoke, and ashes were deemed to have protective and cleansing powers. In some places, torches lit from

11232-461: The success of this comic book, the Bongo Comics group was created. The comic book was then replaced by Simpsons Comics . Simpsons Comics was a monthly series based on the animated TV show The Simpsons . The first issue was published on November 29, 1993. Since then over two hundred issues have been released, with the 100th issue mainly the comic book equivalent of a clip show . It

11349-583: The time of the early Church , major feasts in Christianity (such as Christmas , Easter and Pentecost ) had vigils that began the night before, as did the feast of All Hallows. These three days are collectively called Allhallowtide and are a time when Western Christians honour all saints and pray for recently departed souls who have yet to reach Heaven. Commemorations of all saints and martyrs were held by several churches on various dates, mostly in springtime. In 4th-century Roman Edessa it

11466-409: The time. One version came with a poster that could be combined with posters contained in Radioactive Man #1, Simpsons Comics #1 and Bartma n #1 to make a giant poster. This version sold for US$ 2.25. Another version that came out at the same time only cost US$ 1.95, but had a bar code on the cover and did not come with a poster. The third and the rarest variant was a reprint of the comic and it had

11583-421: The top right portion of Bart Simpson's head covered over the original bar code. This version also cost US$ 1.95 and did not come with a poster. In 1993, there was a signing at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles, where members of the Bongo Comics group autographed 500 copies of Itchy & Scratchy #1 and gave out a special Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with them. Each COA was individually numbered and had

11700-506: The trade paperbacks. Trade paperbacks collecting most of the issues of the Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror series have been released since 1999 by HarperCollins. Issues of the Bart Simpson series have been collected and published in trade paperbacks yearly from 2002 to 2015 by HarperCollins. Halloween Halloween , or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween , All Hallows' Eve , or All Saints' Eve ),

11817-430: The trunks of cars parked in a church parking lot", or sometimes, a school parking lot. In a trunk-or-treat event, the trunk (boot) of each automobile is decorated with a certain theme, such as those of children's literature, movies, scripture , and job roles . Trunk-or-treating has grown in popularity due to its perception as being more safe than going door to door, a point that resonates well with parents, as well as

11934-454: The turn of the 20th century and the 1920s commonly show children but not trick-or-treating. Trick-or-treating does not seem to have become a widespread practice in North America until the 1930s, with the first US appearances of the term in 1934, and the first use in a national publication occurring in 1939. A popular variant of trick-or-treating, known as trunk-or-treating (or Halloween tailgating), occurs when "children are offered treats from

12051-475: The year. In Mexico, children create altars to invite the spirits of deceased children to return ( angelitos ). Telling ghost stories , listening to Halloween-themed songs and watching horror films are common fixtures of Halloween parties. Episodes of television series and Halloween-themed specials (with the specials usually aimed at children) are commonly aired on or before Halloween, while new horror films are often released before Halloween to take advantage of

12168-479: Was a Germanic idea, although it is claimed that both Germanic and Celtic-speaking peoples commemorated the dead at the beginning of winter. They may have seen it as the most fitting time to do so, as it is a time of 'dying' in nature. It is also suggested the change was made on the "practical grounds that Rome in summer could not accommodate the great number of pilgrims who flocked to it", and perhaps because of public health concerns over Roman Fever , which claimed

12285-400: Was a one-shot limited edition comic book of only 750 copies which were given out to a few patrons at San Diego Comic-Con in 1993 as part of the launch of Bongo Comics. The single issue was only ten pages long. Bartman was a short-lived series that told the tale of Bart Simpson 's superhero alter-ego, Bartman, who first appeared in the season 2 episode " Three Men and a Comic Book ". It

12402-465: Was first printed in 2002 by Otter Press , in a digest-sized edition with a bonus Radioactive Man comic book, and has been released since then on a quarterly schedule (every three months). They are also reprinted in the United Kingdom by Titan Magazines . The series was discontinued in February 2016 at the one-hundredth issue, which was a 48-page special. The Official History of Bongo Comics

12519-553: Was held on 13 May, and on 13 May 609, Pope Boniface IV re-dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to "St Mary and all martyrs". This was the date of Lemuria , an ancient Roman festival of the dead. In the 8th century, Pope Gregory III (731–741) founded an oratory in St Peter's for the relics "of the holy apostles and of all saints, martyrs and confessors". Some sources say it was dedicated on 1 November, while others say it

12636-562: Was on Palm Sunday in April 732. By 800, there is evidence that churches in Ireland and Northumbria were holding a feast commemorating all saints on 1 November. Alcuin of Northumbria, a member of Charlemagne 's court, may then have introduced this 1 November date in the Frankish Empire . In 835, it became the official date in the Frankish Empire. Some suggest this was due to Celtic influence, while others suggest it

12753-488: Was one of the four 'premiere' series released by Bongo Comics in late 1993. The Bartman series lasted only six issues, and was canceled in 1995. Many smaller Bartman stories have since been published in Simpsons Comics and Bart Simpson comics. The main writers and artists for the first three issues were Steve Vance and Bill Morrison , who were behind the creation of Bongo Comics itself. In late 1994, Steve Vance and his wife Cindy left Bongo Comics. The Bartman comic

12870-461: Was originally published every two months, but went monthly in the fall of 2000. Since March 1997, the comic has also had a monthly United Kingdom edition. This mainly reprints the stories from the U.S. edition, along with pages featuring UK readers' drawings (currently Springfield Multiplex for movie parodies and Android's Dungeon for video game and comic book parodies) and Junk Mail , a letters page which also features generic drawings, along with

12987-627: Was prevalent in Scotland and Ireland at Halloween by the late 19th century. A Scottish term, the tradition is called "guising" because of the disguises or costumes worn by the children. In Ireland and Scotland, the masks are known as 'false faces', a term recorded in Ayr, Scotland in 1890 by a Scot describing guisers: "I had mind it was Halloween ... the wee callans (boys) were at it already, rinning aboot wi' their fause-faces (false faces) on and their bits o' turnip lanthrons (lanterns) in their haun (hand)". Costuming became popular for Halloween parties in

13104-627: Was put on hold and there was a gap of 9 months between Bartman #3 and #4. #4-6 contained a three-issue story arc written by Gary Glasberg and Bill Morrison, and with issue 6, Bartman was discontinued. Itchy & Scratchy Comics was a short-lived series, and one of the four original series released in late 1993 with the start of Bongo Comics. The first issue was released on November 29, 1993, and only two more issues were released after that as well as one special edition, called Itchy & Scratchy Holiday Hi-Jinx . The comics tried to expand on two characters that really did not need any expanding, and

13221-681: Was released in 1993 for the fans. The book was a success and due to this, the creator of The Simpsons , Matt Groening , and his companions Bill Morrison , Steve Vance and Cindy Vance created the publishing company Bongo Comics. By the end of 1993, Bongo was publishing four titles: Simpsons Comics , Bartman , Radioactive Man and Itchy & Scratchy Comics . Since then, many more titles have been published, out of which Simpsons Comics , Bart Simpson , Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror , Simpsons Super Spectacular , Simpsons Summer Shindig , and Simpsons Winter Wingding . Simpsons Comics and Bart Simpson comics are reprinted in

13338-535: Was seen as a liminal time, when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld thinned. This meant the Aos Sí , the 'spirits' or ' fairies ', could more easily come into this world and were particularly active. Most scholars see them as "degraded versions of ancient gods [...] whose power remained active in the people's minds even after they had been officially replaced by later religious beliefs". They were both respected and feared, with individuals often invoking

13455-441: Was sold at 7-Elevens as part of their Kwik-E-Mart promotion. Within the Bongo Comics, Radioactive Man is secretly Claude Kane III, a millionaire playboy whose personality was well-intentioned, but bumbling and not overly bright. In addition (which became a recurring storyline element), Claude's personality was permanently stuck in a conservative 1950s outlook on everything, no matter what the time era in question was. A running gag

13572-518: Was sold at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con . It consists of five stories from Simpsons Comics Super Spectacular . Bongo's Two One-Shot Wonders in One is a limited-edition one-shot comic book that was available at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con . It combines two titles from the Simpsons One-Shot Wonders line: The Malevolent Mr. Burns and Professor Frink's Fantastic Science Fictions . The Greatest Bartman Stories Ever Told!

13689-463: Was written by Steve Vance. Krusty Comics was another short-lived series, with three issues published from January to March 1995. Each one of these issues contained a part of a three-part story entitled The Rise and Fall of Krustyland , about Krusty the Clown opening an amusement park to pay back a gambling debt. Lisa Comics was a one-shot, with the sole story being Lisa in Wordland ,

#343656