Skip to main content
It's Always Halloween

It's Always Halloween

By Lucé Tomlin-Brenner

Become a Paid Subscriber: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/its-always-halloween/subscribe A year-round celebration of Halloween history and traditions, spooks past and present, with your master of scaremonies Lucé Tomlin-Brenner
Available on
Apple Podcasts Logo
Google Podcasts Logo
Overcast Logo
Pocket Casts Logo
RadioPublic Logo
Spotify Logo
Currently playing episode

Small Frights: Halloween Recovery

It's Always HalloweenNov 04, 2022

00:00
43:06
Small Frights: Halloween Party on Wheels
Mar 15, 202436:35
December Bonus Ghost Story: Horror: A True Tale by John Berwick Harwood (1861)

December Bonus Ghost Story: Horror: A True Tale by John Berwick Harwood (1861)

What's scarier than a ghost story? The unknown of course! That's exactly what our heroine discovers when she barely survives a horrific experience on Christmas that changes her irrecoverably.


Music for this episode is by the Fietchers, with theme music by Pete Byrnes.

Dec 25, 202301:03:21
Small Frights: The Candy Trap
Nov 17, 202343:12
Reflections on Halloween 2023 with GRIMtern Nathan! (Part 2)

Reflections on Halloween 2023 with GRIMtern Nathan! (Part 2)

The subscription only conclusion to the discussion GRIMtern Nathan and I have about the Halloween 2023 season. Listen to part 1 on our main feed. 


Be featured on a Small Frights episode! Submit all Halloween queries, advice, recommendations, or memories via telephone to the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! or write an EEEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

⁠Order The Lantern's Way #2⁠

⁠Order The Lantern's Way #1⁠

IAH Spotify Playlist

⁠Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon ⁠

⁠Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation⁠

⁠Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram⁠

⁠Join the Local Lantern Society⁠

Nov 10, 202351:24
Reflections on Halloween 2023 with GRIMtern Nathan (Part 1)
Nov 10, 202301:25:29
IAH x Farthouse: The Shining
Oct 31, 202302:12:47
BIG Frights: Happy Halloween!

BIG Frights: Happy Halloween!

Happy October 31st, Lanterns! The veil is thin and the bonfires are lit, let the harvest celebration begin! 

This is a collection of close to 20 All Hallows Hotline calls and EEEEKmails pertaining to our day of days. I hope this helps set the mood. Sending you all my wishes for a joyful day filled with spooks, treats, community, and remembrance. You are ALIVE, don't let 'em forget it!

Please note, we are taking the rest of the week off to recover! We return 11/10! In the meantime, please tell us how you celebrated this year! Call the All Hallows Hotline at 802-532-DEAD or write an EEEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweebpodcast@gmail.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

Haunted Tents 2022 Walk Thru Video

Haunted Tents on Facebook

Haunted Tents on IG

Field of Screams 

Izzy's Spooky Season Playlist

Gwen's Mossy Fox Shop

Busta Rhymes - Gimme Some More (Music Video)

Rob Zombie - Living Dead Girl (Music Video)

Vmpyr - L'invitation (Music Video)

Vmpyr - Carmilla (Music Video)

Follow Michael Lewis on IG: @mikelmas

Follow Charis on IG: @little_pretzel_witch

Be featured on a Small Frights episode! Submit all Halloween queries, advice, recommendations, or memories via telephone to the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! or write an EEEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

⁠Order The Lantern's Way #2⁠

⁠Order The Lantern's Way #1⁠

IAH Spotify Playlist

⁠Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon ⁠

⁠Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation⁠

⁠Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram⁠

⁠Join the Local Lantern Society⁠

Music for this mega episode was provided by: Mokka, Infraction, Toru Takemitsu, Lofi Geek, The Fletchers and, as always, Pete Byrnes.


Oct 31, 202301:44:16
Elvira as a Queer Halloween Icon with Annie Rose Malamet

Elvira as a Queer Halloween Icon with Annie Rose Malamet

This a XXX crossover episode with Girls Guts and Giallo's Annie Rose Malamet. We dive into a lot of uncensored sleaziness as we discuss the myriad of ways Elvira inspired our lives. We also discuss her memoir Yours Cruelly and her feature films Mistress of the Dark (1988), and Elvira's Haunted Hills (2002).

Oct 31, 202301:30:10
Small Frights: More Candy, Less Pranks
Oct 27, 202301:08:45
Small Frights: Halloween' While You Work
Oct 20, 202345:11
Small Frights: Whistling in the Dark
Oct 13, 202347:29
Small Frights: Don't Touch!
Oct 06, 202346:13
Small Frights: Flickering Lights
Sep 29, 202341:05
Stephen King Film Adaptations

Stephen King Film Adaptations

On September's bonus episode, Greg and I discuss as many Stephen King films as we can and recommend our faves for your Halloween watchlist! Should we keep this conversation going? Let us know!


Thanks for helping us keep the porch lights on!

Sep 29, 202301:23:48
Hello From Salem!
Sep 22, 202315:42
Spooky ASMR with JT Smith
Sep 15, 202301:22:30
Small Frights: Halloween Dessert House
Sep 08, 202340:48
A Midwife and a Witch

A Midwife and a Witch

This week I'm celebrating the birth of a new baby in my life with local urban legends submitted by a NorCal Lantern.
Mentioned on this episode:
Mumsterville
Rose Hill Cemetery
Mary the Wailing Witch in the Black Diamond Mines
Be featured on a Small Frights episode! Submit all Halloween queries, advice, recommendations, or memories via telephone to the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! or write an EEEEKmail to
itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com
⁠Pre-Order The Lantern's Way #2⁠
⁠Order The Lantern's Way #1⁠
IAH Spotify Playlist
⁠Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon ⁠
⁠Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation⁠
⁠Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram⁠
⁠Join the Local Lantern Society⁠

Music this week by Pete Byrnes and Scott Buckley
Sep 01, 202322:11
Bonus: The Best Cinematic Halloween Parties

Bonus: The Best Cinematic Halloween Parties

Lucé and Greg discuss 10 films that boast the most spectacular cinematic Halloween parties. Some cozy, some killer, all orange and black-drenched fun! Plus Ghoul Gang EEEEKmails about their favorite scenes!

Music by Pete Byrnes and Strawberry Candy

Aug 28, 202302:01:01
Small Frights: Terror in the Music Room

Small Frights: Terror in the Music Room

Small Frights: Terror in the Music Room
On this episode, a Lantern calls in to tell us about a disturbing tradition his music teacher embraced every Halloween. We also take a call filled with trick-or-treat memories and read a ghost story from the UK! Mentioned in the episode:Jean Richie's Skin and BonesPrimary Sources for Musical Learning: Skin and Bones for Halloween - The Library of Congress blog
Be featured on a Small Frights episode! Submit all Halloween queries, advice, recommendations, or memories via telephone to the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! or write an EEEEKmail to
itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com
⁠Scare your fellow lanterns this season! Submit your haunting tales,
photographs, art pieces, and/or recipes to Lantern's Way #2: There's a
G-G-G-Ghost! Email all submissions to ⁠thelanternsway@gmail.com⁠
Submission deadline: 8/25
⁠Pre-Order The Lantern's Way #2⁠
⁠Order The Lantern's Way #1⁠
IAH Spotify Playlist
⁠Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon ⁠
⁠Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation⁠
⁠Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram⁠
⁠Join the Local Lantern Society⁠
Music for this episode was provided by Alex Productions, Jean Ritchie, Alexander Nakarada, Dark Music Su and Pete Byrnes.
Aug 25, 202336:54
The Pale Man by Julius Long

The Pale Man by Julius Long

The Pale Man by Julius Long


Today I tell you a tale about a summer vacation gone wrong in the hopes of chilling your too-hot day. The Pale Man was first published in Weird Tales Vol. 24, Issue 3 (1934). It is in the public domain and you can read it for yourself here.


Be featured on a Small Frights episode! Submit all Halloween queries, advice, recommendations, or memories via telephone to the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! or write an EEEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com


Scare your fellow lanterns this season! Submit your haunting tales, photographs, art pieces, and/or recipes to Lantern's Way #2: There's a G-G-G-Ghost! Email all submissions to ⁠thelanternsway@gmail.com⁠  

Submission deadline: 8/25

⁠Pre-Order The Lantern's Way #2⁠

⁠Order The Lantern's Way #1⁠

IAH Spotify Playlist

⁠Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon ⁠

⁠Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation⁠

⁠Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram⁠

⁠Join the Local Lantern Society⁠

Intro music by Pete Byrnes. Scoring for this episode was composed by Toru Takemitsu (Nostalghia, 1987) and performed by Yuri Bashmet.

Aug 18, 202328:06
Small Frights Friday: The Spooky Forest
Aug 11, 202346:12
Pete's Frights Friday
Aug 04, 202301:43:49
EEEEK! It's Greg Nussen!

EEEEK! It's Greg Nussen!

On this episode, we welcome our new producer and audio engineer, Greg Nussen! Greg has been a part of the team as a research assistant for the past year and now he's taking the reigns from Pete who's off to explore what tricks and treats await beyond Halloweenland.


Today we get to know Greg's Halloween history! What kind of candy does he like? What spooky movies are a must? Does he have any favorite costumes or trick-or-treat memories? Does he ever think about dying? We dive into it all!


Wanna share your Halloween memories or grill Greg? Call the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead or write an EEEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com


Scare your fellow lanterns this season! Submit your haunting tales, photographs, art pieces, and/or recipes to Lantern's Way #2: There's a G-G-G-Ghost! Email all submissions to thelanternsway@gmail.com  Submission deadline: 8/25


Pre-Order The Lantern's Way #2

Order The Lantern's Way #1

Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon 

Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Join the Local Lantern Society


Jul 28, 202301:28:42
Creature from the Black Lagoon with Greg Nussen (TEASER)
Jul 28, 202314:48
Creature from the Black Lagoon with Greg Nussen

Creature from the Black Lagoon with Greg Nussen

I sit down with our incredible Research Assistant (and professional film critic), Greg Nussen, to discuss 1953's Creature of the Black Lagoon. Plus, we have a majorly fun (and spooky) announcement!

Jul 28, 202301:14:42
Small Frights: Cozy Road Trip
Jul 21, 202337:55
Small Frights: Too Scary
Jul 14, 202335:47
Small Frights Friday: Eyes in the Dark
Jul 07, 202325:10
G-G-G-Ghosts with Joe Carlough from Displaced Snail

G-G-G-Ghosts with Joe Carlough from Displaced Snail

Today I peek behind the veil with IAH collaborator, Joe Carlough of Displaced Snail Publications. Last year, Joe and I launched The Lantern’s Way, a 60-page full-color zine of your stories, pictures, and recipes that you can buy here!

On this episode Joe and I share our personal ghost stories and a haunting announcement you won't want to miss!

Scare your fellow lanterns this season! Submit your haunting tales, photographs, art pieces, and/or recipes to The Lantern’s Way Vol. 2!

Order our HalloZINE: The Lantern's Way

Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon 

Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Shop the It's Always Halloween RedBubble store

Join the Local Lantern Society

Email all submissions to thelanternsway@gmail.com  

Pre-orders open: 7/23!
Submission deadline: 8/25 
Buy Joe's New Book: The Queer Affirmations Coloring Book


Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an EEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Jun 30, 202301:21:20
Small Frights Friday: Haunted Halloween Carnival
Jun 23, 202334:37
Small Frights: Halloween Self Discovery
Jun 17, 202339:22
Small Frights: Witch House
Jun 09, 202335:07
Small Frights: Haunted Girl Scout Camp
May 26, 202331:06
We Love You, Pete
Apr 14, 202309:16
Small Frights: Ghost Are You There?
Mar 31, 202337:53
Small Frights: There's Something in the Attic!
Mar 10, 202345:01
Small Frights: When Halloween Attacks!
Feb 24, 202337:13
The Love Witch with Annie Rose Malamet

The Love Witch with Annie Rose Malamet

*The audio issues in this episode have been corrected. Thanks for your patience, enjoy!*

My dear friend, film critic, and Ghoul Gang member Annie Rose Malamet of Girls Guts and Giallo is back for one of our February bonus episodes! We discuss Anna Biller's controversial relic from the Trump years, The Love Witch. Fair warning, we are not fans.

Please note that the conversation we have is reflective of the film and may not be appropriate for all listeners.

Mentioned in this episode and recommended reading:

"Supernatural Horror and the Problem with Bio-essentialism"

"Female Gaze: Lana Del Rey, 'I Love Dick', And 'The Love Witch'." 

“I’m Actually Trying to Create a Film for Women”: Anna Biller on The Love Witch

Feb 23, 202301:44:44
Baba Yaga with Annie Rose Malamet
Feb 03, 202301:47:43
Baba Yaga Folktales [TEASER]
Jan 27, 202303:30
Baba Yaga Folktales

Baba Yaga Folktales

Looking out for your fellow creatures of the forest might just keep you out of Baba Yaga's clutches! 

Here are two classic Baba Yaga tales, one from 19th-century American folklorist Katharine Pyle and one by the turn-of-the-century Russian folklorist Verra Xenophontovna Kalamatiano de Blumenthal.

Jan 27, 202322:23
Small Frights: Halloween Horsin' Around
Jan 06, 202354:47
Small Frights: A Gothic Holiday

Small Frights: A Gothic Holiday

This Creepmas season we dive into gothic literature and zombie history. Then we read some international EEEEKmails from Italy and Australia. 

Mentioned on this episode:

Everything You Need to Know to Read Frankenstein (video)

Mary Shelley: The Teenager Behind Frankenstein

Frankenstein Study Guide

The Tragic, Forgotten History of Zombies

Frankenstein Inspired YA recs:

  • Man Made Boy by Jon Skovron
  • Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
  • Henry Franks by Peter Adam Salomon
  • Mister Creecher by Chris Priestley
  • The Madman's Daughter Trilogy by Megan Shepherd: The Madman's Daughter (inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau),
    Her Dark Curiosity (inspired by The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), and A Cold Legacy (inspired by Frankenstein)

Gothic YA recs:

  • In the Shadow of Blackbirds by Cat Winters
  • Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
  • Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft
  • Lakesedge by Lyndall Clipstone
  • Within These Wicked Walls by Lauren Blackwood

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an EEEEKmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Order our HalloZINE: The Lantern's Way

Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon 

Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Shop the It's Always Halloween RedBubble store

Join the Local Lantern Society

Dec 23, 202248:24
Frankenstein with Julian David Stone

Frankenstein with Julian David Stone

Today I sit down with screenwriter and author Julian David Stone to discuss his newest historical fiction novel, It’s Alive! Steeped in research, this book explores the wild days leading up to the production of Universal’s Frankenstein (1931). We discuss Universal Monsters, the lasting impact of Frankenstein, how to write creatively about history, and of course, we touch on some Halloween memories. All that plus I sew in all your most monstrous EEEEKmails to make the perfect episode! Now I know what it feels like to be God!

*Note: I misrepresented Murderbot Diaries on the air as a TV series when in fact it is a book series you can learn more about here!

Also mentioned on this episode:

Thomas Edison's Frankenstein (1910)

This is Your Life: Boris Karloff

Showgirl in Hollywood (1930)

Jack Pierce — Forgotten Make-up Genius - American Cinematheque

GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM AND THE BIRTH OF AMERICAN HORROR

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Order our HalloZINE: The Lantern's Way

Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon 

Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Shop the It's Always Halloween RedBubble store

Join the Local Lantern Society

Dec 09, 202201:19:44
Late Autumn Update
Nov 25, 202217:27
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with Clark Silva

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow with Clark Silva

Today we sit down with Sleepy Hollow expert Clark Silva. Silva curated the art exhibit Legend: 200 Years of Sleepy Hollow, a popular show in Southern California in 2021. We discuss the history and connection of Halloween to this timeless tale and explore what makes it such a beloved classic. We also take EEEEkmails filled with Headless Horseman-themed memories and recommendations!

Follow Clark Silva on Instagram

Check out his newest exhibit:  HOUDINI UNCHAINED: THE LEGACY OF HARRY HOUDINI

It's a Charming Life: Sleepy Hollow Tour

Do you have a Halloween query or memory you want to share? Call the All Hallows Hotline at (802) 532-Dead! Or you can write an eeeekmail to itsalwayshalloweenpodcast@gmail.com

Order our HalloZINE: The Lantern's Way

Join the Local Lantern Society

Support It's Always Halloween with a One Time Donation

Subscribe to It's Always Halloween on Patreon 

Follow It's Always Halloween on Instagram

Shop the It's Always Halloween RedBubble store

Nov 18, 202201:45:15
Fun-Sized Frights
Nov 11, 202216:55
Small Frights: Halloween Recovery
Nov 04, 202243:06
BIG Frights: Happy Halloween
Oct 31, 202201:12:31