Frazz by Jef Mallett for October 21, 2023

I fail to see what the problem is with “going large with” Halloween decorations. Mallett likes to rant just for the sake of ranting.

Around here, the Hallow’en stores are in buildings where the original store has gone out of business. After Hallowe’en, they switch to Christmas stuff. Then the stores go empty for another nine months.

They already switched to Christmas decorations!

What “used to” is she referring to? The 1940s?

There will always be those who go all out. That said, it’s harder to find really tasteful displays. Too much cartoonish stuff. Keep it scary.

Halloween can be scary on several different levels.

Homeless shelters!

Hey Jef. Another example of fine cartooning and cartoon art.

What is with adults and Halloween the past few years? Halloween used to be some preteens, a pillow case and a 15 cent Caspar the friendly ghost mask (with the rubber band – one size fits all).

Remember, at Hallowe’en as at all other holiday events, excess is everything. It is we lemmings’ way to pretend life is without trial.

My neighbors have gigantic, inflated pumpkins and ghosts on their lawns. One can almost hear the prayers for high winds to stay away.

New to the neighborhood; just discovered that Clark Griswold lives across the street from me, and several neighbors have been lured in. It’s tough to resist, but resist I will.

Halloween: When we distract ourselves from our existential dread with “the spoops”.

Yup, and most kids love seeing all those decorations so it’s completely worth it.

Don’t celebrate All Hallow’s Eve here.

When I lived in the San Fernando Valley in California there is a place called Winnetka where the whole neighborhood is required to set up huge Christmas decorations before you can buy a house there. Every year during the holidays cars from all over would cruise the neighborhood and check out the fanfare, there would even be blue and white lights too sometimes in celebration of Hanukkah.

And yet Thanksgiving doesn’t get the same love.

The Halloween stores I’ve been in (just looking) are hardly filled with disposable stuff. Most costumes are like actual clothing (and as expensive if not more so), and yard decor could cost a person several hundred bucks. I don’t get it myself, but then I don’t decorate a lot for other holidays anyway.

Wow, a conversation that Caulfield participates in without starting.

Not THAT kind of scary, Caulfield. Some of the places around here are amazing — and crazy.

And yet no one seems to trick or treat anymore. It’s all been sanitized and corralled in by the churches and local Chamber of Commerce.