After spending the last 2 years dead and buried, Horror And Sons’ Halloween Horrors series has risen from its grave seeking blood and vengeance! Okay, so maybe that last sentence was a bit far-fetched. However, as with previous years, it is seeking contributors. As many as 30 of them, to be exact.

For those unfamiliar with the Halloween Horrors series, this is the one time of the year when I open up the site to posts contributed by YOU! Now, this is not a contest or a competition. No one will be winning anything, nor is anyone trying to outdo anyone else. Instead, it’s more of a celebration, not only of the horror genre and our love for it, but also of our love for the Halloween season. If you’re anything like me, which I assume you are, then it’s a certainty that you’ll be blasting your eye-sockets with viewings of numerous horror films during the month of October… or whenever the Halloween season begins for you! Then again, as that old song says, Every Day Is Halloween!

Consider this series as your opportunity to gush about one of your favorite horror films, or even as a chance to help an underappreciated or lesser-known horror “gem” receive a little more recognition. In fact, any horror film is an acceptable topic of discussion for this year’s series! Newer films or cherished classics from the black and white era. Domestic or foreign. Spooky chillers or blood-splattered shockers. The entire history of horror cinema is yours to choose from!

As with previous years, the series kicks off on October 1st, with new entries posting throughout the month (links to each will be shared on the site’s Facebook and Instagram accounts). Each post, as submitted by varying contributors, will feature a look at a different horror film. As has always been the case for this series, no contributor is allowed to submit more than one entry and no two contributors will be allowed to write about the same film. Personally, I believe that this approach helps keeps things fresh and interesting, as well as exposes those reading to a wider selection of films, potentially titles that they may have never watched or even heard of previously.

Do you contribute to another website/Facebook page/podcast/whatever? You are also welcomed to be a contributor to the series! However, due to past “complications”, I must limit the number of contributors from any given outlet to no more than 3.

So, if this series sounds like something that you’d want to be a part of, be sure to read the rest of this post for all the applicable rules. Trust me, there aren’t many. As for those of you who have contributed to this series before, you should already know what to expect. As always, I thank you for your interest and participation, and I look forward to having you be a part of this series once more!

THIS YEAR’S THEME

There is none! Nope! No tricks or gimmicks this time. This year ANY horror film is an acceptable topic! Truth be told, I’ve probably missed running the Halloween Horrors series more than some of you have missed contributing and/or reading the thoughts and opinions of your fellow horror fans. As such, I hope for nothing more than to just have this series be a fun experience for all involved! So, have at it! Go crazy with your choices!

As usual, I’m willing to bend the rules of what classifies as a “horror” film. Want to write about a Godzilla film? No problem! Want to share your thoughts on a classic sci-fi flick such as Invaders From Mars, The War of The Worlds, or even Teenagers from Outer Space? You got it! Is there a giallo film that you’re just dying to dissect? Have at it!  If you have any concerns that your topic of choice may not be acceptable, just contact me at horrorandsons@yahoo.com and let me know! Odds are that it will gladly be accepted.

The only things that I do ask is that you try to relate your article back to the Halloween season in some way, and to please refrain from making negative comments in regard to other fans and/or the films that they choose to enjoy. We all have differing tastes and preferences in film, and we may not always agree on which movies are worth watching, but there’s absolutely no reason to be a dick about it when you disagree.

CLAIMING A TOPIC

Those wanting to take part in the series must “claim” a topic to write about. To do so, email us at the web address previously provided with the topic/film that you would like to write about. Please use “Halloween Horrors 2023” in the subject line of your email. YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO CLAIM YOUR TOPIC STARTING AT 12PM EST/9AM PST ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 27th!!! NO CLAIMS WILL BE ACCEPTED BEFORE THAT TIME!! NO CLAIMS WILL BE ACCEPTED VIA FACEBOOK/INSTAGRAM MESSENGER!!

As we always hope to fill the entire month of October with submissions, 30 spots will be available (with myself claiming the 31st spot). 

As has always been the case, claims will be made on a “first come, first served” basis, with emails looked at in the order in which they are received. If the topic that you wish to write about has not already been claimed by another person, it is yours and no other contributor will be allowed to write about it! For example, if you are the first person to claim writing about Creature from the Black Lagoon, no other contributor will be allowed to write about that movie.

If you choose a topic that has already been claimed by another, I will email you back as quickly as possible to notify you and to allow you to choose another topic. You will be given as much time as you’d like to find a new topic to write about, but act quickly because your spot in the series is not guaranteed and available spots will be given to the next interested participant(s).

As Horror And Sons is only one person, please be understanding of any delays in response. I try my hardest to make this run as smoothly as possible, but I’m only human, and mistakes can/do happen.

SUBMITTED ARTICLE RULES

All submitted entries must be at least 600 words long, but you are free to make your article as long as you would like. That said, I do recommend keeping your article/review under 3,000 words. I assure you, most folks don’t want to read more than that.

Please include any images that you would like used in your submitted entry as attachments, otherwise I will supply the images at my discretion. If you wish to have your submitted images placed in specific places within your piece, please notify me when you submit your entry. Otherwise, I will place them as I see fit.

All submissions MUST be received by 11:59pm EST/8:59 PST on Monday, Sept 25th  Any contributors who fail to submit their entry before the deadline will be excluded from this year’s series, as will be any possible promotions related to the series. You will also potentially be excluded from future Halloween Horrors series events.

I may or may not once again write intros to all of the submissions this year. In the instance that I do, I do ask that any information that you may want disclosed about yourself be included when you email your finished entry. If you are affiliated with another media outlet (websites, podcasts/webcasts, social media outlets), please let me know so that I can let readers know about your other projects! You are more than welcome to not disclose any information, in which case, I will just be forced to make shit up about you.

Please be advised that Horror And Sons reserves the right to edit any typos or errors in your submission. However, we sincerely hope that you make every effort to submit a piece that has little to no need for editing.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

I originally started the Halloween Horrors series with the hope that it would serve as a “common ground” for horror fans and Halloween lovers to come together and share their thoughts and opinions on what these things mean to them. In those regards, I do believe that the series has succeeded. As such, I do ask all contributors to try to share at least one or two of the entries written by someone other than themselves.

 

Well, there you have it! Again, please contact me if you have any questions! I look forward to another amazing year of the series, and eagerly await reading your submitted entries! Thank you, and let’s have a HAPPY HALLOWEEN SEASON!

 

TRIBUTE

The year’s Halloween Horrors series is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Brian Kongsvik. As many of the site’s longtime readers may know, Brian was always the biggest cheerleader of this site, whether that was by sharing posts and reviews, wearing his Horror And Sons t-shirts to conventions and other outings, or even just chatting with me to bounce around ideas or at times when I was ready to call it quits. Brian was also a massive proponent of the Halloween Horrors series, and always treated each year’s series as “THE horror event of the year!”, even submitting his own contributions in previous years. This series will always serve as a testament to not only his immense love of horror, but also to his unwavering support and friendship. I will always miss him, and I do believe that he would be proud to see this series return.