A celebration of ghouls, writers, ghosts, and stories
There comes a time every year when the air starts to cool and people of all ages start to prepare for the October holiday known as Halloween. During the time of year when Guelph is littered with jack o’ lanterns, coloured leaves, and costumed characters from beloved fiction, there’s no better place to celebrate this holiday than at a bookstore.
On Oct. 22, the Chapters at Stone Road Mall celebrated their fifth annual Halloween Bash, an event which featured creators, authors, and directors who participate in the spooky genres of horror and suspense. This event offered a unique opportunity to come out and chat with the special guests about their works and inspirations.
The event offered a chance to talk with Chad Archibald from the company Black Fawn Films and director of the horror movie Bite, which was shot right here in Guelph; a movie so gruesome and terrifying, they offer barf bags at their booth just in case. Monica Kuebler, managing editor of Rue Morgue Magazine, also brought several issues of her publication and copies of the magazine’s ongoing series, “Weird Stats and Morbid Facts.”
If you like vampires, particularly in shows and other television programs, another featured guest was Brad Middleton; aficionado of vampires and author of works such as Un-Dead TV: The Ultimate Guide to Vampire Television. During a discussion with Middleton, who graduated from the University of Guelph with a Bachelor’s of Arts and Science, he remarked how he enjoyed his time at Guelph and often took courses in the arts during his education. He discussed how he has always had an interest in TV portrayals of vampires, especially in programs from the classic Kolchak: The Night Stalker, to shows such as Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. These are just some of the thousands of vampire appearances on television that one can find in Middleton’s book. Middleton is also the author of The Great Fright North, which explores Canada’s history of horror entertainment and popular culture.
Book lovers and movie lovers alike braved the cold weekend weather to come check it out, speak to the guests, and participate in the festivities. The Chapters Halloween Bash provided a great way to break in the holiday spirit and get everyone in the mood for a spooky Halloween.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Monica Kuebler’s position as editor-in-chief at Rue Morgue Magazine. Kuebler is the managing editor and the article has been edited to reflect the correct information.
Great piece, Katie! However, two minor factual corrections: I’m actually the Managing Editor of Rue Morgue (our Editor-in-Chief is Dave Alexander) and Weird Stats & Morbid Facts is Rue Morgue Library #3 (we’re up to Vol #7 now).
Apologies for the mix-up, Monica! We have added a correction to the article to reflect the correct information.