On this episode of The Holiday Specials We Love, we finish the Halloween preseason strong. We talk Boris Pickett — the man behind the Halloween anthem that just won’t die — and his forgotten B-sides from the Spooky World days in New England. We then turn to Elvira, Mistress of the Dark — her Groundlings beginnings, her decision to finally hang up the black wig, and Cassandra Peterson’s honesty about aging, authenticity, and her simple truth that keeping secrets makes you sick. She’s still got her wit, her wisdom, her Mistress of the Dark Autumnal Gin, and a few surprising stories the kind of inside baseball that you only get on The Holiday Specials We Love. From boxed Ben Cooper costumes and Woolworth’s popcorn to Spirit Halloween pop-ups, we trace how the holiday has evolved, how it’s somehow gotten bigger as kids have vanished from the streets. We cover Silly String, Wham-O toys, Evil Knievel crashes, and the lost art of egging. We talk a fav costume of every kid in the ’70s: the hobo, complete with a stick and bandana. A nod to a real American subculture still celebrated each August at Hobo Day. A different time, a different world. It was a smorgasbord of Halloween history and nostalgia with a few laughs and a fun-size Snickers for Jesus along the way. Text us what you would love to hear us cover next 351-251-2511, and please leave us a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts! We’ll Talk Shawtly!