The spooky scary skeletons come out to play!

Continuing the Shades of Gray Halloween 2021 celebration, we've got creepy, scary skeletons thanks to artist Bryan Baugh and one of our favorite cover artists Leo Moracchiolli!

It's not Poe, but it's still poetic

Back: A Tale of Romance and Necromancy (2013)
Starring: Oskar Brown, Anna Juliana Jaenner, and Lara Hoffman
Director: Sebastian Matthias Weissbach
Rating: Seven of Ten Stars

A broken-hearted man (Brown) turns to dark magic to bring the love of his life back to life (Jeanner).

"Back" is a quiet little film that is more atmospheric and melancholy than scary, but as it reached its conclusion, I could see one of those hosts from the old-time horror comics anthologies (or the Cryptkeeper from "Tales of the Crypt") close the book from which he or she had been narrating the film. That sensation alone makes this more than suitable Halloween viewing. It's even more suitable, because as it unfolded, I thought more than once about certain poems and short stories from Edgar Allan Poe... and there is no higher praise that I can bestow upon a film like this than that.

On the technical front, "Back" is beautifully filmed and director Weissbach makes clever and impactful use of trick photography and splashes of color at a couple of points as the film unfolds. The only complaints I can mount is that he should have included a two-shots or some deeper focus in a couple of scenes, and the sound could be mixed a little better. I understand the impulse to have the reanimated lover speak very softly, but the sound of actress' Anna Juliana Jaenner's voice is so soft at a crucial moment at the film's climax that you can't hear what she's saying unless you crank the volume way up--and the narrator booms like the voice of God immediately afterwards if you do that.

Those are fairly minor problems though, and in the final analysis it's nice little film that's excellent Halloween viewing. 

Halloween is here...

 ... and Grace Bradley is regretting that she volunteered to be the host for his year's reunion of the cast for "Minnie the Moocher", "The Skeleton Dance", and "Wot a Night".

But she still thinks she made a smart move when she declined to watch all the scary short films that have been appearing at Terror Titans for all of the "31 Nights of Halloween"!

A Halloween Treat from Richard Sala!

Here's some comic strip poetry from the great Richard Sala, in observation and celebration of the Big Night! (Click on the panels for larger, more readable versions.)

For another bit of rhyming horror humor at Shades of Gray, click here. You can also check out a selection of his color drawings (including several featuring his signature character Peculia, at our sister blog Terror Titans by clicking here.)

Bones Coffee's Army of Dark Chocolate

Although it wasn't the first blend I posted about, it was Bones Coffee Company's Army of Dark Chocolate blend that made me notice them. The packaging and name--blatant references to the Bruce Campbell-starring "Army of Darkness" horror comedy, so it was a no-brainer that had to order myself a package. When I realized how good it tasted, I decided to order more flavors from the firm, and thus a post series was born. So now, with the Halloween here, I've circled back to give the Army of Dark Chocolate the formal treatment.

BONES COFFEE: ARMY OF DARK CHOCOLATE

This review is based on another 4-oz., pre-ground sample pack. If you've read previous articles in this series, you've probably gathered that medium- and light-roasts are what my tastes go toward, not the intense flavors of the dark-roasts. Given the emphasis on flavored blends, you've probably also puzzled out that I am quite the fan of fru-fru coffee; I hardly ever drink it straight... and until I came across certain Bones flavors (like their Salted Caramel) it was never something I would do by choice.

The Army of Dark Chocolate blend has changed that. According to the Bones Coffee Company website, this was their first crack at a dark roast, and I think they've done a wonderful job. While it's brewing, it gives of a pleasing aroma of coffee and chocolate, which also rises from the cup once it's been poured. And while it has the expected powerful coffee taste of a dark roast, the flavor of chocolate also came through strong, smoothing it out. In other words, the taste matched the aroma perfectly with full-bodied flavors that blended perfectly. Even better, this was the first dark roast I've had where I didn't immediately feel the need to reach for sweeteners and creamers to take the edge. Without a doubt, this is a flavored blend for those of you out there who love both coffee and chocolate. As you drink it, the flavors remain steady and in balance, unlike some other Bones blends I've reviewed where the flavor lingers in your mouth. Here, it's coffee and chocolate, going down smooth and tasting the same with each sip and swallow.

When I did try it with unsweetened almond milk, the edge was taken off the coffee, but the flavors remained strong and full-bodied. The chocolate even seemed to be a little enhanced. I tried another cup with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, and the result was even better. The vanilla taste mixed extremely well with the strong coffee flavor, and the chocolate popped as well. I also tried it with a dash of sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream, and like the vanilla almond milk it didn't detract from the coffee but rather caused the chocolate flavor to stand out more.

This blend remained tasty as it cooled and was drinkable at room temperature, especially when taken with the unsweetened vanilla almond milk. It was also good iced where it seemed to work best straight or with a bit of unsweetened almond milk or unsweetened vanilla almond milk. Like when it's hot, the coffee flavor was powerful but the chocolate made it go down easy. Both tastes also remained nicely blended and stable. All-in-all, whether you like your coffee hot or iced, this is a blend that will satisfy.

A haunting thought...

 ... on this last day before Halloween 2021.

For more fun cartoons from Sarah Andersen, visit her website. You can also get collections of her cartoons in book-form, with which to impress your friends (or just to have them in a more permanent form and to support her work with some royalties off the book-sales)!

Also, for something different from Andersen, you want to check out the very excellent book "Fangs"--which is a chronicle of the romance between a werewolf and a vampire. You can read my review of it here. 

Picture Perfect Special with Katy Ford

Most of the time, we're looking backwards here Shades of Gray. Today's pictures of actress Katy Ford are an exception.

Born in 1992, Katy Ford is an up-and-coming California-based actress and model who goes by the online moniker of "FreckledHobo", and it's easy to see why she chose that screenname. Her primary credits so far have been leading roles in a number of horror shorts by writer/director/producer Alex Magana (several of which can be watched at our sister blog Terror Titans), and co-starring in the ten-part online comedy series "Becoming Famous" (which she also co-wrote, produced, catered, and so on and so forth). She's also very active on TikTok where she regularly uploads weird little clips.

Ford is a self-described "geek" and her interest in sci-fi, fantasy, and roleplaying games creep into her posts. Early in 2021, she became embroiled in a copyright dispute with the creators of Critical Role when it appeared they had misappropriated a character Ford created for use in their series of simulated RPG sessions. It soon became evident that it was a case of simultaneous creation, and Ford recently issued a public apology to the Critical Role team.

Additional short films featuring Ford will continue to appear at irregular intervals appear at Terror Titans throughout 2022.

Ice Cube Ain't Got No Haters (Well... actually...)

Ice Cube, shown here doing his world-famous Three Stooges impression, is notable for having enjoyed more than 30 years of creating music and raps that appeal to a huge audience--even those who aren't supposed to be listening to rap music if we are to believe the shrieks of the Wokies.

A few years ago, Ice Cube released a catchy, upbeat rap about how he has no haters--or at least doesn't acknowledge them, because his life is great, and he knows the haters hate because their lives aren't and they're jealous. He also further delivers the message, along with co-rapper Too Short, that he simply doesn't have time for haters, because he is too busy being successful.

Well, Ice Cube is, sadly, about to discover the loud and hysterical voices of the Covid Culists since he has recently walked away from a $9 million salary and a co-starring role in the comedy "Oh, HELL No" over the producers' desire to force him to become vaccinated against Covid-19.

We at Shades of Gray salute Ice Cube for standing up for his right to decide what medications and vaccinations he does and doesn't put in his body. He has more courage of his convictions than anyone around here.  We just hope he doesn't buckle under the cancel-happy mobs of Wokies, close allies of the Covid Cultists, when they come for him. (Although... as much as we salute Ice Cube and wish him the best, we will be watching with glee if the Wokies go on the warpath against him, because it will clearly show them to be the thought-policing, would-be totalitarian hypocrites that they have always been.)

Meanwhile, here's Ice Cube & Too Short performing "Ain't Got No Haters".

Announcing the winners of this year's Halloween Costume Contest at Shades of Gray!

The annual Shades of Gray Halloween Staff Party is over, and the judges have decided the winners of this year's costume contest! Here they are!

Honorable Mention:
Virginia Bruce for "The Latest Batgirl Reboot"

Honorable Mention:
Irish McCalla for "Alec Baldwin"

Third Place:
Janie Doe for "Scary Story"

Second Place:
Oksana Bondareva for "Wallflower"

 

First Place:
Dorothy Lee for "Robert Woolsey"

Grand Prize:
Fenfang and Huan Hong for "Me & My Shadow"

The Avengers: The House That Jack Built

The House That Jack Built (1966)
Starring: Diana Rigg, Michael Goodliffe, Patrick Macnee, Griffith Davies, and Michael Wynne
Director: Don Leaver
Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

The past returns to haunt and torment Mrs. Emma Peel (Rigg) when she becomes trapped in the nightmarish hallways and rooms of a mansion left to her by her recently deceased Uncle Jack.

The set-up of this episode seems a bit far-fetched to me. If faced with the same situation that Emma Peel is presented with, I never would have exposed myself to the situation she ends up in... and I find it far-fetched that little old me, who whose life hasn't been steeped in international and industrial intrigue and danger since my teenaged years is more cautious about unexpected news than someone like Mrs. Peel that led Emma Peel. I similarly understand completely why John Steed took the steps he is revealed to have taken as the show unfolds, even if they were completely ineffectual, because he seems to have a more cynical outlook about the unexpected than Emma Peel does.

Aside from the weak set-up, however, this is one of the most intense episodes in the entire fourth season. Other episodes have flirted with trapping characters with horror and/or trapping characters in a surreal, mind-twisting environment (with "Too Many Christmas Trees" being foremost among them), but this one nails it perfectly and it keeps the tension building and mystery deepening throughout the episode. Even after the full extent of the villain's scheme and depraved, revenge-driven creativity has been revealed, there still seems very likely that Peel is going to meet her end, trapped in a nightmare maze.

And speaking of Peel, this episode is focused pretty much entirely on her. Diana Rigg is really the only actor in the episode who has any significant amount of screen time, and we get to see her full range of talent on display. Fans of Rigg should love every minute of this episode.

This episode is even more interesting, because it tells us of Emma Peel's life before she went to work for the British government as Steed's partner. It also bridges the gap between her nomadic childhood as the daughter of a hands-on international captain of industry and her modern life as a multi-discipline subject matter expert who sometimes has to kill people. One question that wasn't answered, however, is whether Peel stepped away from actively running her business because she got married, or if she had already chosen to pursue the more varied life that her wealth allowed.

"The House That Jack Built" is one of the must-see episodes of "The Avengers". I can nitpick the set-up, but what follows is brilliant in every way. It's low on the humor content, but it's more chilling than many straight-up horror movies. 

When your host is spinning his wheels...

... and starts procrastinating, pretty pointless things like this happen:

Dancer Margot Fonteyn posing, before Photoshop

Dancer Margot Fonteyn posing, after Photoshop

Halloween is coming...

 ... and Vampirella thought she'd get into the Halloween spirit by eating some candy corn. That was left over from last year. 

We think her facial expression says how well that worked out.

How do you cage the devil? Apparently, you don't....

Satan in Prison (1907)
Starring: Georges Méliès and Jehanne d'Alcy
Director: Georges Méliès

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

After being imprisoned in an empty room for his many evils, Satan (Méliès) uses magic to improve his conditions of confinement.

 

I have a new favorite Georges Méliès film. This one has a story, is energetic and lots of fun... and, given the techniques that Georges Méliès was working with, the effects are amazing. (For those may not know,  Méliès was a stage magician turned filmmaker. He was one of the very first to make extensive use of special effects in his films--in fact, building them pretty much to show off cinematic trickery and illusions. Without his work, the big-budget superhero extravaganzas everyone loves so much, would not exist.)

In addition to being a fun romp, almost every trick photography and illusion-created-via-editing is pretty much seamless and better and more believable than a lot of new-fangled digital effects that you'll see in contemporary films made with less care and enthusiasm for both the creative process and entertaining the audience. 

But don't just take my word for it. Take five minutes and watch this fun flick right now by clicking below. I looked at several different versions available on YouTube for embedding in this post and I went with the one that was most complete and with the sharpest visual quality. It does not have a music soundtrack, however, so if you prefer your silent movies without complete silence, you should watch this version.

It's a very special Tuesday, because...

 

Musical Monday with Strahd von Zarovich

Darkness is falling and the mists are rising. The heroes move up the steep and winding road that leads to the castle of Lord Strahd, the undisputed ruler of Barovia and all who dwell within that land. For they have been invited to dinner... and no one refuses an invitation to visit Castle Ravenloft--if they wish to continue to live.

As they reach the castle's front gates, there is a sound of music drifting through the air. Someone within is playing an organ, and he or she is clearly a master at their craft.

What is the music that's welcoming the heroes to the shadow-draped halls of Castle Ravenloft? Click below to find out!

Picture Perfect Special with Valeska Miller

In October 2020, we discovered actress and dancer Valeska Miller during the 31 Nights of Halloween (an annual event at our sister blog, Terror Titans). Today, it's exactly one year since her first appearance at Shades of Gray, so we're putting up a few more pictures of her in observation of the anniversary. (Maybe we'll see this turn into a new tradition at this blog!)

Bones Coffee's Jacked-O-Lantern

There's a coolness in the air. Groaning ghosts are being carried along on the wind, their passing causing leaves to shrivel and drop from the trees. Halloween is coming, and here's another review of a seasonally appropriate coffee blend for you to drink and possibly offset that chill down your spine.

Ida Lupino is wondering is wondering if the jack-o-lantern is talking to her,
or if she's had so much pumpkin-spiced coffee she's hearing voices.

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: JACKED-O-LANTERN

The Jacked-o-Lantern blend is another offering from Bones Coffee with a great cartoon on the cover. It also attempts to capture an eternal seasonal favorite that sends young and old running to coffee shops and stands--the pumpkin-spiced drink. 

This review is based of coffee brewed from a 4-oz sample pack that I got when I ordered the Fall Favorites bundle from Bones. When you open the bag, you get a hint of what's to come--the spicy goodness wafts deliciously up into your nostrils. While the aroma as the coffee brews isn't particularly strong, that same delightful smell of spices is evident as you pour the coffee.

The bad news when it comes to the actual flavor is that here isn't much of a pumpkin taste in this blend. While this is a great tasting medium-roast blend that goes down smooth and hits the "spice" part of "pumpkin-spice" right on the head with strong allspice and nutmeg flavors, if you are looking for pumpkin, you won't find it here. 

The good news is that when I drank a cup with unsweetened almond milk and then one with sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, I was treated to taste sensations that put me in mind of a "dirty chai", something that used to be a favorite drink of mine at a (now, sadly, closed) indie coffee stand. Basically, a "dirty chai" is a chai latte with coffee added, and I used to get one of those a week, hot or iced, depending on my mood and the weather. So, in perhaps goes without saying, but I enjoyed the Jacked-O-Lantern blend very much with milk or creamer added.

Another bit of good news is that Jacked-O-Lantern holds up nicely as it cools, with its taste remaining steady. Whether I drank it straight or with almond milk or creamer, this blend was a smooth coffee treat with a spicy kick. At room temperature, the spiciness comes through even stronger when it's mixed with the Sweet Cream creamer. It's perfect for someone like me who often takes a while to finish off a cup of coffee.

Finally, and perhaps not surprisingly, this blend works brilliantly iced. The spicy flavors remain strong, and the coffee flavor is silky smooth when chilled. As before, the unsweetened almond milk and the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream enhanced rather than subdued the spicy flavors, making this blend even tastier. What I still couldn't detect, though, was any hint of pumpkin flavor.

In a break from my normal protocol when drinking coffee for review rather than pure pleasure, I decided to try this blend with chocolate almond milk, to see how the spice would interact with chocolate flavor, The result was an extremely tasty spiced chocolate coffee drink that I recommend chocolate and coffee lovers should try. (I think it worked well hot, too, but I admit that I had reheat the last cup in the microwave to try it, so the result was suboptimal and even less consistent with the rest of the reviews that just adding the chocolate almond milk.)

More Cosmic Horror from Junji Ito

Sensor (Viz Media, 2021)
Story and Art: Junji Ito

Rating: Nine of Ten Stars

Wataru is a self-described "no-name reporter" who becomes drawn into a struggle between cosmic forces when he crosses paths with Kyoko, a mysterious woman with hair that literally glows.

"Sensor" is the latest work from comic book horror master Junji Ito. It was originally serialized in Japan during 2018 and 2019, and the English translation of the collected edition was released in August of 2021. Like "Uzamaki", this is a cycle of short stories that combine to tell a single novel-length tale. As such, Ito played to his strengths, avoiding the mistake he made with "Remina": He does good short stories, but long-form is definitely not his strength.

As such, this is a project that plays to Ito's strength as a storyteller. As "Remina" showed, Ito can't quite pull off a novel-length tale if he's structuring it like a novel. However, in this book, he instead is presenting a series of short stories that ultimately combine into one long story. And it works beautifully.

With "Sensor", the book opens with a prologue that initially seems only loosely connected to what follows--with the mysterious Kyoko spending decades in suspended animation within a cocoon formed around her when a village of people who worshiped a cosmic force they called the Akashi was destroyed in a sudden volcanic eruption. Each of the stories that follow, however, tell a stand-alone story that has elements that tie back to that prologue, and these ties get stronger as the book unfolds. Eventually, as the book reaches its climax with a clash between good and evil on a very literal cosmic scale, it becomes apparent that every story have, in fact, been closely related to each other; our hero, Wataru, may have seemed like he was following loosely connected threads, but we discover at the end that he had been trapped in a web of pre-destiny since even before his first encounter with Kyoko.

According to Ito's afterword to the book, "Sensor" (which was originally published under the title "Travelogue of a Succubus") was originally conceived as a story that would have had strong similarities to "Tomie", the series that propelled him to international fame.

This early piece of promotional art certainly looks like it's for a serial about a succubus and the horrors she leaves in her wake as she travels:

However, from the very first installment, "Sensor" was already showed signs of not being what the title was implying. Instead, this prologue lays the foundation for a tale of cosmic horror that the likes of H.P Lovecraft probably would have gotten a kick out of. It is to our benefit that Junji Ito followed his creative instincts and abandoned the original concept for the series (and that his editors allowed him the freedom to do so). The story he delivers is excellent, as is the way each chapter initially seems to stand alone, but that they ultimately add up to a single narrative. 

The only complain I can field about "Sensor" is that it's too short. I felt like the overarching plot seemed to resolve too quickly between the true threat to Wataru's safety coming into to focus in Chapter Five, and the climax unfolding in Chapters Six and Seven. It feels like this book needed to be at least three or four chapters longer--perhaps even twice the length of the seven that it lasts. I feel this way, partly, because because I liked Wataru as a character, and I wanted to see him have more intriguing encounters, but I was also impressed with the way Ito wove a larger story through the background of a series of short ones. I wanted more of this--brief stories that unfolded against a backdrop of events that couldn't possibly be connected yet somehow seemed to be. 

If you've enjoyed Junji Ito's work in the past, or if you're new to it and want to read some excellent horror comics, I strongly recommend you get a copy of "Sensor".

A Werewolf Tale

 We present this cartoon by Richard Sala as a time-saving device this Halloween season. Read it, and it'll be as if you've seen 90 percent of the werewolf movies out there! (Click on the image for a larger, more easily read version.)

The Avengers Dossier, Page Twenty-One

Here's another brief look at one of the great guest-stars who appeared in an episode of the classic television series "The Avengers".

PETER WYNGARDE

In "A Touch of Brimstone", Peter Wyngarde is the leader of a revived Hellfire Club that Steed and Mrs. Peel must infiltrate.

Peter Wyngarde was born in 1927, in France, to a French mother, and a father who was a career diplomat for Great Britain. His childhood was a nomadic one, moving from country to country, until in 1941 when he was swept up in the Japanese invasion and capture of Shanghai and put into a prison camp while his parents were away in India on business. It was in these harsh circumstances, under the constant threat of brutal death at the hands of Japanese soldiers that young Wyngarde first developed an interesting in acting, as he performed in plays put on by the prisoners to keep each others' spirits up. He even created a few plays himself.

After the camp was liberated in 1945, Wyngarde spent two years in Switzerland recovering from malnutrition and illnesses developed during his imprisonment. By the time he was in his early 20s, Wyngarde was back in England and studying law at university, according to his parents' wishes. He soon dropped out, however, and instead pursued a career in acting.

Wyngarde spent the late 1940s and early 1950s performing on stage with various Shakespearean repertory companies throughout England, including the famous Old Vic Theatre in Bristol where he also directed. In 1956, he had his first encounter with the filmmaking world when he was cast in the big-budget epic "Alexander the Great", but he was soured on the industry when a year's worth of work on his part ended up mostly on the cutting-room floor.

For the rest of the 1950s, Wyngarde returned to the stage, where he received much praise from critics and theatre-goers alike in both the United States and Britain. During this time, he was also honored with several several awards. 

In 1960, Wyngarde began starring in made-for-television plays for the popular ITV anthology series "Armchair Theatre" and "Play of the Week". Her starred in 30 such productions, and they led him to reconsider film work, and in 1962 he starred in the criminally under-appreciated horror film "Burn, Witch, Burn" (aka "Night of the Eagle).

During the 1960s, Wyngarde starred in 30 televised plays. In between those roles, he made guest-appearances on numerous top-rated television action series, such as "The Prisoner", "The Saint", "The Avengers", and "Department S". His character on the latter, author-turned-investigator Jason King, was such a hit with the public that he played the character in its own spin-off series for two seasons in 1971 and 1972.

Following the cancellation of "Jason King", Wyngarde's professional efforts became focused almost entirely on the stage and live theatre, both as an actor and a director. With the exception of  turns as villains in "Flash Gordon" (1980) and in the four-part storyline "Planet of Fire" (1984) for the "Doctor Who" series, and small roles in a handful of made-for-television movies and series, Wyngarde trod the boards for the rest of career.

Peter Wyngarde passed away in 2018 at the age of 90.

Death, a Banjo, and the Unquiet Grave

Death has brought his banjo by for another visit. He hopes to stir the Halloween spirit in everyone within ear-shot!

Today, he is performing "The Unquiet Grave", another American folk tune.

Halloween is coming...

 ... and Vampirella is contemplating her costume. This year, she's getting in on the ever-popular gender-bending-a-famous-character action this year. With a Shakespearean theme.

But she can't decide if she wants to go as MacBeth or Hamlet.

When horror movies go to the dogs...

... you get a fun little take on so very many of the short films that're featured over at our sister blog Terror Titans.

Horror Movie For Dogs (2020)

Starring: Koda

Director: Caleb Herring

Rating: Six of Ten Stars

A family dog (Koda) is left alone in a haunted house.

 

Filmmaker Caleb Herring wrote about "Horror Movie for Dogs: "I shot this the night before Halloween because I was insanely bored and my girlfriend was out for the night, leaving me and our good boy home alone."

His boredom is our blessing, because this is a nicely done short film. It's concise and not a moment of screen-time is wasted. The only complaint I have is that the soundtrack is a bit overblown and too omnipresent. A little more quiet in this film would have made it a lot more effective.

That aside, this is an amusing effort that is well worth checking out (which you can do from this very post). I think that those people who are down-voting it have no hearts, sense of humor, nor sense of what makes a good film.

Halloween costume ideas with Julie Newmar

You can dress like hard-rocking mime for Halloween. That's what Julie Newmar will be coming to the Shades of Gray Halloween party as.

Musical Monday with The Jaded Heart Club

The Jaded Heart Club is a rock band with a classic 1960s sound with a hard modern edge, and they have several videos supporting their singles that make them perfect guests for Musical Monday. Few, however, are as perfect as the video for "I Put a Spell On You" with its 1960s horror film sensibility. 

Check out "I Put a Spell On You" below. It's a great way to awaken the Halloween Sprit within you!

Bones Coffee's Frankenbones

Halloween is two weeks away... so it seems like a great time to review one more coffee blend with marketing inspired by a classic literary horror character and a whole slew of movies: Frankenstein's Monster.

 

 

BONES COFFEE COMPANY: FRANKENBONES

Some of the flavored Bones Coffee blends I've tried over the past few months filled my home with delightful aromas as they brewed. Sometimes that aroma matched the expected and/or advertised flavor,  other times it was something of a misdirect. Sometimes the tastes of the blends are subtle, sometimes they're so overwhelming so has to barely be drinkable.

With Frankenbones--a blend that, according to Bones' sell-copy is "here to delight your taste buds in ways that science never thought possible"--the Florida-based company delivered medium-roast with flavors so subtle I had to look them up, because the "Frankenstein"-inspired cartoon and text on the packaging didn't give any hints as to what I was to expect, nor did the aroma as the coffee brewed.

The flavor of Frankenbones, according to the Bones Coffee website, is hazelnut and chocolate. I picked up on the hints of chocolate and perhaps a faint hint of nuts, but the overall effect was of coffee that goes down so smooth that it was as if I'd already added some milk or creamer to it. Once I added unsweetened almond milk, the nutty flavor came out a bit stronger (maybe hazelnut plus almond... even if almond milk doesn't really taste like almonds to me?), but when I tried the blend with the sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer, the chocolate flavor seemed like it was more noticeable. 

In all three cases--whether I drank Frankenbones straight, with unsweetened almond milk, or with the creamer--the coffee flavor was at fore with the other tastes mixing in and adding smoothness. Even as the coffee cooled to room temperature (which it almost always does for me, as I drink slowly), the tastes remain consistent and stable. Hot or at room temperature, this is a fabulous tasting coffee.

Cold and over ice, the hazelnut flavor seems to come out a bit stronger whether unsweetened almond milk or sugar-free Italian Sweet Cream creamer is added--although the chocolate once again popped with the Italian Sweet Cream in the mix. I also tried it iced with unsweetened vanilla almond milk, which mixed nicely with the chocolate and brought to mind something you might get at a place like Starbucks (only far cheaper and far more convenient).

Whether you drink Frankenbones hot or cold, or somewhere in between; whether you drink it with milk or creamer added, this is another offering from the Bones Coffee Company that I think you'll like. I certainly did!

Look Kids! Creepy Comics!

 A comic to get you in a Halloweenish mood!

Death sings about Death

The Grim Reaper is back to perform another creepy folk song while playing the banjo. (He is mixing things up a bit this time out, as he's got back-up singers.)

We hope this performance helps stir the Halloween spirit within young and old!

Happy birthday to Katy Manning!

Katy Manning, best known as Jo Grant to long-time Doctor Who fans, turns 75 years old today. Here are some photos from the '70s in celebration!