the halloween issuespecial edition 2 / volume 6 / october 2014

TABLE OF CONTENTS04 what to do on halloween

10 snapshots: monster mash

12 hollywood horrors

15 playlist: shake them bones

16 snapshots: haunted houses

22 closet costumes

26 teen trick-or-treating

28 holiday snacks

32 from the sketchbook of

36 costume quiz

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A note from the editors....Here at Craze, we love Halloween.Like, really love it.Like, this-is-the-third-year-in-a-row-we’ve-had-a-Halloween-issue-oh-my-god-help-us-we-can’t-stop

love it.It’s an amazing holiday. It’s the only time a year where we can simultaneously embrace our childhood

and our young adult lives. We can attend a football game clad in the same costumes we wore as children or hang out with friends after going door-to-door taking candy from our neighbors. It’s one of the few times where we can all have genuine, no-strings attached fun.

This year, we want to help you embrace the Halloween spirit. Don’t worry about looking silly or feeling stupid. This is come-as-you-aren’t night, and it’s a shame not to take advantage of it. Do what makes you happy, and there’s nothing to stop you from having the best time of your life.

table of contentscontributors

crazemagWHScraze_mag whscraze_mag

CONTRIBUTORS

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Editors-in-Chief Lia Hagen, Allie LaingDesign Editor Kirsten McCormackManaging Editor Jenna HynekPhoto Editor Abegale HeadleeStaff Estella Fox, Maddie Look, Lauren Chesire, Taylor Schendt, and Claire Wilson and Sarah Lemke (not pictured)

featurefriday night frights

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FRIDAYNIGHT

FRIGHTSour favorite things to do this halloween

y entire high school career, I’ve scrambled to have fun on Halloween. Unluckily, they’ve always fallen on a weekday. Even more unluckily, they’ve always come at an incredibly boring time

in my social life.In my freshman year, I hadn’t learned where my

first mod class was yet, let alone who my real high school friends would be. My sophomore year, my friends’ parents said it was ‘too late’ to be out on a school night. As a junior, when I could finally have real fun, I had a debate tournament to attend.

It seems like I’m not the only one disappointed by the holiday. Don’t get me wrong: I love Halloween. It’s a perfect holiday in principle. You

dress up in costumes, carve pumpkins, and eat all your favorite fall vegetables (especially sweet potatoes). As if that weren’t enough, you can beg strangers for candy. It sounds like the kind of thing a kid on a sugar high would dream up, except it’s celebrated by an entire country.

The problem isn’t in our principle. Instead, it’s in our practices.

Too many of us are satisfied with sitting at home on this, the most exciting of holidays. Don’t let that be you. This year, get out there and make your Halloween exciting. Go with the holiday staples for some classic fall fun, or try something new and add excitement to the season. Either way, I’m sure your holiday will live up to even the most hyper child’s dreams.

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story and design by lia hagen, photos by estella fox, sarah lemke, and lia hagen

featurefriday night frights

enjoy some cult classicsver since “Perks of Being A Wallflower” first hit the theaters, it’s inspired countless sharpie tattoos and wild night drives. Teenagers everywhere renewed their passion for mix tapes and, perhaps most importantly, “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The film satirizes views of LGBT people at the time and features aliens,

“sweet transvestites,” and amazing dance numbers. It’s the longest continuously running movie in history, inspiring teenagers for generations. It’s the natural cycle of things. Another year, another new wave of cult classic fans rush into costume shops and midnights showings. Before “Perks of Being A Wallflower” was a movie, it was a book. Before that, zines and other forms of media inspired our parents to see the film.

“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” and other cult classics are the best movies to marathon on Halloween

because they’re a fully interactive experience. Throughout the decades, fans have created call-outs and brought props, making these showings unlike anything else you’ll do at a movie theater. At RHPS, toast flies through the air and actors dance in front of the screen. Movies like “the Room” and “Little Shop of Horrors” have call outs and props too. If you ever do see “the Room” in theaters, for example, be weary of flying spoons.

While there are no showings of any of these movies in Omaha on Halloween, it shouldn’t be too difficult to recreate the experience at home. Viewing guides with a full list of callouts and props are everywhere on the web and easy to print out and distribute to your friends. Any old basement or living room will do. If you want to be extra creative, see if one of your friends has a projector or movable television and find a white wall or empty field. With snacks, props, and a willingness to make a fool of yourself, it could be your best Halloween ever.

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things you need: a netflix account (or a penchant for online piracy), popcorn, and other sweet treats

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get your nerd onvery year, San Diego ComicCon takes over the Internet. It’s the largest gathering for geeks in the world, boasting thousands of visitors and many panels with popular actors, show creators, and web stars. While pop culture conventions like these used to be reserved for rabid fans, nerd culture has become more and more mainstream in the

past decade or so. It’s why Marvel Studios is so popular, and it’s also why I don’t feel embarrassed saying I’ve marathoned an entire season of “the X Files” this week or that I have “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Avatar: the Last Airbender” posters on my wall. John Green walked a red carpet; everyone and their mom has a fandom blog. Nowadays, being a nerd is fun. Caring about things is cool.

And pop culture and anime conventions are the hubs of this new wave.

Omaha doesn’t have a ComicCon. Your favorite network sitcom actors won’t be showing up to reveal the details of their new season, and the world’s best artists won’t be

present. However, a convention doesn’t have to be huge to be fun. Anime Nebraskon is a local, affordable pop culture and anime convention. It has a room full of vendors who create fanart, handmade crafts, and are often available for original commissions at the conventions. The panels often feature well-known nerd stars and super fun games. It focuses on anime, but the community is fun, available, and open to anyone.

It’s also the perfect place to be Oct. 31.The three-day convention kicks off on Halloween, and

the conventioneers couldn’t be better prepared if they planned for it. Cosplays, or costume play, is a performance art in which fans dress up as their favorite actors or characters. They’re often amazingly detailed with working lights, elaborate weapons, or beautifully embroidered patterns. You may not be trick or treating, but your costume certainly won’t be out of place. Whether you’ve always embraced your geeky side or you’ve been waiting for the perfect time to do it, Anime Nebraskon is just the right place for you.

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things you need: $25 entrance fee, cosplay/costume (optional), an openness to all things Internet

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rock out at a concerthere are two kinds of Halloween lovers: the silly and the downright spooky.

Spooky teenagers are kids you see smashing pumpkins on Halloween or ding-dong ditching their grumpy neighbors. While

some fill themselves with candy throughout the night, they’re too busy being filled with teen angst and hormones. Most Halloween movies feature them in some variation. They’re either the quirky protagonists dressed in all black or the terrifying teens roaming the

streets (but still in all black).If you want to get your angst on without doing

anything illegal, or even if you just want to try something new, check out Omaha’s Halloween concerts. Many of the venues do require a notary, but they’re each worth the extra effort. Bands like Boo Goo are sure to put you in the mood to be a teenage rebel this Halloween, but the variety ensures that anyone with a passion for music can have a good time this Friday night. Check out OmaHype for information on concerts at the Reverb Lounge, the Brothers Lounge, Slowdown, or the Waiting Room.

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things you need: $25 entrance fee, cosplay/costume (optional), an openness to all things Internet

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featurefriday night frights

pumpkin bashess a general rule, pumpkin patches seem to be thought of as a pre-Halloween event.

We spend our weeks up to the holiday searching their fields, collecting the biggest pumpkin we can find. Many clubs, churches, and temples head out

to bond over a bonfire, and friends push each other through haunted houses or whine about the expensive food. For most of us, however, the fun ends before

Halloween night itself.Unfortunately, this means we miss what is often the

best night of all.Every year, pumpkin patches pull out all of the stops

for Halloween night. The haunted houses are extra spooky, and more events than ever are available. It’s the last hurrah, your final shot to have some traditional fall fun. You can check out Vala’s, everyone’s favorite, and jump on their giant pillows or enter their haunted house. It’s a classic way to end the Halloween season.

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things you need: entrance fees, someone to go with, and a love of spooky decorations and overpriced pumpkins

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snapshotscostume photobooth

MONSTER

MASHphotos by craze staff, design by lia hagen

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q&aannabelle

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s I clutch a cardboard popcorn bucket for a sense of security, the introductory credits start to roll. The theater is cloaked in the same blackness it always is,

but for some reason, the shadows feel eerier than they did in the summer blockbusters shown just a few weeks prior. Halloween brings a bit of fright to every aspect of our daily lives, and the movie theater is not excluded. From thrillers to slashers, the horror movie genre is a huge industry that peaks every year around October. This Halloween season, “Annabelle” is the talk of moviegoers seeking thrills. It’s a prequel of last year’s hit, “The Conjuring.” “Annabelle” follows John and Mia Form, a young expectant couple who are the owners of a vintage doll named Annabelle. A satanic cult breaks into their home and attacks the couple, ultimately resulting in a dark entity residing within the doll. However, for Omaha film fans, it isn’t the terrifying doll that has sparked conversation about the movie. Tom Elkins, an Omaha resident, was the editor for this film. He agreed to meet with Craze and discuss his career in the film industry and his most recent film “Annabelle."

local film editor describes role played on hollywood blockbuster

annabelle

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story by lauren chesire,design by allie laing,photo provided by flicksandbits.com

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“In some ways it was scary because the expectation after The Conjuring was so high, but you have to just do the work and make the movie as good as you can. And that’s what I did. It was invigorating, educational, and a total blast. When you’re working on a movie, it’s hard work, but it’s also fun work because let’s face it: making movies is cool, and it’s fun. So working on “Annabelle,” working with Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema, and James Wan, you’re working with the top pros in the business, and for that reason it was an amazing experience. “Annabelle” is the most rewarding project I’ve ever worked on.”

what was it like working on “annabelle?”

“We were pretty much tied [in box office earnings] with Gone Girl, which is a really big studio film, and our movie was low budget. For such a low budget movie to do so well was an accomplishment. I’m very happy with the final product. The reason I am is because the audience clearly was having a good time with the movie, based on its amazing box office numbers. I watched [“Annabelle”] here in the theater, and it was so much fun because usually when you’re editing you’re very close to the movie, you’re by yourself a lot or with executives or with a test audience, but when you see it with a real Midwestern audience who’s never seen it before, it’s so much fun. You get to experience all the scares with them, see their reactions, and it’s very gratifying in that way. Being able to be in the audience and see their visceral reaction is very rewarding.”

what do you think about the finished product?

“No. It’s so weird. I still jump. I still jump even when I’m just watching the movie in the edit screen, even though I’m expecting it and I crafted it. I’m the one that builds the scene. I’m the one that creates the music and the sound that makes the jump happen, but I still jump when I’m watching the movie at the end of the day or in the screening room.”

when you’re editing a movie do you feel like it ruins the surprise of what’s going to happen?

q&aannabelle

why did you get into film? “When I was a kid, my dad found an old film camera in the attic [and] gave it to me. It was a wind up camera. It was super old. And I just started making movies, using my little sisters to be in them. One of my first ones was called “Killer Trike,” about a killer tricycle that tormented my sisters and attacked the neighborhood. So I guess that’s sort of my scary movie roots, all the way back to that age. And that little movie people liked so much I did three sequels. Clearly I had that Hollywood franchising [mentality]. I was apparently a trailblazer (not really). After I’d started, I kept doing them. After [my wife and I] had our first baby, we moved back to Omaha, but I missed the film industry, and I wanted to get back into it. So I got into editing. Mike Hill, who is Ron Howard’s long-time, Academy Award winning editor, also lives in Omaha. He hired me as an assistant, and I started moving up in editing. The first real movie I edited was “A Haunting in Connecticut.” That did well, so I was hired to direct the sequel: “A Haunting in Connecticut 2.” And then "Annabelle" came out, and "Annabelle" is this awesome thing.”

q&a with tom elkins: hollywood film editor

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SHAKETHEM BONES

devil town // bright eyes

the jeweller’s hands // artic monkeys

they are night zombies!! they are neighbors!! they have come back from the dead!! ahhh! // sufjan stevens

psycho killer // the talking heads

stark weather // icky blossoms

the witching hour // wild nothing

little ghost // the white stripes

thriller // michael jackson

listen to this playlist here

snapshotshaunted houses

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the best of this year’s haunted housesHAUNTOMA

photos by taylor schendt, design by lia hagen

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snapshotshaunted houses

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snapshotshaunted houses

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want more? check out the lance or westside wired

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HOLLYWOODHALLOWEEN

ith Halloween right around the corner, everyone is scrambling to find the perfect costume. Whether you’re planning on attending a party, going trick-or-treating, or handing out candy at home, it’s crucial that you dress to impress. So have no fear, Craze is here! In this guide we take two popular television shows and demonstrate how to recreate their stylish looks with pieces from your very own closet.W

two hollywood costumes straight from your closetstory by claire wilson, design by kirsten mccormack

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The Outsiders

For this look: Blue jeans (American Apparel), Converse (Journey’s), Jean Jacket (Rusty Zipper), Leather Jacket (Rusty Zipper), Temporary tattoos (Tattly), Hair gel (Walgreens)

pull out the denim and get your grunge on

DIY: Fashion

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GossipGirl channel your inner brat

to pull off blair waldorf

For this look: Knee High Socks (Target), Navy Blue Skirt (H&M), Button-up blouse (H&M), Tie (your dad’s closet), Shoes (DSW)

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opinionteens trick-or-treating

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beating the toddlers to the twixestrick-or-treating excitement doesn’t fade with age

walked up to a house with cotton spider webs draping from the front door with dozens of tiny plastic spiders trapped inside of it. On each step

leading up to the entrance, there was a glowing pumpkin, perfectly carved with images of witches, cats, and random geometric faces. Along with the other cheesy decorations, the front yard looked like an eerie graveyard. You could tell this family went all out for Halloween. But then again, so did I. It was my third year in a row being a banana (I know, super original). My costume was complete with yellow tights and a banana suit to wear over my clothes. As I knocked on the door, a kid ran up alongside of me, just as eager as I was to see what candy was in the bowl. The only difference between us was he was merely a kindergartener, and I was 15. I’ve always loved the idea of dressing up and going around to houses demanding free candy. Halloween is the only day of the year where you see hyper kids

running around the block carrying pillowcases full of calories. People always say that when you reach a certain age, you shouldn’t be allowed to go trick or treating. But I beg to differ. Adults see costumed teenagers gallivanting around their neighborhood on Oct. 31 and automatically think their goal is to get to the Twixes before the toddlers can. Grown-ups assume we’re nothing but disruptive and are only out to ruin the night for everyone else. However, it’s more than that. As we get older, there are so many things taken away from us. We can no longer order off the kids menus at our favorite restaurants, play in the ball pits at McDonald’s, or wear light up shoes in public. Instead, we are bombarded with questions about school, college, and the idea of growing up. We’re expected to act like adults once we reach high school. Immediately we have pieces of our youth stripped from our lives. For me, trick or treating isn’t about collecting enough candy to last the rest of the year. It’s about creating memories and reliving the youthfulness we all crave as teenagers. When teenagers see

little kids run around in their Power Ranger costumes, we feel the excitement Halloween brings. Before you know it, the atmosphere the holiday brings makes us teenagers feel like we’re five again. Adults can’t expect teenagers to stop wanting to trick or treat. Everyone enjoys being able to go outside on a fall night when glowing jack-o-lanterns fill the streets, regardless of your age. Going from house to house dressed up in ridiculous costumes with your best friends makes for some of the best high school memories. Pretty soon I’ll be off in college where my mom won’t be making my meals for me or picking up my shoes when I leave them out. I don’t want to spend my senior year acting like a grown-up when I have the rest of my life to do so. Instead, I want to embrace every speck of getting to act like a child while I can. I may be almost eighteen, but you better believe I will be out on Halloween running from house to house alongside the little kids dressed as Power Rangers. And hey, I might as well get some free candy while I’m at it.

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story and design by allie laingphoto by abegale headlee

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ince my birthday is in October, my elementary school parties were always Halloween themed. Spooky decorations, dry-ice drinks, scary scavenger hunts, and other games made my party the favorite among friends. I’m not one to brag, but they were a glitter-filled blast. One thing that made my party stand out among the others was the food. Every year, my parents

would make different Halloween themed snacks that everyone loved. Mummy dogs, eyeball cupcakes, and dirt pudding filled the tables every year, putting us all in the mood to trick or treat. Without them, my Halloweens would’ve been as bland as Columbus Day. If you’re looking for a way to bring the holiday to your table, check out these recipes. They’re sure to make your Halloween party the best in the neighborhood.

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TRICK AND

TREAT

foodhalloween treats

how to bring halloween to your tablestory and photos by estella fox

design by allie laing

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mummy hot dogsingredients:

hot dogs

puff pastry dough

ketchup

instructions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut hot dogs in half, wrap them in on triangle of puff pastry dough, and place on baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Make eyes with dots of ketchup, and enjoy.

dirt puddingingredients:

chocolate jell-o pudding

milk

oreos

instructions:Make Jell-O using the instructions on the box. Crumble up the cookie part of the Oreo to use as dirt and place Oreos and gummy worms on top of the Jell-O. Use some of the pudding to make the Milano cookies look like gravestones, and place them in the pudding. Enjoy!

foodhalloween treats

gummy worms

milano cookies

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eyeball cupcakesingredients:

cake mix

oil

eggs

water

instructions:Cook cupcakes using the directions on the back of the box. Once cooled, frost them and decorate using the red piping icing to make veins. Cut an Oreo to make a circle, and put it on top.

frosting

oreo

red piping icing

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sketchbooklauren rennels

from the sketchbook of

senior lauren rennelsstory by jenna hynek, design by allie laing,photos by abegale headlee

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Rennels: “This one is really complicated—that is, about the whole butterflies. It’s a metaphor, and I love metaphors. It’s about the metamorphosis and the life cycle. It’s about how when we are younger, we metaphorically start out as caterpillars, but as we grow older, we get into more complex things. Things happen to us, and we grow up. It’s about how our thought process goes also. We think caterpillars, but when we’re ready, we speak butterflies. What you think and you develop it and you want to say something, but when you’re finally ready and have it all final. It’s like writing a book, and you can let it all out. This picture of Morgan is basically my inspiration for the whole portfolio.”

butterflies: growing minds, tough timesstudent drawn: senior morgan novacekmedium: graphite

Rennels: “It’s about like, being happy with yourself, and the skeleton represents you on the inside. Her pose with her head back—it’s like she’s relaxing, and that was about self-acceptance.”

skeleton head: blissful insidestudent drawn: senior cara treu

sketchbooklauren rennels

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medium: graphite

Rennels: “I used my arm for that picture, sticking out on the right, and we were holding hands in that one. That whole idea is about friendship. You see her smiling face and everything, but near her heart, their hands are holding. The hands are skeletons because everything inside of you is the same as other people. It’s about how friends really show their true inner selves to each other, which is why the skeletal hands are holding each other.”

skeleton hands: friendsstudent drawn: sophomore johannah hager

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medium: graphite

interactivecostume quiz

MASTER YOURDISGUISEyou see your crush on halloween. what do you do?A. Run up and say hiB. Wave but choke on kettle cornC. Run away — fast

what’s your favorite halloween movie?A. “Parnormal Activity”B. “Halloween Town”C. I hate Halloween movies!

which would you rather do on halloween night?A. Horror movie marathonB. Attend the football game (in full costume, of course)C. Hang out with one or two friends

discover the perfect halloween costume for youstory by maddie look,story and design by lia hagen

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if you and your friends were using a ouija board to summon ghosts, you would be the one…A. Researching for hours B. Faking it so the words would be interestingC. Why would I be summoning ghosts?? Who do you think I am, the dead one in a horror movie?

when will you stop trick-or-treating?A. People still trick or treat? What are we, five?B. I’ll trick or treat until I die.C. When my friends do.

Ahh, you scared me! You like to get into the true horror of Halloween. Don’t leave the house without your black clothing, black makeup, and black accessories. When people see you, they run in fear, which isn’t a bad thing. Don’t be afraid to go all out and get a big, pointy, green nose to complete your witch outfit. So go out and scare the candy corn out of trick-or-treaters!

I know what you’re thinking. What in the heck… why am I destined to be a hotdog for Halloween? You’re a hotdog because you are fun and awkward... just like a hotdog! When you walk in to the room, everyone will recognize your creative humor. After all, what’s funnier than a person walking around in a giant hotdog costume?

Scaredy cat! You aren’t a fan of the traditional, scary aspects of Halloween. Dressing as a ghost simple and scare-free. Just find a sheet and cut out eye and mouth holes. Instead of going out and risking anything, you should stay home and hand out candy alone.

you’re a witch!if you chose mostly a...

results:

you’re a hotdog!if you chose mostly b...

you’re a ghost!if you chose mostly c...

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