#poor boy was spookified

[quazart]

What if Knuckles saw a 👻?

Oh no😆

This boy is the strongest and toughest around. But put him against a spooky enemy he can't punch or fight against?

Or, at least, assume he can't

It was just a prank, bro😅

#knuckles the echidna #knuckles wachowski #sonic the hedgehog #sonic wachowski #heckinquazi ideas #poor boy was spookified

[bearmemesreviews]

FotW: SDMI - The Song of Mystery

Well, it looks like we have a special case on our hands, as we have not one but TWO creatures for our fifth MI review. For this occasion, we'll do things a little differently than usual. Can our new ghouls beat the Crab Man as our current contender for best monster so far? No.

However, we still have to review them so let's talk about Que Horrifico and the use of Mayans in Horror Media. Yeah, we gotta address this at some point. Cultural influence is unavoidable in all genres, but there is a tendency to use a very quickly researched creature or even deity from other cultures to give a name to what might as well be an original demon or spirit in a kids cartoon or other horror media. This can range from passible, and sometimes informative, deep cuts in mythology getting representation in the mainstream for future creators to further research and enjoy - or it can result in what happened to many Indigenous Spirits I cannot name.

Not gonna' go deep into the Cannibal Deer furries white people call a name you aren't even supposed to state if you don't want to bring misfortune upon yourself but understand that I think the "let artists do what they want" mantra is a cowardly and reductive way to excuse poor research and abysmal treatment of Non-White folklore. Though sometimes, like today's episode, we're just talking about a fully original entity who's meant to "evoke" a culture rather than represent it.

Lets talk about the Made-up Mayan Monster from the talking dog show.

Backstory: During a random stint of babysitting for Daphne (genuinely the weirdest member of the gang to use for this role, and she never does this again), she hears a pan flute being played outside of her kid's house. Before she can check it out, a commotion draws her to the boy she was sitting to find him transformed into a monster. Now "Spookified", as the show puts it, the child proceeds to attack Daph and chase her out of the house.

The kid doesn't follow her as she runs outside, but Daphne soon discovers that the entire neighborhood has had its children turned into monsters. Before the intro, we see the mummified pan flute player disappear into some mist.

Daphne draws the rest of the gang into the mystery, and they soon discover that the entire town of Crystal Cove has slowly been overrun by the monster kids. The adults in town - including those without children possibly? - are then literally driven away, unable to return to their homes as the kids remain Spookified even during daytime hours. Effectively abandoning their kids to their own bestial devices.

This will not be the worst parenting you'll see in this show.

The first suspect, and not just for the Mystery Gang, is Luis de Potrillo, an exchange teacher for Honor's Social Studies. It is through his class that the cast find out about the fictional "legend" of Que Horrifico, who has no real origin but acts as a Pied Piper-esque boogeyman for South America.

Mr. Potrillo also suspects himself, believing that he's turning into the monster like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Sometimes these weird one-off characters show up in future episodes, but it feels odd when some just drop off the face of the earth like this guy. Especially since he's one of the few adults in town who don't treat the gang like garbage.

Reveal: The culprit is fairly obvious since she's the only other newly introduced side character of the episode, child genius and Fred's current Civics tutor Mary Anne Gleardan. The children turn out to not be actual monsters, as a turned-on television eventually makes them break character just to sit down and watch a cartoon. The kids were merely dressing up as miniature ghouls at the behest of Mary Anne who promised them "Utopia" - before finally getting their full cooperation with the promise of free candy instead.

Jamie Neutron here wanted to be part of the Town's council, since she's obviously smart enough to actually run it, but was rejected for her age. And like most child geniuses, she had the technical skill and smarts to create a convulated scheme to scare every adult out of Crystal Cove to turn it into some kind of Kinderstate. However, she still retains the child-like logic of not realizing what that actually entails since she'd have to eventually create her own police state filled with nothing but toddlers in Halloween makeup.

They canonically throw this child into jail for how much money the town wasted on trying to merchandise Que Horrifico.

Design: Que Horrifico, which you can tell with a rudimentary knowledge of Spanish means "How Horrific", is a "Mayan inspired" monster that is otherwise a fully original creature. It wears a semi-golden mask and ragged poncho based on the South American culture. Its mask is evocative of a monkey, with those Rangda teeth that jut outwards and "earring"-like shapes built beneath its molded ears. There's a metal piece attached to the "hat" that's also part of the mask, resembling those antennae-shaped features you'd see on a samurai helmet.

The show surprisingly never makes an Egyptian mummy, which is a staple of Scooby-media, and instead makes Que Horrifico a mummified ghoul with dull blue skin, black nails, and tattered bandages wrapped around most of its body with a few gaps for easier movement. Its hair is also long and white, connecting its design to the Spookified kids in a cool way.

As for The Spookified, they all resemble the child extras under the makeup, but with longer white hair and eyebrows, clawed extremities, fangs, and glowing yellow eyes. They mostly act like Gremlins and use their youthful energy to leap and flip around like a swarm of fast zombies. They're clothing is also torn up a bit, and they resort to hissing and growling while in-character.

I'm at odds with Que Horrifico, though I think the creature kids are a decent design for what amounts to a non-zombie "Horde". It feels odd how they avoided actually drawing any inspiration from real mythology and mostly did a South American "take" on the Pied Piper. It's not even bad, just weird, but as a Horror enthusiast who's experienced the way media and their fandoms butcher cannibal spirits and Hoodoo it does make me more forgiving when a show plays it safe.

In a way, I feel like Que Horrifico WOULD exist as a folktale, but specifically one made up by locals to scare tourists into behaving better. ESPECIALLY, if they're dragging their kids along for the trip. It's design is also just really cool, I can't comment on the mask because it could just be utter nonsense from a Geographical or Historical standpoint - I'm not the crazy teacher, I don't know what those masks specifically mean.

From a quick glance though, the semblance to a monkey might be intentional because Howler Monkeys in Maya culture are considered wise and are often connected with artistry - fitting both the culprit and her gimmick.

Final Ratings

Que Horrifico: 4/5

The Spookified: 3/5

Hmmm, maybe I should review the creature design of Maya and the Three...

#bmoreviews #bmoreviewsmysteryinc #scooby doo mystery incorporated #mystery incorporated #que horrifico

[majesticghosty]

Haunted House

Human Au. They are both around 16-17. Based on my friend who is actually working at a haunted corn maze nearby and laughs like a demonic child.

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Virgil loved his job. He worked at Mauntel Manor, the most haunted manor in the state.

It was really just an old historical home that was turned into a museum that not many people go to. However, every October, they let people walk through the orchard and pick apples.

But at night, the house is turned into a haunted mansion, where the family that was brutally murdered there thirty years ago gets revenge on any who come near. No one actually was murdered there, the family just died while trapped inside the house for the winter.

Virgil didn't know why he loved his job so much. Maybe it was the pay. Maybe it was the fact he got to chase his scared classmates around the top floor with an axe while laughing maniacally. Either way, it was the best job. Even if he only worked it in October.

Tonight was like every other night. He  played John Mauntel, the insane son that was locked in the attic who was hacked with an axe.

He had on a mental patient gown and a bracelet with fake ID numbers on them. His costume was ripped up at the chest, with fake blood and fake cuts were showing through. His hair was everywhere and he had dark marks on his pale face. He looked insane.

His costume was perfect.

At seven, the visitors started to sprinkle in. They went through the house and saw the entire family.

They first saw Dodie, who played Maria, the mother who was hing from the chandelier. They saw Valerie, who played Jamie Mauntel, the sister that drink her own perfume in attempt to be pretty inside and out. They saw Thomas, who was William Mauntel, the father who stabbed in multiple places. They saw Talyn, who played the butler, the one who had a feather duster to the head. And they saw Joan, who was the cook that had their head shoved in the oven.

Virgil could hear scream from downstairs. He waited and the second he heard his door open, he jump scared who ever it was and chased them to the stairs, where they ran down. He was the scariest one there and he had seen some people wet there pants while running out of his room.

Around ten, he looked out the window he was next to. He saw three guys outside, them being the last group of the night. The cutest one, at least he thought was cute, was clearly very confident. The other two, who acted like they were dating, looked slightly scared. The trio went inside and the walkie talkie went off in his room.

"Breaker Breaker, Welcome To The Joangle reporting to Emo Nightmare. You copy?"

"Copy"

"Hey, new group." He heard Joan's voice whisper into the walkie talkie. "Three guys, about your age. An adorable gay couple and the annoying, boastful friend. Think you can get this guy Jack Skelington copy?"

Virgil smirked, and started planning. "Yeah, I'm on it, copy."

"Good. He's kind of sounds like a di-"

"LANGUAGE!" Thomas whipered-yelled over the device.

" Well anyway. Good luck. Over and out."

Virgil set the thing down and pushed it under the couch. He sat backwards on the couch, humming a child's lulluaby very slowly.

A few minutes later, still in position, the door to the attic creaked open. The creepy music playing in the background became suspenseful.

He could hear them. He eavesdropped while waiting for them to come into the back room.

"See, this isn't scary. It's mostly just fake cobwebs and fake blood." He assumed the annoying friend said that.

"Lo, I'm scared. There are really big spiders in here and I don't like spiders." Virgil heard a small whimper. It must have been one of the guys in the couple.

"It's good, we are safe, safe..." That must be the other guy, he thought. They sounded really scared. Definitely go easy on them.

"You guys are just baby's. Human up and walk through this house like you own the place. Nothing will scare you then. It's all fake anyway."

That was the last straw. He could deal with a cocky hot guy walking through the place. They came often with their girlfriends and they left terrified.

But this wasn't no ordinary cocky hot guy. This guy was full on trash talking. Virgil didn't like many things, but this job was something he cared about. No talks trash about his job except for him.

Virgil got up silently and hid behind the door. It slowly creaked open and the three walked in. They didn't see him. Not yet.

"See, it's just a room, nothing to-"

Virgil slammed the door shut. The three jumped back. He gave them his dead look. Nodding his head back and forth, he toke the fake axe out of his chest.  The fake blood started to poor out.

He started quietly singing a creepy tune as he walked towards them.

He's coming

He's watching you

He's behind you

He's going to get you

Virgil then did his signature scream and laughed like mental patient.

The three screamed. The couple ran and Virgil let them go. They were the good people. All that was left was the cocky man outside.

"Not so brave now, are we?" He lowered his voice and began to corner the teen.

"I'm- I'm so-sorr-ry. I..." His voice trailed off. The guy was shaking and was backed in a corner.

"Well, that's nice." Virgil held the axe up. He leaned in, getting close to the guy's ear. He heard a slight hitch in his breath and smirked. "But I don't believe you," he whispered mockingly.

He pulled the axe up and let the guy scream and run and then hit the wall that once had a person there.

Virgil turned around and was about to chase him. Suddenly, he felt something hit him in the face and he was knocked out cold.

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Virgil woke up in a bright room on a couch. He realized it was the kitchen, which was the one place that was never spookified. It was their break room.

A head leaned over him, blocking some of the light. His vision cleared and saw the attractive man from earlier looking distressed.

"Are you okay? I'm so sorry. You scared me and I had to react and I forgot you were a human, not an actual ghost. I'm sorry."

Virgil slowly sat, squinting at the his surroundings. "How long have I been out?"

"Only about five minutes. I hit you with a big fake spider, so I doubt you have a concussion." They both laughed. " I'm Roman, by the way. Just in case you were wondering."

"Cool. It's always good to know the name of the guy who hit you with a plastic spider. I'm Virgil."

"Oh, cool."

Virgil looked at Roman. He was very attractive. He had light brown hair swept to one side. His hands were on his hips and...

Wait a minute, did he pee himself out of fear? Virgil began to snicker, the thought of it hilarious.

"What's so funny? Is there something on my face?"

Virgil was laughing so hard, he could barely answer him. Finally, wiping tears out of his eyes, he could speak again.

" You must either really like me or I really scared you." He pointed down at Roman' s crotch and began to laugh again.

" What do yo-" Roman looked down and saw. He realized that during his moment of bravery and fear, he got really scared. "Well, this is wonderful. Karma is a real jerk sometimes, you know. This is my punishment for hitting you with a spider."

"Well, it could be worse." Virgil continued to giggle. Roman rolled his eyes.

"Yes, laugh at my stupidity at work. Thank you Virgil for boosting my self-esteem."

"Your welcome, your welcome," he began to sing, while bowing.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but now is not the time for Disney. I have other issues." He gestured to his pants.

"Here," Virgil reached for his bag and dug through it. He pulled out a pair of jeans and a hoodie. "If the jeans don't fit, just wear the hoodie. It should cover anything." He tossed Roman the clothes.

"Really? You would let me wear your clothes. Are you okay with this?"

"Yeah, that's fine. I'll go home in costume. Maybe I'll get out of a speeding ticket."

"Yeah, maybe." Roman looked at the boy. He was very strange. He walk towards Virgil and hugged him. "Thank you. Here." He grabbed a pen and one of the flyers nearby. He wrote down his number and gave it to Virgil.  "In case you want this stuff back."

And they both went home. Virgil still in costume, and Roman in another boy's clothes.

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This is was so much fun. Halloween is my favorite holiday, so this was awesome to write. I will take any requests for one-shots. That's all for now. Bye

~Dotty