By Pumpkin's Light

Jenn Vasquez, the vampire enthusiast and goth Mexicana behind Vamp Jenn's Corner, joins the lair to share her deeper connection to Halloween and the dark, macabre world she explores through her writing. Jenn talks about her childhood Halloween memories, how her love for gothic literature shaped her relationship with October 31st, and her year-round traditions that keep the spooky spirit alive. We...

Chelsea Celaya returns to celebrate In the Secret Spider Garden, her hand-illustrated children's picture book that was published this spring. We dive into the story behind the 32-page hardcover featuring four magical spiders tending to a whimsical garden, each nurturing a different childhood gift. Chelsea shares why she chose to hand-illustrate with watercolors and acrylic markers, the symbolism b...

Artist, publisher, and event planner Ellen Gee shares her lifelong dedication to Halloween and how it manifests in everything she creates. We explore her childhood goth identity, what Halloween truly means to her soul, and how she celebrates year-round. Ellen digs into the creation of Autumn Brilliance Magazine — her passion project showcasing handmade Halloween art — and reveals how she curates t...

In our first Afterglow episode, we welcome back Jason McKittrick and Sam Heimer to celebrate year 10 of The Order of the Thinned Veil, their decade-long collaboration that treats Halloween as a year-round lifestyle, not just a day in October. Jason and Sam take us back to the beginning of their project, sharing how an idea between friends evolved into an annual membership experience beloved by the...

Brandon Redenius, founder of Black Mast, a merch company mixing the glamorous and gothic with camp and drag, joins the lair to share childhood Halloween memories from Northern California, his favorite spooky season activities, and how his love for Disney villains and pirates inspired the Black Mast name and aesthetic. He also shares what sets his bold, spooky, campy designs apart, his collaborativ...

In this episode, we welcome writer, actor, musician, and producer Sean Keller to discuss his lifelong love of Halloween and the creative projects that keep him in the spooky realm year-round. Sean shares childhood Halloween memories, reveals how he and his wife, Chelsea Stardust, plan their killer couple's costumes, and dives into his work writing horror for companies like Blumhouse and Hulu, gett...

If you haven't heard of the Ghouldaddies yet, you're about to become a fan. Matthew & Paul, the LA-based duo taking the spooky corner of the Internet by storm, join Mike and Miranda to chat about their love of Halloween and horror, how they built their brand, and some of the incredible opportunities it's brought their way — from Knott's Scary Farm ambassadorships to horror movie premieres. Plus, t...

In this episode, we welcome Mike and Matt — part of the team behind Halloweeniacs, a podcast celebrating all things spooky on the 13th and 31st of each month. The guys share their childhood Halloween memories, discuss whether year-round Halloween culture is diluting the season's magic or making it better, and reveal their October traditions. We dive into how they connected to create Halloweeniacs,...

Welcome award-winning author Culliver Crantz to the lair to discuss his middle-grade horror series, "FrightVision," where each book connects to a larger mysterious experiment. Culliver shares his childhood Halloween memories, reveals the truth behind his origin story involving "cursed screws," and explains how spooky stories hook reluctant readers — including his work with young writers through Fr...

Claire Dunlap, event producer behind Spooky Swap Meet and co-producer of Midsummer Scream, joins Mike and Miranda in the lair to share how Spooky Swap Meet was born during the pandemic, why Heritage Square Museum's Victorian manors are the perfect setting, and how she creates inclusive events for families and haunt fans alike. They also discuss Claire's childhood Halloween obsession, life as a sel...

Today, Mike and Miranda welcome John Brhel, the artist behind Spooky Shake Studios, to the lair to discuss how he turned his year-round Halloween obsession into a thriving business creating spooky-cute art that celebrates all things October 31st. John shares childhood Halloween memories from New York, reveals how he makes every day feel like Halloween, and the surreal experience of having Jennifer...

In this episode, we welcome Julia Halina Hadas, the magical mixologist behind Witchcraft Cocktails, to discuss how she blends her witchcraft practice with craft cocktail expertise. Julia shares her journey from San Francisco bartender to author, explaining how she transforms recipes into spells and why ingredients like herbs, crystals, and intention matter. We also dive into her latest book, Mysti...

Jason McKittrick, the artist behind The Cryptocurium and co-creator of the beloved Order of the Thinned Veil, joins Mike and Miranda in the lair to talk about Halloween, horror, and the art of handmade monsters. Jason shares stories from his childhood Halloweens, his love of vintage autumnal nostalgia, and the eerie inspirations behind his "handmade horrors," including his longtime fascination wit...

Meet the wildly creative Spooky Professor, a professional cosplayer known for bringing iconic horror characters, and her own original creations, to life at SoCal's biggest Halloween and horror events. From childhood Halloween memories and dream costumes to the painstaking process behind transformations like Poe and Gilly Anne Phibian, she shares what fuels her love of spooky cosplay. It's a fun, f...

Meet Ben Farthing, a horror author whose love of Halloween and storytelling began in childhood and now fuels a body of work steeped in liminal spaces, nightmares, and eerie imagination. He joins the lair to explore his earliest Halloween memories, the traditions he keeps today, the writers and weird tales that shaped him, and the inspirations behind his viral books — including The 31st Trick-or-Tr...

Composer and pianist Juli Draney joins the lair to explore the childhood Halloween memories and musical inspirations that eventually led her to create the whimsical world of Henry's Halloween. She shares how her early love of costumes, traditions, and storytelling shaped both the original book and its evolution into a full rock opera ballet that blends classical, metal, funk, and dance into a magi...

Halloween fine artist Christopher Cox explores the childhood memories, handmade costumes, and year-round traditions that shaped his lifelong love of the holiday. He also talks about the story behind his intricate sculpted creations and his brand October Rds, offering a look into his creative process, inspirations, and the magic that fuels his witchy, whimsical work.

Sandi and Terrence, the husband/wife duo behind Spooky Cat Press, join us in the lair to talk about their lifelong love of Halloween and how it continues to shape their family and creative lives. From the origins of their iconic designs to the creative process behind their expanding product line — and even their dreams for future spooky goods — this episode is a celebration of art, nostalgia, and...

Halloween is still lingering in the By Pumpkin's Light lair. Join Mike and Miranda for their annual Halloween Hangover episode as they swap stories from their 2025 season — the best haunts, the biggest surprises, favorite costumes, and maybe a few post-Halloween confessions. October might be fading, but the spooky spirit never does!

To close out October, Mike and Miranda sit down with Jake Hagen — better known online as @halloweenology and one of the standout competitors from Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship. From his earliest Halloween memories to his spooky life in Los Angeles and behind-the-scenes stories from the show, Jake shares how his love for Halloween and baking collide in the sweetest possible way.

Composer George Streicher and musician Sean Keller join Mike and Miranda in the lair to dive into the sounds of the season with a roundtable all about Halloween music. From childhood soundtrack memories to must-have playlist staples, hidden gems, and even the songs we'd stake through the heart forever, we explore what makes a track feel truly spooky — and which tunes deserve a place on your ultima...

Actress and indie horror icon Sarah Nicklin, currently starring in V/H/S/Halloween , joins the lair to talk all things spooky! From her favorite Halloween memories and dream costumes to her experience joining the V/H/S franchise and slaying monsters in the "Home Haunt" segment, Sarah shares what keeps her coming back to horror and why Halloween will always have her heart.

What makes a horror movie perfect for Halloween night? In this roundtable discussion, Mike and Miranda are joined by Matt Woods and Mandy of Mandy's Morgue of Horror to share favorite picks, hidden gems, and the films that capture the true spirit of October — from classics like Halloween and Beetlejuice to hidden gems like The Midnight Hour and beyond.

Um, yes, hello! It's Spooky Lake Month, and to kick off another October TikTok sensation, Geo Rutherford joins Mike and Miranda in the lair to talk about her unique way of celebrating. Geo also shares more about how she celebrated Halloween as a kid, what her Octobers are like now, and gives us a preview of what's next for her, creatively.