^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ PRZ NEWSLETTER: ISSUE 87 * HALLOWEEN ISSUE * Written by Mark Oxman ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ ^v^ It's October 31, 1996 -- Halloween! Get ready for some spooks and scares with this special Halloween issue. * * * HALLOWEEN SCARY STORY * * * THE HAUNTED MASK by Mark Oxman (based on the story by R.L. Stine) Mark Oxman and his friend Katherine Hillard were walking to a pumpkin patch on October 30th. "Man, it sure is dark out here!" Mark whispered. "The pumpkin patch is farther than I thought it'd be. Maybe, we should go home and forget about it!" "Don't be a scaredy cat, Mark!" Kat whispered to him. "We're almost there. It's right behind that store." "What is that store anyway? I've never seen it anyway?" Mark went up to the store, and squinted to see through the darkness. He read the sign: "Angel Grove Novelty Shop." Kat glared at all of the monsters and aliens staring back at her through the window display. "Woah, look's pretty scary, huh?" "Yeah!" Mark said, in fascination. "Well, come on. I want to get home. I still have homework to do!" Kat complained. "Sorry, I'm coming!" Mark said, as the two of them headed towards the patch. But, they didn't know that someone was watching them. Through the store window, a man watched Mark and Kat make their way to the patch... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Ew, all these pumpkins are rotten!" Mark complained, as he looked through the selection. "Why'd you have to wait until tonight to get a pumpkin?" Kat asked. "Why does it have to be so creepy out here?!" Suddenly, Mark eyed a round and bright orange pumpkin. "Ooh, I found it! The perfect pumpkin!" But, just as he grabbed it, it started to shake. Until it rose...into a pumpkin- headed monster. "Aaaaaah!!! It's the Pumpkin Rapper! Just like the one the Power Rangers fought!" Mark screamed. Just then, another pumpkin-headed monster appeared from nowhere. Mark kept screaming and screaming. Suddenly, the pumpkin-headed monsters started laughing. "Man, Mark, you scream like a girl!" It was Bulk and Skull, the town bullies. They couldn't resist a practical joke on the town's least bravest kid. Mark stormed off in tears. Kat ran after him. "Mark, I'm sorry. I had nothing to do with that!" "Yeah, right!" "No, really. It was the dumbest trick!" Mark stopped in his tracks, and tried to stop crying. "It was pretty stupid for me to fall for it!" "Those two are sickos. Don't feel bad!" "It's just...they don't this to anyone else but me, Kat. Why me?" "Don't feel bad, Mark. It's not your fault. It's just because you're so...scareable." "Come on, that's not fair!" Mark shot back. "I mean, I may be afraid sometimes but..." "Mark, everyone knows you're afraid of everything." Mark stopped denying. "Okay! I don't like being afraid, I don't like being scared, Kat. I...I just wish that one day they knew how it feels!" "So do I," Kat agreed. Mark took off. Suddenly, Kat realized something. "Wait, you didn't get your pumpkin!" But, Mark didn't stop. "Those two ruin everything!" Kat thought, as she followed Mark home. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The next day was Halloween. Kat invited Mark to sit with her friends and her, so they could talk about Halloween. It seemed that Kat was the only one of her friends who took it seriously, so she was glad she met Mark. "So, what are you going to be tonight?" Kat asked Mark. "My mom made me a ghost costume." Mark told her. "What does it look like?" "It's a...sheet. With two holes for eyes." "That's it? That's your costume?" "Well, yeah..." Just then, Bulk and Skull wandered by. "Hey, guys!" Bulk said. "What's happening?" "I don't believe you're showing your face around here, after how you ruined Mark's night!" Kat shot at them. "It's okay, Kat. What do you two want?" "Nothing, just wanted to apologize. Is that okay or do you want to yell at us some more?" Skull asked. "That's fine. Just go away, please." Mark requested. While Bulk distracted Mark and Kat, Skull hid a worm into Mark's sandwich. "Okay, we'll go away. Talk to you later!" Bulk said, as the two of them walked away, trying hard to hide their mischievous laughter. Mark shook his head, and picked up his sandwich. One bite, two bites, and then... "AAAAH!!! There's a worm! There's a worm in my sandwich!" The whole school turned around. Everyone was laughing at him. "A worm! They made me eat a worm! Kat! Kat!" Kat looked up at him. She didn't know what to say. All of her friends were laughing at him too, but they were trying not to. "A worm! I ate a worm!" The laughter got stronger. Mark couldn't take it anymore. He ran into the bathroom, in tears. He sat there through the whole lunch period and didn't have lunch. He knew what he had to do. He'd go to that store -- what was it called? Oh yeah, Angel Grove Novelty Shop. He'd buy a really scary mask, and he'd get even with Bulk and Skull then. He'd make it a Halloween they'd never forget. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After school, Mark walked into the Novelty Shop. He glanced around. "This is perfect!" he exclaimed. Just then, the shop owner looked up at him. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded. "I -- I -- I'd like to buy a mask please." "We're closed!" "Please, sir. I won't be long!" The man thought. "Five minutes! But, no later!" Mark thanked him and started looking around. He picked up a gorilla mask. It was scary but it was kind of silly, too. What else? There was an alien but it looked too fake. But, it seemed to be the scariest they had. Would an alien mask scare Bulk and Skull? He tried to picture it in his mind. He just couldn't see it. They would just laugh at him. And, then he saw it. The door of the back room was open and he saw a mask back there. It looked so realistic, so amazing. He had to have a look. Mark crept into the back, when the man wasn't looking. The mask he had seen was there, along with four others. He looked at all of them, and then he saw the one at the end. It was awesome! It had green skin, blood red lips, and long, crooked teeth. It looked like a real face. It was exactly what he wanted. Suddenly, the store owner entered the door. "Oh, sir, this mask. How much is it? I only have thir--" "WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE?!" The man's voice had startled him. He didn't expect him to be so mad. "Sorry, I just saw the mask and wanted to check it out!" he lied. "But, how much is it?" "It's not for sale." he told him. "Now, please leave. You shouldn't even be in here." "Not for sale?! Why not?" Mark asked him. "It's -- too scary..." the man told him. "So? I need a scary mask." "No! Get out of here!" How could he leave? It was exactly what he needed. "Please!" Mark asked. "I need it. Please!" "I can't!" "But, I *need* it! I really need it." The man blinked. "I'm warning you..." "I know, I know. Please!" "You will be sorry." "No, I won't! I promise I won't!" Mark exclaimed gleefully, noticing that he was about to give in. The man handed him the mask. "Thanks!" he cried eagerly, grabbing the mask. "It's perfect! Perfect!" "Bulk and Skull, watch out!" he muttered. He was too excited to see the man's terrified face. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After Mark tried on the mask, he was extremely impressed by how wonderful it looked. He would be hit of the neighborhood! Of the school! Of the city! Suddenly, his mom knocked on the door. He threw off the mask. He didn't want her to know he had blown his allowance on it. "Honey, what's going on?" "Nothing!" "Well, Kat just called. She says she wants to see your ghost costume. So, go ahead and go on over!" "Okay, mom!" he told her. When she left, he grabbed the mask and put the sheet over his head. As he left the house, he felt something weird happening to his face. The face seemed to be shrinking -- tightening over his face. Suddenly, the mask didn't feel like a mask anymore. "Weird," he muttered, as he pulled off the ghost costume. He walked up to Kat's house and knocked on the door. Kat was dressed as a princess. She pulled open the door, and screamed... "Hey, Kat. What's the matter? Don't recognize me?" "M-Mark? Is that you? Wow, where'd you get that mask?" "It's a secret." Kat touched it. "Ew, it feels like real skin!" Mark laughed, a scornful laugh he had never heard before. "Mark, was that you?" "Yes!" his voice rasped. "Hurry up, and let's go trick-or-treating!" His voice sounded so different. What was happening? "HURRY UP!" he repeated. Kat jumped to her feet. "O-okay... Just let me get my bag." As Kat went back into her house, Mark saw Bulk and Skull pass. "Forget Kat! This is my chance!" Mark whispered, in his new voice -- the voice that was not his. And, he snuck behind the two bullies, dressed as pirates. Just then, Kat came out of the house. "That mask is so cool, Mark. I don't bel--". But, Mark was not there... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Hey, Bulkie -- do you think someone's following us?" "Don't be an airhead, Skull. Who would be following..." Just then, Mark jumped out at them, in the evil mask. "...us!" Bulk continued. "Who are you?" Skull asked. "You're Mark, right?" "No, no. Mark is dead. I killed him. And, I'm going to kill you next!" the evil voice of the Haunted Mask said. Mark was not saying those words, but they were coming out of his mouth. "What do you want from us?" Bulk asked. "Please, leave us alone!" Skull begged. "First, apologize to Mark. His spirit is in the air!" "Apologize for what?" "FOR WHAT?! For all the times you hurt him, and made people laugh at him, and all the times you made him cry! Apologize!!!" Bulk and Skull apologized to Mark's spirit and then ran off screaming. Mark was in hysterics. "If I can scare those two, I can do anything. Something incredible. Something that hasn't been done before! Like...destroying the Power Rangers!" * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * An alarm rang in the Command Center. A monster was attacking Angel Grove. Alpha and Zordon were surprised to see that the monster was actually Mark. The Rangers communicated with Zordon and Alpha via communicator. They said that they would not fight another human no matter what. They would try to negotiate with Mark... * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The spell had taken over Mark completely. He would not agree to any negotiations. "Your power coins, or the city is gone!" he threatened. The Power Rangers had no choice but to give him their Power Coins. "This is great!" he laughed. "With the Power Coins, I have all the information I could ever want about you guys! I know, I'll write a Power Rangers newsletter on the Internet!" And, he did. And, he's still writing newsletters to this day. And, the mask is still on his head. But, nobody knows...until now. * * * HALLOWEEN POEMS * * * TRICK OR TREAT by the Power Rangers Trick or treat, you're incomplete For the Power Rangers, you can't beat All you are is pumpkin meat. -------------- MR. BONES He may be just a skeleton His back is kinda thin He's got a lot of attitude But, not a lot of skin There's more to him that meet the eye Despite the shape he's in And, they call him Mr. Bones Bones! Mr. Bones, Mr. Bones He's friendly with the gnomes He can take you with me And, always hold his own He's got a big dispenser no matter where he roams And, his name is Mr. Bones Bones! His name is higher, reach the sky He can't afford to wait The time has come for absolute Tomorrow is too late Yes, it's the star; he plays guitar He's good; in fact, he's great And, they call him Mr. Bones And, his name is Mr. Bones Bones! ------------------------------------- MACBETH by William Shakespeare Double, double toil and trouble; Fire burn and caldron bubble. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake; Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder's fork and blind-worm's sting, Lizard's leg and howlet's wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble. --------------------------------------------- THE GHOST OF JOHN by Charnie Guettel Have you seen the ghost of John? Long white bones and the rest all gone. Ooh-oooooh, oo-oo-oo-ooh, ooh! Wouldn't it be chilly with no skin on? ----------------------------- BATTY by Shel Silverstein The baby bat Screamed out in fright, "Turn on the dark, I'm afraid of the light." ---------------------------------------------------- JOHNNY DREW A MONSTER by Lilian Moore John drew a monster. The monster chased him. Just in time Johnny erased him. --------------------------------- THE FOSSILOT by Jane Yolen You cannot find a Fossilot Except in ancient stones, Where imprints of its teeth and claws Lie jumbled with its bones. Some scientists cleaned up the bones, Arranged, then tried to date them. But when they had the jaw complete-- It turned around and ate them. ---------------------------------------------- THE WINTER GHOST by Pyke Johnson, Jr. The ski suit, the muffler, The heavy wool cap Came up the Library stair. And I tried to guess: Is it boy? Is it girl? I can usually tell by the hair. But there was no face And no other clue, Though I stared as it passed, With particular care. So I peeked in the room As it hung itself up-- There wasn't anyone there. --------------------------------------------------------- HOW TO SPEAK SPOOK by Joan Daniels Campbell Choose a night when the wind's at work shaking shutters, rattling doors. Invite black cats to prowl the room. Turn out the lights and wait until you feel the moment's right. Then yowl out sounds so ghostly even YOU know fright! Practice booo! Stretch out that ooooh like a balloon loooosing air. And, if you dare, scarenade your neighbors tooooooooooo. To stop-- Chop off that oooooh. One short sound of ooh will do. Like-- BOO! * * * HALLOWEEN RECIPES * * * ZOMBIE EYEBALLS Perfect for Halloween hors d'oeurve. You can even freeze them ahead and bake them in small batches. We like to use Jalapeno Jack cheese, as it's flecks of red and green peppers add a ghoulish visual effect. 1/2 stick butter or margarine 1/2 pound grated cheddar or Monterey jack cheese 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt About 24 small stuffed olives Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Leave the butter or margarine out until soft. Combine it with the cheese in a mixing bowl until well blended. In a different bowl, mix the flour, paprika, and salt. Combine the two mixtures until completely blended together. Teaspoon by teaspoon, form "eyeballs" around the olives. Place them on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12 to15 minutes. Or freeze them on the baking sheets. When hard, place them in plastic bags then thaw and bake them as needed. If successful, your guests will say "Oooooo! GROSS!" ----------------------------------------- ZOMBIE HANDS Fun for adults and kids. Use thin clear plastic gloves -- you can find them in drugstores, or in beauty supply and hardware stores. Fill them with popcorn and tie them with black and orange ribbons at the wrist. You can make a game of this too: form a circle with someone in the center; then play toss the Zombie hand, trying to keep the middle person from catching the glove. (You can also fill the gloves with other Halloween treats, like Cornnuts, red hots, your favorite candy bits. ----------------------------------------- MONSTER FACE COOKIES WHAT YOU NEED: - Ingredients for recipe below - Food coloring (have a grownup help you) - Bakers' parchment paper (to line baking sheets) - Decorations: See list below, and add more ideas of your own! - Royal Icing (Recipe Below) or tubes of colored icing BASIC SUGAR COOKIES This recipe can be doubled 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter 1/2 cup white sugar 1 egg 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 teaspoon milk 3 cups flour 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder DIRECTIONS: Cream the butter with an electric mixer. Add the sugar a little at a time. Beat in the egg, vanilla and milk. Mix flour and baking powder, add to butter. Dough will be very stiff. Divide dough into three (or more) parts and tint with drops of food coloring. Make one part green, one part purple and one part yellow. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Roll and pat out dough into circles about 4 inches across and 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Bake at 350 F degrees until the cookies are done. Don't let them brown! Let cool on the parchment paper, then very carefully peel the cookies off the paper. Put each one on a paper plate. Write your guest's name on the plate. Let them decorate with the items below. DECORATIONS: - Curly ramen noodles (for hair) - Packages of Kool-Aid in different colors, for sprinkling - Water and paint brushes, for painting with Kool-Aid - Tinted coconut - Raspberries, blackberries,etc. - Apple slices - Candy Corn teeth - Jimmies and confetti - Lots of small colorful candies (Tart n'Tiny are perfect) - Royal icing, tinted different colors, in baggies for drawing details - Make red, blue, yellow and black (- mix all the colors together to make black.) Put a couple of spoonfuls of each color of icing into the corner of a baggie, close with a twist tie and then cut a tiny hole in the corner. Squeeze to force out the icing. ROYAL ICING Beat 1 egg white until frothy. Add 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until thickened. Tint and put into baggies immediately. Cover any leftovers with plastic wrap. * * * HALLOWEEN PRANKS * * * THEY HAVE ENOUGH TREATS... Cook a pot of spaghetti. After draining, add olive oil to keep it moist. Take a piece of cardboard and cut out a "lid" for the pot that you will put the spaghetti in. Cut a round hole in the middle of your cardboard lid large enough for a hand to fit through. Using tape, attach the lid to the pot of spaghetti. When the trick or treaters arrive, offer them the pot of spaghetti...the quickest one will shove his or her hand into the hole and lo and behold they will have a lovely surprise. Make sure you keep the pot at a level high enough so they cannot see into the hole. Make sure to have a paper towel or dish towel on hand to offer the poor kid when they take their hand out of the spaghetti. Enjoy! -------------------------------------- DEAD MAN GAME by Maris Leach Dead Man is a game played just for the scary fun of it. You and another friend or two already know the game and have prepared some objects to be passed from hand to hand in the dark. The more players there are who do *not* know the game, the more fun it is. The players sit in a circle in the dark and speak in low, scary voices. No one can see. They can only hear and feel! One says, "Here is the dead man's eye," and passes into the hand of the next player a peeled grape. After that has gone round the circle, someone else says, "Here is the dead man's hand," and passes into the hand of the next player an ice-cold rubber glove filled with crushed ice. "Here are the dead man's brains," says another player, who passes a dish with a soft, squashy tomato in it. Then another says, "These are the worms that crawled out of his skin," and passes a dish of wet, slippery, cooked spaghetti. Somebody comes up with something new every time the game is played. A dry chicken bone, for instance, can be produced as the old skeleton's finger. An old piece of wet or greasy fake fur can be presented as the dead man's hair. And so on. What else can you think up? ------------------------------------ "I FOUND A HUMAN FINGER!" This trick will really scare your friends! First find a small box with a lid. Remove the lid and cut a hole in the bottom of the box big enough for your finger to fit through. Put some cotton in the box and shake a little ketchup on it. Then put your finger through the hole. Slide on the lid. Now find a friend. "You'll never guess what I found in the trash can behind school," you say. "A human finger!" Then slide open the lid. There it is--a human finger, complete with blood! ------------------------------------------------------ THE HEADLESS MAN WANTS TO MEET YOU To play this trick on your friends, you will need: -- Large overcoat (stuff the shoulders with crumpled-up newspaper) -- Rubber knife (put some ketchup on it) -- Halloween mask of a person's head (stuff that with newspapers too) Now ask your friends to sit in a room. Turn the lights down low and say, "Wait here for a minute. There's someone who wants to meet you." Then go into the next room. Put on the overcoat, button the collar, and life it up over your head. Hold the "bloody" knife in one hand and the mask in the other. Start moaning in a deep voice, "Who cut off my head? Who cut off my head? I'm coming to get you!" Then stomp into the room and watch your friends run! (Note: Before you start, be sure to move any furniture out of the way, so you won't fall.) * * * HALLOWEEN REVIEWS * * * Here are some Halloween episodes of "Power Rangers" you might be interested in watching again... #54- TRICK OR TREAT (May 3, 1994) Written by Danny Sarnoff and Ellen Sarnoff Directed by Worth Keeter Kimberly is chosen to compete against Skull on the hottest TV game show in Angel Grove. Things go well for Kimberly until Rita starts a new offensive and the Rangers are called into action. This time they face the Pumpkin Rapper, a hip-hoppin' terror who takes our heroes to the end of their rope. Can the Rangers overcome this poetic pumpkin? MISTAKES: --They call the Power Sword, the Mega Sword. ------------------------------------ #81- ZEDD'S MONSTER MASH (October 28, 1994) Written by Cheryl Saban Directed by Jerry P. Jacobs As the teens enjoy Halloween with some of their young friends, Lord Zedd instructs the putties to crash the annual Youth Center Halloween Party. Then, as Tommy takes some kids trick-or-treating, Goldar kidnaps him to a secret location to battle the most vicious Halloween monster. Zedd's trick is no treat for the White Ranger. Can the other Rangers help defeat Zedd's Halloween monster? MISTAKES: --When Tommy is walking down with the kids/putties, Goldar appeared. At that time Tommy had a rag on his head. When the view switched for the fight, the rag wasn't on anymore. --When the Pink Ranger flies through the air when she first appears in the dimension, a portion of two wires attached to the stuntwoman can be seen. Later, it disappeared. ----------------------------------------------- #178- IT CAME FROM ANGEL GROVE (September 11, 1996) Written by Joseph Kuhr Directed by Robert Radler Adam is sent on a nightmarish quest by Lord Zedd and Rita Repulsa, and finds himself trapped in an old horror flick, starring Billy, Katherine, Tanya, Rocky, and Tommy as monsters! Is Adam just letting his imagination run away with him, or is this a nightmare come true? -------------------------------------- On Video Only: LORD ZEDD'S MONSTER HEADS Written and Produced by Brad Orchard & Tony Oliver When Lord Zedd peeks in on the Angel Grove High School Halloween Party, he decides to throw his own bash. After all, who could host a better halloween party than the supreme monster maker himself? Join Lord Zedd, Goldar, and their bumbling henchmen as they reminisce about some of the greatest monsters ever to battle the Power Rangers. This special episode features incredible fighting scenes with the meanest and ugliest monsters including Eye Guy, Silver Horns, the Pumpkin Rapper, Snizzard Lips, the Terror Toad, and many, many more. * * * HALLOWEEN JOKES * * * Q: Why did the ghosts get in the elevator? A: They wanted to raise their spirits. Q: Where do ghosts go swimming? A: In the Dead Sea. Q: Why did the witches cancel the baseball game? A: They couldn't find their bats. Q: What kind of beans do cannibals like best? A: Human bein's. Q: How do you make a witch scratch? A: Take away the w. Q: What do you call a monster chasing a train full of people? A: Hungry! Q: What is the best way to call Dracula? A: Long distance. Monster child: Mommy, mommy, I hate my teacher's guts! Monster mother: Then leave them on the side of your plate. Jane: What has six eyes, two noses, three ears, no mouth, and is sixty feet tall? Bill: I don't know. But he just walked into your bedroom! * * * HALLOWEEN KNOCK-KNOCKS * * * * All knock-knock jokes by William Cole and Mike Thaler, except for the last one. Knock knock. Who's there? Howl. Howl who? Howl I get in if you don't open the door? Knock knock. Who's there? Horror. Horror who? Horror ya doin'? Knock knock. Who's there? Monster. Monster who? C'monster the stew; it's stickin' to the pot. Knock knock. Who's there? Gruesome. Gruesome who? Gruesome since I saw you last. Knock knock. Who's there? Beast. Beast who? Beast still, I'm tryin' to think. Knock knock. Who's there? Ghost. Ghost who? Ghost stand in the corner. Knock knock. Who's there? Ranger. Ranger who? 'Range her favorite column so she can enjoy the next issue of PRZNL. It's the election day issue, complete with a new poll, review on a classic episode, and advice on voting. But, before we go, here's some advice for passing a graveyard... You can avoid bad luck by doing one of the following: -- Hold your breath. -- Keep saying "bunny, bunny, bunny..." until you are past. Then, say "rabbit." -- Hold your thumbs up. When you are past, turn your thumbs down. That's all for now! Have a safe (but, scary) Halloween! Count the number of Power Rangers you see! :) Mark "Ooky, Spooky, Mysterious, and Kooky" Oxman President of the Online Power Rangers Fan Club ************************************************************************** **** SEND ALL REPLIES AND CORRESPONDENCE TO MAXMOUZE@AOL.COM ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------ The Power Rangers ZEO Newsletter is copyright (c) 1996 Mark Oxman's Online Power Rangers Fan Club. All rights reserved. Any material within is property of the PRZ Newsletter and/or respective individuals unless otherwise noted as coming from elsewhere. Any opinions within belong solely to the individuals who express them. Copying or any unauthorized publication of material from the Power Rangers ZEO newsletters without permission is illegal. 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