From Horror Movie To Horror Comic: The Blair Witch Project (1999)

Posted on January 23, 2026 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and to another “From Horror Movie To Horror Comic” update. For this one we will be revisiting a 90’s Horror Film that we have talked about before in 2017, but it was not a themed update like this one, and I feel that it deserves a second look as the film was a phenomenon when it came to horror cinema and was a early trend setter when it came to the “found footage” style that is going strong even to this day. Of course the film is The Blair Witch Project and for this update we will be also looking at the single comic issue released by Image Comics based around it. The Blair Witch Project really is an iconic film that captures the attention of not only horror fans but also that of the mainstream viewer as the film was said at the time to be one of the scariest films ever made and along with the buzz that the film was real made it a must see in the theater event for so many people. So if you are ready, let’s grab our backpacks, our cameras and head into The Black Hill Woods and see what horrors The Blair Witch has in store for us all.

Let’s start by taking a look at Elly Kedward who is also known as The Blair Witch and her ways of dealing death to those she has marked. Elly Kedward was a strange old woman who lived in the town of Blair when she emigrated from Europe in 1800’s and became the town’s creepy old lady. And after she was murdered by the townspeople, she became supernatural and with this came new powers that aid her in her quest for revenge on those who make the mistake of being in the Black Hills Forest and not taking her warnings serious. Elly is said to be able to change her appearance with her always looking like an older woman, but some have reported that she is covered in black horse hair and that just the sight of her is so frightening that it cause terror and panic in those who are unlucky enough to see her. She is also said to be able to get into the minds of people and cause them to commit murders as well as do self-harm, and this is very deadly as she can have another person do her evil deeds and end her prey’s life. Elly is also dead and that means she truly has supernatural powers and makes her an evil spirit that has dark magic. The Blair Witch’s main tools of dealing death are her curses that allows her to mess in the minds of her victims and make them see, hear and feel things that may or may not really be there. She can also mess with nature as well as things like compasses making you lost in her woods and travel in circles never getting close to being able to leave her woods once she has marked you. She can also sound like other people and make you follow it to a location that she wants you to be in. She also uses people’s personal items and body parts in her curses and finding one of her bloody bundles can scare a person to their very core. Plus just her name and story is something that people that live in the area do not like to mention and keeps them out of the woods our of fear. The Blair Witch is very powerful and as of now no weakness or way to defeat her as been found, making her very deadly to those who cross her path.

So now that we have talked about Elly Kedward and her killing ways, I think now we should take a few moments to talk about the film she is from and that is of course The Blair Witch Project. Like always, we will start with the film’s plot that I will be getting from our friends at IMDB, and then after that I will be writing about the film’s production and then my thoughts of the film. So of you are ready, let’s watch out for stick figures in trees and bundle of sticks with human teeth in them and see what The Blair Witch Project is all about.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

“Three film students vanish after traveling into a Maryland forest to film a documentary on the local Blair Witch legend, leaving only their footage behind.”

Florida film students and friends Eduardo Sanchez and Daniel Myrick in 1993 decided that they wanted to make a horror movie, but wanted to make it a little different from the others being made at the time, as they wanted it to have a documentary feel that would break the mold of masked slasher killers. The pair would write the screenplay and put out a casting call for the three main roles being the college kids filming a documentary for a class project the actors hired were Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard and Michael C. Williams with other actors hired for minor roles including Patricia DeCou, Ed Swanson, Bob Griffin, Sandra Sanchez and Jim King to name a few. The film had a budget of around $500 thousand with Artisan Entertainment stepping in at the end to distribute the film. The film was shot in Maryland with most taking place in Seneca Creek State Park with even some shots taking place in Burkittsville, the location the film takes place in. Almost all of the film’s dialogue was ad-libbed with the actors only getting left notes for them to talk about key things and move the story in a direction. Once done, the film would have a few reshoots thanks to Artisan and would be scored by Tony Cora and would have a theatrical release starting on July 14, 1999 and was met with mostly positive reviews from both movie goers and critics. The film’s marketing at the time was fantastic and truly built a buzz for the film as it was made to look like the film was really found footage of three real missing students that something supernatural might have happened to them. The film would have coverage also in many main entertainment sources like Rolling Stone Magazine, MTV and Fangoria Magazine to name a few. The film would make around $248.6 million and was a big success for Artisan as well as horror films in general. In 1999, the film was # 10 for the year and many viewers ranked it as the scariest film of the year as well. In 1999 The Blair Witch Project was released alongside such other Horror Films as Sleepy Hollow, Werewolf Of Ohio, The Mummy, Terror Firmer, Wishmaster 2, Candyman 3, Warlock III, The Clown At Midnight, Ragdoll, Virus, The Rage Carrie 2, Stigmata and Retro Puppet Master to name a few. To this day, the film has a massive following as it has spawned two sequels, comic series, tons of merchandise and has influenced indie filmmakers all over the world.

The Blair Witch Project was a horror film that truly was an experience and to be honest was the last film that built so much buzz around itself that many people truly believed that it was real footage from a real spooky event that took place in the woods of Maryland where three college students went missing. When I saw this film opening weekend, young ladies in the theater were crying at the ending believing that they just seen the last moments of peoples lives on the big screen. And after leaving the theater my friends and I all were buzzing about what we had just seen and all of us were fans. Some of them would end up turning on the film once it became cool to hate it…as like with all big hit films The Blair Witch Project started to gain its haters who wanted to complain about how boring it was or how bad the acting was. The one thing that I understood that people disliked about the film was all the shaky camera stuff made some people get motion sickness. The film’s woods and rundown house setting is what helps add the truly creepy nature of the film as do the screams of Heather who at times seems like she is losing her mind from fright. And to me it really is crazy that Heather Donahue did not become a big horror actress throughout the early 2000’s and beyond, but it is said this was also by her choice as she retired from acting in 2008 and in 2020 she even changed her name to Rei Hance, and even at one point in time was a medical weed grower. The film is also one that I have found myself watching once every year or so and this always sparks me to also watch the sequels. When the film was released and beyond I would have the films’ theatrical poster, trading cards, keychain, comics and the Movie Maniac figure from McFarlane Toys, plus owned the film on VHS and later DVD. The cultural impact of this film when released is really hard to explain to those horror Fans who were too young or born after its release, but let’s just say that it helped breath life into horror films in theater as well as kicked off the found footage craze that is still going strong to this day. If you have not seen The Blair Witch Project, watch it one dark and stormy night with the lights all turned off and allow yourself to be taken away to the cursed woods of the Black Hills and allow The Blair Witch to scare you silly! And that is also one thing I want to point out: the film makes you question if The Blair Witch is real or if someone is messing with the students, with one of my favorite theories being that Josh and Mike are the ones who are setting up Heather as they want her dead and they are the ones that lead her around the woods and are tormenting and scare her before they kill her in the old house…think about this theory when you watch the film next.

The Blair Witch in the 1990’s alongside such films as Scream (1996) and The Mummy (1999) really did help keep horror valuable at the box office and is what sparked the 2000’s boom of spooky releases. But now that we have talked about The Blair Witch as well as the first film she is from, I think that it’s time now that we review the one shot issue from Image Comics that was released in 2000. I want to thank Lone Star Comics for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I also want to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s get a little deeper into the Black Hill Woods as I hear that there are some really good camping sites for those of us that want to be scared silly by strange noises in the night.

BW: Dark Testaments # 1 **1/2
Released in 2000 Cover Price $2.95 Image Comics # 1 of 1

The year is 1986, and Davis Crane was a former school and principal who finds himself in jail after trying to kill two infant twins at the local hospital. His actions puzzle the law and Crane feels that something drove him to attempt this crime. While sitting in jail Crane remembers back to his youth and being friends with the twins Rustin and Dale Parr, and even as kids there was something wrong and dark about Rustin Parr but he watched him as he was kind to animals and skilled with a carving knife. He remembers back when the brothers had a fight over Dale killing a squirrel, and Rustin disowned his brother for the death. And that night as Dale was in bed sad, The Blair Witch came to him and promises that things will be ok. The next day at school The Parr Twins are once more speaking to each other but now refuse to talk to Davis as well as their fellow classmates, that is until Rustin is beaten up by town drunk Matt Patterson and tells Davis that The Blair Witch was real and that he hears her in his mind. As Matt Patterson is taking to jail, things start going wrong for him as he pukes up blood and a small tooth that was not his, his daughter strangely dies and the town is struck with fear as they think something supernatural is at play. And later Dale Parr is show and killed by his father while they went hunting, and while said it was an accident many think it was a way to stop The Witch who had touched the boy as rumor is that The Parr Twins were born thanks to The Blair Witch. Time passes and Rustin Parr never returns to school and when Davis finally see’s him he warns his friend to stay away so that the Witch doesn’t hurt him as Matt Patterson is hit by a truck in front of them and dies. And when Davis Crane grew up he stayed away from Rustin Parr and even moved away from Burkittsville to go to college, joined the army and fought in war. Once injured Davis returns home to become a teacher and even was there when Rustin Parr came out of the woods and the bodies of the kids were found. Back to sitting in jail, Davis knows that it was a shadow ghost of Dale Parr that made it look like he was trying to kill the twins, as he was really trying to save them. As the cops leave for the night Davis Crane sits in his jail cell and he knows that the ghosts of The Parr twins will be coming for him in the shadows and darkness.

This is a pretty interesting comic as while it is about The Blair Witch, it is more about The Parr Twins who at a young age were very odd and were said to be the spawn of the witch herself. One brother grew up to kill kids in the name of The Blair Witch, while the other was shot and killed by his own father while still a youth. And the story is told from the prospective of one of their childhood friends who watched their descent into darkness and is now being dragged into it at his now older age. Davis Crane was a good kid who grew up to be a good man as he went into teaching and even fought in a war protecting our country, and even when at the hospital and the staff thinking he was trying to kill two infants, he was really trying to protect them from an evil spirit. Davis was friends with The Parr Twins growing up and while they were odd, he still watched out for them as well as cared about their well being. And now because of them his life and reputation is ruined and he will rot in jail or even their spirits will take his life away. The Parr Twins Dale and Rustin when younger has very different personalities as they both were very odd and both caring and cruel at the same time. They are said to be the “blessing” of The Blair Witch as their mother was unable to have kids and after giving her an offering, the Witch allowed the two to be born and this also meant that they were connected to her. Dale was the first to show signs of being evil as he cursed a man who did his brother wrong that made the man’s daughter die…but before his evil got to out of hand he was shot and killed by his own father. While Rustin would try to get his under control but he did set up the killing of the man who hurt him and later would kill children in the woods. They were doomed from birth as they were touched by evil and that darkness consumed them. Matt Patterson was the town drunk and after losing his cool one-day and beating up one of the Parr kids, a curse is placed on him and his life goes terribly wrong filled with sadness and death. The Blair Witch is around and wandering the woods as well as talking to The Parr Twins gearing them up to do bad things all for her benefit. The comic is pretty bloodless and really the horror comes from the Blair Witch’s curses and the uneasy feeling that everyone in the town has because of her being around and causing issues for everyone with her thirst for revenge. The cover for this issue is a strange one as I am not sure who that is supposed to be on the cover surrounded by blue light and the stick figures, while weird I would say that it is eye catching for those who like the film. The interior art is done by artist Charlie Adlard and is pretty cool, while not overly detailed, it works as it has a kind of spooky appeal and his drawing of the witch always in shadow is great. Over all this is a pretty entertaining comic based around the legend and lore of The Blair Witch, but I do have to say that I wish it had featured more of her. Check out the artwork below to see the style used by Adlard in this comic book.

The Blair Witch Project was so popular that it had several comic series based around its legend from several publishers with Image being one and Oni Press the other. There are always rumors of new sequels or reboots of the film in the works and who knows, maybe one day we will get another film entry. Lionsgate is now the rights holder as they bought out Artisan Entertainment many years ago, and while the sequels thus far have not captured that lightning in a bottle like the first film did, they are very entertaining in there own way. And for fans of The Blair Witch Project if you have never seen the 1998 film “The Last Broadcast” that as well is a horror found footage film this time about the Jersey Devil and a public access show on the hunt for him, you should check it out as it’s a weird one that has lots of twists and turns. But as you can see, we have found our way out of the woods, and before we end this update I would like to let you know that the next one will take us to the waters of Mexico as we take a look at the film Black Demon and the comic series Black Demon Tales based around it. So until next time, read a horror comic or three, watch a horror film or two and as always support your local Horror Host. See you next update as we talk about the Aztec version of Jaws…or is that The Meg?

A True Hero Of The People: Robin Hood

Posted on November 9, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink and the first update in our countdown to Thanksgiving 2024. One classic hero that I have been a fan of since I was a kid is Robin Hood, the man who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. Robin Hood is a folk legend that has been talked about since the 13^th Century and is a symbol of hope for the less fortunate as he is a hero for them, a man who cares about them having food for their bellies, wine to drink to quench their thirst and a roof over their heads. Robin Hood is a world wide icon as his story and legend are known worldwide, and the fact that he stands up against the greedy and those who abuse their power makes him a true hero for many. I think the most awesome thing about Robin Hood is that no one really knows who created his story or if he was truly based on a real person, and all we truly know is that it looks as if his legend started in England. But with that, let’s head to Sherwood Forest and go on a blog update adventure with Robin Hood and his Merry Men!

Before we dive to deep into this blog update, let’s first take a brief look at the characters that make up the lore of this timeless tale. Robin Hood is an outlaw who is skilled with his bow and arrows and who is loyal to Richard The Lionheart, who was the King Of England. Robin Hood would steal money, food and other goods from the rich and greedy in order to give to the poor who were suffering near Nottingham, and this made him the enemy of the kingdom. Robin Hood did his “crimes” with the help of his Merry Men that included Little John a mountain of a man, Friar Tuck who works for the church, Will Scarlet a young skilled sword man with other members being Alan-A-Dale, Much The Miller’s Son, Will Stutely, Arthur-A-Bland and David Of Doncaster. Robin Hood’s lover interest is the lovely Maid Marion who was the daughter of a nobel man and who falls for Robin Hood after he robs some of her father’s knights and she falls for him (other tales have them knowing each other since childhood). The baddies of these tales are the corrupt and evil Sheriff Of Nottingham, the knight Guy Of Gisborne, Bishop Of Hereford and Prince John to name a few. This is just a crash course for the bios for Robin Hood and the characters that make up his legends and tales, and if you are interested in learning more about them there are plenty of great books, websites, films and shows that can help you learn more.

With Robin Hood being a legend in lore, this of course lead to him being the subject of many TV shows, movies and cartoons with almost all of them being hits with viewers and fans as something about the character Robin Hood has always found a spot with people who enjoy his adventures. I would like to take a brief moment to talk about a few of the films and shows that I can remember loving growing up! The first version of Robin Hood I remember was “The Adventures Of Robin Hood” from 1938 where actor Errol Flynn played the hero and this version of the tale still to this day remains one of my favorite film versions. The next one of course was the 1973 Disney animated film “Robin Hood” that had Brian Bedford voice Robin Hood who in this version is a talking fox. The big film version of my generation was the 1991 film “Robin Hood: Prince Of Thieves” that had Kevin Costner playing Robin. I was a big fan of this film and had the action figures done by Kenner, the NES game, and the breakfast cereal as well as the Topps trading cards. And those are my top three favorite film versions of Robin Hood but many have played the character over the decades in film and television such as Richard Greene, Thor Bishopric, Russell Crowe, Cary Elwes, Patrick Bergin, Taron Egerton, Douglas Fairbanks and Michael Praed to name a very small few. One of the strangest Robin Hoods has to be from the 1966 cartoon series called “Rocket Robin Hood” that has a space version of the character called Rocket Robin Hood who with his Merry Men in space fight off aliens…yep, it’s a weird one. These are just some of the films, cartoons and shows based on Robin Hood, and I am sure you readers have your favorites as well.

While Robin Hood has shown up in many video games, the one that I want to talk about is called “Super Robin Hood” and it was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System as part of a game called “Quattro Adventure” that also features the games “Boomerang Kid”, “Treasure Island Dizzy” and “Linus Spacehead”. The game is super basic as it’s a side scrolling action game that has you play as Robin Hood armed with his bow & arrow as he collects treasure and fights off the guards that are protecting it, and you are on this quest in a massive castle that acts like a maze and you need to find keys in order to unlock doors. Besides the guards, the area is also filled with falling maces, flames, lava, bats and traps making your quest very dangerous. While collecting the treasures to give to the poor is a big part of the adventure, the main goal is to save Maid Marion who is being kept prisoner at the Nottingham Castle. While the game is not groundbreaking it is a fun and simple game that will surely kill some time on a boring weekend and will give fans of Robin Hood some joy as they arrow down baddies and save the day. I should also say that this game was released in 1991 for the NES, and is one I did not have as a kid.

Did you know that Robin Hood has also made his way into the world of food as well? As some restaurants have the name Robin Hood or have that Sherwood Forest theme with one being a cool little diner in Southampton, PA that at some point I plan on eating at whenever I am in the area. But what I want to really talk about is Robin Hood Flour, a product that has been on store shelves since 1909 and is currently released by J.M. Smucker Company who of course makes the Smucker Jellies to the retail market. The flour is very popular in Canada and can be obtained at some grocery stores here in America that deal in imported foods. When I was a kid I do remember seeing Robin Hood Flour on the shelves when my Mom would bring my brother and I grocery shopping and would try and get her to get it as it said Robin Hood on it. One day Juliet and I should get some Robin Hood Flour and make some Robin Hood themed cupcakes!

One other thing I want to briefly talk about is that at Jungle Jims, a massive world market grocery store in Cincinnati and a place that has all types of awesome decorations that many are taking from old amusement parks as well as fairs. One of the coolest things they have is the Sherwood Forest area that is complete with animatronics of Robin Hood and his Merry Men that has come from an old amusement park. The animatronics are on a timer and sometimes move about and talk. Now this is very awesome to see if you are a fan of Robin Hood like myself seeing these old amusement park attractions while grocery shopping is a really cool thing and adds to the Jungle Jim experience. Checkout the picture below as it was taken by my gal Juliet.

Now many of you know that I like the old Marx Toys and some of my favorites that I own are my 60mm figures of Robin Hood that come in green plastic. The knights are in grey and are taller versions of the classic plastic Army Men figures. The ones that I have are Robin Hood, Maid Marion, Little John, Friar Tuck, The Minstrel, Sheriff Of Nottingham and a Knight. These figures are so cool and I would say that my two favorite ones are Robin Hood himself as well as Little John as I like the designs of them, and the best part is these figures are from the 1960’s and they have really good details for that time. Sadly I do not have the whole set as there are more Merry Men as well as Knights for figures and they also had play sets that I do not have that included horses. But just wanted to take a moment to show these Marx Toys some respect as I really do think they are cool basic figures that I am sure brought many of kids happiness in the 60’s and 70’s as Robin Hood was very popular then.

Since I was a very young kid I have been a big fan of the legend of Robin Hood as a hero of the woods who helped the poor and robbed the rich that were very greedy and treated others poorly was something that just always set right with me. When you breakdown Robin Hood to his core, he is a hero who decided to do something about all the injustice he was seeing in his homeland and along with a band of like-minded folks they set out to right all the wrongs and give hope to those who needed it the most. Now we are at the review part of this update, and I have decided that the comic will be from King Comics as they had a cool three issue mini series perfect for this update. Now keep in mind this was a really hard choice as there are many Robin Hood comics to choose from that are really great reads. I would like to thank Game Swap Kettering for having this comic in stock and making this update possible. I would like to remind you all that I grade these comics on a star scale of 1 to 4 and am looking for how well the comics stay to the source material, its entertainment value and its art and story. So if you are ready, let’s head to Sherwood Forest and see what Robin Hood and his band of Merry Men have in store for us.

King Classics: Robin Hood # 1 ***
Released in 1977 Cover Price NA King # 4 of 24

King Richard is fighting the crusade and rumor is he is being held for ransom, and while he is away the likes of Sheriff Of Nottingham and Guy Of Gisborne are taking advantage of the people by taxing them with the guise of using the money to get the King back. Sir Richard, the father of Marion, asks the Sheriff for a loan as well as to watch over his daughter while he goes on a quest to rescue the King, and a terrible deal is made. Later Robin Hood is gathering locals to join his group that is protesting the corruption and even scares away Guy Of Gisborne causing him to play a bounty on the head of Robin! While The Sheriff has set up Sir Richard that leaves his boat crew turning on him and he winds up a prisoner in the dungeon of the Nottingham castle. Robin Hood then meets a mountain of a man named Little John who after a quick tussle joins The Merry Men the group that helps Robin and together they defeat The Sheriff and Guy who made the mistake of trying to track down the bandits. And later Robin Hood and his men steal tons of gold to give to the poor from Geoffrey Of Bellamy, a man who is trying to marry Marion by force thanks to The Sheriff and this causes Robin Hood and his men to come up with a plan to stop the wedding and free Sir Richard from his cell. Some time passes and on the wedding day of Geoffrey and Marion, the brave Robin Hood and his men are able to save Marion as well as scare off Geoffrey and his men that come looking for her, and this cause major anger and even gets the attention of acting King Prince John The Landless who holds a arrow contest hoping that it will draw out Robin Hood cause of the high prize money and he is right! As the knights surround Robin Hood from the woods, The Merry Men appear and are able to save their leader and pull off a big escape, but five Merry Men are taken prisoner. And Robin Hood of course comes for them and saves them as well as Sir Richard and finally he is able to see his daughter Marion again, but their joy is cut short when Geoffrey and his men attack and kill many of the Merry Men and even take Marion back prisoner! Now Robin Hood is angry that he along with Little John and other Merry Men head to the castle for a big showdown. Robin and his men are joined in battle by a cloaked man who saves Robin twice during the battle and soon The Sheriff, Geoffrey, Guy and Prince John and their men loose the fight and Robin Hood is the hero of the day, he also learns that the cloak fighter was King Richard and he also is able to win the heart of Marion and the two are to be married.

This is such a fun read and while some of the pacing is a little odd and I feel like characters such as Little John are downplayed it still is a thrilling adventure ride that showcases the bravery and caring personality of Robin Hood. The issue’s plot is simple The King of England is missing as he went to fight in a Holy War an during his absent many of his fellow rulers and people of power are taking advantage of the people by raising taxes and stealing their land, but Robin Hood and his band of friends and followers have seen enough and are fighting against this corruption and evil doings and this is causing a big brooding battle to take place that will leave only one side standing. Robin Hood is a very caring man who wants to help those less fortunate and will protect them when those wishing them harm comes around, he is loyal to his friends and those he swore to protect and is super skilled with a sword but more so with his trusty bow and arrow. He will die for his cause and while looked as an outlaw by some for the many he is deemed a hero. Little John is a mountain of man who once worked on the side of the greedy but who now is using his strength and skills to fight along Robin Hood in his quest to help the poor. Marion and her father Sir Richard are both good people as well who want to see England flourish and serve only the missing King Richard. And of course Marion and Robin fall in love when he saves her and she lives with him at his camp. The issues baddies Sheriff Of Nottingham, Guy Of Gisborne, Geoffrey Of Bellamy and Prince John The Landless are all big talkers but none of them have the means to truly deal with the “outlaws” that are being a pain in their sides and have disrupted the flow of the money and land they are stealing. And in the end all these guys get what they deserve when King Richard returns to England and shows that he is not on their side nor approves on what they have done while he was away. The issue has some action and while it would have been nice if the fights were a little more showcase I feel this is a really good comic that does the legend justice…I will say that I would have like to have seen Friar Tuck even in a cameo. The cover for this issue is pretty cool and shows Robin Hood firing off an arrow, and the interior art is really cool classic comic book stuff but cannot find who did it so Unknown Artist gets the credit. Over all if you like the legend of Robin Hood and find a copy of this comic make sure to give it a read as it really is a enjoyable read, and checkout the artwork bellow to see the style used in this comic. Oh and Robin Hood wears red in this comic and not green the color most people think of when this character comes up.

As you can see, Robin Hood really is one of the most iconic heroes around the world and his story is still being told in books, comics and films as his impact on culture is that deep. And when choosing what comic to cover for this update I have so many to choose from as such companies as A+ Comics, Eclipse Comics, Dell Comics, Eternity Comics and Charlton Comics have all made some amazing comics based on him. So in other words, if you like Robin Hood you have many comic options to choose from to read. Well it looks like it is time for us to leave Sherwood Forest and head to the world of coloring books as we take a look at Captain America and his Whitman adventure fighting robots! So until next time, read a comic of three, watch a Robin Hood film or two and as always support your local horror host. See you next update for some coloring time!

Trading Card Terror: Jason’s Woods 1993 Trading Card Countdown

Posted on September 20, 2024 by bloodlinematt

Welcome back to Rotten Ink. For this update I wanted to do something a little spooky and also a little fun as it’s getting closer to Halloween 2024, and what better way to celebrate than to squeeze in a bonus update for September that will be about a haunted house attraction that is based out of Pennsylvania and is known for their hayride. This place is called “Jason’s Woods,” and I’m covering trading cards that this haunt released back in the 1990’s! This update is going to be a quick one as I just wanted to add a little something more for this Trick Or Treat season as I think that this one is going to be one vintage frightful treat that you readers will enjoy. So let’s wait no longer and get into Jason’s Woods for a good fright!

The Jason’s Woods Trading Cards were released in 1993, and each card showcases one of the monsters or creatures that were terrorizing the people who came to this haunted attraction back in the early 90’s. The back most of them has the character’s name as well as a mini bio of that character…and no joke, these cards are awesome! And when you bought a pack for only .99, you would get the whole set of 10 cards making them a really cool bonus for fans of the attraction as well as made local horror stars out of those characters. So what I am going to do is rank my favorites from least to best and I am basing my rankings on the look of the creature, the backstory of the creature, the spookiness of the card, the scare factor of the character and I am also looking at it from two angles: how I would have viewed it as a kid and how I view it now as an adult. Sadly I have not ever gotten to go to Jason’s Woods, so I am basing all of this ranking on these cards. I would also like to thank the Etsy seller who had these cards in stock and made not only this update possible but also sparked the idea of this Bonus Countdown To Halloween 2024 Update. So if you are ready, let’s enter Jason’s Woods and see who takes that # 1 spot of being the scariest creature in those cursed woods!

# 10

Victim’s Head

“After Being Ripped From The Confinement Of The Wagon, This Visitor No Longer Doubts The Wicked Powers Of Zebadias. Now The Tattered Remains Become Merely Another Experiment Within The Shadows And Confines Of Jason’s Woods”

Every haunted attraction has to at least have one severed head around, and this poor guy seems to have gone and lost his life at the hands of Zebadias, a creature that roams Jason’s Woods looking for victims. He came to this Haunted Hayride looking for scares, instead he has became an experiment that now causes those frights to those who come across it. You can never go wrong with a head on a table to get a few screams.

Card # 9

# 9

Body In Casket

“The Entire Staff At Jason’s Woods Sincerely Appreciate Visitors Who Stay Around For Next Years Show. The Least We Can Do For Those Friends Is Provide A Comfortable Place To Sleep. Wake Up…Its Show Time”

What is more classic than a decomposing corpse in a coffin at a haunted attraction. When you look at this rotting chap, it makes you wonder who he was and how did he end up this dead and all messed up. A very cool card as well as the actual prop that I am sure scared some of the younger kids who bought these cards and seen it in person.

Card # 10

# 8

Uncle Ed

“Look! Here’s Uncle Ed. He’s Been Hangin Around The Barn For A Whole Year Now, Just Waitin To Meet Ya. Please Don’t Make Him Wait Much Longer…Uncle Ed Gets Irritable When That Happens.”

When looking at old Uncle Ed here you have to wonder what happened to him. Did he put that noose around his own neck to self delete or was he hung by the locals for crimes that he committed? It really does make me curious to what Ed’s backstory is. And like the other two before him, having a hanging corpse is classic and old school Haunted House frights. One thing is for sure, I would guess that Uncle Ed over the years has made a few guests scream in horror.

Card # 7

# 7

Stitch

“A Deceitful, Agitating Little Character That Zebadias Chose To Bring Home From One Of His Many Evil Journeys. Stitch Is Likely To Encourage Visitors Into Depths Of Jason’s Woods, But Has Little Power Of His Own. However, Don’t Trust Him!”

This little guy clearly is there in Jason’s Woods to cause mayhem and chaos like the Gremlins, Ghoulies or Hobgoblins as it’s clear he was inspired by those pint sized movie terrors. Stitch has crazy eyes, and I wonder if he showed up throughout the Haunted Hayride giving guests false leads to lead you down the wrong path. I think what I like best about him is that he looks like a Chihuahua that has mange and who knows that he is crazy and is loving that fact. Also it looks like this lying character is like the pet of the wood’s biggest baddie Zebadias.

Card # 5

# 6

Grim Reaper

“The Giant Grim Reaper Graphically Emphasizes That He Is Indeed The Symbol Of Death In Jason’s Woods. Any Questions?”

You can never go wrong with having the Grim Reaper at your haunted attraction as everyone fears death and this guy is the one that ushers it in! What stands out about this Grim Reaper is that he is massive in size and clearly is in Jason’s Woods to carry away the bodies and souls of the victims that have been massacred. I am sure this large skeleton face scared the Hell out of many visitors and it makes me wonder if he is still at Jason’s Woods watching over the creatures and reaping the souls of the dead? This is a classic horror character that should always have a place at any Haunted Attraction.

Card # 8

# 5

Norman

“Once A Stable, Working Man, Norman Foolishly Entered Jason’s Woods In Search Of Firewood. When The Creatures Finished With Him, His Mind Was Gone, And Now He Savagely Stalks The Unfortunate Visitors.”

Every haunted & cursed woods needs a masked chainsaw swinging slasher killer, and in Jason’s Woods, you had Norman who clearly was inspired by Leatherface from Texas Chainsaw Massacre who was driven insane by the creatures that stalk them. I would guess that Norman would bring many of the jump scares to the Haunted Hayride as he would pop up from the woods with his chainsaw reeving and give chase, it also makes me wonder if he talked or screamed and if he would ever get onto the wagon to cause more fear for the guests? Norman is a pretty cool character, and I would guess for many he was the scariest of all the creatures in the woods.

Card # 6

# 4

Poor Donna

“Violently Murdered Only Moments Before Her Wedding, She Eternally Searches Jason’s Woods For Her Loving Alex. See Poor Donna, And All The Other Creatures Of Jason’s Woods Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday In October, From 7:00 To 10:00 pm.”

The tragic murdered bride who has returned from the dead looking for her lost love and causing panic and fear to the living is things of town legends and camp fire stories, and Poor Donna is those stories come to life…or is that death? I would guess that while on this hayride you would hear Poor Donna calling for Alex and she would think that one of the visitors was her love or that they did something to him. Imagine this undead bride thinking you are her should have been husband and becomes obsessed with you throughout your ride…scary stuff. Poor Donna should have gotten a SOV Horror Film made around her as that would have been cool, or someone should team with Jason’s Woods and make an indie Horror Anthology Film about their classic characters, just saying that would be very cool.

Card # 2

# 3

Gretchin The Witch

“Casting Her Spells Upon The Visitors At Jason’s Woods Has Became Her Favorite Amusement. Be Careful…Her Pets May Be Deadlier Than She Is!”

Gretchin The Witch is a frightful delight as you know that her appearance made many visitors scream with fright, and then you also know she placed many of curses on the visitors of Jason’s Woods over the years. Also one has to wonder if she is a dangerous spell caster but they are warning you of her pets they must be truly evil then if they are deadlier than she. There is just something spooky and classic about Gretchin as you can never go wrong adding a traditional looking witch like her to your Horror attraction as when you see a witch like her you truly do flashback to images of Halloween of your youth when many of your female friends dressed like one to go trick or treating and many of your neighbors had witches as decorations.

Card # 3

# 2

Lamar

“Constantly Trying To Satisfy His Craving For Human Flesh, This Zombie Violently Attacks His Struggling, Screaming Prey. Lamar Can Appear Without Warning In Jason’s Woods, And Is Totally Relentless In His Insane Desires.”

Pennsylvania is the birthplace of the zombies as we know them in pop culture thanks to the films of George A. Romero like Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn Of The Dead and Day Of The Dead, so what would a haunted attraction in PA. be without a featured zombie and Lamar is that undead flesh eater that spooked the visitors of Jason’s Woods. As I can see it now Lamar shambling around the Hayride looking for fresh human meat grabbing at visitors as they ride past him, blood and gory parts smeared all over him. Zombies are such a great way to add frights to an attraction like this as who doesn’t like creepy undead beings trying to rip you apart to feast on your insides. I wonder how many guests Lamar has scared so bad that they fainted, I mean look at this ghoul you know he made someone go down in his time haunting Jason’s Woods.

Card # 4

# 1

Zebadias

“The Most Powerful, Evil Creature To Ever Stalk The Soil Of Jason’s Woods. All Other Creatures Stay Out Of His Path. Once In His Awesome Grip, Victims Quickly Succumb To His Powerful Jaws And Razor-Sharp Teeth. Be Careful…Zebadias Is Capable Of Changing Form. His Power Is Second To None!”

Hands down my favorite creature of Jason’s Woods is Zebadias, who appears to have been the main villain of the hayride. And he is one of those creatures I would have loved seeing as a kid just as much as I would now as an adult. Imagine being on that Haunted Hayride and seeing Zebadias coming after you, I wonder if he made noises like growls and screams or if he could talk and make threats? Zebadias is a character that I would love to know about like his full backstory and the legend around him. I would also love to write a Horror Comic Book about him in Jason’s Woods and team with artist Jeff Potter to do it, just a full 12 or 22 page comic about this creature.100% Zebadias is the creepiest, scariest and most bad ass creature of Jason’s Woods and possibly of any Haunted Attraction ever!

Card # 1

Are you terrified? I am sure this update has made you have even more Halloween Spirit as what is not to love about classic Haunted House Attractions as over the years I myself have been to many as I am sure all of you have as well. And for those of you wondering, Jason’s Woods is still going strong and make sure to visit their website here and make your way there to check them out. I know I plan on going some day as I wonder if Zebadias is still there as I would love to meet that roaming creature of the woods and shake his claw for all the scares he has caused over the years. I wish Jason’s Woods would bring back doing the trading cards and keep them in the same design as these ones and release a new set every year or two and showcase all the monsters and creatures that are haunting those woods now, so if anyone from Jason’s Woods is reading this, please bring back the trading cards! Fr all our local Haunted Houses and Attractions like Riverside Jaycees Haunted Castle, Hell’s Dungeon, Nightmare On Valley Street, Dayton Scream Park and Land Of Illusion you guys should do cards like this as well, as they are great promotional tools for your attractions. Well I hope you enjoyed this quick pop up Horror Themed update as it was lots of fun to write and who knows over the years and decades maybe I will do more frightful quickies like this one. So until next time, read a Horror Comic or three, watch a Horror Movie or two, open a pack of Horror Trading Cards and as always support your local Horror Host! And really I would love to do a comic book on Zebadias! Also the Ape Man update is coming up next!