Lately, I’ve been researching the latest zine topic… ghosts and hauntings/haunted places. In my neck of the woods, one doesn’t need to go very far to find the paranormal. Monterey and Santa Cruz are filled with spirits of the past. The lovely and slightly creepy Restaurant 1833 in Monterey (pictured here) is just such a place… Haunted by former owners and full of low light, real candles and ornate wallpapers, the place has a feeling of … some kind of uneasiness… like you’re being watched. It adds a bit of excitement to your meal… especially if you order a glass of “Stokes Ghost”… a “chilling” red wine fit for the spooky atmosphere.

I didn’t stop there… right down the street is The Monterey Hotel… a lovely old establishment right in the middle of Monterey’s Alvarado Street. I had a lovely conversation with the general manager about the spooks that live there at the hotel. She invited me to have a look around, and so I did. I pulled out my iPhone and took some photos. Later that evening, I was reviewing the photos… and sure enough, small green orbs appeared around the ceiling, and a chaise lounge. A larger “ball of light” is seen in the hallway and a ghostish image on the other side of a small window leading to a hallway. As I write, the hair is standing up on my arms!

This spook-filled issue of ARt-o-rama will be available at the beginning of October. Contact me at brig@squidrowcomics.com to reserve a copy.