Halloween weekend is fast approaching, and we won’t have Halloween on a Saturday again until 2037, so you better make sure this year is epic. Just make sure you follow the rules!
Speaking of Halloween rules, the spirit of the season himself, SAM, is back thanks to Michael Dougherty and his ongoing series highlighting his most beloved Halloween creation. We were first introduced to Sam through a short called SEASON’S GREETINGS. It’s been years now, and we’re finally getting a sequel from Dougherty. Does this mean we’re getting an actual full-blown TRICK ‘R TREAT sequel? We’ll let you be the judge!
As mentioned, the original animated short marked our first introduction to the Halloween icon known as Sam, and now, just in time for Halloween Eve, Dougherty is bringing him back in SEASON’S GREETINGS 2: MISCHIEF NIGHT!
As part of his new Sam: The Soul of Halloween initiative, a multimedia project giving Sam his own online home for the very first time, Dougherty has unleashed a Grindhouse-style trailer for the Season’s Greetings follow-up.
The Season’s Greetings 2: Mischief Night trailer was directed by Michael Dougherty and animated by Cyrus T. Hayley of Dragline Pictures.
WATCH “SEASON’S GREETINGS 2: MISCHIEF NIGHT” BELOW
It’s been 17 years since Dougherty’s anthology film Trick ‘r Treat arrived and became an almost instant Halloween classic, but the origins of Sam actually go back even further. The character first appeared in Dougherty’s 1996 animated short Season’s Greetings, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.
Just in time for spooky season, new original Sam content is being released across Sam’s official website and social media channels. The project includes animated shorts, illustrations, artist collaborations, merchandise and other bite-sized glimpses into Sam’s peculiar corner of Halloween.
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Dougherty has also invited a growing roster of talented artists to interpret Sam through their own creative voices, allowing the Halloween icon to wander through different styles, mediums and imaginations.
“Trick ’r Treat obviously became a huge part of Sam’s story, and I remain incredibly proud of that film,” says Dougherty. “But Trick ’r Treat wasn’t the first chapter in Sam’s story, and it won’t be the last. It really started with this weird little hand-drawn animated short I made as a film student. And for the 30th anniversary, it felt like the perfect time to go back to those roots, handmade, independent and artist-driven, and see where Sam might wander next.”
The launch also marks the debut of Sam’s official online shop, featuring exclusive limited-edition merchandise inspired specifically by Dougherty’s original animated version of the character.
You can follow Sam: The Soul of Halloween on Instagram and X for more updates and a little Halloween mischief.
