Newswise — Blood suckers, brain eaters, spiders, ghosts and massive credit card bills – what could be scarier?
Texas Tech University faculty have expertise on a range of Halloween-themed topics.
Are vampires or zombies the hottest monsters this year? When did vampires get to be so sexy, anyway? And why do we spend so much money dressing up like them? Feel free to discuss.
Zombies and Horror Movies
Rob Weiner, pop-culture guru and subject librarian for the Texas Tech University Library, can speak about horror in movies, literature and comics. He teaches courses on the history of horror in cinema and he has written books on comics and transgressive filmmaking.
Shopping Frenzy
The amount of money Americans spend during Halloween is downright scary. Debbie Laverie, a marketing professor, can discuss Halloween’s marketing impact on the economy.
Vampires
The sexy vampires of today’s movies are very different from the monsters of eastern European folklore. Erin Collopy, an assistant professor of classical and modern languages, can speak about their origins and their changing image in pop culture.
Ghosts
Genaro J. Perez, professor of Hispanic literature, can speak about ghosts, legends and the devil in Mexican literature.
Dia De Los Muertos
Jane Bell, director of special projects for Texas Tech’s International Cultural Center, and Tina Fuentes, professor and interim director of the School of Art, can speak about the history, modern beliefs, decorations and objects associated with Dia de los Muertos. Fuentes has experienced the ceremonies in Mexico and helps organize the Lubbock Dia de los Muertos procession each year.
Spiders
James Cokendopher, research associate for the Natural Science Research Laboratory in Texas Tech Museum, can speak about spider species.
Bats
Robert Baker, Horn professor of biology, can discuss the vampire bats that drink the blood of their hosts under the cover of darkness.
Find Texas Tech news, experts and story ideas at www.media.ttu.edu.
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