CLICK & DOUBLE CLICK: GHOSTS, GOBLINS AND WEBMASTERS CREATE CREEPY HALLOWEEN MOOD (COLUMN 57)

CYBERTIP: The Oct. 9 and 13 Surfing 101 classes are full, but we've started a waiting list. Limited openings remain in November, with plenty of spots in December. Classes will be offered the second Monday of the month from 7-9 p.m., and the second Thursday of the month from 1-3 p.m. Call Joni or Peggy at 335-6611 to register. The cost is $10, which must be paid in advance.

Boo!

Halloween may be just over three weeks away, but the holiday is already gearing up on the Internet. There are plenty of spooky and creepy sites to be found on the World Wide Web -- some year-round.

Today, webmaster Darren McGaha joins the column. I think this topic was just too terrifying for Peggy, who left town.

Joni: Darren loves slasher thrillers, but I hate them. I miss those psychological thrillers, like Alfred Hitchcock. It doesn't take much to make me jump.

Darren: Too much caffeine.

Joni: Thanks, Dr. Darren. First stop on our tour of horror seems a natural for Halloween horror.

www.halloween.com

Darren: You're greeted by a red skull that sets the tone. The site has compiled a selection of links to groups and organizations with Halloween-related information. I like the dripping blood.

Joni: Well, it's not too scary. It's cartoon blood. But some of the topics are pretty grave: vampires, witches and werewolfs, ghosts, cemeteries -- you get the picture.

Darren: Let's check out the Anne Rice, poetry and vampire-related sites.

Joni: Did you say Anne Rice poetry?

Darren: You can find reviews on vampire books from Amazon.com or participate in a chat room on vampires. There's also a spot for reader-submitted poetry and short stories, along with Anne Rice trivia. You can even find out a place to order custom-fitted vampire fangs made from dental acrylic and special-effects contact lenses.

Joni: I don't think I want to go there. Literally. Next stop is Halloween Special, a place you can create your own Halloween pictures and tunes.

www.intercall.com/(tilde)goya/special/halloween.html

Darren: Let's make a Halloween picture. Oops. We can't do it. It requires Internet Explorer 3.0 and we use Netscape. If an Explorer user makes a picture or tune, let us know how well it works.

Joni: I didn't like that site anyway.

Darren: Next stop, animated Halloween greeting cards. This better work or I'm giving up. Dennis can come in here and finish.

Joni: Not so fast, partner. You're in this column until the bitter end.

www.wteam.com/wcard/Halloween.html

Darren: It starts out playing haunting organ music and says "Happy Haunting." They have some really gross selections like a skull, torn eye, ghoul, and much more.

Joni: Let's pick the pumpkin. We must select our text color and background. An HTML message is allowed, which means you can share a web address, such as www.semissourian.com

Darren: You can preview the postcard. Ghosts pop out from behind the pumpkin and its eyes light up bright green.

Joni: Oooh, neat. There are many more choices of Halloween card sites. Next stop, the Halloween Fun Page. You're greeted by the Addams Family theme song and dancing skeleton. I always liked that theme. Good name, Addams, although they spell it wrong.

www.erols.com/ouremail/Halloween_Fun_Page.htm

Darren: Some of the choices are Halloween music, safety, games and activities, books and art. I think I'll go to art to see if there's something good and scary. It's how to make Halloween art for kids. Cool. Do we have any of this stuff?

Joni: Not now, Darren. We have to finish the column. Some of the art projects include making a trick-or-treat bag from a pillowcase and creating tissue ghosts.

Darren: I hope they're not used.

Joni: Yuck. Let's check out Halloween music. You can hear Little Monster March, Pass the Pumpkin, Dracula Says, etc. Again, these are musical games for kids. It's really a very creative site. Next stop, Halloween Village For Kids.

www.geocities.com/Heartland/7134/Halloween/hall.htm

Darren: You will find stories, a 3-D Halloween House project, riddles, puzzles and more. Let's click on Sounds of Fear. Here you'll find a number of haunting tunes, some not so little. The size of the file to download is next to the name. It plays the song with animation, such as dancing spiders.

Joni: You can build a spooky 3-D model of a haunted house. In the playground, you can play games such as the Ghost Office or print coloring book pages.

Darren: This site also counts down the days, hours and minutes until Halloween. Let's build a monster. You can build a unique creature just by clicking on the head, body or feet.

Joni: The site also includes a long list of Halloween sites for kids. There's a bunch, ranging in topics from games, costumes, safety and holiday activities.

Darren: What's your favorite spooky site on the Internet? E-mail us at click@semissourian.com

See you in Cyberspace.

Joni Adams and Darren McGaha are members of the Southeast Missourian online staff.