My Top 10 Spooky Cartoon Shorts

Back when I was a little kid, and obsessed with holidays, I loved Halloween the most, because it made me feel the most adult. It was the one time in which I could come face to face with creepy things that scared me, and the more spooky stuff I faced, the tougher I felt. 

Even when it wasn’t Halloween, I always loved seeking out forms of entertainment that had a darker edge, just for the excitement of facing something a little intimidating. However, I wasn’t always aloud to watch spooky children’s programs like “Goosebumps” and “Are you Afraid of the Dark”. Thus, I relied on something I was always permitted to watch … cartoon shorts, with my personal favorites being the ones with a dark and spooky edge to them. As such, I want to pay tribute to some of my childhood favorite spooky shorts that I grew-up with … preferably with a top 10 favorite list. My only two conditions are that the shorts have to be under ten minutes, and if it's a Disney short, it can't feature any of the classic characters like Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, as they deserve their own separate top 10 list. Also, I only want one short representing “The Simpsons Tree House of Horror”, or else it would be impossible for me to balance out this countdown. With all that said, here are my own personal top 10 favorite spooky themed cartoon shorts.  

 

#10 Bugs Bunny: “Transylvania 6-5000” (1963) 

Our favorite “rascal-y-rabbit” Bugs Bunny has taken another wrong turn, and found himself staying the night at a dark and twisted hotel … lorded over by a mysterious Count … who may or may not be a dangerous vampire. However, Bugs Bunny is nothing if not resourceful, and in this situation … one wonders who the real victim is going to be. When it comes to dark Bugs Bunny adventures, there’s a number of them revolving around Bugs trapped in a castle, facing either witches or mad scientists with their pet monsters, but this one’s my personal favorite. After all, it’s Bugs vs Dracula … kind of hard to top that, and it makes for an appealing episode to watch on Halloween. The elaborate castle setting is chalk full of detail, including hallways framed to look like coffins, which is hilarious. The slapstick between Bugs and Dracula lead to some funny punchlines, and it’s just a classic dark-comedy short, with one of our favorite cartoon icons.

#9 “Season’s Greetings” (1996) 

If you’ve seen the 2007 Horror Movie “Trick r Treat”, you may remember the unique looking child entity simply named Sam. If you’re a fan of the character, you may be interested to see his origins in this cartoon short. In this morbidly funny short, a trick-or-treater is stalked by a frightening stranger on Halloween Night ... but the kid is actually a lot scarier and meaner than the stranger realizes. While certainly not a short for children, it has that same spooky, kid-friendly look. Plus, as a fan of “Trick r Treat”, this short has always stuck with me as a personal favorite, especially for the introduction of our favorite creepy trick-or-treater Sam. Everything else from the chilling atmosphere, to the seasonal visuals are 100% Halloween, and just the thing to put you in the mood for the scariest night of the year.

#8 Tim Burton's: “Vincent” 

Before becoming a famous movie director, Tim Burton created a number of short films, one of which left a terrifying impact on my childhood. Tim Burton’s first short titled “Vincent” was released in 1982, and was a loving homage to horror movie legend Vincent Price … who actually provides the narration in the special. We see a young boy named Vincent, who likes to imagine himself as a mad doctor of sorts, modeling his actions off Vincent Prices more famous horror films, like “House of Wax”. Something about the mood, and imagery in this short bugged me out when I watched it as a kid, especially with the child’s twisted obsessions on display. Watching this special again as an adult, I find myself respecting it more, and I view it as almost autobiographical of Tim Burton himself ... heck, the kid puppet even resembles Tim Burton. The puppet work and imagination on display are truly haunting spectacles, resulting in an enjoyably dark short … with a shocking twist ending.   

#7 “Skeleton Frolic” (1937) 

A lot of people know the cartoon classic "The Skeleton Dance", done by Walt Disney, but there’s another similar cartoon released from Columbia Pictures, and this one was done in color. 

It’s a night for mischievous Ghouls and Skeletons to get up from their graves and throw a party … and who would have thought that a bunch of dead figures could be so … “lively”. I personally prefer this one over the Disney short for both the creativity in the designs, and for the striking colors that put me in the perfect Halloween mood. We can see Black Cats silhouetted against a bright Orange moon, or see a traditional looking skeleton with a bright pumpkin on its head. I also love how this cartoon can subvert expectations … at one point your looking at glowing yellow eyes that appear to belong to a cat … but there actually eyes on a tree … a tree that gets up and walks. There’s just more variety in this short, beyond just Skeletons dancing, and it's one that easily puts me in the October spirit.   

 

#6 “Loony Tunes: Scaredy Cat” 

Porky Pig and Sylvester the Cat are staying a night at a quiet little house, but Sylvester is none too happy to be there. At first it seems like your typical spooky old home, full of bats and cobwebs, but as more dark secrets begin to unravel, Sylvester discovers that in the basement dwells a secret cult of mice who execute helpless victims. All through the night, he tries to protect Porky, who dismisses Sylvester’s warnings as exaggerated paranoia … that is until Porky himself gets captured. Seeing Porky in a Death Cult is intense enough, but there’s so much more to this short that elevates its uniquely dark atmosphere. The background designs of the house are bright-red, giving it a hellish vibe. There’s also a number of moments when characters are taken away and kept off screen, which build-up the dread and unease. Still, at it’s core, this is another funny Looney Tunes venture, but with a distinctly dark and sinister edge.              

 

#5 Betty Boop in “Snow White” 

Of all the classic cartoon characters, I think I underestimated Betty Boop the most. 

Not only are her old black and white shorts beautifully animated, but their also highly imaginative, and go beyond normal expectations for typical children’s shorts. Case in point, her variation of “Snow White” is chalk full of dark overtones, spooky imagery, quality animation, detailed backdrops, and isn’t afraid to put its female lead in some horrible circumstances. After upsetting the evil queen, she sentences our adorable femme-fatale to death, and the majority of the short is focused on ... well ... Betty Boop’s Funeral. It’s a crazy sequence, with an awesome dancing ghost taking center stage, a catchy song, monster appearances, and no shortage of spooky imagery. There's also a colored version of the short, which is neat, but I personally feel the Black and White look to be more effective.    

 

#4 The Simpsons: “The Raven” 

In this classic “Simpsons: Tree House of Horror” short, Lisa is encouraged to share Edgar Allan Poe’s most famous poem with her brother, and imagines her family members in the roles of the characters. Despite being a funny satire, it still captures the spirit of its source material … and somehow elevates it to eleven. The striking visuals, the tilted angles, and the dominating voice of James Earl Jones as the narrator all help create a haunting and absorbing atmosphere. Honestly, having the voice of Darth Vader recite some of the most famous pieces of spooky literature is one of the greatest things to subject your ears too. It’s just a perfect blend of laughs and chills in this Simpsons Halloween staple.    

 

#3 Bimbo: “Swing you Sinners” 

The Mischievous Bimbo decides to torment a chicken one night, which gets the attention of a nearby cop. In an effort to avoid the authorities, Bimbo hides in a graveyard … big mistake, as it’s haunted ground. 

Now typically in a situation like this, the location will come to life just for the sake of being scary, but here all the ghouls and spirts are outraged by this trouble maker who’s entered their grounds, and their going to make him regret his actions. The graveyard setting is one of the most unique I’ve ever seen, as it goes beyond simply featuring skeletons and ghosts … everything in this cemetery is alive. The gravestones are alive, the spooky trees are alive, the house gets up and walks … even the ground is a living entity all its own. The music is catchy, the imagination on display is mind-shattering, the energy is relentless, and it creates an atmosphere that shatters all fabric of reality. For an old 1930’s short, it’s still quite impressive to look at. If you like spooky shorts with no shortage of dark tones and haunted imagery, look no further then “Swing you Sinners”.   

#2 “Dexters Laboratory: Scar Tactics” 

“Dexter’s Laboratory” was one of those shows that I found very appealing at a certain age, but hasn’t really stuck with me over the years ... that is with the exception of this funny little 10 minuet short. When our boy genius discovers an ad in the TV guide for a late-night scary movie, he decides to stay-up after hours against his parent’s permission to watch the film. His dad secretly joins in for the ride, and they both find the movie more terrifying then they expected. 

Thus, it becomes a difficult task to even get back to bed, as their over-active imaginations are now making the littlest of house hold items seem terrifying. The brilliance of this episode is that nothing supernatural ever happens, yet both Dexter and his dad still have a funny and spooky adventure running through their house. The comedy is great, and it goes to show the power of one’s active imagination when fear takes hold. My favorite joke revolves around a creepy guy randomly appearing at the door, who happens to be a neighbor accidently entering the wrong house. It’s just a really funny episode, and personally, it's still one of my favorite spooky themed shorts to watch in October.   

Before I reveal my number one favorite spooky cartoon short, here are some quick Honorable Mentions …

Betty Boop in “Minnie The Moocher”

Silly Symphony’s “Skeleton Dance”

Tom and Jerry: “Heavenly Puss”

Silly Symphony’s “Hells Bells”

Courage The Cowardly Dog: “King Ramses Curse”

#1 Disney’s “A Night on Bald Mountain” (1940) 

  For the finale of Disney’s 1940 animated classic “Fantasia”, we’re treated to one of the spookiest musical numbers of all time, as armies of Ghosts and demons gather around their evil master and dance savagely through the night. I can’t even express in words how thrilling, yet terrifying this was to see at a young age. Its scary right from the start, with that painting of the mountain, all that green lighting and the chilling silence … it draws you in immediately. 

Then that creepy music begins to build up and throughout the remainder of the cartoon, we get shadows engulfing towns, cemeteries, creepy imagery, phantoms floating all over the place, demonic creatures dancing around flames and all kinds of unspeakable, terrifying creatures just leaping at the screen. I remember being 4 years old and running behind my couch because I was so scared that those things would leap out of my TV screen. I honestly don’t think any other animated cartoon can match the spooky atmosphere and visual flare on display in this short. 

The animation of course is stunning, with a nice assortment of colors ranging from cold blues to fiery pinks. Of course, the character taking center stage in this episode is the demonic villain named Chernabog, who certainly had a number of creepy facial close up's. Those evil eye's and wicked smile always came back to haunt my dreams. In all its spooky and Gothic glory, “A Night on Bald Mountain” remains one of the most frightening experiences from my childhood, yet one of the most thrilling and consistently entertaining cartoon shorts that I just have to watch every year. With their joyful overtones, nostalgic novelty and no shortage of Halloween delights, I highly recommend looking up some of these old spooky cartoons during October.

Thanks for reading my countdown ... and continue to enjoy the Halloween Specials you Love!