Nerd Nite Austin 175: A Bloody Great Halloween Show

Name: Nerd Nite Austin 175: A Bloody Great Halloween Show
Start: 2025-10-23T19:30:00-05:00
End: 2025-10-23T22:00:00-05:00
Location: 1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 120, Austin, TX, United States, Texas 78723

Schedule

Thu Oct 23 2025 at 07:30 pm to 10:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

1911 Aldrich Street, Suite 120, Austin, TX, United States, Texas 78723 | Austin, TX

Let's celebrate spooky season with talks about The Simpsons Treehouse of Horror episodes, fake blood, and Halloween lore!
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First Talk: "The (Objectively Subjective) Best Order for Watching All 35 Simpsons 'Treehouse of Horror' Halloween Specials this Autumn" by Michael Ferstenfeld & Megan Moten of Make Every Media
Doh! After 13 cursed and blessed years of research, funeral scientist and rhetorician Megan Moten and filmmaker / google-sheet-maker / husband Michael Ferstenfeld have determined the (Objectively Subjective) Best Order for Watching All 35 Simpsons “Treehouse of Horror” Halloween Specials this Autumn. They will take you through their 5 year refining process, including the grading of all 107 segments. We've done the work! You reap the benefits!
Megan Moten grew up on army bases around the globe and was raised by The Simpsons. Michael Ferstenfeld grew up in Texas and was raised by The Simpsons. They met in the Austin comedy scene and then they left it to form their own private Comedy Team / Simpsons Research Workgroup.
Second Talk: "A Brief History of (Fake) Blood" by Jason Vines
For as long as we've been murdering people in movies, we've had fake blood. There are many different styles, recipes, fads, consistencies and toxicity levels involved. This talk is going to give you a brief history of the gory glory that is fake blood. This presentation will include photos and video of fake gore. You have been warned!
Jason Vines is a Special Effects Makeup Artist and Prop Fabricator with over a decade of experience with monsters, slashers, blood and gore. He has worked with tens of thousands of gallons of fake blood over the years and boy does he have some OPINIONS!
Third Talk: "Tricks, Treats & Jack-O’-Lanterns: The Who, What & Why of Halloween!" by Drew Edwards
Discover the horrific history behind your favorite Halloween traditions! From ancient rituals to modern frights, we’ll carve into lore and legend, finally answering haunting questions like, ‘Why am I carving a creepy face into a pumpkin?’
Drew Edwards is an award-winning comic book writer, horror historian, music journalist, and showman. Best known as the creator of the cult-favorite series Halloween Man, he’s spent over two decades blending horror, humor, and social commentary. A two-time Ringo Award nominee and regular voice on the Castle of Horror podcast, Edwards has also made his mark in Austin’s music scene under the moniker “Howlin’ Drew.” He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, musician and activist Jamie Bahr, and their daughter, Luna Bella.
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The Boilerplate:
You can join us live and in person, or watch the show stream on Twitch.

We're delighted to be bringing you the show from Barrel O' Fun in the Alamo Drafthouse Mueller. Menu, map, parking info and more on the Barrel website at https://drafthouse.com/austin/theater-bar/mueller. The venue is open from 4:00 pm to 10:30 pm. As always, Nerd Nite Austin is free, so arrive early to get a good seat. Grab a drink, order some food, tip your servers, and enjoy the show!
Talks may not be given in the order listed. There will be an intermission between the speakers.
There will be volunteer trainee ASL interpreters at the show.

If you want to, you can RSVP to our Facebook event, just show up, or watch on our Twitch stream... which will eventually end up posted on our YouTube! Keep an eye on our website and our Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, and Instagram accounts, too.

Since COVID-19 hasn't gone away (and getting the cold/flu/crud/measles isn't fun, either), we ask that you stay home if you aren't feeling well or have had a known exposure. We also encourage vaccination and frequent testing. Mask-wearing nerds are welcome.