G. R. Sanchez

Bats Day and Dapper Day outfits 2026

Last night’s Krampus Night at the Philosophical Research Society was incredible. We heard traditional German St. Nicholas songs, saw videos of Krampus runs and parades, and watched multiple Krampuses roam through the crowd. Al Ridenour, author of “The Krampus and the Old Dark Christmas,” gave a deep, engaging talk on the history and variants of Krampus, and reminded us Krampus isn’t exactly a Christmas creature, but St. Nicholas’ stern helper. I got his new book signed and still learned something new on my second visit. Already planning to go again next year.

Krampus is a horned, fanged creature from Austria and Germany. He has goat’s hooves, dark fur, and a long pointed tongue. He carries a whip or a birch twig, and sometimes rattling chains. Throughout the month of December, children in the Alps often hide indoors, afraid they might be caught and eaten. The greatest danger comes on Krampus Night, December fifth. On this night, hairy and horned monsters roam in large packs. They storm through towns, trying to get into houses, roaring and making a terrible noise with iron chains. Anyone who doesn’t escape quickly enough risks being hit, whipped, or dragged away. For the rest of the year, Krampus retreats to the most remote parts of the Alps, taking with them the badly behaved children they have captured. #krampus #krampusnacht #christmashorror #yulecreatures #yuletide #winterholidays

Eldritch Elf time again! If you’re not familiar, it’s pretty much a Lovecraft-themed Secret Santa with the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society members. We send out a themed gift to someone, and get one back from an anonymous member. It’s a cool, mysterious way to do the holidays. This tradition’s actually pretty special to me. I first found the HPLHS years back at Los Angeles Comic-Con. Lovecraft’s books were a bit of a challenge to read at first, but their radio plays really helped me get into the stories. That’s how I ended up getting so into his work and this whole community. So yeah, Eldritch Elf has become a big part of my year. It’s cool how it reminds me of old Christmas ghost story with cosmic horror mixed in. Here are the gifts I received over the years.

Recently, I sent postcards with handwritten letters to three friends, and I’m so grateful they let me! There’s something incredibly satisfying about doing something “old school” and hands-on, especially when we’re surrounded by emails, texts, and phones. Putting effort into writing feels much more meaningful. It scratches my creative itch, and it’s just fun to connect with friends in an old-fashioned way, which I feel is becoming rare. I want to keep that alive as long as I can! I have more postcards I don’t want collecting dust, and I really want to write more. Who’s next on my list?

November was an interesting month, a whole mix of firsts, lasts, and some really full-circle stuff that just hit different. I spent Day of the Dead helping my parents clean up the family gravesites. It was different from my usual celebrations (I usually go to an event with friends), but honestly, it felt really good to be there with them. A few days later, I hit up the first-ever Forest Yokai Festival in LA—I’m a sucker for Japanese folklore. It was small since it was the first one, but super cool to see all the artists. My friend @nellustration told me to look out for “La Dama Luna,” ( @ladamaluna ) and I ended up snagging this awesome art piece called ‘Mouseforatu’ from her! Days later, I swung by the Natural History Museum for their ‘Cats’ exhibit. So many cool felines, from saber-tooths to the Japanese money cat. It’s been a minute since I was there, so that was a nice trip. Towards the end of the month, I went to Blasphemeet, this goth/alternative market. The vibe was incredible, and unfortunately, it was the last one ever! So weird to go from the first Yokai Fest to the final Blasphemeet in the same month. Definitely bittersweet, but I grabbed some cool stuff and really hope more events like it pop up. I also went to the Stranger Things/CicLAvia event. Thanks to @_crybabydev for telling me about it! My bike’s been out of commission, but I was like, “Screw it, I’ll go!” So glad I did; it was a lot of fun. But the absolute biggest moment? Seeing the Paranormal Activity stage play with my friend @nellustration . She had NO idea, but when she sent me the post about the production, I saw it was at the Ahmanson Theatre. The Los Angeles performing arts center (aka the Music Center) was my first job! I was 18 when I ushered there, and I probably worked there for about 10 years. Going back, sitting in the audience, watching a show I was actually hyped for, in the place where I basically grew up... it was fascinating. So much nostalgia, and the show itself was actually really clever. What a way to end the month. #novemberrecap #laevents #ahmansontheatre #spookyvibes #paranormalactivity #stageshow #strangerthings

So I just caught the Paranormal Activity stage production at the Ahmanson Theatre, and honestly, it was pretty wild! They did such a good job with all the illusions, and those ghostly scenes? Totally had me hooked. I’m so glad I got to watch it with my friend Johnell, a fellow horror enthusiast like myself! Seriously, a super cool and unique theater experience! Definitely worth checking out if you’re into that kind of thing. #ParanormalActivity #StageShow #TheatreNight #AhmansonTheatre #SpookyVibes

You know, this October really surprised me. Usually, it’s a pretty quiet month, but this year felt completely different, in the best way possible. It all started with watching Halloween alongside Vanessa at the Autry Museum – those food trucks and delicious eats made for such a perfect evening. Then, when Daisy came to visit, we ended up at Halloween Horror Nights at Universal with her fiancé and family. Seeing Art the Clown from Terrifier, exploring the Five Nights at Freddy’s maze, and just soaking in all the Halloween energy was something I hadn’t experienced in a long time, and it was genuinely so much fun. Roxy’s birthday was another highlight. We all dressed as hobbits – I even got to be Gandalf the Grey! – and spent the day painting in the park. It was such a creative and joyful gathering. I also got to visit Nikki before her big trip this month, and of course, spent some quality time with my favorite dog, Beau. And for a little spooky season magic, I actually made friends with some ravens, which was pretty cool. A huge thank you to Amanda and Devin for the last-minute invite to Dark Harbor at the Queen Mary. Those spontaneous adventures are truly the best, and I’m so thankful they took me along for the ride. To top it all off, I got to watch Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein with Johnell, and it was absolutely awesome. Honestly, this month was a solid 10 out of 10. So much gratitude for all these memories and the incredible people I shared them with.

Last night I saw Guillermo Del Toro’s “Frankenstein” last night with @nellustration I enjoyed it — and of course I have criticism on a few things — overall a beautifully shot film to watch.

I've been doodling in my spare time

And old Project by @nellustration and I

“The Ritual” I forgot when we did this project, but it never crossed my mind to put it on here. It was a horror animatic for a contest I believe. What I do remember was Johnell and I talking about what type of cult rituals would horrify us, and well… this was the result. Art by @nellustration and audio by @creativegerman