haft2 hallozine
HEX TALES
#13
OCTOBER 2026
HEX TALES
GAME ON!
TRY OUR CENTREFOLD GAME
Exclusive Video Content -
The Orange Pumpkin History
What’s Lurkin’ Inside 1
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Letter from the Editor
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1 Retro Masks A blast from the past The Origin of Jack-O’-Lantern See how Jack came to be 2 Halloween Goes Darker The latest fa-boo-lous colour trends Find the Fright Don’t let your eyes play tricks on you this Halloween 3 Carla’s Critters The latest trend for your Halloween pet costume 4 Find the Hidden Treats Game Roll the dice and race to find the Haft2 hidden treat
About the Name
HEX TALES
6 Typeface Graveyard It’s time these fonts were buried Top 10 Halloween movies Fang-tastic films for a spooky night in 7 The Great Halloween Candy Debate Our Haft2 crew weighs in on the tasty treats 8 Haft2 Horrorscope Here’s what the stars and things that go bump in the night have planned for you
We chose HEX for its dual meaning: a curse or jinx and, for those in the creative world, shorthand for hexadecimal colour notation, the sixdigit codes used to define colours in digital design. A little spooky. A little colour geeky. Very Haft2.
Meet the Spooktacular Haft2 Crew Barb
Brittany
Carla
Harris
Mike
Paul
Sacha
RETRO MASKS A Halloween tradition that was equal parts magical and terrifying
If you grew up in the 1960s, ’70s or early ’80s, your Halloween costume may have come in a cardboard box with a plastic window. Inside was a thin vinyl outfit and a brightly painted mask held in place by a fragile elastic string. The masks were hot, uncomfortable and nearly impossible to see through—but none of that mattered. Put one on and you instantly became a witch, monster, superhero or cartoon character. Today, these strange plastic faces are nostalgic collectibles—and wonderfully creepy reminders of Halloweens past.
the origin of jack-o’-lantern CLICK HERE TO WATCH 1
This year’s decorating trend is “Nostalgic Gothic”, think Oxblood Crimson, Victorian Black and Pirate Gold. Vintage Halloween imagery combined with a richer, more sophisticated, theatrical aesthetic.
Think you have an eye for detail? This pumpkin patch may look ordinary, but five special Haft2-O-Lanterns are hiding among the crowd. Keep your eyes peeled and see if you can find them all before the clock strikes midnight! Look closely— these crafty little creeps are masters of disguise. 2
Victorian Black
Oxblood Crimson
Haunted Emerald
Midnight Navy
#191719
#721D28
#174B3C
#17243B
Poison Purple
Pirate Gold
Pumpkin Patch
Bone Chilling
#4B2945
#B08A4A
#D9672A
#E7DDC9
TOP 10 PET HALLOWEEN COSTUMES 6
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$860,000,000 US was spent on Halloween pet costumes in 2025.
Your dog has made his position very clear: He is not a dinosaur. Start small with a festive bandana, bow tie or lightweight cape—and offer plenty of treats and praise. If he still refuses, respect his decision and tell everyone he’s dressed as a very convincing stubborn dog.
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—Costume Crisis in Collingwood
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Every year, I choose the perfect Halloween costume for my dog, and every year, he refuses to cooperate. Last year’s dinosaur lasted 30 seconds before he rolled onto his back and refused to move. How can I convince him to embrace the Halloween spirit?
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CARLA’S CRITTERS
60% of Canadian pet parents plan to dress up their pets. 3
Grab 2–4 players, a die, and something to use as game pieces—a piece of candy works perfectly! Start at the entrance to the haunted Haft2 offices and take turns rolling the die to move along the path. Land at the bottom of an orange arrow? Follow it to where it leads—for better or for worse! The first player to reach the top tower and uncover the hidden candy treasure wins. Good luck ... and beware what’s lurking in the halls! 1 die required, die and game pieces not included
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Typeface Graveyard Bad fonts never truly die. They hide in old templates, forgotten newsletters and mysterious Word documents, waiting for the chance to haunt us again. Welcome to the Typeface Graveyard—the final resting place of Comic Sans, Papyrus, Curlz MT and other fonts that should never rise from the dead.
Top 10 Halloween Movies
( based on box-office gross)
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1. beetlejuice 2024 Approx. $452.0 million
2. ghostbusters 1984 Approx. $296.6 million
3. casper 1995 Approx. $290.3 million
4. halloween 2018 Approx. $259.9 million
5. the addams family 6. t he addams family 7. coraline 2019 1991 2009 Approx. Approx. Approx. $204.4 million $191.5 million $188.3 million
8. the haunted mansion 2003 Approx. $182.3 million
9. goosebumps 2015 Approx. $158.3 million
10. monster house 2006 Approx. $141.9 million
The Great Halloween CANDY DEBATE OUR HAFT2 CREW WEIGHS IN ON THE TASTY TREATS
We asked the Haft2 crew to defend their favourites, condemn the worst and settle the question once and for all: Which Halloween candy deserves the biggest bite and which belongs in the bottom of the bag?
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10 T R E A T T R I C K
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KitKat
4.3/5
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“For when you need a break … the marketing still hits after all these years.”
7 Tootsie Rolls
1.75/5
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups
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Coffee Crisp
3.4/5
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Rockets
3.3/5
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Smarties
3.3/5
2.7/5
3.7/5 8
Candy Corn
1.3/5
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Molasses Kisses
1.1/5
6 Sour Patch Kids
10 Black Licorice
0.7/5
“Iconically Halloween. Iconically bad.”
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(March 21–April 19) The Deadline Defier
The Brand Guardian
(May 21–June 20) The Idea Generator
You move quickly, make confident decisions and know how to build momentum. You thrive under pressure and believe a rapidly approaching deadline is sometimes exactly what a project needs.
You value consistency, quality and ideas built to last. Once you believe in a direction, colour or message, it takes more than a passing trend to change your mind.
Why explore one possibility when there could be twelve? Curious and quick-thinking, you bring energy to brainstorming sessions and can see a project from several perspectives.
Creative strength: Fearless momentum Haunted hue: Blood Orange Warning: Make sure everyone is moving in the same direction before charging ahead.
Creative strength: Unwavering consistency Haunted hue: Graveyard Green Warning: Leave a little room for the brand to evolve.
Creative strength: Endless ideas Haunted hue: Dual-Tone Purple Warning: Your “one more thought” may open an entirely new creative path.
(June 21–July 22) The Relationship Builder
(July 23–August 22) The Persuasive Presenter
(August 23–September 22) The Perfectionist
You read the room, notice what others miss and understand how people are feeling. Thoughtful and intuitive, you know when to explain, reassure, listen or give an idea more time to develop.
You know how to bring an idea to life and get people excited about its potential. Confident and expressive, you can transform an ordinary presentation into a memorable event.
You can spot a misplaced comma, an inconsistent margin or a missing detail from across the room. Your careful eye helps turn promising work into polished, professional work.
Creative strength: Emotional intelligence
Creative strength: Inspiring enthusiasm
Creative strength: Exceptional attention to detail
Haunted hue: Moonlit Silver Warning: Don’t take every piece of feedback personally.
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(April 19–May 20)
Haunted hue: Spotlight Gold Warning: The best ideas sometimes need space to speak for themselves.
Haunted hue: Phantom Grey Warning: At some point, the project really does have to launch.
This October, the stars are aligned, the deadlines are shifting and something mysterious is lurking in your inbox. Whether you’re developing a brand, managing a project, reviewing creative work or presenting the next big idea, your zodiac sign may reveal more than you think.
(September 23–October 22) The Aesthetic Alchemist
(October 23–November 21) The Strategic Mastermind
(November 22–December 21) The Creative Adventurer
Balance, beauty and harmony guide your decisions. You appreciate thoughtful design and can sense when the words, images and ideas are working together— although choosing between two equally strong options may haunt you.
You look beneath the surface, searching for the deeper insight that will make an idea more meaningful. You ask thoughtful questions, challenge assumptions and rarely accept the first answer. Creative strength: Powerful insight Haunted hue: Poison Plum Warning: Not every simple solution is hiding a sinister motive.
You’re energized by fresh thinking, bold possibilities and unfamiliar territory. You’re always ready to explore another direction—particularly when someone says, “We’ve never tried that before.”
(December 22–January 20) The Project Commander
(January 21–February 18) The Creative Disruptor
(February 19–March 20) The Visual Dreamer
You bring order to complexity. While everyone else is exploring possibilities, you’re thinking about responsibilities, approvals, budgets and what needs to happen next.
Your ideas are original, future-focused and occasionally from another dimension. You see possibilities others don’t and question familiar solutions when you believe there’s a better way.
You’re guided by imagination, emotion and intuition. Your best ideas often appear unexpectedly—in a conversation, on a walk or five minutes after everyone thought the project was finished.
Creative strength: Turning ideas into action
Creative strength: Original thinking
Haunted hue: Midnight Navy
Warning: Even a groundbreaking idea needs to connect with its audience.
Creative strength: Limitless imagination Haunted hue: Mystic Teal Warning: Inspiration is magical, but someone still needs to approve the final version.
Creative strength: Impeccable taste Haunted hue: Enchanted Rose Warning: Sometimes the right decision is the one everyone can move forward with.
Warning: A meeting about the meeting may summon something sinister.
Haunted hue: Ultraviolet Blue
Creative strength: Fearless experimentation Haunted hue: Electric Violet Warning: Check the timeline before following an idea into the unknown.
Sourced from astrology.com / Artwork by Shawn Coss
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Give Them Something to Scream About
Transform your next virtual meeting with
The Haft2 Zoom Scream Screen —a frightfully fun Halloween background, free to download.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD