Sneak Peeks and Other Shrieks

This month Ms. Lit Town sat down with the mastermind behind Halloween Village: artist Scott Enter! Read on to see what they talked about. In addition to answering questions from collections, Scott spoke about his history of working on Halloween Village and how it all started. They also gave some sneak peaks at new pieces coming in 2024.

About Scott

Hired in 1990 as a photographer, Scott quickly became an integral part of Department 56. Once the creative team learned he could draw, he was very quickly drafted to design new pieces for Snow Village. While his mark on Snow Village is unforgettable, as he designed the first of many Green Houses   for the series, one of his biggest achievements is being the originator behind Halloween Village!

Halloween Village Origin

Scott had been toying with the idea of a Halloween house for many years, though it wasn’t until 1998 that his idea truly came to fruition. A broken Snow Village house had been set aside at the office and despite its state of destruction, Scott saw inspiration. Taking it home, he spray painted the house, decorated it with Halloween décor, and returned it to its original place. The owner at the time discovered the piece shortly later and was enthralled with the idea of such an imaginative piece. From there, Snow Village Halloween was born.

Now that you know a little bit about the man behind the series, let’s get into our collector’s questions!

Is a new Halloween accessory set a possibility?

If you are talking like a set for decorating – yes, for sure. Once the sales slow down on a set or we get a request like this then we’ll work it into our line.

Do your pieces tell a story?

I try to, usually there’s small details that are hidden in there that might come from some song that we all know and love. There was one house that I designed, and carved on the side of a tree was “Me and You” and then underneath the tree was a little dog bowl that said “Blue” so it was “Me and You and a dog named Blue”. I’ll hide little references in signage as well sometimes. One of the pieces that’s coming up was done in homage to somebody who has retired. So that piece is just a story that sums up what he was all about.

What is your favorite Halloween piece you’ve ever designed?

I’ve got lots of pieces I like for different reasons. The first pieces, I love. More recently, The Kraken House.The factory just did a wonderful job with the way that piece turned out.

Will we ever get the Haunted Mansion from the Magic Kingdom?

Well, we’ve got one Disney Park house, and it doesn’t seem fair if we didn’t do them both. So, we’ll just have to wait and see, maybe sooner than later!

Have you ever seen the movie Hocus Pocus? Will the characters or any buildings ever join Halloween Village?

I have seen the movie, and the sequel as well! We tried for many years to get the license and, thankfully, this is a success story as we finally did get the license this last year. So, something will be coming soon!

Can you tell us anything about 2024 Halloween Village?

Well, if I can remember what I did last year! The problem is a lot of the houses that are coming out in 2024, I designed a year and a half ago. Since then, I’ve been working on stuff for 2025 and 2026. I’m constantly working ahead so I have to be careful not to slip and give the wrong year! I think the Silver Bullet Anniversary Piece turned out really well. 

What inspires you to design the pieces for Witch Hollow?

The ideas just come from everywhere! From fellow employees, collectors, and everyday life. Like a spa, or open house, or the hats the witches wear and the brooms they fly around on! We always try to have something in the piece be central to a witch.

It’s the same with the names, the names all have a witch reference with them. We’ve also gotten many great ideas from collectors. Those ideas may not be what we end up with but what the design evolves into based on the suggestion. We always have a never-ending honey-do list of ideas that the creative team reviews regularly to decide which pieces we’re going to do each year.

Snow Village Halloween 2024 Accessories: Sneak Peak!

Witch Hollow Water Tower

If you're a witch, this one will melt your heart … literally! The Witch Hollow Water Tower with glow in the dark paint is a really fun piece! Because of the danger to its inhabitants, the witches and warlocks of Witch Hollow insisted the water supply be stored high up and far away to avoid contact as much as possible.

Darn Good Darn

After many costly darns, Gertrude realized the cheapest way to avoid holes in her hosiery is to clip her gnarly toenails. A wonderfully unique addition to the sub series, Gertrude is the first witch ever made that’s been sat on a mushroom. This accessory does pair with a house, but unfortunately, you’re just going to have to wait and see what that house is!

New Landscaping Accessory Sets

We’ve had great success over the years with our basic landscaping accessory set. So, the team here at Department 56 has designed two new sets for your Villages!

Crafted in subtle shades of shadow, our Dark Forest Landscape delivers a morbid palette of darkness through a variety of trees and shrubs perfect for your Halloween Village.

It's been said that the most popular season is Fall, and our Splendid Fall Landscape proves why. Complete with trees in a spectrum of autumnal shades and coordinating brown mulch, this set is bound to captivate your senses as well as your heart!

Don’t Miss Ms. Lit Town Next Month!

Catch Ms. Lit Town on Facebook Live November 3rd, 2023, at 4PM CT for her interview with North Pole Village artist Paul Lundberg!