By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

Looking for some nice bedtime reading that just might keep you awake all night?

With Halloween rapidly approaching, it is a good time to turn the pages of Halloween Classics Volume 23, now available from Graphic Classics/Eureka Productions.

This is kind of like those old anthology horror movies and TV shows (Tales from the Crypt, Night Gallery) featuring five classic scary tales done in the style of graphic comics. Here each tale is presented by  “your horrible host” Nerwin the Docent.

If you are a fan of classic horror, you should at least be familiar with the titles.

Featured are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow”, Arthur Conan Doyle’s mummy tale “Lot No. 249”, Mark Twain’s “A Curious Dream”, and H.P. Lovecraft’s “Cool Air”. Plus, a comics adaptation of the great silent film “The Cabinet of Dr. Calligari”, illustrated by Matt Howarth.

With five different illustrators (most of the stories have been adapted for the book as well) each tale has a completely different look.

Art-wise, my favorites include the illustration for The Legend of Sleepy Hollow (art by Shepard Hendrix) and Cool Air (art by Craig Wilson), but that is just a personal preference.

These are not comic books for kids.  The text includes much of the original author’s language and it is written at an adult level (ages 12 and up recommended).

This is just one of series of Graphic Classics (Christmas Classics, Western Classics, Science Fiction Classics, African-American Classics, Tale of Mystery, Gothic Classics etc.).

The full-color comic book features 144 pages and you can find it in bookstores, comic shops or online from Eureka Productions. For information and see the entire lineup of comics go to www.graphicclassics.com.

The books lists for $17.95.