The Misfits are a straight ahead pleasure that hit me in the gut hard, solid and real like beer and friend chicken — uncomplicated, simple, elegant, but no basis for a steady, healthy diet. They’re great any time of year, but Halloween is pretty much the best time to feel their gothic punk vibes.

Check this tune out.

It’s a simple, rocking chant — pure fist-waving, lyrical minimalism.

Now check this tune out: “Rag Mop” by the Ames Brothers. The song was one of the greatest hits of 1950, sung by a swell bunch of fellows who were all a bunch of “outstanding athletes and good students” according to the link above. They look like this:

A pretty far cry from the Misfits’ carefully cultivated personae as thug ghouls from beyond a grave in New Jersey…

But check this out: the Misfits version of that Ames Brothers tune is itself a reference to a fantastically crappy film called “Rat Pfink A Boo-Boo.” Here is the theme and a few snippets of dialogue and music.

The film was made by a filmmaker named Ray Dennis Steckler who accidentally made some of the most twisted films you could ever hope to see. “Rat Pfink A Boo Boo” is imbued with a subtle yet inarguably crappy magic, like a low-priced, slow-release psychedelic that totally sucks and gives you a headache but makes you smile at the same time. The protagonist is a low-rent Batman who wears a ski mask, a cape, and his shorts on the outside of his pants as a costume. Here’s a photo:

The film also features a character named Ko-Gar the gorilla. Although meant for children, the film is so accidentally twisted YET G-RATED that it is not safe for anyone under sixteen, or prone to troubling dreams.