The Citizens of Halloween Town are fictional characters from the 1993 stop-motion animated film The Nightmare Before Christmas. They are the inhabitants of Halloween Town, one of the Holiday Worlds that provide the special holiday of Halloween to the real world every October 31. They specialize in scaring humans as well as themselves and take pride in their spooky and macabre culture.
Inspiration[]
The Citizens of Halloween Town are mostly based on various Halloween creatures and motifs, such as vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts, skeletons, zombies, mummies, bats, spiders, pumpkins, etc. They also include some original creations, such as Oogie Boogie, a living sack of bugs who is the main antagonist of the film; Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King and the leader of Halloween Town; Sally, a ragdoll created by Dr. Finkelstein who falls in love with Jack; Zero, Jack's ghost dog; Lock, Shock, and Barrel, three mischievous trick-or-treaters who work for Oogie Boogie; and the Mayor of Halloween Town, a two-faced politician who relies on Jack for guidance.
Personality[]
The Citizens of Halloween Town are mostly friendly and loyal to each other, but they also have a dark and twisted sense of humor and fun. They enjoy making scary and gruesome things, such as toys that bite or explode, food that is alive or rotten, or decorations that are bloody or creepy1. They also have a fascination with death and pain, as shown by their songs and celebrations. They are often oblivious or insensitive to the feelings and preferences of others, especially those from different worlds or cultures.
Appearances[]
The Nightmare Before Christmas[]
The Citizens of Halloween Town play a major role in the plot of The Nightmare Before Christmas, as they help Jack plan and execute his idea of taking over Christmas after he becomes bored with Halloween. However, they misunderstand Jack's instructions and end up ruining Christmas for the humans by delivering terrifying presents and kidnapping Santa Claus. They also have to face Oogie Boogie's attempt to kill Santa and Jack, and eventually learn to appreciate their own holiday again.
Other media[]
The Citizens of Halloween Town have appeared in various media related to The Nightmare Before Christmas, such as video games (e.g. The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Pumpkin King, The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge, Kingdom Hearts series), comics (e.g. The Nightmare Before Christmas: Zero's Journey), books (e.g. Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas: The Film - The Art - The Vision), merchandise (e.g. Funko Pop! figures), theme park attractions (e.g. Haunted Mansion Holiday, Journey to the Halloween Town), etc. They are especially featured in the Haunted Mansion Holiday, an overlay of the Haunted Mansion attraction at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland that runs from September to January every year since 2001. The overlay features Jack and other characters from Halloween Town taking over the mansion and decorating it with their own style.
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