Boo goes trick-or-treating in a graveyard

Boo’s Halloween adventure begins with a crooked paper bag, a costume that is more alarming than intended, and a graveyard full of tempting doorbells. The trouble is that this cemetery has no ordinary residents. Its ghosts are fussy, its skeletons are easily startled, and the caretaker has a strict rule about muddy footprints on freshly polished tombstones.

For Australian readers, the setting has a familiar local twist. Halloween is becoming more visible here, from suburban street parties and school fetes to decorated shopfronts in Melbourne laneways and Sydney neighbourhoods. Still, a child knocking on a gate after dark may hear, “No worries, mate,” before receiving a lolly—or a warning to keep away from the sprinkler.

A spooky route after dark

Boo sets off at dusk, when the last orange light hangs over the cemetery gates. His costume flaps in the breeze, and every step across the gravel produces a suspicious crunch. He insists the noise is coming from his boots, though the boots appear to be walking slightly ahead of him.

The first grave belongs to a famously grumpy ghost who has prepared a bowl of treats. Boo reaches in, finds a single wrapped lolly, and discovers that the ghost has tied it to a fishing line. The sweet vanishes beneath a headstone, then reappears in a nearby tree. Boo may be brave, but he is still determined to get value for his evening.

Ghosts with a sense of humour

The cemetery’s spirits are less interested in frightening Boo than in testing his nerve. One pops out of a crypt wearing a sheet with eyeholes cut at the wrong height. Another rattles a chain, only to trip over it and land in a pile of autumn leaves. Their tricks are theatrical, ridiculous and perfectly suited to a comic strip.

Boo responds with the confidence of someone who has watched too many scary films and remembered none of the useful lessons. He knocks on a mausoleum door, calls out “Trick or treat!”, and waits. The door opens by itself. Inside is a long banquet table covered in lollies, but every chair is occupied by a silent skeleton.

The treat bag becomes a problem

A successful trick-or-treating expedition creates its own danger. Boo’s bag grows heavier with every stop, dragging along the ground and leaving a trail of jelly beans behind him. A small ghost follows the trail, while a larger ghost follows the small ghost, and soon the whole procession is queuing politely behind Boo.

The visual gag works because the prize becomes a burden. Boo has imagined a heroic return home, displaying his haul like a champion. Instead, he is pulled downhill by chocolate bars, fruit chews and one enormous caramel apple. The graveyard gate is now the most difficult obstacle of the night.

Graveyard stop	Boo’s expectation	What actually happens
Iron front gate	A dramatic entrance	It squeaks so loudly that every ghost wakes up
Old mausoleum	A generous bowl of treats	The skeletons demand a knock-knock joke
Caretaker’s shed	A safe shortcut	The broom starts chasing Boo
Gum tree near the wall	A quiet place to count lollies	A ghost steals one and blames a possum
Cemetery exit	A triumphant escape	Boo’s overloaded bag carries him backwards

A little Australian flavour

The story can lean into local details without losing its medieval-comic energy. A crooked sign might point towards “No running, no shouting, no chucking a wobbly,” while the caretaker keeps a thermos of tea beside the gate. The graveyard could sit just beyond a suburban oval, with floodlights glowing in the distance and a sausage sizzle finishing up at the community hall.

The ghosts also have an Australian rhythm to their dialogue. “Fair dinkum, that was a lousy joke,” one skeleton mutters. Another offers Boo a mintie and says, “Grab one, mate, but don’t blame me if it rattles in your pocket all night.” These small touches make the supernatural setting feel close to home, whether the reader is in Brisbane, Adelaide or a country town outside Ballarat.

Boo’s cleverest escape

When the spirits decide to keep Boo until he tells the funniest joke in the cemetery, he realises that fear is not the only way out. He points towards the hill and shouts that a huge monster is approaching. Every ghost turns to look, including the one who is supposed to be guarding the exit.

There is no monster. There is only a wheelie bin rolling down the slope, pushed by the wind. Boo makes his escape while the ghosts argue about what they saw. His plan is clever, but the final panel reveals that the bin has followed him through the gate and is now wearing his spare sheet as a cape.

Readers who enjoy crafty characters can also see how trickery drives other Fanton adventures in the Carrotty Kid guide, where a seemingly smaller hero finds a way around a much bigger threat.

A comic strip built for the punchline

The strongest version of this adventure keeps each scene visually clear: Boo at the gate, Boo surrounded by ghosts, Boo buried under sweets, and Boo sprinting home with the bin behind him. The graveyard provides atmosphere, but the jokes come from movement, timing and the gap between Boo’s confidence and his actual control of events.

The final gag should leave the audience with one last surprise. At home, Boo empties his bag onto the kitchen table and finds plenty of lollies, several loose bones and a tiny ghost hiding under the chocolate wrappers. His family assumes the ghost is part of the costume. Boo says nothing, reaches for a treat, and hears a quiet voice whisper, “Trick or treat.”

Follow Andy Fanton’s comics, drawings and comic creations for more sharply drawn mischief, medieval mayhem and characters who rarely get the ending they expect. Explore the work on Andy Fanton Dot Com and share Boo’s graveyard escapade with anyone who enjoys a good fright followed by an even better punchline.