by Nancy Gardiner
Northern News Services

NNSL (Oct 15/97) - The marketing of Halloween is taking on Christmas-like proportions.

This year, twig wreaths, pumpkin lights, stuffed scarecrows and life-sized rattling skeletons drape store shelves at the city's Shopper's Drug Mart. Manager Ed Lima says the wreaths are already sold out. Along with the scarecrows, they're proving popular this year.

Creepy Peepers -- chocolate-coated eyeballs filled with peanut butter -- inhabit a plastic see-through baton of ghoulishness as they peer down on unsuspecting shoppers, a witch's delight.

Frank & Stein's magic potion, pop rocks that crackle in your mouth and monster-shaped ghoul bubble gum entice playful tastebuds.

Launching into eerie organ music when the wind pipes are touched is the battery-operated Rockin' Reaper. He rocks back and forth like Stevie Wonder, set off by clapping hands and loud noise.

And for the amateur hairdressers out there, grab a hold of more aerosol hair colors of silver, gold, yellow, blue, red, pink, white and black.

The hidden horror coffin candle is another way to light up your creepy evening.

At Sutherland's there a few children's costumes of pirates and Tarzan. Damoli's has masks for adults, some children's costumes of clowns and convicts, pumpkin-carving kits, magic face makeup, cookie cutters, rubber spiders and snakes, snake pens and witch hats and brooms, says Diane Nikiforuk, one of the owners.

San Francisco store and Wal-Mart have a wide variety of costumes.