Rutland Halloween Parade

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The Rutland Halloween Parade is an annual event held on Halloween in the city of Rutland, Vermont since 1960. Tom Fagan, a local writer and comic book fan, is credited with having a hand in the parade's early development and superhero theme. According to an October 22, 2006 article by Boston Globe correspondent Peggy Shinn, "He was friends with many comic book authors and artists, most of whom hailed from New York. Fagan persuaded some of them to take part in the Rutland Halloween Parade in comic book character costumes. In 1965, the local newspaper reported that the Joker, Plastic Man, and Dr. Strange were roaming the streets of Rutland, along with Batman (presumably Fagan, but like Bruce Wayne, the Caped Crusader wouldn't divulge his identity). More comic book heroes appeared every year...". Comic book creators known to have attended the parade in the past include Steve Englehart, Gerry Conway, Marv Wolfman, Bernie Wrightson, Dennis O'Neil, Roy Thomas, Alan Weiss, and Len Wein.

In the 1970s, the Rutland Halloween Parade achieved a degree of fame when it was used as the setting of a number of superhero comic books, including Batman #237, DC Super-Stars #18, Justice League of America #103, Freedom Fighters #6, Amazing Adventures #16, Avengers # 83 and #119, Marvel Feature # 2, The Mighty Thor #207, and Doctor Spektor #18. These issues often included versions of Marvel Comics heroes appearing in DC Comics publications, and vice versa, marking some of the first (unofficial) intercompany crossovers in comics. In 1986, the parade again appeared in Thunder Bunny #5. Tom Fagan was himself featured as a character in a number of these stories, usually depicted as an acquaintance of the title characters.

Though Fagan is no longer directly involved in the planning of the parade, the popular event continues to this day, celebrating its 48th anniversary in 2007. Fagan attended the 2006 parade, sitting with the judges along with his personal assistant.