Hangin' Out At Closed Casket Studios

I'm always reminded of how cool it really is to live in Ohio in regards to all things Halloween. A rich history of famous haunted attractions and a top-notch group of prop builders that all call this area home.

But having one right in your own back yard (okay, technically we now live 20 minutes apart since we both moved to new locations, but still!) is definitely one of the coolest!

This year, as things continue to get back to somewhat normal, I again got the chance to go hang out with good friend of the Cemetery, Dave Shonk at Closed Casket Studios, where we got to kick back with some special pumpkin beverages, talk about all things Halloween, and most importantly get a special sneak peek at all the new prop heads and masks to be unveiled at this year's Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show!

And now that the show is officially underway, I can show off his absolutely killer work. Thanks, Dave, for letting me come hang out and get some much-needed Halloween energy from your cool shop!

And if you happen to be in the St. Louis area, do yourself a favor and go hit Dave's booth to check out his incredible work. Closed Casket Studios is at Transworld booth #407.

Check out that old novelty Halloween Sounds of Horror cassette! Wouldn't it be cool to be able to hear the wonderful sounds of that old "spooky sounds" cassette again??

(And thanks for the swag! You KNOW I'm a sucker for old Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory memorabilia!!)

Hangin' at Closed Casket Studios, 2019

For the past two years, I posted this exact same thing. I have the amazing luck of living five minutes away from Closed Casket Studios, so I get the chance to go hang out with Dave, drink a few beers, talk about everything Halloween, and check out all the new pieces he has rolling out this year. There are definitely worse ways to spend a Friday night!

This year the post comes a bit later than usual, as I skipped the Transworld show with them in March. I usually go over just before the show and post up some teasers as we're headed due west to St. Louis. There's been a lot going on over in my neck of the woods this year, so I'm behind, but there are still some really cool new sculpts and pieces creeping out from Dave's basement.

If you missed the Transworld show, you can still check out his new work at the upcoming Midwest Haunters Convention in Chicago this June. And if you're there, be sure to tell him that I sent you. You won't get anything special or anything, but at least I'll know that someone is still reading this blog...

And if you're going to miss both shows, just sit back and check out the photos below. You can always visit his site and pick up any of his pieces there! Enjoy!

Does this mask make me look fat?

And then finally the man himself. Proudly displaying his major award, the 2019 Transworld Vendor Excellence Award. Well deserved, my friend!!

 

Black Friday Sale at Closed Casket Studios

Time for a quick plug...

Hey, fellow haunters! Got a small wad of cash just burning a hole in your pocket and looking for the perfect Halloween-related something to drop it on? Why not visit my good friend Dave over at Closed Casket Studios, where he's running a killer sale all Black Friday/Small Business Saturday/Cyber Monday weekend!

20% off everything all weekend. Time to stock up on the sickest prop heads, hands and face masks in the industry. And you'll be supporting a hell of a good dude. Just be sure to tell him that Highbury Cemetery sent you!!

I'm off to go add a goodie or two to my collection, too!

Only 341 days until Halloween! Are you ready??

    

Hangin' Out at Closed Casket Studios

So last year at this time, I wrote an entry with the exact same title and talked about how cool it was, as a haunter, to live here in Akron, Ohio. World-famous haunted houses and a killer haunt convention all within a quick drive of the Cemetery.

But even closer (and cooler!) than all of that is Dave Shonk's Closed Casket Studios. A quick 5 minute jaunt and I get to check out all the incredible things going on in his little studio shop. I love going over, soaking in all the cool goodies he has in the studio, having a few beers, and just shooting it about all things Halloween.

This past weekend, I got another opportunity to stop by and check out all his new pieces for 2018. I jumped around the studio space, wildly snapping pics of all the cool new things he was ready to roll out. And because everything is now set up at his booth at the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show, I can finally show some of those photos.

Without a doubt, my favorite new sculpt and probably the best piece he has ever done. This new alien ripper is super detailed and immediately made me think of John Carpenter's The Thing. My brain is continuing to think about how I could incorporate this into my Cemetery haunt. Somehow, somehow...

And as an added bonus, go check out his Instagram pic where someone in Costa Rica got this guy tattooed on his arm. Crazy props!!

 I love the expression on the angry granny, but those glasses cracked me up!

And the wolfman is wearing an Iron Maiden Killers World Tour shirt. Effing Iron Maiden, dude. I love that there are the slightest touches of dark humor in his sculpts and figures. As I always say, I definitely need to add more of his pieces into my display!

But wait, there's more!

As I mentioned above, you can now see all of the new work at the Closed Casket Studios booth at the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show. And as you may be reading this, I too will be at the booth!! I was totally stoked when he asked if I wanted to go with them again this year. I guess my mad skills at handing out flyers didn't go unnoticed. I didn't think he would ask, but I jumped at the chance to go and experience it all again. 

Last year was my first chance to go to Transworld, and it really was everything that I heard it was. Go check out my recap from last year's show here. With a year of show experience under my belt, I'm better prepared for the madness that lies ahead of me in St. Louis and I'll be ready to document it all! I'll be posting everything I can next week, when I get back.

And if you happen to make it to the show yourself, stop by Closed Casket Studios at booth #407 and say hello. And then buy some of Dave's killer work. I hope to see you all there!!

  

Closed Casket Studios Summer Sale!

Hey group, time to score some top notch, top quality prop heads, hands and masks at a killer deal!

Fellow Akronite and good friend of the Cemetery, Dave at Closed Casket Studios is running a week-long summer sale. Head over to his site and save 20% now through July 16 with the code below. 

Each year, a few more of his pieces make their way into my yard haunt display and this year will be no different. I'm a huge fan of his work and I couldn't recommend his pieces enough!

But please, leave one Harvester for me!!

And tell him that Highbury sent 'ya!!

 

Hangin' Out at Closed Casket Studios

I've always said that when viewed through the lens of a haunter/Halloween fanatic, my home town of Akron, Ohio is a pretty cool place to be. I have one of the oldest running haunts in the country, the famed Haunted Schoolhouse and Laboratory, a mere 10 minutes down the road. I have one of the longest haunts in the country, Canton's Factory of Terror, a mere 40 minutes down the road. And I have literally dozens of other haunted attractions in all directions around me. And don't forget the quick 2 hour jaunt to the Midwest Haunters Convention in Columbus each June...

But even closer than all of those cool locations is a sweet little prop shop that is an unbelievably quick 5 minute hop from the Cemetery: Dave Shonk's Closed Casket Studios. I actually met Dave when he was a wee lad getting in trouble with his local fire marshal. Since then, he has continually upped his home haunt game, eventually went pro for a bit, and has since started his own mask & prop shop. I've been to his basement shop a few times before, but I recently had the chance to hang out a bit, share a few beers and stories, and check out his new pieces for 2017. It definitely looks like I'll be adding a few more of his prop heads to the display this year!

But wait, there's more!

And as an added bonus, it looks like I'm headed to Transworld's Halloween & Attraction Show this week with the Closed Casket Studios crew! I'm beyond stoked for this opportunity, as I've never been to this show before. Be sure to come visit us at booth 406. I'll be the guy with the camera around his neck, shooting everything in sight! Stop by, say hi and buy something killer from Dave! See everyone in St. Louis! 

And if you can't make it to the show, stop by next week when I'll share all (most of?) my stories and photos.