Midwest Haunters Convention, 2014: Part One

Never has three days gone by in such a whirling, dizzying flash. A nonstop ride with the pedal pushed firmly through the floorboard, head out the window screaming for more. And this was our trip to the 2014 edition of the Midwest Haunters Convention in Columbus, Ohio.

In sitting down to pen this entry, I'm still scratching my head, trying to piece together a coherent timeline of what happened to who, what, where and when. We'll start at the beginning...

Good friend Jimmy T and I made our way down the construction- and accident-filled highway towards Columbus. A routine two hour drive quickly became a five hour headache, but after arriving late at the hotel and checking in for the weekend's events, we were more than ready to get the party started. We made our way to the waiting buses ready to escort us to the Friday night tour.

A short trip through Columbus took us to our first destination of the evening: The ScareFactory, the world's largest manufacturer of animatronics for the haunt industry.

As we entered the main doorway, we were greeted by an absolutely amazing cast of figures filling the front hall and offices. Classic monsters and instantly recognizable characters from a large array of horror classics:

An ominous sculpt of Boris Karloff as Im-Ho-Tep in The Mummy:

Stare deep into the eyes of Vincent Price as Nicholas Medina from The Pit and the Pendulum:

Boys and girls of every age, Wouldn't you like to see something strange?

After staring in amazement at the collection of figures in the front hall, we were then able to tour the real gem of ScareFactory: the enormous, open warehouse studio in the back. It was really cool to see the inner workings of the studio and to meet and talk with some of the employees who worked there. It was great to get info directly from the creators of the amazing pieces that were on display:

Chh chh chh, ahh ahh ahh...

A T Rex head that was actually used in the film, Jurassic Park:

Some of the craziest animatronic armatures I had ever seen:

 

And there be plenty o' pirates, mateys:

This demon towered above the full size gate entrance. It must have been at least 20 feet tall:

A hallway full of animated corpses:

After completing the tour of the ScareFactory, it was then time to hop back on the bus and head out to our second destination, the ScareAtorium, one of Ohio's best and largest haunted attractions.

Unfortunately, we were one of the later buses to arrive, which meant that we had plenty of time to talk about the ScareFactory tour. And that is because we were at the end of a very, very long line. It took us well over an hour before we were able to get in and tour the haunted attraction...
 

And pictures were prohibited inside, so here is the lone shot I was able to get:

All joking aside, the ScareAtorium was a great haunted attraction, with two separate haunts inside. The Northland Asylum was ominous and creepy and Rip's 3D Funhouse took insanity to the third dimension. I had been through a couple of 3D attractions before, but some of the scenes in Rip's 3D Funhouse (especially some of the mazes) popped out way more. A great haunt that I'd love to go through again during peak season.

After touring the haunt, we were all allowed to see the ScareAtorium costume room to see the vast collection of costumes used throughout the haunt. That was quickly followed by a visit to their incredible makeup room, where we had the chance to meet and speak with Slappy the Clown, who also happened to be the haunt's head makeup artist.

The final treat (I guess...) was a couple of sliders and a drink from the friendly neighborhood White Castle food truck. I hadn't eaten at a White Castle in a long time. But hey, it was free and my stomach was empty, so it was worth it. Thanks, White Castle!!

We then boarded the bus, bound for our final destination of the night: the afterparty at VUE. It was the perfect end of the tour, having the chance to regroup with friends over a couple of cold beers to talk about everything we had seen.

ActionJax, Jody, Jimmy T and the fine gentleman whose name I completely forgot (sorry!)

They even had 2 x 4 Jenga. And when it crashed down, everyone in the bar could hear it:

After a few rounds, it was closing time, so we hopped a cab back to the hotel, ready to call it a night. That was, of course, before we walked past the hotel bar and saw a large group of friends that weren't quite ready to call it a night...

So we joined them!

Everyone was toasting a good start to the weekend's activities. Although the friendly police officers didn't seem to be sharing in our joyous mood...

After the final round of the night, we staggered up to our room, crawling into bed well after 2am. A good start to the weekend, indeed...


  

Adler Westfield - Part Two: Vintage Leg Brace

With mere minutes to spare, I was finally able to complete the costuming and accessories for Adler Westfield, my 2014 costume for the Midwest Haunters Convention masquerade ball. I had a few moments to snap a couple of pictures before I packed it all up for tomorrow's journey to Columbus...

From the initial concepts for the character, I had always wanted to fabricate a vintage leg brace. I wanted to hamper the character's movement, allowing him to walk with the help of a cane that I had picked up earlier this year. According to the storyline, I wanted to assemble a makeshift brace that looked to have been created with whatever parts were available to a circus troupe, traveling through the deep South in the early 1900s.

I used strips of  1-inch wide metal and round door handle reinforcement brackets to create the framework. I had picked up 3 weathered leather belts from the thrift store to use as leg straps. 

Originally, I had a connecting piece at the bottom of the brace that would have sat underneath the heel of the boot, but after many different configurations, I decided to remove it and simply drill holding screws right into the sides of the heel. Had I not decided to finally attach the bottom this way, the brace would have been too heavy and never would have held onto my leg correctly. The boot, by the way, is an industrial, military jump boot-style that I picked up off a eBay a few months back.

After getting all of the final adjustments corrected, I hit the frame pieces with 3 different spray paints (using the same technique to simulate the rust on my cemetery gate sign prop), giving a nice aged, rusted look. 

As an added bonus, I was perusing the odds and ends in my grandfather's old garage last week when I noticed a large ring of keys hanging from an old rusty nail. To my surprise, it was a large collection of old, rusted skeleton keys that looked to be from the 20s or 30s. I was able to get a large ring full of the old keys, and I added two clips, an extra keyring and a length of mesh chain to create a chain wallet key ring. I used the same paint technique as above to match the rust coloring of the keys. Once it all came together, it looked like a cohesive piece that was nearly 100 years old! This will be worn on the leg opposite the leg brace, and when I walk, the keys make a nice, dull clink with each step. I really lucked out in stumbling upon the key set and they will make a nice accessory piece for my costume.

So everything is now packed away and ready to go to the Midwest Haunters Convention. I'm heading out tomorrow morning, bound for Columbus. It took a while to hit me, but I'm finally really excited to get going. It's going to be a jam packed weekend of non-stop action. Check back on Monday for a comprehensive recap on everything that went down.

And on a final note, today's Pre-Con Bus Tour made a stop at the Haunted Schoolhouse & Laboratory. Read the Akron Beacon Journal's story on the visit here.

  

Thrift Store Score

It's rare when the planets align and things really work out in your favor, but when it does happen it's sure to put a grin on your face.

Last weekend, I made a trip to the local thrift store to find some odds and ends to complete this year's MHC costume. I'm not a big thrift store shopper, but I'll stop by on occasion when I need something specific.

In a rare slice of luck, I ended up leaving the store with three bags of goodies and a look of bewilderment in what I had just scored in one trip...


A stroll through the small appliances aisle and I immediately stumbled on a shihatsu massager in perfect working condition. Total price? 4 DOLLARS!!!

There are so many options for what animated prop I could build with this! Ground breaker? Coffin grabber? The possibilities are endless! Surely this was the one score that would make the trip worth it, right?

After throwing the massager into my cart, I turned the corner and headed over to the vinyl records bin. And what was sticking out of the shelf, practically screaming my name to buy them and take them home with me?

THREE Hüsker Dü records! Candy Apple Grey, New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig. All original pressings, all in great condition. Total price? SIXTY CENTS EACH!!!!! SCORE!!!!!

 

All 3 records now have new, protective plastic sleeves and are sitting securely in my record collection. I once found a Dead Kennedys record at a Record Exchange for $4, but three Hüsker Dü records at sixty cents each trumps that!

I eventually made my way to the children's area and picked up a stuffed teddy bear that I was looking for for a Halloween prop project that will be revealed shortly. Price? ONE SHINY QUARTER! When the little guy is re-purposed and the project is complete, I'll reveal it here. This project is a lot of fun and it has a wonderfully twisted use for a traditional teddy bear. This one will be a thing of childhood nightmares come Halloween...

Finally, I made my way to the men's section and score 3 leather belts for an "accessory" piece I'm currently finishing for my MHC costume. Another deal at ONE DOLLAR EACH! This piece should be done in the next day or two (it has to be finished by Friday!!), and I'll be sure to share it once it's finished. This one will be a lot of fun, too.


So after a long hiatus from the thrift store, I walk out with the best score I've ever had there. It looks like I'll have to make time to get there much more often!!


 

One Week Until MHC!!!

The countdown is on! Just one more week until the Midwest Haunter's Convention, my official start to the Halloween season...

Of course I still have work to do to get ready, but the itinerary is set and it looks like it's going to be a jam packed weekend. 

The Highbury crew are heading down Friday and will be going on the Friday Night Bus Tour, making stops at the Scare Factory, the world's largest manufacturer of animatronics for the haunt industry, and then over to the ScareAtorium, one of Ohio's best and largest haunted attractions. And did I see that the bus tour just got an extra bonus with a visit from the White Castle food truck?? My arteries are screaming in joy!!

Saturday, you'll find us on the trade show floor, perusing the wares of all of the vendors. The Northern Ohio Home Haunters Group will probably meet up at some point and go over to North Market for lunch - feel free to join us! We'll be stuffing our faces with some Holy Smoke BBQ!! In the early evening, we'll join up with the Garage of Evil's hotel party. Not sure where it will be yet, but SteveO will be announcing the room number as we get closer to the event. After some pizza and beers, we'll get ready for the main event - the Saturday night Masquerade Party. Amazing costumes and a ton of fun. I look forward to this one all year long (although I STILL have to finish this year's costume...).

If we survive Saturday night, we'll probably take one last trip through the trade show floor on Sunday before heading home with a camera full of photos and bags full of Halloween goodies (and probably a head full of hangover).

If you're going to MHC, look for us and say hello. We're always up for meeting our fellow haunters!

One week to go!!

  

Happy Memorial Day!

Highbury Cemetery salutes all of our veterans on this Memorial Day!

 

The Original 1954 "Godzilla" Film Score

Death Waltz Recording Company does it again, this time with Akira Ifukube's score to the original daikaiju classic, "Godzilla" from 1954. And for a limited time, you can listen to the entire score, courtesy of Empire Magazine.

Listen to the classic score in its entirety here.