On The Road To Transworld...

I've got the wheels pointed west and in just eight short hours, I'll be there. St. Louis. Gateway to the West. Home of the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show.

Image courtesy of Frontier Airlines. Even though I'm driving...

This will be year two for me at Transworld, so I'm super excited and I'm hoping to do even more than last year. The car is packed, the camera is charged, the iPod is stuffed full with some road trippin' music and I'm totally amped for the weekend ahead.

If you're going to be at the show, come find me at the Closed Casket Studios booth, #407. Stop by and say hello!

Time to get going, so I need to set the tone for this weekend with an epic tune by one of the greatest rock and roll bands to ever grace this planet, Rocket From The Crypt. If I don't see you in St. Louis, I'll see you here next week with a full recap of the weekend's events!

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!!

  

RIP, Garage of Evil

Yesterday, we all received the news that the Garage of Evil, once the central hub of the haunter universe, was closing its doors for good. While the news itself wasn't all that shocking, it still left me a bit sad as I read Steve's notice. With the rise of Facebook and newer, larger groups like Haunter's Hangout, users (just like myself) stopped visiting the GoE site in favor of the newer kids on the block...


When I decided to take my then-unnamed little Halloween yard display to the next level in 2009, the Garage of Evil was the first "haunter site" that I discovered. I joined and the inspiration exploded. An entire forum of people who were just like me. I perused the photos of other peoples' props and displays and quickly went to work on my own. As I continued to obsess over all of the amazing work that was shared on the forum, I then discovered local haunter groups. 

My mind was blown when I discovered a local chapter group, the Northern Ohio Home Haunters. A group of fellow enthusiasts right in my own neck of the woods. I still had to drive an hour for my first meeting, but I awkwardly arrived and introduced myself to the garage full of people. And every one of them couldn't have been more friendly and welcoming. I felt like I had finally found my tribe. I sat back and scribbled notes like a madman as I was introduced to the words "make and take." Show up and everyone builds something cool to use in their display. I had a ton of fun at those meetings, building props like a flying crank ghost and a talking skull, both of which are still used in my display today. It's been quite a few years since the group last got together, but I'm glad that I still keep in contact with a few of those members. I guess in time, like the Garage of Evil itself, all things come to pass...

One of the last things I did for our group was come up with a new logo. I think the group unofficially disbanded before it could be used, but I'm still pretty proud of what I created.

Another amazing thing about the Garage of Evil, and especially the Northern Ohio Home Haunters Group, is that they also introduced me to the convention scene. I couldn't believe that there was a convention for haunters just 2 short hours away in Columbus, Ohio.

In 2011, I decided to go check out the Midwest Haunters Convention. Mrs. Highbury and I drove down on a Saturday to go check out the convention floor, meet up with a few members of the Ohio group, and then go to the big Garage of Evil dinner meet up.

Upon entering the convention floor, I was shocked by what I saw. I was like a kid in a candy store, ogling over all of the props, masks and other haunt-related goods. I really loved the Garage of Evil booth for that year, the infamous shooting gallery (perhaps only outdone by the following year's "crashed alien spaceship" booth)!

After crisscrossing the convention floor, we made our way over to the dinner meet-up. I met a lot of the big names in the haunt world, and knew from that point that I was no longer just "a guy who set things up for Halloween"...

After the meet-up, we jumped back into the car and headed for home with a bag full of goodies, including a GoE patch and projection lights, both of which I still have! As I look back, I realize that this was the defining moment that send me down the path toward Highbury Cemetery and what it has become today. So I really do owe Steve and the Garage of Evil a debt of thanks.


Last night, I logged back into my old Garage of Evil account for one last trip down memory lane. I went through my old photos, curious to see the first one that I posted. And it was a great one! 

From 2010, my William Henry Pratt/Boris Karloff tribute stone. It was one of the first tombstones that I did where I really researched the epitaph and then pushed the creative with an ornate and detailed epitaph, recessed skull face and embedded LED light eyes. I still have this stone and it continues to be one of the highlights of my ever-growing collection.


So it's with an almost nostalgic smile that I bid the Garage of Evil a final farewell, with a huge thanks for what they did for the haunt community, and especially for its instrumental development on my haunt and for the wonderful memories that I will always have.

Rest in peace, Garage of Evil, and thank you for everything. You won't soon be forgotten.

  

  

St. Patty's Day at the Factory of Terror

It's always nice to get a little haunt-related fun outside the month of October. For the third or fourth year in a row, a small group of us were able to get together for a St. Patrick's Day-themed haunt at the Factory of Terror in Canton, Ohio. It really has become our new tradition!

The Factory of Terror runs its standard haunt, yet adds a little Irish magic in each scene with the addition of shamrocks, leprechauns and other green shenanigans. It was also nice to see such a large percentage of female haunt actors this time around. Well done, ladies! 

The show ran two nights this year, thinning out the crowds on each night. We were able to get through all sections of the haunt without waiting, so it seemed like we were done in no time. Which was fine, because it got us out for the after-haunt snacks and beverages quicker!

Another fun, off-season haunt is in the books and now we are looking forward to April's "Slasher Fest Friday the 13th" haunt. Big thanks to Stacey and Vince for meeting me for the annual St. Patty's tradition!

  

Svartsinn - "Doubt As Sin (Nietzsche's Lament)"

I just picked up Mørkets Variabler, the latest release from Norwegian dark ambient artist Svartsinn. Wonderfully cold, atmospheric dark ambient that hits dead center of what is becoming more and more of my wheelhouse.

The more I explore the works of dark ambient artists like Svartsinn, the more I'm convinced of its effective use in a haunt setting. It really sets an overall, ominous tone that could really punch up the sense of dread and foreboding in a given haunt scene, and I have been using various dark ambient tracks in my haunt display for years now.

The standout track on this release for me is Doubt As Sin (Nietzsche's Lament). This track has a slightly darker tone than the other tracks. I really love the cold, low vibrating tones and harsh, echoing reverb throughout. Add in the slightest hints of vocal whispers and you have an incredibly eerie track.

And being the vinyl snob that I am, I opted for the limited, double-vinyl edition of this release. Gorgeous, minimalist matte black artwork throughout the gatefold sleeve and continued through each of the insert sleeves. Upon opening the package up, I was rewarded with a small extra cool touch on one of the insert sleeves - an autograph from Svartsinn himself, Jan Roger Petterson!

Prosper In Darkness, indeed! I HIGHLY recommend this release to any dark ambient fans or any Halloween fans looking for a different angle to get their creep on!

  

Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 3 Starts Tonight!

Blah blah Walking Dead blah blah starts tonight blah blah. I'm going to keep up with it only because I've stayed with it for this long. I figure I need to see it through.

The real excitement is that Ash vs. Evil Dead Season 3 starts tonight, too! Don't forget to tune in to Starz at 9:00 or set those DVRs. Time to get back down to business with Ashy Slashy...