The Misadventures of the HalloweeNut

We interupt your irregular programming on account of Valentine's Day

2012-02-13T10:43:00.000-08:00

Well, Specters, it's Tell-Tale Heart Day. For those of you lucky enough to have a significant other who shares your love of the Dark Side, I'd suggest some reading of Edgar Allan Poe ("Anabell Lee" and "The Oblong Box" work well), maybe going to a screening of "The Woman in Black" (I saw it last night, EXCELLENT Gothic ghost story), or just playing a favorite vampire film at home (if it's Twilight, I hereby banish you from my blog).

Now, for those who, like me, don't have a girl/guy to spend the day with, you might consider taking a leaf out of my book and attempt to stage a kidnapping at the nearest opera house. Or, if black capes and white masks aren't your style, I found a documentery on YouTube that might point you in a helpful direction:

In closing, I thought I'd share a rariety with you all: A Death Metal love song (I know, I didn't think it was possible either!)

Happy Valentines, Specters.

My Leave of Absence draws to a close

2012-02-08T14:28:00.000-08:00

Esteemed Specters;

I am writing this from the bowels of Hades. I needed a break, and a fresh dose of inspiration, and so went to stay with my Uncle Wormwood. I apologize for the lack of posts, but the Wifi in the 9th Circle is spotty at best. During my stay, I have met many rich, interesting characters, and visited many fascinating places, such as the last remaining Hellmouth on Earth (hint: it’s under Washington, D.C.). Sadly, I have heard the Siren’s Call to return to the “Real World”, and so must heed it. It will be good to be back in action on Earth, ready to spread the seeds of horror in the fields of the mundane. I feel ready to try new things, and take new directions. You might have noticed I’ve made a few changes around the blog regarding its appearance. This is not the only change headed this way; I intend to cease focusing exclusively on Hallowe’en. Don’t worry, it will still be a frequent topic on here, but I also wish to expand my topic horizon to include other subjects including horror cinema & literature, dark art, morbid music, and whatever macabre monstrosities cross my mind. I will expand on my reasons and modus operandi in a later post. I must finish this post now, because the Hellevator has just started working again and I must hurry if I am to cross the River Styx on schedule. I wish you well, Specters, and hope to post again soon.

From Here to World’s Edge,

Damian, AKA HalloweeNut
Arch-Wraith of the Underground

Have a Scary Anti-Christmas, Hellions!

2011-12-23T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ah, yes, "the Holiday Season". When everyone is expected to be all bright and chipper, yet the depresion and suicide rates sky rocket every time. A season loaded with cheesey decorations and ultra-annoying music. My advice to my Fellow Freaks for surviving this sappy nightmare? Twist it. Don't watch "A Christmas Carol" for the umpteenth time; how about "Black Christmas" (the original, not the remake)? Bake some Gingerbread ZOMBIES. Wear a black Santa hat, not a red one. Walk through the streets bellowing Spinal Tap's "Christmas with the Devil" to drown out those Carollers. Inject some Evil into Xmas Eve. And give that horror fan on your list some nice blood-soaked slasher flicks! Have a delightfully dark time, Fiends!

PS: I know I have yet to write about my Halloween experiences; don't worry, it's coming...

Let the Annual Turkey Bloodbath Commence!

2011-11-23T10:57:00.000-08:00

I agree SO much with this turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving, all! Be sure to eat plenty of dead bird. And, for the love of all things evil, DO NOT go shopping on Friday! You'll just be spreading a contagious form of insanity called "Black Friday Syndrome". It's sort of like Mad Cow, but in this case you can't shoot the infected; just get the Hell out of their way or be trampled! It happens every year. My advice: just hole up in a concrete bunker, and pray for Saturday.

A day late, but oh well...

2011-11-06T12:13:00.001-08:00

Remember, remember the Fifth of November, The Gunpowder Treason and Plot, There is no reason, Why the Gunpowder Treason Should ever be forgot

Hope everyone had a good Halloween, details on mine coming soon!

Happy Halloween, and a Self Portrait

2011-10-29T22:24:00.000-07:00

It's here. By tomorrow, magic will fill the streets, darkness shall fall, and Halloween shall commence. Snow or no snow, we WILL create a spectacle for the Trick-or-Treaters and their families. To all my fellow haunters, I wish you all the best of luck, and to the rest of you, savor this greatest of days.

And now, I'd like to thank each and every one of you who came across my little slice of the internet. I can remember starting this blog in Middle School after finding Pumpkinrot's blog, and I now have 76 followers. I have been very fortunate to have found so many amazing people and blogs over the past two-and-a-half years. Many of you have been a great inspiration to me, in both Halloween and in life. I don't know if I will blog forever (I want to), but I will certainly remember the time I spent writing my thoughts, and the wonderfully people I've stumbled across that I would almost certainly have never met otherwise. So I thank you all for supporting my blog. You are ALL awesome!

Before I show you my self-portrait, I'd like to dedicate this Halloween to a few special people:
1) My Mom. You have always supported my insanity, and have such talent, and are one of the most loving people I know. Love you!
2) My Step-Dad, Ben. You have been a great influence in my life, and have really pushed me to think, and not just become a boring, unoriginal person. Thank you.
Last, but certainly NOT least...
3) My friend, Autumnforest. You are truly one of the wisest souls around, and a good friend. You always have words of encouragement, and wisdom. May life continue to give you adventurers.

Now, a self-portrait. I did myself as Edvard Munch's The Scream two years ago as a Freshman, in a Photoshop class. Hope you like;

Happy Halloween to us all!

Lord Almighty, say it ain't so!

2011-10-29T07:24:00.000-07:00

Good News: I'm in Pennsylvania, at my Mom's house, for Halloween. One last year of doing a Haunt with her and my siblings. And tonight I'm going to see Steve Hickman's "Dark Works" haunt in it's 13th Anniversary. Should be a blast.

Bad News: It's snowing. TWO FRIGGIN' DAYS BEFORE HALLOWEEN!!! Why, in the name of Hades did it have to SNOW!?!

Halloween Party Tomorrow

2011-10-14T12:41:00.001-07:00

Yep, the Second Annual Spookshow Bash is this Saturday. I'm hoping all goes well. It's gonna be fun. Now for a totally random picture:

Anyone see the clown face?

UPDATE: A family crisis arose, I had to cancel the party.

Halloween Party Mix

2011-10-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

I've just completed a Halloween mix for my party, the Spookshow Bash, and I though I'd share it with all of you. To listen, just click here, then hit "play all", downscale the page, and let it play in the background! Let me know what you think!

Order of Samhain IV

2011-10-07T16:47:00.000-07:00

Up until now, all of the past recipients of the Order have been haunters. I've decided to give attention to a Halloween blog that DOESN'T belong to a haunter. This is one of those blogs that makes you yearn for a rustic, chilly Halloween. This blog features masks, home made costumes, and that most evocative of autumn icons - the scarecrow. So, Ladies and Gentlemen, I give to you...

Arcane, of THE SCARECROW'S POST!!!

Not much else to say about this wonderful blog, but I've included some of my favorite pictures from the blog below:

Happy October

2011-10-01T10:12:00.000-07:00

The theme song for the neighbors of haunters...

(Early) Blogger Zombie Walk!

2011-09-29T14:41:00.001-07:00

OK, for those of you out of the loop, tomorrow is AutumnForest's Blogger Zombie Walk event! I'm posting today because I'll be running around a lot tomorrow so I wouldn't be able to post this. For my entry, I figured I'd post a zombie-related song. Looking around through my music collection, I remembered Rob Zombie's "Living Dead Girl" (I thought it was appropriate since it was Ms. Autumn who started this epic event), and found not one, but TWO, official music videos for "Living Dead Girl". But before I post the videos, I'll give you all the official list of all blogs participating:

Ghost Hunting Theories
Above the Norm: Bizarre Arizona
Zombies Everywhere
Holly's Horrorland
Little Gothic Horrors
Anything Horror
Katy Bennett Horror Writer and Poet
Bubba's Place
Horror Smorgasbord
Gnostalgia
Monkey Man
Words and Music
Red Shoes Chronicles
The Wolf's Eyes
My Day in a Sentence
Pixie's Horror Galore
Strange State
The Misadventures of HalloweeNut
Halloween Blues
Kweeny Todd
The California Blogging Massacre
Horror Shock Lolipop
Vanessa Morgan
Improbable Frontiers
No Really, You Can Eat It
Art By Living Dead Girl Nicole
Two Gory Chicks
A Dust Bunny in the Wind
A Ghoul's Best Friend
Zombies Are Magic
Cherry Neko Saves the World
Tall Tales
At the Mansion of Madness
The Haunted Rose
The Rotting Zombie
Halloween Overkill
Out of the Shadows
Creepy Glow Keyhole Gallery
Creepy Glowbugg
Bifocal Univision
Haiku-Koo-Koo
Sherry Soule
Anchors and Roses
Paranormal Researchers Group
Whispering Pines History
Lovely Miss Megs
Sean Thomas Fisher's Blogwash
Rise and Fight
Stump Town Horror
LoliClown's Little Blog of Horror
Zombies Can't Love
Books and Beyond
The Grave Bandits
Screaming Goregasms
Lazy Daisy Life
Icky Monster
Pretty in Fiction
Ivy's Closet
Justine's Halloween
Annie Walls
Just Johnny

Now enjoy your day as the undead rise and walk the earth! AutumForest, this song's for you.

Living Dead Girl:

Concert version:

Happy Autumn!

2011-09-23T14:15:00.001-07:00

"Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. "
- George Eliot

Never Forget

2011-09-11T08:40:00.001-07:00

Where were You?

A Rockin' Halloween!

2011-09-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

In honor of Halloween being two months away, I've put together a little playlist of Halloween rock music for y'all! Hope you dig, and please, try to not bang your head so hard that it snaps off.

Click Here:

To Hell with Themes!

2011-08-18T12:21:00.000-07:00

I'm tired - not of haunting, I'll never get tired of that - but of trying to pull off a decent theme. My problem is that I like too many, and being in High School, I have a very limited budget, and it's hard to build a differently themed haunt each year. The voodoo/swamp theme I had planned was no exception. Plus, due to Halloween being on a Monday this year, I have to be at my Dad's house this time because of school, and his house wouldn't work for a swamp theme at all. So, at least for this year, I'm not gonna do a theme - I'm just going to focus on having a fun time on Halloween. Maybe I'll do a them next year; but in the mean time, I'll just focus on having a good time with haunting.

Order of Samhain III:

2011-08-11T13:41:00.000-07:00

OK, time to name the next recipient of the Order of Samhain. The lucky spookster is…

John Wolfe, of SEASON OF SHADOWS!

This guy is truly one of the most artistic haunters of the era! With his amazing Paper-Mache props, and love of the Halloween season, his haunt and website/blog, Season of Shadows, has garned a large following. The site had a ton of cool features, like Halloween Radio, Webcam, Haunt-line, and much more. If you still don’t believe that John doesn’t deserve the Order, then watch his 2010 Haunt vid:

For more coolness, visit http://seasonofshadows.com.

Garage of Evil Make n Take Tomorrow!

2011-07-15T19:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm going to another gathering of the Northern Ohio Haunters tomorrow. We'll be building a "Flying Crank Ghost" and prop candles. Here's a look at the ghost prop:

When life gives you pumpkins, you make pie

2011-07-11T07:56:00.000-07:00

I was just contacted by a band called "Scarecrow Hill" via YouTube. I had named my haunt "Scarecrow Hill", thinking it was an original name. Turns out, these guys had copywrited it back in 2002. So they sent a very polite note kindly asking me to take down the video of the haunt. Now for the record, I respect these guys. They were very nice, not mean at all, and are actually VERY talented rock musicians. They're just doing what they have to do protect their name. I suppose they're doing me a favor - truth be told, I was never fully happy with the first video, so this gives me a chance to redo the video, and get a better product. If you want to check their particular flavor of aggressive rock, just search "ScarecrowHillTv" on YouTube. And keep an eye out for the new haunt video.

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-03T10:52:00.000-07:00

Oh, America. Yes, your in extreme debt. Yes, your at war. Yes, your politics have been polarized. But dammit, I'm PROUD to be American. and yes, I created the above image.

Oh, and click here for a very cool , but not work-safe, song that kinda-sorta works for a scary version of the 4th of July.

Try, try again

2011-06-23T17:47:00.000-07:00

I'll admit, last year's Halloween party was less than a success. But I've decided to give the idea one more shot. I'm scaling back a bit this year, and inviting a small group of friends to watch a couple horror flicks. Should be fun! I've included some prototype invites for y'all to see (I just blacked out some personal info). I put all the pages in order. Tell me what you think!

Order of Samhain Award - Part II!

2011-06-06T15:55:00.000-07:00

It's that times again, boils and ghouls! I've selected another lucky member. Drum roll, please.....

VICTOR "UNDERTAKER" IVES, OF HAUNTED HOT SAUCE!!!

I firmly believe this guy is truly a Renaissance Haunter. I mean, Mr. Ives has done a lot: After all, He's

A Haunter

Hot Sauce Master

Costume Maker

Pumpkin Liqueur Drinker

And an actor in Rob Zombie's Halloween 2!

He's also the maker of what I firmly believe is the best hot sauce in the world, not least of which because it's zombie themed! While his shop isn't open again (yet) I HIGHLY recommend you check it out once it's open. Also check out his blog, and his Flickr account. And when you go to his blog, tell him HalloweeNut sent ya!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again

2011-06-02T20:20:00.000-07:00

I like too many themes. It’s hard for me to make up my mind when choosing the theme for this year’s haunt. It was happening constantly last year, and twice this year. I also recall saying that I’d be doing a smaller haunt at my Dad’s house. Well, that’s changed, too. I’m doing the haunt at my Mom’s house again, and we all decided on a theme, and I think it should really fun, and different. It will be an easy to do theme, but it won’t just be a re-do of the “Scarecrow Hill” theme. I won’t be saying what it is just yet, but I’ll leave you with this clue:

Baron Samedi

See if you can figure out what the theme is….heh heh heh

In honor of Rapture Day...

2011-05-21T09:01:00.001-07:00

We all know about the Four Horseman of the Apocolypse. Well, that was a mistranslation. So may I present the real deal, the Four NORSEMAN of the Apocolypse... Bjorn, Eskil, Lief, and Bork.

And here's a great song for the End Times (click here).

Order of Samhain Award

2011-04-29T14:37:00.000-07:00

I've decided to put together a little award for Halloween/Horror bloggers I feel deserve recognition for their tireless dedication to Halloween. I call it the Order of Samhain. This is the first time I've done anything like this, but here it goes. The first Recipient of the Order of Samhain is...

Marrow, of House of Marrow!
This young Halloween blogger hasn't been around in the Halloween Community for very long, but he's already made a HUGE splash, with his ghoulish groundbreaker zombies, and classic Hallowe'en style. This is even more impressive, considering he's from New Zealand, where Halloween falls in their Spring. I've included Marrow's 2010 haunt video below. Enjoy, and congrats to Marrow! For more info and picture, check out his blog (www.marrowhouse.blogspot.com).

It's Ghost Ship Day!

2011-04-20T18:06:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, I'm posting this a day early. Truth is, I'll be busy tomorrow, 'cause of school, so I'm posting my entry for Ghost Ship Day tonight. Again, here's the list of blogs taking part:
Ghost Hunting Theories www.autumnforestghosthunter.blogspot.com

Johnny Thunder’s Midnite Spook Frolic http://johnnythundersmidnitespookfrolic.blogspot.com

Misadventures of the HalloweeNut http://www.halloweenut.blogspot.com

Pumpkinrot: What’s Brewing http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com
ShellHawk’s Nest http://shellhawksnest.blogspot.com
I'd like to personally thank everyone who participated, and all of you who traveled from blog to blog to see all the Foggy goodness. Now remember:
"Midnight 'till one belongs to the Dead. And Good Lord deliver us!"

Ghost Ship Day - Blogs List:

2011-04-10T17:50:00.000-07:00

Attention Boils and Ghouls! As you may remember, I've been putting together a tribute to John Carpetner's The Fog this year, on the 21st of April. Well, here's the list of the awesome blogs that have signed on to take part:

Ghost Hunting Theories www.autumnforestghosthunter.blogspot.com

Johnny Thunder’s Midnite Spook Frolic http://johnnythundersmidnitespookfrolic.blogspot.com

Misadventures of the HalloweeNut http://www.halloweenut.blogspot.com

Pumpkinrot: What’s Brewing http://pumpkinrot.blogspot.com
ShellHawk’s Nest http://shellhawksnest.blogspot.com
Remember to check out these blogs on the 21st of April, for some Foggy goodness!

Happy Birthday to Me!

2011-03-25T14:16:00.000-07:00

That's right, my birthday is this weekend! And who wouldn't want a clown on their birthday?

Blueprints for Isla Corpus Pirate Haunt 2011

2011-03-13T14:47:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's the haunt name - Isla Corpus Haunted Adventure! I came up with the name a long time ago, just didn't know how or where to use it. Anywho, I've decided to show my blueprints for this year's display at my dad's house. The "Davey Jones' Locker" scene in the garage will have my vortex light, and the sounds of a ghost ship. In the side yard, there will (possible) be a buccaneer's boneyard, and the front porch and front walk will be the "Treasure Cave" and "Haunted Harbor", respectively. I'm really looking forward to actually building the props, and have started budgeting. Keep a weather eye open mates!

Ghost Ship Day - A Tribute to John Carptenter's The Fog

2011-03-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

Attention boils and ghouls!

In order to celebrate John Carpenter’s The Fog turning 31 this year, I’ve decided to organize a group of horror bloggers to pay tribute to the film. I call it “Ghost Ship Day”. What we’ll do, is on the 21^st of April this year, everyone who wishes to participate simply has to post the event’s logo on their blog, along with something related to The Fog. It doesn’t have to be directly related to the movie, it can be anything in any medium, from videos to art, as long it is both nautical and spooky! I myself will be posting the opening ghost story video from The Fog. Let me know by April 2^nd if you wish to participate so I can e-mail you the logo and the list of other blogs participating. Contact me at halloweenutblog AT gmail dot com. I hope you all can take part in this fun event!

Haunt Dilemma - I've choosen my theme...

2011-03-05T11:29:00.000-08:00

It's Pirates.

I decided to go with it because, unlike "Phantom" it's a theme that people will respond to better. But I can promise you guys this: I will NOT, in any way shape or form, rip-off of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride or movies. As fun as they are, WAY too many haunters "borrow" images and music/dialogue from them. So I'll try to be as dark/scary and original as I can. Expect it to be a very ghostly haunt, while still having an adventurous spirit. I'm very excited about this, and can't wait to start building!

Also, shout-out's to Dr. Blood and Samanta Martins. Glad to have ye aboard!

Haunt Dilemma – “Phantom” or Pirates?

2011-02-27T16:49:00.000-08:00

OK, first things first: I’m a flip-flopper when it comes to themes. Remember last year? I went from carnival to year-off then back to carnival before repeating the “Scarecrow Hill” theme. My problem is both indecisiveness and a enjoyment of many haunt themes. While I like all kinds (except for aliens/sci-fi), very few actually inspire me. Ever since I posted that teaser video for a redo of my old “Phantom of the Opera” haunt from 2006, I just haven’t been feeling the whole “Phantom” thing.Lately, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at a different theme – pirates. Now, before you start groaning, let me explain my reasoning.

1) It’s a theme I love, and have thought was fun and cool for most of life.

2) I haven’t actually built any props or sets yet, so the window of opportunity is still open.

3) Both sets would be similar in design – a cave, but instead of a Gothic style lair, I’d be doing a hidden tavern for the scoundrels.

4) With a pirate theme, there’s opportunity for a façade over the garage door.

5) Finally, while there are many excellent pirate haunts out there, none of them have been done the way I’d done it, with other haunts going very Disneyland instead of dark and frightening (along the lines of Nox Arcana’s Phantoms of the High Seas album).

So, before I start making any changes to my haunt plans, I’m going to get as many opinions as I can. If you have any ideas or opinions, please comment below. So, my fellow spookables, what do you think: Phantom or Pirates?

2011 Home Haunt theme

2011-02-20T18:48:00.000-08:00

I gave you guys a clue to my costume this year, which in turn has helped inspire my haunt's theme this year. It was my original theme, and the silent horror film it's based on is what got me started haunting. Being back in my old stomping grounds has given me a sense of Halloween nostalgia. So I've decided to give an old theme another go. So, without further ado, here it is, my theme announcement video:

Official Haunt Video!

2011-02-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

Here it is, Cool Ghouls, my official Scarecrow Hill 2010 video (or slide show, if you prefer).

2011 Costume Clue...

2011-02-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

My original costume from when I started haunting, in 2006.
And welcome to the Dismal Trader, Movie-Prop maker extraordinaire!

Picnik and Photoshop - how I love you both!

2011-02-13T12:07:00.000-08:00

Top - Before
Bottom - After

Hey, Kid! Wanna see something scary?

2011-02-08T16:57:00.000-08:00

Frankenstein (1931) has always been a favorite. It's the first horror film I ever saw. Now, Dutch filmmaker Richard Raaphorst has begun putting together a frightening and grotesque new twist on the story. He calls it Army of Frankenstein. The basic premise is that at the end of WWII, an increasingly desperate and occult-obsessed Hitler found the journals of Victor Frankenstein, and sets about to create an army of creatures built from the bodies of fallen Nazi soldiers. It was interesting that I found the trailer now, right as I'm doing a report on Nazi Propaganda for my school. The trailer seriously gives me the creeps. Probably 'cause it's so damn convincing (not to mention the soundtrack is nightmare fuel)! It's been made to look like footage of Nazi graverobbers at work. If you're not frightened easily, click here to see the trailer at TwitchFilm.com.

UPDATE: TwitchFilm has announced that shooting for Frankenstein's Army will begin shooting this Spring!

A lost story, "The Hollow"

2011-02-02T11:31:00.000-08:00

I was browsing through old files on a computer I haven't used in a while. It's fun, remembering old concepts and ideas for haunt themes. But then I came across this document called "The Hollow". No idea what this story is for, or what was supposed to happen next. Here's all that was on the document:

"It was about midnight when the three men stepped out of the fog. No-one was there to see the strange sight of men literally popping out of nowhere, save for a half-starved alley cat. Two of the men resembled gunslingers, with their brown dusters, wide-brimmed hats, leather boots, and the rifles slung on their backs. This was 1967, in rural Pennsylvania; gunslingers were no more. Yet the two men with the guns weren’t the strangest members of the trio. No, the man in front of them was much more…….unusual. He wore an old corduroy jacket, an earth-colored shirt, jeans, and boots like the ones his comrades wore. But over his head, he wore an old burlap sack, like the head of a scarecrow."

It also had the picture I posted above. I thought I'd post it because I still think it's a pretty atmospheric exert (although I think my writing's gotten better since then).

New Lair

2011-01-30T11:56:00.000-08:00

Remember how I said that my haunt will be smaller this year due to something else happening? Well, here’s the reason: my dad and I are finishing the basement, and I’ll be building a new room down there! Honestly, I’m pretty excited about it, ‘cause my old room, with its olive green walls and lack of any kind of spooky décor was kinda bringing me down. I’m going to be doing a faux-stone paint job on the walls, and will be framing prints of art from ToxicToons and possibly a “Halloween” movie poster. Still working out some of the details, but it should be pretty cool. Well, that’s all for now. I’ll keep you guys posted with any more details about the room or haunt.

I’d like to give shout-outs to Justine’s Halloween, Julie, and Stolloween, who I think is the reining King of Paper Clay. Thanks for joining, you guys!

Plans for 2011

2011-01-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

Well, another year has come and gone - a time for reflection, peace…and planning for next Halloween. After this past Halloween, I’ve had to make a few decisions about this next haunt. For the past two years, I’ve been doing the haunt at Mom’s house near Pittsburgh, PA. It was very stressful trying to bring props back and forth from their and where I live with my dad in Ohio. I became rather annoyed with myself for forgetting some key props. So, in order to be more productive, I've decided to do a small-scale haunt in Ohio, at my house. I say “small scale” because of some other stuff happening this year that I’ll be blogging about later. I have a couple ideas for this haunt, not entirely certain what the theme will be, but hopefully it’ll be something that the ToTs will remember. I have to admit, while the prospect of an all new haunt with a new location is exciting, from past experience the Halloween audience in my dad’s neighborhood doesn’t really get as in to Halloween as they do in my mom’s town. Not as many people in costume; but then again, I mostly do these haunts for myself. Well, not much else to say, just keep an eye out (not literally, mind you) on my blog for the theme of the haunt, as well as more exciting projects in my near future. Until then, the awesome video below I found YouTube should give you an idea as to what my haunt 2011 might look like (from user rgshollow).

Oh, and a blood spattered welcome to trickortreat and the FROG QUEEN, of the spectacular Davis Graveyard. Seriously, if you haven't seen the site, what the hell have been doing? Go there NOW!

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T16:09:00.000-08:00

Ah, a new year full of haunting promises. I hope you all had a good 2010, and I wish you all a dark and deranged 2011!

An Early Christmas Gift to my Followers

2010-12-12T13:14:00.000-08:00

Inspired by Pumpkinrot's "Rot Radio" blog segments, I have created by own bit spooky musical playlist on YouTube. I used the music from Nox Arcana's "Winter's Knight" CD. I created this for guys so you'd have something different to listen to this year. Hopefully, you'll snatch this CD up quickly for your personal collection. Remember, this playlist is meant to be listend to, not watched. I'd like to thank Pumpkinrot himself for pointing me in the right direction with this playlist. And so, without further a do, here's the link (click on the first video, "Nox Arcana - Vigil", to start):

Dark Christmas Radio

Blogger Zombie Walk!

2010-12-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

I'm proud to say I'm participating in AutumnForest's Blogger Zombie Walk! Here's the links to all the other cool zombie-blog awesomeness!

Ghost Hunting Theories http://autumnforestghosthunter.blogspot.com

Gnostalgia http://gnostalgia.wordpress.com/

The Caffeinated Zombie http://zombiesandcoffee.blogspot.com/

Improbable Frontiers http://improbablefrontiers.wordpress.com

Anything Horror http://anythinghorror.com/

Above-The-Norm: Bizarre Arizona http://above-the-norm.blogspot.com/

The Digital Looking Glass http://thedigitallookingglass.blogspot.com/

Monkey Man http://petzoldspracticalprose.blogspot.com/

Strange State http://strangestate.blogspot.com/

Hayes Hudson’s House of Horror http://hayeshudsonshouseofhorror.blogspot.com/

Echoes In the Abyss http://echoesintheabyss-spectre.blogspot.com/

Not Worth Mentioning http://jesseacohen.blogspot.com/

Haunt Jaunts http://hauntjaunts.net/blog/

LeoGodin http://leogodin.net/

Holly’s Horrorland http://hollyshorrorland.blogspot.com/

And finally, here's my little contribution; but just listen to, don't watch, this song I found on YouTube:

Happy Zombie Blogger Day!

A Christmas Spook Tale

2010-12-05T10:03:00.000-08:00

In preparation for the Yuletide Season, I'd thought I share this ghost story of Christmas, "The Phantom Coach". Not going to say much else, but that if you a good ghost story, and need an antidote to all that "Happy Holidays" tripe, try this neat short film:

Madness

2010-11-26T11:51:00.000-08:00

Damn you, Black Friday! You, and your plot to over commercialize Christmas!

Is it a Tom or Hen?

2010-11-24T10:28:00.000-08:00

Uhm, wow.

Happy Thanksgiving, me creeps! Be sure to be Thankful... ah, who the hell I am kidding, just EAT SOME TURKEY!!!!!

Scarecrow Hill 2010

2010-11-16T17:46:00.001-08:00

Enjoy!

It's True!

2010-11-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Just a little design I made out of boredom.

Halloween 2010

2010-11-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Well, Halloween is over. Nothing much else to say.

This year was actually a pretty good one. Not great, but still a lot of fun. There were some ups and there were downs, but the good outweighed the bad and All Hallow's Eve did commence. I've made a few notes about the good and bad so I think I'll share 'em!

Good:
1) The lighting was a hell of a lot better this year. We used some colored florescent bulbs and the really added some color where needed.
2) My brother as our resident scarecrow managed to scare the ever living crap out of just about everyone.
3) The Graveyard was much bigger this year, with green witch jars, Blaircrows, and even a false grave.
4) My Death Studios witch mask arrived just in time.
5) A VERY unnerving and Michael Myers-ish incident that I'll post about later.

Bad:
1) NEVER, EVER wait until the last minute to make your costume. It will look hasty, and the audience will know it.
2) I've got to learn how to take better pictures of my haunt.
3) Remember to take some video next year.
4) Wear make-up instead of a mask, so you don't wind up dripping buckets of sweat off your head!

I'm waiting for my mom to e-mail the pics to me, and hope you guys will like our handiwork this year. It's interesting - this is the first year in a long time where I don't fin myself suffering from post-Halloween depression. Probably because I looking forward to next year's haunt, with a new location (more on 2011 later).

Just a few last minute updates: I've won some Day of the Dead awesomeness from Autumnforest at her blog, and I'd like to welcome my new follower Spookworks. So until next time, Stay Scary!

Last October Blog Post

2010-10-27T17:40:00.000-07:00

Plans for Halloween weekend:
Thursday - Drive into Mom's house in PA after school

Friday - Last minute prop building (day off from school)

Saturday - Begin setup, visit Terror Syndicate's Dark Works Home Haunt (REALLY COOL)

Sunday - the Nightmare begins.....

And so to you all, every last one of my followers, have a Haunted Halloween!

My First Halloween Party

2010-10-24T16:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, that was a lot of fun! I just got done taking down most of the decor from last night's party. What a fricken' BLAST!!!! Now I've gotta say, there were some drawbacks from the party. First, only three out of 18 people invited showed up, and those who didn't only let me know the day before the party. Gee, thanks guys (sarcasm). So there was a lot of last minute scrambling to change some of the stuff for the party, making it more or less a chance for me and three good friends to hang, watch horror movies, eat pizza, and jam to Rob Zombie. It was fun. But would I try it again? Probably not. I know at least one person invited ditched my party to go to some other party with his little brother. So that's a good indicator people weren't interested. Oh well. I had fun, and so did my guests, who I'm glad to say, all came in costume.

Oh, and how could forget the decor!?! It was as elaborate as many of my haunts, if not more so! I made guests walk around the side of my house through some gravestones, cornstalks, and luminaries to get to my back door, where I had a strobe light. Sadly, my fog machine went bust, so I wasn't able to show off my laser vortex. But the real treat was inside the house. Candles galore, and masks, static Trick-or-Treater props, severed fingers and rubber roaches floating in the soda barrel, green and blue LEDs illuminating things, and the spider's lair-themed foyer. Peoples jaws hit the floor. There was plenty of food, and we all had a good time. It was fun showing my friends Trick 'r Treat for the first time, and watching them scream and jump. After Trick 'r Treat, we watched The Hangover, and listened to more music.

One of the best things to come from the evening was that I may have a future assistant haunter for next year. I'm considering moving the haunt back here to my dad's house in Ohio, and going the extra mile for a really special something. One of my friends, named Grace, expressed interest in helping out next year with props and costumes. Personally, I can't wait. She seems to really enjoy Halloween, and has a lot of potential. Well, folks this is HalloweeNut saying Stay Scary!!!

Party was Success!

2010-10-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

More coming soon!!!

Halloween Double Feature!

2010-10-16T18:58:00.000-07:00

Well, I've been working like mad on my party and the Scarecrow Hill haunt. The party is exactly a week from today, and I feel like watching like stayin' up late tonight and watching two flicks that have become Halloween-must sees for me. First up is Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow:

Mind you, this isn't a particularly *great* movie, but it's alright. Visually, it's wonderfully spooky, but the plot is pretty hokey towards the end. But hey, it's a live-action flick with a kick-ass Headless Horseman, and some pretty iconic imagery. It's worth a see. Next up is one of my all time favorite movies, Trick 'r Treat.

If you haven't seen the movie, that tribute video I found should give you a nice bloody taste of what this awesome horror anthology is. Nothing much too say, just WATCH IT!!!

Now, I'm off to make some popcorn and grab a glass of apple cider, then dream some Halloween dreams. We're almost there people. Just carve yer pumpkins, pour a glass of cider and say your prayers!

PS: With any luck, I'll be visiting Cleveland's own Carnival of Horrors haunted attraction on Thursday. Sounds fun!

Haunt Review: THE SCAREHOUSE

2010-10-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

It all started yesterday, on the way in to visit my mom at for the weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. My dad and I left early, but he didn't say why...when I saw my mom, she told me why - we had gotten VIP tickets to Pittsburgh's biggest and baddest haunted attraction - THE SCAREHOUSE!!!!!!!!

After washing down my excitement with a bottle of blue Mountain Dew (drink of the gods), We drove to Etna, PA, home of Scarehouse. The building was something to be seen: a tall, Greco-Roman style building lit with purple and green lights. We wound our way around the block to the back of the building to the entrance, were entertained by the crazy actor dressed as Steampunk transvestite (a very fun concept for a haunt actor) and got to the front of the line (a perk of getting VIP tickets), and after watching old '70's horror and exploitation movie trailers playing for the queue line, we entered the Mouth of Hell!

The first haunt was more of a creepy, subtler haunt, with no consistent theme called "The Forsaken" (my favorite haunt of the evening); each scene was different there was a dark carnival, a ruined church, a swamp, backwoods butcher shop, and a haunted mansion.

Next up was the wacky "Delirium 3D". For those who don't know, a 3D haunt is where they put blacklight paint of the wall, and you wear special glasses to the paint look like it's coming off the walls. Unlike your typical 3D haunt, which is clown themed, "Delirium" had a insane nightclub theme, with some of the best SFX I saw all night.

Finally, there was the gory, Steampunk-themed "RAMPAGE"! We found ourselves plunged head first into a futuristic totalitarian society during a rebellion. The rebel soldiers kept trying to recruit us to join the fight against the "DieRector" and the gun-totting, gas mask-wearing "Daphne". The final scene of RAMPAGE (and the whole attraction) was pure insanity. There were machine guns, chainsaws, robots, cannons, mutants, and lots of strobe lights! Finally, we were spat out back onto the street and into relative saftey. We picked up some souvenirs, and headed home.

Now, I have to say something - I LOVE SCAREHOUSE!!!!!! This place rocks, and generally kicks ass. If your are in the Western PA area in October, you've GOT to check out Scarehouse! As for souvenirs, I got a killer rabbit t-shirt, and the official soundtrack (yes, the haunt actually write their own music!) and it has some cool industrial/dance tunes that I'm gonna use for my party. Overall, great haunt, great actors, and very nice staff. Kudos to you, ScareHouse!

Oh, and those pictures above are cell phone pics of me and my mom with killer rabbit and the Steampunk transvestite.

Scarehouse Official site

Halloween Stores

2010-10-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I made my first trip to a Spirit Halloween store today. A great start to the season! This particular store was AMAZING! Normally, I don't really like Spirit stores, but this place was so spectacularly decorated, with an insane circus theme. Being the bad haunter I am, I forgot my camera. But I did pick up some neat stuff for my haunt and party. This browsing of the store reminded me of the photos I saw of Roger's Garden store in California. I first saw this incredible take on the seasonal store via Pumpkinrot's blog. They even go so far as to theme the store's displays! I've included some pics of it to give you an idea of what I mean by incredible! Here's the site. Enjoy your Halloween shopping, everyone!

Happy October!!!

2010-10-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

This picture says it all!

Life Lessons in Haunting

2010-09-26T06:19:00.000-07:00

I was dead set on doing Troupe Macabre as my theme this year. I was really looking forward to it, and had a whole spiel for my role as the Carnival Barker. But, to say the least, life intervened. I was feeling very stressed, and due to a busy schedule, didn't get many Sideshow-themed props built. Two nights ago, my stepdad, Ben, suggested that in order to actually some stress free fun on Halloween, simply build on last year's display (Scarecrow Hill), because I had so many "Traditional Hallowe'en" props, why not simply add to that collection. Life gives you pumpkins, you make pie. The point I'm trying to make is that, in a way, Halloween is more important than a Haunt, and by that I mean what's the point of having a cool haunt if that day of days sucks because of stress and panic? And to you all, I'm sorry Troupe Macabre didn't materialize, it was a cool, albeit complex, idea. I hope you all like my haunt this year. It's sort of a sequel to last year, but with the addition of witchcraft. Here's the video from my spectacular, all new, YOUTUBE CHANNEL! You can check the entire channel at www.youtube.com/user/halloweenut13

Oh, and a hat tip to new follower KK. And an extra special greeting to AutumnForest, of Ghost Hunting Theories, a fun paranormal/horror blog, and whose truly a kind person. Seriously, go check out her blog now!

Northern Ohio Haunter's Make-n-Take Today

2010-09-18T08:55:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of WitchOtastic from Garage of Evil Network. I'll be leaving in like 45 minutes, so I wanted to do a quick blog post before I go. It should be a lot of fun. There's gonna be a prop show n tell, a skull plaster-casting demo, and, of course, the MnT. They'll be building the Laser Vortex illusion. I would be, too, be the stupid laser I ordered off e-bay hasn't arrived yet. Then again, it's coming from China. I'll try to do as much as I can at the make n take, and of course, show off my Celtic tombstone and Pumpkinrot-inspired witch jars. I've included a video of the vortex I'll be trying to make. And here's a link to the site of WitchOtastic's AMAZING haunt. Well, gotta run!

Urban Legends: House of Horrors

2010-09-12T15:07:00.000-07:00

This vid kinda reminds me of the local "7 Floors of Hell" urban legend. Trust me, its a fun video!

Useless Post

2010-09-04T16:59:00.000-07:00

Well, the title pretty much sums this one up. I've been wanting to give a shout-out to the wonderfully talented ShellHawk, but my damn camera keeps not working. I'll have to get it working soon. But in the meantime, I wanted mention a few things while I'm hear. First, a big bloodthirsty welcome to the infamous Spooky Vegan. I love getting new followers! =:)

Second, I've just gotten a great new source for lighting. there basically LED mini-spotlights, from a site called Jack's Tool Shed. I'll be using these babies for my Halloween party and haunt for sure! I've included a link to the site (beware - shipping is pricey!!) and here's a link to Pumpkinrot's blog, where I learned about this little beauties! I'll post some pictures after Labor Day to show them off! Definitely get 'em for your haunt or party - you won't regret it!

Finally, looks like I'll be attending my first make 'n' take here in Ohio. It'll be at a home haunt called the Haunted Cauldron, hosted by WitchOtastic from GOE, and will include a Show 'n' Tell, skull plaster casting demo, and a laser vortex make 'n' take. It sounds completely awesome. I'll try and snag some video! Thanks to Rev at Hauntcast for the tip-off!

Back to Work

2010-08-25T18:51:00.000-07:00

Well, my summer vacation's over, and I just finished my first day of 10th grade today. I'll just say this: It's gonna be a long year.

On the other hand, Halloween is getting closer! I can't wait to hand out the invites to my party!

Shopping at Michael's!

2010-08-18T10:47:00.000-07:00

Hey, everyone! Just got back from a trip to Michael's looking for some stuff to use in the haunt. Ended up getting some really neat stuff for the party and the sideshow haunt at my mom's house!

Some of the stuff I got included an orange candle, and a black candle (they smell like candy corn and black licorice, respectively). Also got a mini foam skull, pack of pumpkin treat holders that I'll put lights in, and a changing portrait! It changes from a medieval noble to a Grim Reaper. Some of the props are going to be working over time, at both the party and the sideshow. I'm gonna turn the mini skull into a paper-mache shrunken head, currently in progress, and I'll display the portrait as a "Demonically-possessed Painting" in the sideshow, and at the party he'll just be another decoration. I've included some pics (sorry if there not great quality, they were taken on a cell phone).

Oh, before I go, I'd like to give a scream-out to my two new followers, Shawn, and Dio. Glad to have you both aboard this terror train!

Next post: a scream-out to Shellhawk, and some photos of the wicked-cool stuff I won from her!

Step Right Up (or, A Really Long Post)

2010-07-28T13:01:00.000-07:00

Like I said in an earlier post, I've modified the exact theme of Troupe Macabre ever so slightly. The original theme was simply "carnival"; I thought it would be more interesting to focus on a part of carnivals that isn't really done in haunts: Sideshow! Granted, I'm on a budget, so I can't very well hire a bunch of performers to wonder around doing their stunts, like sword swallowing, the Human Blockhead, fire-eating, and all other forms of extreme entertainment (it's neat idea, though). So what I'll be doing instead is turning my sidewalk into a midway, and my front porch into a circus freak museum. Instead showcasing "freaks" which would have people more ticked off than scarred, MY museum would display creepy "artifacts" like shrunken heads, the Fiji Mermaid, the Mummy, and much more! Now for the real meat of my post today: the biggest influence over my haunt this year, the Carnival Diablo Circus Sideshow!!!
This sideshow has a long and interesting history. It's run out of Toronto Canada, by owner Scott McCelland, AKA "Nikolia Diablo" who performs as head freak and Ringmonster of the show. It originally opened as a tourist attraction in Calgary, but became so popular it took to the road. Scott apparently got his inspiration from his grandfather, who owned Canada's largest traveling carnival, which ran from 1920 through 1968. This sideshow is different from the usual fare because it takes a theatrical approach to sideshow, instead the more common "Hey-look-what-I-can-do" approach. Also, it doesn't hurt that the whole show is done in the style of old fashioned horror movies. To give you an idea of the show, There's a video of the show below, but be warned: the video contains "Graphic and Unusual Performances" and keep in mind, NO SPECIAL EFFECTS HERE! It's all real. So please, don't little any little kids be watching this. It's, well, freaky:

Now for some more lighthearted fare: Scott also owns a traveling museum, called the Carnival Diablo World of Wonders. Here's a video of Scott, in character as "Nikolai" performing as the barker. Don't worry - this one is kid-friendly:

Both barker's spiels in the videos have given me inspiration, as I'll be playing the barker at my haunt. Well, gotta run. For those interested, here's the Carnival Diablo website:

CarnivalDiablo.com

I WON!!!

2010-07-26T14:29:00.000-07:00

Cool news!!! I just learned that I won a mini clay Jack-o-lantern from ShellHawk, of the ShellHawk's Nest blog, and the Misstres of Mayhem on Hauntcast. Her ceramic pumpkins are wicked cool, and so are the clay mini's. I can't get wait to get my bloody hands on one of these awesome little guys. This is especially cool, because I'm the type who has never won a contest in my life. I'll share pictures when I get it!

ShellHawk's Nest:

Next Post (hopefully): I'll try and post about a rather unusual form of entertainment that has had a rather large influence over the exact style of my haunt. I guess it can't hurt to reveal the name of this creepy bit theater: Carnival Diablo Circus Sideshow!

Yes, I know...

2010-07-24T07:41:00.000-07:00

I've had a bunch of different haunt and party ideas this year. And It wasn't very fun. I mean, thinking about the different themes was fun, but towards the end I started feeling confused and uncertain about the haunt this year. But Halloween is only 99 days away and I decided to buckle down and decide on my Halloween plans. So here is the final, absolute, super-duper plan of the HalloweeNut (I promise):

Party:
This is my first Halloween party. I mean, EVER. So, I'm gonna keep it simple - no theme, Pizza, chips 'n' dip, music, scary movie. I figure I kinda have to show a scary movie that most people probably won't have seen, but still ties into the season. So I'm gonna show one of my all time favorites: TRICK 'R TREAT! The music will be a mix of Scary Rock/Metal (Rob Zombie, Creature Feature, Powerman 5000) and dark ambient (Midnight Syndicate, Nox Arcana). I've got all kinds of cool of ideas for decorations, and my costume will be the same costume for my haunt. Which leads me to announce the actual theme of my haunt this year....

Haunt:
Well, I've truly come full circle with this year's theme. I've gone from carnival to taking a year off, and I decided to buckle my @$$ down and choose a theme, and start building! So I'm going to go with original theme - Troupe Macabre Haunted Sideshow. I'm changing it from a "carnival" theme to a "sideshow" theme. The front porch will be transformed into a Freak Museum, and the front sidewalk will be the "Midway". Once again, plenty of cool ideas, but there's a lot hard work ahead. But I'll try to take some time to blog. I've got tons of cool circus/sideshow stuff to show you all. But that will have to wait; I've got props to build. Stay Scary!

Happy Fourth!

2010-07-03T16:25:00.000-07:00

And a hearty welcome to one of the reining Kings of Halloween blogging: Mr. Macabre, of Mr. Macabre's Hallowe'en Celebrations! I'm now at 15 followers (I know Blogger says I have 16, but my dad's girlfriend Luci joined twice by mistake). I'm starting to feel like some sort of cult leader.

Hope you all have a Happy Fourth of July, and Stay Freaky!!!

PS: the above Photoshop'ed masterpiece is not my work. I wish I knew who's it was, 'cause it's great!

OK, for those that didn't know already...

2010-06-22T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm quite indecisive when it comes to my haunt. My plan for this year was to take the year "off" (so to speak) and let my stepdad take over the haunt in PA, while I prepared for a walk-thru party haunt in 2011. Well, it didn't work out exactly as planned. Not that I got distracted by another theme, but I got overwhelmed by the size, scale, and EXPENSE of the walk-thru project. Remember, I'm only in high school, so I don't have a huge budget! So I've made a slight change of plans: my Stepdad will still run the porch haunt in PA this year, and I'll be focusing my energy and personal budget on a Halloween party for my friends. This one doesn't have a theme (unless "general Halloween stuff" counts as a theme). But it should be fun and I'm looking forward to it.

PS: the above image is one of many cool pics from the Love Manor Flickr page

WARNING: Long Post!

2010-05-29T10:40:00.000-07:00

Well, I've got some good news, some and bad news, and a haunt review! First the bad news: I won't be going to the Great Lakes FrightFest this year. Suffice to say, things just didn't work out. This is a pretty big bummer for me, as I was really hoping to go see the entire event this year. Oh well.

Good news (though some might consider this bad news): Remember how I said that for 2010 I was going to do a atmosphere-based haunt, themed to the "creepy house on the corner"? Well, to help me focus my energy and what little money I have on the 13th Street Morgue walk-thru for 2011, my step-dad Ben volunteered to take the reigns of the haunt in Pennsylvania for 2010. I consider this good news because it takes some weight of my shoulders. I guess I'll to put the "creepy house" theme in the recesses of me fiendish noggin for another time.

Haunt review: The Radley Haunted House (pictures above). I recently discovered this ultra-creepy haunt via another haunter's channel on YouTube. This is an INCREDIBLE home haunt, the likes of which I've never seen before. This sets look REAL, the soundscape gives you the chills, and the atmosphere is dead on! I've done some digging and found some stuff out about this haunt; It's in St. Petersburg Florida, and was orginally themed as a tribute to Disney's haunted mansion, but the year after became the haunt it is today. I highly recamend you check out this guy's Youtube channel - you won't be disappointed.

MstGracey's Channel

Well, that's all I've got! But to work, you freaks! ;)

BIG Haunt Changes!

2010-05-02T18:23:00.000-07:00

OK. I know I said I was going to do a dark carnival haunt this year. Things have changed. But definetly for the better.

I've always wanted to do a walk-thru haunt. And after seeing Steve Hickman's Dark Works last year, the urge has been even stronger. Well, I recently ordered the Terror Syndicate Homer Haunter's Prop Building Videos vol. 4 (man that's mouth full), which focuses on building a free-standing walk-thru. Another thing I had wanted to do was host a "party haunt", or a haunt where you open it both for a party as well as to the public on Halloween.
I've made a decision: I'm canceling "Troupe Macabre" this year, to focus on creating a highly elaborate (and probably expensive) walk-thru party haunt for 2011. As for this year, I'm going to experiment with a more atmosphere-based haunt that is less prop oriented. The theme will be an old, decrepit house, the kind every neighborhood in America used to have; the ones kids would call the "haunted house". But that's something for another time. I'm probably going to be doing some postings on HauntForum about this, so if anyone has any questions, just shoot me a note there.

Well, I guess it can't hurt to reveal the party haunt's name:

The 13th Street Morgue

PS: Two big shout-outs:
1) go over to Pumpkin Knight's blog, The Land of Always October - he has some very cool news :)
2) Another shout-out to me first British Follower, Ali. Thanks for joining - now I'm boring on an international level!

Season of Shadows Giveaway!

2010-04-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

Howdy, boils 'n' ghouls!

I'm gonna be brief: John at Season of Shadows is giving away four FREE CDs of Nox Arcana's Transylvania album. You have to leave a comment on the contest blog post, and then recommend the post on your own blog. But don't bother, 'cause I'M GONNA WIN!!!!! >:) Anyways, just wanted to recommend the contest to anyone interested.

Season of Shadows contest:

PS: Big shout out to Pumpkin Knight for joining the blog. You have a very cool blog yourself, and I feel it's destined for great things!

Another Freak-edelic Year!!!!

2010-03-24T18:45:00.000-07:00

That's right, Ladies 'n' Germs: the HalloweeNut's Birthday is this weekend. I will hopefully be getting some spooky goodies...heheheh.

Carnival Haunt & Prop favorites

2010-03-16T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all geared up to do a Gothic Carnival this year, and so I've been searching the forums, Google, YouTube, and other sources fir inspiration for the carnival. I decided to share one of my favorite carnival haunts, and one of my favorite carnival props.

#1: the Pivnik Haunt 2009:
OK, so this is another haunt that isn't the world's greatest. But I like how they avoided cliched "evil clowns" for the most part. They used some cool effects to provide a Carnival-type atmosphere, instead of doing a stupid "Funhouse of Fear" theme, where they just painted striped walls and had guys in clown masks jumping around corners. They set design isn't the best, nor is it ultra-scary, but it looks fun and very much what I hope to achieve. Here's a link:

the Pivnik Haunt 2009 YouTube

#2: Oszlar the Magnificent prop:
this is an awesome high-tech prop, and cool variation on your average "Fortune Teller" I found this just after joining the GOE Network, and I love it! It's given me a real kick in the @$$ to improve my witch and turn her into a skull-faced Fortune Teller, like in the movie Big. Definitely check this out:

Oszlar the Magnificent on GOE Network

Well, I hope this is inspiring to readers who hope to do a carnival theme one day. As for me, it's back to work!

Old-School Haunting

2010-03-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

As some of readers may recall, last year I covered a lot of little known Halloween Home Haunts. Well, today I decided to cover some haunts that I feel help bring back the ToT in you; you know, that ONE house that went crazy with the Halloween decor, that house that got you addicted. The haunts I cover today are ones I feel capture the feel of the Halloween Houses of yore....

#1: the Bloodshed Brothers Haunted House!
This is isn't the greatest haunted house in the universe, but it has a charm to it. It feels like the Haunted Houses of the old days, minus the peeled grapes/eyeballs. It's put together by two young guys on a very tiny budget, so please, be kind go check out this neat little haunt (you'll LOVE the final gag in the video)!

Bloodshed Brothers Haunted House video:

#2: Katzper's Haunt!
Katzper's captures the feeling of old school haunting best, methinks, with it's cemetery/cornfield and haunted basement. Pumpkinrot is a big fan of this guy's work, so you KNOW it'll be good. Here's a YouTube link!

Katzper's Haunt:

#3: Brandywine Cemetery!
This is a high-tech version of the walk-thru's of yester-Halloween. The owner, Robert Beech, does a great job, and has an amazing Haunt. This is a great behind-the-scenes look at one of America's better Haunts.

Brandywine Cemetery Daylight Tour:

Well, that's all for now. I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Next Post -- Halloween Double Feature: Trick 'r Treat and Halloween!

GLFF 2010!!!

2010-03-05T20:07:00.001-08:00

Howdy, everyone!

Since I hope your all clear on the 2010 theme for my haunt (twisted carnival), I decided to move on to something else: the Great Lakes FrightFest 2010! I went for a day-trip last year and had a great time. It's really a great place for home haunters to get some creative ideas for their new haunts. They have some really cool events at the Fest, including a potluck, seminars, "Fog-Off", and a charity haunted house, plus more! What's even cooler, is that anyone who stays at the campsite where GLFF is held, gets to decorate their campsite. Lemme tell ya: I saw some really cool ones last year, including one tent made-up as a pirate ship; another one as an old west cemetery, complete with outhouse! LOL There are TONS of whacked-out hearses everywhere, even people in costume! This is a fantastic little event, which I highly recommend. To get you all interested, I found this great vid on YouTube, from user TwistedDementiaCOM, of the GLFF haunted house. Enjoy!

Great Lakes FrightFest 2007 Haunted House

PS: next time, I'll try to post my review of a movie I'll just got to see: Trick 'r Treat!!!

2010 Theme video

2010-02-28T17:42:00.000-08:00

Music by Nox Arcana

Halloween 2010

2010-02-26T11:17:00.000-08:00

I bid you velcome, fellow spookables.

I'm hear to give you all a little clue about my Haunt theme this Halloween. Last year's haunt was great, but I'm going to try and make this year's haunt even better. I've been looking into all sorts of atmosphere effects, such as new lighting, fog FX, and even spooky scents. All to help set a mood. I'm hoping this year will provide a break from my typical Gothic or "Classic Hallowe'en" themes. It's a popular theme I'm doing this year, but I'm doing MY way, which will hopefully be very different from your typical version of this theme. I'll make it gritty and disturbing, with a very angry vibe. I'll create an atmosphere that is haunting and mysterious, yet feeling like something very, very bad is about to happen. The kind of feeling that keeps you looking over your shoulder, looking for that potential attacker. In the backstory I'm working on, the characters from the Haunt are seeking a bloody revenge.....on you! I'm working on a video to annoucne the theme this year; the picture above is a little hint at things to come...

Well, back to work. Scare ya later, kiddies!

Current Computer Background

2010-01-14T10:23:00.000-08:00

Some Information:

OK, enough Procrastination!

2010-01-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm finally going to review the Terror Syndicate Productions haunt, DARK WORKS!

The last Saturday before Halloween, my brother Hayden, Stepdad Ben, and myself, all piled into the car, popped a CD of Midnight Syndicate in the stereo, and hit the road for Pittsburgh, PA! After finding owner Steve Hickman's house, and the home of Dark Works, we hoped out of the car to wait in line. We waited in line for about an hour, finding out that only three people per group are allowed to enter the haunt (this helps amp up the creep factor). Finally, after waiting under a true werewolf moon, we entered the mouth of Hell!

I won't give away too much about the Haunt (gotta keep it surprising for next year), but I can tell you that it is ONE OF THE BEST HAUNTS I'VE BEEN IN!!! Heck, it outshone the 7 Floors of Hell by far! There were very few actors, but every animatronic and animation was perfect, better than most haunts, including some pro ones! The place simply oozed Halloween atmosphere, especially in the disgusting bathroom! It was both indoor and out door, and scenically amazing! The real showstopper was the "TV room", which I won't describe (I can't, words don't do that room justice), but it was very theatrical, and is something I've never scene in any haunt before!

Afterwords, when the haunt closed, I got to meet Steve, and talk shop with him. He's a great guy, very hospitable and generous. Turns out He rarely buys masks and props -- he makes them! Also, everyone knows Steve to be the man who invented the term "Monster Mud", but did you know that he also coined "dorp" alias Erosion Cloth? The guy was nice enough to show me how things worked, and he even gave me a "Dark Soundscapes" CD that he made! Overall, I highly recamend the show and the Website, and I give both Steve and his haunt Five Stars. Great Job.

There. I'm done now. :)

Terror Syndicate website

Scary Christmas to all....

2009-12-24T07:24:00.001-08:00

....and to all a good fright!

A Merry Christmas to all you spookables who decided to follow some weird high school kid's Halloween Blog. I hope you all had a great year!

Let's Eat Dead Bird!

2009-11-25T10:43:00.000-08:00

- quote by Robert Downey, jr.

Christmas Project

2009-11-19T18:50:00.000-08:00

I'm sort of unusual when it comes to being a Halloween fanatic, in the sense that I don't hate Christmas. Instead, I love it. I find that it can be a very elegant holiday, if done well. Granted, I'm no Clark Griswald, and I'll always be obbsessed with Halloween, but I still enjoy the holiday like anybody.

Which brings me to to this: I'm starting A new project for this Christmas. I hope it will be elegant, tasteful, and and above keeping with the season, while still pleasing the lover-of-all-things-spooky in me. Right now I'm gathering resources to help with this project, and I think it'll be really cool and different from your typical "Happy Holidays" tripe. When it's finished, I'll post pics. Soon, I'll tell you all a bit more about it. But next post I'll be reviewing the Dark Works home haunt I visited back in October. However, I will give you the name of the project. Here it goes:

GOTHIC CHRISTMAS

Well, that's all for now. I'll post again soon!

PS: Here's some great music by Nox Arcana to helo set the mood.

Success!

2009-11-12T13:40:00.000-08:00

Wow! It has been a LONG time since I sat down to blog a bit about Halloween. Well, here it goes:

MY BEST SEASON YET! Yes, despite the bad weather in PA, I would say that this was my biggest, most elborate, and most successful year of haunting since I started back in 2006.

Visual, this year was killer. We had cornstalks on every porch pillar, a witch's alter, two scarecrows (one themed as the one from Sleepy Hollow, the other we've dubbed "Fleshface" due to his gruesome visage), a beautiful cemetery, and TONS of spooked little ToTs. We lit the graveyard entierly with candles from my mom's wedding this summer. People were amazed by our display, which is pretty small compared to say, haunts like Davis Graveyard, but people came long into the night. I think we had about 200-some visitors on Halloween. While wearing my mask, I was able to scare some people just by looking at them. Already I've got some cool ideas for next year (the picture from pro haunt Haunted Overload is hint at one prop I hope to make). As soon as my brother e-mails me the pics, I'll post 'em! Hope every one had a great Halloween!

PS: Check House Bloodthorn's blog when you can. He has done some amazing work the infamous "Haunt of Miss Rose" formerly owned by Rob at Skull and Bone!

Happy Hallowe'en

2009-10-30T18:28:00.000-07:00

Good Luck to you all, and a Happy Halloween to Haunters of All Ages!

Journey into Madness

2009-10-24T08:40:00.000-07:00

Well, tonight is my trip to the haunt of Steve Hickman's DARK WORKS. I gotta say, I'm really excited about seeing this legendary haunt in person. This was one of those "haunts on the forefront", with its elaborate maze layout, high-tech pneumatics, and clever use of monster mud. I'm also excited about meeting Steve, it should be cool to get to talk shop with another haunter. Overall, it should be a fun night. Since I'll be getting back really late, I'll post about it tommorow. Now, get back to your prop building you sickos!

PS: Thanks to CB and House Bloodthorn for joining my blog. You both have some very cool blogs yourselves!

Grab yer Pitchfork!

2009-10-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

Hello again, haunt fiends! I'm hear to give a review of haunted legend here in Cleveland - 7 FLOORS OF HELL HAUNTED SCREAM PARK!!!!

I've been fascinated with pro haunts since I was, oh, about 10. I saw a billboard for the 7 Floors park and became fascinated. Just last night, I got to go for the first time - and I LOVED IT! As you might have guessed, there are seven haunted houses: the House of Nightmares, Mental Ward, Scarecrow's Revenge, the Mausoleum, Camp Nightmare, Evil Visions in 3D, and their most famous attraction - The Butcher Shop! Not being a "Gore-person", I didn't go through the butcher shop, but I did see the other haunts, and wow, what an awesome job on the sets and scares! I actually felt like I was going through real environments. That said, I do have a few complaints. One, in the graveyard haunt, there was a huge traffic jam half-way thru. Two, I wasn't given any glasses for Evil Visions. But overall, I liked it, and would recommended it. So, if your a haunt-junkie in the Cleveland, OH area, definitely check it out.

7 Floors of Hell

Hot Damn (again!)

2009-09-28T16:53:00.000-07:00

Well, isn't this my lucky Halloween?

Some friends of mine invited me to go on a trip with them to HalloWeekends at Cedar Point, in Sandusky, OH. I've seen some photos of the park's Halloween event online, and the detail looks very good and it supposed to be a lot of fun. The haunted houses include a haunted mansion, a vampire's nightclub, a twisted toy factory, and a school for undertakers. I'm really looking forward to the scarezone "CornStalkers" a cornfield filled with hillbillies and possessed scarecrows. The whole thing looks awesome! Well, back to prop building!

PS: Big shout-out to Johnny Thunder of Hauntcast for joining my blog. Its just too cool!

Hot Damn!

2009-09-12T20:20:00.000-07:00

OMG!!!!!!! I can't believe it!!!! I'm going to see the one and only Terror Syndicate haunt, DARK WORKS, in person this year!

I've always been a huge fan of Terror Syndicate, and the haunt. The props and sets have such a ghoulish and rotten look to them that I just love. Well, I thought, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool to see it in person?" I saw on the site that you have to be invited to attend the haunt in Pittsburg, PA. So I sent a nice, polite e-mail to the owner/operater, Steve Hickman, asking if I could come. I was honestly expecting a "no", but boy, did I get a shock when, just minutes after I sent the e-mail, Steve invites me and my parents to come over to see the haunt a week before Halloween. Not only that, but I get to see all the behind the scene stuff, so it should be awesome! I can't wait! Look out, Dark Works, here comes the HalloweeNut!!!!!!

Terror Syndicate.com

It's coming.....

2009-09-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

Halloween, that is. Less than two months 'til the big dance.

Today was a very rewarding day of prop building. I've started building the Hangman's Crow, my first scarecrow, which I'm very proud of. Speaking of props, I picked up some VERY cool stuff at Michael's today. The props I bought include a funkin for my Sleepy Hollow scarecrow, a sign for ToTs, and, best of all, a five-foot tall talking witch prop for $50. The Witch looks kinda cheesey costume wise, right now, but I'm gonna give it an "Extreme Makeover, Haunt Edition". I hope to create a great haunt this year, and I'm striving to achive that goal.

PS: I know I said I would cover the Headless Horseman Hayrides today, but I ran out of time. Sorry.

ScreamParks (Part 1)

2009-09-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hello, again, haunters of all ages.

Well, I hope to be busy working on one of my scarecrows this Labor Day weekend, and I've been looking for topics when it came to me: I've covered home haunts, but not any pro haunts! So I've decided to cover some haunted ScreamParks* before Halloween!

* ScreamPark: noun; a Halloween theme park consisting of haunted attractions.

The first one I want to cover is an old favorite: Universal Studios Florida's HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS! Its been around since 1991, and has just gotten better since. This year's theme is RIPPED From the Silver Screen! and it just looks awesome! There are three haunts themed to the movies SAW, Child's Play, and an upcoming remake of The Wolfman. Two of the haunts are themed as re-imaginings of Frankenstein and Dracula, while the other haunts are done in the style of cheesey B-rate horror flicks. There's also a haunt called "Silver Screams" and is themed as an old haunted theatre. The mascot or "Icon" this year is called "The Usher", and is very creepy looking. Other attractions include Scarezones and two Stage Shows. Check out their awesome site, you won't regret it!

Halloween Horror Nights

Tommorow's ScreamPark: Headless Horseman Hayrides & Haunted Houses.

A new addiction

2009-08-21T07:18:00.000-07:00

Great. Just Great. I find something really cool and addicting, but I find it right before school starts. Ah, well, better late than never. I've finally decided to check the HauntCast podcast, and now I'm hooked! This podcast is designed for Home Haunters and Halloween enthusiasts. The show has many features, including horror movie reviews, interviews with Haunters like Stolloween (maker of some the best paper-mache props), coverage of conventions like HAuNTcon or Transworld, letters to the propmasters of the GARAGE OF EVIL, and much more. Plus, the show comes equiped with a truly bizzare sense of humor, that's still funny. Overall, great show, lots of fun. Go check it out, it's free!

www.HauntCast.net

OK, I'm panicking!!!!!

2009-08-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

Oh, no. Less than 80 days until Halloween. And not one prop built yet! One thing is certain: I feel so doomed. :(

I was planning on building three scarecrows back in July, but with my mom's wedding, and getting ready for School, I've been busy. My stepdad, Ben, says not to worry, but I still feel doomed. But enough moaning and groaning. On to other news.

I am seriously awaiting the debut of two horror films: Midnight Syndicate's The Dead Matter, and Warner Bros.'s Trick 'r Treat!

I have always been a fan of Midnight Syndicate's music espically Gates of Delirium and The 13th Hour. The make the classiest Halloween music. So, I figure, if anyone can make a great scary movie, it would be them.

Midnight Syndicate

The Dead Matter

Trick 'r Treat justs looks like great bloody good Halloween fun. It looks like the film makers were trying to capture the spirit of the season with this film. Its coming out on DVD and Blu-Ray on October 6th. Can't wait!

Trick 'r Treat at IMDB

And finally, I've decided a theme for next year's haunt. I'm really excited about this theme, and I think I may keep this theme for several seasons! Maybe I'll make a teaser video. :) Well, talk to all you ghoulies later.

Deadly Duo

2009-08-12T07:13:00.000-07:00

As you might now know, one of my intentions with this blog is to give praise to yard haunts who deserve it, particularly little known ones. Today, I'll be covering TWO haunts: The Haunting of Ivy Hall, and the Dead's End Yard Haunt.

The Haunting of Ivy Hall is one of the classiest haunts around. The scarecrows, tombstones, jack-o-lanterns, and even the fog simply REEK of Halloween! The theme seems to be a haunted country estate, and they do a really good job of staying on theme. The website and the photography are simply amazing. See for yourself:

The Haunting of Ivy Hall

The second haunt I'm covering today is the Dead's End. Unlike Ivy Hall, which focuses on elegance, Dead's End has an earthy, even rotten texture and look. It has no real theme or story, but simply has different areas, each with its own theme. I noticed that most of their character's heads were masks from Death Studios, not surprising since their very popular among haunters. Unfortunetly, the haunt will not be around for 2009, due to a landslide. Hopefully, they will reappear in the future. Just take a look, you'll enjoy it.

Dead's End Yard Haunt

Brains! BRAINS!!!!!!!

2009-08-11T15:45:00.000-07:00

Hello, ghoulies, ghosties, and long-legged beasties.
I actually stumbled across this site almost by accident. One of my favorite sites, Season of Shadows had often mentioned the work of one Victor "the Undertaker" Ives and his company HauntedHotSauce.com. After awhile, I decided to check it out. I was pleasently surprised. I find the idea of Haunted Hot Sauce to be incredibly funny and clever. All the flavors are suposed to be very tasty and, of course, VERY SPICY!!! All the hot sauce is zombie themed; they have names like Ghoul Drool, Mortician's Mold, and Fleashfeast. All the hot sauces come in a cedar coffin filled with a mixture of spanish moss and and rubber maggots. Heck, the bottles even come with a toe-tage around the top! Since the prices are so good, I ordered a double pack for my dad. It should arive anytime this week. I say all fans of Halloween and spicy food should check out the site!

HauntedHotSauce.com

Pennsylvania, here I come!

2009-08-08T09:05:00.000-07:00

Well, I've made a decision about the location of my 2009 haunt, Scarecrow Hill. Since most of my family has moved to Pennsylvania, save for my dad and I, I've been considering temporarily moving my haunt to my mom's new address in PA. Well, I've finally decided that I'll be haunting my mom's driveway this year. I'm sorry to those in Ohio who won't get to see it, but I've got a plan to make a video of Scarecrow Hill. Also, I'm thinking about getting a second fog machine to make sure the air is really full of fog.

There's something about PA that really puts me in the Halloween mood. Perhaps its all the acres of cornfields in PA. My stepdad, Ben, and I, were talking about how cool it would be if someone who owned one of those cornfields would build just a field of creepy old scarecrows. I would love to see something like that. Well, that's all for now.

PS: The scarecrow pictured above is Johnny Appleseed by Pumpkinrot, and is one of my favorite works by Pumpkinrot.

Halloween Nightmares!

2009-08-03T15:31:00.000-07:00

Something about Halloween always captured my imagination. Perhaps its the strangeness of it all. And what better place to find the strangeness of Halloween than the printed page! Sure, anyone can write a "scary" book. Heck, some of them are in fact scary! But not often do you find a true bit of Halloween fiction. Well, I've found some; I'm sure you'll love it. By now I'm sure your wondering, "What is this book of Halloween fiction, O HalloweeNut?" Well, it's called October Dreams: A Celebration of Halloween. And its some of the best fiction I've read yet!

October Dreams is an anthology of stories, essays, non-fiction, all of them related to Halloween. One of the coolest things about this book is that some of the writers in the book share their favorite Halloween memories. One of my favorite stories in the book is the first one, The Black Pumpkin, by Dean Koontz. Mostly he writes suspense novels, but this story showed a far nastier side. And I loved it! :) Any Halloween fan should get their bloody claws on this book. You won't regret it!

Order it Here: