Industry

Everything Including the Kitchen Sink
By Tina Reuwsaat

It started as a quiet whisper, a short announcement one day on the Halloween-L list serve. Someone posted that Norton Auctioneers had been commissioned to liquidate the inventory of Haunted Mansions, Inc., a haunted attraction company owned by Tom Godard of Kissimmee, Florida. I made a casual note of it, as there was a horse-drawn hearse in the inventory but I did not think much more of it. As the Memorial Weekend auction date drew closer, I perused the web site and really started to pay closer attention. I noticed some unique pieces listed that a collector of oddities and horror movie memorabilia would love to own. There was a Fiji mermaid listed, a Tibetan human skull chased with silver, and antique coffins, as well as a 6-foot Bates Mansion dollhouse. Alien, Predator and Star Wars props, an arcade fortune-teller and numerous Haunted Attraction props by such well-known companies as Enchanted Castle Studios and Distortions Unlimited. Still I was undecided about attending, as a full list of items was not available.

Then a little angel named Leonard Pickel contacted me and said GO! He knew there was a large inventory of vintage Halloween collectibles to be auctioned off. So Husband and I made the 8-hour drive up to the auction site at Bob Turner’s Haunted Hydro in Fremont, Ohio. The first person I saw at the auction site was my friend (the Halloween Queen), Pamela Apkarian-Russell. It turns out that she had been hired by Tom Godard some years ago to inventory and appraise the collection. She had just stopped by on her way to a holiday collectibles show to see what was for sale. Pam introduced me to Tom, and he explained that he was selling everything off so he could retire to a beach in Hawaii.

We visited a bit and then toured the Gift Shop where Tom had everything listed at 60% off. Tom also generously bestowed on us two Haunted Mansion T-shirts. We spent the next two hours touring the many buildings and tents full of items for sale. There were 818 lots in all, and I wondered how they would ever accomplish selling it all in two days. Friday morning dawned dark and dreary, with rain forecast, but many intrepid haunters braved the weather and showed up in hopes of a bargain. Bidding started with several latex haunt props and a few Bucky skeletons. The pieces sold quite low, but the crowd soon warmed up and so did the bidding. For example a 6-foot demon wall crawler went for $450 and a latex vulture for $125. Six contemporary metal coffins (in poor condition) went for $100 a piece. The latex Frankenstein and Bride went for $550 for both.

After the tents were cleared, the bidding moved into the Haunted Hydro where the majority of the pricey props were stored. Bids quickly jumped up into the $1,000-$2,500 range here. An animated Haunted Fireplace went for $1,200, an organist for $2,500, and the gargantuan Queen Alien (also in poor condition) went for $4,000. A Controller Chair went for $700 and a collection of pop-ups went from $400-700. We just missed owning the c. 1860 white horse-drawn hearse, missing its original curtains and in a questionable paint color. White hearses were traditionally reserved for children’s caskets but this hearse had a full-sized bed. The horse-drawn went for $4,250; I bit high for our budget, but still rather low for an antique hearse.

We then moved outside to the moon bounces and other carnival equipment. Another friend, Kathleen Golden of Accokeek Amusements bid on some of the bounces, but they sold a bit high in her professional opinion. The highlight of this day's sale was the Haunted Harley Hog with Coffin Trailer. This custom ‘trike’ complete with top hatted skull body, is a real showstopper and has won several “Best of Show” awards in bike rallies across the country. The vehicle includes lasers, fog machine and beefy sound system, which the sales foreman fired it up for the bidders. Tom had $150,000 invested in this beauty that sold for the bargain of the century at $37,000.

 The last building of the day held special interest for me. It was the first of the lots of collectibles and the sideshow oddities. Although the best pieces sold over my budget, the prices were still well below appraised value. A pair of stuffed mounted African lions went for $1,100 for the two. The Fiji Mermaid, rare and old hoaxes from the South Pacific, (the head of a monkey sewn onto the body of a fish, manufactured by enterprising island natives to sell to gullible Anglo sailors), went for $1,250. A solid silver skull went for only $300 and the Tibetan ceremonial skulls, one human and one monkey brought $600 and $325, respectively.

 Several wonderful lots of antique apothecary and laboratory bottles, beakers, tubes, racks, stands and
burners went for a mere $10-50 per lot. I envied the haunter who got those for the wonderful Lab scene
they would make. The three antique coffins brought $400-750.  The grisly Mother Bates prop in an antique wheelchair sold for $1,000 and the 6-foot Bates Mansion façade model, with minor damage, went for $550. The bidding ended in the last tent, filled with showcases, racks, picnic tables, some gift shop inventory, black lights, strobe lights and other electrical equipment. We all paid our bills, loaded our treasures and went back to our respective motels to wring out our wet clothes and play with our new toys!

 Sunday morning we awoke to torrential rains, but this was the big collectibles day so off we boated to the auction. The crowd had thinned considerably, rain was pouring off the tent roofs and the auctioneer hustled quickly through the antique furniture, decorator items, fishing lures, milk cans, Bibles, hand cuffs, wheelbarrows, tools, teapots and what-have-you. I got the antique English poison bottles that I had wanted so my day was made right there, but the lots kept coming. We patiently and damply suffered through the paddleboats and lawn furniture, golf carts and canoes, and then things got exciting. I came away breathless, with 31 boxes of assorted Halloween collectibles, and the bidding was pretty stiff. There was Casper, Munsters, Addams Family, Santas, pumpkins, owls, die-cast mini-hearses, comic books, Freddy Krueger, Universal monsters, old games and costumes, English pixies, dolls and party favors. My head was spinning with the pace and variety. There were two life masks of Vincent Price mixed in with some latex corpse heads and a valuable Royal Dalton witch mug in a lot with some 1950's glass Jack-O-Lantern candles. It was a real treasure hunt going through the boxes after the sale. Things wound down for me after this big score but others stayed until the bitter and soggy end, where they got great deals on cooking equipment, camo netting, tools, camping equipment, office furniture and even a sink or two. I would have liked to see Tom at the end of the sale to see how he did over all, but I did not see him again that afternoon.

 After two hours of re-packing our treasures, we wedged everything into the ‘Vampmobile,’ tired but elated with our purchases. Now all I need is a year or two of time on eBay to resell what we are not keeping for the Museum, and a spare room to store it all.

Tina “Baroness Morticia” Reuwsaat, along with her husband Tim own Darkwing Manor and the Morguetorium Museum, a seasonal Halloween and Victorian Funerary museum and Haunted Attraction in Old Town Manassas, Virginia. Contact Morticia for tour appointments in October at reuwsaat@home.com

Converging on the Big Easy

Ghouls and vampires stroll through the French Quarter of New Orleans, causing citizens to cringe and shriek in fright. No, it’s not the latest John Carpenter movie, or even a new Anne Rice novel.  It’s not even Mardi Gras.  It’s the Second Annual Halloween Global Convergence marching down Bourbon Street…

 For many years, I have longed to visit New Orleans, Louisiana. Strolling through the French Quarter at night, gas lamps flickering, wondering if the dark shape on a wrought iron balcony was a local taking in the evening air or a creature of the night looking for a victim. Touring cemeteries with cracked tombstones, and weathered mausoleums rising out of the ground, catching movement out of the corner of my eye.  Was that a ghostly apparition or simply Spanish moss blowing in the breeze? Entering a secret back room with a voodoo priestess in colorful flowing garb with the power to appease the spirits just enough to grant me a tiny bit of good fortune.

So when the Halloween Global Alliance, announced that the Second Annual Global Halloween Convergence would be held there, I knew it was fate. Since the first Convergence held in Salem last August convened, I have been waiting with baited breath for a repeat performance.  The fact that the next gathering was going to take place in a city renowned for the practice of voodoo, famous for hauntings, and celebrated as a lair for vampires seemed not only fitting but also filled with promise. 

The Convergence took place in the French Corner at the Hotel Monteleone situated on Royale Street, a block away from the famous Bourbon Street.  While Royale Street housed antique shops, quaint stores and exclusive restaurants, Bourbon Street was another world completely. The decadence and revelry (even after Mardi Gras) was evident by strip clubs, adult novelty stores and tourist traps.   Panhandlers brazenly approached people and a mime accosted me right outside of the hotel. It was, however, a challenge to ruffle the feathers of a group of conventioneers whose lives revolve around the macabre and the strange. 

The evening before the festivities began, Rochelle Santopoalo, founder of the Global Halloween Alliance, hosted a poolside reception on the roof of the hotel.  Orange and black streamers blew in the wind and Halloween music played while early arrivals mingled and enjoyed the panoramic view of the sun setting over the city.  The next day the official start of the convergence opened with “Show N’ Scare”, a show-and-tell for haunters.  It was a great way for people to break the ice as they viewed other attendees’ photographs, descriptive collages of haunts, and models they had built.

The workshops, lectures and demonstrations doubled in number from the First Halloween Convergence and provided topics for the home decorator as well as the professional haunter.  Vampire Folklore, Haunting 101, Creative Costuming, and Working with Volunteers & Sponsors were just a few of the subjects offered. I tried to be in two places at once when Oliver Holler led a ‘hands-on’ workshop about making props from different types of foam at the same time that Chuck Williams, producer of Halloween, the Happy Haunting of America gave his very energetic and entertaining talk on Halloween in America.   John Burton, a veteran in the Haunted Attraction industry, shared his secrets on how to paint sets in a haunted house during his workshop, “Professional Decorating for Haunters.”  Joe Jensen, Creative Director for Haunted America.com led a lecture turned interactive forum on “The Nature of Fear” and Tim Harkelroad, author of “The Complete Haunted House Book,” transformed an attendee into a very convincing werewolf right before our eyes during his makeup demonstration.  

One of the highlights of the event was a side trip to The House of Shock, a Haunted Attraction notorious for explicit, graphic and gruesome content (see Haunted Attraction issue #19). Although not yet open for the season, we had a nice surprise from our gracious hosts Ross Karpelman and Steve Joseph, who provided acting staff to enhance the experience.  We even had a guest appearance from Doug Ferguson, inventor of the Flying Crank Ghost, who was instrumental in setting up this private tour, when he startled us dressed as an eerie butler in a room filled with his own ghostly creations.  We were led through winding, dark mazes.  Ghouls jumped out at us and lights flickered, confusing us in mid-step. I shuddered to think about what this experience would be like when fully operational.  We were then treated to a guided “lights on” tour by Ross and Steve who described each room and answered any questions we had. This look at the inner workings of the one-of-a-kind attraction alone was worth the trip.     

 The Halloween banner contest returned this year and participants were instructed to decorate their team’s banner by gluing, taping, cutting and sewing materials that were provided or acquired in order to create a work of art that epitomizes the spirit of Halloween.   The designs and depictions ranged from a winning headless horseman swooping out of a tomb to a large mosaic skull to a parody of the making of a haunted house. The wining team was Allan and Sara Erush, of Grisly Gothic Gables in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Convergence festivities wrapped up with a costume party, presided by our mistress of ceremony, the Angel of Death.   Bridal couples (all dead, by the way) ranged from old-fashioned to sporty.  A refined Edgar Allen Poe complete with raven, joined the revelers, and of course, what would a New Orleans costume party be without vampires.  The living dead from Pittsburgh’s Castle Blood were garbed in elegant costumes that the attraction is known for. The crew from Macabre Makers turned out in their evil finery, playing their parts to perfection and as a team, walking away with the prize for scariest costume. Other vampires joined the party also, baring fangs, lurking in dark corners and dancing with victims on the dance floor.

The highlight for many though, was the post costume party parade.  Still dressed in ghoulish finery, we casually strolled down Bourbon street, chatting, stopping for drinks, enjoying cigars…and thoroughly amused that here, probably one of the most jaded locations in America, people gasped, shrieked, pointed and scuttled away in fear.   

After all the years of dreaming what my trip to New Orleans would be like, it was well worth the wait to come during the Halloween Convergence.   I strolled at night through the darker side of the French Quarter during a spine chilling vampire tour, accompanied by a modern day practitioner of vampirism who cleared up certain stereotypes and myths. I did not notice anything supernatural during our cemetery excursion, but I did get to visit the tomb of Marie Le Veau and admire the stark, unearthly beauty unique to a New Orleans Cemetery.  And even though the voodoo priestess turned out to be a woman in a large purple gardening hat, with an accent so thick that I could barely understand her, I left the Convergence feeling very fortunate. Not only did I get to visit a city with a dark and haunting past; I had the opportunity to experience it with fellow haunters and Halloween fanatics.   People, who just like me, craned their heads to see the decaying remains inside an entombed coffin, felt at home in a bar decorated to resemble the devil’s den and shuddered with delight while viewing the building where blood suckers fed nightly on bound victims.

While the Internet has contributed immensely to the connecting of haunters and Halloween fans, and the Transworld convention has provided a platform for the Halloween industry to conduct business, the Global Halloween Convergence has brought the Halloween community closer, enabling haunters to connect on a more personal level.  The ‘names,’ who I had only seen on book jackets, read about in magazine articles or heard about in cyber-space, are now the very same people with whom I traded humorous haunt stories over drinks, exchanged pictures of past triumphs, and now consider my friends.  I am already anticipating the Third Annual Halloween Global Convergence, which will take place June 1 & 2, 2001 in San Jose, California.  It will be a chance for old friends to reunite, new attendees to meet and most importantly for everyone to have a great time celebrating Halloween.

Pam Liebson has been a Halloween enthusiast all her life and operates a small home haunt every October.  She is currently conducting research for a documentary about Halloween.   She can be contacted via email at midnyte@bestweb.net.

Skull Kingdom: The never-ending story!

By Jeff Vinciguerra

On a recent trip to Orlando, I decided to return to Skull Kingdom, a year-round haunt on International Drive, near Universal Studios. While touring the attraction, I noticed several changes to the Skull Lord's Castle and decided to call Doug Wolfe and discuss the new rooms and improvements that have been made. I was unprepared to encounter the laid-back and witty Doug Wolfe, who is wearing many hats these days at the castle, now acting as General Manager and Operations Manager of the Haunted Attraction. Not only did he update me on the new and improved attraction, but also answered the question "Where is Trevor Thompson?” (The previous General Manager).

The Effects Team's Commitment

The Skull Kingdom effects team is comprised of Doug, Brian Pastor, Bill McCoy and Nick Herrera. Bill and Nick are also the attraction’s leading makeup artists. Doug Personally oversees all construction, however, his team puts a lot of themselves into the renovations and the attraction.

 Each year, the Kingdom does two major renovations. At least two rooms are upgraded or changed out completely during the summer, and each of the scenes is "tweaked" for the Halloween rush with an October 1st deadline. These changes prompt repeat attendance from local patrons who return to discover if any changes had been made since their last visit.

Another thing I noticed at Skull Kingdom is an all-too-common occurrence in Orlando attractions. The ticket price had increased from $9.95 to $11.95 (which is still a bargain in the Orlando Area). Doug explained that they had not raised their prices at the walk-through in two years and in December 1999 they felt that "it was time."

Newly Added or Expanded Scenes.

The expanded Circus Horrificus section of Skull Kingdom is now comprised of 4 rooms. In the first, you will notice that the walls and the floor have an unusual feeling about them, dubbed the Trampoline Room by Doug, the walls and floors of the room are made of spring tensioned nylon canvas, and you ‘bounce’ as you walk through. The next room, which formerly was painted in very drab browns and dull reds, now has the bright glow of fluorescent circus colors. Wildfire brand paints were used for the new scenic art and the effect is almost blinding. Added to the walls in the Circus section are hand-painted sideshow posters circa 1920, but something seems eerily wrong in each and every one of them. In the next room, 3-dimensional pop up clowns eagerly wait to spring from the mouths of new clown facades. Your path then leads to the Killer Clown’s Lair. A word of warning.... be careful. You never know what lurks there. This expanded theming does a great job of tying the Circus section together and is an improvement to the overall flow of the attraction.

What had been a short dark corridor in the summer of 1999 has now been renovated into a very convincing Blair Witch room. With these changes and the very convincing sets in this room, even the actors are afraid to stay in the room for more than a few minutes! On a surprise visit just two days after the room was completed Greg Hale, one of the producers from the Blair Witch Project went through the attraction and gave an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the new room. Greg stated that he was " very flattered" by the Effects Teams efforts. The suspenseful atmosphere of this room is impossible to explain here, you must see it to appreciate it.

During previous visits, the stairwell leading down to the massive Queen Alien animation were just painted black. Now this whole area has been transformed into a ‘Geigeresque’ themed world, where various partially consumed body parts dripping with green ooze greet you! I have heard that walls have ears, but these have whole bodies! Creator Bill McCoy playfully describes the new theming in this area as "alien throw-up." Pleased with the final product, Doug wants everyone to see it, but is worried that the added lighting to show off the walls may take away from the show.

So where's Trevor?

Trevor Thompson, former General Manager and current Co-Owner of Skull Kingdom has begun a new, adrenaline-pumping venture. He has taken the reins of the Skycoaster and Skyventure attractions located near Skull Kingdom. Skycoaster is part of an ever-growing genre of very tall fast rides. Up to 3 people get harnessed into what is essentially a giant swing. Hoisted by crane to the apex of the drop by an airplane cable, (which can hold up to two full grown African elephants), and then released to free-fall. The Skyventure will blow you away, literally! Known as a vertical wind tunnel, this skydiving simulator uses a large fan positioned in the bottom of a room sized tube, and when brought up to speed, provides enough air speed to allow the properly positioned human body to hover in the room. It is like skydiving without the need for a plane or a parachute.

Doug and his crew are constantly striving to improve the Skull Kingdom experience by adding rooms, changing the props, and re-theming scenes. Plans are in place for a gigantic clown to be added to finish the circus section, and many more surprises and changes are now being conceived. The continuing commitment to improving the quality of the attraction is a credit to the management and effects crew of Skull Kingdom. Look forward to additional Kingdom updates in the future, for what truly is ‘a never-ending story!’

Jeff Vinciguerra is a Haunt Enthusiast and owner of The Hallowed Ground Cemetery yard haunt in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He can be reached at 954-524-9478 or by E-mail at Mumafied1@aol.com or visit his web page at http://community.webtv.net/TriviaNut/WelcomeFellow

October Dreams

By GT Burton

At Halloween, when I was young,
And I’d try some childish trick,
I’d wished I was a Goblin
So my pranks would really stick.
How I’d wish I was a Goblin
Not the grotesque kind, you know.
Just one of the mischievous sort,
That could put on quite a show.

Don’t want to simply levitate
Or just do some slight of hand,
But how I’d like to be a Goblin
And spread fright throughout the land.
I don’t want to hurt nobody,
Just mess up their mind a mite,
I’d like to do some crazy things
That would make ‘em fear the night.

I’d really like to occupy
An old Victorian mansion
Where I could hone my haunting skills;
My program in expansion.
Don’t need to move the universe,
Just shift things ‘round the room,
And aggravate each guest who came
With weird shapes there in the gloom.

I’d startle them with ghostly sounds,
Or with forms that come and go,
With flickering lights and dragging feet,
Or with cups that overflow.
Perhaps I’d tickle them a bit,
Strut ‘round in strange attire;
To simply make their heart beat fast
Is the height of my desire.

I want to make the neighbor kids
Tremble as they passed my place,
And look for strange unusual things
As they hurry up their pace.
I’d make the chills run up their back
‘Till they couldn’t move their feet.
Make ‘em stand and beg for mercy;
That would make my night complete.

Want to be the inspiration
For some ghoulish stories read;
Maybe even make illusions
‘Bout the waking of the dead.
But of all the things I’d like to do,
As a wild and roguish elf,
Is just to own a haunted house
And haunt it all myself.

5-21-2000

Gail 'GT' Burton is a 'cowboy poet' and has three books and a CD available about cowboys in general, and The Adventures of Randy Jones and Booger Red in particular. He can be reached via Email at gtburton@ipa.net or PO Box 1500, Benton, AR 72015. GT is also known as the father of John Burton, of Theatrical Terror.

A Halloween Museum
by Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell

For over thirty years a collection of vintage to contemporary Halloween memorabilia has been amassing, and today approximately 15,000 items are awaiting a permanent home. A museum, so that collectors, and celebrators alike can look at, learn about, and research, Halloween memorabilia. My goal has been to house this museum in Salem, MA, but that is not written in concrete. Certainly Salem is where it belongs, and the perfect building is there for it, if the town (who owns it at present), will let us rent it. A Halloween museum would be healthy for the town of Salem as well as for all the other "Witch City" attractions. Being a totally unique institute it would enhance and complement the city’s Haunted Attractions as well as the Peabody Essex Institute, and even complement the large Wiccan community that lives in or visits Salem.

The museum will consist of items like candy containers, costumes, lanterns, postcards, toys, decorations, paintings, games, folk art, anything that is Halloween related. Our vision is that not only whole schools of
children will come each year and roam through the museum, but that it will be used for research and as a repository for the archives of companies and the items they make. It also, will be to encourage and display the works of artists in all fields of Halloween, so that people can see what they are doing to perpetuate the holiday. Special exhibits will be a very important part of the museum as will be lectures and the showing of movies that are Halloween related. We will be limiting ourselves to the ‘not so scary side’ of Halloween motif items. In other words, monsters that roam the world all year long may visit, but residence will be for those that are true Halloween figures. We want this to be inclusive and would like sections devoted to "Nightmare Before Christmas", "Casper the Friendly Ghost," “Elvira" and Salem Witch Memorabilia. Modern advertising as well as pre 1900 Ouija and fortune telling items should happily occupy the building as should modern plastic yard decorations and early arcade machines. If the feel and look of the item is right then the value is not important. Anyone who has read any of the books I have written for Schiffer Publishing will be able to peruse through some of the thousands of items that need to be presented to the public for their enjoyment and edification. These books show only the ‘the stem of the Jack O Lantern,’ so to speak. I have been writing about the Halloween collectibles market for thirty years, and where I was laughed at years ago, there are too many revelers and collectors today for Halloween people not to be taken seriously. The market is growing and the time for a museum is now. Frankly, it pains me to turn down requests every week to see the collection and interest will continue to grow, as it should. It needs a home to show it in all its glory.

Hundreds of people contact us yearly with the desire to see the collection, and we feel that an official museum is the only way to be able to display such a large and valuable collection for both profit and the enjoyment of the many. My desire has always been to leave the museum intact as a legacy for generations of Halloween enthusiasts to come. What is needed at this point is corporate sponsors or investors who can finance this project. Besides the building and its renovations, which will include glass cases, wheel chair ramps, climate control, insurance, stocking the gift shop, heating, security cameras, etc, we would have to hire staff and buy office equipment. Our estimates for completion are around $500,000.00.

If your vision is the same as mine, and if you are looking for a project that will benefit everyone, feel free to contact me. Any positive feedback is welcome. In the meantime, until our dream is a reality, remember every day is Halloween if you are young at heart!