Haunt Weekly

To many, haunting is just a silly hobby. To others, haunting is a business. However, very few people make the argument that haunting is important in a societal way. The argument is pretty straightforward: Art is important. Haunting is an art. Therefore haunting is important. However, haunting has ways that it is important beyond any other kind of art.So sit back as we explore this issue today and discuss why this weird business or silly little hobby actually matters a great deal. This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekNew Stuff in Our Store (https://www.hauntweeklystore.com/)How This Topic StartedWhy Art MattersWhy Haunting is ArtWhy Haunting is Especially ImportantRevisit Question of the WeekConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly we're taking another look back at episode 77 (https://www.hauntweekly.com/77) where we talked about the possibility of crowdfunding your haunted attraction.However, crowdfunding was in a dark place then and our discussion about it came across as excessively negative. So, we wanted another crack at this topic where we could talk about the successes as well as the pitfalls. So, with that in mind, sit back and relax as we sit down and discuss the nuances of crowdfunding and why it may be right for your needs as well as reasons to be cautious with it.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekHousekeeping NotesWhy We're Revisiting CrowdfundingWhy Crowdfunding is TemptingTrends of Successful CampaignsTips for a Successful CampaignFocus on the Crowd in CrowdfundingReasons to Be CautiousWhen to CrowdfundWhen Not to CrowdfundRevisit Question of the WeekConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeek

This week on Haunt Weekly we're finally getting caught up on the news. Fortunately, it's been a bit quiet these past few months. With so many other things dominating the news, haunted attractions haven't exactly been making headlines. That said, we still have a lot of haunt-related news to go through plus some things you as a haunter definitely need to be aware of. So, without further ado, here's a look at what's going on in the haunt industry. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Question of the Week Housekeeping Notes Haunter's Hangout IncidentTransWorld PostponedHalloween Adventure Closes After 40 Years (https://nypost.com/2021/01/11/nycs-iconic-halloween-shop-to-close-permanently-after-nearly-40-years/)Snow White's Scary Adventure No Longer Scary (https://culturess.com/2020/12/22/goodbye-snow-whites-scary-adventures-snow-whites-enchanted-wish-comes-disneyland/)San Leandro Police Arrest Man for Gun Crimes, Clown Mask Makes News (https://www.ktvu.com/news/san-leandro-p

This week on Haunt Weekly we're finishing up our (current) interview run by sitting down the Teddy and Jared from the Code Yellow Podcast (https://www.codeyellow.info/).In this interview we first and foremost learn more about htem and their podcast(s) as well as their haunting history. But from there we dive into the themes of the past few episodes as we talk about building a better haunt community and making our space more welcoming for all.So sit back and relax and listen as we go through all things haunting with two people who know it best!This Week's Episode Includes: 1. IntroInterview with Code YellowConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Special Guests: Jared Howell and Teddy Summers.Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're tackling yet another difficult subject: Bullying.Bullying is a subject that has touched many haunters personally and it's also not an issue that magically goes away once someone hits a certain age.Fortunately, there's a great charity named Don't Be a Monster (https://www.dontbeamonster.org) that has been taking a powerful message about bullying to schools and, best of all, it's one that your haunted attraction can get involved with and help out.So, to learn more we sit down with Adleigh O'Neill from Don't Be a Monster to discuss all these things and much, much more!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroInterview with Adleigh O'NeillOutroAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Special Guest: Adleigh O'Neill.Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're looking at virtual events and haunting. This includes why you might want to host virtual events and how you can do it successfully. Though we've talked about this in the past now it's time to get down to brass tacks. We discuss the reasons for such events, the tools you need to make it happen and the pitfalls you need to watch out for. So sit back and relax and we'll give you the need to know information for running your own virtual event. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Winner from Question of the Week This Week's Question of the Week Check Out HauntWeeklyStore.com Why Host a Virtual Event Where to Have It How to Hold a Virtual Event Things You can Do Marketing Tips/Suggestions Pitfalls to Watch Out For Conclusions All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly, we sit down with Paul Lanner, the founder and operator of Haunters Against Hate. Haunters Against Hate is a charity that promotes LGBTQ+ inclusion and acceptance within the haunt community. As events over recent years have illustrated, the haunt community has work and effort to put into this space. To that end, Haunters Against Hate has been raising money for LGBTQ+ causes all over the country since 2016 and has provided a great outlet for LGBTQ+ haunters are well as for haunts to show their support for the community. So sit back and relax as Paul explains not just what he does, but how haunts can help make their homes more welcoming. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Interview with Paul LannerConclusions All, in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Special Guest: Paul Lanner.Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

Building a haunt community is tough. Building a haunt community that is supportive, inclusive and productive is even more difficult. To help us understand the whys and hows of building a community, we're bringing on an expert: Patrick O'Keefe Patrick is a leading expert is community administration and management. He hosts the podcast Community Signal (https://www.communitysignal.com/) and wrote two books on the topic Managing Online Forums (https://www.managingonlineforums.com/) and Monetizing Online Forums (http://monetizingonlineforums.com/). So sit down and relax as Patrick gives us some expert advice on how to build, grow and sustain healthy haunt communities. This Week's Episode Inlcudes: Intro Interview with Patrick O'KeefeOutroAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Special Guest: Patrick O'Keefe.Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly, we’re looking at the issue of simulated violence in haunted houses and discussing what boundaries should be set and what is best for your haunt and your customers.There’s not much doubt that most haunts contain at least some implied violence. Severed limbs, dead bodies, gruesome injuries, etc. However, most of those injuries happen away from the customer and very few feature significant explicit violence, especially gory violence.There are a lot of reasons for this, one of the biggest is that it’s simply easier but could it also be more effective? Or, are there benefits in ramping up the violence game. This week we’re looking at exactly that and much more!This Week’s Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekHousekeeping NotesOur Love and Sympathy to the Family of Jon HuberBriefly Addressing the Haunter’s Hangout ThreadExplicit vs. Implicit ViolencePros/Cons of ExplicitPros/Cons of ImplicitThe Need for Content Warning in HauntsConclusionsAll in all, this is one important episode tha

This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing the news and, after one of the busiest seasons of all time, it's actually kind of nice to have a quieter news episode for the first time in nearly a year. However, that's not to say there isn't a lot going on. We have news that Erebus is up for sale as well as an update on one of this season's shootings. It's still a very busy news episode, just a little less crazy than the ones that preceded it. So sit back, relax and let us go over all of the haunted attraction news that's fit to print. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Previous Question of the Week Winner Question of the Week Visit the Haunt Weekly Store (https://www.hauntweeklystore.com) Erebus Haunted House, Escape Rooms Are For Sale (https://www.crainsdetroit.com/real-estate/erebus-haunted-house-escape-room-properties-downtown-pontiac-sale-145-million)Federal Prosecutors File Charges in Haunt Shooting (https://www.newson6.com/story/5fd2baa2c792dd0c0a5193a3/federal-prosecutor

This week on Haunt Weekly we're setting aside the haunt talk and tackling something much more important: Tearing down Santa Claus. So sit back and relax while we drop all the reasons that Santa Claus is evil and his myth is likely doing more harm than good.It's a bit of a rough ride I admit, but a very important one to go on. This Week's Episode Includes: IntroQuestion of the WeekHousekeeping NotesWe Have a New Store (https://www.hauntweeklystore.com)Our Personal Stories About SantaSanta's Origins (https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/santa-claus) Santa Makes it to the U.S.What He is TodayPopular U.S. PortrayalsMore Accurate PortrayalsRevisit Question of the WeekConclusions All in all, this is one show you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing interview time as we sit down with Donnie Hoover and "Meathook" Jim Millspaugh of Wrestlehorror to talk about the intersection between wrestling and haunted attractions. This interview covers a wide range of topics including what haunters can learn from wrestling, the overlap between wrestling and haunt acting and why haunters should study wrestling. It's a wild an intersting hour of wrestling, horror and haunted attractions that should be very educational for all!This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Interview with WrestleHorror Conclusions All in all, this is one episode that you definitely do NOT want to miss! PS: Sorry about the limited show notes this week but we've had tech issues in producing this episode so please use your imagination! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly, we're not actually talking much about haunted houses and instead are looking at one of our holiday traditions: The Anti-Christmas PlaylistOur Anti-Christmas playlist is a (nearly) 20-year tradition that started on burned CDs for our car and has grown to a mammoth YouTube playlist with over 80 tracks and 4 hours of music.For the first time ever, we're opening that list up to you and the world, you can view it here: https://tinyurl.com/antixmas2020If you want a guide to that list, well, that's what this episode is all about! This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekHousekeeping NotesWhat We've Been Working OnRaven's Grin Inn GoFundMe (https://tinyurl.com/goravensgrin)Why Do We Make the List?What is an Anti-Christmas List?Parodies of Christmas SongsParodies of Mainstream SongsNew "Christmas" CarolsDrinking/Family SongsDepression SongsOther ReligionsClassic ComedySongs That Are Kind of Pro ChristmasSongs Not on the ListOur Personal Fa

This week on Haunt Weekly we are doing the news! It has been a particularly busy four weeks for haunted attractions as we have the conclusion of the 2020 season, easily the weirdest haunt season ever, and get to talk about some of the aftermath of it.So, with that in mind, sit back, relax and let us tell all about what is going on in the haunt industry.This week's Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekHousekeeping NotesWhat We've Been Working OnRaven's Grin Inn GoFundMe (https://tinyurl.com/goravensgrin)Delaware Man Allegedly Points a Handgun at a Haunt Customer (https://www.wmdt.com/2020/11/delaware-man-allegedly-points-a-handgun-at-a-customer-walking-through-a-haunted-attraction-saturday-night/)Fire Extinguished at Circle of Ash Haunted House (https://kwwl.com/2020/11/20/crews-extinguish-fire-at-circle-of-ash-haunted-house/)Demented FX Closes After City Goes Back into Lockdown (https://www.masslive.com/coronavirus/2020/10/dementedfx-closes-after-holyoke-reverts-back-to-phase-3-step-1-of-r

With the 2020 haunt season coming to a close haunts everywhere are shutting down, evaluating how the season went and starting planning for the new year. But, while a LOT happens in the off-season for haunts one key thing does: Earning money. For most haunts, not being opens means no money at all coming in. However, that doesn't make any sense. Sure, haunt season is only 4-8 weeks long but there are many ways that haunts can make money year-round if they are just willing to try. To that end, we're exploring just seven ways that haunts can earn money in the offseason. Best of all, we're exploring easy, low-cost things that are pandemic-friendly and can be started today! This Week's Episode Includes: IntroQuestion of the WeekHousekeeping NotesWhat We've Been Working OnIntro to the TopicVirtual Escape RoomsOnline Merch SalesLocation FeesHaunted Garage SaleCharacter Appearances/CameoPatreon Virtual Tours/EventsReturn to the Question of the WeekConclusions All in all, this is one money-fill

To say 2020 was an unprecedented season is a cliche at this point, but it is also a grand truth. That said, getting through tough times can carry with it lessons for the better times and that's what we're on a mission to find. The question is simple, what lessons from 2020 can haunts take with them to 2021 and beyond? It turns out there's a lot and we're going to discuss just five of them this week. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Question of the Week Raven's Grin Inn GoFundMe Topic Intro Need for Improved Security Need for Better Financial Stability Getting Back to Prop Building Improving Variety of Acting Preventing Disease Conclusions All in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This year's Halloween was never going to be an ordinary one. We had already canceled our haunt due to COVID-19 and city regulations but had hoped for a spirited night of trick or treating and socially-distanced festivities. Then, Hurricane Zeta hit the city. Instead of the anticipated mild tropical storm or modest hurricane, we got a solid category two with little time to prepare. This brought an early end to our Halloween celebrations and gives us the topic for our episode. So here's hoping your Halloween was more successful than ours! This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Housekeeping NotesTelling the Story of Hurricane ZetaComparing to Last Year's CancelationConclusionsAll in all, this week's episode may be a downer, but it's definitely an episode you do NOT want to miss. Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

This week on Haunt Weekly it's time to do the news. That means we get to bring the most unusual haunt season ever to a close by covering the last four weeks of news stories. However, it's been kind of a rough four weeks, setting aside the myriad of fluff pieces about COVID precautions taken by haunts, we have three shootings to talk about, several injuries and several haunts being forced to close or change their process.Ultimately, this is one of the busiest news episodes we have ever had. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Question of the Week What We've Been Working On Raven's Grin Inn GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/f/covid-support-for-raven039s-grin-inn)Woman Injured in Drive-By Shooting at Houston Haunted Trail (https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/woman-injured-in-drive-by-shooting-at-houston-haunted-house/ar-BB19FEmy)Juvenile Shot at North Carolina Haunted House (https://www.wsoctv.com/news/trending/juvenile-shot-injured-north-carolina-haunted-house-another-juvenile-custody

The headless horseman is one of the most iconic images of both Halloween and haunting. His namesake haunt is one of the best known in the country and his tale is many a child's first introduction into spooky stories. But where did this legend come from and how much truth is there to it? Also, are there other headless horsemen around the world? These questions and more will be answered in this episode. This Week's Episode Includes: Intro Question of the Week What We've Been Working On Follow Up on New Orleans Nightmare Our Own People Are Trash Story Raven's Grin Inn GoFundMe Intro to the Topic History of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow Washington Irving's Version Film Adaptations English Folklore Irish Folklore Scottish Folklore Return to the Weekly Question Conclusions All in all, this week's episode is one that you do NOT want to miss! Get in Touch and Follow Us!Facebook: @HauntWeeklyTwitter: @HauntWeeklyYouTube: @HauntWeeklyEmail: info@hauntweekly.com

Previously on Haunt Weekly, we asked you all for your favorite lighting tricks. Many of you, somewhat to our surprise, said Pepper's Ghost. However, through sheer good fortune, Mental Floss Magazine published an article about the history of the illusion (https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/631857/peppers-ghost-optical-illusion-the-toast-of-victorian-london) and it turns out to be way more interesting than either of us could have imagined. Pepper's Ghost started life as an attempt to generate interest in science, became a carnival trick and today is actually crucial to a lot of the technology you use. All in all, this history is a LOT more complicated than you might think and well worth the hour to look into. This Week's Episode Includes: IntroAnnounce Last Week's WinnerQuestion for the AudienceWhat We've Been Working OnThe Early History of Pepper's GhostThe Henry Dirks EraEnter John Henry PepperThe DebutThe DeclineThe Modern LegacyConclusions All in all, this is one episode you d