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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're talking holiday shows or, perhaps more accurately, how similar so many of them are.With more haunts expanding into the holiday season, it makes sense to talk about how you can make your show truly unique, including steps you can take right now and today to start improving your show for next year.So sit back and relax as we tackle some tough questions including "Why do all holiday shows feel the same?" and "Really, Krampus is here too?"This Week's Episode Includes:IntroLast Week's Question of the WeekThis Week's Question of the WeekPrevious Episodes to Check OutWhy Does Every Holiday Haunt Use Krampus?Crafting a Unique Holiday CharacterKeys to a Good Character or StoryConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Pretty much everyone agrees that fast food mascots are creepy. We've taken it a step further and devised a theory that they are, without exception, serial killers.So, this week, we are discussing them. We're taking a look at the major fast food mascots, why they are creepy and how you can introduce some of that creep into your haunt.We do this in hopes that maybe, just maybe, some haunts will steer away from ripping off famous horror movie characters and shift to either using parodies of fast food mascots or, even better, create all-new characters incorporating this creep factor.This Week's Episode Includes1) Intro2) Last Week's Question of the Week3)This Week's Question of the Week4) Intro to the Topic5) The Wendy's Girl6) Colonel Sanders7) The Chick-Fil-A Cows8) The Burger King9) The McDonald's Mascots10) Jack11) ConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Looking around many haunted attraction groups, I've been seeing several posts claiming that haunts are recession-proof or, at the very least, recession-resilliant. But is it?Haunted attractions have changed a LOT over the past decade or so. We've become a luxury entertainment experience and that's one that had an increasing impact on our customers' wallets? What happens when belts tighten?That's what we're going to look at today with evidence both for and against this notion as well as some suggestions for making your haunt more recession-proof.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekThe Uncertain FutureThe Origins of the Idea of Being Recession-Proof5 Reasons Haunts May Be Recession-Proof4 Reasons They May Not5 Ways to Better Protect Your HauntConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly we're doing the news, and it has been another busy news cycle to say the least. Not only do we have the end of the 2021 haunt season to go over, but the aftermath of that season carries with it tons of news of its own.Luckily for us, it's an interesting mix of happy and serious stories this week as we talk about an arson at one haunt, another haunt run by the developmentally disabled and much, much more.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroQuestion of the WeekConference RemindersParker Haunted House Destroyed in "Suspicious" Blaze (https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/parker-brush-fire-haunted-house-destroyed/73-53796481-4d81-4710-9268-2a73b279fc92)Incident at KLAQ Haunted House Under Investigation (https://kvia.com/news/el-paso/2021/10/30/incident-at-klaq-haunted-house-under-investigation/)Local Youth Run Haunted House (https://kvia.com/news/el-paso/2021/10/30/incident-at-klaq-haunted-house-under-investigation/)Can a Haunted House Even Scare Us in 2021? (https://www.vox.com/the-highlight/22724451/blood-manor-haunted-houses-covid-19)Adults with Developmental Disabilities Re-Energized with Creation of Haunted House (https://www.abcactionnews.com/news/region-pinellas/adults-with-developmental-disabilities-re-energized-with-creation-of-haunted-house)Chandler Community Comes Together to Repair Haunted House Maze(https://www.azfamily.com/news/chandler-community-comes-together-to-repair-haunted-house-maze/article_cd4b018c-3617-11ec-8006-53122423723b.html)Just in Time for Halloween, Zillow Has Created an Interactive Virtual Haunted House Tour (https://www.housebeautiful.com/lifestyle/a38113624/zillow-interactive-virtual-haunted-house/)Wendy’s treats Jacksonville to Haunted “House of Fryght” Pop-up Event (https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2021/10/25/wendys-treats-jacksonville-to-only-haunted-house-of-fryght-pop-up-event/)Woman turns Comstock Park house into Haunted Fairy Tale Display for Halloween(https://www.wzzm13.com/article/features/woman-turns-comstock-park-house-into-haunted-fairy-tale-display-for-halloween/69-32e8d442-8d67-47fc-ad7b-1756e5ca693f?fbclid=IwAR0obeUxKDNdfeXRPb1a4X90lPtozkhTuhe5eCMg8pA65bL0GYst1xc)A Once Small Hayride, Haunted House Event in Steens Now Draws Visitors From All Over North Mississippi (https://cdispatch.com/news/2021-10-29/a-once-small-hayride-haunted-house-event-in-steens-now-draws-visitors-from-all-over-north-mississippi/)ConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're celebrating the end of haunt season 2021 with a look back to the past.Haunting: Starring Polterguy, is a unique game for the Sega Genesis and Mega Drive. Released in 1993, the game has you play the role of a poltergeist with the singular goal of scaring a family out of their beloved home. However, there's much more to this game than fun, cartoony graphics and silly scares. There are some lessons for haunters and, just maybe, a good way to wind down after the long haunt season while still getting a bit of your post-season haunting itch scratches.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroHousekeeping NotesQuestion of the WeekThe Basics of the GameWhy Haunters Should Play itSome Bad NewsConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode that you do NOT want to miss!

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Halloween 2021 is in the books and for us, well, it didn't exactly go as well as planned. Between car accidents, back injuries and a million other misfortunes, this was NOT the Halloween we wanted.However, we did try to make the best of it. There were parties, or at least A party, trick or treating and a lot of moaning and crying out, just not the spooky kind.So join us as we go back through the Halloween that was, discuss why our haunt was closed this year and, more importantly, what we did the the holiday itself.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroConference RemindersA Recap of our HalloweenConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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**Due to a back injury we are doing another classic episode, this one an interview with Jim Warfield from Raven's Grin Inn!**

Most haunters are already very familiar with Raven's Grin Inn, a year-round haunted attraction in Mt. Carroll, IL. The brain child and labor of Jim Warfield, it is an attraction that is both unique and revered.

Last week, we got the chance to see the iconic haunt and it was indeed every bit as unusual an amazing that we thought it would be. But, equally awesome, Jim agreed to sit down with us and talk for an hour about his attraction, how he got started and the challenges of running a year-round haunt in a small midwest town.

Jim is definitely one of the most interesting characters we've met and this interview is easily one of the biggest honors we've had with this podcast.

So, without any further ado, here's Jim Warfield of Raven's Grin Inn talking about his 30+ years at Raven's Grin Inn. 

PS: Be sure to follow Raven's Grin Inn on Facebook and check out their store on Etsy.

Special Guest: Jim Warfield.

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This week on Haunt Weekly, we're doing the news and man do we have a busy show for you. Without a doubt, 2021 has been one of the busiest and most chaotic seasons to date and we're covering the bulk of it in just one episode as we discuss all the haunt news that's fit to print (or talk about).So sit back, relax and let's talk about some haunted attraction news!This Week's Episode Includes:IntroUpdate on Our DisplayRevisiting the Question of the WeekThis Week's Question of the WeekConference Reminders13-Year-Old Girl Injured at Haunted House (https://www.cleveland19.com/2021/10/18/13-year-old-girl-injured-berea-haunted-house/)How the "Labor Shortage" is Impacting Haunts (https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/10/22/metro/labor-shortage-is-spooking-new-victim-haunted-houses/)Haunts Need a Banner Year (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/21/business/haunted-house-halloween-pandemic.html)Haunted House Owners Warn of "Free Ticket" Scam (https://www.wsaz.com/2021/10/21/haunted-house-owners-warn-free-ticket-facebook-scam/)Charity Haunt Celebrates 20 Years of Terror (https://www.wivb.com/news/top-stories/this-homemade-haunted-house-in-depew-serves-up-the-scares-for-a-good-cause/)The Houses October Built Filmmakers Launch New Directory (https://bloody-disgusting.com/the-further/3684574/houses-october-built-filmmakers-put-together-ultimate-haunted-attraction-directory/)Hell's Gate Continues to Expand (https://www.facebook.com/982953275082196/posts/4638336789543808/?d=n)First Ever Haunted Cannabis Maze (https://www.kimt.com/content/news/Fright-at-the-Farm-offers-haunted-cannabis-maze-575588951.html)Marijuana Mansion Provides Scares and a Dispensary (https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/the-marijuana-mansion-the-highest-haunted-house-around)Ohio Haunt Hosts Autism-Friendly Event (https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/the-marijuana-mansion-the-highest-haunted-house-around)College Students Get Class Credit for Running a Haunt (https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/uva-wise-students-build-and-operate-haunted-house-for-class-credit/)ConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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Halloween novelty songs are a tradition that goes back more than sixty years. They have been a part of American culture for decades and have made a splash all around the world.So this week we're going to take a look at some classic mainstays of the genre. We'll examine the song itself, what it means, and take a look at the person or people that wrote it.Hopefully this trip down memory lane will be just as exciting and for you as it was for both of us.This Week's Episode Includes:IntroHousekeeping NotesUpdate on CrystalQuestion of the WeekBackground on the TopicThe Purple People EaterLove Potion Number 9I Put a Spell on YouWitch Doctor!Monster MashSpooky Scary SkeletonsConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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As we've discussed, we didn't get the Episode 300 we wanted or the Episode 305 we wanted either. However, Crystal is back now, and we're trying to get some of what we missed back as we look over our history and discuss our favorite episodes.But wait, you say, didn't you do this in Episode 200? Well, yes. That's why we're focusing most of our energy on the last 100 episode and looking at some of our favorite episodes over the least 100 weeks. So sit back, relax and join us as we discuss the best Haunt Weekly has to offer!This Week's Episode Includes:Intro Housekeeping NotesQuestion of the WeekOur Top 10 Favorite Episodes From The Past 100Our Most Useful EpisodesWhich Episode We Had the Most Fun WritingFavorite Episodes of All TimeConclusionsAll in all, this is one episode you do NOT want to miss!

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