I’m right there with you wishing I had all of my past haunts on video. I was even building home haunts back in the ’80s when I was in middle school and high school, so I’d really love to have had those on tape, but that was way before we ever had a video camera.

Yeah, all that apocalypse talk was me “channeling” the most bizarre, funkiest stuff I could think of in the moment. If that was done any other time than on Halloween night, the cops probably would have been called immediately! Of course, the majority of what I do/have done on Halloween night would cause the phone to ring off the hook at the police station if it wasn’t October 31st.

I’d definitely have to consider the 8′ tall costume to be one of my more challenging Halloween disguises. The appearance alone freaked the kids out, but I just wasn’t able to have the mobility I’m used to when I wore that thing. Back before I was displaying the groundbreakers’ cemetery, I used to love to move and run and really be animated in the characters I’d play. But with the oversized costume, that just wasn’t an option… well, it was if I wanted to spend Halloween night either on my face or my butt from falling all of the time!

What really saved me from coming off the roof was my left foot. By hanging it in a grooved spot on the tin, it prevented the majority of my weight from landing on the gutter. If I had actually put my entire body weight on the gutter, it absolutely would have torn loose, just like that scene with Chevy Chase — only there wouldn’t have been any shooting icicles busting up the neighbors’ stereo! While the oversized costume was my most challenging, I’d have to agree with you — zombie on a slick tin roof was one of the most dangerous for me.

I do have a few more home haunt experiences, going even further back, that I’ll share soon. Glad you found the archived Angel of Death post. Did you see the great job ScareFactory did in animating the prop? The position he’s in (including his arms and scythe) in the still photo was my overall design plan for his body. The arms and scythe are going to be a challenge in terms of keeping them in that position. I may have to drop the arms and scythe to his side. The whole thing is definitely being built to scale based on the room I have, but I’m hoping to have the wings be just as enormous, relatively speaking.

Speaking of the Angel, I should be doing my weekly vid update today, but this week has been so busy that I haven’t had much time to work on him. I’ll be working on him tonight and hopefully shooting the vid and posting it tomorrow.

Thanks again for your great comment. I really appreciate it!

Pam,

Thanks! Could you see the whole Chevy Chase, “Christmas Vacation” scenario playing out during my moment of hanging onto the gutter?

LoL, sweetie, now a days if you started ranting and raving about the end of times on Halloween night one of two things would happen:

1 – You would be sought out by religious groups in attempts to have you repent.

2- A group of youtubers would stand beside you and want to share information with you from what they have learned on line due to the whole 2012 thingy

My point being, that’s just what I mean about my imagination and my how times have changed. My God you were enormous in that photo. As if your size alone isn’t tall enough, or maybe it is for someone of my stature, but to ADD additional elevation to you must have been a sight to see. Or not to see in your case LoL, you had me laughing so hard imagining this 8 foot monster running around to scare the children only to get 2 feet ahead of yourself and start to trip. Sounds like a video that should be on AFHV. I bet somewhere under your breath you were cursing hoping to regain your composure soon. BTW, your growling must have been something else John, which a voice as unique and deep as yours is, if I didn’t know you just the voice alone would scare the *beep* right out me!

You really have gone all out in previous Halloween haunt events at the Wolfe house though John. You have actually put yourself in harms way more than once all for the sake, and for the name of Halloween night. I certainly have never known anyone to go to such great lengths as you have my dear friend. Lucky for us SOS fans, you survived them all

Actually your survival of the tin roof is most impressive. Any guy who’s 6’2 is going to have some mass on him and you even more so due to your weight lifting routine so how your gutters ever managed to stay in once piece and not cave downwards is beyond me. It sounded like most of your body weight was on the drain. I bet your Mom was nervous about that set up. I think that would be the most hazardous haunts you’ve done, assuming we’re missing a few stories yet that is. However, WOW, the scare factor on that must have been an all star 10! Between not being sure about you on the roof and the fogged up sidewalk, I would for sure have stayed away…as tempted as I would be to go up to the front door.

Thank you for sharing these with us and we can only hope you have a few more up your sleeve John. Oh and I looked up September in your archive to see the photo and YIKES, TAOD is massive!!!! Was that the position you were hoping to put the arms in?? Are you also hoping to get the wings about that long as well? I see what you mean about not having enough room. To bad you couldn’t bring it in the house so you had more room to work from. I’m sure the cats would just loooooove that!

The “old man” character’s speech just sort of evolved into a lot of “hell” talk as the night went on. I was really trying to make him seem more demented than dogmatic. Of course, I’m the least religious person you’ll ever find, but I love getting into character on Halloween, no matter the character’s mission, whether he’s on a hunt for brains or tries to warn people about the apocalypse by spouting a lot of gibberish!

I can see why the kids stayed away from the chalk outline! That’s a very creative touch I’ve never even thought about doing.

Thanks, autumnforest, for your great message and the suggestion on writing a book. I’m glad you enjoy my writing.