Haunted Cincinnati: How did you guys get your start?

Josh: Well, I basically grew up into it. My dad and his friend started doing something 24 years ago in a 2 family apartment and they started doing something in the yard and from there on every year thats all I ever knew. He (dad) was pretty much the one that warped me and screwed my mind up, nah, he wouldn't do that he was never serious enough that he would want to take it to a business, but he loved Halloween, they both love Halloween and they would just do a little display the last weekend in October and basically I just grew up around that and started helping him out more and more each year and it got bigger and bigger and then, I guess, 5 or 6 years ago I met Chuck and Bud.

Chuck: Yeah, about 14 years ago Bud wanted to put a stuffed dummy, I think he used a Werewolf out in a lawn chair on the front porch and the next year we made some little tombstones out of packing which became the pet cemetary then we made a puker and had a fog machine. One thing led two another with a facade and rooms down the side yard to where it got to be about 17 scenes. They (Josh and Bud) met up at school.

Josh: We met up in 2000 and they had been doing their thing and we had been doing our thing. You saw it we were only a few streets away.

Chuck: As the crow flys maybe a mile.

Josh: We met and started talking about combining them, but that was slow process back in 2000.

Chuck: We formed an LLC (limited liability company) 3 years ago...

Josh: ...with the intententions of doing something down the road.

Chuck: Just kept building up the yard haunts with different materials and props then we got the real truth. Going to a bank and try to get money from them. Got the real truth that since you have never made money so you are not getting any money so we told them how can we make money if you don't lend us money then we just found a backer and everything seemed to work out and is still working out so hopefully it becomes a successful haunt here.

Haunted Cincinnati: How different is this building versus your yards?

Josh: At the old yards we have freedom to do whatever we wanted. Codes don't really apply to our us at a yard haunt. You can get away with running extension cords left and right and you can get away with hallways that are about 16 inches wide. Not that we never took safety into consideration when we were doing it, but, we were only doing a few thousand people on the weekends. In 2000 with were luck to do 2000 people for the weekend. We are here dealing with the numbers we are and obviously all of the regulations and codes still I think you spend half the time dealing with that stuff as opposed to building a haunted house.

Chuck: I thought this would be easier, but I would say it is more difficult just because you only had that deadline you started setting up in September you didn't want your driveway. Sometimes we would have the darned thing set up through December cause I used to go out of town so they would decorate the castle for Christmas. We talked about having Santa Clause and having your picture taken down in the castle. We had a blow up Grinch who kinda sat there. In the last few years it was able to come down quick, but you know this was a full years worth of work of doing your job and coming up here. That one you did a few things here and there, but come September you basically kicked butt and had it done.

Josh: And if we never got it finished in the yard.

Chuck: People could ask for there money back. Most people enjoyed it though.

Haunted Cincinnati: What can people except this year as opposed to last years Dent haunted house?

Josh: Its gonna be a different house a totally different house, maybe a little more intense than in years past.

Haunted Cincinnati: Are you saying that this house is not for the weak at heart?

Chuck: Well if they didn't make it through the old one they won't make it through this one. I think the people will enjoy it.

Josh: The past 3 or 4 years the house has not really changed and, I think, customers have been dissapointed with that. This year they can expect a completely new house all but the vortex tunnel and cabin its all competely different so just about everything is changed. We have all new props put in place everyone can expect an entirely different show.

Haunted Cincinnati: Is this a job now for you guys now or is it still fun?

Chuck: A little of both. Its a job, but its fun.

Haunted Cincinnati: Last year you guys were planting the seeds for "The Janitor" when did he finally come to be who he is?

Chuck: I guess in March, we were looking at it before hand that we were gonna do something just didn't have the right piece (prostetic) until we got on the internet and found the company at the show.

Haunted Cincinnati: Is that a custom mask?

Josh: They made 150 of them.

Chuck: Yeah, they made 150 of them then they broke the mold. I have seen a bat one that the guy does and another one, he has several, but for the janitor he is a good piece, a good fit.

Josh: Basically the house over the years has always attempted the theme of the janitor. They have always talked about it here and there, but it was talked about then you never heard anything else about it and never really saw it. Bud took it to a different level where he really expanded on it. Last year he started playing the janitor out in the queue line. He really began to build this janitor character to what it is now. You can only do so much with an icon character like that if you are never pumping it up. They would mention it on the website, a little paragraph and then nothing in the house.

Haunted Cincinnati: What is the status of 1031 productions?

Chuck: That is our business name. 1031 productions LLC. We decided to go with "The Haunted House" just cause it has been here and didn't want to change the name so its still the haunted house, but its featuring Hilltop Cemetery, the dent school house, but its all one haunt.

Josh: Half the people know it as the haunted house, the other half know it as the dent school house.

Chuck: Some people know it as WEBN or 97.3.

Haunted Cincinnati: What days will you be open this season?

Josh: We will be open Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays starting September 22nd. The first weekend we are just doing the Friday and Saturday then there on out we will do Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We have two lights on Matinee's which are...

Chuck: The first Matinee is the first Sunday. We also will be open on Halloween. We took the first Sunday and moved it to Halloween. The first Sunday it was hot and rained and it didn't even pay for the police. So this way maybe between that, us and the radio station, word of mouth. We have a mixed bag. We have all of those people from Northern Kentucky who used to come down to our yard haunts. I know they will be coming that Sunday night trick or treating expecting to see a yard haunt so we are gonna try to have something, maybe a half price coupon. They will have Sunday night to come over cause usually trick or treating is from 6-8pm so they could come over Sunday and Tuesday and/or the lights on tour Monday night. We did that for trick or treat, we left the lights on.

Haunted Cincinnati: How late will you guys be open?

Josh: 7:30-12:00pm Fridays andSaturdays, 7:30-10pm Sundays.

Chuck: The Matinee's are 2-5pm on that Sunday and 7-10pm on Monday. We do have a re-entry pass this year and a fast pass. We are also going to look into group sales if we can.

Haunted Cincinnati: What is the price difference in a fast pass and a normal pass?

Josh: $6 difference. A fast pass costs $18 and the regular ticket is $12.

Chuck: Parking is free this year.

Josh: Re-entry is $5.

Haunted Cincinnati: So if a person really likes the house they can pay $5 and go through again?

Josh: The nice thing about the re-entry is they go through the fast pass entrance. They don't have to go back in the queue.

Chuck: If they go through the fast pass they miss out on the cemetery.

Haunted Cincinnati: You are still hard at work getting the house in shape for opening night. How close are you to being ready?

Josh: 80-85%

Chuck: With a whopping 5 weeks to go.

Haunted Cincinnati: Guys thanks for spending some time with us. If the finished project is anything like the "85% version" then haunt fans are in for a treat!