Pre-Haunt days:
 

I was born on March 23, 1983, to a Blind woman who nearly lost her life due to blood loss at my birth which was about a month early, I was a preemie baby, so my lungs were undeveloped, and doctors had me on a respirator. I was near death have no heartbeat, I guess, I was undead. My Father left us then due to his partying ways which made him unfit as a father, can't change the Evil One, I guess. It was my Mom, My Grandparents, Uncle Tom, and Uncle Jack who raised my younger brother and me, Mom was a huge Hard Rock and Heavy Metal fan, and vinyl records sat up on her dresser so seeing them I was in awe of these records 1 did catch my six-year-old eyes, I saw 4 superheroes stand above a destroyed land, a sonic boom of rock, the name of this band was KISS. But 1 Superhero looked like a Monster, I asked Mom who he was, and She said Gene Simmons, I put on the song God of Thunder. A Proud Soldier of the KISS Army was born, then I would get into Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Dio, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and many Gods of rock. But 1 was a villain who as a Halloween junkie even then who loved the Universal Monsters through Abbott and Costello, (I'm also am a huge fan of 3 Stooges to add through my Grandpa). Alice Cooper was the villain of rock was a slightly spooky manic image of a man with a woman's name. Pictures of horror started to influence me in this I liked. Being a huge Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Batman fan, It was also a love of WWF I had with Superheros Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart, and Macho Man Randy Savage, In 1990 my hero would come from The Shadows, A man who looked grim, long red hair, powerful and cold icy stares at anyone in his way, The Undertaker with Paul Bearer. At this time I began playing football with a childhood friend named Andrew Toepfert, We were allowed to give ourselves nicknames Andy chose War Eagle, I chose Demon. I noticed my tongue is long and I could role my eyes back. Things that became a part of me so, It was natural to show this. I went to a 3rd-grade field trip, A camping trip. The trip changed me further like all field trips you can't watch children all the time, But they would regret not watching a bully calling to me and asking me to come to him and he never mentioned a sewer lid, which I stepped on the lid broke and slid down into the water like Super Mario Brothers, I held myself up in the water by the sides of the rusted metal tube, a kid Andy Edwards tried pulling me out as teachers and or parents helped after hearing his screams of help, Realizing I could have drowned if I got knocked out or if it had no water fell to my death. not 1 person called my Mom or Grandparents or my Uncle Jack or Tom, So when I came home with scratches and this story, You saw a blind Mother angry as hell and I feel she should have sued them. I would fail 3rd grade that year, after my creativity and football name Demon, I drew a picture of KISS's Gene Simmons breathing fire in my 4th-grade class and the speech teacher, counselor and principal came into class pull me out was a cop who pat me down, someone lit a match in the boy's room and they saw the picture thinking I was trying to breathe fire in there. My Mom did smoke, Which I am against smoking so using matches or lighters wasn't in my wheelhouse, So they found nothing, We had a meeting in the Counselors office and they pretty much thought I was evil. This would create a kid to be more withdrawn and understand those with authority don't always have the best intentions for anyone, Whatever in there lives either religious or political they seemly judged a small boy, a single Blind Mother, Grandparents which later during Jr High their counselor told me notes my grade school said that my family was a cult. As a teenager I grew my hair long and wore black KISS shirts and became the image I was judged on, The students started calling me The zombie because I was quiet and a friend who I met in grade school that was being bullied he had down syndrome, I defended the bully so also through Jr High he and I were close friends his name was Nathan Michealson. I started to learn bass guitar like my hero Gene Simmons, starting a band with Andy Topefert and Chris Palassis called Unleaded in 1997 we played a show called Delhi Lights, We played the BTO class taking care of business but with a punk twist. We also had another childhood friend named Andy Becker, He was a loud, brash guy, not always liked by classmates.. But not one took time to understand the heart of this creep which started in grade school getting to know him. He never understood why I was in learning disabled classes and felt I was always coddled, Not understanding I do have a bit of autism and like most didn't understand in those days what that was or saw how we are different because they were friends. But we were brothers and I'd take a punch for anyone even to this day, within my early life, I helped the Elderly and around the neighborhood or a family friend who was blind named Larry Goodall, which I worked for from 1997 till he passed away in 2009 and had to be open day or night to help him, My Mom and I had friends that were named Gary Horn and Steve Harmon, From 1996 on they were in my life regularly, Steve was a metal singer and comic book artist for his comic "Maiden Hell", Gary was a dj for WVXU, his show was called Saturday Night Loud, which he interviewed people from Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, Al Show and later Damien Reaper. He had me at the studio many times so 1 night in 1997 the 3 of us headed to Dungeons of Delhi, it was behind then a Twiftway store, I was a horror fan but wasn't used to people being in my face, I did visit a haunted house in the early 90s within an old Swallens, It scared me and Dungeons put me in a shock, seeing a guy in an electric chair for whatever reason I saw my own face on the dummy in the chair, I've never used drugs so I am still unsure what my younger self saw, Andy Becker who played a Freddy there at the time. saw as his friend was brought out shaking and out of his mind.

1998

Dungeons of Delhi
 

A random summer day, Andy Becker came over and said hey you should act with me, I always wanted to wear make-up and perform, I thought would be music but this would be at least something. So we went there and though the police employers questioned us, and Sara Osbourne, David Gumz and Josh Purkey joined us in a room, I wanted that room something was calling me to it, The Funeral Parlor, I wanted to be like my Heroes The Undertaker, Gene Simmons, and Alice Cooper, A monster that with raising out of casket seeing and hearing 2 teenage girls scream was like a fire in my soul. Damien Reaper was the larger-than-life version of Daniel Ruwan, What was hiding behind the shy quiet kid was a demon waiting to come out. David Espich and Joe Middendorf saw something in me both being the owners and co-founders, I hated the idea of being a wanna-belike a Freddy or Dracula which may have been my favorites, I did not want to dress up like something that was done much better in the films. I also didn’t want to be some random monster 1 and clown 2, I felt I have a name and personality, Andy and I went to Josh Purkey's house, As I was obsessed with KISS, Andy was obsessed with Ozzy. We put the intro of Mr Crowley on a loop tape, We showed it to Dave which he loved and there was a different atmosphere. I acted in the parlor all but 1 time they needed someone in the kitchen so again it was me Damien Reaper, acting like I cut myself used the blood as sauce, I wish I had a photo of it. I had a thought thinking of Eddie from Iron Maiden on the album covers maybe I can still be me, but as I changed rooms it changed my look maybe different actions. There was no rules to what a Haunted House monster could be so I could evolve what I started. It made the guy underneath the artist and mascot on the outside. Going into the follow-up year I was put into the door room, where when you walk into a hallway one door has a mock dummy, and 2 had actors, The Biker came from looking at a promo picture for an album Alice Cooper was going to come out a year after, called Brutal Planet. My family had a WebTV which was like a Ruko box with a keyboard, I made websites and saw a reviewer named Randy Schadel, The House of Doom and I emailed him about Dungeons of Delhi, He came there reviewed us, and spotlighted me, Which made feel great and he had me send him a photo with the ax, This opened my eyes to what Haunting could be for actors who felt trapped in a society that looked down on them they could be who they were inside of them, Not knowing at the Nightmare Estates Haunted House Brett Ryan would be the Legend Bludzo T Klown, who also was a hybrid of his heroes Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons and as a clown. My 2nd year was pretty interesting as partners Brad Taylor and Andy Becker didn't really have any defined as characters, But we would pop out. One night a group of Asian foreigners came in the room, Brad popped out and ushered them in the door entrance which was like a closet size room and I hear the door slam, 4 grown men screaming to get out. When Brad opened the door they flew, I was doubled over laughing behind the door. The 3rd year The Graveyard which was next to the electric chair I was scared of and I avoided that damn thing, Here I was next to it and I started to see is just a prop, Andy Becker, and I was joined by my father who I finally met in 1996, after I contacted him. He was a haunted house actor in the 70s which was his yard haunt where he lay in a coffin and popped at local kids and legendary Haunt St Ritas Haunted House, Kevin Patrick Walker became The Evil One as Becker was Ozwald, during this time David Espich told us we had 2 traveling actors to guest with us named Kevin and Joe who did zombie acts, I feel David Espich is one of the unheard Haunt actors that I feel was and is the best showman and magician I've ever known. He once told me "we don't want to be too big" I never understood what he meant, I later understood because my roots in charity really made me work harder and stand out, after later being with a haunt that grew to a cosmic level how it changes people and the bond of a team can change, I used to stay long nights t build and create rooms with David Espich there was no I’m boss your MY actor, It was two friends working together to do a silly passion we share even if I had school, my costume choices were questionable for a few years but this is where you learn, grow not try to be perfect because if your at your best acting the costumes will come to life anyway. I never felt zombies were interesting in a haunting setting because it's that interaction that can take you to another level, You growled at someone oh boy, It may scare the easily scared. But to add a layer of interaction and connection always works better even in those later years forced to be zombies at Dent Schoolhouse I never found doing trends based on the film of year or trends that work in films that don't work at haunted houses. It got in the way of giving what people paid for and it was a gimmick over top a gimmick. The Graveyard at Dungeons of Delhi looked cool there were tons of mulch and foam crypts, and gravestones looked amazing, So my 4th the Wedding Chapel which was an idea by David Espich he really wanted me in there, Can’t say at the time how weddings can be scary till I was older, Damien Reaper as a minster and symbiote (like Venom from Marvel) So I wore a robe with red puffy paint and tights again with puffy paint so if a pretty lady went by I was in danger from showing a new pop-out prop. At the same time earlier that year I would have played in front of my Class in High School in March of 2002, Andy Toepfert, Chris Egloff, Chris Palassis as G-12 performed 4 songs, though I wasn’t allowed to wear make-up, I wore a long black wig because I cut my hair short, had leather gloves and jacket, again showing there was no fakeness between the monstar and man, I graduated in June, cap, gown and leather gloves. 2003 I set to return to the funeral parlor at Dungeons of Delhi made sense 5 years later, so I used bits of past costumes and painted my face red with a wig and mask-like Kane the wrestler. I met Ty Jero who played Micheal Myers a year before and his victim Robin Dickman, Robin wanted to be a monster so she joined me for the 3 years I was in the funeral parlor as The Banshee, The great Dan Leopold also came in though it took playing a few characters like Dr Giggles, An Insane inmate, So when he started a pre-Fatso the Clown with a mohawk and polka-dot moomoo he found something inside of him as Fatso as being a fan of Sid Haig in House of 1,000 Corpses and Clown from Spawn, Dan really redefined this new Fatso that keeps going through Dent Schoolhouse and MAUL. He was the 1st who really understood a gimmick is a gimmick but when you put on the costume it's the larger-than-life part of you If you just hang with Dan the clown is there under the skin. The Rouses came in as well Cecil (chainsaw Cec), Mary, Jake (Buddy the Bum), Benny, Ron (Doctor Lector) and Ronny (Hondo) Jr they would bring new ideas also with John Colleta (Toxic Lou) who was an electrician, new lighten and pro design like the Monster Garage and more detail was applied to rooms. The last few years from 2003-2005 was magic, we got more notice. When Dan and Tony Wessley (Joker) was bonded magic happened. City Blood, Haunted House Tour and other reviewers all took notice of us through House of Doom leading the way, Reviewers are great for Haunted Attraction they are the links between us and the outside world, it being other haunts or the public, They are true fans and should be treated as such. But out of nowhere in 2005 Randy from House of Doom sent me an e-mail about new managers of The WEBN Haunted House the original owner wanted to pass the torch and Chuck & Bud Stross, Josh Wells wanted to meet with me, John Colleta, Jake Rouse who was managing Dungeons of Delhi at the time, David Espich and Joe Middendorf was there but they kinda let us lead the charge of things. The new owners of what now is The Dent Schoolhouse wanted to do a group ticket with other haunts and as a customer if you punch a hole in the tickets you win a, So John put his own money got shirts and put into doing this. This group was Dungeons of Delhi, Dent Schoolhouse, USS Nightmare, St Ritas Haunted House, Mt Healthy Hall and Sandy Land Acres, It was the 1st time I realized there was a community beyond Dungeons. I can't say how the meetings were but as someone who was in the room it was interesting there was uneasiness between owners and well it's all I could say sometimes. We also had a meeting at the Newport on the levee where the haunts named mingled and those from The Nightmare Estates was also present like Brett Ryan, Randy Patterson and Adam Kassen, Reviewers City Blood, House of Doom and others would witness the new Icon of The Dent Schoolhouse Charlie McFree, 2006 came I wanted to split my time as a icon as Damien Reaper, a Dungeon of Delhi representative. Who acted at USS Nightmares on Wednesdays, Thursdays I would act at Dent Schoolhouse and weekends in September. October Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays was all Dungeons of Delhi. A few of us namely myself, Dan Leopold (Fatso), (Madd) Matt and (Mean) Mark Mateikat who started that season would guest act after nights at Dungeons of Delhi that ended at 10 pm, Dent would end at midnight sometimes later depending on the crowd. On Halloween night Dungeons was closed, So we flew to Dent I remember working 3 rooms in one night because they were low on actors so I did The Vampire room, Mummy room and the start of a vortex. This was so exciting getting to act and link each attraction, helping each other. That was where I saw things going because our community was so huge the idea of a shared universe. ALL of us locally could take Cincinnati and together open the doors for actors young and old to be themselves, owners pro and charity could unite and be stars across the city, Not knowing underneath the smiles, business people aren’t as open-minded as I am.. when money comes in to play, being number 1 seemed to matter more than what I could see benefited everyone. I was starting to see how un-normal of an industry this really was and as the years carried on I saw how petty and ugly it can be after I left Dungeons.

2007

The Dent Schoolhouse


I didn’t know that I was going to leave Dungeons 100% in 2007, One of the walls in the haunt seemed wobbly so John Colleta, Dan Leopold and Jake Rouse rebuilt it, Joe Middendorf a co-owner of Dungeons of Delhi came in a saw told them he wanted it the way it was. They had to tear it down, I wasn’t present for it so when It was brought to my attention and the debate was to jump to The Dent Schoolhouse, there was a meeting at Dungeons of Delhi between a small group, I wanted to share time as I did in 2006, But I also saw Dent being the future, I bonded with those in Nightmare Estates who blended in with Dent Schoolhouse originals Troy Baldock (Baby Zuez), Jermey Jones, Sam Rehn, Pat Hennessy (Fruit Loop), Kirby Hilyard (Rellik), Ellen Irvine (Emilia Strange), Charlie Geluso (Bus driver Chuck) Maggie Baker (Molly Lovett), Adam Kraus (Bubba Mcfree), Steven Penny (Aagod), Adam’s (Suicidal Addams) sister Beth Kassen, Donnie Centers, Chris Varin (Boiles), Jimmy Matthews, Keith Peace (Booter), Katilen Eagle (Nurse Sputum), Josh Gentry (Big Jim), to say a few. Many of the core actors that made it what it was, I’m unsure if John or Jake called the owners of Dent, I felt it was a natural change. I was older and thought Damien Reaper would evolve and fit into the Schoolhouse, They were welcoming then. We had to audition in 2007 and giving back to the guy who got me started at Dungeons of Delhi, after being kicked out for maybe being to aggressive for a charity haunt, So I told him he should dress up for his audition so he was a zombie, Andy loves George A. Romero, also Freddy and Jason so they would put him in then Funeral Parlor as The Creep, I would go into The Graveyard being the 1st room of the attraction, Dan Leopold would join Brett Ryan in the clown room with new comers Brandon Unthank (Skittles), Greg Bredestege (Ruffels), Julie Langenderfer (Calliope). I can tell you something was magical about this group, Sure Dungeons started it off with the self-created characters each that did so should be remembered and valued even if something I partly started it they all should be looked at in a huge light but the original cast I think why The Dent Schoolhouse are where they are today, It was the right cast, right owners, right management, Right set designer who is master among Gods Josh Wells and the Tuesday night crew goes overkill to make the magic happen and it was so positive then, felt warm and with my Dad joining in The Evil One and Damien Reaper together on nights in the graveyard. I was happy, We together was a force and felt unbreakable. MHC 2008 we did two shows on that tour 1 at Nightmare (Enter-trainment) Junction and back down to Dent Schoolhouse, than a group of us went to MHC in Columbus Ohio which if you had the Dent logo everyone just came up and said how great you are, the haunt was, I never had that before, Dungeons as great as they are and they did get light on them from reviewers but this felt bigger and I saw what could be networking and the haunt actor could have meaning in not just the haunt community but locally in a community, I did cameo for Dent and Under the Gun productions called The Janitor and we also did the video Thriller, It was things that I always wanted However, That year, Christmas Eve I lost my Grandpa, It was the 1st real loss that was directly from my home, my heart, A year later 2009 getting a call from Mom after a night haunting, A Family friend.. the guy I was helping Larry Goodall passed away, 2010 I lost my Grandmother.. I was her favorite. During this time it was the balance of trying to be there for those loved ones who passed, trying to be Damien Reaper. Throughout it I was a mess, MHC 2009 I was one of the 1st Scarokee singers with the great Scarlet Angel, I sang crazy train which cemented who I was. Dent was starting to be noticed behind the make-up, Bud Stross and Megan Schmitt were starting to get really popular with their personas Jasper and Jinx. They were like a team and entertaining more than scary characters, But I’ll be honest that overshadowed Charlie McFree, I think when It comes down to it, Why Jasper and Jinx worked was it was the actors real selves that shined through the clowns. To me Bud Stross is the most underrated actor because he could morph into any persona it being Killjoy, Jasper, Charlie, Vip anyone and it worked out well, Though he is known for being the owner and master at marketing. So when he started a podcast with Adam Kraus, Beth Kassan, Jessica Coyle called The Sinister Hour, which Troy Baldock and I doing call ins. Dan Leopold, Troy and I started Corpse Cast as a parallel to them. But We wanted to interview outside haunters and friends outside the tribe. We interviewed House of Doom, Tyler and John from Dungeons of Delhi, USS Nightmare (which sadly got lost). We even had drunk podcasts where I was drunk reading a ghost story at Dan’s farm. The 2nd time both podcasts joined forces and was an amazing time, Though I was drinking a lot, self-medicating and trying to be liked, be social and overtime being stupid which I was, I thought I was in control, Dan was the editing guy, I paid for the site, I wanted to do it 2 times a week get sponsors as Rotten Flesh Radio, I think Dan liked doing the recording, the editing late nights trying to get those things done I think was overkill for him. He and Keith Peace was starting to form a band so his interests was leaning more towards that, Sinister Hour fizzled out as well. I was stupid thinking that Corpse Cast could grow in that way, Looking at Dan’s point of view, he’s younger than I am so he wanted to dip his fingers in many sauces. He knew he was Fatso the Clown, He wanted to do things outside of Haunting 24-7. I am more hey we are Haunters let’s a brace everything Haunting. Everything I wanted was Damien film, art, t-shirts.. I wanted to be like KISS with all of us in Dungeons of Delhi and Dent Schoolhouse where everyone shared the spotlight,, shine as group and shine as an individual only through this art. It is a great thing that everyone should be passionate about something, I wanted to see everyone get credit and everyone deserves that. I think doing the podcasts of both teams for most other than myself felt it was too much Haunt stuff in there lives, Which for Dan or Bud or whomever who had other outlets not haunt related that they had more passion in or in Bud’s case he is DJ, The Haunt thing that brought you together starts becoming a job and when you see each other every week you start to go the distance from one another, Then those outside our groups are asking themselves why aren’t we included, Which was starting to happen. By 2010 I lost everyone outside my Mom and 2 Uncles who raised my brother and I, I had a few outside of haunting friends mostly Wayne Spies who wanted to do videos and met through myspace, Skare 13 Productions who I met in 2008, We did his 3D zombie videos Why, Another zombie video with Andy Becker called Cold Creek, and full-length movie we did use the kitchen at The Dent Schoolhouse which Dan Leopold and his cousin Erica played a boss and worker killed by myself a killer Pizza man. I was also in majority of the music videos did from Don’t stop me now as Dan, Damien and other things, Don’t stop believing as Blamo, Call my maybe as Father Damien. Layered with that there was drama a few members felt I was delusional as my persona, I think they felt I couldn’t turn it off. That I didn’t know where Damien or Dan began and ended, Yes there is a gray area of both, but I wasn’t taking people’s souls or being a haunter at the store. I would call myself Damien at karaoke, go to meetings in make-up for fun, because it was fun. Somehow it bothered other people at Dent. All at the same time dealing with 3 losses, and a woman that was a cast mate in her 20s that was loosely in our circle after having a fever of 100 degrees repeatedly texting me “Do you like me?”, coursed by another person to do this to me. I try to keep any crushes in check when It comes down to Haunting. It’s poison in a circle. I was dumb and said yes, She made sure I knew there was no chance there could have been love birds, I knew there was no chance anyway. But I was weak and needed people to cope with loss and other emotions. We went to a few events like a festival with Dent where she drugs me around away from another person who said also harassed her at a party, then for a week had me stay at her father’s later, coming to my house just to take a shower, even took to a Convention in 2011 Days of the Dead just to meet a guy in a band as I stayed in the lobby overnight with the great Sal Lizard, She kept telling me in text or on the phone this or that between us, So I blew up when I heard from other people that I was harassing her. The more I asked why and by who she would get threatening and unbearing blocking me and unblock me back and forth nonsense, All at the same time I was drinking and just trying to escape to some sort of happiness, At a new years eve party at a haunt friend’s home. I drank in a row 10 shots of whiskey in 2012, no one else knew this because they were in the shed playing nes games. I was trying to die, I felt alone, and though I was with the person who slept across from me who later say I harassed her and she seemed safe with me in the living room with her, those who said I’m crazy I was also with. I remember praying to God kill me, end my life. And here is the kicker I blame myself for all these things, I wasn’t be true to myself as I was a kid and teenager, a loner, and with mental issues with a drink I was poisoning the dreamer and letting fools get to me. Around circles that do party and some like me who also have issues can be a toxic place. Even more when you open yourself up to it, let them in, it can ruin your life. So In 2013 after being pulled over by Terry Rook Jr, the cast manager the issues of 3 people. And the concept overall in the haunt changing everyone’s characters forcing all but a few to end the characters they and I put work in for a noir horror theme. And things with Dent was starting for more serious in point systems where if you are sick or lose a loved one or get called into their real job if they miss a day they could be let go, There contracts that they pretty much we own your likeness and you can’t use it in another haunt. They stopped guest actors from coming in. I for years made my own videos, did reviews of MHC, and did interviews, Again with all of it I felt like everything that was happening to others and myself from the owners stripping away the past, the owners I think felt the inmates were having to much control over there asylum. Look it’s their haunt they can do whatever they want, I think forcing everyone to change, and do corporate-like things like getting punished or letting someone go because someone was sick, lost a loved one or a real job calls you in. They are really good people they came to my Grandma’s funeral, they let me thank the cast in 2010, Come 2013, I’m not sure how things became as they were between myself, the cast, the owners.. what happened where everyone broke away. Maybe it was being featured in Travel Channel as the Autoshop Satanist in 2011, I do feel that was my fault because I wanted to be more and carry the torch as Damien Reaper and Dungeons of Delhi, So for some reason it hit a nerve with some or most there, I did an event with them at Fear Fair and wrestled in a match, which remembers the girl who said I was harassing her was drunk came up to me to say good luck, I knew the day Terry pulled me aside about these issues I said to myself I’m leaving Dent, and the haunt business altogether, Who I was and am Damien Reaper, Not a noir detective, which really I didn’t hate but it wasn’t true to myself. Come that year’s cast party I didn’t dress up, I didn’t want to be there, I was done. I felt isolated from everyone which in the end I needed, But seemly I wasn’t alone in needing to leave. I think Dent’s strengths is the 3 owners Bud Stross, Josh Wells and Chuck Stross, they could be the greatest masterminds ever in our Industry, it was those 1st 5 years that took them from a home haunt to where they are today, 2005-2010 all those cast members did not deserve all there characters they built to be forcefully changed, We were close friends starting to drift apart which I remember in 2013 talking to Bud I felt it was the case and people were unhappy. Truthful and God’s at my witness, didn’t know what would be M.A.U.L would be forming. Though I tried to be a friend to The Dent Schoolhouse warn them a lot of folks were unhappy.




2014

MAUL

With the changes that was slowly changing in 2012, Much of the cast. Started to disappear Brett Ryan left and then in 2013 Dan Leopold left, After a night which listen we have our bad days but after 1 night in 2012 the cast was told to take a seat, There was no real place to sit, I kinda stood out of the way, 1 owner snapped at me to sit down and I left the room, started to leave the building. I forgave this person, It was uncharacteristic of this person again we have bad days. This man has the biggest heart at Dent. This as far as I know triggered Jason Henry, Dan Leopold, Kirby Hilyard, Jim Millspaugh, Rebbeca Minges and few to start to feel it getting closer. The acting manager was changing hands to Terry Rook Jr got the role, Which I always respected him. Before He had there was the offer to all the actors to try to get that role, Jim Millspaugh was one of those who tried to get that position, Jim and I have a history I was interviewed with his original podcast he was apart of Rotten flesh Radio, hosted by Jonathon Johnson, with side assistance of Jason Storm, Jerry Vayne and Drew Badger, who later split from Jonathon to form The Big Scary Show, Jim is well versed in reading, studying the Haunted attraction Industry before he joined The Dent Schoolhouse, He had a class and panel he invited me to speak at, He like Terry came from Kings Island’s Haunt. Which I felt was best for that role, Both guys are very good men, I have a lot of respect to both guys, For what Dent wanted they needed someone who could be firm even heavy-handed. Jim wasn’t that guy and I wouldn’t of been that either, But I do think Terry got to much unnecessary hate for those changes, Even from me for a short time behind the scenes. I am sorry for it, sir. Much leaving The Dent Schoolhouse as a huge group gone, regardless of stricter business ways or fighting with 3 friends. Without Dent I wouldn’t of been on TV, Film and known these blessed people. I really wanted to mend bridges even after we left, I at a mutual friend’s wedding came up to the Dent Schoolhouse and told them to their faces because I loved them, But my character of a human being and guy who was behind them at the very beginning was being questioned for a people I also tried to build, support and be a friend to. From them to cast members who needed support with posts of suicide, career goals or whatever because a good team leader does this. Because no friend I wasn’t too busy for, Even when I needed more help. When someone’s angry about someone or something you shouldn’t right away tell them to quit being angry, share in that anger you can help be a friend then you can slowly talk to them down and get them to calm down. My whole goal in Haunting was to have fun, be myself and help others find their inner Monstar No one said people are normally doing it. Seemly M.A.U.L was going towards a closer path to what I started at Dungeons and that early Dent was going to be, but Traveling. After doing a short film with Dan Leopold. Matt Mateikat, Wendy Hubbard Ferris Ellen and Alex Irvine, Jimmy Matthews, Allison Holdcraft,, Zack Haynes, Troy Baldock, Jason Frederick and Kortney Frederick. Made me feel better because though I had help, though it wasn’t perfect I wrote it and felt creative again, I even had a shout-out from Allen Rizzo in USS Nightmare’s ALS challenge. I was slowly feeling better about myself as an Icon of Haunting. Though my personal life was in shambles with a family member using heroin and taking care of my Mom all in 1 house. And The great Josh “Big Jim” Gentry from The early Dent Schoolhouse passed away in Feb 2014, I really wanted to go his funeral I had no car at the time, This was kick in the gut, My health was slowly going down a little my blood pressure became hypertension, stress with everything will still present but I was trying to figure out who I was and wanted to do. So I thought well I’ll try a podcast, and Dan Leopold mentioned MAUL with Jim Millspaugh posting a video they did at Scream Acres Ct, Which just gave me chills, though I hated the song it was a message. I had no real interest in joining right away, but I really wanted to hear my former castmates, Jim Millspaugh (Meathook Jim) & his future wife Kris (Mysteria ), Jason Henry (Chaos), Kirby Hilyard (Rellik), Zach Foster (Slit Castle). Julie Candelaresi (Bonnie Bones), Wendy Smith (red Sasha), Nate Jennings (ChopChop), Rebecca Minges (Sally the Dolly), Wendy Ferris (makeup artist), Dan Leopold (Fatso) later Julie Langenderfer (Calliope) , Lindsey Wagner, Brett Ryan (Bludzo) , D-day (Patchwork), Jackie Steinert (Nip), Teresa Campbell (Banshee) joined the cast. I interviewed most of the group, A part of me kinda wanted to do this again, A few weeks I get a dm from Jason. Wanna join, I thought ok. I really wanted to do a video for them or us at the time, plans on filming a video and talking were so exciting because I finally get to do what I wanted film the great cast, as I saw everyone Monstars. I felt the website would gain more attention I and we had a dot com, look more professional which we did, So later there was talks about upgrading and having hd photos not just of each character, and headshots however it became stressful to get people on board for such things. We had the talent, We just needed focus, but it being the 1st year it was figuring things out, As in 2014 8 years after leaving Dungeons of Delhi, Fatso and Damien Reaper would return to guest a night, House of Doom and City Blood would visit to see us plus those that started at Dent that was in MAUL but it was all 3 fused that day it would be one of the greatest moment in my life. Even though most of the old crew and cast left Dungeons of Delhi, (Madd) Matt and (Mean) Mark Mateikat and Though I met a few times 2007 A Legend would start New Blood, Jerry Wessler to me these 3 held Dungeons together long as they could. We tried to reach out to David Espich and many classic Dungeon actors but many moved on with their lives. It felt like time repeated itself, sadly we had a visit by a few actors from The Dent Schoolhouse, It was told to by Mark that 1 guy (no names) was telling young actors “you should come to a real haunt?” Now I can’t confirm it. But they did come through the haunt. This person would later in the years do things like leaving on my app where you can write hidden messages and it said “MAUL sucks and you are a shell of your former self”, I didn’t want to step foot back at Dent Schoolhouse, I understand they maybe upset everyone left without saying we are doing this except myself and few actors said to their face I’m joining MAUL, But listen if the owners or actors are reading this, know if there was an option to sit with any of you to hash it out, same with MAUL before I left them. If there was an open door to communication that didn’t seem like a lost cause I’m sure we all could've worked out something. Before Jason Henry died in 2015, The guy who started at Dent in 2011 he said he saw me on Halloween Crazy and he wanted to join us. He would growl RRRrreeeaapeer, I respond Ccccchhhaaaaooos. In his daily job he was a chef so he made amazing food. We were at Kirby Hilyard’s Birthday Party in 2015 when Jason died, Dan Leopold, Kirby and a friend of Jason’s Robert Burnham went to pick him up, I was texting him on the way to Rebbeca Minges house with Teresa Campbell he seemed like he was feeling sick, So receiving the news he died felt like a bad joke, I just texted him and he texted back like 25 mins before, We all went to the hospital where his body was, his body.. I have never… felt that.. I can’t describe what was in my head, Jim and Kris Millspaugh joined us at the Hospital because they weren’t at Kirby’s Party. Zach Foster, Julie Candelaresi, Matt Godfrey, and others. We all went to Jason’s funeral from MAUL and Dent Schoolhouse. Everything is foggy that day I remember sitting there on the bench just breaking crying because Jason Henry had a kid, a wife, and seeing his Mother break. Here I am in within a see of people that we are all connected with, because of this man, Josh Gentry from Dent Schoolhouse died a year earlier but I wasn’t present for his funeral, Even those 3 who said I harassed a girl and had issues with me were there, the girl was there, we all hugged. The Guilt of leaving Dent, Dungeons, and The pain of losing my Grandparents, Josh Genry and Jason Henry. I broke inside, That hurt burnt in me for years to come, I tried to cheerlead the team called MAUL, I created the tag Hear the Roar and Fear the Pride as a rally cry, I started to take charge of Twitter and Instagram. The last time I saw Jason before he passed away was at a Christmas event at Scream Acres Ct, I dressed as a Santa or I call him Ol’ St Dick but Jason was feeling unwell then, Brett Ryan and Telfore Nyte was at the event and remembered that Jason challenged us in 2014 at Indy Scream Park we all did a drag night, MaryAnn Rottencrotch was born and Jason just knew what he wanted the group to be. Jim was trying to merge the team with many haunts at that time, my feeling really was let’s focus on the one thing. So Jim had to be the one boss who had to carry on with the guy getting us together which we were all broken with Jason’s loss, For what Jim had to face without Jason, had us the team but the team had different levels of commitment which he would talk to me about many times, and his challenge was trying to make everyone happy and with a heart like his trying to do his best, On the other side many members including myself felt he had his attention more so with Big Scary Show, or trying to have “home haunt” to lean on, or later his wrestling ventures. Which is awesome and I am fully supportive of everything he does, but Let’s try to put the effort in the beast but in his defense, many members wouldn’t show up to meetings or complained about real life comes 1st or I want some October outside Haunting, Again the line Jim often said about me was we can’t live it (Haunting) as you can, My feeling is living like what? All I ever wanted was 1 day out of the month to meet, spend time doing hd photos, do fun videos which is why I wanted to join to create not maybe meet there and there, Sure a hand full of us has done and been in podcasts, Jim hosted one of the biggest haunt podcasts, A Wrestling Horror podcast and only had maybe 5 or 6 out of in the group be on these things, I was one of those honored. But many in the group the community doesn’t know and the group very little knew, because without a good site, good social media and doing things to get noticed how will you gain gigs? Entertainment is a strange business. Haunting even stranger.. as today's times you have to keep putting things out there, you have to keep being relevant. That 1st year we had photos from Dent and sadly someone from their management to MAUL to either take off the photos from Dent or at least give them credit. I was fine with but the solution would have been is use a HD camera and redo each person and camera, not myspace or Facebook photos that are fuzzy. Now we did act for ScareAtourim for the Legends Kelly and Neena Collins, 2014 and 2016 at MHC tours, It was a great time. But though we acted for many haunts they were all great but sometimes and most times we didn’t spend to much time with Haunt casts, Indy Scream Park we did from 2014-2018, Had a contract that they needed 10 guest cast members. Was were we spent struggling to met that demand no gripe on Jim, He was in a rock in a hard place, because he had 30 plus people in the group, there was many call offs and some in the group didn’t act at all because it was wives or boyfriends or friends of ours that didn’t need to be apart of the group, So many times we had to take actors away from other haunts to appease that contract. It took 2 or 3 years tries for me to be able to go to Backwoodz Oddities and but we did have great times at Dark View, even Indy Scream Park and Stillwell Manor, Fair Fair, Hundred Acres Manor, Backwoodz Oddities, Springboro Haunted Hayride, Horror Hike, Fear Fair Haunted Hospital, Hundred Acres Manor, Brimstone Haunted Hayride but it was all centered around that contract. I loved Indy Scream Park we had great times knowing each other the most there, I just felt we could do more if the contract was 6 people, however, it started to grow to 15 people. So we had to bring in more people which in some cases these people improved the team because as older members started to lose their passion these folks would step up to the plate Mike Reynolds, Mike Ratliff, Michael, and Becky Armstrong. However 2017 where I went to the Gym one random day sat in a leg press brought my legs back and heard a crunch in my back, it’s where I compressed a disk and though I went to therapy, the days of doing what I love was slowing down and I knew it, We did a movie for a friend of Jim’s called A Haunting, Ghost house, We went up to Wells Township Haunted House and it was myself, Jim & Kris Millspaugh, Bret Ryan, Mike Reynolds, Dan Leopold, Matt Mateikat, Kirby Hilyard we did shots inside and outside the haunt and later in 2018 We shot green screen things in a Hotel room and unsure what the results would be and unsure what results was watching the film, I feel if MAUL really really wanted to make a film, We could've and one that made sense. MHC outside of doing scarokee all those years was knowing Amanda Reevenge, Scott Lynd , Ethan Mark Turon, Brett and Rebecca Hayes,  Keith and Anthony Newsome, Regina & Brooke Englehart, Jeff Simmons, Katie Lane, Melonie Gipson, Rex Hamiltion, Dick Terhune, Scott Yaffee to name a few to a huge list of people I’ve met through the decades whom I was connecting with, Dan Leopold and I are proud members of Haunters U for Haunted Hyrdo’s Crazy Bob and Beth Turner, from it I met a guy named Telfore Nyte and he is like the wise man that no one understands, though he and I differ on politics his heart is and has always been in the right place. He has done leaps and bounds for both Dent and MAUL and he has got unwanted hate for his love of puppets and dolls, where they made fun of him and thing is we went together to events others would lift a finger in going, myself and Teresa Campbell really got to know him. So for whatever reason He and Jim had a falling out, I woke up to Telfore messaging me Jim kicked him out of the group, then I had to message Jim what the hell is going on. From my understanding Telfore doll gimmick was hugging and holding customers, Jim told him not too and though later I rode with Jim and said I understood, It was then I knew I was going to leave MAUL, earlier that season there was a party and a member stole booze from another member home, for what reason I don’t know. 2 covered this person's actions and with some type of group chat they let these people stay, until after the season. The 1 got let go, Telfore may have done wrong by not listening tp the boss but the hugging and holding people is his stick, This guy drove me and others around to events, been there as a member but he was let go on the spot. The person who stole stayed in the group until after the season. There was tension through the season, Then 2 members left for Dent midseason, Which I can’t say I blame them. Jim as good-hearted as he is needed Jason as a balance, He made a small side group page for those he felt was a manager-type role that he trusted to guide the rest, I was a part of it and few were in that too. I felt it could've hurt more because it was a smaller group trying to control or guide a bigger one, doesn’t work. He needed a straight partner in it and I am the last person to be that, Kris is great of a wife to Jim but she still couldn’t be that person in a business way, Dan Leopold I thought would be a great partner and I thought took it over after I left. Jim is a hype guy and wants to do everything, He needs someone who needs to keep focus. Dan’s like that too but the two could balance each other out. Though I have been offered to join RIP’s Shane Howard’s traveling group but not that I’m in any shape to do anything and feel he has a great heart as well, He does need a partner to help him to branch out and he was in MAUL for a short time, there was a falling out. But listen I think they should help each other find gigs for both teams, If one group is helping one haunt for a season and sees the other needing to find somewhere why not help each other? As they did in 2018 at Haunted Hospital in Kentucky we both acted there at the same time, I got to bring out every look of Damien Reaper in that term It was the best show I gave, but I said on Facebook It was the end that year it was the end. Though I said it many many times, I was in so much pain. And I felt disconnected from the cast all year, other than MAUL parties, I didn’t wanna party anymore. Not even the cast party in 2018. I loved Jim and the whole cast but sadly there was an empty feeling I loved Jim and Kris I did go to their Wedding on Halloween, but I like doing things that could help newer talent find that starlight and wanted to be proactive. If I’m hurting my body, I rather do it for a reason that can guide our future as haunters. I know he has a 20-year ring and thought like the lettermen jacket Dent would've given me. I don’t want anything, Dent Schoolhouse and MAUL like Dungeons of Delhi given me so much, people to love and dreams from film, tv, podcasts, newspapers all those things they felt I had an ego and wanted all the starlight, I wanted these things to go to younger people who like me was loners, creativity without a path to belonging, to find places to be welcomed for who they are, don’t have to kneel to belong or jump through hoops for anyone. So I retired feeling like I did nothing, Though the greatest thing I ever did was at The Haunted Hospital in Kentucky that was walk a little girl through it showing she was brave, That was a good end for me. 



2019

Returning to Dent and Retiring Haunted House Industry 

As a broken-down old man looking back at yesteryear and relic of past days, I thought I was the guy holding the flag for all of those who love what we did. It wasn’t about being rich or famous or being an icon or being a legend, Though I was forced to feel like I should be ashamed for being who I was and their brand matters more than anything I started at Dungeons of Delhi. So why join The Dent Schoolhouse I did feel bad for everyone leaving, Andy Becker’s Dad passed away earlier in 2019, and sadly Allie Kurtz passed away a few weeks before visiting Dent, She was a person who meant a lot to me, In a hard time losing my Grandma she was a guiding light though she was only there for a year, I never had kids and didn’t want them, but I had many haunt kids that I have seen grow up, She was young, She was 17 when she worked for Dent, She always wanted to be there for everyone, I was maybe 24 or so then so she saw a person hurting in his soul. Though she was one of them people who was an adventurer of all things called life, traveling around the Country, At that time I became protective I felt in my soul, to do so, As I did others. I didn’t know years later she would die in a boat fire. Those at Dent Schoolhouse felt I wanted to date her and the girl who said I harassed her, I had a code, I was always used to being rejected or called ugly, and felt just we were all family. They were too young. Many friends should have known better. No matter how I feel about the Haunt being a lot stricter I needed people and seeing the owners and manager, A awesome cast those kids got style, So 2019 with my hurt spine, though they didn’t want Damien Reaper, which to this day I just don’t get, I feel it was because I am an Icon and they wanted to be Cincinnati only one that was the flag that is all thing Halloween, And it was a bad idea returning though I love that cast too and saw Maximus Bryant as a new ghoul who stood as a team leader, have a lot of respect for as haunter and person. He has traits that remind me of Jason Henry. I was acting as Blamo in a chair and I agree with the veteran actor there I was lazy, Even being a puppeteer as a snake, for what we do.. I had no business to this anymore. I was hurt.. but I am fucking Damien Reaper, It’s all or nothing. Come 2020 I choose no more, after doing many video acting challenges, I couldn’t stand up to give my best. And I’m not sure if it was all the hate I got for being a Haunt Icon, being myself or any wrongdoing I did. I did interviews for Haunted Honeymooners, and Science behind the Scare but for doing Wrestlehorror with Jim Millspaugh and Donnie Hoover in 2021 where I felt free to speak, There was less burden, Morbid Spice from The Dent Schoolhouse and Ron Rouse from Dungeons of Delhi both passed away. What leads to this memoir and the Cult of diamond’s eye. There are so many issues in the Haunting that is holding others back from being great, Things I struggled with and fought others for were what killed it for me, Dungeons of Delhi should be respected, every cast that dared to stand out, and many haunts like them that paved the way for The Dent Schoolhouse that single highhandedly changed the industry no one will ever take away how and what they did, MAUL will be the rebels that dared to be prideful for the man called Chaos, RIP traveling group honors me in their awards, House of Doom and City Blood had me in there lifetime achievement awards and though I’ll never felt I earned these things at least no more than anyone in any group I was apart of, met or those before me. I made huge mistakes in my life, my confession is I’m on SSI and medicare, I live and help my blind Mother and I don’t regret it. I’m overweight, I’m disabled mentally and body, I am not a good man and or deserve any of your pity or help, I’m not perfect at all, Not Holier than thou.. But when my high school remembers me they will remember a kind zombie, when Haunts will remember me it’ll be Haunt Legend or Icon, I am very proud of that and always will be, Why because I’m not here to be accepted or fit in anywhere, I don’t have anything to hide or lie about. I never bashed anyone, I only said my side of things. Truth is perception isn’t it, Everything I wrote came from a place of love, not to down people but open up about things without being spiteful or hateful as this business seems to bring out of all of us and we must face that ourselves, My position in all haunts wasn’t an actor, it was big brother, and I do and will recommend working for Dent Schoolhouse and MAUL. I am Dungeons of Delhi, I am Damien Reaper and Spooky Nerd for the group GP_TV. 

2022


on November 4, Kevin Walker died, My Father The Evil One, The King of Halloween. My Haunt partner. I met him when I was 15, I didn't speak to him for 3 years, He blocked me on facebook and didn't call me over a facebook comment that The North won the Civil War, I am sad that you know he was Right and I am Left. That I stand for that we all share this planet, humanity and animals. Not all of us have the same chances and togetherness is our power. You and I are different, I blame myself for not reaching out sooner, because look... He is my Father, no matter what I love him. I never blamed him for not rising me. All people can be forgiven, I'm not God to judge people, People said rotten things about me and why I forgive them. Life is too short, grudges aren't what Damien Reaper is about. 

2023

In September a dear friend passed away, I didn't know till I did researcg that Dent's own Steven "Aagod" Penny passed away. He was a great haunter and during my time at Dent was a lost soul like me, He created masks and gave me poppy sticks. I spoke almost everyday until he passed. He kept asking we should create a haunt, We're both poor, We're both unhealthy. He lost both his parents. I'd like to take a moments to say Thank you sir for everything you given to me as a friend and The Dent Schoolhouse.