Voodoo Podcast: Recent Episodes
Michael Napoletano
First up, an interview with Chicago Haunt Builders, Mike Lesh and Sara Janiszewski who are the owners and operators of Oak Lawn Haunted Barrens. Through their creativity and ingenuity, they have started their own business called Home Grown Bones in-which they create custom foam mold wall panel designs. The business and the haunt are tied to an animal shelter that they donate to and have adopted their dogs from in Elgin.
Next up, Mike gets to talk with author, father and teacher Dane Erbach. Dane’s new book Friday Night at Humble House has some haunt elements to it by dealing with ghosts of multiple generations and various personalities. Some of Dane’s other works have a healthy mix of horror, comedy, and gore! Dane dabbles in ghost hunting, and he and Mike share stories of their real adventures, but have come up short with anything paranormal first-hand.
Check out Dane's work at www.daneerbach.com
Co-hosts Matt Nausid and Mike Napoletano sit down to recap Midwest Haunters Convention with Chicago Haunt Builders' very own Jim Slanker of Canyon Trail Cemetery. Jim & his wife, Dawn, help the CHB group connect with TransWorld & MHC to host shindigs, breakfasts, pop-up haunted houses on the show floor & even t-shirts!
The boys got a chance to hear Emma Parker of Voodoo on Vassar's take on her first ever MHC weekend & thoughts going forward with haunting & haunt conventions.
Mike also had the privilege of chatting with Kyle Miller (A.K.A. Doc from Baldwin Asylum). Kyle has been in the haunt industry since the Dream Reapers days & is in the process of resurrecting Baldwin Asylum while guest acting at Disturbia, Massacre, Evil on Erie during the MHC Pre-Convention Bus Tour on stilts, with a smoking head, a bionic arm, & forceps galore!
With Midwest Haunters Convention fast approaching, Mike gets the chance to sit down with Disturbia's very own Laney Shafer (AKA Spike). Laney also marks the first full-time stilts actor that has been on the podcast, so we get a deeper dive into what it takes & also what to expect at the Thursday Pre-Convention Bus Tour at MHC when the tour starts with Brunch at Disturbia!
Mike also chats with, unbeknownst until now, friend of the family Japes Palles who has one of the most storied backgrounds in the haunting world & still dedicates his time now to the Lost Souls Chicago Bus Tour & even the Chicago Haunt Builders MHC Haunted House on the show floor in Rosemont this year!
MHC, CHB, HHC & more acronyms! Mike sits down with Kriz Zahrobsky of Haunted House Chicago to talk about Transworld, Midwest Haunters Convention, & the origins of traveling & reviewing haunts with Kris's company Haunted House Chicago. Matt Nausid of Greenbriar Cemetery jumps back on amidst baby-prepping to give this month's Haunter's Hack on height. Chicago Haunt Builder & Warden of Old Joliet Haunted Prison Adam Brandon Cygan joins the podcast to talk about working at the prison & also doing his home haunt walkthrough, Horror on Highland! It's a long episode, so strap in, but well worth the time to get you prepared for all the haunting events coming to the Chicagoland this summer!
Mike gets a chance to sit down with the flint rod-sparking, santa costume-wearing, motorcycle-riding, fire-breathing, Most Interesting Haunt Actor in the World ("Most Interesting Man" was taken): Slider Jesus! From working at D.E.A.D Rising, to Statesville, HellsGate & some of the top haunted attractions in the country, Slider (aka Cody) has practically done it all! Don't miss this interview including small world connections with former Blackhawks goaltender, Stanley Cup Champion, and comedian Scott Darling as well as other haunt actors like Caleb Wimbush & Chainz!
Thank goodness for a leap day huh? The February episode comes to you late but with two incredibly insightful & fun interviews. The first are Chicago Haunt Builders & former Lombard Jaycee's Haunters James & Melanie Schiffer who run their home haunt, Schiffers' Haunted Insanity, in Downers Grove, Illinois. Then, Mike talks with Terry Mannix of the Lost Souls Chicago Bus Tour that visits 3 commercial haunts in a night multiple times during the Halloween season & even organizes field trips throughout the year!
The Voodoo podcast is back for 2024! An interview with Distrubia's very own Haunt Actor Chainz (Nicholas Ciraulo) & the host of Cheers to Justice: A True Crime Podcast, Austin Kaczmarek. Mike highlights some new horror movies & events coming up within the next month & even the whole year!
Welcome to Season 2! Tis the season for Christmas haunted houses & 2 awesome interviews. First up is the Seasonal Senior Wardrobe Manager of 13th Floor Haunted House: Dani Panik. Take a break with another Haunter's Hack with Matt Nausid of Greenbriar Cemetery & get some updates on the upcoming Christmas-themed haunted houses. Last, but not least, an interview with HellsGate's first ever Best Entertainer Award-Winner & Triton Trouper, Caleb Wimbush!
Podcast co-hosts Matt Nausid & Mike Napoletano sit down to recap their respective 2023 Halloween seasons. Mike interviews the entire cast of Voodoo on Vassar after one final time on Vassar.
Mike gets to chat with Toby Wrolson (Haunt 31) & Chad Stechly (Fear of the Dark) to talk about their respective displays. Toby runs one of the best home haunts in Illinois & continues to find ways to add to the lawn & the garage every year. Chad is taking inspiration from Voodoo on Vassar, but putting his own twist on things to continue to change his theme every year. Mike also gives the hours & dates of Voodoo on Vassar & recaps a behind-the-scenes look at HellsGate Haunted House!
This month, Mike had the pleasure of sitting down with Erik Martin, owner of Spirits on Sproat in Oak Lawn. They discussed their South-side origins & classic horror that developed their early love for Halloween which would in-turn lead to Erik creating Spirits on Sproat: The Gallery of the Dead. Erik's "wax museum" of classic-to-new-aged horror villains is something you won't want to leave off your destination lists this October!
Matt Nausid brings to you another Haunters' Hack. This time, he reminds everyone to have their tool-kit ready to go when the decorating season starts. Also included is some information about a Fall pumpkin train ride experience, plus: your last chance to see Evil Intentions, & Shattered 3D at Basement of the Dead.
Mike also had the pleasure of speaking with two members of the newest haunted attraction to hit the Chicagoland scene: Terror Roulette! Creative Director Scott Swenson & Producer Jeffrey Holmes introduce their vast & never-ending haunting backgrounds & experiences, as-well-as give insight to fellow haunters as they bring their revolutionary scare tactics to the unsuspecting Barrington Arboretum. Listen closely, because these two energetic personalities are bringing listeners a special discount code as well! Be sure to roll the dice on that deal!
It's almost that time everyone! Happy Haunting!
A recap of Disturbia: Summer Screams with Vince Cipolla, some music-taste talk, & an interview about Halloween DJing & ghost hunting with Nick Buccieri (AKA DJ Nobody). Plus more info on horror movies & tv shows, as well as haunted houses as October is creeping up on us!
Enjoy more Midwest Haunters' Convention material as the Voodoo crew attended the Friday Night Haunt Tour at The Old Joliet Haunted Prison & got the chance to sit in on a Q&A from the 13th Floor Entertainment Group describing their experiences & challenges with acquiring & renovating the prison. Then, the moment you've all been waiting for... the "white whale" of the Voodoo Podcast... the one, the only: Mr. John LaFlamboy, owner & operator of HellsGate Haunted House & Zombie Army Productions joins Mike for an interview covering everything from Statesville, to the Fear at Navy Pier, to the future of HellsGate & everything in-between!!!!
In this June edition of the Voodoo Podcast, Mike sits down with neighbors & operators of Slingerland Slaughterhouse, the Geotsalitis Family to talk about their home haunt, future improvements, chainsaw tag & Midwest Haunters Convention. That MHC talk continues when Michael Peters from The Nightmare Haunted House joins the show alongside co-host Matt Nausid from Greenbriar Cemetery.
A groovy, Evil Dead-inspired episode featuring Chicago Haunt Builder Ryan Ashley who is the owner & operator of The Evil Dead on Thrun home haunt in Batavia, IL. Ryan talks about the opportunities he has had to meet Bruce Campbell & his origins with the cult classics. Mike's dad, John Napoletano, joins the show to talk about his fandom of the Evil Dead franchise & the latest installment; Evil Dead Rise. John & Mike also go into their early home haunt-viewing days & the origins of some of the most iconic Chicagoland Halloween locations. Matt Nausid from Greenbriar Cemetery gives another Haunter's Hack regarding foam materials for gravestones & Mike lists some haunted houses that are opening up for Halfway to Halloween events.
A JAM-PACKED episode featuring an interview with Disturbia Haunt Actor Emma Von Zombie, a recap of our trip to Disturbia's St. Patrick's Day event (LeprecHaunted House) with musician Josh Masters, & a review of Scream VI with Rob "Top P" Pesce. This episode also includes previous guest Matt Nausid from Greenbriar Cemetery to bring to you the inaugural entry of the latest segment: Home Haunter Hacks. Matt talks a wide range of fog & fog machine options. Stabbing, the luck of the Irish, fog, music, & oh yeah, I ate... crickets?!?!?! What more could you want?
Greenbriar Cemetery Owner/Operator & fellow Chicago Haunt Builder, Matt Nausid sits down with Mike, who comes to you from Crystal Lake, Michigan (ch ch ch ah ah ah), to break down the basics of how to start, construct & operate a home haunt. Matt divides the process into three key factors: 1. Construction, 2. Security & Safety , & 3. Listing your Haunt. Under the construction category, he gives the three make-or-break areas of focus to have success: 1. Props, 2. Lighting, & 3. Sound. Mike also gives some info on upcoming St. Patrick's Day Haunted Houses.
Mike sits down with one of the core Chicago Haunt Builders, Shindig organizer & Canyon Trail Cemetery Home Haunt Owner, Jim Slanker. They discussed his roles in CHB, Transworld, Midwest Haunters Convention, the entire community & more. Plus, the Voodoo group (Mike, Matt and Emma) ventured to a Friday the 13th Slasher Night event in January at Basement of the Dead Haunted House in Aurora. The group recapped this & more to come in the future months within the Halloween world.
After a very successful run of Christmas-Themed Haunted Houses, Rat, Rob & Mike sit down to discuss & analyze some of the best holiday haunted houses in Chicagoland while also getting the opportunity to interview & talk to Midnight Terror Lead Actor, Haunt Actor & Trainer, & THE Baddest of Santas Andrew Martingello. The boys recap some of the best actor interactions, their thoughts on the haunts, a video of Mike getting locked in a port-o-potty at Massacre Haunted House, almost dying the night before & much more creepy holiday fun, so give it a listen you F****N NNNEEERRRRRDDDSSS!!!!
The entire team sits down to recap an amazing Halloween season at VoV. The group answers questions, tells stories about their time working in the haunted house, & they all have a few laughs together one last time to put a nice bow on the year just in time for Christmas.
Ghost Host (with the most) Mike Napoletano gives a full breakdown of Chicagoland Haunted Houses as well as the Voodoo Podcast origin story with a quick insight into the history of Voodoo on Vassar.