ScareHouse

Anthrocon - The World's Largest Furry Convention

The latest episode of The ScareHouse podcast features a rare and guided tour behind the scenes of Anthrocon, the World's largest Furry convention, which takes place in Pittsburgh every summer.

What is Anthrocon? It is the world's largest convention for those fascinated with anthropomorphics, which are humanlike animal characters. It is a collection of nearly 5,000 artists, animators, writers, costumers, puppeteers, and just everyday fans who enjoy cartoon animals and their kin. Approximately 20% of attendees don specialized animal costumes, often based on original characters, and enjoy role-playing and interacting with both fellow attendees and bystanders.

So what really happens at Anthrcon? What kind of people are performing underneath all of that fur? And why is Pittsburgh the perfect home for thousands of Furries?

Programming director John "Kuddlepup" Cole takes Katie "Dudders," Margee Kerr, and ScareHouse creative director Scott Simmons on a guided tour of the convention and introduces us to multiple attendees, organizers, and surprise guests. He speaks to us about the community, the costumes, and the years of coordination; responds to the misconceptions and criticisms; and even reveals surprising connections between Furries and the haunted attraction industry.

This extended episode of The ScareHouse podcast is made possible by the generosity and enthusiasm of the Anthrocon community, who continue to raise thousands of dollars for Pittsburgh based charities and businesses. Visit www.anthrocon.org to find out more about their community.

Subscribe to our FREE podcast for fun and informative conversations with ScareHouse designers, cast,and crew - as well as extended interviews with other haunters, Pittsburgh icons, special effects artists, and alternative perfomers. Help us reach new listeners when you leave positive ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thanks!

He sees you when you're sleeping ....

He has the mistletoe... so do you have a kiss for Creepo? Happy Holidays from The ScareHouse! www.scarehouse.com

Happy Holidays from The ScareHouse Bunny

The ScareHouse Bunny has a treat just for you ... would you like a taste of his Candy Pain? Happy holidays from The ScareHouse haunted house in Pittsburgh, PA! www.scarehouse.com

Hi Mr. McFeely!

 

A Pittsburgh Zombie and The ScareHouse Bunny were invited to take part with other local icons and celebrities in a "top secret" video project for our friends from the Senator John Heinz History Center.  

Check out our Facebook page to see more photos from the shoot and look for the video online soon!

A Night of Murder, Mystery, and Marinara!

The Etna Economic Development Corporation presents their second annual Murder Mystery Dinner on Saturday, October 1st.  

Join the EEDC for a night of Intrigue and Italian Cuisine during the presentation of Mobster, Molls and Marinara.  

Tickets are $50 and include Dinner, the Murder Mystery, 1 RIP ticket to The ScareHouse, and additional fun and surprises at local taverns. 

Tickets are available online now or at the Etna Borough Building, located next to The ScareHouse at 427 Butler Street, Etna Pa 15223.

Only a limited amount of tickets will be sold for this exclusive fundraiser on Saturday, October 1st!

The EEDC is an all-volunteer organization, structured on the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street model. 

Social Media and Social Good

Can social media be used to make the world a better place? Can it not just improve but actually save lives? Host Rob Johnston joins Michelle from BurghBaby.com, Laura Kelly from Team Tassy, ScareHouse Creative Director Scott Simmons, and ScareHouse Senior Manager Margee Kerr for a fast-moving conversation about twitter, Facebook, and the power of social media and social good.

They talk about social-media driven fundraising efforts such as "Meet Tassy" and our annual Crazy Scary event (both of which benefit children and young people in need) and reveal how social media continues to grow and thrive in Pittsburgh.

Plus: a preview of Podcamp Pittsburgh, helpful advice for anyone using social media, and inappropriately long hugs!

Join host Rob Johnston for in-depth discussions with The ScareHouse Scream Team! New and FREE episodes available every other Wednesday through November. Click here to subscribe via iTunes or visit www.scarehousepodcast.com.

Zombies, Auditions, and Derby Demons!

Get ready for an action packed weekend in Pittsburgh!

TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY:  The ScareHouse is interviewing local applicants (18 or older) for paid positions as actors, artists, and customer support staff.  No experience necessary!

Just come to The ScareHouse during any of the following dates & times:

Thursday and Friday, August 18 and 19th from 6-9pm

Saturday, August 20th from 12-5pm

Sunday, August 21st from 12-3pm

Download the 2011 application, fill it out and bring it with you to the interview. If you have additional questions, please contact us.

FRIDAY NIGHT: The ScareHouse Moonlit Matinee Film Festival at The Oaks presents a rare 35mm screening of George A. Romero's DAY OF THE DEAD (filmed right here in Pittsburgh.)

DAY OF THE DEAD is the third and concluding chapter in George Romero's zombie trilogy. Set in Florida, as the film begins the dead have taken over the world, outnumbering humans 400,000 to one. A handful of surviving humans have taken refuge in an underground missile silo: Sarah (Lori Cardille) -- a scientist who is trying to reverse the process whereby the dead turn into flesh-eating, irrational zombies -- and Dr. Logan (Richard Liberty) -- an out-of-his-mind psychologist who wants to capture the zombies and turn them into domestic help. Things heat up when the military tries to take over the scientific experiments.

This is an extremely rare 35mm print screening of the film, and the final film on the 9th annual Moonlit Matinee Film Festival.

Before the film, cast and crew members reunite on stage for an extended Q & A with local zombie fans.  Plus, a chance to win Pittsburgh Zombies merchandise from ScareHouse AND a chance to purchase the limited edition poster from Screaming Brain Studios.  

Click here for more information!  $8.00 General admission, $6.00 for seniors, youths, and students. More information is available at www.theoakstheater.com

If you miss Friday's screening, you can also catch a screening of DAY OF THE DEAD at the Oaks on Saturday at midnight - right after the 7:30 screening of the Graphnation Film Festival.  Click here for more information about this wild collection of short films, both live action and animated. 

The Oaks Theater, a gloriously refurbished 430-seat single-screen movie house, presents the best in current, classic, and non-traditional cinema entertainment.

SATURDAY: Are you ready for a double-header or roller derby action? The Steel City Derby Demons, sponsored by The ScareHouse, offer a pair of exciting bouts for you this weekend.  The Steel Hurtin’ will be playing the Cincinnati Black Sheep and the B-Unit will be playing the Cincinnati Silent Lambs.  This game excites us, folks.  The Hurtin’ and the Black Sheep have met twice before. The Sheep beat us first, and the second time, we were the victorious ones.  This game will be extremely physical as both of these teams are very evenly matched in skill level and intensity.  Come on down to Romp n’ Roll, you won’t regret it!

Door open at 6:30 - the action starts at 7pm! Come to the Romp n Roll Skating rink, 1661 E. Sutter Rd, Glenshaw PA 15116

Price: $10 in advance, $15 at the door.  Kids under 10 get in free. Click here for more information about Pittsburgh's Female Roller Derby League.

A chance to save lives

From Pittsburgh Magazine columnist Virginia Montanez (Feb. 2011) -After the earthquake in Haiti, I received an e-mail from Ian Rosenberger informing me that he had met a young man on a recent post-earthquake visit to Port au Prince, and that the young man, Tassy Filsaime, was dying from a cancerous tumor growing on his jaw, and that Ian was going to save him. He just needed to raise $50,000 to get him to Pittsburgh for surgery. As became the tagline for the Meet Tassy fundraiser that Ian eventually held, If you had the chance to save a kid's life, would you? 

I think we all would want to, but I think most of us would be daunted by the magnitude of the "how."

I was struck with that magnitude on behalf of Ian—but honestly never once doubted that he would make the surgery happen. In November of 2010 after successful fundraising, Ian personally brought Tassy to Pittsburgh for the surgery that saved his life. Via a leg bone, Tassy gained a brand new jaw that bares almost no trace of the surgery. After valiantly fighting off a post-surgery infection which made Team Tassy fear he "would never get better," Tassy steadily improved.

Tassy lived with Ian in his two-bedroom apartment before and after his surgery, forging a friendship that will last forever, between a 19-year-old kid and the 29-year-old man who made a big promise and kept it.

Last May, Tassy Fils-aime didn’t have a chance.  Now, he’s tumor free, full of hope, with plans for college. There are literally tens of millions of kids like Tassy out there. Many of them hold the keys to their own country’s success, but will die of curable illnesses and diseases before they get the chance. 

The Team Tassy Foundation identifies kids who someday will give their own countries a fighting chance,  arranges for the surgeries that save their lives, and then reaches out to their families to treat the root cause of why they were sick in the first place. 

Tassy was the first.  Ruth and her brother Nathaniel are next.  They live in a family where their parents routinely have to choose between healthcare and food, and they’re both quite sick. With your help, we can change that right now.

Click here to reserve your tickets for The Second Annual Night for Tassy: Thursday night, from 6 to 9pm, at The Grand Hall at The Priory Hotel. Join hosts Sally Wiggin (WTAE) and Randy Baumann (WDVE) for a night of live music (including a performance from Tassy) as well as food, prizes, and surprises. Silent auction items include sports memorabilia, art work, jewelry and even a guest chef dinner with Tassy and Ian Rosenberger. 

Help Team Tassy save another two lives. 

Make Room For Kids Delivers $20,000 of Video Games and Electronics

A team of Pittsburgh Microsoft employees, the Mario Lemieux Foundation, and other local heroes have just delivered nearly $20,000 of video games and electronics to the Adolescent Medicine unit at Pittsburgh Children's Hospital via "Make Room For Kids" (an official extension of the Austin’s Playroom Project at the Mario Lemieux Foundation.)

Make Room For Kids was one of the beneficiaries of the "Crazy Scary" fundraiser held at ScareHouse last October.  Please click here to Virginia Montanez's heart-warming account of a truly amazing day in Pittsburgh.  

For more information on Make Room For Kids, please visit www.thatschurch.com 

Stuff A Bus Update!

Our friends at The KISS Morning Freak Show signed off this morning at 10am with 21 buses STUFFED with toys for the Marines Toys for Tots! The generosity of Pittsburgh means that literally THOUSANDS of children in the  area will now have presents to open on Christmas morning.  Thanks to everyone who supported this fantastic event!