David Dluzak

Nicknames: Big Dog

Haunt Experiences: Dream Reapers, 11th Hour, and 13 Floors

When David was little, he visited a haunted house that was in a nursing home. After he walked through the haunt, he was so terrified that he swore he would never walk through another haunt again. That was until years later. When David was around somewhere in his late teens, his brother got tickets to St. Pascal’s Haunted House (The Catacombs) and Dream Reapers. He refused to go, but his brother dragged him anyway. After visiting the two haunts, David was blown away! He loved the room’s designs in both haunts, but what David really loved was the acting in both haunts. The actors really made the haunt come to life. Then in 2008, he and his friend were walking around Navy Pier and saw a sign for The Fear of Navy Pier. As they entered the waiting line, the characters would get in your face and talk to you like you were going into the army, yelling at everyone to line up. He quickly fell in love with The Fear. The Fear was in David’s list of favorite haunts along with St. Pascal’s and Dream Reapers. Then in 2011, Dream Reapers was robbed and announced their final year. They put up on their facebook page that they were looking for actors for the final year. David wanted to try it and went to the auditions. He was picked to be an actor for Dream Reapers! After working for the whole October season, he quickly fell in love with acting. After Dream Reapers, he went to work for 11th Hour haunted house. 11th Hour was moving into their new location in Melrose park (13 Floors location now), so he would find time to go over and help them build the haunt. David learned a lot of what goes into building a haunt. After the season was over, 13 Floors would move in and David spent his final year of acting there. Due to his crazy work schedule, he could not do another year at 13 Floors. From the years as a haunter, he learned so much about the haunt industry. After he stopped acting, he would continue to visit haunts. Then in 2017, David returned to the industry with Halloween Blast.

Amanda Canlas

Nicknames: Pumpkin, and Mudjit

Haunt Experience: 11th Hour (one day)

Title: Halloween Blast Manager

Amanda has always loved Halloween. Ever since she was little, her and her mom would make their own costumes by hand to dress up for Halloween. Amanda also loves horror movies and spooky or creepy stuff. When she got older, Amanda started going to haunted houses with her Uncle David (The owner of Halloween Blast). She quickly fell in love with the haunt’s atmosphere, as well as the architectural designs and details of the rooms in the haunts. Then in 2013, she would volunteer at 11th Hour to work with her uncle. Amanda had a blast scaring people, and learning tips and tricks of being a haunter from David. Unfortunately, she only worked that one night. In 2017, she would join Halloween Blast and become manager to help her Uncle David run Halloween Blast. Amanda is also the proof reader and looks over every single review that is put on the website, making sure that there are no errors in the reviews. Later on she would become a host with David and Karen on the Halloween Blast youtube show.

Karen Sam

Nickname: Karebear, THE Crazy Hyper Asain, and Dory

Haunt experiences: None

Title: Halloween Blast Manager

Karen is the most hyper person on the Halloween Blast team. When she was little, she would run around the house trying to scare her parents constantly. She has always loved halloween. As a kid, she would go trick or treating and try to get as much candy as she can. You can probably imagine that she was the most hyper kid after eating all that candy! As she got older, she would go with her friend to visit haunted houses. Karen loved the special effects, animatronics and the scenery. The only thing she didn’t like, is that she wouldn’t get scared. But that didn’t stop her from coming back to them to have fun. It wasn’t until in 2018 that her view on the haunt industry would change. Later in that year, she would meet David. As David was expanding Halloween Blast, he asked her what she thought of haunted houses. When he found out she doesn’t get scared, but pays attention to detail, he hired her right then and there. Karen would learn alot about the haunt industry from David; she never realized how much hard work goes into a haunt. From that point on, Karen would look at haunted houses in a whole new way. Karen shows the haunt community non-stop love and tries to find ways to give back. She is also the photographer because she loves taking pictures of everyone and everything! She now runs the social media accounts for Halloween Blast and is a co-host of the Halloween Blast youtube show.

Taiwan Minor

Nickname: Twizzy, T

Haunt experience: None

Title: Part-time Reviewer

Taiwan has been a part of Halloween Blast since before they went public. He would visit haunts with David. Taiwan loves the blood and gore the haunts would have in them, as well as the show the haunters would put on. Another reason why Taiwan loves haunted houses so much is because he is a huge fan of horror movies. To him, when you walk through a haunt, it makes you feel like you’re in a horror movie. Unfortunately, when the Halloween Blast went public, Taiwan wasn’t able to be a part of the team due to his work schedule. That was until 2019, when he would return to Halloween Blast part-time.

 Name: Victoria Canlas

Nicknames: V, Vicky, and Tori. 

Haunt Experience: None 

Title: Reviewer 

What made me join Halloweenblast? 

“I’ve always wanted to go to haunted houses because they looked so cool. Unfortunately, before Halloweenblast I thought haunted houses weren’t scary at all. When my uncle told me about Halloweenblast and showed me the types of haunts that they go see, I got excited because they all seemed pretty scary and fun. That made me want to join Halloweenblast because I’m able to see all different types of haunts and understand the work that they put in to make them.” 

Favorite haunted house or Halloween memory? 

“My favorite haunted house memory was when I went to Hell’s Gate. I was surrounded by some of the most entertaining people so it made the experience even better. I remember standing in line and the haunted house crew were all dressed up in character coming around and spooking people. I liked taking pictures with them and having small little conversations with them. That’s my favorite haunted house memory so far.”