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Spike
Mike and The Maze Master Halloween 2003 is only days away and our "Behind the Screams" interview this time is with two of the most infamous actors in Chicago. Call them Haunted contractors, actors-for-hire, or whatever you’d like to, but these are two of the most feared haunted house actors in the area. Performing at several haunted houses each season, they are sure to find you – wherever you go. We are very excited to be talking with “Spike Mike” and the “Maze Master." (SM and MM) Spike Mike is most infamous for his spiked jumpsuit and his chainsaw, which he uses to send his victims running. Maze Master is most infamous for his long black trench coat and his 2x4, which he uses to pound his name into your memory. Ladies and gentlemen, we proudly present Behind the Screams with Spike Mike and the Maze Master. HHC: How did you guys start? What was the first time when you said, “OK, I want to be in the Halloween industry?” MM: I’ve been doing stupid yard haunt things since I was 19 [laughs]. It started out with a hanging body on my house and me in a coffin. I would just kind of pop out and scare the crap out of the kids. HHC: [laughs] “Stupid yard haunt things”. Sounds like a slam against Mike and Haunting at 332… MM: No,no, when I say stupid yard haunt, I mean literally a stupid yard haunt. Mike’s would be considered and upper class modern yard haunt mine was a stupid yard haunt. No slam to Mikey. I was out there last year and it was a good time. SM: I started out when I was 10 years old going to the haunted houses with my mom and I’d come home wanting to build tombstones and props. So, I started out with 3 tombstones and then the next year I’d have13 tombstones and a dead body. Then the next year I’d have 3 dead bodies and 20 tombstones and it just escalated from there. Now it’s up to 30 bodies, I think we have 20 animated pieces now, tons of different scenes and the thousands of different people that come to see it every year. Then I started acting. The first house I acted at was probably Elk Grove or something small around the suburbs. I acted in Tunnel of Terror my freshman year, it was an old nursery haunt. After that Silo X (in Wheaton), Scream Fest (in Villa Park), The Asylum (in Berwyn), 11th Hour, and now Dream Reapers in Melrose Park. HHC: So, how many total haunts over the years? SM: 6 or 7 total. MM: I got 5. But, I did a haunt at a Sunday school – haunted house when I was 11. But, I could have never done all those if it weren’t for Rick, John, and the guys at Dream Reapers. They always painted my face and got me ready to go. HHC: How did you get involved with the Sunday school? MM: Ok, we’re talking cheesy. Like, “here stick your hand in this bucket of spaghetti it’s brains” cheesy. They just asked me to volunteer so I did it. I was not as intense as I am today. HHC: When did the intensity start? MM: 11th hour HHC:
How did you discover the maze master character? HHC: This was at Dream Reapers? MM: This was at 11th Hour. I finally went back up there again and asked what was going on. They were in crunch time. I went in and did some of the building. It was just a little glow in the dark thing, no major deal. But, I moved into the maze because it wasn’t working. During an off day I added some walls, threw in some strobe lights, started harassing people, started making them tell jokes, sing to get out, and basically making them wet their pants to get out. That was pretty much it. And it just escalated from there. HHC: Has there ever been a point in your life where you’ve thought about giving it up? MM: [laughs] Around the last week of every Halloween. I look around me and go “I don’t have time for all of this”. But you find the time, you know? People throw tens of thousands of lights out at Christmas. My Christmas is the month of October. SM: I’d agree with that MM: That’s a present to myself. Oh, no offense to Christmas. I am not anti-religious. It has nothing to do with my upside down cross. (Part of the Maze Master’s face make-up) HHC: Going back to the beginning. You guys have very developed characters. What was your first costume? Now I’m not talking about the “Scream” costume or the first time your mom dressed you up. What was the first costume that you picked? MM: The only one I can remember, far back, besides obviously the old mom dressing me as a clown, when I was like 3. She made me an outfit one year, I was a crusader. So, I had a shield and a sword. It was kinda cool. Cool enough that I wore it two years in a row. I liked it. SM: I remember I was a knight, then one year is was a punk and another year I was a skeleton. I never wanted to be anything cutesy. HHC: First haunted house character before Maze Master and Spike Mike? MM: When I started at 11th hour, I did the glow in the dark thing. Basically, I set up a strobe light. Because a strobe light will throw off your vision. And immediately after you exited the hallway from staring more or less at this strobe light, you came into a black-lit area in the warehouse scene. I had painted a couple of arrows directing people in. I had masks hanging all over the door. Well, I was in a black robe, one of the masks was me, with the white gloves. You know, one out of every 3 people you could nail, for the most part. After that, I got asked to move into the hallway to see if I could make it work. Actually, I had just relieved someone on break when they came back I just said go somewhere else because I didn’t want to go. The next night, I came in wearing my leather trench coat and was dressed all in black. From there, it kinda just worked its way up. But, I didn’t get my 2 x 4 for 2 more weeks… HHC: Was it an award or did you inherit it? MM: No, actually I had found a small block of wood that someone had left lying around one off of the columns in the haunted house. So, I picked it up. While I was sitting there passing time waiting for another group because it was slow, I started smacking it across the wall and was amazed at the acoustics that a 1-foot block could make. So, I moved up to a 3-foot piece the next day and the legend was born. HHC: What age were you? MM: 34. I had a time span in my life when I was too busy goofing off with my friends, wrecking cars, and in the military to give Halloween the time it’s due. HHC: Demo derby huh <looking at Mike>? MM:
Oh yeah, I had my share of demo derbies. SM: After the Tunnel of Terror, the first job where I really got paid was at Silo X. My buddy and I were thrilled! The guy in charge of the actors called us back and asked us if we wanted to work¼ we were freaking out! We went in there and started out with camo pants and a bloody white t-shirt, because there they made you wear all camo because it was all war themed. I don’t remember when I got the jumpsuit¼ I think I started wearing the jumpsuit my first year at Scream Fest. When I worked there the one night, and I was a radioactive zombie. Then, the year after that I started wearing my own jumpsuit and then I added the spikes and then the chains. I started out with the plain black face with blood around the eyes and then when I started at Dream Reapers I added the white base makeup and went from there. Then, Scott came up with the name Spike Mike at Dream Reapers when he saw my spikes. MM: Well, there were too many Mike’s. There were like 3 Mike’s there. So they’re talking to me and they’re like “Mike who?” and I go “Mike in the blue jumpsuit” and they go “with the spikes?” and I’m like “Yeaaaa Spike Mike”. SM: And a legend was born. That’s where Spike Mike came from. MM: Ok, I gotta tell you how we met, though. I’m very adamant about people blowing my scares in the maze. So, there are three or four passer-throughs through my maze where people come through to get to the break room and get back to their areas. People were wandering through constantly. By the third night of the first year of Dream Reapers, I had had it. Mostly it was little kids. But, every now and then, it was an adult. And I’d tell them there’s back ways. “You don’t see me, you don’t bother me,” was my thinking. My scare is right in the front. Well, I was having one of my pissy nights where 3 or 4 little kids would come through and here comes Mike walking right in. I’m like “Where the hell are you going?” Mike’s like “I’m going to my area”. I said, “Uh, walk around!” He and I were kinda eye-to-eye and face-to-face. SM: Yeah, what a jerk. [laughs] MM: Yeah, that’s pretty much what I was saying. What a jerk! We didn’t really talk much after that. It was real monotone and we just started talking. HHC: The Maze Master’s key item is the 2x4. Mike, when did you start playing the saws (chainsaws)? SM: Well, when I started at Silo X, they were always playing with the saws and I was always bugging them to play but they had guys that were on top of that. So instead, I banged hoses and bones against the walls. Then, I started with my own chainsaw at my yard haunt. I took one of my dad’s chainsaws and took the chain off. He then got mad at me because it was 10 o’clock at night and I was chasing people down the street with the saw. He was worried that they were going to trip and fall and split their head open and that we’d get sued, so the saw skipped a year. And then last year, I got my hands on a few Craftsmans, so I turned all of those into my toys. HHC: How many 2x4’s are you on? MM: Honesty, I have the original “Maze Master” sitting upstairs. Yeah - 4 years running. Every year, I have to wear thicker gloves because I’m getting more and more splinters. The board is taking a beating. But, 4 years and no problems. I’ve gone through 3 other boards but I always go back to the original because it hasn’t let me down. Every year I redo the ink on the board. But, my hands are taking more of a toll than that board is. HHC:
Yeah, you guys put your bodies and your hands through hell every
night and you wake up the next morning and go to work and do the
whole thing over again. SM: I remember when I used to beat on the walls with my hands and I ripped holes in my hand from all the nails sticking out. That’s when I started using the hoses and the bone. MM: They’re safer. SM: I’d come home and my hands would be sore and bruised. MM: And you’d do it again. SM: Of course I’d do it again. MM: No limits, no laws. HHC: You guys are about the most passionate people I’ve met. You keep going back and hammering away at it. You keep improving yourself and your scare tactics. Where do you get inspiration? Where’s the fuel for it all? MM: Unchanneled rage baby! I’ll tell ya something, between my hockey games that I go to (I don’t play in) and the month of October. That is 100% stress relief for me. I leave there. I come home. “Hi honey, how ya doin?” Everything’s peachy. Everything is right with the world. No problems. Why? Because, I just scared the shit out of 60 people, made 3 wet their pants, 2 passed out, 1 had to throw up and run away and I beat holes in 3 walls. Everything’s great! No problems! HHC: [Laughs] SM: Yeah, I’m usually a calm, laid back guy except when haunted house season. MM: He’s almost comatose in normal life. You’d swear he was on drugs but he won’t touch the shit. He doesn’t drink. He don’t do any drugs and you’d swear this kid is stoned because he walks around sooo mellow then you get him in a haunted house and you’re like “what are you on?” SM: I’d have to say scaring those people is definitely stress relief. HHC: Worst scare you’ve every done? Nothing to brag about, we know you don’t want to hurt anybody, but for a haunter... MM: The worst thing I remember was in the first year of Dream Reapers. I had somebody come into the maze entrance and I came out and slammed that board. They literally turned around and ran 2 feet smashed right into a wall. They went straight back. And I’m like, “Are you ok?” They were in between crying and laughing because the friends were just horrendous on this guy. And it wasn’t a woman, it was a man. He had to be in his mid-20’s and wasn’t a kid. And I don’t think he was doped up or drunk or anything because those people don’t get scared. We have our share of those people. You try to ship those people out as quickly as possible. Because if they don’t want to be there for my portion of entertainment, I’m not gonna waste my show on them. But this guy was stone sober. He didn’t even know it was there, he just turned around and ‘blam!” I gave the guy a t-shirt because I felt bad. It was hysterical. I thought he was hurt but he was too busy laughing. I’m sure he was sore the next day. I’d say that was the worst one I have. As far as almost injury causing. Oh and the rumors that float around the internet about me hitting people with my 2x4 are absolutely false. I’ve had one close call. ONE close call. HHC: How close? MM: Uh, I banged the board up. I try to bang it up a foot above their head. I banged the board up, I lost my grip and it slipped down and fell on their toe. Their toe, people! That lady got a free t-shirt. She was not mad at me. She asked me if I was ok. She thought I had fallen. None of the blood on the board is real except my own. SM: Best scare was at Dream Reapers last year. Ken and I were walking back and forth in the middle of the parking lot when I hit the saw and I see this guy getting freaked out, so I look at Ken and we both come around with the saws and this guy runs around, goes a little bit across the parking lot and then comes back. So, I hit the saw again and the guy takes off across the lot, so I think maybe I’ll leave him alone¼ I don’t know what he’s scared about. He ends up coming back, so we hit the saws and Ken and I come in and he flies into the corner of the building and he was up against the window like he was about to shit his pants. This guy was terrified¼ you could see the terror in his eyes. Then, he shot off between us as fast as he could and we watched him go across the parking lot, over the curb and hit the cement. He barrel rolled and skidded 10 feet across the lot on his back. His shoe fell off, but he still kept running. Ken and I looked at each other and I thought maybe this kid’s grandma got chainsaw massacred or something. He was scared for his life. So, Ken goes up to him in the line and gives him a white Dream Reaper’s t-shirt to make amends. Ken comes back to me and says, “Now he’s a marked man,” because the white t-shirt sticks out in the house like a sore thumb. When he came out of the house, we went after him again, this time with the electric chain saw and he was even scared of that. He took off across the lot and almost flew into Mannheim Road. That kid was so scared. I’ll never forget that. MM: Oww! HHC: If you could have super power in the world what would it be? SM: Maybe walk through walls. MM: Dude, Stop it!! SM: No, I think I’d be invisible. MM: Honestly I’d like the power of flight. I really would. Screw levitation. If I could levitate and move, think of the people I could terrorize. That would bring a whole new level of scare tactics. HHC: What is in your DVD and CD player right now? MM: Dude, if I told you it would blow your mind. Seriously. DVD player: Boondock Saints. CD player: REO Speedwagon. Anything REO is great. SM: I just bought them yesterday, Spineshank and Chimaira. I have a bunch of metal, it never stays the same it’s always different. House of 1000 corpses in the DVD player. HHC: Now it’s time for the HHC Fatal 5. Favorite Halloween costume? SM: Jumpsuit MM: Leather trench coat and black clothes HHC: Favorite Horror Movie, all time? SM: Night of the Living Dead MM: Dawn of the Dead HHC: Favorite Horror Villain? SM: Michael Meyers MM: Dude, you did it again! I mean Michael Meyers has always been my favorite too because he’s the most believable. HHC: Favorite musicians? SM: Ultimate favorite is Pantera. MM: What are we clones here? Pantera and REO Speedwagon. I go from one extreme to the other. HHC: Favorite Haunted House as an audience member? SM: House of Shock. I’ve never seen it in person but I think it’s one I would like. And even though it wasn’t scary in-your-face-horror-gore, the Asylum was a good one. MM: For me, the Asylum. I mean it wasn’t really a haunted house as it was a haunted attraction. Their timing and everything was perfect. I got to go through there one time before they shut it down and it was just amazing. HHC: What would you like to say to everyone who wants to get involved in the haunted house industry? SM: Build it don’t buy it. You feel like it’s more your own then. MM: YEA exactly! Start out small. Start out with your own yard. You’ll get to see a little bit of the sweat equity. Start out small. HHC: What would you like to say to your fans that fear your characters? MM: I’ll be floating again this year. It doesn’t matter what house you come to. I will find YOU! SM: I’m gonna get you with my saw. FEAR THE SAW !!!! HHC: Thank you for your time, guys. We look forward to seeing what you have in store for us this year! Spike Mike and the Maze Master can be primarily found at Dream Reapers Haunted House in their final year at their location in Melrose Park. Originally posted on Haunted House Chicago during October 2003. |
