Down a gravel drive along Granville Avenue, with stones that clatter and crunch beneath heavy tires lies a high-end mask and props store for all things horror and Halloween.
Filling the room are walls full of grimaces, gnarled bones, clumps of matted, bloodied fur and hair, all intended to evoke a sense of unease and awe.
The mangled and grotesque exteriors of masks and dolls come from a practiced, intentional hand. Every knick, smudge and smear — though unique to each creation — is intentional.
These frightful creations come from the mind and work of Brian Blair, the owner and creator of Pumpkin Pulp, a horror mask store operated along Granville Avenue.
Brian has always loved and held a passion for horror and scary movies, which led him to start Pumpkin Pulp, to join the scare industry, in 2006.
In the beginning, Pumpkin Pulp started out mainly as a scare attraction and art studio, but when COVID-19 hit, they stopped having the haunts. In 2023, they opened the store to serve as a way to display their works and have a physical location.
Originally, starting as a project of making masks for haunts and scares to save money, Brian decided to post photos of his creations online
“I put them online, and I immediately started getting other people calling me, wanting to buy ’em,” Brian said. “So, I thought, ‘Huh, I wonder if I could maybe make a few bucks off this,’ and it just started to continue to grow.”
From there, Pumpkin Pulp was created and took off “like a rocket,” Brian said.
Brian believes Pumpkin Pulp’s creations stand out to customers, leading to him being noticed rather quickly due to the different style he started, producing what he describes as a "grittier and grungier appearance."
“My whole idea was to try to think, ‘OK, I want to make something that looks like some madman made this in a cellar, or something,’” he said. “That's what it came out as.”
Pumpkin Pulp’s horror production line starts with Brian sculpting his designs out of clay, creating an original work.
“That's the funnest part for me, is coming up with new stuff,” he said. “I can sit down with some clay, and when I start sculpting, I just see what comes out … I've always enjoyed creating something new, and I always try to think of something that hasn't been done before that I can do. So, it's kind of my way to challenge myself every year.”
Brian then passes the sculpture to employee Chandler Teal, who uses plaster to mold the sculpture before continuing with multiple layers of latex.
Teal explained that he applies three layers of latex to each mold to ensure thickness. After pulling the piece out, he trims the edges and then hands it over to the painters for painting.
After the mask has been painted, Teal said it gets strapped, and then all accessories, like tufts of fur or hair, are added on.
“It's a lot of fun. I get to do what I love, and not many people could say that,” Teal said. “We just turn on some music or a murder podcast, and we just make creepy stuff and have fun.”
This is a sentiment Jordan Blair, Brian’s son and employee, shares.
Jordan described his total of around four years of working at Pumpkin Pulp as “a huge pleasure,” adding that after working there, he couldn’t imagine going back to a “normal job.”
“I’ve always loved horror — everything and anything scary or weird,” he said. “It’s not just a side hobby; it’s like a lifetime job, which is crazy to think about, but, yeah, I’m very grateful.”
While Jordan takes on a variety of roles — his main focus is on shipping — but his favorite task is painting the masks.
“I don't feel very much pressure, and I can do a lot of what I want because each mask is hand-painted, and they're all supposed to be a little unique in their own ways. They're not mass-manufactured,” Jordan said “So, it is very nice, and it makes me feel open to doing anything.”
Jordan hopes to be more involved, as well as learn more from his dad. Another favorite role of his is going to the tradeshows and conventions with his father, something that brings them closer together.
“We get to spend more time together, and we're doing something that we both enjoy, and it's a very niche thing, which makes it a little bit more special,” Jordan said.
The growth of Pumpkin Pulp happened alongside his own growing up. As a child, he never imagined it would be as big as it is now, and seeing what it has become feels insane to him.
This growth has become seven employees, international sales, creations appearing in low-budget movies and unique clientele, all coming from a local Muncie business.
Brian’s goal for the store and studio is to become a Halloween destination spot.
“I was very fortunate that this took off at the right time and just did what it did,” Brian said. “Honestly, the spooky stuff is one of my true loves.”
Along with the physical store, the haunted house, where they get to showcase their masks and props, came back in 2023 but only in the month of October, due to how busy Pumpkin Pulp gets.
“It's getting to the point now that we're just as busy after Halloween as we are before … we just start getting orders immediately,” Brian said.
Teal manages the haunts while Brian gets to focus on other aspects of the year-round business. Teal’s passion for haunting started at a young age, long before he began working at Pumpkin Pulp.
“Ever since I was little, I used to turn my parents’ hallways into a haunted house,” he said.
His love for all things spooky only grew stronger when he turned 10 years old and first met Brian.
“When I was a little kid, I had an obsession with horror. I watched horror movies. And I actually came here as a little kid when Brian had the haunted house,” Teal said. “I was too scared to go through, so Brian gave me a lights-on tour.
The moment sparked a fascination that only grew over time. At 13 years old, Teal began acting in the haunted house, and by high school, he was part of the team. Over the years, he learned the ins and outs of haunting.
Those skills he’s picked up help him design the haunted houses and “ create a world that people could come into to forget their everyday lives.”
“Just the thrill of creating something new and seeing people's reactions. I love seeing people's reactions to my work. It makes me feel good,” Teal said. “[It] lets me know I'm doing something right when I see people running out of the haunt screaming and talking about it. I'm creating memories for people, and that's what makes me happy.”
Pumpkin Pulp’s haunted house is called “Scarevania,” which started Oct. 4. It will be open every Friday and Saturday night, with tickets available at the store during regular hours or at the door from 8-11 p.m. for $10.
Contact Hannah Amos via email at hannah.amos@bsu.edu or on X @Hannah_Amos_394 Meghan Braddy via email at meghan.braddy@bsu.edu or on X @meghan_braddy.
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