Born 2-1-58,died 7-5-02.No wait,just a baaaaad hangover.
Wil came to the world of haunting in the mid 90s,joining the internet based Halloween-L chat list as quickly as learning about it on Don Bertino's (list's originator) website. Sharing information & ideas online was exciting,but he wanted to personally get together with other like minded haunters, creating the first internet based home haunt convention ever in �97.Hosted in a small furniture plant in Santa Maria,Cali.,it began with the auspicious moniker of the "First Annual Southern California Halloween List Convention and Seminar" which later was changed simply to "Death Fest",a non-profit gathering & show.That first gathering boasted a mere 20 list members from as far away as Ohio,a 2000 mile journey.In �04 Death Fest VIII hosted over 300 of both professional and home haunters making the journey to be a part of the festivities.Wil has remained very active in the haunt industry & first created the makings of the website DeathLord.Net in '96.Since websites that offered how-tos on building halloween props during these early years of the internet were typically only the written word & more than just a little difficult to follow,it has always been his peak interest to assemble a website that had clear,easy to follow plans that included photo illustrations.Over the past decade this quest has grown to possibly the largest and most complete halloween prop how-to site on the internet today.With nearly 2300 files & almost 4,000 hyperlinks, this has become a time consuming hobby!After a couple of years of attending the Transworld Halloween Costume and Party Show in Las Vegas,Wil was introduced there in �03 to the benefits of joining the haunt industry's official organization,the International Association of Haunted Attractions (IAHA)and quickly became a member.He was subsequently nominated for the formation of the Home Haunter's Committee which he was also named chairman of upon it's creation.He serves to bring the home haunters and the professional haunting industry together in every way that might be beneficial to both by keeping each entity abreast of the other's current functions and undertakings.A position that has proven helpful in acquainting each group of the other's strengths and combining them in an effort to further haunting on several levels on a national basis.Also a founding member of the Halloween Vendor Coalition in early �04.This is an organization dedicated to bringing the dark industry dignity in the mainstream world of commerce by holding it's members to the highest standards of wholesale and retail excellence.An H.V.C. badge on the product will one day represent a guarantee of reliability of product and excellence of service.Early work included Top 40 radio announcer & MC from '89-'94 & graduating from both organizations of the Spokesman's Club International & the Graduate's Spokesman's Club in the late 80s.Wil has been a professional furniture designer for over 20 years & owns & operates a high end custom furniture manufacturing company in south Cali. called Schock's Furniture Crafters.Other accomplishments include penning 2 full length novels in �93 & �94,Thin Air & Thin Air II;The Paragon Files,& also earning the award of 1st degree black belt in Moo Duk Kwon Tae Kwon Do in �95.
DeathFest.net---DeathLord.Net---Schock's Furniture Crafters [email protected]
