Local teen shares Halloween spirit

HALLOWEEN THROUGH THE YEARS — Weir High School senior Anthony Suttinger has loved Halloween since he was 4. Today, the 18-year-old creates themed displays which can be seen in the haunted house he has created at his home at 155 Hindman Lane.
— Julie Stenger

WEIRTON — There are people who like Halloween. And then, there are people who like Halloween.

Meet Anthony Suttinger. Since the age of 4, he has held a special place in his heart for the October holiday. And yet, for the 18-year-old Weir High School senior, practically every month of the year is devoted to focusing on his Halloween creations.

According to his parents, Stephanie and Andrew Suttinger, Anthony’s love for “pumpkins, ghouls and all things Halloween” dates back to when he was a toddler.

Even during his preschool graduation when he was asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” his response verbatim was, “A Halloween store worker.”

Even then, he knew.

Anthony Suttinger celebrating at the age of 4
— Contributed

There is just something about Oct. 31 that speaks to the Weirton teen’s heart.

“We used to go see Halloween and Christmas displays since he was a toddler,” Stephanie said of her son. “Halloween quickly became his favorite.” She explained the family visited several different pumpkin patches and fall festivals when Anthony was young.

As he grew older, those autumn outings soon escalated into tours of haunted houses, as he developed a fascination for the scarier side of the holiday.

Their visits spanned several states and many trips to Fairborn, Ohio, which supports Halloween year-round, Stephanie stated.

“It was during these years that he began collecting and adding to our traditional Halloween décor,” she added.

A MASTERPIECE — A haunted circus lies in the backyard of Anthony Suttinger’s residence. Included in the display are several large figures, such as a ticket taker booth.
— Contributed

Anthony noted his family has thrown a Halloween party at their home for years, with friends and relatives attending. Basic decorations were always hung in preparation for the arrival of their guests.

But since he has begun coming up with his own unique concepts and utilizes his talents to back up those creations, there are many more decorations in the Suttingers’ basement for the party. Mannequins have been transferred into ghoulish creatures, with Anthony recalling there are approximately 25 of the life-sized beings on display.

And to think it started with just a small “Happy Halloween” sign that he decided to nail a mask to at around the age of 14. Today, Anthony, with the help of his great uncle, William Green, is developing some elaborate pieces and incorporating them into a haunted house for trick-or-treaters to take part in during their candy spree.

“Each year, his displays have become more elaborate — with different themes, backdrops and animatronics,” his parents said.

This is the second year for the haunted house walk-through, Anthony commented.

ANY LAST WORDS? — This Halloween figure has been sent to the electric chair and will await his fate, as determined by creator Anthony Suttinger of Weirton. The scene is situated in the assylum themed area of his backyard. The scene is Suttinger’s favorite piece, as it has a strobe light above it to make it appear as if electricity is going through the inmate. A recorded voice on the chair’s CD player exclaims, “Let me out of this chair!”
— Julie Stenger

The area to the side of the Suttinger’s home is where the tour was created, using pallets as walls and dividers to block off each area, which has a special theme involved.

Some of the themes Anthony came up with included an assylum, a backyard circus, a transition into a farm, a cemetery, a human meat deli and a serial killer’s backwoods basement.

There are even Halloween-themed props which are spaced between the themed rooms so no space is left completely bare. Hung from the pallets across the ceiling are painted flexible, inflatable garden hoses meant to resemble strings of intestines.

One wouldn’t know from his shy, quiet demeanor he could have such gorish concepts and ideas for creating such pieces. But to Anthony, the props he builds are cool and show off the true spirit of what Halloween is meant to be.

From creating a skull out of a milk jug, to melting plastic onto a stained skeleton, each detail behind his work means something to him.

His father said thousands of dollars have been spent throughout the years on his passion — as it is more than just a hobby for Anthony. He even uses the money he makes from his part-time job at Kroger in Weirton to purchase the materials.

Whether it is dollar stores or home stores such as Lowe’s or Home Depot, he always looks for the best bargains because of the cost. One way he saves money on his Halloween décor is to shop the day after Halloween at the holiday-themed stores, where he can often locate a good deal. He visits stores such including Spirit Halloween and Party City and looks online at Distortions Unlimited, which is located in Colorado.

“Pop-up stores and online ads don’t help either,” he laughed.

So how does one begin such a huge undertaking?

“I try to start with a theme,” Anthony explained. “Then I will look online and see what other people have built. There are plenty of videos to watch.” He then puts down his ideas on paper and shows them to his uncle, who he stated is very handy and helpful in building many of the haunted house pieces.

Anthony expressed his favorite project is the assylum theme. Its white walls twist and turn until you run into a figure dressed in prison stripes and sitting in an electric chair.

Having been built in 2008, the chair houses a CD player which has to be manually turned on for the sounds. A strobe light allows for the scene to be reminiscent of being electrocuted.

The backyard is turned into a haunted circus for the holiday and includes a ferris wheel Anthony and his uncle built in a matter of two days.

“I couldn’t be more thankful for my uncle helping me out,” he announced.

He receives a lot of assistance from his grandmother, Linda Heiserman, as well.

Heiserman exclaimed her storage area underneath her porch is full of her grandson’s projects and props, as there simply isn’t enough room for him to keep them all at home. There also is a shed which he is now in possession of for keeping some of his props in addition to his parent’s home and his grandmother’s house.

“He does a great job,” Heiserman boasted, noting she has so much faith in his work that she helps him with whatever he needs.

From painting a prop to transporting materials home from the store, she will do whatever she can to support his goals.

Heiserman recalled their purchasing a cardboard structure the day after Halloween, getting the huge prop for $20.

However, it took five trips in her truck to get what seemed smaller in the store, back home. Unable to reconstruct the unit, the cardboard pieces were used to create other projects, she stated.

His parents feel the same, being always willing to do all they can for their son.

“We are extremely proud of him,” Stephanie concluded. “He is brilliant and he works so hard.”

Anthony truly appreciates all of the assistance he receives from his family.

“You don’t know how much I appreciate my family for helping me with this,” he said. “We are a close-knit family and help each other out. My grandma helps me with my props and I help her bake. So it all evens out.”

Stephanie said in April, the family went to the East Coast Haunters Convention in Philadelphia. Anthony was able to meet famous monster makers, YouTubers and prop designers, among the Halloween community.

“This has sent his inspirations to a whole new level,” she added.

Anthony may have wanted to work at a Halloween store when he was 4 years old.

But when asked that question today, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” His answer changed slightly.

He decided he would like to own a Halloween-themed store and create various haunted items that people will enjoy.

His goal is to get his business degree and open his own business, focused on Halloween of course, in the future.

Anthony concluded it is his hope to work with a professional haunt in the area, as he is very invested in doing such a project. He stated he is looking for support and would love an opportunity to make a haunt into something spectacular. Or should we say “spooktacular?”

Anyone interested in reaching out to Suttinger can contact him through e-mail at suttingeranthony@gmail.com.

The haunted house will be up and running on Halloween during trick-or-treating.

Anyone in the community is invited to visit the home, located at 155 Hindman Lane in Weirton, between 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday.