Today we’d like to introduce you to Norman Gidney.
Norman, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
In 2005, I joined a fledgling Disney Travel site that had only started six months prior and only had 3,000 registered users to its name. Being a Graphic Designer by trade, I offered my services to the owner of the company, and he immediately accepted. A romance formed and we spent nine years creating a massive online community. The site grew by leaps and bounds reaching 50 million page views a year at its zenith.
The relationship soured, and I was left with not one single claim to the company that I had spent nearly a decade building, nurturing, and developing. Taking what I had learned over the years working on the previous project I turned to my love of horror and the haunt community in Southern California.
As a life-long fan of Halloween and the horror genre, I had considered launching a horror entertainment review site for years but never really had the time to devote to the project. Now the haunt world was calling, and the response was overwhelming.
Theme parks that I had dealt with in the past were the first to jump on board and offer their support. Knott’s Berry Farm, Universal Studios Hollywood, Six Flags Magic Mountain, they were the first to give me access that other sites were only dreaming about.
With a crack team of just five, very wonderful and supportive writers and friends, we launched the ambitious project known as HorrorBuzz.com. Launched on July 1st, 2015, HorrorBuzz came out, guns blazing and primed for the 2015 haunt season.
Our first season we covered over 60 haunt venues nationwide with an emphasis on Southern California. We next turned to the indie horror film industry and extended our support and coverage there. We expanded to video games, books, and even family-friendly options for kids that like things spooky.
In just 3.5 years we became a major player in the horror community, being quoted by the likes of Warner Bros. Pictures, Universal Studios Hollywood, and Knott’s Scary Farm.
Absolutely none of this would have been possible without the support of the SoCal Haunt scene, fiercely loyal supporters and friends, and the most awesome fans in the world, Horror Fans. I look back at what I have worked so very hard to build and am thrilled to have a scary home to call my own where I can invite the world of horror fans in to share in the joys of a good scare.
Has it been a smooth road?
Smooth? Hardly. In fact, after our first Halloween season, I was wondering if I had made the right choice. Friendships were tested, some failed, enemies were made, and money was scarce. That is not to mention that the competition was fierce.
At one point, I had a reporter from another horror website tell me that I was, “five years too late to the party.” After developing an identity, a look, a feel, a following, being told that you bring nothing new to the table and you should just stand down is a little, well, discouraging. That’s when I became more determined than ever.
I began to seriously look at what I was doing and how it could be successful. The old model of the community-based website was wiped out when Facebook leeched everyone from discussion boards and onto their social network. The market was saturated with fan-sites and bloggers, and mommy-bloggers, and trolls. I had to learn what made my project different and run with it.
I think that if you have to find a silver lining, I was reassured not only who my friends were, but that the Haunter Community in southern California is one of the most supportive and caring communities of fans in the entire world. They are my chosen family.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I own and operate HorrorBuzz.com. We are a website that reviews haunted houses, movies, immersive theatre, games, and books. We like to cover every type of horror from the spooky to the extreme. We believe that everybody loves horror, even the scaredy cats. They just need to understand it.
As stated before, our coverage began with Haunted attractions including independent haunts. We went to everything from Halloween Horror Nights to Boot Hill home haunt, from pumpkin patches to BLACKOUT. We did everything. Our first love will always be Haunts, but we have a huge presence in horror cinema now and are growing in the video game arena.
We are known for covering everything leading up to the haunt season and everything during. We are known for some of the most comprehensive reporting on haunts and haunted attractions year round. We are also known for our extensive movie reviews.
As a company, I am most proud that we have been able not only to survive but to grow in a competitive market. We have an established, welcoming personality that is supportive of the community and those attempting to join it. We are also an authority on horror and horror entertainment.
This is what I am proud of and what I feel sets us apart from many. We try to make horror approachable to everyone and nearly all ages because we believe it is a special genre that is often misunderstood but universally liked.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Southern California is the very best place for a news and information website covering horror. There is absolutely no question there.
Growing up in Orange County, I was raised on a regular diet of Movie Macabre, the horror section at the video store, Halloween, Haunted Houses, and Knott’s Scary Farm.
I have seen the Horror industry in Los Angeles explode into the multi-million dollar business that it is today. Los Angeles is a Halloween Town, and there is no denying that.
If I were to give advice, I would say above all else stay true to your voice. Next, love and respect those who help you. Never forget a kindness. Always be willing to defend the new.
Contact Info:
- Website: HorrorBuzz.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/horrorbuzz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorrorBuzzBook/?ref=bookmarks
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Horror_Buzz
Image Credit:
Albert Lam
Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
