Today we’re excited to be connecting with Mat Dann again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.
Mat, we are so thrilled to be connecting again and can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you have been up to. Before we jump into all of that, some of our readers might have missed our prior interview, so can you take a moment to reintroduce yourself?
Mat Dann and Brian O’Hara, the team that brings Scaredy Cats Hauntings to life. Scaredy Cats is an all encompassing horror brand, covering everything from ghost hunting, film making, horror content and building a community amongst fans who enjoy the genre. Scaredy Cats Hauntings (SCH) was first thought of in May of 2022, when Mat, a lifetime horror lover, was amused by Brian’s uneasiness and overall angst for almost anything in the spooky universe. Their contrasting takes on horror made for a perfect coupling, one with an undying appreciation for the style and the other truly a scaredy cat.
Mat and Brian, both actors/comedians, met almost 20 years ago at Boston’s Improv Asylum theater. Though always traveling in similar social circles, it wasn’t until December of 2012 when their two paths crossed and creative endeavors began. From comedy sketch shows, short films, stand up, etc. they were kicking tires. The idea for SCH came about after the two had discovered they both had a history of growing up in homes with suspected paranormal activity and shared curiosity in ghosts. Surprising to Mat, Brian had no reservations when discussing potentially going on a ghost hunt, it didn’t seem to effect his typical chickenhearted sensitivities. Peeling this onion even deeper, Brian’s fears, for the most part live on the silver screen and his imagination. Rubber, fake blood and prosthetics freaked Brian out far more than the notion of an actual haunting. The potential of paranormal entities/spirts being real was more of a kinda science project than something to be feared. Is there something more to this life? This got Mat’s wheels turning and a month later they were spending the weekend at The Cosmopolitan Hotel, San Diego’s most haunted inn, spawning the birth of Scaredy Cats Hauntings.
A year and a half later they have 135k following on social media, 10+ ghost hunts in the books, and a film project in the works for 2025.
Awesome, so we reached out because we wanted to hear all about what you have been up to since we last connected.
The SCH journey can be summed up simply as, pressure free fun. That was the only rule Mat and Brian made on day one, life had enough stress as is, if they were to invest their time into a passion project they’re going to have a good goddamn time doing it. Furthermore, in alignment with this stress free as possible approach, they also agreed never to be “follower chasers”, if you make good art and entertaining content that B.S. will figure itself out.
What Mat and Brian sought out to accomplish was carving out an online space not only to create but to celebrate others creating horror art and content too, a horror community! Art, movies, Halloween, ghost stories, these are not ideas for one to posses and white knuckle as their own but to be enjoyed as a greater whole with everyone. SCH is about encouraging each other to make cool stuff and to get it out there to be seen by as many eyes as possible. In going about SCH in this way, it made it less of a thing to be owned and more of ideal to be shared. This positive mantra, set the foundation for what they’re currently building on today.
Entering 2025, SCH is looking to take a step forward. A Scaredy Cast (clever play on words) podcast is due to hit by summer 2025 encompassing any and all things related to the horror genre. Mat and Brian will take their blue collar, buddy comedy approach on the world of horror to a weekly conversation for the SCH community’s listening pleasure.
They’re also well into production on a series of various SCH films. They’re currently keeping most of the details on these upcoming projects close to their chest. What can currently be shared is the title of the first of these films, Buyer Beware.
Scaredy Cats Hauntings is in a scary good place and we’re thrilled about it!
Alright, so let’s do something a bit more fast-paced and lighthearted. We call this our lightning round and we’ll ask you a few quick questions.
- Favorite Movie: Mat: JAWS, Brian: Jurassic Park, couple of Spielberg guys,
- Favorite Book: Mat: There’s a Light on in the Attic, Brian: Slaughter House Five
- Favorite TV Show: Mat: Seinfeld, Brian: The Soprano’s
- Favorite Band or Artist: Mat: Tom Petty, Brian: Queen
- Sweet or Savory: Mat: Savory, chips are in trouble around him. Brian: Anything with icing/Cadbury Eggs, it doesn’t need to be Easter to enjoy a CE!
- Mountains or Beach: Mat: Beach, give me the ocean all day long. Brian: I’ll just kick it by the AC and see you when you get back with a sunburn.
- Favorite Sport (to watch): Mat: Basketball/Football, Brian: Football/Golf
- Favorite Sport (to play): Mat: Hot yoga, kinda hooked. Brian: GTFO
- Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): Mat: Football (I was pretty good until I discovered pot and girls), Brian: Football (not exactly a starter), Basketball
- As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: Mat: Oceanographer, Brian: I always wanted to make people laugh in some capacity. If I could survive on it, awesome.
- French Fries or Onion Rings: Mat: Fries by a mile. Briguy is a Friguy!
- Favorite Cartoon growing up: Mat: TMNT, Batman the Animated Series, Tiny Toons, Ren & Stimpy, Rugrats Brian: The Real Ghostbusters, TMNT
- Favorite Childhood movie: Mat: Little Shop of Horrors, The Blues Brothers, Brian: Heavyweights, Back to the Future
- Favorite Breakfast Food: Mat: Waffles with a ton of butter and syrup. Brian: French toast, any sausage/bacon/egg/cheese combo.
What do you want people to remember about you and your brand? What are some of things that you feel are most important, unique, special, etc?
The most important thing Mat and Brian want out of SCH, well, there’s two things. First off, they want a place where they can create and bring their imaginations to life. Mat went onto elaborate saying “We’re both comedians, actors and writers, we moved to LA to make cool stuff and entertain. Fact is, you can’t wait on someone else to pay you to create these rich ideas. We cover our own costs, not always easy, but we love every second of it. Let’s pull these crazy thoughts out of our mind’s eye and put them on film. Or whatever we’re shooting on, a memory card I guess. We just want to bring our imaginations to life.” Brian followed that up with a “Ditto.”
Secondly, they want to bring horror fans together. Celebrate art, the holiday of Halloween and hey, if we’re lucky, discover that there is life after death. What wonderful things to share with others. There’s not enough unity in the business of creating, folks are scared to share, feel vulnerable or worse, others gatekeep. Time we raise each other up celebrating one another’s imaginations/creations instead of attempting to hold them back. Mat wrapped up by saying “Scaredy Cats Hauntings is a brand chalk full of positive energy all while trying to scare the shit out of you.”
Contact Info:
- Website: matdanncomedy.com (SCH currently has a page on this website)
- Instagram: scaredycatshauntings
- Facebook: scaredycatshauntings
- Youtube: Scaredy Cats Hauntings
