PopHorror Let's Get Scared
One of the men I respect most in this community is James H. Carter II. He’s such a down to earth guy who respects everyone, hustles everyday, and is incredibly talented. I met James through Shannon McGrew (Nightmarish Conjurings owner) and was thrilled when he gave me an opportunity to write for his site, Creepy Kingdom.
James has been killing it lately with all his projects and adventures including the continuous growth of Creepy Kingdom, his Foolish Mortals documentary, and most recently his work on the horror short GEORGIE which just debuted on the legendary horror site Fangoria.
PopHorror – It’s great to talk with you James. You’re a jack of all trades. How did you originally get involved in this business?
James H. Carter II – I’ve always felt the need to express myself, whether it be through musical projects or through making home movies. One day a light bulb went off in my head and I realized that I needed to combine those two things and pursue a career in filmmaking. Every time I tried to walk away it always called me back, so i finally gave in and accepted my fate!
PopHorror – That’s awesome! You’re the founder of Creepy Kingdom. How did that come about?
James H. Carter II – I created Creepy Kingdom back in 2011 because something like it didn’t exist. I wanted a website and a podcast that focused on the dark side of the Disney films and theme parks. I’ve been a life long Disney fan and it is my belief that even though most people see Disney as a bright and safe entity, the darkness has always been there since the very beginning. The dark imagery in Snow White and the macabre immersion of many of their theme park attractions were my first introduction to the spooky side of things. I wanted to create a place to celebrate that and find like minded people. Since it’s start we have grown to cover the spooky side of all things, but it all started with Disney.
PopHorror – And that’s why it’s one of my favorite sites out there! What is your goal for the site?
James H. Carter II – Our goal is not only cover all things spooky and creepy but to also create original content, merchandise, and events for our audience. For the people who enjoy Horror and Disney and want to live the Halloween lifestyle all year long.
PopHorror – Hell yes! You’re the director of the Foolish Mortals Documentary. What inspired you to make it?
James H. Carter II – My inspiration to make a documentary about fans of Disney’s Haunted Mansion came from the original Creepy Kingdom Podcast. We have since retired the original show and now have several podcasts on specific topics. But at the time we had done a handful of shows about the Haunted Mansion, including talking with people who were involved in the making of the attraction. We would get such a strong reaction from those shows that I knew I just had to dig deeper.
PopHorror – Where can one watch it/buy it?
James H. Carter II – Currently the only way to watch it online is the Creepy Kingdom Patreon. We are doing a final DVD run this August for our table at the Midsummer Scream horror convention in Long Beach, CA. We are in the process of getting onto a streaming service after that.
PopHorror – That’s awesome! One of your newest projects is executive producer of the horror short GEORGIE. Can you tell the readers about this?
James H. Carter II – Our film answers the question what if GEORGIE returned to Derry, Maine 27 years later? The film stars Tony Dakota who was GEORGIE in the original It mini-series along with original loser Ben Heller. Since it’s a short film I don’t want to give to much away but let’s just say things get a little crazy upon his return.
PopHorror – Yes, yes it is! What made you want to get involved with this project?
James H. Carter II – Ryan Grulich, the director and co-writer of GEORGIE, also co-owns Creepy Kingdom with me. I was on board from the moment he pitched the idea to me. As a business partner I wanted to support Ryan the same way he supported me during the production of Foolish Mortals. As a fan of creepy stuff, I was really curious to see the end result.
PopHorror – Fangoria premiered GEORGIE a few days ago, which is a pretty big deal. How did you guys get one of the best and known horror sites out there to be involved with this project?
James H. Carter II – We connected with Fangoria through the relationship that GEORGIE’s producer John Campopiano has with them. John is also involved with the upcoming Pennywise documentary. We wanted to debut online in a big way, and I can’t think of a bigger way than to premiere on Fangoria!
PopHorror – Go big or go home! What’s next for GEORGIE?
James H. Carter II – We have a few more film festival dates coming up. We are in the process of finding GEORGIE a very special forever home, so stay tuned for those details!
PopHorror – Now I must ask some silly questions. You do a mix of Horror and Disney on your site. What is your favorite horror film? What is your favorite Disney film?
James H. Carter II – My favorite horror film is Gremlins. Some people might not consider that a horror film but I sure do! My favorite Disney film is Who Framed Roger Rabbit, I actually think it’s one of the best film ever made.
PopHorror – I dig your taste, those are two of my favorites as well. What’s your favorite snack to indulge in when watching a movie
James H. Carter II – I don’t do this often but I like to mix Reese’s Pieces with popcorn!
PopHorror – Yummy! I love that sweet and salty mix. Any upcoming projects or goals?
James H. Carter II – We have several other films and series currently in development including a film about the life of H.P. Lovecraft. Our goals are to keep making stuff for the creepy kids!
