Alan Perkins was a scary eight-foot clown in the University's Homecoming 2007 golf cart parade. The creepy decorations on the golf cart come from Perkins' very own collection. He is pictured with Kelly Vereker and a young spectator. Photo credit: senior Yekaterina Kontar

By day, senior Alan Perkins is completing an internship as a safety director for Melco at Sun Oil Refinery in Toledo. By night (at least during Halloween season) Perkins is a scary eight-foot clown, crazy man in a straight jacket, burn victim, mad scientist or a number of other horrifying creatures.

Perkins, an environmental safety and occupational health management major, became interested in scaring people when he was 16 years old. As a Boy Scout, he started planning harvest parties for group functions and eventually started creating and assisting in building haunted houses.

“I get a thrill out of scaring people,” said Perkins. “Whenever someone comes through a haunt, they are paying money to be scared. If I can accomplish that, then I have had a good night.”

During the past seven years, Perkins has accumulated an impressive collection of haunted house props and costumes, including the eight-foot clown costume he was recently seen wearing during the UF Homecoming golf cart parade and during the City of Findlay Halloween parade. He owns the painter’s stilts, which he found online, and his mother helped him create the rest of the costume. She did the sewing work, and Perkins did the finishing work to make it scary.

He also owns a variety of masks, an emergency vehicle light he purchased from a police auction, a life-like skeleton, a Jeepers Creepers costume, wings that open and close using air pressure and numerous other pieces. In addition to being scary, Perkins also does costume makeup, which he learned on-the-job.

Locally, Perkins helped the Northwest Ohio Railroad Preservation Inc. create the first and second Train of Terror and Haunted Engine House on County Road 99. In the past three years, Perkins helped build sets for the Fear Factory on Pine Street.

Perkins did his own burn makeup for the TransWorld Haunt and Attractions trade show in Chicago.

Because of his involvement with the Fear Factory, Perkins had the opportunity to attend the by-invitation-only TransWorld Haunt and Attractions trade show, the largest Halloween trade show in the United States. He went wearing full burn makeup on his face and neck and was able to get a glimpse of the new scary products, including high-end items used by movie makers.

Perkins, a Findlay native, will graduate in December.