HallowFreaks was chosen for the webmasters pick on May 24, 2003. Here is the interview with Scrappy a very creative and talented webmistress. You'll find the interview very interesting, and she shares some of her web building tips with us.

SH: Hey Scrappy! We have picked your website as the webmasters pick. We would like to ask you some questions so we could get to know the webmistress behind her work.

First of all I have to say is, "you've done it again", with another knock out website. It rocks the top. Where did you come up with the idea of this new look, and how long exactly did it take you to work it altogether?

SCRAPPY: Thank you Trip! I am honored to be featured! To answer your question, I get the itch to change HallowFreaksabout every 3 or 4 months. I collect Halloween lights and have been browsing Ebay daily since January. Looking at all the vintage holiday items made me remember the holidays of days past and I wanted to somehow capture those feelings. I wanted to try to design a site that was different in feel to all the other versions...... Retroween. The site itself took a total of about 4 days to create (code) because I have been building content since Sept. 2000.

SH: Your Halloween Website, "HallowFreeks", has grown huge over the years, from the beginning on your first drafts on the website have you ever expected it to be so popular today?

SCRAPPY: YES! I do everything with big expectations. I noticed when I developed Halloween Top Sites that there was a huge amount of web surfers searching for Halloween sites. I wanted to provide a way for people to gain access to great spooky sites. That inspired me to create HallowFreaks, which was originally created to be an open Halloween Community. Today, HallowFreaks has over 200 individual members.

SH: How many make overs did your site go through?

SCRAPPY: My Halloween site started as Scrappy's Haunted Halls. Then I had the idea for HallowFreaks Community. I purchased a domain and melded the two sites together. The Halls were revamped 4 times, HallowFreaks a total of 8 since it's creation in Sept 2000.

SH: It's obvious you have major designing skills working with web page building, and creating images, could you share with us some of your designing/web building tips?

SCRAPPY: I am self taught and prided myself on learning the fundamentals of HTML design. I code entirely by hand because I find that many editors (online and off) insert unnecessary code, increasing load time and creating browser difficulty. I'd say that browser compatibility and search engine friendliness are very important fundamentals that everyone should learn. I have shared much of what I have learned on my ScrappyStudios.com web site - look under the HELP section.

SH: What do you find the most difficult task with the over all web building? Working with flash, the coding, the designing, etc.

SCRAPPY: Taking someone's vision and using my design skills to bring that vision to life - deciding exactly what I want to do. Explaining to people why certain things have to be certain ways for better browsing and for search engines. Explaining to people the fundamentals of design/layout is difficult too... most people get it, or they don't.

SH: Okay, for the newbies out there who are starting out with web building, what could you suggest to them as a guideline from your learning experience?

SCRAPPY:

1. Gather all the content, pick a theme and a name for your site.
2. Correspond your domain name with your site name.
3. Draw a picture of what you want your site to look like and pick your colors. Place your links, and allow room in your design to add more. Then figure out the best format to create your site in (ie... HTML, Java, Flash).
4. When designing your site, keep the following in mind; proper coding, page load time, search engines, colors and a theme that properly compliments your content. Tons of animations, large text and loud colors will detract from content.
5. Visit Bravenet.com or Webmonkey.com and get a copy of the accepted color codes. It saves time!
6. Keep your visitors happy with original content. If you cannot create your own graphics, use other's work only with permission, give credit and use other's content sparingly.
7. Copy and Paste is my favorite tool!
8. Lastly, take time to research and learn. Expect frustration and headaches. Promote your site only when finished!

SH: If I asked you to build me a basic fun Halloween website involving 6 topics on Halloween, image graphics, and say a intro flash page, how long would it take you to create it?

SCRAPPY: Well.... if the text content was provided, it would take 1 week or less, providing you like the first design. Coming up with a design that matches your clients personality can be difficult and make the project take longer. I usually have several designs in mind before I begin. If the content needs to be compiled, about 2 weeks total. Simple websites can be created in a day. Revampments to an established site take about the same amount of time.

SH: Now, I'm going to ask you some questions about you. So we could get to know a little about the webmistress behind her work. My first question, describe your true personality?

SCRAPPY: Many people have used different adjectives to describe me ... not all of them nice. I am a true Gemini. I am upfront, with a no bullsh*t attitude. I am opinionated, sacastic, nostalgic and domineering. I am loving and loyal to my friends, but am nasty when crossed. I'm witty with a great sense of humor, although I tend to see the twisted side and get the most kick out of it. There is a darker side to me... The Scrappy County Coroner Department is evident of that.

SH: Why do you love Halloween so much, what makes it so interesting?

SCRAPPY: It invokes a spiritually in me.... it's instinctual. I understand and relate to the principles behind Halloween, unlike Christmas or Easter. Also, the smells, the buzz it generates, the horror flicks on TV, the candy (love candy), the costumes, the laughter... all of it.

SH: What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

SCRAPPY: What's free time when you're on the computer 14+ hours a day? haha When I have the chance and since I live in Orlando, FL, I love to swim and ride Roller Coasters (junkie). I love playing cd-rom games that involve building theme parks. Listening to music daily when I'm online is a must! I watch TV alot too and love movies. I have attached a mirror to my desk so I can watch the TV behind me. Domination is also a lifestyle for me and I dominate submissives when I am feeling inclined.

SH: What are some of your favorites? Such as music, authors, artist, movies, actors, actresses, and etc.

SCRAPPY:

Music - I have an extensive music collection. Love 70s and 80s. Ultimate faves are AC/DC, OZZY, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Oingo Boingo and Johnny Cash.

Books - If you like gore-horror fiction, get a copy of Michael Slade's GHOUL. ***** I collect Halloween movie storyline books too. The original Halloween book is filled with Michael Myers tidbits.

Movies - HALLOWEEN 1 and 4 are my all time faves. Other recommends include; The Excorcist, American Psycho, Live Nude Girls, House Of 1000 Corpses, The Breakfast Club, Weird Science, Muriel's Wedding, Grease, Secretary, Road Trip, Jaws, White Palace, Bridget Jones's Diary, Two Moon Junction, Simon Birch, A Nightmare Before Christmas, The Pillow Book, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show.

TV - Comedy Central, HBO Comedy, E! and CBS are the most watched channels. Fave shows include; CBS afternoon soaps, Sex In The City, Sopranos, E! True Hollywood Story, While You Were Out, Trading Spaces, City Confidential, Cold Case Files, Trama: Life In The ER, SpongeBob Squarepants and most "reality" themed shows. I can't wait for the upcoming "While You Were Drunk" reality program on Comedy Central!.

Actor/Actress: James Spader and Tim Curry. Jamie Presley and Sandra Bullock

Food - Pizza

Drink - Coka Cola soda, Arizona Green Tea, and Tuckers (import beer) with an orange wedge.

Animals - Cats and pigs. I have both!

Collectables - Dolls; Fashion dolls such as Gene and Barbie. Horror dolls and figurines. Movie collectables, particulary Halloween, Rocky Horror or A Nightmare Before Christmas
CD-Rom Games - Roller Coaster Tycoon, Zoo Tycoon, You Don't Know Jack trivia
Games - Boggle!!!!!

Car - Audi

SH: What are some of your dislikes?

SCRAPPY: I dislike stupid people and I can't stand ignorance. I loathe child and animal abusers! I hate onions and bad food service. I don't like coffee or my feet.... the list is infinite.

SH: In your life time what is your most memorable moment?

SCRAPPY: Thankfully I have too many memories to pick just one. Two that stick out; the day I feel in love with my soulmate and the day I lost my first love who drank himself to death.

SH: Have any bad habits?

SCRAPPY: Being bitchy and having a sailor's mouth are the two habits I'd most like to alter. I like the others just fine. =)

SH: If you could pick an age in life that you would like to be, what age would it be and why?

SCRAPPY: Can't go back and my movement forward is limited by the time in a day. I just look towards the future and strive for the best.

SH: Okay, that wraps it up. Do you have any last comments to your visitors and friends?

SCRAPPY: Yes! I really enjoy HallowFreaks and the great community of spooky people that participate. I love to hear from members and am available if people have questions. I invite all to visit and encourage people who have similair interests/sites to join the webring, top site lists, or the message board. Without it's members, HallowFreaks Community isn't a community.

Thank you Trip for honoring me with this interview and being interested enough in the kat behind the claws! *wink*. I hope to continue entertaining people through my websites, as you have. I look forward to visiting The Spiderweb Crypt for a long time to come!

SH: Thank you Scrappy for taking the time to have this interview with us. We look forward on haunting you again sometime very soon.