After tackling the terror that  Designer Gore presented FANGORIA.com over the summer (read about that here), the special effects company that was thrilled to attend the coveted FANGORIA Trinity of Terror’s convention over Halloween weekend 2009, is back once again with a brand new addition to their beloved horror product line.

Fango recently had the chance to sit down with owner Vincent Damyonovich for a short Q&A, giving horror audiences a first-hand look at this innovative company's newest developments. 

FANGO: It’s great to talk to Designer Gore yet once again!  How did your first season do, I know you focused on the Haunt Industry primarily and then decided to move forward with presenting your products to the broader public, did that pay off? 

DG:  Yes, this year was good in terms of gaining the visibility necessary to grow. Once I got an over all feel for how a large portion of the haunt industry liked what I had, I did not want to wait until 2010 to bring it to a wider audience. So between a couple trade shows and then all of the FANGORIA readers that ordered from us, I sold all the stock that was intended for the year and then had to create a little bit extra which I made just for Vegas.     

FANGO:  How did your crew react to the article being presented on FANGORIA.com?  Any fans come forward that you didn’t recently sell to?

DG: They loved it, thought it was a terrific write up. Considering the key few who have known what has gone in to creating all this and the tremendous help each person has been, it was very validating. And yes, quite a few Fangorians placed orders with us and that was pleasing to see.

FANGO:  You just got back from a huge weekend in Vegas!  How was your experience at the Trinity of Terrors event, what was your favorite part?  Any cool things happen for you?

DG:  It was a blast!  I met tons are enthused fans as well as some terrific artists like for instance Geo Brawn of Brawn Graphix, who was located across from our booth. I had a chance to talk with a handful of vendors with unique talents and products which is always insightful. Finally meeting Shannon Lark was great, she was the first person to begin carrying Designer Gore products on her Chainsaw Mafia website and besides being very talented herself, is extremely active in supporting independent film making, which I feel is important. Our death by chainsaw re-enactment was fun and can be seen here.  So YES it was a very full weekend to say the least.  I think when John Waters stopped by our booth and really liked The Heart Stopper that was certainly a highlight!

FANGO:  NICE!!! I know at the Trinity event you gave Fango audiences an exclusive sneak peek look at and the opportunity to pre-order and slay their audiences before anyone, can you tell us more about what you showcased?

DG:  It’s very cool, simply put.  It was a new version of The Heart Stopper chainsaw, which we have talked about before; it’s the first of its kind and packs a punch for what is inside it, with the XL version all that is still there with the advantage of being able to have the sound howl out of external speakers. It comes with a special transmitter pack and receiver able to hook up to two speakers. Now at the push of the red button sound comes blazing out in a much more intense and magnified fashion...because of the added speakers the realism in terms of how loud this thing can go is f****** unbelievable.  Seriously it is EXTREMELY loud as if it were truly the real thing.

FANGO:  With your previous version of the Heart Stopper chainsaw, have you heard any negative comments that you tried to revise with the new updated version?

DG:  A few things that needed revision in the beginning have been taken care of, the first was the sound, and so putting in an amplifier solved that. I tend to be the hardest critic of my work, so I am always looking for ways to improve. The one thing that is new on both Heart Stoppers is a thicker blade, which improves its strength.

FANGO:  Can you give us an inside look at how the XL Chainsaw works?

DG:  The transmitter is enclosed in a black canvas pack that can be attached to the wearer’s belt or hidden in their costume and comes with a separate Li-Ion battery that can be used with the recharger as well; you just have to adjust the setting. You simply plug the stereo jack into the back end of the chainsaw; turn the transmitter on, flip the power switch on the Heart Stopper and it’s that easy. Another cool perk is when you are not using the chainsaw you can actually plug the transmitter to your lap top or stereo and play your favorite music wirelessly to your speakers. 

FANGO:  Any perks for ordering ahead of time or for those that stopped by your table at the convention?

DG:  Absolutely!  Anyone that ordered either Heart Stoppers, be it the XL or original version, got free shipping.   I also have two payment options.  Buyers can either pay in full by check or credit card or you can put a 50% non refundable down payment on the saw and have 90 days to pay off the balance. 

FANGO:  What happens after 90 days...dare I ask???

DG: Well its not like I am going to hunt people down and have a van parked outside their homes waiting to collect, any hardcore horror fan that puts that kind of money down is intent on getting what they want. But after 90 days, the cost of shipping gets added that’s all. 

FANGO: I know a lot of Fango fans appreciated what you brought to the Trinity of Terrors, besides the obvious savings for them be it with free shipping on The Heart Stopper or just getting 10% when they order both of your other two items, how does pre-ordering help you and your company and why is it important?

DG: That’s a really good question.  Well, production will start in January and knowing up front how many of a certain item is needed, allows for not only a more efficient schedule but allows me to buy materials in bulk which is why I am able to offer the prices I am. Be it electronics for the Heart Stopper or the number of Ultimate FX Trays to be vacuum-formed for instance. That is the main thing, the other aspect which helps us is by having the majority of the years business created and shipped early, allows time to not only develop and expand with new FX gear but opens up the time to be able take on custom projects for people and other companies.

FANGO: Speaking of time, how long will it take for the bloody fans to get their mitts on the chainsaw and kits after pre-ordered!?! 

DG:  In November we will still be accepting orders though we will be closed for that month. Everyone can still order our Kits and FX Trays that we have in stock and they will be shipped out as early as December until more need to be made. The Heart Stoppers begin shipping in Early February (keeping in mind they are custom pieces hand casted and painted)

FANGO: Now were these specials  just for Trinity attendees or can any Fango reader get in on this?

DG: At first I was only going to have it be just for everyone at Trinity and certainly all those that went to Trinity got to experience the Heart Stopper up close which startled quite a few, but I also know that there were many who really want to go to this event and for whatever may not be able to get there, so I want them to feel included as well. 

FANGO:  Any thing else you want to add? 

DG:  Just a HUGE thank you to everyone who came out and participated at Trinity. I think Fango's infamous Rebekah McKendry deserves a gold severed arm or something just for over seeing the event and making sure it ran as smoothly as possible. OHHHH and everyone be on the look out, as we may be doing a drawing coming up where you can have a chance to win one of our Heart Stoppers for just 1 buck!! Nothing like getting a bad ass chainsaw for the holidays!!!

So Fango fiends you have heard it here first on some of the exciting insider news from this up and coming creative company.  Giving it to you when you need it and devising plans for expanding forward, Designer Gore is constantly designing the future of horror with their blend of ingenious products and horrific oddities that will surely scare audiences into the next decade!

More on DESIGNER GORE HERE.

Lifestyle - Collecting