
Steve Petalas was born in Crown Point Indiana where he developed a love of art and monsters at a very young age. Believe it or not, Steve was introduced to the horror genre by his grandmother as they watched classics such as Dracula and Frankenstein. Intrigued and amazed by the creatures he watched in these late night films, he decided very early on that he wanted to make monsters for a living. The first real opportunity Steve had to showcase his skills as an artist was when he was invited to help create the Halls of Horror Haunted House in 1996. Steve was a key player in developing this haunt for several years, during which HOH grew to be one of the most popular haunted attractions in Northwest Indiana. Although Steve's artistic talent was natural and inherent, he wanted to obtain some formalized training that would help elevate him in the horror industry. In 1999, Steve graduated from Complections International in Toronto, Canada after completing their Special Make-up Effects Program.
Steve's work at Halls of Horror and the education from Complections opened up additional opportunities in the industry that ultimately led him to Denver, Colorado. In 2001 Steve was contracted by special effects company Lafond FX. Working with Lafond FX Steve was able to gain valuable experience working with industry giants such as Distortions, Alice Cooperstown in Denver and Tom Savini's Terror Mania. During that time Steve also had the opportunity to work on projects for clients such as Busch Gardens, VA, Ripley's Believe it or Not, Wizard Quest, and countless haunted attractions across the United States and internationally.
Steve Petalas is a well-rounded artist that specializes in several fields including but not limited to: sculpting, airbrushing, set design, and special effects. Today, Steve is living and working in Parker, Colorado on individual projects of his choice. These projects allow him to utilize the skills he has developed in mold-making, fabrication, welding, design, set creation, and custom props. Working on these individual projects allows Steve the freedom to create the work that he has been dreaming of since those late nights watching Universal Monster films. Although he has never tired of watching them…