1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM paranormal 2 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: podcast network. Now get ready for us Strange Things with 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:08,720 Speaker 1: Joshua P. Warren. 4 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:17,159 Speaker 2: Welcome to our podcast. Please be aware the thoughts and 5 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:21,200 Speaker 2: opinions expressed by the host are their thoughts and opinions 6 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 2: only and do not reflect those of iHeartMedia, iHeartRadio, Coast 7 00:00:26,440 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 2: to Coast AM, employees of Premiere Networks, or their sponsors 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: and associates. We would like to encourage you to do 9 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:37,680 Speaker 2: your own research and discover the subject matter for yourself. 10 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: Yet ready to be amazed by the wizard of Weird. 11 00:00:59,280 --> 00:01:02,960 Speaker 3: This is Range Warren. 12 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: I am Joshua with Warren, and each week on this show, 13 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: I'll be bringing you brand new mind blowing content, news, exercises, 14 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,039 Speaker 1: and weird experiments you can do at home, and a 15 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:25,119 Speaker 1: lot more. On this edition of the show, I visited 16 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: the Zoltar Factory. Yeah, who out there envies me the 17 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:39,959 Speaker 1: Zoltar Factory. I am one of the world's biggest Zoltar fans, 18 00:01:40,959 --> 00:01:45,959 Speaker 1: and Zoltar fortune telling machines are all over the world, 19 00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:50,200 Speaker 1: and I feel almost certain every single one of you 20 00:01:50,280 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 1: have seen some version of this machine. But there are 21 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: people who listen to this podcast all over the world. 22 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,600 Speaker 1: So just in case you're not sure what I'm talking about, 23 00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: Zoltar is the fortune telling automaton. Basically, it's a wooden 24 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: cabinet with a glass top, and sitting in there is 25 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:22,960 Speaker 1: this automaton, a dummy if you will, but one that 26 00:02:23,000 --> 00:02:29,960 Speaker 1: can move, wearing a gold turban and he has a goatee, 27 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: and he wears usually a gold shirt with a vest. 28 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: And you put some money in this machine and he 29 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,480 Speaker 1: starts moving around and he will talk to you, and 30 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: then in most cases he will spit out a little 31 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:50,839 Speaker 1: yellow ticket that has your fortune as well as some 32 00:02:51,280 --> 00:02:57,240 Speaker 1: lucky numbers. And by the way, in researching this, I 33 00:02:57,280 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: wasn't quite sure there actually is a difference between an 34 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:05,120 Speaker 1: automaton and an animatronic. An automaton is basically programmed, if 35 00:03:05,160 --> 00:03:07,680 Speaker 1: I understand this correctly, just sort of move the same 36 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:12,799 Speaker 1: way every time, whereas an animatronic has more options where 37 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: you can go in and make it, switch it up 38 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: and make it a little more unpredictable. So that's the difference. Also, 39 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 1: I mentioned he has a go tea. Do you know 40 00:03:22,040 --> 00:03:24,239 Speaker 1: that a go tea is be called the go tea? 41 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,959 Speaker 1: Because it looks like you have hair on your chin 42 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: like a goat. So Zoltar machines are you know, there 43 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 1: are thousands of them all over the world. And of 44 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: course I am such a fan of these Zoltar machines 45 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: that I mean, I can't tell you how many Zultar 46 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: products that I have in my house and my studio, 47 00:03:48,240 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 1: in my office. I mean, I have all kinds of 48 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:54,960 Speaker 1: little miniature Zoltar toys. As a matter of fact, earlier 49 00:03:55,040 --> 00:03:57,720 Speaker 1: this year, I did a giveaway where I bought one 50 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:01,680 Speaker 1: of the more advanced Zoltar that works with the tickets. 51 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: I bought one for myself, and then I bought one 52 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:06,760 Speaker 1: and did a giveaway and sent it to one of 53 00:04:06,800 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: my listeners for free. As a prize, I've got, you know, 54 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: a life size cutout of Zoltar. I've got bottles that 55 00:04:16,800 --> 00:04:20,520 Speaker 1: have like soda bottles that have had Zoltar labels. I 56 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:23,799 Speaker 1: can't even remember all the Zoltar merch that I've got. 57 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: And in fact, if you go to the casinos here 58 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: in Vegas, you'll even find Zoltar slot machines. I don't 59 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:33,320 Speaker 1: know if that's just here in Vegas or if it's 60 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:36,040 Speaker 1: in other places. As well. Zoltar is all over the place. 61 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:43,520 Speaker 1: And here here's what really surprised me. Of course, I 62 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: moved here to Las Vegas about seven years ago, and 63 00:04:48,920 --> 00:04:51,320 Speaker 1: it wasn't until after I moved here that I ended 64 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:55,040 Speaker 1: up finally going one day to this quaint little town 65 00:04:55,080 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: about thirty minutes outside of Vegas called Boulder City, Nevada. 66 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:02,640 Speaker 1: Instantly I fell in love with the place. And that's 67 00:05:02,680 --> 00:05:06,320 Speaker 1: because that well, right off the bat, when you start 68 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: sort of pulling into town, there is a place called 69 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: Tom Devlin's Monster Museum. And Tom Devlin is this movie 70 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:19,280 Speaker 1: special effects artist who has created all of these elaborate 71 00:05:19,320 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 1: statues of movie monsters, and you get to walk through 72 00:05:21,920 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: and see all of his artwork and exhibits. And then 73 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,160 Speaker 1: also when I got into the historic downtown area, they 74 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: had a whole shop devoted to nothing but UFOs and 75 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: the whole flying saucer phenomenon. I found out that the 76 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: famous space pins that NASA developed for astronauts to use 77 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: an outer space back in I guess the nineteen sixties, 78 00:05:48,240 --> 00:05:51,119 Speaker 1: the Fisher space pins, they are made in this little 79 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: town a Boulder City. I actually went to very factory 80 00:05:54,960 --> 00:05:57,479 Speaker 1: one time, and I was able to buy one of 81 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 1: their latest space pins. What blew my mind most of 82 00:06:01,400 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: all about going to little old Boulder City was that 83 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:12,320 Speaker 1: there is a workshop there called Characters Unlimited, and that 84 00:06:12,760 --> 00:06:18,599 Speaker 1: is where every single Zoltar machine and similar machines, every 85 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:22,599 Speaker 1: single Zoltar machine in the world is made right there 86 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:27,080 Speaker 1: in that shop by hand. It's basically a family owned business. 87 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:31,680 Speaker 1: And I was like, what, couldn't believe it? And I 88 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:33,839 Speaker 1: thought I'd give anything to go in there and have 89 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: a look around. Well, of course, eventually I created a 90 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,120 Speaker 1: walking tour in Boulder City called the Haunted Boulder City 91 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 1: Ghost and UFO Tour. Everybody loves it. We have rave reviews. 92 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:48,440 Speaker 1: If you're ever in the Vegas area, you have to 93 00:06:48,440 --> 00:06:51,279 Speaker 1: go to Boulder City. Go to a Haunted Bouldercity dot 94 00:06:51,279 --> 00:06:53,839 Speaker 1: com and take the tour. Well, one of my tour 95 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:59,000 Speaker 1: guides is a beloved man in town named Alan Goya. 96 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: Alan knows everybody. He's lived in Boulder City for decades, 97 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 1: and at one point Alan decided to spice up his 98 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: presentation sometimes when he was guiding a tour, so he 99 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: went over to the Zoltar factory Characters Unlimited, and he 100 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:21,840 Speaker 1: talked to the owner there. The owner is a man 101 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 1: named Oloff Stanton, and Oloff gave Alan permission to dress 102 00:07:29,640 --> 00:07:33,000 Speaker 1: up as Zoltar when Alan was hosting the tour and 103 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: kind of, you know, play up the whole Zoltar motif. 104 00:07:36,360 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 1: What a really nice, cool thing for him to do. 105 00:07:39,760 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: So basically, Alan, you know, I don't know if he 106 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: how long he's been friends with Oloff, the president and 107 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:50,360 Speaker 1: founder of Characters Unlimited, but I kept telling Alan, you 108 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: got to introduce me to this guy. You know, one 109 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 1: day I got to go over there. And you know 110 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: how it is, I just kept getting behind on projects 111 00:07:58,120 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: and I never was able to do it. And finally 112 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,960 Speaker 1: the other day I needed to go to Boulder City 113 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: to get some work done, and I said, you know what, 114 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: here it is it's Christmas time. What a fun like 115 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 1: idea to go to some kind of a workshop. And 116 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:18,560 Speaker 1: so I contacted Alan, and Alan blessed to be you. 117 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: Alan Allen arranged for me and Lauren to go over 118 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: and meet Alla Oloff and take a tour of the 119 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:32,760 Speaker 1: Character's Unlimited workshop where they produce again not just Zoltar, 120 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 1: but similar things like you may have seen. There is 121 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:43,680 Speaker 1: the Old Pappy. Pappy, the old hillbilly. In some places, 122 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,640 Speaker 1: there's also a man in an outhouse, farmer, and a chicken. 123 00:08:48,040 --> 00:08:50,720 Speaker 1: They also have things that don't even have the automaton. 124 00:08:50,920 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: They're like the love tester. They've just knocked this out 125 00:08:55,480 --> 00:08:58,680 Speaker 1: of the ballpark. And one of the things that I 126 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: learned early on was that, Okay, a lot of people 127 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:08,080 Speaker 1: first heard of Zoltar by watching the nineteen eighty eight 128 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 1: movie called Big starring Tom Hanks. And in that movie, 129 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,480 Speaker 1: the main character, who is a little boy at that 130 00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:24,640 Speaker 1: time named Josh, he wants to be big. He doesn't 131 00:09:24,720 --> 00:09:26,240 Speaker 1: like being a kid, and so he ends up going 132 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: to some kind of affair or carnival, and at one 133 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:30,880 Speaker 1: point he looks off to the side and he sees 134 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:35,079 Speaker 1: one of these mysterious fortune tellers there, and he walks 135 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: up to it and it says Zoltar speaks, and it 136 00:09:40,080 --> 00:09:44,680 Speaker 1: looks very similar to the Zoltar that you've seen, not 137 00:09:44,760 --> 00:09:47,760 Speaker 1: quite exactly the same, but anyway, he puts he drops 138 00:09:47,760 --> 00:09:50,800 Speaker 1: a quarter in the machine, and then the machine says, 139 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:52,680 Speaker 1: you know, what is your wish and he says, I 140 00:09:52,760 --> 00:09:55,920 Speaker 1: want to be I wish I were big, And then 141 00:09:55,960 --> 00:09:58,520 Speaker 1: a card comes out that says your wish is granted, 142 00:09:58,679 --> 00:10:01,400 Speaker 1: and then after that the kid the machine wasn't even 143 00:10:01,400 --> 00:10:04,360 Speaker 1: plugged in, and then the movie kicks off when he 144 00:10:04,400 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: wakes up the next morning and now this kid overnight 145 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:10,600 Speaker 1: has transformed into a grown man played by Tom Hanks. 146 00:10:10,840 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: And so I always kind of figured that there was 147 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: a company out there that made that made Zoltar machines, 148 00:10:18,760 --> 00:10:24,080 Speaker 1: and that when the when the movie Big came out, 149 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:27,800 Speaker 1: they had provided a machine and this is like the 150 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 1: best publicity in the world, and it must have been 151 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: like a huge boon for their business. And then Zoltar 152 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:34,920 Speaker 1: took off. It didn't happen that way. Turns out there 153 00:10:34,920 --> 00:10:40,120 Speaker 1: have been similar kind of fortune telling machines and automatons 154 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:42,400 Speaker 1: kind of like this, going all the way back to 155 00:10:42,440 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: at least the early nineteen hundreds, different kinds of characters. 156 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,560 Speaker 1: There was one, I think maybe the nineteen sixties called Zoltan, 157 00:10:51,960 --> 00:10:54,760 Speaker 1: And what happened was when they decided to make the 158 00:10:54,760 --> 00:11:00,360 Speaker 1: movie Big, that machine was just a unique one off 159 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: prop made for that movie. And I'm assuming that they 160 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:07,240 Speaker 1: came up with the name Zoltar because they were basing 161 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:09,880 Speaker 1: it off of the word zol ten. As a matter 162 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,319 Speaker 1: of fact, in a minute You're gonna hear me interview 163 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: Oloff as I walk around the workshop, and I think 164 00:11:14,679 --> 00:11:17,400 Speaker 1: he will clarify that. So some of the stuff that 165 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: I'm telling you may be a little bit redundant. But basically, 166 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:22,840 Speaker 1: the movie Big had been around for quite a while, 167 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: and Characters Unlimited had been making these types of attractions 168 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: since nineteen eighty seven, and they got gradually more and 169 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: more into these automaton type figures, and then they finally 170 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,920 Speaker 1: got the rights to Zoltar in two thousand and six 171 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,319 Speaker 1: and they started making them. And that is where the 172 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: Zoltar you know and love comes from. Today, when we 173 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:52,480 Speaker 1: come back, I'll tell you a little bit more about 174 00:11:52,480 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: the history of this. And then I actually brought a 175 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,720 Speaker 1: recorder with me. You're going to hear me excited as 176 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: a kid on Christmas morning walking through the Zoltar factory 177 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: and given a personal VIP tour by the owner. Huh, 178 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:12,560 Speaker 1: what a day. 179 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 4: You know what. 180 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,760 Speaker 1: I love small workshops and things that are family owned businesses. 181 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 1: I have my own workshop where I make some of 182 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: my own unique goodies from time to time, and if 183 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:27,040 Speaker 1: you want to know when they're available, go to Joshua P. 184 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:28,679 Speaker 4: Warren dot com. 185 00:12:28,720 --> 00:12:31,200 Speaker 1: You'll find some of them right now in the Curiosity Shop, 186 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: but also be sure to sign up for my free 187 00:12:33,480 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: and spam free e newsletter right there on the homepage. 188 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: Put your email address in there. Hit subnip. Takes you 189 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: two seconds. Trust me, you'll be glad that you did. 190 00:12:42,840 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 1: I am Joshua pe Warren, and you are listening to 191 00:12:45,559 --> 00:12:49,640 Speaker 1: Strange Things on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM 192 00:12:49,800 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: Paranormal Podcast Network. And I will be right back. Welcome 193 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:34,920 Speaker 1: back to Strange Things on the iHeartRadio and Coast to 194 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:38,800 Speaker 1: Coast a M Paranormal Podcast Network. I am your host, 195 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: the Wizard of Weird, Joshua P. Warren, beaming into your 196 00:13:42,600 --> 00:13:47,520 Speaker 1: worm whole brain from my studio in Sin City, Las Vegas, Nevada, 197 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,640 Speaker 1: where every day is golden and every night is silver. 198 00:13:51,640 --> 00:13:57,200 Speaker 1: Giatato zoom mate. And if you go to their website, 199 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:02,840 Speaker 1: Characters Unlimited dot com, it says, since nineteen eighty seven, 200 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 1: Characters Unlimited, Incorporated has specialized in making your place and 201 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:13,839 Speaker 1: attraction by designing and building affordable, life sized, mechanically animated 202 00:14:13,880 --> 00:14:18,040 Speaker 1: and talking characters. We have hundreds of characters available for 203 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: you to choose from, including animatronic people, birds, animals, dinosaurs, 204 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,560 Speaker 1: fortune telling machines, sign waivers, and much more. We own 205 00:14:26,640 --> 00:14:30,960 Speaker 1: the trademark for Zoltar Speaks and are the only manufacturer 206 00:14:30,960 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: of the fortune teller Zoltar Speaks since two thousand and six. 207 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 1: Our story says Oloff Stanton, the president and founder of 208 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 1: Characters Unlimited, Incorporated, grew up and worked during his adolescent 209 00:14:44,360 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: life in the booming tourist town of Wisconsin Dell's, Wisconsin. 210 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: He learned how to build non animated dummies or characters 211 00:14:52,040 --> 00:14:55,520 Speaker 1: from his stepfather back in the nineteen seventies. Surrounded by 212 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: entrepreneurs his entire life, Oloff knew that he wanted to 213 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: start a venture of his own, so after graduating college, 214 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,040 Speaker 1: he packed up and headed west to a small town 215 00:15:04,080 --> 00:15:07,360 Speaker 1: outside of Las Vegas called Boulder City, Nevada, where he 216 00:15:07,440 --> 00:15:12,880 Speaker 1: founded Characters Unlimited, Incorporated. And like I was saying, this 217 00:15:13,000 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: is basically like a you know, family business now and everything. 218 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:18,880 Speaker 1: I mean, they mold all their parts right there and 219 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,200 Speaker 1: paint them. There's a guy at the town right down 220 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,960 Speaker 1: the road, Henderson, who builds the wooden cabinets. I mean, 221 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:28,480 Speaker 1: it's not like they're sitting around waiting for some factory 222 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,200 Speaker 1: and China to build this and ship it to them. 223 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 1: I mean they're making it right there, homegrown. I love that, 224 00:15:34,840 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: and I mean talk about quality. You can get one 225 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: of these Zultars starting at seven three hundred dollars, and 226 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: then from there they can go up in complexity, going 227 00:15:45,360 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: up to you know, ten to twelve, depending on various 228 00:15:48,320 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: things you want. Even Zach Began zach Began's at his 229 00:15:52,720 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: haunted mansion here in Vegas commissioned the custom version of 230 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: zach Began Zoltar. So if you go into his Haunted mansion, 231 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: one of the first things you'll see is a Zoltar 232 00:16:07,640 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: type machine with Zach Began's inside wearing a top hat. Yes, 233 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:15,680 Speaker 1: also looking over some of their literature, just to clarify 234 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: it says our characters are electro mechanically animated and have 235 00:16:20,280 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 1: a plug and play design. No pricey air compressors or 236 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 1: computers needed. By the way, that prop that was used 237 00:16:33,280 --> 00:16:40,640 Speaker 1: for the movie Big that inspired Oloff to start making 238 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:45,560 Speaker 1: these has well, it seemed to sort of vanish for 239 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:48,400 Speaker 1: a while and nobody was sure where it was. And 240 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,240 Speaker 1: I started looking into it, and I'm not one hundred 241 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: percent sure, but here's what I think. The movie Big 242 00:16:57,720 --> 00:17:06,600 Speaker 1: was directed by Penny Marshall and her Let's see, I 243 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 1: guess I think Gary Marshall was her sibling. And there 244 00:17:15,119 --> 00:17:20,399 Speaker 1: is a theater in Burbank, California called the Gary Marshall Theater, 245 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:25,120 Speaker 1: and the last I heard that original prop was on 246 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: display in the Gary Marshall Theater in Burbank. I have 247 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,119 Speaker 1: not been able to confirm that. I tried getting in 248 00:17:32,200 --> 00:17:34,680 Speaker 1: touch with him and have her back, but that's where 249 00:17:35,040 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 1: that prop might be. How cool would it be to 250 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:40,280 Speaker 1: get a hold of that and put it somewhere in 251 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:44,040 Speaker 1: the Zoltar factory in Boulder City. One last thing I 252 00:17:44,040 --> 00:17:45,880 Speaker 1: want to tell you before I start playing this audio 253 00:17:46,520 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: is interestingly, right before we were going to go visit 254 00:17:52,040 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 1: the workshop, I found out that there had recently been 255 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:01,879 Speaker 1: a fire in the workshop, and I believe it was 256 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:04,919 Speaker 1: an electrical fire that started. And so because of that, 257 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:10,880 Speaker 1: they are temporarily working out of a different building that's 258 00:18:10,960 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 1: down the street. So and that will come into play 259 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: also a little bit later in the podcast, I'll explain. 260 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:23,000 Speaker 1: So I wasn't actually able to go into the main 261 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 1: workshop where they usually work, but I was able to 262 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:29,840 Speaker 1: go to their temporary workshop and they should be back 263 00:18:29,880 --> 00:18:32,320 Speaker 1: into the main one maybe in a little over a 264 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:36,360 Speaker 1: month or so. But anyway, having said that, here we go. 265 00:18:37,240 --> 00:18:40,760 Speaker 1: This is me walking through and talking with ole off 266 00:18:40,800 --> 00:18:45,800 Speaker 1: Stanton as he's showing me all of these just fascinating 267 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: and wondrous things that characters unlimited. 268 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:52,000 Speaker 3: And then the fortunate towers. I mean, I started in 269 00:18:52,040 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 3: nineteen eighty six where we drove around in a van 270 00:18:54,680 --> 00:18:57,080 Speaker 3: selling still figures out of the van. Well, my wife 271 00:18:57,080 --> 00:19:00,479 Speaker 3: and I we'd make them in the backyard the garage. 272 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,080 Speaker 3: We'd get a load of twenty static figures together, and 273 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:04,960 Speaker 3: we hit we hit the road with a Dodge MAXI 274 00:19:05,040 --> 00:19:07,159 Speaker 3: van and be gone for two weeks. Meet me and 275 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:10,600 Speaker 3: her two cats and twenty two dummies, you know, And 276 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,080 Speaker 3: we didn't come back until we sold them. 277 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,080 Speaker 1: So now I read that your your father was a 278 00:19:15,119 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 1: sculptor of some kind, right, and you learned from him. 279 00:19:18,000 --> 00:19:21,280 Speaker 3: My stepfather was a was an artist and okay and 280 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:25,040 Speaker 3: uh in the and so he dabbled in Indian jewelry 281 00:19:25,320 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 3: and Indian artifacts and things like that, and he would 282 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:32,240 Speaker 3: make replica tomahawks and spears, and and he developed this 283 00:19:32,240 --> 00:19:36,120 Speaker 3: this a sitting Indian character that people like to put 284 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 3: out front of their trading posts and antique shops and 285 00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 3: gift shops, and and they got two of them sitting 286 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 3: in front of the Western and Western Mexican Center here 287 00:19:43,680 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 3: at Boulder City. Those are the original static Indians characters 288 00:19:47,000 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 3: that we used to sell. And then I got into 289 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:52,119 Speaker 3: making you know, cowboys and sea captains and pirates and 290 00:19:52,160 --> 00:19:54,680 Speaker 3: things like that. And my mom married my stepfather when 291 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:57,640 Speaker 3: I was fifteen years old, and I started helping him 292 00:19:57,680 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 3: make make these, and through school and a little bit 293 00:20:01,560 --> 00:20:04,480 Speaker 3: in college and then college I started making some characters 294 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,119 Speaker 3: and selling them for extra money. And I would do 295 00:20:06,160 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 3: trade and stuff like that, and then get finished in 296 00:20:09,040 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 3: college in nineteen eighty six, the business and marketing degree. 297 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 3: I could have took a job like everybody else was doing, 298 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 3: but I wanted to try something on my own, and 299 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:20,160 Speaker 3: so we uh, I came out here. My brother happened 300 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:22,240 Speaker 3: to be out here at the time. He had learned 301 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 3: to do this as well, and we started the business together, 302 00:20:26,720 --> 00:20:28,679 Speaker 3: and we were in business for ten years, and I 303 00:20:28,680 --> 00:20:31,000 Speaker 3: bought him out, and then we started getting in tomorrow 304 00:20:31,040 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 3: of the animated talking and moving and then putting him 305 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 3: in a box and charging money to hear him talk 306 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,840 Speaker 3: and and then eventually we were making cowboys and pirates 307 00:20:40,880 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 3: and sea captains and old miners, and then we developed 308 00:20:45,080 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 3: what called Artiswami, and I didn't want to call him 309 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 3: Ultar because Zultar was in the movie and I didn't 310 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:52,080 Speaker 3: want to get in trouble. Well, anyway, in two thousand 311 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,000 Speaker 3: and six, I finally looked into the trademark status of 312 00:20:54,119 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 3: Altar and we'll behold, nobody ever Trademark'sultar. So we so 313 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 3: we got the trademark for Zultar too thousand and six, gosh. 314 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,000 Speaker 3: And then then we started developing our own version of Zultar, 315 00:21:04,080 --> 00:21:06,480 Speaker 3: which she most people are familiar with today. You know, 316 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 3: this is one to say. 317 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 4: So with the Zultar in the movie then was just 318 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 4: a one off prop for that movie, isn't it right? 319 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 3: Does anybody to know what happened to that? That was 320 00:21:15,480 --> 00:21:17,879 Speaker 3: the movie? Big? Yeah, It was a prop that was 321 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:20,680 Speaker 3: in the movie, and it was really not designed to 322 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,120 Speaker 3: be an arcade game. You remember, he fed the quarter. 323 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:26,960 Speaker 3: He was like cranking feed the quarter into the mouth 324 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 3: and the mouth had to open at the right time 325 00:21:28,520 --> 00:21:30,800 Speaker 3: to drop in right and then and then he simply 326 00:21:31,560 --> 00:21:35,800 Speaker 3: he had a breathing sound, and his chest went up 327 00:21:35,840 --> 00:21:38,840 Speaker 3: and down, and he his eyes lit up and gave 328 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 3: the car. Well, that wasn't it wasn't talking the movie 329 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 3: like cars. He he didn't even have arms in the movie, 330 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 3: you know. So we made a move his arm, move 331 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,760 Speaker 3: his head, move his eyes and talk and and give 332 00:21:49,840 --> 00:21:52,879 Speaker 3: him a voice, you know, his ultar wish we have today. 333 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:55,440 Speaker 3: I wonder who came up with the names Altar any 334 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 3: idea there Ultar was a cartoon back in the forties, 335 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 3: and before it was a fortune power. And then there 336 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 3: was a Zoltan machine. There was on a pedestal and 337 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 3: the head was on a pedestal and you put it 338 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 3: in a quarter and you held the telephone receiver to 339 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,119 Speaker 3: your ear and you could hear your fortune by by 340 00:22:16,200 --> 00:22:18,359 Speaker 3: way of this talking head. And I don't think they 341 00:22:18,400 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 3: had to actually talk, but that that was called zold Tan. 342 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:23,560 Speaker 3: And then this movie came out, and I don't know 343 00:22:23,560 --> 00:22:26,879 Speaker 3: if they changed it from Zoltan to Zultar because they 344 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,640 Speaker 3: didn't want to the old people who made the game. 345 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:32,719 Speaker 3: I'm not sure what they call it the old Tar, 346 00:22:32,960 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 3: but uh, yeah, it does have the name does have roots, 347 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 3: and I think uh Greek origin. 348 00:22:44,560 --> 00:22:47,760 Speaker 4: So did you have to learn robotics yourself to start 349 00:22:47,840 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 4: making these or did that? 350 00:22:48,880 --> 00:22:51,760 Speaker 3: Well, we just we started dabbling in and when people 351 00:22:51,800 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 3: would buy a character that from me, you would have 352 00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:58,640 Speaker 3: plaster had plaster hands, ploppy jointed arms and legs which 353 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 3: can sit up straight and beat this is in the 354 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:02,639 Speaker 3: front of the store. And they would say, well, it 355 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 3: would be really cool if that could move its arm, 356 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:07,720 Speaker 3: or it could move its head, have some movement. So 357 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:14,680 Speaker 3: we started dabbling with made a torsol that would accommodate movements, 358 00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 3: and I found local guys that were that were handy 359 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 3: with uh welding and stuff and motors, and they developed 360 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 3: a mechanism that would turn the hat or make the 361 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 3: arm move. So we started making the move for us 362 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 3: while and then and then we were Then somebody saw 363 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:33,159 Speaker 3: me at one of the gift shows that we were 364 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 3: doing and said, hey, I can make this same move 365 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 3: as mouth. And I said, well that that that'd be cool. 366 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 3: You know, you make me a head that's hollow and 367 00:23:40,840 --> 00:23:43,239 Speaker 3: I could take it with it out I can make. 368 00:23:43,359 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 3: I show you what I can do. And and he 369 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:48,400 Speaker 3: came back with this I had had and he put 370 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:51,240 Speaker 3: a draw back in it and every time a sound 371 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:52,960 Speaker 3: came out, you have the jaw move. And it was 372 00:23:53,000 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 3: basically what's called the colored organ circuit and the disco days, 373 00:23:56,880 --> 00:23:59,679 Speaker 3: you'd have a sound and then the sound would make 374 00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:01,879 Speaker 3: the light go on. Well instead of the lights go on, 375 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 3: the sound. Every time he had a sound, it would 376 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:06,920 Speaker 3: make the jaw pop open, right and uh so that 377 00:24:07,000 --> 00:24:09,120 Speaker 3: the time we got the sound actively had a job. 378 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 3: So once we have that, we could make it, make it, uh, 379 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:14,840 Speaker 3: make it talk with a microphone or any any recording. 380 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 3: Back then we were using endless loop cassette tapes and 381 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 3: then we started, you know using uh uh you could 382 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:23,920 Speaker 3: use any any audio for us. Then we started with 383 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:25,440 Speaker 3: flash cards and stuff like that. 384 00:24:25,600 --> 00:24:28,960 Speaker 1: You know, all right, time for a break. And of 385 00:24:29,080 --> 00:24:34,880 Speaker 1: course you can hear his workers in the background working away, 386 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,600 Speaker 1: just like busy little lelves and Sands's workshop making those 387 00:24:41,000 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: zultars and similar figures. And of course you're listening to 388 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:52,359 Speaker 1: me and my wife Lauren and my buddy Alan Goya. 389 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 1: Maybe we should call him Alan Zoltar Goya. Getting a 390 00:24:58,000 --> 00:25:02,720 Speaker 1: personal tour from ohl Off, the owner, founder and owner 391 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:10,760 Speaker 1: of the Zoltar Factory. Characters unlimited, More to come. I'm 392 00:25:10,840 --> 00:25:14,159 Speaker 1: Joshua pe Warren. You're listening to Strange Things on the 393 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:19,080 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network, and 394 00:25:19,400 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 1: I'll be back after these important messages. Welcome back to 395 00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: Strange Things on the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM 396 00:26:03,560 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 1: Paranormal Podcast Network. I'm your host, Joshua Pee Warren, and 397 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 1: this is the show where the unusual becomes usual. Now 398 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: back to the audio from my personal tour with Oloff 399 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:28,040 Speaker 1: of the Siltar Factory in Boulder City, Nevada. Character is 400 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:31,520 Speaker 1: unlimited me you handmaking each. 401 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:32,639 Speaker 4: One of these here in your factory. 402 00:26:32,800 --> 00:26:35,920 Speaker 3: Well, we have our cabinet makers in Henderson and Okay. 403 00:26:36,000 --> 00:26:37,919 Speaker 3: He works out of his two carbohage and that's all 404 00:26:37,960 --> 00:26:40,879 Speaker 3: he does is pop up portugalo machine spars. Why did 405 00:26:40,920 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 3: you choose Boulder City When I graduated from college, I 406 00:26:46,320 --> 00:26:49,399 Speaker 3: came from what little town in Wisconsin called Wisconsin Dell's. 407 00:26:49,400 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 3: It's a world tourist town and had boat rides and 408 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,800 Speaker 3: water parks and tractions like that, and and my family 409 00:26:55,880 --> 00:27:01,880 Speaker 3: was involved in the business and it was a seasonal, 410 00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:05,200 Speaker 3: seasonal deal. I was making good money with my summer job. 411 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 3: And then when I graduated, I had to go somewhere. 412 00:27:08,119 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 3: But the people that worked in Wisconsin Dell's that drove 413 00:27:13,080 --> 00:27:16,040 Speaker 3: the boat, they had to have coastcard licenses to do it. Well. 414 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,720 Speaker 3: Some of the guys that we knew from Wisconsin Dell's 415 00:27:19,720 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 3: heard that they needed boat drivers on Lake Meat and 416 00:27:22,240 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 3: to buy drive a boat on Lake Meat for the 417 00:27:23,960 --> 00:27:26,440 Speaker 3: tours down that you needed a coastcard license. So after 418 00:27:26,560 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 3: labor Day they would come out here and drive boat 419 00:27:29,240 --> 00:27:31,159 Speaker 3: to Lake be So they happened to be out here. 420 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 3: And my brother was just traveling around selling characters, and 421 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,200 Speaker 3: he stopped and stayed with his buddies for a whole 422 00:27:36,240 --> 00:27:39,160 Speaker 3: and me and he just was here for a couple 423 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 3: of years. When I got here, he had never left. Meanwhile, 424 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 3: they were leaving and he stayed. And when I graduated college, 425 00:27:44,920 --> 00:27:46,879 Speaker 3: he happened to be here. So I came out with 426 00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 3: the car and trailer and whatever I had to add 427 00:27:49,840 --> 00:27:51,840 Speaker 3: to the business, and we started it together. And my 428 00:27:51,880 --> 00:27:55,200 Speaker 3: wife at the time, Kanta say at the time, came 429 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,040 Speaker 3: out after she graduated semester later. And honestly, we don't 430 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 3: know how we stayed. We didn't have nothing for working 431 00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 3: out of the backyard. We used to We used to 432 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:06,600 Speaker 3: pad the bodies with Bible class instillation. We're back there 433 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 3: one hundred and twenty degrees in the dirt, in the 434 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 3: garage with no air condition or anything, spray and lacquers 435 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:15,400 Speaker 3: all over the place, you know, and neighbors were really tolerant. 436 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:17,320 Speaker 3: And he'd sort of tried to get together a load 437 00:28:17,359 --> 00:28:19,760 Speaker 3: of characters to hit through over to make, you know, 438 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 3: seventy eight thousand bucks and then come back and do 439 00:28:21,760 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 3: it again. 440 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:22,280 Speaker 4: You know. 441 00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,960 Speaker 3: But and we first came out being from Wisconsin, what 442 00:28:27,040 --> 00:28:28,600 Speaker 3: do we we aren't staying in this desert. We're not 443 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:31,439 Speaker 3: staying in the desert. Sucks. It's hot, it's there, no trees, 444 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 3: you know, it's terrible here. Well, after a few years 445 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,159 Speaker 3: it ended up being a great location to be to 446 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 3: go to the ocean and go to the mountains, go 447 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 3: go any anywhere you want, and a major tourist start 448 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 3: and sell our stuff. And then we started doing convention 449 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:48,560 Speaker 3: as well. Any kind of convention you'd want to try 450 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:50,200 Speaker 3: would be in Vegas, so it's right over the hill. 451 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:55,120 Speaker 3: And traveling in Boulder City was away from the rat race. 452 00:28:55,200 --> 00:28:57,120 Speaker 3: And when we start having kids, it was a nice 453 00:28:57,120 --> 00:28:59,400 Speaker 3: place to raise kids. So we stayed and I told myself, 454 00:28:59,440 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 3: I can make an money to get out of there 455 00:29:00,920 --> 00:29:01,719 Speaker 3: when I want to, I can. 456 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,040 Speaker 4: So I guess you just hired a voice after at 457 00:29:04,080 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 4: some point to do the voice of sults are. 458 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:10,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, the guys said, we do our voices. A lot 459 00:29:10,160 --> 00:29:14,720 Speaker 3: of them. Started off. We got an order for ten 460 00:29:14,840 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 3: different nautical themed characters for a boat sales place in Michigan, 461 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:22,960 Speaker 3: big indoor boat sales place. And this guy had an idea, 462 00:29:23,000 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 3: I'm going to put a different character on the back 463 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,600 Speaker 3: of each boat in my showroom and be a pirate 464 00:29:28,680 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 3: and a sea captain, an oldssault and the fresh washer 465 00:29:31,280 --> 00:29:34,360 Speaker 3: water fishermen, and I want these guys talking to people 466 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 3: as they're walking through the show room talking about the boats. Well, 467 00:29:37,320 --> 00:29:40,360 Speaker 3: he was using this voice talent company out of Tennessee 468 00:29:40,560 --> 00:29:44,040 Speaker 3: called Premiere Companies, and he had them do the voices 469 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:45,800 Speaker 3: for the characters. But prior to that, we would just 470 00:29:45,880 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 3: kind of do the best we could. Well, they're a 471 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,880 Speaker 3: professional voice talent and they were an answering machine on 472 00:29:51,040 --> 00:29:54,040 Speaker 3: whole message on machine company. So he hired him to 473 00:29:54,080 --> 00:29:56,560 Speaker 3: do voices for the characters. We heard the voices like, well, 474 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:58,960 Speaker 3: this is great, you know coming to get our numbers, 475 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 3: so we started using them and we have one guy 476 00:30:02,120 --> 00:30:05,360 Speaker 3: in his company named Josh Harrison. He's the one who 477 00:30:05,360 --> 00:30:08,320 Speaker 3: did the first Soultar voice and we've stuck with him 478 00:30:08,680 --> 00:30:11,360 Speaker 3: two since two thousand and six. Whenever somebody wants to 479 00:30:11,440 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 3: do a Zoltar voice like the slot machine. Every gaming 480 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:17,280 Speaker 3: in Vegas has seven hundred and fifty slot machines around 481 00:30:17,320 --> 00:30:19,360 Speaker 3: the coffee right now, and whenever they need to do 482 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,800 Speaker 3: new audio, we insist that they use his voice. 483 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:25,720 Speaker 4: Becaus think that he goes to the bar and says, 484 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 4: guess who I am. I'm those voice of Zoltar, and 485 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:30,800 Speaker 4: everybody's like, yeah, have another. 486 00:30:30,640 --> 00:30:35,280 Speaker 3: Shots behind the scenes, Yeah, is this one ready to go? Here? 487 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:37,200 Speaker 4: Yeah, let me turn the volume up. 488 00:30:39,080 --> 00:30:44,560 Speaker 3: That's true. Before I tell you it is true. The 489 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 3: smallest good deed is better than the grandest intention. Take 490 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 3: it from me, the great Zultar. Intending shall get you nowhere, 491 00:30:54,080 --> 00:30:57,800 Speaker 3: but doing yes that will bring you much much reward. 492 00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:02,120 Speaker 3: Provide Zultar as your and I will provide you with 493 00:31:02,240 --> 00:31:07,840 Speaker 3: the depth of wisdom. Your fortune is mind for the 494 00:31:07,960 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 3: tally and yours for the healing. So that was the 495 00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 3: attract message that went off. This is a motion sensor 496 00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:17,880 Speaker 3: down here and that goes off like every three minutes, 497 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 3: and then we put your money and that drops out and. 498 00:31:20,120 --> 00:31:22,720 Speaker 1: I know what I'm going at the roulette wheel today, Yeah, 499 00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: roulette or lottery. 500 00:31:24,560 --> 00:31:27,120 Speaker 3: The different we saw. We watched them videos with the 501 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:28,040 Speaker 3: guy who said. 502 00:31:27,800 --> 00:31:29,520 Speaker 4: That you set number. 503 00:31:29,760 --> 00:31:33,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, we put yeah, we put on Donald Kingman 504 00:31:33,400 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 3: and on the way to cam In in the in 505 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:37,000 Speaker 3: the in the place we sell, we put get your 506 00:31:37,080 --> 00:31:39,600 Speaker 3: lucky numbers from Zoltar. Yeah, and we have stories with 507 00:31:39,640 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 3: people that have won tens of thousands of dollars. If 508 00:31:42,000 --> 00:31:43,760 Speaker 3: you go to wikiup on the way ninety three on 509 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:47,120 Speaker 3: the way to Phoenix, yeah, if you if you put 510 00:31:47,160 --> 00:31:50,440 Speaker 3: the thing that's the main form of entertainment, that truck, 511 00:31:50,520 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 3: that restaurant over there, because when people play those, I 512 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:56,920 Speaker 3: played the Zoltar over there. Like the kitchen staff came 513 00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:58,720 Speaker 3: out to look at what Zoltar had to say. 514 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 5: It's like this kind of board, a couple of molds 515 00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,200 Speaker 5: that we just got done running today that these are 516 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,920 Speaker 5: these are plaster plaster pairis two part moles and those 517 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:09,760 Speaker 5: are filled up with this. 518 00:32:10,560 --> 00:32:13,320 Speaker 3: This stuff called liquid latex and that that's filled solid 519 00:32:13,360 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 3: with that it sits there for two hours, and the 520 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:17,800 Speaker 3: log you keep it in, the more thickness it builds up. 521 00:32:18,000 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 3: So and then when it's done, when it's finally the 522 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:23,600 Speaker 3: next day, it's fry enough to take. 523 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:28,880 Speaker 4: And so who sculpts the face? 524 00:32:29,880 --> 00:32:32,160 Speaker 3: I've used many different artists. 525 00:32:33,120 --> 00:32:34,560 Speaker 4: Yeah, cool. 526 00:32:34,840 --> 00:32:37,720 Speaker 3: Now what do you do if, like say, one of 527 00:32:37,800 --> 00:32:41,440 Speaker 3: your machines in Michigan malfunctions or something that needs work? 528 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,720 Speaker 3: You have people get on the phone and and then 529 00:32:44,800 --> 00:32:46,200 Speaker 3: we figured it out the phone. 530 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:49,640 Speaker 4: They need to us directly, I mean, do you travel 531 00:32:49,680 --> 00:32:50,320 Speaker 4: there in service? 532 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 3: No, it's not necessary. It's not necessary. I mean if 533 00:32:53,000 --> 00:32:56,120 Speaker 3: they want to pay for us to fly in and usually, 534 00:32:56,240 --> 00:32:59,280 Speaker 3: just like Dispenser, we would glad to do that, but 535 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:04,680 Speaker 3: it's not. Everything can be serviced over the phone by 536 00:33:04,720 --> 00:33:08,840 Speaker 3: somebody who's basibly mechanically inclined, and we could fastime them. 537 00:33:10,280 --> 00:33:11,480 Speaker 3: You'll give up till we fix. 538 00:33:12,320 --> 00:33:16,280 Speaker 4: Them, you know. And so where do the tickets come from? 539 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:18,000 Speaker 4: Who writes those? And how are those produced? 540 00:33:18,840 --> 00:33:21,120 Speaker 3: A lot of them we've collected over the years from 541 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 3: various antique machines and tarot cards that we have found, 542 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:30,760 Speaker 3: but lately we added probably sixty new fortunes like we 543 00:33:30,840 --> 00:33:36,080 Speaker 3: have about a connect ones right now, and and we 544 00:33:36,400 --> 00:33:40,080 Speaker 3: just keep creating. We have a call artist named Brod 545 00:33:40,120 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 3: Beasley who who makes vintage looking artwork that goes along 546 00:33:43,720 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 3: with each one. But it all started with this vintage 547 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:50,720 Speaker 3: looking at artwork we like to. 548 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:53,280 Speaker 4: Stick with, you know, yeah, I think yeah. 549 00:33:53,360 --> 00:33:55,200 Speaker 3: And he is really good at at duplicating that, so 550 00:33:55,280 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 3: whenever we come up with a new fortune, he captures. 551 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:00,640 Speaker 4: It in a so in the face is just latex? 552 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:02,760 Speaker 4: Is that? Is this a finished face? 553 00:34:03,720 --> 00:34:07,120 Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, it's late not that not the latex you 554 00:34:07,160 --> 00:34:09,640 Speaker 3: would normally think of this as flexible. It's this is 555 00:34:09,680 --> 00:34:11,759 Speaker 3: called rigid latex. It's got more solids in it, so 556 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:12,759 Speaker 3: it dries hard. 557 00:34:12,920 --> 00:34:16,920 Speaker 4: Okay to touch that, that's so huh Okay, I'll see 558 00:34:16,960 --> 00:34:19,319 Speaker 4: what you mean. So it has that you can tell. 559 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,680 Speaker 4: It feels a little rubbery, but it's also very stiff 560 00:34:21,719 --> 00:34:22,280 Speaker 4: and durable. 561 00:34:23,440 --> 00:34:24,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's cool. 562 00:34:24,400 --> 00:34:26,239 Speaker 1: How many zultars do you think you've made, or how 563 00:34:26,239 --> 00:34:27,920 Speaker 1: many of these types of machines in general? 564 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,800 Speaker 3: How many have we sold? Yeah, over the years, I 565 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:34,439 Speaker 3: would say a couple of thousands old tars, uh huh, yeah, 566 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:43,080 Speaker 3: and fifteen and fifty old miners, pirates, captains, medicine. Then 567 00:34:43,920 --> 00:34:46,200 Speaker 3: we get more and more people that want themselves made 568 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:50,600 Speaker 3: or celebrity made. We did Dan Campbell the Culture of 569 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:53,520 Speaker 3: the Lions for the NFL Draft. We did Andre three 570 00:34:53,600 --> 00:34:59,040 Speaker 3: thousand for a Super Bowl commercial last year. And yeah, 571 00:34:59,640 --> 00:35:03,600 Speaker 3: speaking yeah, I mean people want there's a there's a 572 00:35:03,719 --> 00:35:05,040 Speaker 3: robot forty collar in there. 573 00:35:06,800 --> 00:35:09,960 Speaker 4: Oh yeah, I love playing the Zultar slot machine. 574 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,400 Speaker 1: Now what is the process like when somebody contacts you 575 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:15,600 Speaker 1: and says I want to turn your product into a 576 00:35:15,719 --> 00:35:16,520 Speaker 1: slot machine. 577 00:35:16,680 --> 00:35:19,880 Speaker 3: Well, that's a good question. I was I had to 578 00:35:20,960 --> 00:35:23,319 Speaker 3: trademark since two thousand and six, as you know, when 579 00:35:23,360 --> 00:35:25,400 Speaker 3: I was selling Zultars and I was doing trade shows, 580 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:28,160 Speaker 3: and we were starting to think, you know, with Zultar's 581 00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:31,560 Speaker 3: household name, we should have products. We should do, you know, 582 00:35:31,719 --> 00:35:33,920 Speaker 3: coffee gups, we should do T shirts, we should do hats, 583 00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:36,520 Speaker 3: and and I happened to be playing in New Orleans 584 00:35:36,560 --> 00:35:39,880 Speaker 3: for the for the Halloween and Costume Show. And the 585 00:35:40,239 --> 00:35:42,680 Speaker 3: Halloween Costume show used to be in Rosemont every year 586 00:35:42,800 --> 00:35:46,880 Speaker 3: in Illinois, and then they split up the costumes from 587 00:35:46,920 --> 00:35:49,279 Speaker 3: the Halloween Haunts stuff, so I had to go to 588 00:35:49,360 --> 00:35:51,600 Speaker 3: New Orleans to do it. And and because they split 589 00:35:51,680 --> 00:35:53,160 Speaker 3: it up. It was really dead that year, and it 590 00:35:53,280 --> 00:35:56,359 Speaker 3: wasn't very many people and I wasn't ha at really 591 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,120 Speaker 3: good show. But this lady comes up to the booth 592 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,680 Speaker 3: and she starts looking at at my off and it's like, Zultar. 593 00:36:02,080 --> 00:36:06,520 Speaker 3: Do you how can you call that? Zultar? Wasn't that 594 00:36:06,560 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 3: in the movement? I said, well, yeah, but I got 595 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:10,600 Speaker 3: the trademark And he said, She said, we ever thought 596 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,200 Speaker 3: of doing products and stuff like that? And I said, yeah, 597 00:36:13,200 --> 00:36:15,200 Speaker 3: We're to do some t shirts and hats and things. 598 00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:17,880 Speaker 3: He says, no, I'm just I'm talking about taking a 599 00:36:18,040 --> 00:36:20,960 Speaker 3: nationwide and doing you know, the stuff that would be 600 00:36:21,280 --> 00:36:24,960 Speaker 3: sold in Walmart all over the place. And I said, well, 601 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:26,239 Speaker 3: we got to be open for that. He said, well, 602 00:36:26,320 --> 00:36:27,800 Speaker 3: let me talk for my partner. I'll get back to you. 603 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:29,879 Speaker 3: So she she got back to me a week later 604 00:36:29,880 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 3: and says, we'd love to take you on a contingency. 605 00:36:32,360 --> 00:36:38,440 Speaker 3: And we're we're licensing agents, and we're brand managers, Firefly 606 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:41,840 Speaker 3: Brand Management and uh and and they had the connections 607 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:45,920 Speaker 3: in place to go to people that that make toys 608 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:47,600 Speaker 3: and say, hey, would you like to do an the 609 00:36:47,760 --> 00:36:50,280 Speaker 3: Ultar toy or would you like to do a Zultar 610 00:36:50,800 --> 00:36:53,800 Speaker 3: coffee or his Ultar soda or his Ultar slot machine, 611 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:56,840 Speaker 3: you know, and they get a deal with them and 612 00:36:56,920 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 3: they get a little They get a little bit and 613 00:36:58,520 --> 00:37:01,640 Speaker 3: need a little bit. So the wine is, the wine 614 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:03,840 Speaker 3: is coming out. The love of them. The uh, the 615 00:37:03,920 --> 00:37:06,880 Speaker 3: slot machines was was a good thing. The uh the 616 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,160 Speaker 3: running press, uh, little mini Zoltar that's been, that's been 617 00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:10,640 Speaker 3: a real hit. 618 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:11,279 Speaker 4: Yeah. 619 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:14,480 Speaker 3: A lot of our friends have that little key chains 620 00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:15,600 Speaker 3: playing cards. 621 00:37:17,920 --> 00:37:20,239 Speaker 1: All right. Time for a break when we come back. 622 00:37:21,160 --> 00:37:27,560 Speaker 1: Is the Zoltar factory haunted? And also I got my 623 00:37:27,960 --> 00:37:33,320 Speaker 1: own Zoltar fortune directly from Oloff's hand. I'll tell you 624 00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:37,000 Speaker 1: what it says when we come back. I'm Joshua P. 625 00:37:37,160 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 4: Warren. 626 00:37:37,680 --> 00:37:41,680 Speaker 1: You're listening to Strange Things on the iHeartRadio and Coast 627 00:37:41,760 --> 00:37:46,360 Speaker 1: to Coast DAM Paranormal Podcast Network, and I will be 628 00:37:47,200 --> 00:38:24,440 Speaker 1: right back. Welcome back to the final segment of this 629 00:38:24,680 --> 00:38:28,680 Speaker 1: edition of Strange Things on the iHeartRadio and Coast to 630 00:38:28,800 --> 00:38:34,480 Speaker 1: Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network. I am your host, Joshua P. A. Warren. 631 00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:40,680 Speaker 1: And as I mentioned, Zoltar has been licensed all over 632 00:38:40,760 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 1: the place all kinds of different interesting merchandise. I have 633 00:38:45,520 --> 00:38:49,399 Speaker 1: most of it. And you may have heard Oloff even 634 00:38:49,480 --> 00:38:53,759 Speaker 1: say there is a Zultar wine coming out soon. He 635 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:56,560 Speaker 1: actually showed me that this wine is going to have 636 00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:59,640 Speaker 1: a really special feature, but I'm not sure if he's 637 00:38:59,680 --> 00:39:02,400 Speaker 1: ready to reveal that yet or if it's still a surprise. 638 00:39:02,520 --> 00:39:04,880 Speaker 1: So I'm not going to say what that feature is. 639 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:07,759 Speaker 1: But so I was asking him, well, you know, what 640 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:10,040 Speaker 1: is it like? What is the process like to have 641 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:15,000 Speaker 1: this this famous trademark that you're you're licensing all over 642 00:39:15,080 --> 00:39:17,040 Speaker 1: the place, so all you do is sign. 643 00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:18,720 Speaker 4: A piece of paper and then click checks. 644 00:39:19,000 --> 00:39:22,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's pretty good. Running around and over thirty 645 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:26,920 Speaker 3: stressing out as used to make a lot of money 646 00:39:26,960 --> 00:39:27,479 Speaker 3: while you sleep. 647 00:39:27,760 --> 00:39:31,239 Speaker 4: Yeah, right, So do you consider yourself an artist or 648 00:39:31,320 --> 00:39:32,319 Speaker 4: and or business man? 649 00:39:32,920 --> 00:39:34,600 Speaker 3: Was a little bit of both. I still make all 650 00:39:34,640 --> 00:39:37,880 Speaker 3: the molds, you know, and I haven't a knack for that, 651 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:41,239 Speaker 3: and I always I've always hired hired painters. I have 652 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:43,520 Speaker 3: a hard time with the painting of kind of cuddled 653 00:39:43,560 --> 00:39:46,680 Speaker 3: line with different colors, mixing and stuff. So I just 654 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:49,560 Speaker 3: find people to do what I need to get done, 655 00:39:49,560 --> 00:39:52,279 Speaker 3: you know. And now we got uh, my my daughter 656 00:39:52,360 --> 00:39:55,200 Speaker 3: Krena and my son Gunnar are working with us and 657 00:39:55,760 --> 00:39:58,360 Speaker 3: and they're helping take this to the next level, especially 658 00:39:58,400 --> 00:40:01,399 Speaker 3: with the ols old Tar brand popping and doing things. 659 00:40:01,440 --> 00:40:04,000 Speaker 3: You know. Yeah, it's excited. Why did your parents thend 660 00:40:04,000 --> 00:40:08,640 Speaker 3: you o Off? We came from Central Wisconsin, really heavy 661 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:13,480 Speaker 3: Scandinavian heritage back there. My mother's maiden name was Eric Simon. 662 00:40:13,560 --> 00:40:18,560 Speaker 3: My dad's mother's made name was Gregorson Stanton. But my 663 00:40:18,760 --> 00:40:21,880 Speaker 3: dad dad loved the Norwegian heritage. I was named Oloff, 664 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:25,719 Speaker 3: had a brother named Bjorn, Eric and Grieg and tour 665 00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,839 Speaker 3: Norwegian names, so that's why I named Gunner. Everybody calls 666 00:40:30,880 --> 00:40:32,480 Speaker 3: him GONNERD, but it really would be Gunar to you. 667 00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:33,680 Speaker 3: G and Nar. 668 00:40:34,120 --> 00:40:40,439 Speaker 1: Yeah, Okay, that's going to do it for now. I'll 669 00:40:40,560 --> 00:40:43,799 Speaker 1: explain what I mean in a second. But first off, 670 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:47,240 Speaker 1: once again, I just really want to thank Alan Goya 671 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,480 Speaker 1: for arranging this special tour for us, because the Characters 672 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:55,440 Speaker 1: Unlimited is not ordinarily open for people to come in 673 00:40:55,520 --> 00:40:57,920 Speaker 1: and take a tour that has to be specially arranged. 674 00:40:58,560 --> 00:41:02,120 Speaker 1: And Olof, well, I want to thank you and your staff. 675 00:41:02,280 --> 00:41:06,279 Speaker 1: Everybody was so warm and welcoming, and it's just it's 676 00:41:06,320 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 1: amazing to see a homegrown business like this with such creativity, 677 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:17,120 Speaker 1: with such care, with such love, and it's just, you know, 678 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:21,919 Speaker 1: I admire that they're able to take such an unusual 679 00:41:22,280 --> 00:41:27,520 Speaker 1: product and make it to such a success. But now, 680 00:41:28,200 --> 00:41:30,520 Speaker 1: of course this show is called Strange Things. You know, 681 00:41:30,719 --> 00:41:35,000 Speaker 1: I investigate a lot of paranormal phenomena, so I did 682 00:41:35,200 --> 00:41:39,520 Speaker 1: inquire as to whether or not there are any ghostly 683 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:44,040 Speaker 1: stories connected to the business, because of course, well we 684 00:41:44,120 --> 00:41:47,960 Speaker 1: all know, we hear about halted dolls, haunted statues, the 685 00:41:48,040 --> 00:41:51,200 Speaker 1: haunted figures at the wax Museum. When you're making these 686 00:41:51,320 --> 00:41:56,359 Speaker 1: lifelike figures and you want them to appear as if 687 00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:00,520 Speaker 1: they are interacting, well, are you creating some kind of 688 00:42:00,640 --> 00:42:05,239 Speaker 1: a tulpa, a spirit that is inside them. It's a 689 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:08,600 Speaker 1: good question. It wouldn't surprise me a bit. And what 690 00:42:08,800 --> 00:42:15,600 Speaker 1: I was told was that indeed there is a ghostly 691 00:42:15,880 --> 00:42:23,400 Speaker 1: history at the Character's Unlimited Workshop, but I'm gonna have 692 00:42:23,600 --> 00:42:26,680 Speaker 1: to wait until I go there, because the one that 693 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:30,759 Speaker 1: I went to was the temporary one because, as I 694 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:34,760 Speaker 1: mentioned earlier, the main one, the original one, had a fire, 695 00:42:34,960 --> 00:42:38,160 Speaker 1: so they are temporarily displaced. But I have been invited 696 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:43,759 Speaker 1: to go back, maybe in the next month or two too. 697 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:47,000 Speaker 1: Into the original building where they've been for years and 698 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:50,520 Speaker 1: years and years, and that's where there is supposedly some 699 00:42:51,080 --> 00:42:55,080 Speaker 1: some paranormal activity attached. And so I guess it'll almost 700 00:42:55,160 --> 00:42:57,160 Speaker 1: be like a part too, because I want to go 701 00:42:57,280 --> 00:43:02,600 Speaker 1: back there and maybe bring some equipment and just do 702 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:05,759 Speaker 1: a piece about anything that I may pick up, or 703 00:43:05,800 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 1: any stories or any any kind of research I can 704 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:14,239 Speaker 1: dig up about paranormal phenomena related to Zoltar. Now, at 705 00:43:14,280 --> 00:43:18,320 Speaker 1: one point while I was there, uh, one of the 706 00:43:18,520 --> 00:43:21,960 Speaker 1: Zoltar machines that was sitting right there next to us 707 00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:25,920 Speaker 1: was sort of it had its cabinet open, some of 708 00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:31,000 Speaker 1: the electronics were exposed, and at one point Oloff reached down, 709 00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,480 Speaker 1: punched a button and a fortune popped out. Oloff took 710 00:43:35,520 --> 00:43:37,200 Speaker 1: it from the machine and handed it to me, and 711 00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:40,840 Speaker 1: I thought, wow, this will be a prize possession, because 712 00:43:40,880 --> 00:43:43,279 Speaker 1: there's no telling how many of these Zultar tickets I've 713 00:43:43,280 --> 00:43:46,640 Speaker 1: gotten in my life. But to have one handed to 714 00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:49,839 Speaker 1: me from a machine at the factory by the man 715 00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:52,680 Speaker 1: who creates them, I mean, that's pretty special. This is 716 00:43:52,760 --> 00:43:56,800 Speaker 1: going to be framed. Here is what it says. 717 00:43:57,360 --> 00:43:57,960 Speaker 3: Are you ready? 718 00:43:59,440 --> 00:44:04,839 Speaker 1: Onyx was made especially for you? Wear it and good 719 00:44:04,960 --> 00:44:09,000 Speaker 1: luck will follow you. So let me pause here. Well, 720 00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 1: I've already bought an Onyx necklace after reading this, so 721 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:14,880 Speaker 1: I'll let you know what happens when I get it. 722 00:44:17,080 --> 00:44:21,160 Speaker 1: Then it continues. Don't let opportunity knock at your door 723 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:25,080 Speaker 1: in vain. Grasp it, and the course of your life 724 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:28,759 Speaker 1: will be different. You will be very happy with the 725 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:33,480 Speaker 1: one you have chosen for your life's companion. Be patient. 726 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:36,759 Speaker 1: Those who have tried to interfere with your happiness will 727 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:39,440 Speaker 1: soon find they have no influence on your loved one. 728 00:44:40,160 --> 00:44:44,279 Speaker 1: You seem to be very impetuous and outspoken. This has 729 00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:49,440 Speaker 1: caused your dear ones some moments of unhappiness. Curb your temper, 730 00:44:49,680 --> 00:44:52,759 Speaker 1: and not only will you be happier, but healthier too. 731 00:44:54,480 --> 00:44:59,040 Speaker 1: And I was like, that doesn't sound very positive, I thought, 732 00:44:59,120 --> 00:45:03,879 Speaker 1: Lauren read that goes No, that doesn't sound like you impetuous. 733 00:45:03,920 --> 00:45:08,200 Speaker 1: That means careless, thoughtless. You know this kind of I mean, 734 00:45:08,840 --> 00:45:13,000 Speaker 1: I'm not am I am I that way. I guess 735 00:45:13,080 --> 00:45:18,200 Speaker 1: I'll hear about it now everybody will contact me. But well, actually, Joshua, 736 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:24,120 Speaker 1: but fortunately, I don't think that this is a particularly 737 00:45:24,239 --> 00:45:29,840 Speaker 1: accurate fortune because it has here my lucky numbers, and 738 00:45:29,960 --> 00:45:35,600 Speaker 1: I said, play again, lucky numbers fourteen, two, three, nineteen, 739 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:40,799 Speaker 1: twenty two and twenty three. So guess what I did. 740 00:45:41,000 --> 00:45:44,360 Speaker 1: I went right to the casino. I played a number 741 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,640 Speaker 1: of Keno machines where you pick numbers and the balls 742 00:45:48,719 --> 00:45:50,560 Speaker 1: fall and you can win a lot of money. At kino, 743 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:54,719 Speaker 1: I usually do very well, but I didn't win on 744 00:45:54,840 --> 00:45:58,920 Speaker 1: any of those numbers. So finally I even went to 745 00:45:59,320 --> 00:46:06,000 Speaker 1: a live roulette table where you have the live dealer there. 746 00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:08,000 Speaker 1: I can't remember what they call the person who spends 747 00:46:08,040 --> 00:46:11,360 Speaker 1: the wheel at a roulette table, and I put money 748 00:46:12,360 --> 00:46:16,200 Speaker 1: on each one of these numbers, and nope, I didn't 749 00:46:16,200 --> 00:46:19,040 Speaker 1: win any So I have not one on these numbers. 750 00:46:19,120 --> 00:46:24,080 Speaker 1: So I'm going to say that I cannot vouch for 751 00:46:24,200 --> 00:46:28,000 Speaker 1: the fact that a fortune that comes out of a 752 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:33,680 Speaker 1: Zultar machine is going to be the God's honest truth. 753 00:46:35,960 --> 00:46:42,080 Speaker 1: So it's for fun, it's for entertainment purposes only. I 754 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:45,040 Speaker 1: don't think I would take this very much to heart, 755 00:46:45,640 --> 00:46:49,040 Speaker 1: but it's a great it's a wonderful souvenir, and it's 756 00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:51,840 Speaker 1: just it's something to make you think, and you know what, 757 00:46:52,120 --> 00:46:55,840 Speaker 1: I will be continuing to get my fortunes and I 758 00:46:55,960 --> 00:46:59,440 Speaker 1: will keep playing whatever numbers come out until till I 759 00:46:59,560 --> 00:47:03,840 Speaker 1: find the combo all right again. Their website is Characters 760 00:47:04,000 --> 00:47:07,400 Speaker 1: Unlimited dot com and I will be following up with 761 00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:12,840 Speaker 1: you soon on my next visit there. Real quick, I 762 00:47:12,920 --> 00:47:14,920 Speaker 1: have an email I want to share with you. I 763 00:47:15,160 --> 00:47:17,120 Speaker 1: was talking on a recent show about some people who 764 00:47:17,200 --> 00:47:19,920 Speaker 1: believe in the conspiracy that we may not have landed 765 00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:22,600 Speaker 1: on the Moon and say that Stanley Kubrick may have 766 00:47:22,800 --> 00:47:26,239 Speaker 1: faked some of that footage. Got an email from a 767 00:47:26,280 --> 00:47:29,440 Speaker 1: man named Tom. He said, many have said there is 768 00:47:29,520 --> 00:47:32,200 Speaker 1: something fake about the Moon landing. Let me clear this up. 769 00:47:33,200 --> 00:47:35,919 Speaker 1: As I recall, the amount of battery life on the Moon. 770 00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:40,600 Speaker 1: On the Moon mission craft was very limited. That is 771 00:47:40,680 --> 00:47:42,839 Speaker 1: why most of the quote live footage that was seen 772 00:47:42,960 --> 00:47:46,560 Speaker 1: during the mission was in fact live footage live from 773 00:47:46,640 --> 00:47:51,080 Speaker 1: the studio set. This was to conserve battery life. Later 774 00:47:51,239 --> 00:47:54,279 Speaker 1: there were recordings of footage that came back with the astronauts. 775 00:47:55,120 --> 00:47:57,120 Speaker 1: This confused many people and now they say it was 776 00:47:57,160 --> 00:47:59,399 Speaker 1: all a studio set. Others say it was all real. 777 00:48:00,320 --> 00:48:03,239 Speaker 1: I remember the why and that makes sense. Hope this 778 00:48:03,360 --> 00:48:06,160 Speaker 1: clears it up. The Moon landing was real and due 779 00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:10,680 Speaker 1: to nineteen sixty nine battery technology acted out simultaneously on 780 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:13,480 Speaker 1: a set so that our televisions could show the public 781 00:48:13,560 --> 00:48:15,920 Speaker 1: views of what was happening up on the moon without 782 00:48:16,000 --> 00:48:19,840 Speaker 1: broadcasting from the moon, saving much needed battery life. And 783 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:22,120 Speaker 1: then he wrote a second email just to clarify the 784 00:48:22,200 --> 00:48:26,240 Speaker 1: point further. He said, due to the nineteen sixty nine batteries, 785 00:48:26,280 --> 00:48:29,440 Speaker 1: it was impractical to send footage from the moon, but 786 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:31,400 Speaker 1: we the public needed to see what was going on 787 00:48:31,600 --> 00:48:34,600 Speaker 1: up there, so it was done on a set. Later, 788 00:48:34,760 --> 00:48:37,000 Speaker 1: the actual tapes that came back made all of this 789 00:48:37,200 --> 00:48:40,919 Speaker 1: more confusing. So yes, it was live footage, and yes 790 00:48:41,120 --> 00:48:45,320 Speaker 1: it was a movie set. Thanks Tom. Well what do 791 00:48:45,400 --> 00:48:48,480 Speaker 1: you think about that? That might explain it? Huh? All right, 792 00:48:48,520 --> 00:48:51,239 Speaker 1: my friends, take a deep breath, if you can close 793 00:48:51,320 --> 00:49:18,359 Speaker 1: your eyes. Let's end with the good Fortune tone. That's 794 00:49:18,400 --> 00:49:22,000 Speaker 1: it for this edition of the show. Follow me at 795 00:49:22,160 --> 00:49:26,839 Speaker 1: Joshua P. Warren Plus, visit joshuapwarren dot com to sign 796 00:49:26,920 --> 00:49:30,280 Speaker 1: up for my free e newsletter to receive a free 797 00:49:30,520 --> 00:49:33,800 Speaker 1: instant gift, and check out the cool stuff in the 798 00:49:33,920 --> 00:49:38,520 Speaker 1: Curiosity Shop. All at Joshuapwarren dot com. I have a 799 00:49:38,600 --> 00:49:41,320 Speaker 1: fun one lined up for you next time, I promise, 800 00:49:41,960 --> 00:49:44,960 Speaker 1: So please tell all your friends to subscribe to this 801 00:49:45,120 --> 00:49:50,080 Speaker 1: show and to always remember the Golden Rule. Thank you 802 00:49:50,200 --> 00:49:54,279 Speaker 1: for listening, thank you for your interest and support. Thank 803 00:49:54,360 --> 00:49:57,800 Speaker 1: you for staying curious, and I will talk to you 804 00:49:58,640 --> 00:50:03,440 Speaker 1: again soon. You've been listening to Strange Things on the 805 00:50:03,560 --> 00:50:08,920 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network. 806 00:50:24,160 --> 00:50:27,399 Speaker 2: Well, if you like this episode of Strange Things, wait 807 00:50:27,520 --> 00:50:30,320 Speaker 2: till you hear the next one. Thank you for listening 808 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:35,360 Speaker 2: to the iHeartRadio and Coast to Coast AM Paranormal Podcast Network.