‘We love making monsters,’ says Fort Mill couple. And you can watch them work.

When you enter The Creature’s Crypt for the first time, don’t be surprised if you bump into someone with his brains replaced with candy.

Don’t be too shocked if a 6-foot-tall Merman makes your acquaintance. And it’s OK to feel a little spooked if a life-size scarecrow seems to eye you on the way out.

For Greg and Jennifer Duffy, Halloween night rolls around each and every day.

“I think if you don’t love Halloween, you’re probably not human,” said Greg, with a wry smile.

The couple runs their sci-fi/horror store on Highway 21 near Carowinds as a retail opportunity for their passion project, Creature Revenge Studios.

Out of their cozy space in the Carowinds Crossing Shopping Center, the two spend countless hours designing, sketching, sculpting and painting original (and rather convincing) monster movie masks to sell to movie studios, apparel shops and enthusiasts.

The shop scheduled a grand opening celebration March 11. If you want to check out what the Duffy’s are working on, they installed a large windowpane that peeks in from the store to their adjoined studio.

“A lot of people don’t understand the art that goes into what we make,” said Duffy, who has been making masks with Jennifer for about five years. “To them, it may just be a piece of rubber. But even the mask you pick up at Wal-Mart has to come from some place, and it had to turn from nothing into something for you to buy it. There’s a craft and an art to this most people take for granted.”

Masks cost about $20 and up, online at thecreaturescrypt.com.

There’s also a bevy of unique merchandise at the store, including collectibles, books, toys, movies, model kits and apparel. The Duffy’s say most of their pieces are appropriate for hard-wired fans and those who are just getting into the horror genre.

If you’re not careful, you’ll spend an hour watching classic black-and-white scary movies on the shop’s two dueling projection screens.

The Duffy’s live for Halloween, but they contract with major projects the whole year round. Greg recently finished a project with Sony Pictures, where he sculpted work with the “Men in Black” line.

The couple are always looking to work with entertainment havens such as Scarowinds, Six Flags and haunted houses. The pair once created a zombie fortune teller named “Zombo The Great” for an online TV pilot.

But with the store open for all ghouls and gals, they’re looking forward to sharing the Halloween aura year-round.

“It’s that repetition of doing it so much and getting so into it, and loving it so much that you do it over and over again,” Duffy said. “And you eat, sleep and breathe it, and you can see yourself and your art grow, and that’s really exciting.”

David Thackham writes a weekly column called Trending in York County, which takes a dive into local eateries, stores and businesses that York County consumers are flocking to right now. Email column idea suggestions to dthackham@heraldonline.com.

This story was originally published March 11, 2017 at 3:15 PM with the headline "‘We love making monsters,’ says Fort Mill couple. And you can watch them work.."