Kiva Iowa: 1901 Studios puts some fun in horror

Halloween is here, so get ready to listen to a frightful podcast or read spooky books written by Josh Walton.

Walton founded Des Moines-based 1901 Studios and has grown the business with help from NewBoCo in Cedar Rapids and the Kiva Iowa microloan program it manages.

Walton started out by producing a children’s series of fun horror podcasts. His listeners suggested he expand the stories and put them in book form, which he’s done.

This year, Walton self-published “The Despicable Diner,” “Clown Eating Creeper” and “The Ever-Malevolent Mr. Magic.”

The stories are not super scary and have elements that amuse all ages. His wife, Kaitlyn, assists him promotional videos where she is “Ghostface.”

Walton’s goal is 10 books per series, and he is planning a second series geared toward adults. He started digital live-action adaptations of his books last month.

“I love creating digital and print content that is winning fans daily,” he said. “We plan to do live-action adaptations of each of our books.”

Although Walton gives his current books a rating of PG-13, he recommends kids be 10 or older before reading them. That said, he just signed one of his books for an 8-year-old who loves his work.

His stories, he said, are a lighter form of entertainment compared to the things kids see in the daily news

While Americans online are reaching out to him with comments and suggestions on his podcasts and books he also is followed by a large group in Pakistan, plus the United Kingdom, Germany, and Dagestan in Soviet Russia.

Goosebumps

This is Walton’s second business.

Previously, he had mental health software company that he had to close. The day he shut it down, as therapy, he read one of his favorite spooky stories from when he’d been a child.

“I had sunk my life savings, including my COVID stimulus checks, into that business, so I turned to a Goosebumps book and old VHS video episode,” he said. “It inspired me to do horror podcasts of my own stories, with an immersive experience like sound effects and scary voices.”

The Goosebumps books were, for him, “a safe introduction to the horror genre,” he said. “At that time, it helped me channel my emotions and tell the story I was feeling at that time.”

The books also helped him navigate tough experiences in his childhood.

Walton researched how to publish books and found a co-author on Upwork. Lindsey Peterson, founder of Spirit Collections Book Press in Lincoln, Neb., now helps him polish the books he’s written.

“My passion is entertainment, especially helping kids enjoy the stories. It makes me feel I can do the same thing for them that other scary books did for me as a kid — they empowered me to be creative,” said Walton.

In addition to the horror podcasts and books, Walton’s Brick Towne video series also has produced “Happy Wife, Happy Life” and “Love, Mom” on his business Instagram and YouTube channel.

Kiva loan

In August, Walton’s 1901 Studios secured a Kiva microloan of $7,500, a no-cost, zero-interest loan, allowing him to pursue a complete book series and offer more books for sale, more video content and more marketing events.

The business’ website is https://1901studios.komi.io/ or https://zellaphantbooks.com, and on Instagram: @1901stories. Information about Kiva Iowa loans is available at https://newbo.co/kiva/