SeriesNo. 1692 · The 2026 edition

Los Espookys: Latin content creators who embody the Halloween spirit

Meet the quirky Latinx horror-comedy crew that brings Halloween vibes year-round.

Attraction list · 5 titles

Our own summary of the original — the full post and photos live at latimes.com.

Tina Estrella - Top 5 Spooky Latino Content Creators. — PHOTO · LATIMES.COM

Los Espookys follows a group of Latin American friends who turn their love of horror into a business, creating elaborate scares for hire. The show blends dark humor, camp, and cultural commentary, celebrating the creativity of Latin content creators who keep the spooky spirit alive beyond October.

About this

Ahead of Halloween, De Los profiles five Latino content creators who have built followings around horror, goth, pinup, DIY and haunt culture. Each entry covers the creator's online audience, signature content, cultural roots and inspirations. The piece also notes the broader rise of an 'espooky' community shaped by Latin American folklore, alternative music and slasher nostalgia.

Tips

Victoria Venin's advice for building a following: work hard, attend all the events, make connections, put yourself out there and avoid limiting yourself.
Backstitch Bruja stresses sharing the Latino experience and current events, keeping her content authentic because followers connect with her as a person.

The list

01

Victoria Venin

Real name Victoria Perez; goth-glam model for Kreepsville; 709K Instagram, 54K TikTok; inspired by Bride of Chucky.

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02

Hauntina

Tina Estrella; over a decade of spooky content, viral cauldron albondigas; 67K Instagram, 109K TikTok; cites Guillermo del Toro.

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03

Backstitch Bruja

Yvette Aragon-Herrera; South Gate designer of gender-inclusive Mexi-goth brand; 144K Instagram, 142K TikTok; 2022 Halloween wedding.

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04

Pinup Doll Ashley Marie

Ashley Herrera; vintage pinup, horror DIY and storytelling; 668K YouTube, 190K TikTok, 198K Instagram; elaborate home Halloween builds.

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05

Ghoul Daddies

Chicano couple Matthew Chavana and Paul Silva; haunt and paranormal coverage since 2021; 14K Instagram, 38K TikTok.

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Facts from the original

The 'espooky' community grew from multicultural, multigenerational exposure to goth, new wave, punk and metal aesthetics.
A nostalgia surge for slasher films is tied to new entertainment like the 2025 reboot of 'I Know What You Did Last Summer.'
Victoria Venin's real name is Victoria Perez and her following ballooned after the pandemic.
Victoria Venin conducts on-the-spot interviews at conventions including Midsummer Scream and Monsterpalooza.
Victoria Venin models for brands such as Hot Topic and Romwe and is the main fashion model for Kreepsville, which has a flagship store called Monster-A-GoGo in East L.A.
Victoria Venin has hosted ticket giveaways for bands and promoters, most recently Social Distortion and Morrissey at Toyota Arena.
Victoria Venin moved to L.A. from San Diego and credits her partner Danny Morales of the Pomona new wave party Club Rock It! for filming her.
Victoria Venin was drawn to the dark side after seeing 'Bride of Chucky' as a child and admiring Jennifer Tilly's Tiffany.
Hauntina's real name is Tina Estrella and she has posted Halloween and horror content online for over a decade.
Hauntina went viral with a clip cooking albondigas in a cauldron.
Hauntina was born in Los Angeles, grew up in the Inland Empire, and credits middle school years and Anne Rice's 'Vampire Chronicles' with shaping her tastes.
Hauntina cites Guillermo del Toro as her biggest inspiration.
Backstitch Bruja is the brand turned persona of South Gate native Yvette Aragon-Herrera.
Yvette Aragon-Herrera began posting DIY tutorials about seven years ago as a plus-size creator because affordable spooky plus-size clothes were scarce.
Backstitch Bruja launched a website in 2019 and opened a San Dimas brick-and-mortar store two years later.
Yvette Aragon-Herrera studied Chicano Studies at UC Santa Barbara and worked retail jobs including at MAC Cosmetics.
Yvette Aragon-Herrera's most popular posts include her 2022 Halloween wedding and images from protests.
Pinup Doll Ashley Marie is the handle of Mexican American creator Ashley Herrera, who started with vintage hair and fashion tutorials.
Pinup Doll Ashley Marie blends 1950s glamour with horror, DIY and storytelling, and says her house is the neighborhood's Halloween house.
Ashley Herrera's AshleysFreakyFriday channel covers paranormal tales and was inspired by family storytelling and the radio show 'La Mano Peluda,' her grandfather's favorite.
Ashley Herrera was born on Nov. 1 and often celebrated her birthday on Halloween.
Ghoul Daddies are Chicano couple Matthew Chavana and Paul Silva, who share their dates from the dark side.
The Ghoul Daddies' first date was at the extreme haunt the 17th Door, then in Fullerton and now in Buena Park, where attendees sign waivers.
Paul Silva's post from that first date went viral and showed him that haunt and paranormal content resonated with many people.
Ghoul Daddies both grew up in La Mirada and have many LGBTQ+ followers.
Matthew Chavana credits his mother Mary Alice, who decorated elaborately each Halloween and took him to every L.A. haunt since age 5.
Ghoul Daddies have done ambassador work with Fangoria magazine and podcast appearances.
Paul Silva recommends Reign of Terror as the one haunt to visit this season.