Jim Frye knows a lot about The Aracoma Story (TAS). In addition to being a longtime performer in TAS productions like "Annie" and "The Wizard of Oz", Frye is also a member of The Aracoma Story Inc.'s board of directors.

And according to Frye, TAS has some new ventures coming up that will be branching out in different directions.

First up will be the Trail of the Dead, presented by TAS this Halloween season at Chief Logan State Park.

Part haunted house and part experience drama, the Trail of the Dead is a bit different than anything The Aracoma Story Inc. has done before.

The concept behind the event is that the living dead are walking the earth feasting on the living. And only a rag tag vigilante group calling itself ARM (Appalachia Resistance Movement) is fighting back. ARM is organizing groups to hike Chief Logan State Park to retrieve a government vaccine to combat the zombie infection. And ARM wants you!

"We are buying television ad time for this one," Frye told The Logan Banner, explaining that he and board members believe the unique haunted trail experience could bring in visitors from Martin and Pike counties in Kentucky as well as visitors from neighboring West Virginia counties like other events taking place at Chief Logan Park have been known to do.

Frye said local playwright and actor Aaron Stone, who is also a past performer in TAS productions, is the creative honcho behind the Trail of the Dead and that he was meeting later on Tuesday with Stone and his staff about footage being shot for the commercial. Prior to "Trail of the Dead" the production of "Annie" boasted of having the biggest TAS marketing campaign. That could change. The Trail could have ads presented in places you have never seen before for an Aracoma Story product due to the caliber of people involved.

"He is an extremely creative individual," Frye said of Stone, adding that when Stone presented his idea to TAS board of directors they were hooked. Stone has also been able to come up with dozens of volunteers and workers on the project, many of whom were not involved with The Aracoma Story productions, no mean feat in and of itself in a day and age when it is hard to get volunteers for anything.

The Trail is recommended for teens and adults and all children under 13 must be accompanied by adults due to gruesome special effects make-up. Members of the Trail of the Dead crew have been working for weeks shooting footage of the effects and makeup for a television commercial which will air on local cable television in the eastern Kentucky, southern West Virginia market.

"This is a really big deal," Frye said of the Trail of the Dead. "We are expecting that it will be heavily attended by people from outside our area. Like other organizations, the Aracoma Story has problems getting volunteers, but Stone has managed to put together a production with dozens of people who are extremely bright and talented who are working day and night to make this event a success. Many of them are new people too, not TAS volunteers."

The Trail of the Dead will run for four nights a week for three weeks in October at the Shawnee Trail hollow near the Liz Spurlock Amphitheater.

Frye said TAS is also working on a new project called "Breakfast with Santa."

Frye said other communities have had similar projects and he sees no reason why Logan cannot do the same.

"We are looking to team up with and work with a service organization on this project, and the Logan County School system" Frye said.