I really thought it might have been different this time. For some reason I thought Monster Mania ironed out some of its kinks. In some respects they did, but others remain the same. This report should be short and sweet considering I spent less than 3 hours there this time around.
Some friends of mine expressed the fact the MM con is so damn expensive, even for children. That sucks because if you want to take your whole family you can spend a lot money just on the entrance fee. Then factor in all the cool stuff that you see when walking around that you didn’t even bank on buying, but “needed” to have.
Take the above photo for instance. Ever since the first time I saw The Shining when I was a kid, I always said I wanted the photo from the end of the film, but never knew how to get it. Before the days of the Internet, finding rare prints like this was nearly impossible. Within the past few years I was able to get a few large jpegs of the image, but nothing suitable enough for framing or hanging. Now, I finally have it, and for a mere $15 bucks. To me, that’s affordable for a picture I’ve basically dreamed of owning for years.
I was intent on not going overboard buying crap this time. I had more festivities planned for the rest of the weekend for my birthday so I tried to be conservative. That didn’t mean there would be no impulse buys though. I talked for a while to Neil Meschino, the filmmaker behind the indy horror movie Mold! (moldthemovie.com). I had a very informative chat with him about his experience making the film. Lots of props to him and I can’t wait to watch it! Another purchase was for a good cause – I donated $20 bucks to Scares That Care and in return I got their cool T-shirt. Also, I couldn’t pass up the Friday the 13th art print shown below by Scuuum Inc. from their Slasher Babes series. That was pretty much it as far as “stuff” goes, and now onto the celebs!
Back in an earlier preview post for Monster Mania, I was pumped to read the news that Robert Englund and the cast of the original Blair Witch Project would be appearing. Ultimately though, I wasn’t super set on paying to meet all these people because I had limited funds this time around. Perhaps the cast of BW2 may have twisted my arm though! My main reason for being there was to get a pic/autograph from Anthony Michael Hall since I have been a life long fan of his films, even some of the shitty ones. Luckily, since I got there fairly early I was able to get a good spot on line, and by the time he actually arrived (a little over and hour late), he had a legion of people waiting for him.
Anthony Michael Hall was really cool even though I didn’t really have a chance to say much to him. AMH is on a higher level of fame than some of the other stars that usually appear at the con. One of the benefits of meeting one of the lower tier celebs at these cons is that you can more than likely have time to shoot the shit with them about things you always wanted to ask them, but when the person has 100 people waiting for them, it makes it more of a challenge. Either way – Anthony Michael Hall was a good guy and happy to meet his fans. It was also cool to run into my friend Jessica Rajs – creator of the Gorgeous and Gory Zombie Pinup Calendar. If you missed her at the con you can pick one up at their official website. Hot Zombie Pinup Girls, what more can you ask for?!!
Even with so many drawbacks, I still can’t stay away from these cons. The entrance fee is high and the parking still is ridiculously atrocious. I wish I could refrain from going sometimes, but I feel like it’s a place to buy cool stuff, meet and talk to like minded people, and of course get some cool autographs. It also doesn’t hurt that the spring installment of Monster Mania usually falls on my birthday weekend so it’s a good way to celebrate. Did you go to Monster Mania 21? What are your thoughts on the various horror/pop-culture conventions?