Recently, I attended the HorrorHound Weekend convention in Cincinnati, OH which is one of many conventions that have popped up in recent years devoted to the horror and science fiction genre. This particular show had well over 30 celebrities in attendance with six of the Walking Dead stars and it was obvious that a bulk of the attendees came for that. With a sold out weekend where 30,000 tickets were capped off, lines that went on forever, and a convention center packed to capacity, it was obvious this was going to be a very special show and it was. For those who have never been to one of these shows, you can expect to find a celebrity at a booth/table with a variety of pictures and props for sale. You will have to pay for an autograph and usually a free picture with said celebrity comes with it. The average is $20 per item signed. Some are cheaper and some are more expensive. In the case of some of the Walking Dead stars like Norman "Darryl" Reedus, he was $40 per item and roughly a seven hour wait in line to meet him. Though I didn't meet him, I did have the pleasure of meeting Sarah Wayne Callies (Lori Grimes) and Chandler Riggs (Carl Grimes)
While the Walking Dead cast dominated the weekend, there were plenty of other guests that were fun and unique. A favorite series of mine, Full Moon Picture's Subspecies, had a cast reunion. Director of all four films as well as the spinoff, Vampire Journal, Ted Nicolaou was in attendance, as well as vampire fledgling, Denice Duff, and finally, the master vampire himself, Radu Vladislas, played by the fantastic Anders Hove (known to General Hospital fans as archvillain Cesar Faison).
When you get to talk to some of your favorites, it gives you an overwhelming feeling of excitement. Why you ask? Well, here is a person whose work you've admired for sometime and now they are right in front of you. Striking a conversation and just praising them for the incredible roles they've played just makes the whole convention worth it. Panels with the various stars, a gigantic merchandise room, loads of costumes and exclusive films including a preview screening of Elijah Wood in the remake of Maniac were just some of the things one could find at this convention. Besides the Walking Dead and Subspecies, people from Halloween, Friday the 13th, Candyman, Terminator 2, and many more were just a mere taste of what one could expect at this convention. Despite the overwhelming crowds, I had a blast attending this convention and if you are a horror fan and have never attended one of these shows, I highly recommend going to one at least once...the memories that can be made there are epic. Some recommended shows to go to include Horrorhound Weekend, Fright Night Film Fest, ScareFest, Monster Mania, and Weekend of Horrors. So get out there and scare yourself up a frightening good time.