New Jersey Horror Con March 2023

On the weekend of March 25, 2023, my friend Freddie and I headed out to the latest edition of New Jersey Horror Con. The weather was kinda shitty, and seemingly impacted the amount of fans in attendance. But, we had a great time regardless and met a bunch of cool celebs.

The first one I went up to was the lovely Nancy Loomis. Best known for playing Annie in John Carpenter's Halloween, she's also appeared in other favorites like The Fog and Assault on Precinct 13 (both also from Carpenter). She was the person, I must looked forward to meeting the most. She is, after all, my favorite of the three girls in the slasher classic. She was very sweet in person and talked to both of us for a good amount of time. We also learned that she teaches theater acting nowadays.

Next was John Dugan who played grandpa in Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chain Saw Massacre and a couple of its sequels. He was awesome and an absolute riot in person! He talked to us for a good amount of time, as well, telling us about what an absolute hell it was to shoot the classic dinner scene in TCM. And, then he even broke into a song, something about me, Gio, and us drinking cheap wine. Dude is one of the coolest celebs ever!

Tom O'Connell played Darth Vader in the recent Obi-Wan Kenobi series; a show I really enjoyed. And, as some of you probably know, I am a lifelong Star Wars fan. Something I let him know. He smiled and said he was too! He was really nice, and it's great to meet someone who played the latest incarnation of one of my favorite characters (one I cosplayed as some years ago). And, before you ask, yes I did meet David Prowse, who originally played Vader, many years ago at a Fangoria Weekend of Horrors.

Mike Hughes is someone I've wanted to meet forever. He of course played Gage in the original Pet Sementary, a movie I like. But, it's really for his role as Heather Langenkamp's son in Wes Craven's New Nightmare, a movie I love. He was a really nice and friendly guy, in person.

The last person that I went up to was Eileen Dietz who was the face, in make-up, of course, of Pazuzu, in the horror masterpiece The Exorcist. She was incredibly sweet in person and talked to us for a good chunk of time. Turns out she is a fellow New Yorker! It is so rare to get anyone from William Friedkin's classic, that isn't Linda Blair, to appear at a con. And, being how much I adore that movie, that I was pumped to meet her! 

That was a way to end the con on a high note for us. After walking around for a bit more, we headed home. I didn't buy any merch, but I did get three of my movies from my collection signed:
Nancy Loomis: Halloween
Eileen Dietz: The Exorcist
John Dugan: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre

Next up for us, will probably be Chiller at the end of this month. Any of you going to that? Did you go to this con? What were thoughts and experiences at it? Let me know in the comments section below.

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New Jersey Horror Con April 2022

I had not been back to New Jersey Horror Con, since my first time there, back in 2019, so I was super pumped to make my return on the weekend of April 9th, 2022. I went there with my friend, and Master's Minion, Freddie, but we were only there on that Saturday. Which was more than enough time to meet all the awesome celebs we wanted to. And, holy shit was the guest list ever stacked and fucking awesome!!

The first person I met is the still beautiful Lynn Lowry. Being a huge fan of her and many of the films she starred in, particularly I Drink Your Blood, Cat People, Debbie Rochon's Model Hunger, and David Cronenberg's Shivers, made her one of the people I was most pumped to meet. In person, she is incredibly sweet and friendly and has such a truly warm and kind demeanor to her.

Next up, for me was the gorgeous Catherine Mary Stewart, of Night of the Comet, Nighthawks, The Last Starfighter, and more. She is friends with a friend of mine, Bobby, who was sitting with her at the con. Now, I hadn't seen him in I don't remember how long. So, he asked how me how I was doing, being he'd seen my posts on Facebook, in regards to all the pain I felt at the passing of my doggy, Zoey.

This, then, led to me explaining to Stewart, what had happened to my dearest Zoey, but try as I may I couldn't hold back the tears. Honestly speaking, even simply writing this part makes me tear up. Well, she got up and gave me a big, warm hug and was legitimately sweet to me. I don't think my words could do justice to how kind she was. She's amazing and if you ever have the chance to meet her, you need to do just that. As, she is truly beautiful inside and out.

Being a huge fan of Chopping Mall, Kelli Maroney, who also starred alongside of Stewart in Night of the Comet, was the person I was most excited to meet. Having followed and interacted with her on social media and seen her on recent appearance on The Last Drive-In, only made me wanna meet her more. Much as she comes off on those, she is incredibly sweet and bubbly in person. She is also still a total hottie!

Speaking of The Last Drive-In, I once again met Joe Bob Briggs and the beautiful Darcy the Mail Girl. Both of them are always so fucking awesome to their fans! We talked AEW wrestling this time around, and it was especially cool when Darcy threw some shade at WWE! That kinda made my day.

The last person that I met on my own, was the lovely Jennifer Banko. Banko played both of the little girls in Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood and Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III and the teen punk girl in Barb Wire, among other projects. Let me tell you, she is one of the coolest, most fun, and lively guests, I have ever met a con! It was a blast to talk to her. She even took a pic of her and me for her Instagram (the two below)! She rules! 

The next celebs, are the ones that I met with my friend Freddie. They are:

Actor and signer Corey Glover of hard rock/ metal band Living Colour. He was so friendly and down to earth in person! We talked mostly about touring and CM Punk. 

Up next was the absolutely gorgeous Patty (Frankenhooker) Mullen, who fucking rocks in person! She talked to us for a good bit, about the Misfits and more. She is so lively and fun to be around. This is actually my second time meeting her, and she's always awesome as fuck!

We also went up to Cathy Moriarty, who has starred in a ton of great flicks like Raging Bull, Matinee. Soap Dish, and more. Talking with someone who has worked with such legends as Stallone, De Niro, Schwarzenegger, and more was fucking awesome! She was really cool and friendly to converse with.

Last but not least there was Barry (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Slay Belles) Bostwick. I know I sound like a broken record, but he, like everyone else at this con that I met, was so nice, talkative, and friendly.

Also, there was a lot of cool cosplay on that day, and here are some of my favorites that I saw:

Here is a pic of that doggy above meeting another one.

These are the autographs that I got on this day, all are movies from my collection. The autographs are (left to right):
Catherine Mary Stewart: Nighthawks
Lynn Lowry: Cat People (on the slipcover)
Kelli Maroney: Chopping Mall

Jennifer Banko: Leatherface: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

Finally, these are the only things, that I actually bought at the con, Tromeo & Juliet on Blu-ray from the Troma booth and a Super7 Beavis and Butthead the Great Cornholio ReAction figure:

In all this con was a blast, especially when it came to the celebs. Were any of you guys there? If so who did you meet? Any other highlights for you? Let me know in the comments section below.

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NJ Horror Con: March 2019

On April 30, 2019, I made my first ever visit to New Jersey Horror Con at the Showboat hotel and casino in Atlantic City, NJ. This is a relatively new horror convention, only 4 years old, if I am not mistaken, that has rapidly gotten huge. They had some amazing guests, on this occasion, so two of my closest friends, Nelson and Freddie, and I headed out to have an awesome day of horror fun!

The first person that I went up to was Joe Bob Briggs. He has been a hero of mine and a huge influence on me and my writing, since I first read about him many years ago. I have been wanting to meet him for years, especially after his return with the now weekly series, The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs, currently airing Friday nights on Shudder. And, speaking of that awesome show, the gorgeous Darcy the Mail Girl was also there with him! I got to tell him what a hero of mine he is. My friend Freddie and I talked to the both of them for a few minutes. They are so nice and sweet in person, that they more than made my day. This for me is a highlight of the year!

The other highlight of the show, and the year, for me, came with the next person I met: Lea Thompson! The star of Tales from the Crypt, Back to the Future, Red Dawn, Howard the Duck, and more has been on my convention must meet list forever. She is, after all, one of my biggest childhood crushes. I told her that, and she was so sweet and all smiles! She even said that she liked my jacket (AKA my battle-jacket). That made my year! Thompson is still gorgeous in person and truly awesome to her fans.

Freddie and I went up to Frances Lee McCain, who played the mom in one of my favorite movies of all time: Gremlins! I told her and that it was a Christmas tradition for me to watch it every year during the holiday season. She was so nice and sweet in person!

I also went up to Harvey Spencer Stephens, who played Damien in The Omen. He clearly works out and is in great shape. He is also really nice in person. I got to tell him that that movie is one of my favorites of all time.

All three of us got a pic with Bob Camp, the legendary creator of Ren and Stimpy! He was fucking awesome in person and talked to us for a decent amount of time.

As an Aliens fan this was my favorite cosplay of the day!

At the convention I got:
Joe Bob Goes Back to the Drive-In which he signed for me
80s Trailer Trauma 3: Horrothon on Blu-ray, which is the only one in the series that I am missing
and, a Funko Pop Motley Crue Vince Neil (on a side note, The Dirt is an awesome movie!)

The autographs that got (Joe Bob Briggs and Harvey Spencer Stephens) are below:

We had an awesome time, for sure, and would surely be back. Below is the three of us next to the Ecto 1 and Slimer (!) from Ghostbusters!

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