It’s been a while since I’ve attended a Days of the Dead horror con but after hearing Clive Barker was headlining their March 2024 Chicago show, I knew it was time to return. The legendary Horror/Fantasy author has been plagued with poor health and recently announced that he will no longer be attending conventions (I believe an upcoming appearance in New Jersey will be his last) with plans to focus on writing. I love Barker’s books, particularly his more fantasy-based stories such as Weaveworld and Imajica and look forward to adding more favorites to that list. Barker also wrote and directed one of my favorite weird, horror movies – Nightbreed (1990). Several other cast members from Nightbreed were also in attendance: Craig Sheffer, Doug Bradley, Simon Bamford, and Nicholas Vince. It was an opportunity I wasn’t going to pass up.

Despite rising costs, I do love a good horror con. There’s something electric about sharing space with fellow fans, seeing all the creative costumes, getting insights on my favorite films via panel discussions, shopping in the dealer room, and catching up with old friends. If I were a wealthy man of leisure,  I’d probably attend every show in the country. Regardless, I’m fortunate to live in the Midwest USA where there’s plenty including my favorite, Flashback Weekend every August.

I wrote a list of all the autographs I wanted from this event and then made the bold choice of doing it all in a single night. And so, on the afternoon of  March 22nd, I headed up to Rosemont, Illinois (about 50 minutes from my apartment) with an over-the-shoulder bag containing a couple of Blu-ray covers, a UK 1st Edition copy of “Weaveworld,” and a 1990 Mill Creek video store promotional poster for Nightbreed. Joining me was my daughter, Jade, and her horror-obsessed boyfriend, Joe. They live in the same apartment complex I do and I’ve been enjoying watching horror flicks with Joe while introducing him to ’80s slashers and Italian Giallo. This was his first horror con and I’m hopeful they’ll be joining me at Flashback Weekend, too.

They would have free reign of the event while my ambitious goals guaranteed I’d be spending the entire night in line. I knew this walking in and came mentally prepared. It’s a good thing too because that’s exactly what happened. Once the doors opened, I headed straight for the Crowne Plaza’s Balmoral Ballroom on its main floor for Clive Barker. Finding it was no issue as I’ve been to this Crowne Plaza so many times I could draw you a floor map from memory. The line was long as expected but I was fortunate to meet some cool guys my age, Mike and Steve, who made the time go much faster. Ironically, Steve brought the same Mill Creek video store poster to have signed as I did.

During my wait, Jade and Joe optimized my time by taking my poster to Craig Sheffer and Simon Bamford while I waited for Barker. In addition to my poster, Sheffer also signed by Imprint Blu-ray cover for Fire in the Sky (1993) a film I discussed years ago. I had this cover signed by D.B. Sweeney at a past Days of the Dead and was happy to add Sheffer’s signature to it. I’m crazy about that movie and it’s one I re-watch about every six months or so.

They also added Simon Bamford’s signature before returning the poster to me.

Before entering the ballroom, we were told (due to Barker’s difficulty speaking) to just say “Hello” and avoid engaging in conversation. Everyone was also required to wear a mask in his presence which they handed out; though having been informed ahead of time, I brought my own. Once inside, there was a lot to take in. Barker’s original paintings were for sale and adorned the wall while several tables boasted collector editions of his books and much more.

Earlier in the evening, a guy standing in front of us asked if we’d hold his place in line which we did for over an hour. When he returned and found out how much the autographs were he announced he didn’t bring any money and would just have to wave ‘hello’ (???) to Barker. It’s never a good idea to attend a con without any cash.

Despite being told not to talk to Barker, he initiated a conversation. He told me my old book looked “well loved” and I told him it would be even more loved knowing it had been in his hands. He took my hand and squeezed it while thanking me. Later he reached out and squeezed my hand again before I left saying how happy he was to meet me. He seemed like a kind-hearted soul and I hate that he’s suffered so much.

After it was over, I headed back to the main hall to obtain the remaining autographs for my poster. I started with Doug Bradley who in addition to his iconic role as Pinhead in Barker’s Hellraiser films, also played Dirk Lylesberg in Nightbreed – although his dialogue was dubbed over by another actor for its theatrical cut. Like Barker, Bradley has had his share of health issues but looked fantastic and enjoyed interacting with fans. 

It went quickly, though the same couldn’t be said for my final Nightbreed autograph, Nicholas Vince. His line was unusually long and someone mentioned that it may have had to do with his not attending many horror cons. According to his assistant, he made an exception for this event because he’s “always wanted to see Chicago.” My friend, John Doyle, was also perplexed by the line and mentioned how he’d come straight from work and was starving. I offered to hold his place in line so he could get something to eat and he happily took me up on it. I was hungry, too, but planned to grab something on the way home. Besides, there was no point in us both standing there – especially after Vince and all the other Hellraiser guests took off for a scheduled photo op. Oh well, what’s one more hour in line?

While I was waiting, I sent Jade and Joe to John Philbin so he could add his signature to my Return of the Living Dead Blu-ray insert. They said he was hilarious and enjoyed meeting him a lot (especially since both are big ROTLD fans). When they approached his booth he pointed at them and said, “Hold it!…I love the vibe you two give off!”

As with Barker’s line, it’s the people you’re standing with that help pass the time. In this case, it was a chatty woman who seemed to have an endless amount of banter. I’m not sure, but it seemed like this was her first con – placing her into a state of euphoria. “You two are beautiful!” she said to John and me who had no idea how to respond. Later, she mentioned she was legally blind which certainly explained the previous comment. She asked us how old we were and, after we told her, she said, “Oh, I wish I was older!” So for the next several minutes I, along with two other guys in their ‘50s, explained how she should be careful what she wishes for. True, age does give one wisdom and valuable perspectives about life but physically everything starts to hurt!

Then she asked me another odd question…”Do you think Nicholas Vince will give me an autograph?” And I replied, “I can guarantee that he will right after you pay him $40.” She responds, “No, I mean if I ask him as a person (???).” I’m like, “No, that’s not how this works,” making her the second person I encountered at this event who showed up and waited in line with no cash. Vince’s assistant told her that although he doesn’t take credit card payments, he will do Paypal. So after nearly two hours in line doing absolutely nothing but talk, she waits until it’s her turn to hold up the line so she can download the Paypal app! Thankfully, the assistant let me bypass her though John was less fortunate. He texted me the next day that she talked to Vince for like twenty minutes before his assistant had to get out the proverbial shepherd’s hook and he could have his turn. 

With my goals reached and Jade and Joe just finishing up a nice dinner at the adjoining Caddyshack restaurant, it was time to leave so I could make my annual visit to White Castle. Despite all that standing around, I had a good time and am looking forward to Flashback Weekend in August! But not before C2E2, which I’ll be attending next week and will be discussing next. 

Dave~