I’m happy to welcome back my friend, Jason Schoolcraft, who will be sharing his experience at a recent New England event…

Last Sunday morning, I made my way to the seaside town of Fall River, Massachusetts for my first visit to the MonstahXpo Halfway to Halloween horror event. Billed as the Ladies of Horror, it did not disappoint.  This was their 4th event at this location, and I was excited to finally experience it!

Dozens of vendors, artists, and sellers of all things horror were spread out over three rooms. Although much smaller than most Midwest horror cons, there were NO lines, and the prices were a lot easier to swallow. This meant you had more cash to spend on exhibitors and meet your favorite Lady of  Horror.  

I arrived just in time for the doors to open as were several Cosplayers. My favorite was a guy who dressed up as Harry Warden from My Bloody Valentine!

I checked in and received my lanyard/wristband before quickly taking in the event’s layout.

I started chatting with several independent writers and craftsmen of the horror genre while taking advantage of the great buys (and conversation) the vendors had to offer. 

It was nice to learn that many of these vendors were New Englanders like myself. I met C.M. Eddy Jr whose grandfather, Clifford M. Eddy, knew and worked with H.P. Lovecraft (born in my home state of Rhode Island) as well as Harry Houdini when he made a tour stop in Providence. Eddy wrote horror and supernatural stories as early as 1919 and quickly gained loyal fans, most notably for his work in Weird Tales Magazine.

It is a rare experience such as this that makes me love these types of events. It was an honor to learn of New England’s proud literary history and support them with a purchase of one of Eddy’s books. I urge everyone who attends fan conventions to take the time to talk to as many people as you can when touring their main floor.

I also purchased a book of short stories called “Black Honey” by Steve Van Samsom and can’t wait to give it a read.

I also spoke with several Indie filmmakers who were more than happy to talk about their work and, of course, share their movies. Needless to say, I bought more than I expected but it was well worth it. I particularly enjoyed spending time with the team behind Morbid Vision Films. They had a table with many films including Septic (2022). Its writer/director, Brian Paulin, was on hand to sign copies along with a couple of his star actresses. 

I found the area designated for the event’s LADIES OF HORROR which included the ‘80s scream queen, Linnea Quigley, Felissa Rose, and New England horror host, Penny Dreadful. First up was Felissa Rose best known for the infamous slasher, Sleepaway Camp (1983). Rose never stops smiling and you can see she loves attending horror cons and meeting her fans. In fact, this is the third time I’ve seen her and I’m always impressed with how gracious she is. Since I already had her autograph, I gave her a quick hello and thanked her for her work.

Another person I’d met before (and was happy to do so again) was the great horror host, Penny Dreadful, a local legend, and the beloved former star of Shilling Shockers. Penny now hosts a great podcast dedicated to her favorite show, “Dark Shadows,” called Terror at Collinwood. It sounds so great I quickly put it at the top of my list. Penny filmed a greeting to the owner of this blog, Dave Fuentes, who has posted many articles on her both here as well as a featured story in Scary Monsters Magazine. 

Next was Patty Mullen, most known for playing the title role in Frankenhooker (1990). Although a cult classic, I’m sad to admit that I’ve never seen this movie.

Last, but certainly not least, was the great Linnea Quigly – most known for her role as “Trash” from Return of the Living Dead (1985). I absolutely love that movie and it was great seeing her again after meeting her a couple of years back in Chicago.

My trip to MonstahXpo was a blast. Their next event will take place in October and I have already bought my tickets! 

Jason Schoolcraft~