I was looking over April horror films and made note of a VOD/found footage movie called #Screamers (the hashtag is part of the title). I was surprised when a couple days later the head honcho of terrordaves.com asked if I was interested in reviewing it and enthusiastically dived in!
National horror host, Svengoolie, has been a staple of the Chicago Comics and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) for the past seven years and I’ve faithfully seen him at each one. This year would be no exception, though his role would expand to an additional session on Friday’s opening day. In addition to greeting fans again on Saturday, he’d also be the subject of a “Svengoolie Spotlight” panel – another Svengoolie/C2E2 first. His crew graciously allowed me to hang with them both days in an example of mutualism at its best – I get the inside scoop & photos and they get an extra set of hands and guy built like a bouncer while he’s on the floor. The biggest challenge is just keeping up with them!
Friday, April 6, 2018, 10:15am – My daughters, Leia and Jade, and I arrive at McCormick Place just after the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) begins. This year they had security checkpoints set up like the ones they have at airports which created some delay. While approaching the metal detectors, I notice a Wonder Woman cosplayer in front of me holding a sword and a guy behind me with a laser gun. I swear this is the only Security Screen in history where folks walk in proudly brandishing weapons!
Though I enjoy ghost tours and ghost stories, I’ve never been a fan of ghost hunting TV shows. It felt like if I’d seen one I’d seen em’ all and there was no way even the most gifted ghoster can capture something on a weekly basis. Despite an open mind, I have little patience for “Wow, did you feel the room suddenly get cold?” or someone claiming they’re nauseous after entering an alleged haunted site. I’m not calling these folks liars or anything, just that these plot devices kill my suspension of disbelief. Continue reading
C2E2 (Chicago Comics Entertainment Expo) reminds me of how Christmas felt back when I was a kid (and Halloween is now). You start preparing a full month in advance as the excitement builds to the big day. Or, in this case, a full weekend. This year I’ll be attending all three days which is a first for me. As usual, covering national horror host, Svengoolie, remains priority #1 and he’ll be there an extra day as well – signing autographs on Friday afternoon in addition to Saturday. Another C2E2 first is his participation in a “Svengoolie Spotlight” panel Saturday too. Sven and his Producer, Jim Roche, are graciously allowing me to hang with the crew at this event as with past years. I’m far from worthy but truly appreciate it.
We arrived at our hotel in Connellsville, PA that Friday and spent the remainder of the evening watching my son’s favorite show, Ghost Adventures. The following day I’d planned for us to see the Pittsburgh Zoo but worried we’d never get back in time for the Weird Al Yankovic concert that evening. Rather than risk being late, I decided to let the kids sleep in and looked for things closer to do. I was surprised to discover our hotel was only twenty-five minutes from the Kecksburg UFO which I’d visited almost exactly four years earlier. This development inspired me to hold off on my originally planned story for Scary Monsters Magazine #109 and feature this locale in the next WEIRD USA column instead. Since I’m saving all the details for the magazine (which is your cue to subscribe to it) I’ll just share some photos taken that day…
Terror from Beyond the Dave 