Special thanks to Matthew Medlen for sharing his photos from the huge Chicago gathering of fans…
Lou Ferrigno a.k.a. The Incredible Hulk!
Author Archives: Dave Fuentes
Penny Dreadful’s Shilling Shockers’ Monster Hunting Kit!
It’s always a pleasure for a Midwesterner like myself to meet up with the incomparable Penny Dreadful and the talented crew of Shilling Shockers! I had driven from my native Chicago to attend this year’s MONSTERBASH convention in Pennsylvania and it provided the perfect halfway point for catching up with New England’s finest. I had just spent the previous weeks watching her wonderful Season Eight (which I urge you to order copies for yourselves by clicking HERE) and wanted to tell them personally what a great job I thought they’d done on it.
“Haunting Tales of Horrorbles” and Svengoolie!
I hadn’t seen Horror Host, Svengoolie, descend upon Berwyn (a town he’s helped make famous) since he Grand Marshalled their “Houby Parade” last October (story HERE). I can’t recall the last time I’d seen him at their local treasure, “Horrorbles,” but I DO know that it was some time before I became a “Terror Dave.” It couldn’t happen too much for me, as the two seem made for each other. Not only because the Horror themed store is the official supplier of Sven’s rubber chickens but because they are both hallowed horror institutions of Chicagoland.
Horrorbles: The Best Little Horror House in Berwyn!
On the outskirts of the Windy City, with the Sears…I mean Willis Tower looming in the distance, lies the suburb of Berwyn. Its a town that made a name for itself for once having a giant garbage sculpture and spindle of cars as prominent local art. They even hold an annual parade dedicated to, of all things, mushrooms (courtesy of its Houby Parade which we covered HERE). Despite these wonderful things that give the town so much character, it would be a horror host that would REALLY put them on the map, both here in Chicagoland as well as a national audience…
G-FEST and the Godzilla-sized Heart of Fandom!
G-FEST, the quintessential Godzilla event, is known for bringing rare and wonderful stars of the Japanese Kaiju genre to the unlikely venue of my sweet home, Chicago. This year was no exception with the return of Akira Takarada & also the original Ultraman, Bin Furuya. Before I delve into that, I feel like I should mention that while I have illustrated in previous posts much of what G-FEST has to offer, there is no way that I can truly convey its essence. Yes, like other fan-based conventions, it offers celebrities, dealer rooms, and eager fans. These are incidental, however, to what really makes it unique. For lack of better words, G-FEST has heart!
Things you never knew about the movie, “Poltergeist!”
Another great feature of this past DAYS OF THE DEAD convention in Indianapolis was the reunion of two POLTERGEIST cast members, Oilver Robbins (Robbie Freeling) and Martin Casella (Marty)! The two joined again for a Q&A panel to discuss the film while revealing some new insights on what went on behind the scenes! Thanks to our friends, Ron & Angela Urban, here are some juicy tidbits…
Terror from Beyond the Dave 