Scott Snyder and the ‘Absolute” terror of missing Kurt Russell!

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Sunday morning, I ate some of my leftover pizza for breakfast and hurried over to the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center for the last day of the Chicago Fan Expo. When attending weekend events, it’s unusual for me to stay long on Sundays, as I’ve usually accomplished all of my objectives. Today, however, was a full day, which was more challenging after checking out of the hotel and without my usual sanctuary. Unlike yesterday, I took advantage of my Ultimate pass’ early access in the hopes of getting the Scott Snyder ticket that eluded me then.

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Fan Expo and the Kurt Russell Hustle!

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Chicago Fan Expo coverage continues…

Saturday morning, I woke up early and had the buffet breakfast at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare. After spending most of the previous day standing in line, today was no exception, and a full breakfast of champions was in order. The Hyatt features an overpass tunnel I could use to get to my car in the parking garage across the street or to Fan Expo at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center. A staff member stood inside, making sure anyone heading to the Expo had their appropriate passes. With all the running back and forth I did in those tunnels throughout the weekend, it’s a wonder we didn’t end up on a first-name basis. I had a couple of hours before my scheduled photo op with Kurt Russell, and I wanted to see some comic creators, specifically Scott Snyder, who created the comic world’s latest hit sensation, “Absolute Batman.” 

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Christmas Arrives Early at 2026 Flashback Weekend!

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Before Svengoolie and crew arrived on Saturday (see my last post), I had a small window of time to get some autographs. It wasn’t a race, as I already made plans to return that Sunday with my son, but I figured I’d do what I could. Most of the celebrity guests were charging extra for selfies, and I have a rule that I never pay for those (a rule I recently broke but held true for Flashback Weekend.  The items I was primarily interested in getting signed were vinyl, and a few were even tied in with who I was planning to meet at what was then the upcoming Chicago Fan Expo, just two weeks later. I’ve always liked vinyl for its vibe and bought a decent turntable setup a couple of years ago. It’s an eclectic collection, but I do have a lot of soundtracks, mainly from horror films and from boutique companies like Waxwork, Terror Vision, or Mondo. Like many of my fellow horror fans, I draft and budget a plan before any event: mapping out whom I want to see and what I specifically want signed from them, rarely deviating from it. This time I’d make an early exception.

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Peter Criss: The Unlikely Elder Statesman of KISS!

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I can’t say how many people attended the New Jersey Horror Con last May, but judging by the number of KISS shirts I saw, it was obvious the majority were there for Peter Criss. As a proud member of the KISS Army, I came all the way out from the suburbs of Chicago to attend, though this would not be my first time meeting him. That moment took place back in ‘94, when my friend, Jason Lucas, the man who indoctrinated me into KISS, brought me with him to a Chicago convention. This was before the band’s big Reunion in ’96 and at a time when KISS’ estranged original drummer was, by my observation, NOT in a good headspace. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that, back then, he was something of a jerk. Even before the days of social media, stories swirled among fans about Criss’s cantankerous nature and his animosity towards his former band. Jason told me a story about how when one of his friends brought a KISS item for Criss to sign, he wrote on it, “F— You! Peter Criss.”

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Clive Barker and his “Nightbreed” visit Chicago’s Days of the Dead.

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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.

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Flashback Weekend 2023 concludes with Dick Warlock!

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I had an early start that Sunday morning at Flashback Weekend loading up my car before having breakfast with my friends. The day was to be short and sweet as I’d already accomplished my convention goals save for one…meeting Dick Warlock. As mentioned in my first Flashback post, Warlock would prove something of a hidden gem at this event. Although horror fans knew him best for playing Michael Myers in Halloween II (1981), he proved to be something of a hidden gem with a rich Hollywood history as a stunt double. His resume’ had sent gasps through the audience during his Q&A session with Dick Digilio as well as providing great entertainment for his taped Svengoolie interview on Saturday. Today would be my turn to meet him.

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