Svengoolie’s Flashback Finale!

Posted on by

Having finished up with his interviews, Svengoolie and crew headed just outside Flashback Weekend‘s main hall to his designated signing spot. It was finally time to greet his patient fans and, considering how long many of them had been standing out there, not a moment too soon. There were three lines (one for Flashback VIP badge carriers) and, despite some initial confusion, went smoothly overall. As with C2E2 a few months back, my job was to take photos of Sven with his fans; using their own cameras. Producer, Jim Roche, fired up the crowd while dispensing some of the ground rules for meeting MeTV’s Saturday night sensation.

1 2

Robert Englund Toasts Svengoolie at Flashback Weekend!

Posted on by

(Continued  from my last post) 

Don Johnston and I greeted the crew as they pulled into the hotel’s private parking lot. Accompanying Svengoolie were his Executive Producer, Jim Roche; Associate Producer, Ella Larschield; camera person, Korey McElligot; and social media specialist, Jennifer Vlad. After being stuck in near-standstill traffic for 90 minutes (due to the Lollapalooza Festival taking place in Chicago’s Grant Park),  they looked as if they were ready to kiss the ground upon exiting their cars.

1 2

The Art of a Svengoolie Public Appearance

Posted on by

I  arrived at Chicago’s McCormick Place around ten o’clock Friday morning. Once again, my job was to assist the national MeTV horror host, Svengoolie, as he tackled the pop culture extravaganza C2E2 (Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo). This year’s entourage included Executive Producer Jim Roche, Director Chris Faulkner, Cameraman Patrick Payne, and MeTV crew members Briana Janczy and Bill Rieck handling social media. In addition to meeting and interacting with his fans, Svengoolie’s objective was to gather interviews and footage for upcoming shows. The event organizers do not assist with these latter objectives, making all his C2E2 appearances unpredictable. To help strategize, Jim compiled a list of interview hopefuls, and then it was a matter of whether they’d be willing to talk on camera and if their schedules clashed with ours. Tracking them down was another matter, but more on that later.

1 2

Svengoolie Goes Back (45 Years) to the Future at C2E2!

Posted on by

Svengoolie’s second day at C2E2 promised to be a long one. In addition to his scheduled photo op and autograph signing, he’d also participate in a special “45th Anniversary of Svengoolie” podcast panel hosted by John Siuntress from Word Balloon. When Svengoolie and crew arrived, we quickly went through security and up the escalator to the main hall. It was fun watching people’s reactions to him – especially since many initially assumed he was just a skilled cosplayer.

Continue reading →

Assisting Svengoolie & Waiting for Chip Zdarsky at C2E2!

Posted on by

My anticipation for C2E2 (Chicago Comics & Entertainment Expo) was elevated this year thanks to my renewed interest in comic books. Last year’s hunt for the “Svengoolie: Lost in Time” variant covers led to excavating my old collection and now taking regular trips to the local comic book shop. Instead of being brand loyal to MARVEL (as I was back in the ’80s and ’90s) I’ve now started dabbling with other publishers such as Image Comics, IDW Publishing, BOOM! Studios, to name a few. But more on that later. The main draw for C2E2, for me, was Svengoolie whom I’d been brought on to assist. Continue reading →

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

Posted on by

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.

Continue reading →