Matt Harris’ amazing work debute at G-FEST XIX
Long before I became a “Terror Dave” or even knew what a “blog” was, there was only one fan event I attended regularly. It was exactly ten years ago that I experienced my first G-FEST (Godzilla Festival) and it would not only become something I’d look forward to every year after but one my kids would anticipate even more than Christmas itself.
Svengoolie, Lisa Maria Varon, and the MeTV crew (with “me” tagging along) exited the main hall before heading up several flights of stairs towards the celebrity lounge. Upon reaching the top, we walked along a balcony which offered a bird’s eye view of C2E2 – And what a sight it was! Thousands of fans looking like busy ants and only moments after I’d been one of them. It was both awesome and humbling at the same time.
Svengoolie had been at C2E2 well before his signing time but with a mission. Certain events such as these warrant the host bringing along his entourage which includes a camera crew. These are the makings of his “Svengoolie on the Road” segments which always start with a cartoon Sven getting run over by a hearse. Somehow we intersected at the booth of the former pro-wrestler and current WWE commentator, Jerry”The King” Lawler though, at this time, His Majesty was away on break. Jim Roche, Svengoolie’s assistant, gave me a quick greeting but I could tell he was in the zone and in full business mode. This is my cue that while I’m permitted to stay close, I’d best stand out of the way. With but few moments to greet Sven, they quickly ventured back out into the crowd.
With a steady stream of new super hero movies continuously breaking box office records, nothing says “spring” like a good comic convention. Fortunately for me, one of the best of these is right here in the Windy City ala C2E2 (Chicago Comics Entertainment Expo). I’ve been going faithfully for the past couple of years and, though initially just to cover Svengoolie, it has since become so much more.
In my short but proud Terror Dave history, I have NEVER been this behind with coverage. These shots from G-FEST XX’s art room should have been posted months ago but somehow got lost in a “draft” folder instead. “sigh” oh well, it’s not like Godzilla fandom has an expiration and it can be argued that 2014 is really more his year anyway. So please enjoy these homemade creations that were showcased at the 2013 event.
The sky’s always the limit when it comes to Godzilla-inspired creativity. But don’t take my word for it…see for yourself!
Terror from Beyond the Dave 