My ten year old son, Luke, and I arrived today for G-FEST XXI . In the ten years I’ve attended the Godzilla Festival, I’d never seen the registration line so long on a Friday. Last year I attended over ten conventions, most outside of my sweet home Chicago with poor G-FEST getting a quick stop-over on its final day. This year would be the opposite as I vowed to avoid virtually every other event and focus solely on one of my favorites.
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.
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!
Some more shots of G-FEST XX’s Monster Model entries!
2013 marked G-FEST (Godzilla Festival’s) 20th gathering and I’d attended faithfully the last ten. Of all the conventions I’ve gone to, this one always has a special place in my heart because it gave me so many happy memories with my kids (as I tearfully explained once HERE). Not to mention, Godzilla fans are really more like family than just fellow enthusiasts which makes it more like an annual reunion as opposed to Expo. Unfortunately, the July weekend it took place this year couldn’t have presented more of a challenge for me as my Friday & Saturday was booked solid with events I was locked into attending.
Last weekend I went to see national horror host, Svengoolie, at a Chicago store called Cook Brothers (“We stack em Deep and Sell em Cheap!”). Though not as remarkable as his previous appearance at The Squared Circle, it did represent a bit of a milestone for me. Since discovering that he’d return to the airwaves in 2003, this would mark my 35th time seeing him (either as Svengoolie or Rich Koz) at a public event.
Terror from Beyond the Dave 