The Days of the Dead convention has came and went, but how was it you may ask. I will say that I speak for the majority of us horror fans when I say that this was truly an awesome collection of all things horror and I couldn’t have felt more at home.
That being said I typically like getting my complaints out of the way before I start praising events. I suppose it’s because I try to find the best in things and I really hate to leave things on a bad note. So let’s just get the bad news over shall we? The floor space of this event was insanely small. When I walked into the showroom I was blown away with wall to wall horror and I was looking forward to many rows of merchandise and spectacles, but I was quickly let down to find out that this portion of the convention was just a handful of rows in such a small showroom. Granted there were two more “showrooms” that were dedicated to the tattoo portion and another to mostly guests with minimal merchandise. I realize I may get some flak for these statements, but it’s the truth right? My absolute favorite part of these conventions are the merchandise booths and after about 20 minutes I seen all that this part of the show had to offer.
While what I stated above is true, it became evident that the merchandise isn’t at all the focus of this gathering. After a few moments of standing in the hallway wondering what else there was to do, I quickly became greeted by Captain Steele and Maybelle as they took audience members on a terrific journey through the excitement and wonder of one of America’s Favorite Sideshows. I was treated with sword swallowing, terrific humor and even witnessed him jab a giant needle in his nose.
Meanwhile I could hear the tattoo needles in the background and decided to check this out once the sideshow ended. While it was definitely interesting to see random people on tables spread across the room getting tattoos I had a hard time seeing the big picture for this inclusion. I do hate saying this though as I am big tattoo fan and have a handful myself. I highly value this art form and did enjoy talking with a few of the artists and seeing their work. After a few moments with this I was honestly just ready to move on, but I also wasn’t really there to get work done so maybe that effected my interest level.
Seeing some really great cosplay was for sure a huge draw and trust me, there were some truly great renditions of cult favorites. Not only could you enjoy seeing great moments like the one above, but if you weren’t paying attention seeing some of these cult icons can manage to catch you off guard.
Seeing a few celebrities, enjoying the cosplay, getting tattoos or even stopping a few booths can be a great distraction but what else is there?
For those interested in getting the opportunity to ask their favorite celebrity questions or hearing some really great stories, Days of the Dead seemed to offer an amazing schedule of guest panels and Q&A sessions. They also seemed to be balanced perfectly to allow for everyone to catch all of their favorite celebrities and not miss out on everything else going on.
Aside from everything else I mentioned all weekend long showcased a 48 independent horror film festival. While I didn’t attend much of this section I really thought it was a great inclusion and served as an excellent way to mix up your weekend.
I realize some of this article isn’t exactly praising parts of this event, but let me clarify things a bit. While I had a few disappointments I quickly realized that this event really served to give horror fans a huge variety of entertainment over the course the weekend. If you bounce around and catch a few of horror films, meet some guests, do some shopping and maybe get some ink done before catching someone like Elvira answer your questions there is easily enough things to spend your time on for a few days. I just think it’s important to know what you are walking into and manage your expectations. Don’t expect a huge comic con style event and you will be fine. True horror fans who enjoy all of these elements will have a blast and enjoy being surrounded by their genre brethren.
For more information on Days of the Dead Festivals visit the Official Site.
