As some of you may know, last weekend was Spooky Empire- MAYhem. The larger version of this convention is held in the fall for Halloween.
This was a small and intimate convention. I was shocked that the billed 'celebrities' were just at tables where you can approach them. They were also wondering freely to the bar or the smoking area whereas larger cons keep a very large distance between the celebs, those paying for autographs/photos and especially the general attendees. I was pretty excited to see 'Ma Petite' Jyoti Amge in person because she's entirely adorable. I don't pay for pictures but, I was a little conflicted to get one with her.
The vendors were pretty unique and consistent with the horror theme. It was a nice mix of oddities, art, clothing, crafts and memorabilia. Toward the back of the vendor hall, the vendors turned into home haunt suppliers. It is awesome to me that people make a living making
silicone molds of murderous pumpkin heads and sell them for hundreds of dollars to home haunters. I don't plan on having a home haunt anytime soon, so no purchases were made but still fun to see the new monsters and haunted house technology.
There was another convention hall featuring tattoo artists. I wasn't sure how this was going to fit into the event until I saw it. It worked well and most artists had horror themed tattoos ready to be inked. I even found an artist with an opening and got something small and simple.
Like any convention, Spooky Empire features panels. We were going to make it to the HHN panel but ended up missing it because we were having a good time walking on the floor. Additionally, there are workshops available for crafters, propmakers, and artists. A lot of the workshops fill up quickly but we were able to find a spot with a Robert Kurtzman make up how-to.
Watching Robert Kurtzman work was insane. It was truely watching an artist work; very slowly and perfectly. Overall, I think it took around 2 hours to create this 'wound'. Meanwhile, we also got to see personal behind the scenes set photos from a few of his favorite monsters and his Creature Corp shop.
Overall, it was a very interesting time. I look forward to seeing the bigger, badder version this fall!
October 30-November 1st, 2015; Hyatt Regency Orlando More info to come: http://www.spookyempire.com/
-xoxo, pretty scary
