I usually arrive the day before Monster Mania, but this time I flew in the night of the convention. We didn't get to the hotel until 8 so I figured I'd save some cash and just wait until Saturday. Met up with old friends and stayed up late. I had a geek moment when I mustered the courage to say hello to Anthony Michael Hall in the bar. He was very pleasant and asked about myself, where I'm from and what I do. Norman Reedus was also hanging around being social. Saturday we got up early to get autographs out of the way. First was the VIP guest, John Carpenter. Next, I had to have P.J. Soles on my Carrie poster and spaced out when she asked who's illegible signatures were already on there. Doi! Jefffery Combs was rocking a fetching mustache for his stage production of Edgar Allen Poe. Next to him was Michael Tough, the killer from "Prom Night" who is now a real estate agent with a collection of hawaiian shirts. I had him sign a shard of mirror in red marker "Killer is Coming". He then post wearing the mask from the movie and pressed a shard of mirror to my throat. I did my best "scared" pose. Tony Todd has a long line. I was so excited to inform him we have the same birthday and that I currently live in his home town, Hartford, CT. Came out rather stalkerish, but we had a nice conversation bout local landmarks etc. He's a TALL drink of water! I had to have Anthony Michael Hall on my Weird Science 8x10 that Robert Russler previously signed. He remembered my name! I was to tickled! I sauntered over to see Claire and Simon from "Hellraiser". This was Clare's first U.S. convention and she was having a ball. I gave them each one of my "Cenobite" energy drinks. They posed for a photo with the drink. A replica of the car from Christine was parked outside and I couldn't resist hopping in for a photo op. Such a cool car! After a lunch break and another spin around the vendor room we went to some Q&A's. After John Carpenter's Q&A (in which a jerky fan had the nerve to insult one of his films and Carpenter replied "F@#$ you!") I caught him outside having a smoke and asked to take a photo with him since I was dolled up and "looking good". He said "Of course. You smell good too". YES! That made my night. We were going back to our room when Anthony Michael Hall invited us to join him in the bar for a drink. Just like a scene from "Weird Science", we sat in a corner booth with him and an entourage (mostly ladies) and had a drink. I had a wonderful conversation with Sean Clark. Our pizza arrived and we scuttled back to our room to gorge before returning to socialize some more. There was a FABULOUS hearse parked outside complete with purple neon lights underneath, skull hood ornament and exhaust tips, bone rims, blasting Cannibal Corpse. Wish that was MY car! Lost steam around 2AM and we called it a night. Had to get up somewhat early to catch our flight home. Had a fantastic time. Can't wait until March!

I missed out on the Cherry Hill Monster Mania, but was happy to be back in Hunt Valley at the Marriott. Now my boyfriend is a seasoned convention goer so we were ready to take on Monster Mania 18. There were lots of Friday the 13th stars, both victims and Jasons. The ladies looked just beautiful and each shared little stories and memories. Lauren Marie Taylor who played Vickie in Fri13th II signed a pair of brown panties, which she said was a first for her. Peter Barton was a sweetheart. It was his first convention and he shared some interesting stories about Crispin Glover and shooting his shower scene. Kane Hodder was promoting his upcoming biography. He was nice enough to have Sean Cunningham sign my Crystal Lake book. Angus Skrim always scared me but couldn't have been nicer. The Q&As were fun, Miguel Nuñez is a show stealer. We had a gorgeous zombie charactaure portrait drawn by a very talented artist.

Chiller time once again. We arrived rather late Friday evening but my friend Tom Fridley was nice enough to invite us into his signing room and give us guest bracelets for the weekend. I had the pleasure of meeting his son and daughter-in-law, and his wonderful mother, Ellen Travolta who was so warm and friendly. I was pleased to meet Robert "Damone" Romanus from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. We had a pleasant talk about music. Jane Wiedlin from the Go Go's was so tiny and spunky. She can still rock out with the best of them. Heather Langenkamp was selling her documentary "I Am Nancy" and recognized me. Apparently I show up in the dvd a few times so I HAD to buy a copy. Its excellent! PJ Soles was gracious as always. My favorite story of the weekend was meeting Britt Eckland from my favorite James Bond movie "The Man With the Golden Gun". I was hoping for a photo between her and Maud Adams, but Maud was charging so I only purchased an autograph from her. Britt asked if I wanted to take a photo and I asked if she charged. She replied "I'm European, I don't charge" in her lovely english accent. I don't follow wrestling, boxing or any other sport, but a friend requested I get a Tommy Morrison autograph, so I met him and took a few tough photos. We wore our matching skeleton costumes and rocked out at the Halloween party till all hours of the night.

This Chiller was a special one. My new boyfriend and I carved a pumpkin before hitting the road to NJ. It was our first Chiller together and he was excited to meet Tom Savini. We were in line for Ginger Lynn when she came up to us and asked us to tell the people in line she would be back after a visit to the ladies room in exchange for a free autograph. I had to pose with Gunnar Hansen holding my awesome Leatherface toy courtesy of Knit-Terrors. Traci Lords was beautiful and sweet. Although she was charging for photos, she offered to take one with us for free because she liked our matching skeleton costumes. Saturday night was the big Halloween party. Lots of amazing and creative costumes. Sunday I had the pleasure of meeting Bela Lugosi Jr. who signed a poster for my mother for free. Couldn't leave the hotel without saying hello to Lita Ford one more time. Returned home and realized I had no candy for the trick or treaters, so we closed the curtains and hid out.

Friday I got to the hotel around 5:30. Jake Busey was at the front desk of the Hilton when I went to check in. I went over to say hi and turned to see that he was chatting with Danny Trejo. I introduced myself to Danny and he was so nice. He said airport security didn't get his machete and showed me the inside of his leather jacket which had a bedazzled machete. SO cool! He mentioned wanting to head up to Boston to check out some clubs and bars. I told him Boston was awesome and we were pretty close. They were off to the convention. We checked in our rooms then went for a bite to eat at a bar down the street. The weather was so nasty, rainy, windy, and cold and since we were late arriving we decided to skip the last hour of the con and just have a few drinks in the hotel bar.

Saturday morning we headed to the convention center. We scoured the vendor room and bought things to get signed. I said good morning to Jake and bought one of his cds. My first autograph was Zoe Bell. She is much taller than I expected and absolutely beautiful. She signed my "Death Proof" poster "I'm ok!" and told me she loved the name Hollie :) Adam Green was next to her signing for free. I got him on my Hatchet 2 poster and chatted with him about the movie. Next was Danielle Harris. She signed my Hatchet 2 poster and asked if I got to see it. I asked her what kind of mascara she wears and interestingly enough she told me they are lash extensions We chit chatted about mascara and fake lashes for a few minutes much to the disbelief of the men around us. Whatever, THESE are the important questions! George Romero had a huge line but it was now or never. Probably waited an hour. I let Cory go ahead of me since this was his first autograph. I gave George a photo of the 2 of us from last year's Chiller. He's a sweetie and indulged me and my friends in a photoshoot. Alex Winters signed my Lost Boys and Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure posters. SO cool! It was his first convention and I hope he comes back. We posed for a picture and I put my arm around him and said "C'mon act like you like me!" Danny Trejo had a line to rival Romero's. I had him sign my Devil's Rejects poster which is getting pretty full now. Off to William Katt. I showed him a photo of me dressed as Carrie for Halloween. He loved it. I also gave him a photo of us from Monster Mania earlier this year. He signed my Carrie poster and we took another photo. He is such a friendly person. LOVE his energy :) Stopped by Doug Bradley's table. I put down an energy drink and said "remember me?" he said yes and that he still had an unopened can at home from the first time we met. I was done with autographs. Had some pizza in the hotel room, pounded a 5 hour energy shot then headed over for the concert. Murderdolls were first. Never saw them before, they were killer! Next was Alice Cooper. His set was consistent with the amazing show he performed at the casino last year. Such a legend! I caught a box of nerds he threw out to the audience at the end of the show. Rob Zombie headlined and brought out the energy. He threw out witch hats (Cory snagged one for me!) We all danced and sang along. Aside from some drunk jerks slamming into people and attempting to crowd surf it was tremendous! We were so tired, sore, and dehydrated after the show we crashed early.

Sunday we packed up the car, had some unhealthy snacks at the con, scoured the vendor room one last time. A lot of the guests weren't' there yet or left early. We said hello to Bill Mosley. He and I chatted a little about the concert and his biography- which he says is on hold due to the fact that he can't remember a lot. A woman was walking around with a python wrapped around her and a baby gator wearing a diamond collar in her hand. She let me hold the gator for a photo. Such a cute little critter. It was an exhausting but wonderful weekend as usual.

I took an early train down Thursday morning, arriving at the Hunt Valley hotel around 12:30. The place was lovely and had quite a "Shining" quality about it. The staff was incredible. After checking in, I explored the indoor pool and hot tub situation. Had it all to myself. Nice, relaxing way to kick of the weekend. Some of the celeb guests checked in and mingled in the hotel bar. Some familiar faces and some new ones i was excited to meet. I had a great conversation about movies, cell phones, and social skills of today's youth with Sean Patrick Flanery while he ate vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup yum! Also chatted with Rodney Eastman about his upcoming film "I Spit on Your Grave". Rocco ("Boondock Saints") was also in the bar. Turns out he's from the town I was born in and went to the same high school I graduated from. Small world!

Friday I killed some time at the mall and picked up cigarettes for Rocco. The convention began at 5 and I decided to get Robert Englund's line out of the way first and foremost. After about 2 1/2 hours I finally got to him. I had him sign a photo for a friend that recently got out of a coma, along with my "New Nightmare" poster and a poster I had made of the 2 of us from last year's Halloween party. He was gracious as always and wished my mother a special happy birthday on camera (which I screwed up and hit record AFTER he finished!) I retreated to my room and put away my precious goodies and made my way to the main room. I had my Crystal Lake Memory book signed by Ted White (F13th IV) and Tom Morga (F13th V) and the adorable Kirsten baker (Fri13th 2). I also got my Return of the Living Dead poster signed by the cast in a green metallic marker that looks amazing! Everyone was so fun! John Saxon and Heather Langenkamp signed my "New Nightmare" poster and I was done for the day! We all drank in the hotel bar. I met Harvey Stephens (Damien from "Omen) who was surprisingly cheerful and very British. Norman Reedus ("Boondock Saints") wanted to meet him so I made the introductions. Harvey had never seen "Boondock Saints" so Norman attempted to explain the plot to him. Hilarious evening with possibly too much Whip Cream vodka involved. Went to bed around 5AM.

Saturday, my cousin, Erica and her boyfriend, Will came up. I waited in line with them to see the guys from Boondock Saints. I had this awesome wooden poster I found at "Christmas Tree Shop". Norman liked the texture of it and kept rubbing it before he signed it. I gave him and Sean copies of a photo we posed for at the VIP Dessert party last convention. As usual they were extremely cool to talk to and very gracious to Erica and Will. My friend Chris gave Erica his extra ticket to wait in line for Robert Englund. Will and I scoured the vendor room while she was in there getting an autograph and photo. After a quick bite to eat we were back for a few more autographs. I introduced Erica and Will to Kane Hodder and he choked the life out of them for the camera. Then we waited in Heather Langenkamp's line which was quite long. Worth the wait though, she's a doll. We found the Q&A room and sat though "Friday the 13th", "Return of the Living Dead" and "Boondock Saints". All quite entertaining. We went back to the room and ordered Dominos. I found the Saints boys in the bar and snagged photos of Erica and Will with them before they left. Naturally, I stayed up late socializing with everyone and had a great time.

Sunday, I had to check out then shadowed my friend Chris as he got some last minute autographs. I managed to rerecord Robert Englund's bday greeting to my mother. The Saints boys were posing for a photo with fake guns. i couldn't resist and knew this would probably be the last time I saw them so I shelled out the $ for that and said my goodbyes to them. While waiting for my cab outside the hotel I was reflecting that I had accomplished everything I hoped to that weekend except for one thing…Miguel Nuñez walked outside texting on his cell. I came over and started singing "Hey baby…hey baby" (From Fri13th V) and he put his arm around my shoulder and sang "ooh baby ooh baby!". Mission accomplished. I just made it to my train. Unfortunately missed my connecting train but eventually made it home. Tremendous weekend!

I arrived Thursday night. After getting lost a few times in NJ I finally arrived at the Crowne Plaza. It was a pretty quiet night, the hotel bar closed early so by the time many of the celeb guests showed up they couldn't even get a drink. I met the ever energetic Tom Fridley (Court from Friday the 13th VI also John Travolta's nephew). He demonstrated how his death scene was shot. I didn't know it was filmed in reverse- interesting bit of trivia. He also kindly reenacted the improv speech he gave to the campers in the movie. So fun!

Friday a bunch of us went to see "Piranha 3-D". Seemed an appropriate way to kick off a horror convention. (I shall post a review of that soon). I grabbed my "Halloween" poster and headed downstairs to line up for John Carpenter. Brian Andrews (Tommy Doyle from Halloween) was staying on my floor. He signed my poster in the lobby before heading to his table. I scoured the vendor room quickly then off to meet Mr. Carpenter, who was in a separate room upstairs. There were maybe 15 people in front of me. John commented on the lack of "babes" in his line. He signed my poster and stood for our photo. Such a gentleman. Next stop, the beautiful Felissa Rose (Angela from Sleepaway Camp). She remembered me from Facebook and had the best personality ever! Next, I figured I'd get the Boondocks Saints line out of the way. So many fans there with tattoos and shirts. Norman Reedus and Sean Patrick Flanery seemed so amped to be there. They were joking around with each other and the fans. David Della Rocco was also in there signing. I couldn't think of a good quote for my poster so I just let them all sign whatever they wanted. A bunch of us went out for dinner and came back in time for the VIP Dessert party. It was awesome, there was a Pet Sematary and Boondock Saints cake and lots of ice cream. The Pet Sematary cast came in and cut the cake and posed for photos. Then the Boondock Saints boys came in and cut their cake. We all mingled and took photos. I met Miko Hughes (Pet Sematary, Wes Craven's New Nightmare). He was very friendly and had some interesting stories. My corset and heels were starting to hurt so I changed into a tshirt and sneakers and headed down to the bar. There was some hotel drama, lots of cop cars outside. After last call, we loitered outside the front of the hotel. A few of the smoking guests were out there socializing.

Saturday I got up early to get the rest of my autographs out of the way. I brought my Crystal Lake book to get signed by Bill Randolph and Marta Kober (Jeff and Sandra from Fri 13th 2), David Kagen (Sherrif Garris Fri 13th 6), Tom Fridley, and Tiffany Helm (Violet, Fri 13th V). David was so friendly, I told him I was from CT and he told me he was going to go visit family in Madison. Tiffany was also treat to meet. I asked how many people asked her to do the "dance" she did in the movie ;) Next was my Pet Sematary poster. The handsome Dale Midkiff (Louis Creed), Denise Crosby (Rachel Creed and her stuffed Church cat) , Miko Hughes (Gage Creed signed his famous "Now I want to play with you" quote) Brad Greenquist (Victor Pascow), and of course Andrew Hubasteck (Zelda) who thankfully, isn't nearly as creepy in person as he was in the film. We went out for some lunch then back in time for Q&As. John Carpenter was quite candid as he addressed obscure fan questions. Definitely an inspiration to meet such a legend. Next was the Pet Sematary Q&A. Dale and Denise exchanged some funny stories, they bickered as if they really were married. The cast shared their memories of the set and of the late Fred Gwynne. Next was the Boondock Saints Q&A. They came into the room with so much energy and were taking photos of the fans in the audience. They shared jokes and stories about the film and were sincerely grateful for the love and support from the fans. The rest of the evening was spent in the bar and room hopping. Someone pulled the hotel fire alarm around 5AM which was a joyous soothing sound to fall asleep to.

Sunday is pretty much the hangover day. Everyone is pretty burnt out from the weekend and the stormy weather didn't help much. I grabbed a photo with Barbara Steele and couldn't resist a scary face photo with Felissa Rose. Paul DeAngelo (Ronnie from Sleepaway Camp) was there visiting Felissa, so that was a welcome surprise. I got one last autograph from Miko on my Never Sleep Again poster since I may not get the chance again and the rest of the cast will be at the next convention. While resting in the lobby I randomly asked John Carpenter and Norman Reedus what their ringtones were. John said his was an old fashioned telephone, Norman just had a Blackberry default. One more trip to the vendor room before I said my goodbyes and hit the road for what ended up being a verrrryyy loong drive home. All in all a successful weekend and some great memories.

Once again I found myself on a train to Chiller Theatre with a suitcase of things to get signed. My first victim was William Forsythe. He was a sweetheart and was impressed with the sigs I had on my Devil's Rejects poster. He signed it despite the fact that he isn't in the photo. He said "it was the last supper I wasn't invited to". Next was Curtis Amstrong (AKA Booger from Revenge of the Nerds). He signed my Better off Dead poster and I asked him about the top hat he wore in the movie and he explained that it was his own hat. I was playing photographer for my friend and also got to meet the star of T3, Kristann Loken. Next was the badass Lita Ford who brought her hubby and kids along. She loved my machete necklace, so I bought her sons some. Sherilyn Fenn was a doll. I told her I didn't get the whole Twin Peaks thing. She laughed and told me she didn't either then proceeded to philosophize about David Lynch. Camille Keaton was a hoot. I told her I Spit on Your Grave was the most messed up movie I have ever seen. She was proud that it still had an impact and was all about girl power! After having such a lovely time with Bruce Abbott at Monster Mania, I had to share my story with Jeffery Combs and get an autograph and photo with him. He was very pleasant. I pretty much got all my autographs the first night. Not many people in the bar Friday night. Mr. Forsythe shared some Dominos pizza with me, I had a few beers, hugged Lou (Hulk) Ferrigno goodnight and hit the hay. Saturday was all about shopping, eating, napping, and last minute photos and autographs. The party Saturday night was a blast. I made some great new Chiller friends and it was badass to see Lita rock out onstage. I was so happy for Joey, who won her guitar in a raffle AAAAAND got to sing a duet with her on stage! I had the pleasure of meeting Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart in the bar. Sunday was pretty dead, I had to wait for my train and spent most of the day hung over loitering around the hotel. Until Halloween!

Despite the stormy weather (which did provide an atmospheric backdrop for the convention) I had a blast. I drove down Thursday night. Not a lot going on and the bar closed early.

Friday morning I went to the lovely Cherry Hill Mall for a mani/pedi before the convention. I was so excited to meet Jeannine Taylor (Marcie from Friday the 13th) and have her sign my Crystal Lake Memories book. This was her first con, and she was just a doll with lots of of fun stories. Sitting next to her was William Katt who I adored in Carrie. He posed for a prom photo with me and signed a photo from Carrie "Hollie, I'll call you after the prom. William Katt". Doug Bradley (AKA Pinhead) liked the Cenobite energy drink I designed and asked where he could get some. He signed it for me and I gave him a few samples. Malcolm Mcdowell recognized my face and asked where we had met. I showed him the photos from Rock & Shock and he signed them both. Thom Mathews signed my Crysal Lake book, a Return of the Living Dead poster and a Trioxin Tonic energy drink I made. I said hello to my favorite Jason, Kane Hodder. He graciously signed a few Friday the 13th items for me at the end of the con. Later, I stopped by the VIP dessert party for some ice cream. Gary Busey came in, scooped some chocolate ice cream into a few cups, then promptly scurried off to his room. After room hopping I ended up in the bar chatting with Jason Livey, Jake Busey and Spider One from Powerman 5000.

Saturday night, I went to William Katt's Q&A. I had every intention to see others but randomly met Bruce Abbott outside the hotel lobby while he was waiting for a cab. I asked if he was going out to dinner alone and jokingly offered to keep him company and he said "ok!" Next thing I know, we're in a cab on our way to Cheesecake Factory. There was over an hour wait and we hung out in the bar chatting. I saw Jake and Spider come in and called to them but they didn't hear me and left due to the long wait. I yacked Bruce's ear off for a few hours, but he seemed to enjoy my company. I definitely had a wonderful time. He is very interesting and quite the gentleman. I lost track of him back at the hotel bar.

Sunday morning I came back to thank him again for dinner. We took a picture and he gave me an autograph signed "To Hollie, my beautiful dinner date. Bruce Abbott". I hope our paths cross again some day. He was definitely an inspiration. Of course I couldn't leave the convention without meeting Gary Busey. After all that waiting, you'd think I'd have SOMETHING clever to ask/say. Nope, I just asked how he was doing and chose a random photo for him to sign then asked to get a pic between him and his son, Jake. They were both very sweet. I was cranky and over tired, so I hit the road back to CT. I had to get up the next morning at 4AM to catch a flight to Miami to attend a photoshoot for work. Can't wait for the next MM!

How appropriate to spend Halloween weekend at a horror convention. I was dying to meet Elvira and this was just what I needed to close out my first year of conventions. I arrived early Friday and Kane Hodder and Steve Nappe were the first I ran into. Nice to see familiar faces. My first autograph was Linda Blair. She was so happy to hear our family adopted a few dogs. Next was Danielle Harris. She is SO cute in person. She made her own clown masks and was signing the plastic box, so I HAD to buy one! Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) was stunning out of costume. I am glad we got a before and after photo together. She and my mother have exactly the same birthday.

Saturday, Richard Dreyfuss had a HUGE line. When it was finally my turn, I smiled for the camera and he grabbed me and laid a big smooch on my cheek! I was surprised, but returned the gesture. I ended up waiting in his line a 2nd time to get a quote on my Jaws poster. I passed by Sir Patrick Stewart in the hallway of the hotel on my way to my room. Saved myself $100 there! I got dressed in my crow costume for the big Halloween party. I entered the costume contest, but there was no competing with the perfect Chewbacca! I posed for lots of photos and really loved all the original and creative costumes. There was lots of drinking and dancing. Met some fun people!

Sunday I met Boris Karloff's daughter, Sarah. She was very nice and didn't even charge! Jake Busey told me some funny stories about his Halloween night in NY. I couldn't resist Davy Jones from The Monkees. He was adorable and was singing a little something while he signed my picture. I said my goodbyes to Kane and Steve and caught my train home with a bunch of photos, autographs and a birthday machete. Happy Halloween!

Friday, I picked up my friend Chris and we headed once again to Cherry Hill, NJ. We arrived just in time to eat some pizza and get in costume for the party. I wore my crow costume- needed a little assistance with the corset but I think the ensemble was a success AND no allergic reactions to the feathers, although I'm sure housekeeping didn't appreciate me molting all over the hotel...

We headed to the pavillion which was decorated in red & green in honor of Robert Freddy" Englund. I made sure to get my boiler room photo op early while my makeup was still entact. Robert loved my costume and held my energy drink up. The photo came out PEFECT! My friends insisted I enter the costume contest. I ended up winning 2nd place for the "sexiest" costume category. That made my night. They cut the Freddy cakes ad we drank and danced the night away.

Saturday morning I got up and headed to the signing room with my gift bag for Robert and a few of my energy drinks. I was wearing the shirt I designed and the legwarmers my mother knit for me. After he signed my book, action figure, photo of us, and one of my drinks I started to head back to my room. I was stopped by the film crew for "Never Sleep Again", they wanted footage of my outfit and drink for their documentary. Pretty cool. Some other fans waiting in line bought some of my energy drinks. I was beat from the night before and headed back to my room for a nap. It was a long drive for such a short time, but Robert is amazing and who better to kick off Halloween with!

I went solo to Rock & Shock. I arrived early at the hotel but could not check in right away. In addition to the large number of convention goers, there was also a priests convention taking place in the Crowne Plaza (sounds like a bad joke I know!). While waiting for the next available room, I met John Landis at the front desk. He was quite cheerful. After FINALLY checking in, I stopped by the hotel bar for a beer and chatted a bit with Kane Hodder and Steve Nappe then headed over to the convention center. The first person I met was Adrienne King (Alice from F13). I didn't expect her to be as open and chatty as she was. She was such a delight to meet and so pretty. I then went over to Tom Savini, who was looking pretty badass with his new skull tatts. I showed him the photo Kane took of us at Chiller. He claimed he looked fat but signed it anyway. I met Malcolm McDowell, who was such a gentleman with his tea and lemon. I almost didn't recognize Bill Mosley without the beard, he was also very polite. I shopped around the vendor room and saw some familiar faces there. Then went to the Q&A to hear Kane and Gunnar Hansen speak. I grabbed a pizza and went back to my room.

Saturday I got up and decorated my Jason cupcakes. I was thrilled Adrienne remembered my name when I stopped by for a photo op with the cupcakes. She asked to have a few to share with Malcolm. Of course! I met Margot Kidder who was pretty spunky and laughed when I asked her to sign the "scary" movie photo off her table. I finally worked up the nerve to meet Gunnar Hansen (TCM always terrified me). I handed out more cupcakes and killed some time before more Q&As. After dinner I came back to the vendor room to meet Jerry Only from the Misfits. I hadn't seen him since I was 18 so it was great to finally get a picture with him. I went to their show at the Palldium. I was all but patted down to get in and my sharpies were confiscated. The sound wasn't so great where I was standing in the bar. I went outside for a bit and wasn't allowed inside for Type O. Not cool. I paid for the 3 day event and couldn't believe that no re-entry policy. I ended up back at my hotel.

Sunday it poured. I checked out and packed up the car. I wanted to go to the short film screening. I was there early and was not allowed to go wait by the door because there was a dance competition going on on the same floor??! I eventually sneaked up there and got the first seat. The short films were pretty good and the gore definitely made me squirm. I headed home shortly after.

Overall, I was not that happy at R&S. The music and convention venues were a few blocks apart from each other and my hotel. It was a drag having to hike back and forth between the convention center and my hotel with arms full of stuff, especially in the rain. I did enjoy the guests as usual and got some great photos.

I made this voyage solo and had a great time. I arrived early Thursday and sat in the lobby socializing and watching the guests arrive. I had a fun conversation with Adam West when he checked in. He told me about his nice train ride from Boston and was very smiley with me. Nice man. After dinner I spent most of the evening bantering with Justin Tiersten and Derek Mears in the bar. My Jason Juice was a hit. Derek seemed to like it so that's the official seal of approval for me! Friday I did some shopping in the vendor room and got my Adam West autographs. He was charging for photos so I passed on that. I met Dee Wallace Stone and PJ Soles who both confirmed that I didn't smell.(It was so hot and I was sticky from the weather and body heat of the convention goers, I was worried!). I later bought Dee a scotch on the rocks. It was in the bar that I met Travis Van Winkle. We had a few drinks and he was so fun to talk with. Some fellow MM boardies supplied jello shots and he, Derek and I had a few in the lobby before bed. Saturday was a mob scene. I snagged my last few autographs. John Astin is just delightful in person and a great speaker. His son Mackenzie was nearby. I wanted to tell him I loved him on Facts of Life but I refrained... Michael Berryman was also quite the gentleman and he and Sid both signed my poster and posed for a photo. I also posed with a few celebrity killer lookalikes in the lobby I sat through 3 hilarious Q&A sessions for Friday the 13th, Halloween and Sleepaway Camp. Saturday night consisted of a lot of drinking and room parties of which I overindulged. Learned my lesson the hard way and slept through most of Sunday before checking out and driving back to CT at 2PM. John Landis was standing right in front of me at the checkout desk trying to get cell reception, we had some minor exchange, but I was feeling too ill to pursue anything further. www.monstermania.net

Monster Mania's first Connecticut convention was a blast. Thursday night was spent exploring the hotel and figuring out where things were taking place and waiting for guests to check in. Friday I was in the small VIP group to meet Robert Englund. He was so friendly and told lots of stories and jokes during his signing. I had him sign my "Nightmare on Elm Street" poster and Freddy glove which he then wore for a few photos. Heather Langenkamp and Amanda Wyss also signed my poster. I chatted with Betsy Palmer and she signed an old photo I brought. Then it was off to primp for the VIP Dessert Party. I wore Freddy striped legwarmers my mother knit for me. I ate cake and mingled with Jason Mewes, Sid Haig, CJ Graham, and Derek Mears. It was Jason's birthday , so I brought him a card. The festivities moved to the hotel bar where Derek bought me a drink and I bought us a shot. I nearly spilled wine on Richard Brooker, woops. We tried to watch Friday the 13th 3-D but the glasses hurt my eyes. Saturday I woke up early to get autograph tickets for Bruce Campbell. He signed an "Evil Dead" poster and asked what I did for a living. I said "I'm a graphic designer, what do YOU do?". He laughed and said "A little of this a little of that". I went back to the main room and Sid Haig signed a movie still from "Diamonds Are Forever". Robert Rusler signed a photo from "Weird Science". After a nap and food, we went to the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street Q&A. Both were amazing. At midnight, Derek introduced an advanced copy of the Killer Cut of the new Friday the 13th DVD. The extra features really improved the film in my opinion. Sunday we paid another visit to Robert Englund and got some good face time with him. I got to chat about a few of my ideas and he was friendly and supportive. Snapped a photo with Charles Fleischer and a few other guests I missed before saying goodbye and heading home.

Day 1 was lucky to get meet the 4 guests on my list and get my autographs in less than a few hours! First was Tippi who looked divine in person. She signed my Birds Collectors Barbie. Then was the brilliant Tony Curtis who was so sweet and signed a glossy photo from my favorite movie "Some Like it Hot". Next was the creator of all of the "Dead" movies George Romero. He was charming and graciously signed a vintage poster for my friend as well as a DVD cover for "Day of the Dead" which I managed to lose somewhere between his table and my hotel room :( Finally was my encounter with Kane Hodder. My ONE main reason for going. I was in complete aw when I cam face to face with him. I stared up at him wide eyed and too frightened to speak. After Joe explained that I was a huge fan etc, Kane hugged me and I shook like a leaf. Still in shock, he signed my Camp Crystal Lake Memories book and a hockey mask. I also chatted a bit with Robert Rusler from Nightmare on Elm Street 2.

Day 2 I went back for a new autograph from Romero.



I spent a few hours with Kane and his friend Steve behind their table. They were so funny and I couldn't have had a better time.



I met Nancy Loomis from the original Halloween. She was so friendly and said my makeup was pretty aww :) At night there were a lot of musicians performing including Slaughter, E.G. Daily, Taylor Dayne, and Mickey Dolenz.

I gave Chris Atkins from Blue Lagoon a hug and had a drink and hours of conversation with Jonathan Tiersten from Sleepaway Camp.

Day 3 I brought Kane some Friday the 13th cupcakes and went home.

Click here for Chiller pictures.

Tippi Hedren	Tony Curtis	George Romero	Kane Hodder