Did headliner cancelations, a more-pop-culture-than-horror guest line-up and a smaller dealer’s room make this usually packed show feel less monstrous?
The Line-Up
As usual, I booked my R.I.P. tickets for the 2024 Mad Monster Expo in Concord NC, the day they went on sale. The announced headliners were Walton Goggins and Juliet Lewis, and shortly after those blockbuster guests, they revealed that the show would feature a Saw mini-reunion featuring Tobin Bell, Shawnee Smith, and Costas Mandylor. Other big names that rounded out the list were The Shining twins Lisa and Louise Burns; Michael Chiklis; James Marsters from Buffy; Anthony Starr and Laurie Holden from The Boys; and other fan-favorite actors and wrestlers that I’ll expound more on later. It looked to be a loaded show.
And then, like the victims in the movies they are celebrated for, they started dropping like flies.
Tobin Bell, Juliett Lewis, stunt actor Glen Ennis, and Michael St. Michaels, from the bizarre cult hit and one of Elijah Wood’s favorite movies The Greasy Strangler, all canceled. The show organizers acted quickly to round out the guest list and soon they were advertising a Shield “strike team” reunion with David Rees Neil and Kenny Johnson, alongside Chiklis, Goggins, and Laurie Holden.
With all the guest shuffling and some of the confirmed stars having limited days of availability, I was a little unsure of what the vibe would be or if a beloved horror convention was becoming something different.
R.I.P
Since we — I drag my Horror-Hating Husband (H3) to all these things — got all-access R.I.P. tickets that come with early admission along with front-of-the-line privileges, swag bag, and a chill lounge to relax in when we need to take a break, we were ushered in to get a sneak peek at what looked like a scaled-down dealer’s room. Further concerned, I finished our R.I.P check in, a delightful process due to the amazing Mad Monster staff and volunteers.
The lounge is one the best parts of paying for R.I.P; they stock drinks and snacks for ticket holders, have plenty of seating, and play great movies and music. This year they had Saw-themed pinball, and just hanging out watching people play was entertaining.
But I came with a goal, and it wasn’t just to hang out and watch movies. I had the perfect Glam Ghostface cosplay and I was going to get a picture with Chris Durrand, the Ghostface stunt actor from Scream 2. So, once I finished getting dressed in the R.I.P. lounge, we made our way to the main room to get the autograph and find out if the show was as sparse as it looked.
Which, it kind of was.
The Dealer’s Room
It turns out “Spooky Empire South Carolina” was having its first show in Charleston the same weekend as Mad Monster, and Spooky Empire is a pretty big name in horror conventions, and quite of few of the vendors that we usually see at Mad Monster opted to go to Spooky Empire instead. I’d like to say my wallet benefitted from this, but honestly with fewer vendors I spent more time with the ones that interested me and overall, there seemed to be higher-quality artists and artisans.
There were quite a few things that I had never seen before, like SwitchfaceArt and their amazing lamps and shrunken skulls. We were thrilled to see my favorite indie candle maker Cat’s Candles. I bought the most amazing Scream–themed, buttered popcorn-scented candle and then honestly went back the next day and bought a Five Nights at Freddie’s candle that I couldn’t get out of my head.
Roxy Black Raspberry Vanilla Candle
For the old-school horror fans, Puncture Wound Pins was selling large, high-quality pins from classic movies like Prom Night 2: Hello Mary Lou and Chopping Mall. Mary Lou was so detailed, and her prom queen crown was so glittery that I bought her on sight.
Fans of the cuter side of spooky wouldn’t be disappointed either. E.B Spider not only had adorable crochet cryptids, but they were also making them on-site. Verdona Designs resin art had keychains and earrings themed from creepy-cute, to true crime, to elegant goth, ensuring everyone could find something to their taste. Ultimately, while there may have been fewer vendors, I didn’t walk away from the dealer’s room feeling like I missed out on anything, and even got to talk to a few artists I may have missed in a more crowded setting. The celebrity guests also share space in the dealer’s room, can cause some traffic jams at times.
One corner was reserved for the wrestlers: Jerry “the King” Lawler and the Hardy Brothers. They were only available at the show Friday and Saturday but every time we walked by, they seemed busy enough, although the King seemed a little grumpy from time to time.
Not that I really blame him; conventions are fun for fans, and I love getting autographs from my favorite killers and final girls and guys, but I’m also one hundred percent aware that for those celebs, this is work. I keep that in mind with all my interactions, after all, if a celeb guest has a bad experience at a con, especially a small one, it could have a major impact.
Actors and Autographs
The other side of the hall was filled with the cast of The Shield. All autographs for Walton Goggins were presold due to the hype from Fallout, but Michael Chiklis also commanded a mob as did the others. We avoided that corner unless they were at photo ops
All the celebrity guest autograph lines seemed to be busy over the course of the weekend. Thanks to the front-of-the-line privilege with R.I.P. tickets, I was able to get all the photos I wanted and had a great time doing so, including my “Ghostface with Ghostface”. Chris Durand was lovely and getting his autograph completed my collection of slashers, having previously acquired Dick Warlock (Michael Myers), Tony Todd (Candyman), C.J. Graham and Kane Hodder (Jason), Robert Englund (Freddy Photo op), and Felissa Rose (Angela).
Story Time!
After getting the long sought-after photo, it was time for the Shield panel. Since we got reserved seating, I ended up in the front row which was deeply appreciated since the room was packed. Mad Monster has some of the best panels out of all the conventions I attend. The moderator keeps things moving and asks questions that give the guests plenty of leeway to answer how they see fit before turning the bulk of the time over to the audience for Q&A. The Shield panel started off the same way but was quickly overwhelmed by the obvious chemistry and closeness of the cast. They had stories they wanted to share, and the audience was delighted to listen to them catch up and reminisce.
It could have easily been two hours of tales from the set, and they didn’t even touch on their individual experiences as actors, such as Laurie Holdens’ roles in The Mist or Silent Hill, or Michael Chiklis’ horror credentials on American Horror Story. If there had to be any downside to the panel experience, it was that I walked away wishing it was longer, or that they could have had individual spotlight panels.
The cast of the Shield, before the panel started and without Laurie Holden.
In my humble opinion, Mad Monster doesn’t have enough panels. I could listen to behind-the-scenes stories all day long, so the other panel we attended, James Marsters’ panel, was another highlight. Although he was starting to lose his voice, he was funny, engaging, and answered fans’ questions and adoration honestly and as openly as possible.
Photo Ops
Besides the panels, the other big event we attended for was the Michael Chiklis photo op. Photo ops are a recent thing for me; I only have a few, as they are expensive and can be, depending on who you are taking a photo with, underwhelming. So far, every photo op I’ve done has been memorable and worth the cost, either for the end photo or the interaction with the actor (shout out to Dr. Peter Weller for our brief discussion on fashion). I was a huge fan of The Shield when it aired and getting a Vic Mackey photo op was definite on my list.
Once again, I was not disappointed. The time you spend with the actors is usually short, and the crew running the show moves with precision. The actor stays on their mark, and they move attendees in and out as quickly as possible to get through the massive crowds. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be the actors in that situation. I was impressed by Michael Chiklis greeting everyone, and as far as I saw, doing something different from group to group. Any time a celebrity can do a little more just to make a fan feel that they are getting a special experience, it makes me feel like they understand their role in the fandom, and I dig that.
Final Thoughts
Horror, for all the money it makes in Hollywood, is still a rather niche interest and one that can definitely get some side-eye for expressing enthusiasm at the wrong moment. So, when I get the talk about some of the lesser-known movies I love with folks or find artists like the Art of Barcode who have a portfolio full of renditions of indie as well big-name characters, those are the moments that make the weekend worthwhile. Mad Monster is full of those experiences from other fans and from the vendors and guests they bring in.
My concerns about getting too much pop culture in my horror were wildly unfounded, and Mad Monster proved this by announcing Robert Englund’s return to February’s show. I’ve already bought my R.I.P tickets, which is probably the best final word on this show — I just can’t wait to go back.
To get tickets, check out Mad Monster Party.
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