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by Bone Jawnson
A few weeks ago, I attended the New Jersey Horror Con & Film Festival in Edison, New Jersey. It's been a bit since I have attended one, so I was overly psyched to go! This time was special because I was able to bring my daughter. Having just hit the tween stage in her own life, she started to exand her interest in films, music, and fashion, particularly flashy earrings. The drive to the venue was about one hours and twenty minutes, which was completely fine because it was mostly highway driving. The venue, the New Jersey Convetion and Exposition Center, has plenty of free parking, and the check-in process was super-swift. One of the organizers, Ryan Weber, was at the front greeting attendees and press. I was able to chat with Ryan a little bit, which was great!
After entering the event, we walked past vendors that lined the entrance area and my daughter snagged some cute cat-in-a-skull bowl earrings from a vendor she liked immediately. We then strolled toward the main vendor area and got down to business! Now, I am partial to connecting with vendors at conventions because, to me, that is, where I have the best conversations and interactions. I do a little networking here and there since I am also in the indie-horror and movie scene myself.
I have attended this convention in various locations over the years and, personally, I feel this most recent convention in mid-April was one of my most fun experiences. The celebrity lineup was really cool and featured an awesome "Hocus Pocus" reunion as well as a favorite of mine, Raushan Hammond, who is most famously known for his role of Thud Butt in the 1991 classic, Peter Pan film, "Hook." I don't normally get star struck but I almost broke down in tears when approaching Raushan's table. Growing up, "Hook" was, and is, a defining film in my life. As a child, the film was about getting your parents attention back. As an adult and a parent, it is about finding yourself and focusing your attention on what is important.
A second major highlight for me was the vendor’s room. There were so many vendors to choose from, I wanted to spend ALL of my money! I am particularly excited that I had the opportunity to connect with the independent author Brian DuBois. I purchased his book "Satan's Guide to Telling Good Bar Jokes" and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Brian was amazing to talk to. He is a kind, honest, and humorous person and author. Through conversation, we realized that we are actually scheduled to be at the same event in June! I highly suggest you check out that title and others by him.
Overall, I had fun hanging out, meeting new vendors, making purchases, and chatting with celebs. Personally, I'm not a big autograph seeker or collector although I do like saying "Hi" and "Thank you" so some of the actors and celebs. I appreciate that this con is held a few times per year, so I can schedule time to attend and revel in all that is horror and pop culture. The celeb lineups are quite solid, and I was impressed by the vendor lineup this go around. I will definitely attend again and cannot wait to do so. Be sure to follow the New Jersey Horror Con & Film Festival on Facebook to get the latest celebrity booking and ticket information. See you next time!