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Monster-Manias Little Mall of Horrors!
Oaks Expo Center Fairgrounds
100 Station Drive, Oaks, PA
A Pop-Up Event
Face Masks Required
May 22-23, 2021
As Saturday was winding down, I spent some time thinking about today in Oaks, Pennsylvania. Monster-Manias Little Mall of Horrors was so much fun. It wasn’t about lines, tickets or VIP’s. It was about people, people coming together. People who wanted to reunite with friends, maybe pick up some cool merchandise, meet Tom Atkins or any of the awesome celebrities in attendance. It was nice to see people. The world is in a crazy place lately.
COVID has made a mess of the world and we all have been slightly discombobulated. Events have been cancelled for months, and that meant for some people they lost income and livelihood. A few events have managed to pop up here and there. Monster Mania delivered the Little Mall of Horrors, a pop-up event with one hundred plus vendors, a few celebrities, food trucks, and sunshine. (Where is Bill Murray when you need him?) It was a scorching day; it was hot but it was also beautiful outside.
The Little Mall of Horrors was set up near The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. Monster-Mania sold a limited number of tickets and had to go along with CDC (Center for Disease Control) guidelines and Pennsylvania guidelines. Horror fans are known for a few things… loyalty, good hearts, kind souls, and dedication to either Jason, Leatherface, Jigsaw (John Kramer), OR JUST TOM ATKINS BECAUSE HE’S TOM ATKINS… Or, all of them?
Okay, so let’s start with the celebrities… No, let’s start with the fact that I could see the Buffalo Bill’s House @buffalobillshouse tent from the parking lot and felt a sigh of relief that, okay, I’m here. This is real and it’s actually happening. When you go to a “convention”, it’s different. There are the lifers, the newbies, the people who wander around, the friends that get dragged along and have no idea who anyone is. There is a list… sort of…
Conventions are fascinating. One of the best things is meeting all the awesome people. Talking to people about movies, characters, coffee, music… anything and everything. It’s always been pretty pleasant for me. I didn’t wait in any lines today except to get in to the Little Mall of Horrors, basically to check-in and get that coveted wrist-band. (I have The Silence of the Lambs and Buffalo Bill’s House on my mind.)
They are like concert tickets. I know they don’t always have actual concert tickets anymore but the wrist-band grants you access in to the event. I was checked in and spotted a bunch of friends on my way in and in line. While waiting in line, I met a few new friends as everyone was discussing previous conventions, who they met, haven’t met, autographs they wanted, needed, planned to get… etc… just some of the usual waiting in or on-line conversations.
The line was moving quickly. A Monster-Mania volunteer came out and walked down the line to answer questions. Everyone was informed to “mask-up”. Some people came dressed as characters and in cosplay. Josh @HorrorDaddy85 was dressed as JASON. Mind you, it was HOT! This man is dedicated with the intricate details of his cosplay character.
A few people dressed up and there was also an AMAZING performance of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Transylvanian Nipple Productions. You can check them out at PhillyRockyHorror on Social media. PhillyRockyHorror.com – They performed and had all of us… shivering with antici-pation… A crowd formed to participate and yell back like they do when they play the movie in a theater, it was great.
It was also one of my talented friends first Monster-Manias, Joe Scrizzi seemed right at home with all of us. As, I made my way in, I headed for the Monster-Mania hub spot, the location where you may or may not find Dave Hagan, I wanted to say thanks for doing this. Some things in life are difficult. A lot of people go through a lot and some times people don’t even know.
I recently reviewed and saw SPIRAL, directed by Darren Lynn Bousman thanks to Downright Creepy and let’s face it, thanks to Panic Fest 2021. So, naturally I was interested when I heard there would a SPIRAL tent set-up. I found it, talked to them for a while.
Then I moved along to Chris Rowan’s BEAUTIFUL tent. Chris and his family own Buffalo Bill’s House- The home Buffalo Bill lived in, and portrayed by Ted Levine. Jodie Foster’s character Clarice stumbled upon Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. I spotted the tent from the parking lot. Go follow them on social media, @buffalobillshouse
It was a reunion for some of us. I also checked out David M. Bancroft, he is an artist and illustrator. He does great work. Joe Scrizzi praised Catfight Coffee (catfightcoffee.com)
It was already time for a water break. One thing to mention for outdoor events and this includes concerts, stay hydrated especially if it’s hot outside. They had food trucks and cold water available. There was more chatting, another impromptu with The Rocky Horror Picture Show folks who were posing for selfies and chatting with everyone.
The vendors… The vendors had everything. Everything from art to toilet paper, wipes, sanitizer, jewelry, movies, t-shirts, soaps, and more. A few stands stood out. I checked out Grime & Shine, they have funeral antiques, macabre and more. @grimeandshineshop @his_and_herhearse which I saw the hearse in the parking lot.
I talked to a photographer, Portraits of the Abandoned United States. He had some of the most beautiful photos. @stevenbley – I also noticed a JIGSAW painting at JennMHardingArt
Monster-Manias Little Mall of Horrors also had The Conjuring movie booth set up. They had an awesome alter for fans to take photos of or with. I did both. It was to promote, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. It stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson.
I noticed @paulackertattoo, PainfulPleasures.com. So much talent in one place.
Lipstick Legion was there with some amazing masks.
Okay, now let’s talk celebrities. They had a few special guests including Adrienne Barbeau (The Fog, Escape From New York, Creepshow), Tom Atkins (Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, Night of the Creeps, The Fog, Escape From New York, OZ), Doug Bradley (Hellraiser, Nightbreed), Stacey Nelkin (Halloween 3: Season of The Witch, Bullets Over Broadway), Kristy Swanson (Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Deadly Friend, Flowers in the Attic), Jeanine Taylor (Friday The 13th Part 1-, and Lauren Marie-Taylor (Friday The 13th Part 2). Damien Leone (The Terrifier, Terrifier 2) was also in attendance.
The lines were steady for the celebs. Tom Atkins seemed to be the fan-favorite. There were tons of vendors, as I said earlier. Magic Marker Art, Bootleg_Bonanza, Pillow_Pops, Keith Shepherd Fine Art, Gemini Crow Hot Sauce, The Art of Chris Raimo, Zombience_hc, Ugly Mugs Inc., Deadly Grounds Coffee, White Horses Inc., and many more.
Monster-Manias Little Mall of Horrors was a blast. It was great catching up with friends, it was nice being outside. The heat was excessive for some people. They had a hard time. (Always stay hydrated, don’t over-exert yourself, take your time, pace yourself. All those things in the heat if you are outdoors attending an event.) Overall, it was a blast. It was nice to see the support. Stay safe everyone.
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Monster-Mania Con / Philadelphia horror convention – East Coast movie and memorabilia show
