This weekend, we will be making our 29th trip out to Strongsville, Ohio, for the Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo, as we’ve been doing since Sept. of 2000. No other show out there has run this long, being held at the very same hotel since the first one, and has created a reputation for being a show for the real die-hard movie fan. This is one of the few shows left that really is about celebrating the movies and the people behind them. There is always plenty of things going on to keep a movie fan occupied and entertained. From the Q&A panels to the film screening in two different rooms, you will never be bored. This time out, you’ll get the chance to see titles like The Green Slime (1968), Queen of Outer Space (1958), and Stanley (1972), all screened from 16mm prints! In the video room, you can watch classics like King Kong Escapes (1967) or Psychos in Love (1987), and much more.
Category Archives: Conventions
It Gives Me Hope – HorrorHound Weekend Part 1
In Cincinnati this last weekend, it was our first stop on the 2016 Kryptic World Tour, and boy, was it a doozy! I’ve been doing this show since the very beginning and am always amazed at the crowds they bring in each and every time. Of course, in this day and age, being a dealer at any convention is always a challenge, since you’re competing not only with other dealers, but more importantly, with the price of autographs and Photo Ops. But I have to say I was thrilled to see so many people stop by our table over the 3-day weekend and purchase a book (or two, or three) from us. It showed me not only that the interests in horror reference books is still out there, but also the desire for fans to learn more about the genre we love. And I have to say, that makes this old man pretty happy.
Kryptic World Tour 2016…Let It Begin
Now that we’ve made it past the holidays, putting the old year into all but memories, it is time to get ready for this new one and start planning our Kryptic World Tour for 2016. Our first stop in the new tour won’t be until the middle of March, at the HorrorHound Weekend in Cincinnati, but we are counting the days for that. A few weeks after that, we’ll be heading out to Ohio again for the Cinema Wasteland show. We have posted below our full schedule of shows (that we know of so far) that we are planning on attending. There might be one or two more that we’ll add later on in the year, such as maybe a movie marathon or drive-in event, but we’ll let you know when we find out.
Monster Bash Conference Next Weekend!
Next weekend, I will be making the trip to Mars…Mars, Pennsylvania, that is, for the October Monster Bash Conference! Last June, we did our first Bash and had such a great time that I knew I wanted to come back for more. Of course, this is going to be an interesting trip since I will be making it on my own. The rest of the Kitley crew can’t make it for a variety of reasons, so that means it is just going to be me. Hopefully I’ll survive the 7 hour/500 mile drive each way! Unless I can con some poor SOB to make the trip with me!
I 
was bummed to hear that Barbara Steele had to cancel due to illness and wish her a speedy recovery. But the Bash head honcho Ron Adams didn’t waste any time in getting a replacement. In fact, a BIG replacement! Mr. B.I.G. himself, Bert I. Gordon, director of such classics as Food of the Gods, Empire of the Ants, The Amazing Colossal Man, The Cyclops, and many more. He will be joining the rest of the guests, such as Anne Serling (Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling’s daughter), Blue Demon Jr., Jeremy Ambler, Lisa Marie, Felix Silla, and Pat Priest..
It’s All About Friends…Flashback Weekend Part 1
This last weekend, we were at this year’s Flashback Weekend show, the only convention in our home state that we set up at. As usual we had a great time, though it did seem there were more Halloween fans seeking autographs than interested in buying books. But no worries. Maybe someday they will see the value in continuing and expanding their horror education. I can only hope.
None the less, we still had fun there. One of those reasons is because of friends. Sure, as we’ve said before, we always get to see and hang out with our convention family that we see at these events. And sure, we could always just have a get together and hang out without having to go to a con, which we do several times throughout the year. I have to say though, these conventions aren’t just about seeing old friends, but it’s about meeting and making new friends. The funny thing is that most of my convention family are friends BECAUSE I met them at a con. And it seems that at each new show, we meet another person that becomes a new member to our demented and dysfunctional family. I don’t think we’d have it any other way either. (Above Photo Credit: Rachel Thieme)
All About Respect….Monster Bash…Part 2.
First off, just want to give fair warning that this is going to be a bit of a rant. And something that you’ve heard me mention many times before. And again, this isn’t about any convention specifically out there, just in general, so don’t anybody get their panties in a bunch. But being at this last convention, I noticed something that I feel I need to mention. Another one of the reasons that I had finally made the decision to head east to Monster Bash this time was because of books. Followers of this site know my affection towards horror reference books and my ever increasing library, so the fact that several authors were going to be at this show, made the trip even more attractive.
On the guest list for this show was Gregory William Mank, who is a film historian and author of many great books. One of the things I love and admire about Mank’s work is that he isn’t just writing about the bigger names like Karloff and Lugosi, but also about the smaller and lesser known names from the genre that we love, such as Lionel Atwill, George Zucco, Dwight Frye, and many others. I had brought along several of his books from my collection, such as the wonderful book Karloff and Lugosi: The Story of a Haunting Collaboration and a few others, to get signed. While at his table, we had a really nice conversation about his work and how much I enjoy as well as appreciate it. He mentioned that his upcoming book will be on actor Laird Cregar, best known for his roles in The Lodger (1944) and Hangover Square (1945). The book is entitled Hollywood Ripper: The Rise and Fall of Laird Cregar, and according to Mank’s website, “explores the true story of Cregar and examines his film performances, the blessings and curses of the Hollywood contract system of the 1940s and the legacy of an actor who might have become one of the cinema’s greatest horror stars – and character actors.” It will be published by McFarland & Company.
For the 6 books that I got signed, the cost was….nothing.
Monster Bash…Part 1
We made it home safe and sound from our first trip out to The Monster Bash Conference in Mars, PA. It was a bit of a drive out there, but I have to say it was just a great time and well worth the trip. Ron Adams from Creepy Classics, and his Monster Bash crew, really knows how to put on a show. Sure, it is aimed more for the older classic monster fans and those movies, but none the less, we had a blast.
Ron has events planned from early in the AM until the wee hours of the morning, during every second of the weekend. There is no way anybody could be bored at this show. Hell, he even had films screening on Thursday because he knew quite a few people were arriving early for the show! But something that was different that I liked (even though I didn’t get to spend too much time in there) was that besides the Q&A’s and the movie screenings, there were also presentations given, such as one on films being banned by Britain in the ’30s and ’40s. Not only does it give the attending fans something to do during the weekend, but they can actually learn something too!
Monster Bash Next Weekend
Next weekend, we will be making our first trip out to Mars Pennslyvannia for the Monster Bash Convention. This is a show that we’ve been wanting to do for quite some time but just never make it out there, mainly due to the distance from us here in Chicagoland. But we decided that we were going to make it happen this year and the show is almost upon us now. A much smaller and more personable show from what I’m told, it will be a nice change of pace and really looking forward to it.
Of course, one of the main reasons we decided to take th plunge was they have Valerie Leon as a guest, who appeared in Hammer’s Blood from the Mummy’s Tomb. So I will be thrilled to add her signature to my Hammer Films book, making her’s the 13th signature. I know I’m not an autograph person anymore, but we’re talking Hammer here, and for that, I’ll make an exception.
But we will be there with our usual wares, with plenty of horror reference books for you to build and increase your own library. We’ve got a ton of titles in stock, both some new as well as some hard to find and out-of-print ones as well. Of course, my wife Dawn (aka Horror Slave) will have her display of pillows and tote bags as well.
So if you’re coming out to the show next weekend, make sure stop by and give us Monster Bash Newbies a warm welcome! For all the details about the show, just click HERE.
Cinema Wasteland Approaches….
Next weekend, we’ll be heading off to Ohio for the Cinema Wasteland show, which will be their 27th show..that’s right…27 shows. And we’ve been there for every single one of them. That’s right, for the last 15 years, I’ve been heading to Ohio to join a group of like-minded film fans to truly celebrate the films and the people that made them. If there was ever a show that I would go to if I wasn’t a dealer, this would be the one. It is much smaller than some of these other shows, but I actually like it that way. Because each and every person coming through the doors to Wasteland is a die-hard fan, not one that follows whatever is new and popular. This one of the few shows that you can still feel like a fan, not a customer. While I’m not a fan of paying for an autograph at any price, Wasteland head honcho Ken Kish has made it a point to try and keep autograph prices not exceeding $20. I know at this upcoming show, he had confirmation from all but one guest that not only would they not be charging more than $20 for an autograph, but with that you could also get a photo with them at their table and no extra charge. None of this high priced photo-op crap. See…it is possible to set a standard for the guests and stick to it after all. Plus the fact that the guests are so much more approachable at the Wasteland.
You Did What?!?!? – HorrorHound Report…Part 3
During the show, a guy came up and was browsing through the books and pulled out a copy of the Incredibly Strange Film book published by the Re/Search Publications in 1986. This is a great little book, filled with interviews and articles on some of the kings and queens of exploitation cinema, like Ted V. Mikels, H.G. Lewis, Doris Wishman, Dave Friedman, and many more. As I started to tell him more about the book, he told me that he had recently picked up a copy from ebay, that had over 20 signatures in it from the people involved, like Wishman, and only paid $100. Now, a few of the people covered in that book have since passed away, like Ray Dennis Steckler and Wishman. But just when I was telling how freaking amazing of a deal he had there, he said that he had been ripping the pages from the book and selling them on ebay.
It was at this point where I stopped talking and tightly closed my jaw. I was afraid that if I was to open it, something would come out that could be considered either offending and/or threatening. I just stood there shocked, unable to move or say anything. Now, let me clarify that I understand that some things might not be as important as it is to others. I get that. But the fact that he had an incredible book, filled with signatures from some of the people responsible for making exploitation cinema what it is today, and was literally tearing apart the book to sell the individual pages, really hurt something deep inside of me. I mean, first off…he’s tearing apart a book!!! And secondly, he is destroying a one-of-a-kind piece of history.
To each their own, as they say, but it just kills me knowing that someone had gone through the trouble of collecting those signatures in that book, which was then ripped apart. Needless to say, a very sad and disturbing moment at the show. Lucky for me, the rest of the show was not like that.
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