Another Monster-Mania has come and gone and only now am I finally coming down from my convention high. I truly do love this time of year. Over 20 stars were at MM42 and for all those that I had met and from all feedback I heard from the many fans, the experience was a universal success. The highlight for the March edition was the reunion of The Craft cast led by Neve Campbell along with Fairuza Balk, Robin Tunney and Rachel True. What made it great was that it was the first time the foursome has been together since the film over 20 years ago. It’s reunions like this that continues to put Monster-Mania on the map as a leader in the horror convention circuit.
Besides The Craft ladies, Monster-Mania showcased such guests as Dolph Lundgren, Christina Ricci, Tommy Flanagan, Dylan McDermott, Meatloaf, Shawn Michaels, Kane, Monica Keena, The Soska Sisters, Steve Guttenberg, CJ Graham and Halloween alumni Nick Castle, James Jude Courtney, Sandy Johnson, Will Sandin, Jibrail Nantambu and Danielle Harris. Price ranges to meet these guests whether to get an autograph or selfie or professional photos was between $30 and $100. Having gone to many conventions in my day, this range is very good and quite reasonable. The most expensive was the professional photo with the ladies from The Craft at about $220. But broken down that was less than $60 per person. Again, very reasonable.
As for the venue itself, The Crown Plaza Hotel in Cherry Hill, NJ was enjoyable. I’ve heard rumblings that the convention has out grown the location. This being my second time, I don’t have a point of reference other than my previous experience and I think it the space works fine. A bigger venue doesn’t solve crowd issues if more tickets are sold to accommodate the space. And if you have more space but keep the tickets to the same amount, those prices can go up to offset costs. With that said, I would be careful to wish for a bigger venue.
Photos courtesy of Monster-Mania Con
There are also many vendors located throughout the multiple convention rooms to satisfy the fans. They even sell socks which I needed when I realized I forgot to pack some. Sometimes you just have to laugh. That wasn’t even my most embarrassing moment. That came when I was riding the elevator with Nick Castle and I didn’t realize it was him until my girlfriend pointed him out afterwards. I’m special that way LOL! What I do suggest for those staying at the hotel, pack some snacks and water to keep you going. There’s a lot going on, a lot of walking and a lot of standing around while waiting to meet a guests so munch on some snacks and stay hydrated.
Of course like any convention not everything is going to go without a hitch. It’s easy to be impressed when things go right. Usually when things do go according to plan, not much is said and often things go unnoticed. But when there’s a problem however things can get testy and some convention goers turn into Linda Blair from The Exorcist. For me however, this is where organizers have a chance to shine as was the case with Monster-Mania. The staff at MM led by David Hagen go above and beyond to make sure the fan experience is second to none. Through the use of social media, they keep fans abreast of what is going on especially if a celebrity is running late which was the unfortunate case for Fairuza who was unable to attend on Friday as advertised due to travel issues. There was some negative chatter towards Hagen and his team but any organizer/promotor can only go with the information that is provided to them. The fact that as soon as they knew something, we the fans knew only proves at the integrity of the team that has the fans best interest at heart. I personally thanked Hagen Saturday morning because sometimes they too need a kind word of reassurance that the job they’re doing is greatly appreciated.
On a side note, as I type this review, guests for the upcoming August show is already being posted led once again by Robert Englund and Nick Frost. See ya in August!
May the Dork be with you,
JPB
The Dork Knight
