Episode 13 - An Interview With Jessica Cameron

Recently, we had the chance to attend a screening of Truth or Dare. We were blown away by it and just had to talk with the director, Jessica Cameron. Luckily we accomplished that because she was gracious enough to talk with us here on the show. So be sure to listen in as we chat with this emerging director about where she started, where she is, and where she is headed!

Episode 13 - An Interview With Jessica Cameron by Midwestmonsterspodcast on Mixcloud

Episode 12 - DAYS OF THE DEAD Chicago 2013 Convention Coverage Special - Afterthoughts

If you couldn't tell by listening to the show or following our social media; we had a fantastic time at Days of the Dead Chicago a few weekends ago. So you already know why we had a great time at this particular one. Previously I wrote about conventions in general and why so many people love them so deeply. So you already know that also.

Here, I want to talk about why Days of the Dead made that Chicago weekend great and why they are a catalyst for the enjoyment in horror convention going for so many. Days of the Dead (DOTD) is a convention that pays mind to the reasons why people love conventions. Now I am not a convention expert by any stretch of the imagination. Hell just in comparison with the other hosts on this show I haven't attended the most or the first. However, I have been to enough now to understand and appreciate what DOTD is accomplishing.

There are other conventions I have been to that were less than savory experiences. I will not mention any names because that serves no purpose here. This is more about what DOTD is doing right, than what others aren't. At these other conventions I am herded like cattle through oversold crowds. Routinely I get screwed out of something advertised because they did not specify things like "only signing X number of autographs that day". Luckily that particular time I had only driven more than an hour away, made plans to stay all weekend, paid entry before this was made clear. No big deal! I mean really think about that and let it marinate for a second. Thousands there that day were denied something that they had spent tons of money just to get there to experience. Many who had traveled much farther than me. None of that mattered though because there needed to be most of the day reserved for more profitable photo-ops and panels and other PR marketing photo moments for their branding purposes. Look, all those reasons to not have the person there for the fans is understandable; just announce it early on. I was denied my chance with only ten people ahead of me at the cutoff at 11am. Seriously, that is when the doors were supposed to open to the public. So what about all of the people who spent extra money for early entry? Who cares? is evidently that answer. So many other instances like this continue to happen where we realize the customer is no longer a concern. When you are making money hand over fist why worry about taking care of those that made it so profitable?

Luckily for the dedicated horror fans of America you have 4 chances around the country to enjoy how Days of the Dead treats their fans. With shows in Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and Los Angeles there is a chance for many to do just that. The crowds are always present but not painfully crowded and they are well controlled. The celebrity guests and fans are always pleasant because everyone is being taken care of with respect. The guests are great and varied but they are also not trendy which is nice for the fans who are there for a horror convention as opposed to a "what's hot right now" convention. DOTD is always organized well which attracts solid volunteers wanting to help (including myself this past summer which was a great experience) because they know they can help maintain a good thing. That makes a HUGE difference. 

I can say definitively, that from all aspects of attending their conventions, Days of the Dead genuinely listens to and cares about their patrons. Undecided for some reason? Go look at their social media and skim through to see their interaction with fans that help mold the decisions they make. It is literally right there to see if you are interested. Even before I have walked through the entrance I am already happy knowing that I am not going to have to pay an additional 30, 40, 50, 100 or more dollars to take a picture with people. This is because they do not do photo-ops because the majority of responsive fans said they did not want it. Obviously, they cannot personalize everything for every attendee but man it's close. 

I assure you I have nothing to gain by writing this or any agenda to squeeze in for anyone. I simply strive to turn some new people on to this convention and also to enjoy the rare positive opportunity to tell others about a business. If you want a family feel to your convention and your dollar appreciated; seek out a Days of the Dead show. I promise you will not be disappointed.
   

   

   

If you would like to see our pictures please check Facebook as we should have them up there soon. Thanks for listening and we hope to see many of you at conventions in the future!

Beware of the moon
The Professor

Episode 12 - Days of the Dead Chicago 2013 Convention Coverage Special

We left the comforts of our usual recordings to venture up to Chicago for Days of the Dead 2013. It was certainly worth trip as you will hear us explain in this episode. Listen in as we interview different actors, artists, authors, and more. We will take you to the con with us if you couldn't make it or if you have never been to one then join us this way and see what it's all about! We hope you enjoy!

Episode 12 - Days of the Dead Chicago 2013 Convention Coverage Special by Midwestmonsterspodcast on Mixcloud

Episode 11 - Stephen King

The master of the macabre, Stephen King, has written a prolific amount of successful and varied horror. Vampires, werewolves, ghosts, killer dogs and cars, and endless other tales of the supernatural unknown to name a few. King has already cemented his legacy but continues to provide us with new entertaining novels every years, usually more than once. So listen in as we run through many of the film adaptations. Obviously we could not cover everything completely and in depth; but damn if we didn't have fun trying. We hope you enjoy....

Episode 11 - Stephen King by Midwestmonsterspodcast on Mixcloud

Episode 11 - Stephen King - Afterthoughts

Stephen King has fascinated and captured the imagination of millions of readers throughout five different decades. His macabre storytelling seldom duplicates subjects from any of his previous efforts and continues to fly off of the shelves. Even the cover artwork on his novels are engaging due to the wide range of themes.. I can remember as a child, so many hours spent marveling at the covers of his books before I was allowed to read them. The hand through the sewer grate, the metallic  lettering of Christine, the foaming mouth of Cujo, and many others. Those collected covers were like a picture book of ghost stories to me. Without even reading a page of one I could not wane the interest. Here's the best part, since then it has only gotten better. Once I began to see the film adaptations of so many of these, my interest soared. The previous imaginative wonder of seeing but not enjoying these books were brought to life on screen. Seeing Salem's Lot or The Shining for the first time was fantastic. Which only confirmed my certainty of these being great, and they sure were, weren't they?

Stephen King is creating a prolific legacy right in front of us. We spend copious amounts of time learning about Lovecraft or  Poe and their works and rightfully so. However, Poe was a man who was destitute, lonely, and not appreciated like he is today.  Quite the opposite though, we have King, another master of dark storytelling, doing it right in front of us while we celebrate him. He has remained a huge success for almost 40 years since Carrie hit the shelves in April of 1974. During that time, he has been immensely successful and adored by his fans; so it is easy to take his greatness for granted after so many years of sustained success.

King's writing itself has both a strongest and weakest point in my eyes. The weakness is that he does not always finish his books strong. So many books he has written are completely captivating for half the book or more, and then just nosedives into an over-the-top forced ending that does not even fit the mood of the book. The strongest point is that he makes his characters rich and relatable. Readers are invested in the stories because they develop care for the character, and relate to many of them. He spends time crafting these characters, and subsequently it makes the horror inflicted on them that much more effective. This to me, is what has made him what he is over the years. There have been plenty of exceptional genre authors during this time but they seldom make you invest like King will.

Excitingly these days, King seems to be hungry again. Recent works of 11/22/63, Under The Dome, Joyland, and the recently released followup to the beloved The Shining (Doctor Sleep) all demonstrate that Stephen King is far from exhausted, bored, or ready to walk away anytime soon. I know many of you agree when I say, I sure hope that's the case.

                                

Thanks again for listening and reading afterwards. The support in recent weeks has been humbling and exciting. We are having an absolute blast with you! Until next time..

Beware of the moon.....
The Professor