MONSTERPALOOZA!

Hey fright fans, Jsyn here, and do I have a doozy of a convention report for you!

As a native New Yorker recently transplanted to Hollywoodland, I tend to tell it like it is and sometimes that gets me into trouble. Nevertheless, like you, I am a horror enthusiast who works hard for his money, especially in these troubled economic times. And frankly, I have stopped attending conventions with the frequency that I used to because it’s simply become too expensive and, worse, I am usually let down with the overall quality of the event. Like most convention goers, I despise feeling ripped-off by high ticket prices, higher parking fees and almost criminal prices for food and beverages. Also, I am not much of an autograph collector, and that seems to be a major aspect of most of these shows. It’s not even about actually meeting and interacting with these celebrities anymore, as long as they make a buck. Where did the magic go, the event mentality? Don’t we deserve more than to be charged for the privilege of being herded into a glorified, oversold flea market of the same bootleg dvds we can find online, with “celebrities” and their “managers” trying to rip us off further, while the venue gouges us even deeper? Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind spending the money as long as I feel like I’ve got my moneys worth.

When I go to a genre-related convention, I want to see things I cannot see anywhere else. I want to roam aisles jam packed with cool stuff, assorted oddities, original art and items I never knew existed! I especially like to speak to interesting artists directly, ask questions, learn and experience things I would not be able to by just searching on Google. And if I’m going to an event that has the word “horror” or “monster” in the name, I better be horrified and/or see some fucking monsters!

Last week I attended what was by far the highlight of my convention going experiences of my adult years: MONSTERPALOOZA.

And let me tell ya… here be MONSTERS!

Everything from the organization of the event to the talent collected to the panel discussions to the vendors to the ticket value and the location were nothing short of top-notch. I was so thoroughly impressed with every aspect of this event that words were simply not enough! I decided to present you Fright Fiends with an entire week worth of video programming, shot and assembled by the notorious Brian Smith, so you can see for yourselves!

MONSTERPALOOZA was simply a return to form to the genre conventions I remember from my youth; an exciting event, painstakingly organized by people who actually care about the genre and the fans they are catering to. Most importantly, it was fun. If you are an aspiring special makeup effects artist, you definitely came to the right place. I’m a grown man and I thought the live Jack Pierce presentation (where an actor made up to look uncannily like Mr. Pierce talks about his life in first person) was, I daresay, educational! It’s refreshing to see an event devoted to the art of all things related to “monster makeup” without the stuffiness that sometimes accompanies the term “makeup artist”.

Another thing I must mention briefly was the venue: the beautifully revamped and convention-friendly Burbank Marriot. This same venue hosted FANGORIA up until this year when it moved to the Staples Center. Quite honestly, I have no idea why they moved from this location. Besides being convenient to get to by car, bus, or even plane, there are a whole slew of new affordable eateries all within walking distance; as well as the close proximity to some of our favorite satellite stops in Burbank like Dark Delicacies and Hyaena Gallery. If you were visiting the convention from out of state, this venue was definitely the most value for your travel dollar.

My hat is off to MONSTERPALOOZA mastermind Eliot Brodsky, a conscientious event promoter and a man who clearly loves this stuff as much as we do. Please watch the videos below and be sure to visit Eliot’s site: www.rubberroom101.com

I will be anxiously awaiting next year’s show. Until then, enjoy the videos Fright Fans!

~Jsyn


Montage:

Here is a quick recap of the overall show, with literally hundreds of amazing things to see; everything from custom masks to makeup demonstrations to sculptures to original art. The highlight being an amazing rebuild of the King Kong from Don Post Studios as featured in Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, courtesy of ADI. Keep in mind this is just the main area of the show. Wait till you see the Museum!

Museum:

The Museum at Monsterpalooza was, by far, one of the coolest elements of the show.
Filled with amazing, original props fabricated by the likes of Amalgamated Dynamics, KNB EFX, Steve Wang, Jordu Schell and many others; it was a monster and effects enthusiasts dream come true. Get up close and personal with truly jaw-dropping likenesses of Karloff as Frankenstein's Monster and Bela Lugosi as Dracula courtesy of artist Mike Hill, as well as a simply astounding recreation of Vincent Price in 'The Pit and the Pendulum' by artist Russ Lukich.
Major kudos to Monsterpalooza, the curators, and all the artists who contributed to the Museum!



Vendors:

Here are just a few of the great vendors at MONSTERPALOOZA, who weren’t just there selling their wares; they were performing live demos and happily chatting and answering questions with convention goers. Rusty Slusser of SPFX Masks was there talking up his incredible line of masks that you have to see to believe. Master mold maker Pedro Valdez of Valdez Tools presented his new instructional dvd, as well as his complete line of handcrafted sculpting tools. Also, master painter and extreme artist Tim Gore was at the Coast Airbrush booth demonstrating some top of the line tools and techniques. And this was just a fraction of the friendly, talented artists in the vendors area, folks!

Visit: www.spfxmasks.com
www.coastairbrush.com



Howard Berger:

Here’s Academy Award winning makeup artist and super nice guy Howard Berger giving us an exclusive heads-up on some of the groovy goings-on over at KNB EFX!



Phantom Harbor:

Longtime special effects veteran Shannon Shea talks to us about his spooky new website for the younger set of monster fans, “Phantom Harbor”. There is something so inherently cool about Phantom Harbor, young or old, I think you’ll really dig it. Enjoy!
www.phantomharbor.com