In March of 2017, New Jersey Filmmaker (and movie superfan) Ryan Scott Weber teamed up with Robert Bruce (Comic Book Men) to create a new event for horror fans here in New Jersey. It could be considered a bit of a gamble, since there are already several other major horror conventions here in Jersey, but they wanted to bring the fans something new. A horror convention that would combine the con staples of celebrity guests and and merchandise vendors, with a film festival highlighting the best that indie horror filmmaking has to offer. Well, a year later, and three events in the books, The Horror Nerd is happy to report that the gamble paid off.
The weekend of March 2nd - 4th 2018 marked the third NJ Horror Con and film festival, held once again at the Woodbridge Renaissance Hotel in Iselin, NJ. The opening Friday of the convention was met with a nasty nor'Easter, bringing snow and high winds to the area. Normally, this does not bode well for a convention, and I was skeptical about what the attendance would be, but when I arrived at the show, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people I saw waiting in line to get in. I'm sure that the storm kept some people away, and it WAS nasty out there, but there was a great crowd and I could see the energy.
The weekend of March 2nd - 4th 2018 marked the third NJ Horror Con and film festival, held once again at the Woodbridge Renaissance Hotel in Iselin, NJ. The opening Friday of the convention was met with a nasty nor'Easter, bringing snow and high winds to the area. Normally, this does not bode well for a convention, and I was skeptical about what the attendance would be, but when I arrived at the show, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of people I saw waiting in line to get in. I'm sure that the storm kept some people away, and it WAS nasty out there, but there was a great crowd and I could see the energy.
The layout of the convention was the same as previous editions, with most of the celebrity guests in one main room, with others situated throughout the vendor room. There was a great mix of vendors once again, offering all sorts of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and other merchandise.
Over the course of the three day convention, I saw the usual amazing cosplayers that can be found lurking about. They always do a great job and they add so much to any horror convention. NJ Horror Con truly embraces the cosplay community, with a contest held on Saturday. Horror fans truly do immerse themselves in horror culture!
Over the course of the three day convention, I saw the usual amazing cosplayers that can be found lurking about. They always do a great job and they add so much to any horror convention. NJ Horror Con truly embraces the cosplay community, with a contest held on Saturday. Horror fans truly do immerse themselves in horror culture!
As usual at NJ Horror Con & Film Festival, there was an interesting mix of celebrity guests who were on hand to meet fans, sign autographs and take photos. Of course, there were the horror film stars, notably Andrew Divoff, star of Wishmaster and Lost and his Wishmaster co-star, Tammy Lauren. Also mixing and mingling with fans were Teri McMinn (Pam, the "meat hook" girl) and John Dugan (Grandpa Sawyet), both from the classic horror film "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre"). Also appearing at the show were Russ Streiner and John Russo, both from the iconic horror film "Night of the Living Dead"). There were several other horror actors and filmmakers, including many of the cast and crew of "Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre 3"), and it was great to see so many of them together in one place.
I need to take a personal moment here to acknowledge one of my favorite guests of the weekend, Tawny Kitaen. Yes, she was in a horror film ("Witchboard") but who could forget her from those Whitesnake and RATT videos!? Wow....I had such a crush! I digress.....but yet, I did have a true fanboy moment meeting and chatting with Tawny....not gonna lie!!!
I need to take a personal moment here to acknowledge one of my favorite guests of the weekend, Tawny Kitaen. Yes, she was in a horror film ("Witchboard") but who could forget her from those Whitesnake and RATT videos!? Wow....I had such a crush! I digress.....but yet, I did have a true fanboy moment meeting and chatting with Tawny....not gonna lie!!!
The headliner of the weekend was Peter Criss, co-founder and drummer of the iconic rock band KISS. Legions of fans were lined up to meet Peter and to take professional photos with him. Unfortunately, I personally did not have a chance to meet him, but in my travels I heard from several people that he was very nice, and that they were glad that they had the chance to meet him. If you're a classic rock fan, it doesn't get much better than that.
In addition to the film/TV guests, there were several artists and authors at the event, which added a nice element to the show. Yes, the movie/TV guests are a huge draw, but getting to meet authors, musicians and artists is a thrill for a great many people, including The Horror Nerd! One of the most notable of these guests was Bob Camp, known primarily for being co-founder of Spumco, the animation studio responsible for creating "Ren and Stimpy". Bob is a great guy, who spent the weekend joking with fans, taking pics, and creating custom sketches for them.
I also had a chance to meet author Neil Cohen, who wrote a series of zombie novels, starting with "Exit Zero", which are all set in the great State of New Jersey! Neil is a very nice guy who is always happy to talk about his work and tell you why he decided to create a series of zombie stories based in NJ!
In addition to the film/TV guests, there were several artists and authors at the event, which added a nice element to the show. Yes, the movie/TV guests are a huge draw, but getting to meet authors, musicians and artists is a thrill for a great many people, including The Horror Nerd! One of the most notable of these guests was Bob Camp, known primarily for being co-founder of Spumco, the animation studio responsible for creating "Ren and Stimpy". Bob is a great guy, who spent the weekend joking with fans, taking pics, and creating custom sketches for them.
I also had a chance to meet author Neil Cohen, who wrote a series of zombie novels, starting with "Exit Zero", which are all set in the great State of New Jersey! Neil is a very nice guy who is always happy to talk about his work and tell you why he decided to create a series of zombie stories based in NJ!
Author Neil Cohen
As always at NJ Horror Con & Film Festival, there was a great mix of merchandise vendors selling anything and everything related to horror, fantasy, sci-fi and much more! Looking for some awesome horror artwork, or some bloody, realistic props for your indie horror film, or some custom jewelry that you cannot find anywhere else? Well, you will find it at NJ Horror Con. All of the vendors I spoke to were having a great time at the show and seemed to be doing well, especially on Saturday when the crowds really picked up.
One thing I do NOT want to ignore is the FILM FESTIVAL part of "New Jersey Horror Con and Film Festival". The festival is coordinated and hosted by filmmaker Tony Goggles, and always showcases some amazing short films and feature films throughout the weekend, leading up to an awards ceremony. Ryan Weber, a successful filmmaker in his own right, is going a great thing by incorporating a film festival into a horror convention. Many times, at a con, once people have toured the merchandise rooms and met the celebrity guests that they wanted to meet, they are looking for something to do. Well, at NJ Horror Con & Film Festival, included with the price of your ticket, you can check out some amazing films. Personally, I think this was a great idea, Bringing the two things together, a traditional horror convention and a film festival, gives attendees that little something extra that is missing from a lot of other conventions.
Just a few additional notes about the show. I have had the pleasure of knowing Ryan Weber for several years now, and he is a very sincere person. I am not going to lie. When he first announced that he was starting a new convention here in New Jersey, I was worried for him. It's not an easy thing to do. I run a very small event compared to this one, and I know the amount of time and effort that I put in, so I can only imagine what goes in to running NJ Horror Con. Not to mention the fact that there are already a few conventions here in NJ. I am happy to report though that if the crowds over the weekend, combined with the smiles on the faces of the people I spoke to, are any indication, the show is doing great......
....So great in fact, that for the September show, NJ Horror Con and Film Festival is moving to the Showboat in Atlantic City! That's right! Just three shows in, and they have outgrown their venue!! All I can say is that I am looking forward to seeing what Ryan Weber, Robert Bruce and the rest of the NJ Horror Con staff have in store for us in their new digs!
Honestly folks, The Horror Nerd goes to a lot of events, and I can say with all honestly that I always have a great time at NJ Horror Con and Film Festival, and YOU WILL TOO!
For more information, go to their website at www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com/ and check out the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/njhorrorcon/.
Just a few additional notes about the show. I have had the pleasure of knowing Ryan Weber for several years now, and he is a very sincere person. I am not going to lie. When he first announced that he was starting a new convention here in New Jersey, I was worried for him. It's not an easy thing to do. I run a very small event compared to this one, and I know the amount of time and effort that I put in, so I can only imagine what goes in to running NJ Horror Con. Not to mention the fact that there are already a few conventions here in NJ. I am happy to report though that if the crowds over the weekend, combined with the smiles on the faces of the people I spoke to, are any indication, the show is doing great......
....So great in fact, that for the September show, NJ Horror Con and Film Festival is moving to the Showboat in Atlantic City! That's right! Just three shows in, and they have outgrown their venue!! All I can say is that I am looking forward to seeing what Ryan Weber, Robert Bruce and the rest of the NJ Horror Con staff have in store for us in their new digs!
Honestly folks, The Horror Nerd goes to a lot of events, and I can say with all honestly that I always have a great time at NJ Horror Con and Film Festival, and YOU WILL TOO!
For more information, go to their website at www.newjerseyhorrorcon.com/ and check out the official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/njhorrorcon/.
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