took myself out to cherry hill, nj to check out their anual monster mania convention. i must say that the best part of this convention for me was meeting some of the interesting characters that attend. when you pull up to the hotel (crowne plaza hotel), there's absolutely no where to park. i must have parked 5 blocks away on some guys lawn (shhh...don't tell!! although, i am a gnome, so maybe he never even noticed?) so i could tell that this was a big deal. for some. from what i understand, the convention lasts 3 days (i only showed up for one, which was enough excitement for me) and your best bet is to book a room at the hotel (mucho in advance, though, i recommend 'liking' their page on facebook as they give updates and you can 'mingle' via web with other guests who plan on attending) if you plan on attending all 3 days of the convention. lots of guests show up to this event, including the guy out front selling boot legged dvds and offering you a free picture with what he boasts as 'the real batmobile' if you buy a dvd from him. cool car. i didn't buy a dvd, but i totally got a picture with the batmobile anyway. because it's me and being me has it's perks. this convention is held twice a year (once in march and once in august) and you can check their website to see which guests will be attending... www.monstermania.net a few things to remember if you plan on attending this convention...
1. get your wristbands ahead of time, they are cheaper.
2. if you plan on trying to meet any of the headliners, make sure you check their website to see if there are any special photo opps/meet and greets/question and answer sesions, as there usually are, but it's best to plan for those in advance.
i met up with ernie hudson from the ghostbusters. he wasn't quite sure what to think of me, but he was a nice enough guy, pretty chatty and he agreed to a photo. if you ever get the chance to meet him, you should jump on the opportunity, becuase he's a pretty cool dude. i also met scott wilson (hershel 'don't lose your head' green) of the walking dead. he was sick that day and i was a little freaked out when he blew his nose (into an actual handkerchief...a very hershel thing to do) and i was wondering how i would get out of shaking his hand (i am not a germaphobe or anything, just not intersted in handling a strangers nose goo...brains, yes, nose goo, no) without being rude. luckily, he whipped out the hand sanitizer and i was able to avoid an uncomfortable scene. he, like ernie, wasn't sure what to think, but also obliged me with a photo opp. maybe he was weirded out over the headless hershel cookies i baked for him? i don't know...
3. bring cash, and lots of it. after paying for your wristbands to gain entrance, you will also have to pay to meet each guest. some are inexpensive, but most will cost you a pretty penny. some you have to pay for just an autograph, others you will have to pay extra for a photo. there are lots of guests to choose from, so choose wisely or plan on going broke. then come the vendors. vendors, vendors and more vendors. displaying anything from the nerdy or horrific to the hilarious (and sometimes managing to combine all three...three of my favorite things!!) i found that i spent most of my time in this vendorwonderland. there are so many things to ogle and i loved every, single minute of it! except, it was wall to wall people. i didn't enjoy jockeying for position at a vendor's table, just to get shoved out of the way by a foul smelling hermit (on occasion), but the draw of all the weird kept me coming back. i found a baby sock monkey version of the human centipede. yes, you read that correctly. it was adorable and funny and repulsive all at the same time...
i wanted to purchase it, but i feared having to explain the entire plot of the movie and my weird fetsh for sock monkeys to every person who visits my home. so i passed. this time.
4. don't be afraid to ask the costume clad attendees for photos. they love them. they live for it. some just show up to hang around out front and don't even enter the convention. it's awesome. the guy dressed as toxie (the toxic avenger) was pretty amusing. totally stayed in character. there was also a pint sized ash wielding his very own chainsaw (my personal favorite of the day).
5. plan on spending a lot of time there. show up as early as you can and don't plan on leaving until it ends. there are a lot of forums and film screeings including a midnight screening of rock horror picture show, so don't forget to bring toast! check out the schedules ahead of time so you can plan accordingly and don't miss anything. overall, i had a gread day and met some (ahem!) interesting folks. give a connvention a whirl, you never know until you try it!! i have tons more photos so be sure to check out my facebook page, www.facebook.com/roamingzombiegnome (duh!) feel free to contact me with any info or questions. on to my next adventure...
