Repossessed!
As we head into my favorite time of the year, the city of Ontario, California once again embraces the coming Halloween season with its CreepIECon horror convention. The original convention known as CreepIECon debuted in February of 2022, but this biannual event has a late-September spawn now known as CreepIE Aftermath (nee: Son of CreepIECon), which once again returned to the Inland Empire of Southern California (hence the “I.E” in CreepIECon).
Positioned closer to Halloween, CreepIECon Aftermath 2024 has many of the same attractions and wares of its February predecessor, but this year saw a strong focus on 1982’s “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial” (a family-friendly classic originally conceived of as a horror film, believe it or not) and “The Terrifier” horror movie series (2016-2024), with cast members from both (and other movies/TV shows) signing autographs and posing for pics. There were also the usual vendors, food trucks, exhibits, music and cosplayers.
Definitely in the right place, I think…
Over the weekend, I took a lot of photos (link at bottom), but here are a few choice highlights and stories from this past weekend. Take a look … if you dare.
Demonic Dealer Hall
Once again, CreepIECon Aftermath was not quite as packed with attendees as its February predecessor, there were still a few creepy curios and collectibles for perusal and purchase; lots of t-shirts, clothes, pins, buttons, posters, you name it. There were also autographs, food and other ghoulish goodies. I’ll let the captions do the rest.
Not nearly as crowded as other bigger conventions, which means it’s easier to navigate, and allows for more time to peruse the booths. You don’t feel pushed along, or forced to hurry and make your selections.
Vamp and The Fiends recorded a podcast from the Dealer Hall at CreepIECon Aftermath. Being an unhip oldster, I have no idea who Vamp or The Fiends are, but I do love their booth! The skeleton poses always give me a gruesome chuckle…
Booth for “Crafts by Big Joe; Creativity at Work.” The booth included many “The Nightmare Before Christmas”-themed items, including the Halloween Town clock, the bloodied wooden ducks, and the various Jacks (no pun intended) in the boxes.
Some horror and Halloween-themed creations from “Muteres Macabre” include a Slimer from “Ghostbusters,” “Pennywise” from the 2017 version of Stephen King’s “It” and much more.
Selections of horror movie/TV posters in various sizes were going for reasonable prices (if I only had wall space…). These posters included HBO’s “The Last of Us,” (2023), “ALIENS” (1986), “The Corpse Bride” (2005) and the Americanized version of “Godzilla” (1956), which included added scenes with Raymond Burr (“Perry Mason”).
The “Shrunk 3D Printing booth promised to make miniature 3D sculptures of visitors who have their photos taken with the booth’s equipment. I was curious, yes, but I’m not sure I want to see myself as an action figure…
His booth offered custom, 3D dioramas made using 3D-printed elements and figures. The diorama that Tony is holding featured classic horror TV hosts Svengoolie, Elvira and Vampira. I was impressed with Tony’s work; his 3D-printed wood elements really felt like wood!
This Half House Diorama featured the General Mills’ Monster Cereals and their respective mascots; FrankenBerry, Boo-Berry and, of course, Count Chocula (my personal favorite when I was a kid). These days I tend to buy cereals more for their fiber content than their added sugars, but this diorama sure brought back some wonderfully unhealthy childhood memories.
Attractions and Oddities
Across from the Dealer Hall in the conference rooms there various exhibits/attractions, such as the “CreepIE Arcade” (a retro-1980s/1990s video game room and nostalgia exhibit), a Joker photo-op room, a roomful of life-size sci-fi/horror statuary from a prop rental company known as “LM Treasures,” a few black-lit scary scenes at “Art’s Sideshow,” and a live, walk-through jump-scare fest known as the “Fear Farm,” which I took some video of…
A photo op station featuring “E.T” being abducted from other, less-friendly ETs…
Part of this year’s CreepIE Arcade, which featured vintage video game consoles, including Popeye and Nintendo. I might’ve popped in a few quarters if they had a working Asteroids or Berserker console (the apex of my video-gaming days, I’m afraid).
“ET” statue available from L&M Treasures: Life Size Statues & Props; a Fontana, California-based rental prop rental company.
L&M Treasures also offers a few dinosaurs for rent, as well; including a tiny saddled Triceratops, and an Ankylosaur-chair.
L&M Treasures also offers replicas from Universal’s classic monster movies, including “The Invisible Man” (Claude Rains), “The Mummy’s Tomb” (Lon Chaney Jr.) and “Son of Frankenstein” (Boris Karloff).
CreepIE Con presents Art’s Sideshow, which featured various black light displays, including these scenes from “Killer Klowns from Outer Space,” and “House of 1,000 Corpses.”
Art’s Sideshow presents Little Georgie being victimized by the evil Pennywise, from the 2017 version of Stephen King’s “It.”
Art’s Sideshow also featured a row of Jokers, including Joaquin Phoenix’s version from the 2019 and 2024 movies, as well as Jack Nicholson’s joker from Tim Burton’s 1989 “Batman.“
Art’s Sideshow also included my personal favorite Joker of them all; the late Heath Ledger from 2008’s “The Dark Knight.”
*****WARNING! VIDEO INCLUDES STROBE-LIGHTING EFFECTS*****
Dark Stars
The Autograph Room, early in the day, before the lines grew shortly afterward. This was the room where actors Billy Dee Williams, Juliette Lewis and writer/actor Nick Castle (“Halloween,” “The Last Starfighter”) appeared. Having met Williams and Castle at other conventions, I didn’t seek their autographs, but I also learned that Williams was charging an outrageous sum for his signature (I won’t list it here, but it was at least three times more than I imagined…).
The celebrities on hand for this event included cast members from “The Terrifier” series of horror movies, including David Howard Thornton (“Art the Clown”), Lauren LaVera (“Sienna”) and Elliott Fullam (“Jonathan”) along with writer/director Damien Leone and the “Pale Girl,” Amelie Mclain. Since I haven’t seen any of those films, I didn’t choose to meet the cast; let alone buy their autographs. Across the Dealer Hall, there was also the dedicated Autograph Room, which included actors Billy Dee Williams (“Lady Sings the Blues,” “The Empire Strikes Back,” “Return of the Jedi,” 1989’s “Batman”) and Juliette Lewis (1991’s “Cape Fear,” “From Dusk Till Dawn”).
More autographs (and selfies) were available in the Dealer Hall, including cast members from the “Terrifier” movies, as well as actors Matthew DeMeritt, Robert MacNaughton, Dee Wallace, Henry Thomas and C. Thomas Howell from “E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial” (1982).
Having already met Williams nine years ago at Star Wars Celebration 2015, and with Lewis running very late, my attention went back to the Dealer Hall, and to the cast of “E.T. the Extra Terrestrial” (1982). My friend’s son absolutely loves “E.T,” so I promised his mother I’d grab a couple of autographs from the movie for his birthday next month. To that end, I got autographs from actors Henry Thomas (“E.T,” “Doctor Sleep,”), who played young ‘Elliott,’ and Matthew De Meritt; who played the titular extraterrestrial. Also on hand was actor Billy Zane (1996’s “The Phantom,” 1997’s mega-hit “Titanic”); I absolutely loved his work in “Titanic,” and am looking forward to next year’s “Waltzing with Brando,” where he is playing the late acting legend Marlon Brando (“The Godfather,” “Superman: The Movie”). He had a photo from that upcoming film on his table, and he looks exactly like the late Brando.
He signed an extra autograph for my friend’s son, Joshua, who is a huge fan of “E.T.” Wonderful man.
Creepy and Creative Cosplay!
Now, onto my favorite part of sci-fi/fantasy or horror conventions; the cosplayers. Cosplayers are the heart and soul of any sci-fi/fantasy/horror convention, and while there weren’t as many cosplayers visible at Aftermath this year, there were still a few really good ones. This con gives local and out-of-town horror fan attendees the chance to don their beastly-best. I try to photograph as many cosplayers as I can, and I hope readers enjoy those I’ve selected here (the rest are in my Flickr album; linked below).
“Beetlejuice,” two “Terrifiers,” a vampire and a Plague Doctor scare their skeletal victim into unconsciousness!
Right: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” a ‘Leatherface’ cosplayer holds his chainsaw overhead in triumph!
Right: A “JAWS”-inspired slasher looks like he’s about to show Quint where he can shove those harpoons and barrels…
Right: A very creative insectoid cosplay; this was an original creation made by the cosplayer herself, with mandibles and wings covering her backpack! The ingenuity and imagination of cosplayers never ceases to impress me.
Flickr Frights!
Summing It Up
Now that CreepIECon is an established biannual event, I can guarantee you that I will do my best to attend this event for as long as it runs, and as long as my ever-advancing age allows. Yes, it’s a smaller convention; much smaller than WonderCon in Anaheim, let alone San Diego Comic Con (the motherlode of all fandom conventions), and it doesn’t have the huge turnout, extensive activities or star power of those cons. However, what CreepIECon Aftermath lacks in volume it makes up for in—forgive the pun—spirit.
A toy Chucky goes for a drive in his toy car… just don’t cut him off!
It’s also nice for me to have a convention in a nice venue only twenty-odd minutes from my home (which automatically eliminates the need for a hotel room). I’m also impressed with the increasing caliber of celebrity talent they manage to get for this event as well; Henry Thomas, Billy Zane, Dee Wallace, Juliette Lewis, etc. And, of course, I always enjoy seeing a few locals (and a few out-of-staters) dressed in their bewitching best cosplay in time for the Halloween season. I mean, why wouldn’t I attend, right?
Stay spooky, folks!
