Septober is here!
Anyone else feeling Halloween vibes earlier than usual this year? Maybe it’s due to the onslaught of Halloween product flooding retailers as early as late July this year (!). Personally, I think we should just rename September Septober and be done with it. At any rate, my corner of SoCal has just the convention to sate that early pumpkin-flavored sweet tooth; CreepIE Aftermath.
CreepIE (I.E. for ‘Inland Empire’) Aftermath banners and monitors announce the convention early Friday evening…
The original CreepIECon debuted in February of 2022, and this biannual event has a late-summer/early fall spawn known as CreepIE Aftermath (nee: Son of CreepIECon), which once again returned to the Inland Empire (hence the “I.E” in CreepIECon) in the merry month of Septober. CreepIE Aftermath features cosplayers, vendors, food, live music, as well as autograph sessions and Q & A panels with horror actors and creators. With the original CreepIECon taking place around February, its offshoot now haunts the Inland Empire closer to Halloween.
The food trucks outside got in the spirit of the event as well.
With fewer big name actors in attendance at this convention and no “Fear Farm” (I really miss that walk-thru attraction), CreepIE Aftermath 2025 felt a bit scaled-down this year, though it still managed to summon enough spirits to keep things possessed.
Exorcising the Exhibit Hall
Once again, CreepIECon Aftermath was not quite as packed with attendees as its February predecessor (or even last year‘s CreepIE Aftermath 2024), there were still a few creepy curios and collectibles for perusal and purchase; lots of t-shirts, clothes, pins, posters, rugs, masks, and Halloween decorations. There were also autographs, food and other ghoulish goodies.
Panoramic shot of the dealer hall, as seen from the back of the venue (at the time, I was ordering something to eat to take back to my hotel room). Love seeing Freddy Kruger, in his red/green sweater, casually discussing his day…
One of the vendor booths had a lovely collection of handmade horror and Halloween-themed dioramas. The artist makes these exclusively for shows and conventions, and no two are exactly alike.
With Halloween coming up next month, there was no shortage of vendors selling masks, costumes, animatronics and other assorted bits of Halloween-themed decor–some of it factory-made, much of it handmade.
Handmade Horror Rugs, with the faces of Frankenstein’s Monster, Ghostface (“Scream”), Jason Voorhees, Billy the Puppet (“Saw”), Sam Hain (“Trick ‘r Treat”), the Creature from the Black Lagoon and others…
This swinging skeletal lad was perched atop one of the mask-selling booths, and typified the event’s spirit.
Celebrity guests in the autograph area included the young cast of “M3GAN,” actors Sam Jones (“Flash Gordon”), Mark Duplass (the “Creep” movies), Ethan Embry (“The Devil’s Candy,” “Can’t Hardly Wait”), Fiona Dourif (“Chucky,” “The Pitt”), Melinda Clarke (“Return of the Living Dead 3,” “Firefly”) and Jaime King (“Fanboys” “My Bloody Valentine 3D”).
Freaky Photo Ops, the “Horror Boodega” and “Art’s Sideshow”
Outside the Exhibit Hall, there were some photo op areas, including one with “The Toxic Avenger” (which was recently rebooted with Peter Dinklage) emerging from a barrel of his radioactive chemical waste. Given the current gutting of the Environmental Protection Agency here in the US, this photo op might turn out to be somewhat prophetic.
This photo op was in the Exhibit Hall for the “Lights Out” horror attraction/merch booth, where attendees could pose inside an oversized zombie cranium for photos, because why the hell not?
If you need to sate a fanged sweet tooth, the “Horror Boo-dega” is here for you.
This exhibit was so colorful and creative, it became the basis for this year’s promotional artwork.
A skeletal bride bathes in red light at Art’s Sideshow.
At Art’s Sideshow, we see the grave of Jason Voorhees’ beheaded mother from the “Friday the 13th” movies.
In keeping with the Día de los Muertos-theme, a vigilant ghoul kneels before a coffin in a gated tomb at Art’s Sideshow…
The grieving ghoul then rises to her feet to frighten passers-by.
The evil titular nun from the “Nun” horror film series haunts an exhibit at Art’s Sideshow.
Here lies “Beetlejuice,” (just don’t say his name three times!) resting peacefully in a corner of the Horror Boodega.
While I enjoyed the “Horror Boodega” and the return of “Art’s Sideshow,” I missed the “Fear Farm” walk-thru event, which was present at the last two CreepIE Aftermath conventions. Since this is my column, I’ll repeat last year’s “Fear Farm” for you, and for old times’ sake:
Living Doll.
Having seen the first “M3GAN” (2022) movie only this year, the two-movie franchise had a major presence at this year’s CreepIE Aftermath, with autograph sessions and a panel on Saturday featuring twin stars Madeleine McGraw & Violet McGraw and Jenna Davis (who does the eerie voice of the titular robot-doll). I did not attend the panel, but I did meet Davis on the less-crowded Friday evening of the con.
We had a nice chat about how Davis modulated her vocal performance to sound increasingly menacing as the movie progressed, even though she recorded it out-of-sequence. She also told me that the combination motion-capture/CGI performance of M3GAN was physically performed by an actress based in New Zealand, and was digitally composited into the movie later. By the way, I wasn’t sweating–that was just an ill-timed shadow.
Jenna Davis was very personable and we had an interesting chat about her process for voicing ‘M3GAN.’ She also told me an interesting factoid about how the actress who embodied the role (using a combination of prosthetics and CGI) sent her entire motion capture performance from New Zealand (the first movie was shot during the height of the COVID pandemic). I had no idea the making of the relatively low-budget “M3GAN” was so sophisticated.
“Feminine Rage” Panel
“Feminine Rage” podcast panel, with actresses Fiona Dourif (“The Pitt” “Chucky”), Jaime King (“Fanboys” “My Bloody Valentine 3D”) and Melinda Clarke (“Return of the Living Dead 3” “Firefly”). The podcasters hosting the three actresses asked how they each deal with the entertainment industry’s rampant sexism, ageism, and how each of them channel ‘feminine rage’ into their characters and performances. All agreed that a woman’s rage could be a deep wellspring that is sometimes frightening to watch, let alone channel. Each of them discussed the fascinating process of self-discovery is part and parcel for the performing arts.
Fiona Dourif is the daughter of actor Brad Dourif (“Child’s Play” “Exorcist 3”) and she’s followed in her dad’s footsteps in the latest round of “Child’s Play”-related projects. Dourif was the class cutup of this fascinating trio. Jamie King talked about using animals to inform her various characters’ body languages. Each actress told stories of how racist, ageist, and sexist casting standards have affected them personally, though they admitted those standards are slowly changing for the better. Melinda Clarke also spoke of the frustration of not being eligible to play characters her actual age, since Hollywood still sees middle-aged women as silver-haired mothers and grandmothers.
Of the five panels at CreepIE Aftermath, this was the only one I was able to attend, and it was well worth it.
Creepy 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, though there weren’t as many cosplayers visible at CreepIE Aftermath this year (overall turnout seemed a bit muted compared to last year). Nevertheless, there were still a few standouts.
An adult-sized ‘Sam Hain’ (get it? Samhain? Celtic name for Halloween?) from the criminally underrated, definitive Halloween movie, “Trick ‘r Treat” (2007); a movie that deserves sooo much more love–or at least a trilogy.
A trio of psychotic cosplayers include Michael Myers (the “Halloween” franchise) and a blood-spattered Deadpool.
A paper mâché pumpkinhead, ‘Art the Clown’ (aka “The Terrifier”) and a purple-faced killer clown.
At the convention, I finally got my first look at a Terrifier movie after buying a cheap Blu-Ray copy of “All Hallow’s Eve,” the low-budget 2013 horror anthology flick that first featured ‘Art the Clown,’ and I have to say I was less than impressed. None of the characters mattered (all were pointless) and it felt like a tired exercise in gore over substance. However, that isn’t meant to demean the many Terrifier cosplayers I see at conventions. If only that first movie had their dark joie de vivre.
There are more photos and a few more cosplayers in the link to my Flicker album of CreepIE Aftermath 2025 here.
Summing It Up
Overall, this year’s CreepIE Aftermath 2025 still delivered the goods, though it felt a mite diminished. The event lacked the heavier star power of last year’s event, and the loss of “Fear Farm” was disappointing. Nevertheless, I still enjoyed the cosplayers and Art’s Sideshow, which picked up some of the slack from the missing “Fear Farm.” The attendees themselves also added to the energy and vibe of the event. Unlike previous CreepIE events, I actually booked a hotel room for easier come-and-go access. Though in hindsight, it wasn’t necessary given the somewhat scaled-down proceedings. I can’t help but wonder if fear of ICE raids or other current draconian law enforcement tactics in my state might’ve played a part…?
Bruce Campbell (“The Evil Dead” “Bubba Ho-Tep”) is coming to the Inland Empire next January/February.
Next year’s CreepIECon V promises an appearance by Bruce Campbell, the star of the “Evil Dead” movies, including its Showtime spinoff series “Ash vs. the Evil Dead,” as well as 2002’s cult horror-comedy “Bubba Ho-Tep.” I’m assuming that event will be packed, much like “Elvira” star Cassandra Peterson’s appearance earlier this year at CreepIECon 2025. I actually met Campbell at San Diego Comic Con 2004 (my first) and I will try my best to cover his appearance next year as well.
At any rate, I’m an eternal Halloween geek and a closet optimist who tries to support smaller, local conventions as often as I can. Scaled down or not, I’m grateful to have these events within easy reach of me, and will continue to do my best to bring them to you as well.
Have a scary Septober and a Happy (early) Halloween!
