Black Gate

Spandex, chainmail, body paint…

Oh my.

Yes, it’s that time of year again and Chicagoans are not immune.

That is to say, when faced with one of the largest venues in the area packed wall to wall with artists, comics, swag of all types and Zachary Quinto , trance-like they will don too-snug lycra and a face mask, then venture forth into public to meet, greet, and pose for pictures.

Wizard World’s Comic Con stormed into the Rosemont Convention Center last week and once again, Black Gate photo Chris Z and I had a front row seats.

“Chicago’s premier pop-culture event” did not disappoint.

Final numbers aren’t in yet, but the Tribune stated that “tens of thousands” of visitors came through during the four-day festivities, spending what can only be estimated at virtually millions of dollars. Which caused Chris and I to speculate on whom precisely would drop $400 on a 4 foot by 6 foot artist’s rendition of Wonder Woman?

Unfortunately, he was decked out in a Green Lantern costume and refused an interview, but that didn’t stop us for meeting a whole gaggle of brilliant and creative individuals which is what makes Comic Con a seminal event in the Black Gate calendar.

So let’s wade in, shall we?

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As promised last week, my road trip to the Halloween and Haunted Attractions Show with Black Gate photog Chris Z yielded up a virtual bloody burlap bag of gooey tidbits to share with you.  I mean what could be finer than driving 5 hours to see the latest developments in apparatus for scaring the snot out of you – in the middle of a winter storm?

But like tweeners to a Twilight convention, we donned our flannel shirts and would not be deterred.

However, as we traveled south towards St. Louis, we were only out of Chicago a mere two hours before we ceased to see snow on the ground — and another two before the sky turned blue and the temperature gauge on the Black Gate company car started reading a balmy 45 degrees.

Which proves two things.

Life exists outside of Chicago primarily due to favorable atmospheric conditions, and 1973 Dodge Darts do indeed have temperature gauges.

We arrived at the America’s Convention Center to find it packed wall-to-wall with over 500 exhibitors showing off the cutting edge technology and special effects techniques which will ultimately be showcased in movies, videos and professional haunted attractions in 2013.  Which made narrowing down the field for inclusion here an arduous task, but one which Chris Z and I happily tackled during the extra-long trip home.

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Like two fresh, young debutantes launching their party season in petal-pink tulle ball gowns (only different), Black Gate photographer Chris Z and I prepare to kick off the horror show rounds with our annual road trip to St. Louis to cover TransWorld’s extravaganza: The Halloween and Haunted Attractions show.

The HHA was my own personal entre into haunting subculture when I first covered it for Black Gate in Chicago twelve years ago this month.

Since then I’ve had the pleasure of meeting, interviewing and writing about some of the best talent in the industry from special effects artists and set designers, to indy film makers and musicians, to authors, actors and cartoonists.  Thanks to Black Gate, it is my privilege to call many of these extremely interesting people my friends, and the sources for some of the most popular topics at Goth Chick News.

It is because of the plethora of material that comes from a visit to the HHA that Chris Z and I become giddy as school girls, loading up on Red Bull, granola bars and Nine Inch Nails MP3s to make the 5-hour road trip from Chicago.

And this year’s audio book selection is…?

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Being fully aware that my genre of choice tends to attract a rabid following that in some cases is actually rabid, I nonetheless underestimated what I would encounter when I was invited to a horror convention held in a very pedestrian suburb of Chicago.

I readily admit that Chicago isn’t Los Angeles or even New Orleans when it comes to sub-cultures, though the elements that do exist are certainly worth wading into — if you know where to look.

But the suburbs… seriously?

Two weeks ago, Schaumburg, IL was the launch city for the Days of the Dead convention tour. Schaumburg, whose primary claim to fame is being the home to the second largest quantity of retail square footage under one roof.

True, the walking dead can often be observed there dragging their ragged-flannel-wearing selves between Aeropostale and Abercrombie, but that hardly seemed reason enough to situate a horror convention a couple of blocks away – in a Marriot Hotel, no less.

Days of the Dead is in its second year; a self-termed “by the fans, for the fans,” convention which had its inaugural show in Indianapolis in July, 2011 and will be headed to Atlanta and LA, then ending in Indy in the coming months. The press kit explained:

Chock full of special events tailored just for the fans, an active after hours scene of horror themed parties, and a massive guest list of the hottest celebrity guests, artists, and up and coming independent film makers, Days of the Dead has already began rewriting the script and setting the bar for what a true horror convention weekend should look like.

And in this case, all located within walking distance of the USA’s second largest monument to consumerism. This could be fun.

And it certainly was…

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