Parkersburg Pop Con

The 2nd Annual Parkersburg Pop Con is this Saturday September 30th at West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg from 11am to 5pm.  An event about all of pop culture.

Guests for the con are actor Jeremy Ambler, comic creator Tim Shinn, and illustrator Rusty Shackles.

Vendors and artists will be selling figures, comics, toys, memorabilia, collectibles, handmade crafts, clothing, food, anime and manga, shoes, art and prints, pezes, books, movies, jewelry, video games, knitted items, leather items, buttons, and plenty of other geeky items.  Also there will be Bunny Bombshell, Crooked Letter Creative, WV Ghostbusters, Hades Ladies of Hell’s Orchard Roller Derby, games, James Patrick, Jason Lewis, Shawn Langley, Stephen Hines, Wilson’s House of Cosplay, podcasters What’s Going On plus charities and publishing companies.

Events include table top gaming library, cosplay contests for adults and youths, cosplay panels, Super Smash Bros and Injustice 2 video game tournaments, live podcast recording, audience movie riffing, and more.

Crooked Letter Creative and the Astral Theatre Collective will be performing their new work “Carmilla” based on the horror classic by J. Sheridan LeFanu at the WVU Parkersburg theater at 8pm the same day.  The show is $15.

Admission for the con is only $5 and children ten and under get in free with an adult.

Nice little some event with several different genres covered and people to see and meet.

First Willcon

The first Williamson Pop Culture and Entertainment Convention, Willcon, takes place this Saturday August 26th at the Williamson Field House in Williamson from 10am to 6pm.  The event is put on by the Williamson Convention Visitor Bureau and meant to give the Tug Valley area an event to attract fans of all kind.

Their line-up of guests are Bram Stoker Award winning editor Michael Knost, writers Steven Paul Watson, Chris Estep; Old World Comics & Killers Serials; film makers Sal Lizard, Funtime Productions, the Green Goblin head from the movie Maximum Overdrive; cosplayers Noble Armory, Xehnis Cosplay; Jeremy Ambler, effects studio Hainted FX, band Black Coal Brass Quintet, Transformers Bumblebee replica, light saber combat Odd Todd’s Tournament of Champions, and comic creator Travis Tomblin.

They will have a special exhibit from the art departments from local high schools and others.  Plus several artists in attendance.  Their line up of vendors will be selling video games and consoles, gaming supplies, comic books, graphic novels, board and card games, RPGs, toys, action figures, POPS, art, plush, jewelry, crochet items and other nerdy crafts, steampunk apparel, totes, and more.

The will have laser tag from Autannaco Family Fun Center, two escape rooms from Adventure Games, face painting, panels on anime and Game of Thrones, Pokémon Scavenger Hunt, cosplay contest, light saber battle demo, photo studio, music performances, writer’s workshop, and more.  Table top gaming will be hosted by Play and Paint and include table game demos, gaming library, tournaments for Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh, and Pokémon TCG.  Mario Kart 8 and Smash Bros tournaments by Rare Drops.

Admission is just $5 and free for kids under 10.

Another small event with a little bit of all kinds of fandoms for everyone to enjoy.

 

First Annual Sleepy Hollow Scarefest

Four Horsemen Comics and Gaming of Clarksburg is bringing the first Sleepy Hollow Scarefest a free horror convention this Saturday June 17th at Meadowbrook Mall in Bridgeport.  It goes from 10am to 8pm.

Special guests for the event are Addy Miller, the teddy bear girl zombie from Walking Dead; Steve Dash, Jason from Friday the 13th Part 2; Trapper, Wild Bill, Huckleberry, and Willy from Mountain Monsters; WVU Football Hall of Famer Major Harris; Jeremy Ambler from Walking Dead; Daniel Boyd, writer and director; Eliska Hahn from Invasion of the Space Preachers; authors P. Mark DeBryan, Josh Kent, and Dustin Coffman; Diana Curry from FallForward Entertainment and her film Creature of the Night; Razor Sharp Studios; plus the cast of local films The Barn and Axe Man of Henderson County (including Major Harris and Jeremy Ambler). You can pre-order autographs for Addy Miller, Steve Dash, and Major Harris on the website for the show.

They have a Film Fest starting at noon and going into the evening.  The movies are local horror films Creature of The Night, The Crawling Dead, The Axe Man of Henderson County, and The Barn.  Tickets are $2 per movie.

They will also have a photo booth set up by TapSnap.

There will be local and regional vendors selling a variety of arts, crafts, foods, toys, costumes, t-shirts, and creepy dolls.

Fans of horror and paranormal, especially of local indie films, should try to swing by.  It is free after all.

CharCon: Bonus Round 2017

Charcon’s Bonus Round returns to the Flatwoods Days Inn and Suites in Sutton this Saturday May 6th 9am to midnight and Sunday May 7th 9am to 7pm, with some early events Friday night.

They have Jeremy Ambler, the Ghostbusters, Black Mountain Guard (Mandolorian Mercs), Mermaid Mal Gal, Kesra Cosplay, John Gibson, and Ray Hartzel as guests.

Friday night will include open gaming and two SPARKS sessions.  The rest of the weekend will filled with role-playing sessions of SPARKS (Star Wars RPGs), Pathfinder Society, Confluence META RPG, Ponyfinder, Star Trek Adventures, Metal Magic and Lore, and 7th Sea.  Plus a board game library, open play area, play to win games from Double Exposure, and Aerodrome on Saturday.

They will have panels from the guests, Artemis Space Bridge Simulator, a Causal Cosplay Ball with bit tune musician SoftServo, the CharCon Green Screen, Causeplayers, Braxxie the Flatwoods Monster, a paint & take, mermaid swim, various artists and vendors, replicas of Lightning and Mater from Pixar’s Cars, and the usual raffle for great prizes.

It costs $25 for the weekend.

A fun weekend for gamers and cosplayers to get together and have fun.

 

Causeacon

Causeacon will be at the Beckley-Raleigh County Convention Center in Beckley from Friday April 28th to Sunday April 30th.

Causeacon is Beckley’s first ever Pop Culture convention, which includes all fandoms from anime, gaming, cosplay and whatever else they can get. All proceeds of the convention will benefit the Women’s Resource Center in Beckley WV.

Guests are Chad Lindberg, actor in Supernatural, Fast and the Furious, October Sky, and many more, plus he is a paranormal  investigator.  Singer and actor Jennifer Cihi who was the singing voice of Sailor Moon and on Nickelodeon’s Roundhouse.  Playwright and novelist Stafanie DeLeo.  Jeremy Ambler from the Walking Dead and other horror projects.  Bob Denver’s widow, and actor in her own right, Dreama Denver.  Liberty High School’s Rock Music Ensemble Groovus Phaticus and nerdy belly dance troupe Final Form Fusion,

Events include a Friday night Formal Cosplay Ball, Saturday night Galactic Rave, cosplay masquerade on Saturday, game shows Otaku Bingo and Finish the Lyrics: Disney Edition, anime screening room, an artist alley, Ghostbusters, panels, an Instagram contest, foam combat with Sleeping Samurai.  Fright Nights at Glade Springs will have a mini haunted house set up at the con to enjoy.  The Women’s resource Center is holding a book drive raffle for children and preteen’s book, the more books you give the room tickets you will get.

A video game room will be run by Rare Drops and have tournaments for Super Smash Bros, Mario Kart 8, Mortal Kombat X, Injustice, and Goldeneye.  Lost Legion Games & Comics will be hosting a board game room with demos scheduled all weekend and a board game library.  They will also be holding tournaments for Magic and Pokémon; Dragon’s Den will be holding a Yu-Gi-Oh tournament as well.  Dragon’s Den is also doing a Warhammer 40k demo.

The Vendor Room will have dealers with video games, comics, costumes, figurines, toys, posters, wall scrolls, manga, anime, hats, t-shirts, collectibles, trading cards, energy drinks, and more.

Tickets are $30 for the weekend, $15 for Friday or Saturday, and $25 for Saturday.  You can preregister or buy at the door.

Another mixed con of various fandoms all for a good cause.  Bunch of stuff for everyone to check out.

Old School Convention 2016

Old School Convention returns for its second year, this time at the Pleasants County Middle School in Belmont on Saturday April 2nd from 10am to around 4pm.  The money from the show goes to benefit the oldest school in the West Virginia.

They will have Trapper from Destination TV’s Mountain Monsters, Jeremy Ambler from the Walking Dead, local author Joseph Burdette, professional wrestler Chance Prophet, the Black Mountain Guard of Mandalorian Mercs, and musicians Harrah and Matthew Elder.

Vendors will have comics, toy, figures, Funkos, vintage football cards, Magic cards, anime, manga, games, Transformers, vintage video games and more.  As well as artists set up to sell and do commissions.

They will have face painting, caricatures, a costume contest at 1:15pm, pictures with Queen Elsa and Princess Anna from Frozen from 11am-1pm, music performances, starting at 2pm, and a raffle with many donated items with the drawing after 3pm.  Plus there will be two different Magic: The Gathering tournaments run by Arcane Games Store.

Again, another nice little convention to hang out and buy from, all for a good cause.

 

WV Pop Con 2015

WV Pop Con returns to Mylan Park in Morgantown this Saturday August 22nd from 10am to 7pm and Sunday August 23rd from 11m to 5pm.

Creator guests include comic creators, artists, authors, crafters, design studios, costumers, and more.  Featured guests are Mike McKone (Avengers Academy, Justice League United), Thomas Zahler (Love and Capes, My Little Pony), DJ Coffman (Hero by Night, God Child), Chad Cicconi (sketch cards, NFL Rush Zone), Bill McKay (Zombies vs Cheerleaders, Danger Zone), and Dennis Budd (sketch card artist) .  Some of WV’s finest who will be there include featured guest James Patrick (Green Arrow, Pulp 21) and Robert Tinnell (Feast of the Seven Fishes, Wicked West); Jason Pell (Zombie Highway, Season’s End), Rich Bottles Jr. (Hellhole West Virginia, Lumberjacked),  Larry Morgan (Electro-Magnetic Press), Grinning Fox Customs, Dustin Smith (Knight Hunter), David Newbold (Runaways, Weapon X), Dusty Catlett, Implexity Designs, Angi D*signs, Garrick Gilmore, Josh Floquet, Andrew Carter (Let’s Play All The Games, Habitat Against Humanity) and others.

Entertainment guests are the 501st Legion Garrison Carida Squad Corellia, The Portrait Dude, Rebel Legion, Amtgard, Mandalorian Mercs The Black Mountain Guard, Morgantown Roller Vixens, Wudang Swordsmen Academy, Sigler Photography’s Morbid Memories, World Paranormal Investigations, Vintage Theatre Company, WV Ghostbusters and their van, Jeremy Ambler (Walking Dead, the Crazies), game company Milton Roe Creative and cosplayers Knightmage, Bio Cosplay, and Bunny Bombshell. They will have vendors selling comics, games, action figures, TPBs, cards, collectibles, video games, figures, costumes, props, t-shirts, leather goods, weapons, and who knows what all else.  Plus publishers Outpouring Comics, Burning Bulb Publishing, Electro-Magnetic Press, and Action Lab Comics.

Gaming will include Magic tournaments hosted by Nerducopia, West Virginia Pathfinder Society, a table top and retro gaming libraries and demos.  The costume contest is Sunday at 3pm.  Sign-up at the Illusive Skull booth at the con.

Admission is $10 for each day or $18 for two days.  Children under 10 get in free with an adult.   You can purchase before hand online or at Comic Paradise Plus in Fairmont or Westover.

Shockacon 2014

Shockacon the horror/sci-fi convention returns to the Beni Kedem Shrine Center (next to the Civic Center) in Charleston on Friday September 26-28.

Guests for this year’s con are actors Tyler Mane (X-Men, Halloween), Fred Williamson (football player, Dusk till Dawn), Vernon Wells (Road Warrior, Power Rangers), Jennifer Lynn Warren (American Horror Story), John Carl Buechler (special effects artist), Erika Eleniak (Playboy, Dracula 3000), Moses J. Moseley & Theshay West (Walking Dead), Taso Stavrakis (stuntman, makeup artist), David Crawford (Dawn of the Dead), and cosplayer Santana. Local guests Missy Dawn (Porkchop, Pig Girl), Eamon Hardiman (Porkchop, Zombie Babies), Ron Smith (Doctor Who: The Classic Years Regenerated), Jeremy Ambler (Walking Dead), writers Daniel Boyd (Chillers, Carbon), Edward A. Holsclaw II, Rich Bottles Jr (Hellhole West Virginia), K. Michael Gibson (Dead Pulse Rising), cosplayer Elsa Littlepage, several stand up comedians, guest speakers Rudy Panucci (PopCult Blog), Mel Larch (Zombie Research Society), Tiffany Steele (costume FX), Lee Harrah (evolution of the zombie), Chris Woodall (artist), Alaina Damewood (exorcist), and Adam Edwards (prop builder).

Rock bands Renfields, the Big Bad, and the Jasons.  Costume groups WV Ghostbusters, 501st Legion Squad Corella, and Mandalorian Mercs. Get some photo ops with Dalek Gan, a TARDIS, Zombie Killer Motorcycle, Zombie Response Vehicle, and custom hearses by the group Cemetery Knights.

There will be panels, Q&As with guests, music performances, movie showings, workshops, stand up comedy, Wayward girls School of Burlesque performance Friday night, Professor Sinister Savage Sideshow on Saturday night, and more.  On Saturday there will be a Costume Parade that starts at noon and will proceed through the first level of the Charleston Town Center and back to Shockacon.  There are two costume contests, one for 13 and up on Saturday at 4pm and one for 13 and under on Sunday 2pm.  There will be Scream Contests twice each day, each one limited to first 15 entries.

Also an after party at the Blue Parrot on Friday and Saturday night .

Tickets at the door are $50 for the weekend, $22 for Friday, $25 for Saturday, and $16 for Sunday.  Kids 6 and under get in free with an adult.  Show Hours are Friday 3:30pm-11:30pm, Saturday 10:30am-11:30pm, and Sunday 10:30am-4pm.  The vendor area closes at 8pm each day.

The place to go for horror fans.

Save Kanawha Players

Kanawha Players Theater is the official state theater of West Virginia and is the second longest community theater in the United States.  They are in need of some funds to keep their building, so they are running a number of fundraiser events this month to help out.  All events are at their theater in Charleston.

Friday June 13th (tonight) they are doing a double feature of Ed Wood Jr movies.  They will be showing Plan 9 from Outer-Space and Jail Bait.  Plan 9 is that reallllly bad one you have heard of with aliens rasing zombies with Bella Lugosi, Tor Johnson, and Vampira.  Jail Bait involves a young man’s descent into crime and getting plastic surgeon to evade the cops.  Films start at 8pm, tickets are $5, and concessions will be sold.

On Saturday June 14th they will be throwing a 80’s Party.  There will be retro gaming, photo booths, and a dance party.  A costume contest for best 80’s outfit will be held for prizes.  Things start at 8pm.  Tickets are $10 solo or $15 for couples.

On Friday June 20th the Wayward Girls School of Burlesque is holding workshops on the subject of burlesque.  Workshops include: Why Burlesque?, Burlesque Accessories, Acting and Character, Burlesque Beauty, and Burlesque Dance Basics.  Each one is thirty minutes long.  Individual workshops are $10 or book all five for $40.  Burlesque Accessories and Burlesque Beauty have an additional material fees.  First workshop starts at 5:30pm.

The big fundraiser is Saturday and Sunday June 21st and 22nd.  Information available about the moment include a silent auction, vendors of various items, music from bands like Harrah, Black Skull, Miniature Giant, and the Renfields, also acoustic music from Brandi Good and Little Nomad, zombie Jeremy Ambler from the Walking Dead and other horror projects will be signing autographs, performances by Famous Superstars, comedians, and a variety of entertainers.  Vendor tables for crafts and artwork is $35 for both days.  The event goes from 10am Saturday till late and Sunday 10am till 8pm.

Zombiefest WV

Zombiefest is a zombie festival and run operated by The Haunted Barn.  It will be May 10th at Camp Virgil Tate in the Charleston area.

Things start with a 5k obstacle course through woods starting at 7am.  A 5k mountain bike starts over the same course at noon.  At 4pm the zombie run of the same course starts, an obstacle course with zombies chasing you all along the way to steal your life flags.  All you have to do is make it to the finish line with one life flag left.  Cash prizes and awards will be handed out for all the races.  First 1500 to pre-reg for the zombie run get a free zombie run t-shirt.

After all the running and biking then the apocalypse after party starts.  You can hang with special guests at the event: horror legend Tom Savini, actor, stuntman, director,special effects and makeup artist; Tyler Mane, Sabertooth from X-Men movie, Michael Myers in the Halloween remake; Tamara Glynn, Samantha Thomas in Halloween 5; Savana Jade Wehunt and Jeremy Ambler of The Walking Dead; Goldie Fatale and Andie Noir of Fatale Noir Productions; and professorial wrestler The Stro. There will be Zombie Laser Tag provided by Fright nights of Glade Springs Resort, vendors, concession stands with beer.  There will be concerts by Gage, Dead Serious, The Renfields, Fully Justified, Stych N Tyme, and Bobaflex.  Nice line up for hard rock fans.

Registration for the Zombie Run is $75,  regular 5k run is $55, and the bike run is $45.  All tickets include the after party; I think, at least the zombie run does.  Spectator tickets are $20, these do let you into the after party.  They still have room for anyone interested in being a vendor for $250.

Yet another event out there for zombie lovers.  Though those who just like to party should also find it nice.