It’s now mid-October, and Halloween — and, possibly, a murderous clown that just wandered out of the woods — draws ever nearer. In the spooky and scantily-clad spirit of the season, the Fluid Event Center will be hosting the third annual Dark History and Horror Convention on October 21st (2–10 p.m.), 22nd (11:30 a.m.–11 p.m.), and 23rd (12–8 p.m.). The event will be open to all ages, with no charge for children age 10 and under, though children will have to be accompanied by a parent.
The convention will be devoted to fictional horror, such as films, writing, and comics, as well as the darker parts of the past, including true crime, serial killers, and other taboo topics that never made it to the history books. Though the convention is ostensibly intended for horror fans, Jeff Grant, owner of the Fluid Event Center, pointed out the event’s broad appeal.
“There’s going to be something for everyone. We’ve got over 50 special guests — movie actors, tattoo artists, authors, comic book writers from Marvel and DC, stage performers… It all depends on what you’re into.”
The convention will feature over fifty guests, vendors, and performers. New this year are appearances by horror film and TV actors, a few of whom include Robert Mukes (House of 1,000 Corpses), Robert LaSardo (The Professional, Waterworld), Chad Rook (Supernatural, Timeless, Bates Motel), Moses J. Moseley and Theshay West (Michonne’s “pets” from The Walking Dead), and even the Supernatural Impala itself (which, weirdly, is named Rufus). Victoria Price, daughter of Vincent Price and Tim Burton’s co-writer for Edward Scissorhands, will also be attending and conducting panels. Returning to the convention floor are fifteen tattoo artists, including two finalists and one semi-finalist from the show Ink Masters.
Many of the convention’s vendors are small, locally based businesses offering handmade wares (Poking Dead Things), various oddities (Cryptic Collections), puzzle boxes (Pyramid Gallery) and fortune telling (Blessed by Light). Others will have exhibits set up; Brainstorm Escapes will have two horror-themed escape rooms, and Baldwin Asylum, based out of Rantoul, will have a large exhibit space. I was specifically asked to not describe the contents of this one, so interested parties should find out in person!
One of the biggest draws for movie fans in particular will be a booth presented by the Horror and Sci-Fi Prop Preservation Association, a nonprofit traveling exhibition showcasing a variety of props used in horror and science fiction films. Many of the props have seen screen use, including props from the Saw movies, The Nightmare Before Christmas, The Chronicles of Riddick, Sweeney Todd, Star Wars Episode VII, and many others. Others are prototypes of screen props, were unused in the film, or, as in the case of the exhibit’s Freddy Krueger glove, are exact reproductions cast directly from the molds used to produce the originals.
While the convention will go on all weekend, each day will feature different guests and events.
“It’ll be a different experience every day,” explained Grant. “We’ve got different panels every day, a cosplay contest on Saturday, and several guests who will only be there on specific days.”
“It’s not about selling thousands of tickets,” he continued. “At the end of the day, we want people to have fun, maybe meet someone they wanted to meet, find something great, and generally have a good time.”
Convention passes start at $10 for a single day. More information and ticket preorders can be found here.