Days of the Dead Chicago 2019 Was Another Blast

I had a blast all weekend at Days of the Dead Horror and Pop Culture Convention in Rosemont. The convention continues to put on a great event, with interesting celebrities, fun events and great organization. As the creator of Johngy's Beat, the 314th best source for pop culture nuggets, I always look forward to DotD weekends.

On Friday, my friend Tommy Else joined me as we met Steve Guttenberg. Tommy was especially excited to meet one of his favorites. Guttenberg expressed his gratitude for Tommy's fandom and for coming out to see him. He seemed to really appreciate the affection all of the fans were showing him.

I was also excited to meet Richard Dreyfuss. Dreyfuss has had such a lengthy, successful and varied career that fans have so many different favorites of his. In a very classy move, Dreyfuss walked his fan line and thanked people for waiting. Despite the long line, Dreyfuss made sure everyone had a special moment with him. He joked a bit with everyone and he talked about each of the different things people brought for him to sign.

I also met Scout Taylor-Compton for the first time. I mentioned to her that I had previously talked to Lita Ford, whom she played in the movie The Runaways and Ford had expressed her pleasure with that performance. I honestly thought she was going to cry. She was very appreciative of the comment and that I told her. That alone made my day.

Felissa Rose is a staple at Days of the Dead and I simply adore this woman. She is a ball of fun and always the life of any convention. Her warm hugs, her infectious laugh and her genuine interest make her such a special person.

Tommy and I were excited to meet Vampiro. Although semi-retired as a wrestler, Vampiro is still active on the wrestling scene. As a fellow pro wrestler, Tommy might have been sizing up Vampiro for a future match.

Katherine Kamhi joined Felissa in a mini-reunion of Sleepaway Camp, a cult classic. The two ladies did a really cool photo op recreating their famous roles.

Other guests in the celebrity lineup included Danielle Harris, Kristina Klebe, Derek Mears. Jen and Sylvia Soska (the Soska twins), Michael Biehn, Jennifer Blanc-Biehn, Jackson Robert Scott, Edward Furlong and more.

A big part of Days of the Dead is the vendor area. There is so much awesome creativity in this area and very talented folks. I have made so many good friends among these creative folks and I always look forward to seeing their new creations (and even reviewing old stuff, because it is still awesome).

Joel Robinson is an amazing artist I have been following for a couple years. I am a little late on Joel's bandwagon, but I am catching up quickly. I spent a lot of time this weekend, just gazing at his wall of creations.

Kurt Dinse of Pungent Basement Art is one of my favorites. He creates awesomely horrific versions of pop culture icons, as well as new creations from his delightfully twisted mind. He's a great guy and I have become friends with him over the years, thanks to our interactions at DotD.

Zack Kaufman of Atomic Cotton is always a fun stop on the DotD convention floor. Billed as “shirts and art for fans by fans,” Atomic Cotton delivers as advertised. I have added many shirts to my collection from Atomic Cotton. I was also lucky enough to stop by his booth when fellow artist Katie Kadaver was visiting Zack.

Samantha Cherise of FX Zombify and Makeup was on site to “Zombify” anyone. I really want to see myself as a Zomby Johngy someday, but my timing is always off as she is quite popular, especially with youngster Zombie wanna-be's.

I was thrilled to hold a 6 foot snake courtesy of J&Gs Reptile Road Show. The fine folks at J&Gs are always a hit, even if some folks are too timid to wrangle the snake.

There were so many other great vendors, including author Virgil Davis, Jamie Koala of Koala Art & Design and a room full of other wickedly talented people with beautiful offerings. Everything isn't completely scariffic either. While horror is the common element, it isn't the exclusive subject. At the core, it's just really cool stuff.

I also reconnected with filmmakers Brian Shawarko and Dustin Kay. These two are always working on something interesting. Technology failure interfered with my intent to interview them, but we'll do that in the future and run it right here.

Celebrities and vendors are my main interest at DotD, but there are also many other aspects of the show. The panels are fantastic discussions with behind-the-scenes info and bits. The Q&As allow fans to interact with their favorites.

The FX Makeup Challenge is where fans get creative. It's a blast as an entrant or observer. That Damn Tattoo Contest is similar, only the creativity shown is permanent ink. The Horror Trivia contest allows folks to show off their horror knowledge. This is perfect for less creeative folks like me, but I admit I was way overmatched by these experts.

I always feel bad when recapping DotD, because I cannot possibly mention all of the great celebrities and creative people at each event. It's an event you really need to experience. It removes any wrong stereotypes of horror folks. It is a community in which all are welcome and celebrated. I have seen many folks literally brought to tears because they felt they found “their home” or a place they finally belonged.

I would be remiss if I did not mention friendships gained or strengthened at DotD. I have been at 22 DotD events over the years and I have made so many wonderful friends among the vendors, attendees and even celebrities. One of my real joys is bringing in friends, who then become regular attendees. It really becomes like a big reunion. Even if I only see some of these friends at DotD events, we still hug and get caught up, sharing our lives and recalling fun times at DotD. There are way too many pictures with friends to post here, but feel free to follow me all over social media to see more.

On a related note, after we had all of our fun at DotD, we enjoyed a wonderful meal at Murray Bros. Caddyshack, the eatery of choice for the Days crowd. Onion rings, chicken nachos, shark tacos, an unexpected (but much appreciated) sample shot of Jack Daniels Tennessee Apple and a Bears game later, we were beyond satisfied. Caddyshack is lively, but not crazy. It is one of my favorite places in the area.

Atlanta (2/7-9/20) is the next stop on the DotD circuit. Las Vegas and Indianapolis are also scheduled and Dallas and Chicago later in the year. I have already marked my calendar for Indianapolis.

As I always make clear, I am not an employee of Days of the Dead. I am merely a fan who attended the first show in July 2001 and loved it so much. Still, I must thank them for allowing me to do what I do at their shows. My goal is to spread the word and have more join me in this fun.