Coming Soon: Days of the Dead

It all started in Indianapolis in 2011 and in a few weeks (June 30-July 2), I shall be heading back to Indianapolis from Chicago for my 12th Days of the Dead. I have attended five DotD events each in Chicago and Indy and last year, as they added Louisville to their calendar, so did I.

I think even the creator Adolfo Dorta would agree that DotD has grown bigger, better and quicker than anyone would have thought. In the crowded world of such conventions, DotD continues to grow and to set new standards for itself and other cons.

Days of the Dead is billed as a horror-themed convention, but it is so much more and it continues to evolve. There are horror authors, artists, actors, creators and more as part of the guest lineup. Over the years, I have met such horror stars as Heather Langenkamp, Kane Hodder, PJ Soles, Traci Lords, Roddy Piper and more.

Actually, Piper’s appearance in 2011 was my main attraction. I had previously interviewed and worked with Piper from afar. I couldn’t pass up seeing him since Indy was so close. Piper is significant in DotD history for two reasons.

First, for me, I had a chance to spend real time with Piper during his few appearances at DotD. These times were not just quick photo op moments. I had good conversations, laughs and interviews with Piper over the years. Especially in light of his passing two years ago, I will always cherish those moments with Piper.

This is typical of most DotD celebrity guest experiences. I have yet to have any bad moment with the hundreds of celebrities I have met at DotD events. The celebrities seem to go way out of their way to make sure fans are happy and have that “special” moment. Even in the fast-paced environment of photo opportunities, the celebs try their best to make it personal.

Second, Piper’s connection to horror is dwarfed by his fame in wrestling. I know many Piper fans came just for him (but then enjoyed the rest of the activities). Piper opened the door for other wrestlers with (and without) horror ties.

Sure, Mick Foley wrote a couple horror-related books and some of his wrestling characters were pretty horrific, but Foley is mostly known as a wrestler. Certainly, Diamond Bret Hart, Dallas Page, Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair, Chyna and other wrestlers have no major horror connections, but they consistently draw huge lines of fans at DotD.

This shows the brains and courage of the DotD organizers. They recognized the potential and they weren’t afraid to test the waters. I’d say that test was successful.

This year, once again one of the biggest names is a wrestling Hall of Famer. The Icon Sting will be making a rare con appearance, much to the delight of fans.

Sting will be joined by fellow wrestling stars Amy “Lita” Dumas, Charles “The God Father” Wright and Kevin Thorn. Wright will be in his Papa Shango gimmick for one of the days.

Of course, DotD is still mainly focus on horror and there are plenty of those celebrity guests, too. Director George Romero, Matthew Lillard (Scream), John Russo (Night of the Living Dead), Eileen Dietz (The Exorcist) and John Dugan (Texas Chainsaw Massacre) are just some of the horror guests.

That is still just the beginning though. From the Friday the 13th franchise will be CJ Graham, Steve Dash, Adrienne King and Larry Zerner. From Dawn of the Dead, Gaylen Ross, Scott Reiniger, Ken Foree and David Emge will be appearing. Veteran DotD guests Sid Haig and Bill Moseley will be there as usual.

Rock Star Dee Snider will be appearing and you never know what might happen there. The last time a rocker appeared, we were all delighted by an impromptu short live performance of Lita Ford.

I haven’t even finished the guest list, but there are so many other things happening at DotD. There is a Chaos-tume Contest, a karaoke contest, a tattoo contest and still much more.

The DotD group is like one huge extended family. I always look forward to seeing Adolfo and h (his fiancé) Carrie, Ed Gonzales, Heather Owens and so many other friends I have met through DotD.

The three day gathering is also about giving back. Over the years, enough food and money has been collected at DotD events to feed thousands of families. Recently, it was announced that More Grains was founded by DotD with the goal of providing assistance to both people and pets. What a great concept from some very caring folks.

It’s funny, because they are always looking for ways to improve the event and I always think they have it all down perfect. Then they go and create something like More Grains and I realize that DotD will never stop improving. This is why I am so passionate about them and why I keep returning.