I Got A New Camera!

And I'm running on very little sleep! But that hardly matters, since everyone at Monsterfest '08 was probably jacked on something to keep the give 'n take of good vibes-a-flowin'. This was my first year at the event, taking place at the Chesapeake Public Library for what I believe is either the third or fourth year in a row and organized by Rob Floyd, who did a great job at creating a nice, small, yet thoroughly active free event for the community. Lots of vendors

and things to see, people to meet, seminars, and an all-night film festival after the con hours that last until dawn. I had just missed Mike C. and Donna as they were leaving at 2pm, but I was obligated to work until 1pm so I could only get there as fast as I could. But there were still plenty of ol' local geeksters from in and around the scene that, well, made the scene at Monsterfest this year, including

old friend Rose Rodak (above) catching up with Joe in front of her poster and movie stills table. Rose used to manage the Naro Video store and currently sells quality original movie posters and prints, and some great hard-to-find items as well. I'm just relieved that she managed to move her business out of Bill's Flea Market three months before the thing went up in flames. That woman has always had the most uncanny premonitions.

Breakfast Bunch gal pal Hunter was there, attending the lecture on European horror film directors so I sat in for a bit with her during the Dario Argento discussion, watching scenes like the the girl who is stabbed through the heart until she crashes through the glass ceiling in Suspiria to the peephole scene from Opera. There was a guy who sat behind us dressed as a werewolf that Hunter was convinced was drunk. He was there later that evening at the all-night film fest, and at that point I was convinced that he was just, er.... odd.

Former fellow music store associate Caitlin was there working the raffle ticket table at the front door. Yes, former music store associate. Lucky gal got out of there while she still could. Of course she's young and intelligent and has the whole world to explore. Damn you kids today with your youth and your... your refridgerators full of mayonaise (HAHAHA that was for you, Hunter!)

Caitlin's boyfriend Nick sportin' the ADU BLU HAWK. I licked his forehead once. He told me that was gross. Then we became friends. Guaranteed ice breaker every time. Although I managed not to get saliva anywhere near him this time, which is probably why he's smiling.

I also mananged not to spend a damn thing the entire day (well, okay, maybe the raffle tickets I got off Nick, who then took a picture of me with his zombie girls) but Joe did pick up a few relatively cheap comic books that I had never heard of before, and a DVD to a movie whose name I already forgot but I think it was filmed locally. Black and white and stylized to heck. It might suck. But at least it has a guy dressed as Santo in it. I mean, I guess that's a good thing.

Chris Johnson (left) and my dear old buddy Lee Hansen (right) head a panel on the history of the Friday The 13th films, and even after over an hour of discussion we still barely got past movie #5 and the TV series. Lee, however, being one of the funniest individuals I have ever known, kept things lively and interesting despite no clips to show and he and Chris together made me feel as if I were hanging out in Lee's living room hearing this discussion, one of many, Lee has with his extensive, almost savant-like knowledge of film detail at his disposal. Monsterfest co-creator Jim moderates in the middle -- or tries to anyway. I know I have never been able to get a word in edgewise between these two, so uh, good luck with all that.

After the con was over and the vendors cleared out, the big conference room was turned into the movie theater for the all-night horror fest lock-in. Folks start pouring in to find seats while a series of trailers for old Hammer Horror flicks roll on the big screen. Settling in behind Joe is Sam and his son Tom, who ended up asleep on the floor behind us around 12:30am. And I was about ready to join them. My venti sized Cafe Americana from Starbucks was already out of my system by ten o'clock.

Hunter and her boyfriend Dave scootched in next to us, although they only stayed for the first film. But we ate candy and laffed a lot. Especially during The Lost Skeleton Of Cadavra, which "mutant designer" and graphic artist Cortney Skinner was a gust speaker and brought the giant mutant monster head from the film for us all to touch. Hunter and I poked at it a lot.

Dear, dear Lee. Always so animated, always so incapable of not using his hands when he speaks. Lee, by the way, is one of the stars of the sci-fi series The House Between which is worth checking out, or so I think so, and not just cuz Lee is my friend. But after The Ghost Of Frankenstein and about part way through The Mummy (the Hammer version with Peter Cushing) Joe and I were ready to call it

quits and bail.We have breakfast in the morning, and we old folks don't stay up with the kids like we used to anymore. But it was a fun day, and stuff happened. Good job to all involved. And rock on, Nick. Rock on.