Diva’s First Con Experience

A couple weekends ago, Baby Panda and I attended my first horror convention, Crypticon 2021. It was quite the experience, something I recommend to anyone who gets the chance to go, you need to!!! I have never had so much fun surrounded by like-minded horror fans. I will admit, I didn’t do everything I planned, but there is always next year. Baby Panda got to be an SFX model, which was super cool. I have to give a HUGE shout-out to Adam and Sicpuppy SFX Studio for making her look remarkable and being such an excellent and professional artist. The vendor hall was daunting at first, with so many goodies and things to see. So many talented people were showing off their wares. Diva spoiled herself with a few beautiful items that I will forever cherish.

I met and chat with some great celebrities, Joe Bob Briggs, Darcy, Felissa Rose, David Naughton, and Terry Kiser. Don’t worry if you don’t recognize some of the names; I’ll walk you through that here in a few.

Not only was it wonderful to share these experiences with all the horror fans. It was also extra special to share this weekend with my partner in crime, Baby Panda. We will go into more details about our shared experience during our Podcast. Keep watching our Facebook group to see when that airs.

Ok, so celebrities…… I promised we would chat about them. I have never met a more friendly group of people, each one I spoke to was kind, welcoming, and seemed genuinely happy to see their fans. The first celebrity I got to chat with and did many times over the weekend was Terry Kiser. He was the star of the 1989 comedy. “Weekend at Bernies,” he was our favorite… dead boss. Fans of the Friday the 13th franchise may recognize him as the less than reputable “Dr. Crews” in the 1988 film, “Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood”. Terry is super friendly, has a great sense of humor, and really was a fun person to talk to. Something I really enjoyed was his infectious laughter and the fact he had a smile for everyone. When speaking with him, he makes you feel like you are the center of his attention. He is quick-witted and funny, my interactions with him have earned him a lifelong fan, and I look forward to seeing him again.

Our next celebrity would be personally my favorite werewolf. I am speaking, of course, about the talented David Naughton. He played David Kessler in the 1981film “American Werewolf in London.” A true gentleman, friendly, and funny. His smile and laugh are enough to ease nerves when talking to the man who still tops most horror lists as having the most “painful” werewolf transformation. When I told him of this, he laughed, saying, “Most painful to watch or painful looking?” We shared a laugh, and I told him it was, at least for me, a little bit of both. If you haven’t seen the film, check it out; it is a bit dated, BUT it is still one of the best werewolf films out there, if not the best. Laced with humor and horror in perfect balance, it’s a fun Saturday afternoon movie, and it has a killer soundtrack with just the right songs at the right moments. One of the funniest moments with him was when he said he was going to photobomb Lisa Zane’s selfies, as she was at the table right near his. Lisa played “Maggie Burroughs” in “Freddy’s Dead: The Final Nightmare”(1991). He is another celebrity that I would love to see and chat with again.

Up next is one of the most beautiful women of horror. I am referring to, of course, the beautiful and talented Felissa Rose. Most will know her as “Angela” in the 1983 horror film “Sleepaway Camp.” Felissa makes you feel like an old friend. Always smiling and laughing, she lights up the room. She is always happy to see her fans, and she calls them her “Beautiful friends.” She honestly gives the BEST hugs. If you ever get the chance to meet this wonderfully lovely woman, DO IT! You won’t be disappointed, just like the first two gentlemen spoken about before, she is knowledgeable and funny. Her own thoughts of “Sleepaway Camp” is that it is more of a horror-comedy. I can see that as an adult, as a kid, it had its scary moments. Most involving another Crypticon guest, the lovely Katherine Kamhi, who played the bully camp counselor, “Meg.” I can assure you that Katherine and “Meg” have nothing in common. Katherine is just as lovely and friendly as Felissa. The friendly banter between the two was some of the funniest I saw all weekend. All in all, Felissa is an absolute treat to see and meet, and I look forward to seeing her again.

Finally, the highlight of my con experience was getting to meet my personal idol and inspiration for Simply Horror and your Diva. That being the excellent and super friendly Joe Bob Briggs. As an added treat, I got to meet the beautiful Darcy, “The Mail Girl.” Darcy is such a beautiful bright light, and I was shocked to learn that she is a year younger than your dear Diva. She looks SO much more youthful. Darcy is one of those amazing women that really shows you can be beautiful AND intelligent. She is very soft-spoken, and a bit reserved but clearly loves to share her knowledge of horror and makes you feel very comfortable speaking with her. Joe Bob is one of the TALLEST men I have ever seen in my life. Your darling Diva is only 5’6,” and it was crazy how tall he was when he stood up. He is almost a foot taller than myself at his towering 6’4”. Joe Bob is an amiable man, engaging, and it is evident he loves to converse with his fans and getting to know them. He even remembered an email I sent back in June 2020, remembering my Diva name, both he and Darcy using it on the autograph. Not going to lie; that was so surreal. He had a smile for everyone, was very engaged in the conversation, and never made you feel like you were wasting his time. I was the most nervous about meeting Joe Bob and Darcy, more than everyone else I met and spoke to through the weekend. Still, my nerves went away as soon as the conversation started.

None of the conversations I had felt like it was one-sided or like I was a fool prattling on. There was plenty of back and forth. I encourage anyone who gets the chance to go to a convention and meet the celebrities there. It seems intimidating as you are looking at iconic people who were pivotal parts of your childhood. Trust me when I say it is entirely worth it. No matter where I go or what I do from this moment on, I will carry these memories with me for all time.