Oct 8 2015

October Has Come, Rock and Shock Looms!

The Mega Horror Convention by Day, Rock Concert Series by Night Returns to Worcester WORCESTER, MA

As your local shops fill up with skeletons, vampires and friendly ghouls to hang about your house, our thoughts turn to Halloween, and for folks dedicated to all things horror, that includes planning their annual trip to the biggest horror and music convention on the East Coast during the spookiest of seasons; ROCK AND SHOCK! October 16th through 18th, Rock and Shock will celebrate their 12th year of music and mayhem at Worcester, MA’s DCU Center with a full schedule filled with panels, film screenings, activities and contests running across a show floor jam packed with excellent guests and awesome vendors. You’ll find all the holiday gifts you need for the creepiest kids in your life!

This year’s guest lineup includes George Romero, Godfather of Zombies everywhere (and director of Night of the Living Dead if we need to mention that), Tobin Bell (SAW Films), Naomi Grossman (American Horror Story), William Sanderson (Blade Runner, True Blood), Samantha Mathis (The Strain, American Psycho, Pump Up The Volume), Adam Green, Bill Moseley, William Forsythe, Doug Bradley, PJ Soles and more!

Check out the full lineup HERE!

This years’ bands include Danzig, Hatebreed, Twiztid, Prong, Soulfly, Soil Work, Blaze, Witch Mountain, Sanctuary, Superjoint and many more! Part of the “many more” is a special addition you’ll find only at Rock and Shock. Last year, primo photographer Jeremy Saffer presented to us THE ROCKING DEAD. Last year, primo photographer Jeremy Saffer presented to us The Rocking Dead. A band of music’s finest was assembled from acts that were on the Rock and Shock bill as well as surprise special guests, and with a mere soundcheck as their only practice as a unit they took the stage and belted out a set of classic Misfits songs. When they were done the fans knew they had seen something truly special, and in many a mind there grew hopes that this rare assembly would return. Well, their voices were heard, and Jeremy Saffer will once again present The Rocking Dead to you this year! But this time, the monster has grown! Led by musical director, protector of animals and rock and roll guitarist extraordinaire Ace Von Johnson, a band has been assembled that brings back many of last year’s gang but, like any good sequel, this one is even bigger!

The band and/or signings will include luminaries from rock and metal such as:

DOYLE WOLFGANG VON FRANKENSTEIN–The Misfits/Doyle

ALEX STORY–Doyle/Cancerslug

WEDNESDAY 13–Murderdolls/Wednesday 13

KYLE CASTRONOVO–Wednesday 13

ACE VON JOHNSON–Faster Pussycat

TAIME DOWNE–Faster Pussycat

ASH COSTELLO–New Years Day

NIKKI MISERY–New Years Day

MIKE D’ANTONIO–Killswitch Engage

ACEY SLADE–Joan Jett and the Blackhearts

BRET VON DEHL–The Relapse Symphony

As icing on the cake, many of the players will be signing during the convention! (Note: some will be signing all three days but due to touring schedules some will only be able to sign on Saturday.) As for the performance, what bands and songs will they cover this year? Will there be surprise guests? Well, some secrets are better kept until the show, but with The Rocking Dead added to an already stacked Saturday concert lineup this is an event not to be missed! Check out the full music lineup HERE!

We’ve got three days of films rolling out as well, including Chainsaw Maidens, Old 37, Fury, Diary of a Deadbeat, Pieces of Talent, plenty of shorts and some surprise features!

After cruising the show floor to shop with an incredible array of vendors, you can take in programming where amazing folks from the horror industry share their secrets with you, visit the Rock and Shock Creative Lair and learn drawing, writing, mask casting, creative activities and more, wave hello to super talented cosplayers roaming the floor or join them in our Cosplay Contest (for little AND big kids!) sponsored by Halloween Outlet and swing by the Idle Hands booth to test your horror knowledge or accept a challenge, all for killer prizes!

While every day at Rock and Shock provides a kid friendly atmosphere families will love, Sunday is KID’S DAY with a schedule including face painting, pumpkin decorating, a coloring contest and a cosplay contest just for your little monsters. We also show our appreciation for our servicemen on Sunday by offering FREE ADMISSION to all Police, Fire, EMT and Military personnel. Just show your service ID at the doors and you can receive up to 4 free tickets to the convention!

Hit up RockandShock.com for further info and to find the ticket option that best suits your fiend level!

—

Rock and Shock is a three day horror and music convention featuring celebrity signings, movie screenings, concerts, panels and more. Now in its 12th year, Rock & Shock has played host some of the biggest names in horror and rock. This year’s event will be taking place October 16-18, 2015 in downtown Worcester, Massachusetts at the DCU Center (http://www.dcucenter.com) and the Worcester Palladium (http://thepalladium.net).

Oct 4 2015

‘The Monster Squad’ Comes to Rock & Shock this Month

By Jason Harris

I was happy to see that three actors from the 1987 movie, The Monster Squad, will be at this year’s Rock & Shock, which takes place Oct. 16 – 18. These actors are Stephen Macht, Duncan Regehr, and Michael Reid Mackay. Macht and Mackay play Del and The Mummy respectively. In the last few years, Macht has been in the television series, Suits and The Mentalist while Mackay has been in Insidious Chapter 3.

The one I’m looking forward to meeting though is Regehr who portrayed Dracula in the movie. I have always loved The Monster Squad. Yes, it has its flaws, but to me they are easily overlooked because of my love of the movie. If you haven’t seen it or don’t own a copy, it is streaming on Netflix at the moment. I own a copy, but once it became available on the streaming service this past September, I watched it there as well.

Besides The Monster Squad, Regehr has been in a few favorite television shows of mine such as V: The Series and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. I recently rewatched “The Begotten,” an episode of DS9, and it dawned on me that the same actor who portrayed Shakaar was also Dracula in The Monster Squad. I’m not sure if I’ve made that connection before. Before I started writing this post, I thought Regehr was on more than just three episodes of DS9.

So if you are a Star Trek or V fan, make sure to come to Rock & Shock to meet Regehr. Don’t me surprised if you see some V cosplay when you are attending Rock & Shock.

The Connecticut Visitors.

Sep 29 2015

‘Insanity Tales II’ Cover Revealed by Books and Boos Press

Books & Boos Press has debuted the cover for Insanity Tales II: The Sense of Fear. The cover plays off of the eye theme from the original Insanity Tales anthology cover. Both covers were created by artist Melinda Phillips.

Insanity Tales II: The Sense of Fear will debut in early October. According to Stacey Harris, co-owner of Books & Boos Press, she hopes to have copies of the new anthology to join the first one at their table at Rock & Shock. Two of the authors, Stacey Longo and Rob Smales, will be on hand during the convention to sign copies.

The collection features eleven stories from six of New England’s finest storytellers. David Daniel, Stacey Longo, Dale T. Phillips, Rob Smales, and Ursula Wong each have two short stories in the book; Vlad V. contributed a novella. Multiple Bram Stoker winner Joe McKinney (Crooked House, Plague of the Undead) wrote the foreword.

The book is a themed anthology: each author based their stories on different senses, going beyond the traditional (sight, smell, hearing, touch, and taste) to elements such as a sense of doom, of powerlessness to control the future, and a sense of false hope.

The anthology is the second installment from Books & Boos Press. Insanity Tales debuted in October 2014.

Sep 24 2015

Pictures from Vermont Comic Con 2015: Part II

By Jason Harris

Me with actor Scott Schiaffo, the Chewlies rep in Clerks.

Steampunk Dorothy.

The Incredible Hulk.

A zombie.

Rochelle Davis (The Crow).

Deadpool and friend.

Loki.

Artist Dan Parent.

Wonder Woman, Iron Man, and Spawn.

Author Matt Spencer.

Artist Jay Mooers.

Wednesday Addams.

Me with Wolverine and the Montreal X-men.

Wonder Woman and friend.

Brimstone.

Sep 22 2015

Pictures from Vermont Comic Con 2015: Part I

By Jason Harris

Vermont Comic Con held it’s second annual convention this past weekend. It was bigger and better than it’s first convention in 2014.

Characters from Alice in Wonderland visit VT Comic Con.

Mutants ready to protect the convention.

Violet Parr and friend.

Princess Leia and V.

Author Stacey Longo.

The Baroness and Deadpool.

Me with actorBrian O’ Halloran.

Iron Man.

Comic book writer Joe Caramagna.

Harley Quinn.

Actor Nicholas Brendon and me.

Stormtrooper and Emperor’s Royal Guard.

Work release inmates from Orange is the New Black.

Sep 15 2015

Pictures from GraniteCon 2015: Part 2

By Jason Harris

Steampunk Iron Man and Black Widow.

Nick Fury.

The Joker’s henchman.

Cynthia Scott and Ricco Ross of Aliens.

Robocop’s police cruiser.

Spider-Woman.

Deadpool.

Author Stacey Longo and Cosplayer R.W. Martin.

Ecto-2

Catwoman and Zatanna Zatara.

Sep 14 2015

Pictures from GraniteCon 2015: Part 1

By Jason Harris

The 13th Annual Granite State Comic Con took place in Manchester, New Hampshire this past weekend. They had guest stars from the movies and television along with artists, authors, and cosplayers. It was a great weekend. Here is the first entry of pictures from the convention.

Author Stacey Longo.

Jason Voorhees.

Han Solo in carbonite.

Black Widow and Spider-man.

Rocket and Star Lord.

The Black Panther.

Kylo Ren from Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens.

The Disney Princesses.

Actress Cindy Morgan (Tron).

The General Lee.

Harley Quinn and The Riddler.

Ghost Rider.

Yellowjacket.

Deadpool.

Actor Noah Hathaway (The Neverending Story).

Artist Sara Richard (Jem and the Holograms).

Artist Paul Ryan (The Phantom).

Iron Man and Wonder Woman.

Me with Dawn Wells (Gilligan’s Island).

Aug 26 2015

Find Out about ‘My Peculiar Family’

By Stacey Longo

About a year ago, the crew over at Sci-Fi Saturday Night contacted me about a book project they were thinking of putting together. The Dome enthusiastically described how he had a bunch of old photographs of people. What did I think of the idea of sending those photos to various authors with just a character name and occupation, and having the authors write the stories of those people’s lives?

It sounded like a heck of a lot of fun to me. Some time later, I got an e-mail.

Stacey,

Your character’s name is Gussie, and she works in an apothecary. Other than that, go for it!

As soon as I saw the cheerful, bright-eyed young woman in the photo, her story started coming to me. Taking a page from William Faulkner’s As I Lay Dying, I decided Gussie would be the person the women in town would discreetly visit when they found themselves with a problem. Perhaps they were unhappy about being in the family way. Or were in need of a way out of an abusive marriage. Woman problems. You see.

But what town? Gussie looked like a sturdy New Englander to me. And in what town, did I think, would women who had . . . problems . . . seek dark solutions? Fall River, Massachusetts, of course. I had the first draft of “Miss Elizabeth’s Poison” done in a week, and the final version done within the month.

It was a blast to write. Now we need your help to get it in print.

Sci-Fi Saturday Night has started a Kickstarter program to fund the final publication of My Peculiar Family. There’s an impressive lineup of authors in the anthology, including James A. Moore, Tracy Hickman, and William Meikle, among others. To donate (and snag some impressive rewards), please visit here; and support the arts.

You’ll be glad you did, I can promise you.

Aug 16 2015

Pictures from Connecticut’s ComiConn

By Jason Harris

The 8th Connecticut ComiConn took place in the Mohegan Sun Convention Center this weekend. It was my first time attending this convention even though it has been going on in different locations in Connecticut over the last seven years. Read more on the Bleeding Cool website here. I have attended many conventions over the years and I have also been a vendor too. I can say I will be attending this one again next year, which happens Aug. 19 – 21, 2016 at Mohegan Sun under the name, TerrifiCon.