Gearing Up for Monsterpalooza

Spring is in the air… and so are Monsters!

We may still be seven long months away from Halloween, but fans of all things Monster related can get their fix at the Monsterpalooza Convention in Burbank California later this month.

Monsterpalooza is a 3-day convention celebrating “The Art of the Monster”. Sure there will be vendors and guest celebrities, but Monsterpalooza offers a more interactive experience for horror fans seeking a peak behind the curtain into the creative world of practical and make-up FX.

Monsterpalooza is taking place on Friday March 27^th through Sunday March 29^th, 2015, at the Marriott Burbank Hotel and Convention Center. Passes are $30 per day, or you can get a 3-day pass for $70. You can visit their Official Website: HERE, and their Facebook Page: HERE.

Guest Celebrities scheduled to appear include:

• George Romero: None other than the Father of the Modern Zombie, he’s the iconic writer/director responsible for Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, and Creepshow (among many others).

• Linda Bair: As Regan in The Exorcists, Linda Blair is the original demon-child; to this day, her portrayal of a young woman possessed remains one of the quintessential performances of its kind, continuing to amaze and horrify genre fans to this day.

• Howard Sherman: Best known for playing the “rehabilitated” zombie “Bub” in Day of the Dead.

• Alien cast member Yaphet Koto (Parker) will be in attendance, along with Aliens alum Jenette Goldstein (Vasquez), Mark Rolston (Drake), and Michael Biehn (Hicks—currently in negotiations to reprise the role for Alien 5).

• Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) will be there, along with Superman II outlaws Sarah Douglas (Ursa) and Jack O’Halloran (Non).

• Scream Queen Linnea Quigley will be in attendance, best known for her portrayal of the smokin’ hot zombie “Trash” in Return of the Living Dead.

• Vincent Price’s daughter, Victoria Price, who is also a writer and an actress, will be in attendance, along with Boris Karloff’s daughter Sara and members of Lon Chaney’s family.
• Other guests include: Teri Gar, Cloris Leachman, Michael Gross, Valerie Perrine, Marc McClure, Diane Sherry Case, Stephen Lack, Basil Gogos, Amelia Kinkade, Danny Hicks, Julie Adams, and Camden Toy.

Artists in attendance will include: Mike Hill, Steve Wang, Casey Love, Rob Roberts, Russ Lukich, and Frank Dietz.

Events will include:

• A panel with costume industry leaders Trick or Treat Studios.
• A showing of Batman Dead End followed by a Q&A with filmmaker Sandy Collora.
• “The Art of Making Animatronics Come to Life” led by Garner Holt Productions, Inc.
• A presentation by Academy Award wining make-up artist Dick Smith.

• A showing of the horror classic House of Wax—in 3-D!
• A preview of films being featured at this year’s Screamfest.
• A presentation by the makeup department from American Horror Story to discuss prosthetics and the teamwork that goes into each season.

• Cinema Makeup School will be featuring a “Face Off” Family Challenge, an hour-long competition featuring recent graduates and cast members from “Face Off”.

For information regarding accommodations, you can contact The Burbank Marriott at 818-843-9720.

As someone who attended last year’s Monsterpalooza, I can attest to the fact that this is a wonderful convention with a great vibe. This year, I’ll be sporting my one-of-a-kind The Blood-Shed hoodie, along with the masks of JD Morgan Studios. If you see me, be sure to say “Hello” and introduce yourself!

Are you planning on attending Monsterpalooza later this month? Sound off in the comments section!

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