This past weekend I attended the Chiller Theater Toy, Model, and Film Expo in New Jersey. The Chiller Expo is a unique convention that brings together fans of horror, sci-fi, comics, b-movies, and retro TV to meet celebrities, and open their wallets to vendors of their favorite must-have geeky goodies.It was an afternoon to remember.
The Chiller Expo is always a great time. This was my fourth time attending, and I had a blast as usual. Fans were dressed up as everything from zombies to Clockwork Orange droogs, to Jason from Friday The 13th. And of course there had to be a guy with his face painted green, wearing his Incredible Hulk underpants on the outside of his Incredible Hulk pajamas.
Then there's the celebrities: Tony Curtis, Lou Ferrigno, Ace Frehley, Edward James Olmos, and Mickey Dolenz are just a few of the names. I got to meet two of my favorite Star Trek actors, Rene Auberjonois and Michael Dorn. Both were mellow and cool, and seemed to genuinely like interacting with their fans.
There were other Star Trek actors in attendance (Garrett Wang and Walter Koenig), but hey, this Trekkie can only afford so many $25 photo-ops. It's a thrill meeting celebrities from your favorite TV shows, even though it can feel a little silly. But even just watching all the other fans lined up and grinning as they meet their favorite actors and artists is a fun experience.
Navigating all the vendor booths took most of the afternoon. Anything you can imagine that has anything to do with horror, sci-fi, comics, b-movies, or retro television was for sale. Movie posters, DVDs, action figures, t-shirts, the works. It's like a utopian flea market for geeks.
The Chiller Expo is held every 6 months, and the next one will be Halloween weekend. If you're in the NYC or NJ area, and you're a hardcore geek, it's definitely worth checking out. I know I'll be back there again in October.
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