Box of Monsters - Features

It was Halloween in March for Web Master Jimmy (that's me) as I rolled into Chicago for the Transworld Halloween and Party Show. If you've never been to one of these shows, I can tell you it is one crazy ride of coolness that just doesn't seem to end!

Like a haunted attraction that lasts for several days and all the monsters are for sale, the Transworld show attracts thousands of wholesale buyers who're looking for the latest masks and costumes to stock the shelves of their Halloween shops, or trying to find something spooky for their haunted houses. It was aisle after aisle of interactive Halloween fun that stretched as far as one could see, and Web Master Jimmy was right in the middle of it!

Since this was a tradeshow and not open to the general public, I was invited to attend as an exhibitor by Darren and Tammy Perks of Dynamic Designs International. I've known the Perks for a while now, but only through email, so it was a pleasure and a privilege to finally meet them in person and hang with them at their display booth! DDI's unique masks are 10 times as impressive in person, and were a big, big hit with everyone who passed by. Seeing Darren's signature style up close only confirmed what I'd already suspected... he's doing masks that are truly unlike anyone else's out there!

It didn't take long to discover that the Transworld show is a who's-who of monster makers, sellers, and buyers; Distortions Unlimited was there, and in full force! Their Electric Chair is as popular as ever, but this Halloween, watch out for the next big thing at your favorite haunted house; The HMA's Eric Austin was lurking about, no doubt digging up some scary stuff for his new HMA Gift Shop; Dwayne and Fred White, those wacky mad doctors from Propmasters Inc. were pushing their wares, which included such licensed goodies as a London After Midnight Flying Terror and a Lon Chaney Jr. life-cast bust.

I even got to say hello to Don Post Jr. himself... well sort of, that is, after I'd walked by him several times trying to get up the nerve! I finally approached, told him I had a web site called Box of Monsters, and for some reason, he directed me toward the close-out section. A feeling of utter confusion swept over me, petrifying me, and as I opened my mouth to ask Huh?, Mr. Post's attention suddenly shifted elsewhere, and Web Master Jimmy (that's me) slipped away, a precious digital photo in tow, before I could make a complete fool of myself.

Universal Studios had a good size booth done up like some creepy woods with actors portraying various classic monsters. There seemed to be more monster toys than actual Halloween stuff here, but in the center of the woods was a wooden crate crammed full of Don Post Calendar masks! I offered to remove a couple of CREATURES to afford more space for the others, but the sharp-as-a-stick-and-cute-as-a-button booth attendants wouldn't fall for it.

On Sunday, Bela Lugosi Jr. and Ron Chaney visited the Universal booth. What an awesome couple of guys they were! Super friendly and more than happy to sign autographs and exchange a little chit-chat with the fans!

I learned a thing or two about tradeshows from all of this. For one thing, it's not like a fan convention. This is the business world, and although most everyone was courteous and friendly, it's not exactly a situation where you engage exhibitors in conversation about their stuff unless it's assumed you're interested in some wholesale purchasing. Not a negative thing, mind you, but Halloween like anything else is serious business for many, many people, and pure enthusiasm alone doesn't put food on their tables.

Secondly, it's always wise to keep the interior of your car nice because you never know who's going to climb into it, as Web Master Jimmy learned when giving Academy Award winning make-up artist Robert Short a lift back to the hotel! How embarrassing! Mr. Short treated me to incredibly fascinating stories of his experiences in the monster industry... and I treated him to cigarette ashes and empty soda cans!

Saturday after the show, I enjoyed a nice dinner with my new friends, and then it was off to a haunted house that was operating out of a deserted shopping mall near the hotel. It was a trip to walk through a haunted house with Darren Perks, a mask maker and former sculptor for Don Post Studios. We'd be walking along and he'd suddenly point to a mask on a monster and go, "Did that one!"

The weather in Chicago was surprisingly pleasant, and in all, it was an awesome mini-vacation for yours truly. Funny how one can slip so easily into an October mind-set from attending such an event... upon my return home, I stopped at a local Wal-Mart, and it seemed strange that they had no Halloween stuff on display. So that was my fun weekend, and if you've actually read this whole thing, I am truly impressed! Thanks!