[CONVENTION REVIEW] CREEP I.E. Aftermath
af·ter·math
noun
the consequences or aftereffects of a significant unpleasant event
CREEP I.E. Aftermath was far from unpleasant, Nick and Brian took everything from these past 2 years and upped their game tremendously. We asked for Food trucks and they gave us 5. We wanted more photo ops they gave us an entire room with practially exact replicas of Michael Myers Home, Nancy Thompson’s front door, Michaels Prison cell from Halloween and the bathroom scene from Terrifier. I could’ve easily spent hours in there watching people take fun photos and awkwardly waiting around hoping someone would take my photo in front of the elm street house. Oh well lmao
16mm movie screenings hosted by my pal Mikey of See it on 16mm, who not only screened movies all weekend but had special guests like Lee Wadell the original Ghost Face killer who gutted Drew Barrymore in the cold open came and intro’ed the movie and then did a Q&A after he showed his kill scene!! To be in that room when Lee was introduced was electric, the room was packed and people had the opportunity to watch a RARE 16mm copy of Scream (1996) for the first time. Incredible stuff I must say.
The vendor floor was filled with over 100 vendors this year which topped this year and last years vendor count. My friend and contributor Brandon helped cover some of the vendor booths over the weekend and I must say he did a damn good job! I love seeing everyone dresses up their booths differently and showcasing their unique styles while also drawing people into their booth to pick up a new shirt, pin, backpack or maybe a bluray they never heard of. My favorite part about conventions is shopping new vendors and seeing what else I can add to the pile of stuff I have in my room ;)
I would like to highlight Zuzu Dollz for their incredible display! Eric specializes in customization for Chucky, Tiffany, and even Glen dolls from Trick or treat studios. He created this doll house with the help of Projects and Events LA who brought his idea to life. I was in awe when I walked past and had to stop for a few photos. After chatting with him for a minute and realizing we had mutual friends in common it was amazing to see how many creatives are in the horror community that blow me away everytime.
Oh yeah, did I mention that Creep IE Aftermath had an arcade?! Thanks to Pixel Vault based in Ontario, California they brought a bunch of their retro consoles along with some arcade cabinets that were all free to play all day! You can’t get better than this folks.
I haven’t even touched on the after party/cosplay contest! They had live bands like Firing All Cylinders who rocked everyone’s socks off! Kids, parents, even vendors were dancing in the pit and singing along to the cover songs as well as some of their original songs they played. It was a fantastic send off to end the night.
There is no amount of words to express how incredibly far this convention has come in the last 2 years. 2024 will have some tough shoes to fill but Nick and Brian won’t disappoint because they’re expanding the con to 3 days next February! The celebrity guests will be bigger, the vendors will be more exciting and the vibes will be immaculate. Prepare yourself for the next big convention!
Article & Photos by Krystina Alfonso, additional photos by Brandon Garvin
