So, in my last post, I talked about Wondercon 2011 from the point of view of relaxed attendee, as opposed to busy vendor. It was quite a refreshing experience. The very next weekend, we did it again in Burbank, CA when we attended Monsterpalooza 2011. In the three years this show has been running on the West Coast, Humerus has never had a booth. It was simply a matter of scheduling. As it fell too close to our commitment to Wondercon, we just never had the energy to do two shows on two consecutive weekends in different areas of the state. This is a good thing though, as Monsterpalooza is definitely a show you want to walk around and see!
My wife, Erin, and her furry friend ..and King Kong at Monsterpalooza 2011
For the uninitiated, Monsterpalooza is a gathering that celebrates monsters and creatures and the people who create them. We’re talking everything from the classic Universal Monsters, to Godzilla, and beyond. It revisits the 60′s Monster craze with tables full of Aurora model kits, Don Post Halloween masks, and classic horror movie posters. The celebrity guests run the gamut from Boris Karloff’s daughter, Sara, to Butch “Eddie Munster” Patrick. You know this is a serious Monster enthusiast convention when they have a panel devoted to the “men in suits”, the actors who have donned rubber and fur to play the screen’s most famous creatures. These are actors like Ricou Browning (“Creature from the Black Lagoon”), Doug Jones (“Pan’s Labyrinth”, “Hellboy”) and very special guest Haruo Nakajima (Godzilla films). Unknown by most of the general public, they were treated as royalty here.
A big draw of the show is the original artworks. There is a walk-through “museum” of monsters all created and on loan from professional make-up effects companies. Also, a great many of the booths were manned by individual artists who use the show as a means to display their imagination to a willing audience. As a guy who spent the better part of the last twenty years making beasts, blood and body parts for the special make-up effects industry, I have a special attachment to the monstrous. So, it should come as no surprise that this convention is a must-see. Not only is it a chance to meet up with old friends from the business, but like Wondercon before it, the show is a HUGE source of artistic inspiration. I could go on, but why bother when pictures will tell the tale so much better…
Erin meets the Zombie of her dreams, Meatloaf Jack from "American Werewolf in London"
A full-sized Creature from the Black Lagoon
Mike Hill's incredible, ginormous "Frankenstein" portrait
A "Tremors" worm. A beastie with which I have some direct experience.
Hush now..its one of the Gentlemen.
Darkness from "Legend" holds court.
A beautiful, life sized, Mike Hill "Curse of the Werewolf" figure
..and Johnny Carson. Ummm, okay. Why not?
If you are a Monster fan like us, you owe it to yourself to jump in the car, get on a bus, or hop on a plane and get yourself to the next Monsterpalooza. You will be extremely happy you did! Keep a look out for us. We’ll be the ones drooling over everything!
-Mark “Humerus Mark” Tavares
