Event Recap: Carolina Fear Fest 2023 (Raleigh, NC, May 27)
Of all the horror conventions I've attended, this Memorial Day spookshow is without a doubt one of the most well-organized and relaxing events to go to
Horror conventions are a fan’s dream – to have a place where one can find memorabilia that can’t be found anywhere else, talk with equally passionate fans and even meet the people behind the genre we all love is an experience like no other. What’s great is the accessibility to events like these – over the years, more and more conventions have been popping up all over the country, reaching fans who aren’t able to travel to larger cities for big marquee events. On the east coast alone, there are easily over 30 shows celebrating all things gory and gruesome within a calendar year, from Florida to New England.
After attending a number of horror conventions in various locations, it’s easy to go through a lull where each show starts to feel the same – there are only so many different ways you can set up a big hotel ballroom or small convention center with horror celebrities and vendors and have a huge sense of individuality. In the case of Carolina Fear Fest in Raleigh, NC, however, their show on Memorial Day weekend was like one I’ve never attended.
The Venue
Carolina Fear Fest took place in the Jim Graham Building of the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, the largest building in the complex. With 95,000 square feet just on the main floor, the convention had a lot of room to set their show up, and they definitely made the most of the space they were given. They had the best layout of any show I’ve attended to this point, with the celebrity guests rectangularly arranged in the center of the room, vendors sprawled out on each side around the area, and other pop-ups and events in the corners. Even with celebrities and vendors, there was still enough space to have panels, seminars, photo ops, gaming tables, and car displays all in the main room. Something like that could NEVER be done at a convention in a hotel!
Panels had their own designated areas as well, in two separate meeting rooms closed off to the main floor, which made for a more intimate Q&A setting than the main stage. What made this space even better is that with just about everything contained in one area like this, there was STILL enough room to walk around freely. At other conventions, it’s very easy for things to get congested and to feel claustrophobic in certain areas – here, there was never a moment where things felt cramped, and that alone made this one of the most enjoyable shows I’ve attended.
The Vendors
One of the best parts of horror conventions is the variety of vendors that are there, because there’s something different at every single booth, from memorabilia and prop replicas to art in all forms (paintings, sketches, metalworks, sculptures, you name it). Over the last couple years, I’ve had a huge affinity for horror art and seeing creative people’s takes on the films and characters I grew up watching, and a couple of my favorite artists happened to be at Carolina Fear Fest.
The first vendor I visited was Vulgar Dragon’s Den, run by artist Chad Susan. As far as artwork goes, this is one of the most eclectic and unique booths I’ve come across at conventions over the years – not only does Chad create traditional art like detailed pencil sketches, but he’ll have said sketches printed onto metal bookmarks, along with gigantic blankets embroidered with horror art, whether it’s a movie poster or a certain character from a beloved film. Additionally, VDD has probably become best known for making unique shadow boxes for certain films that come with QR codes that lead you to a trailer/movie clip, and there several varieties of them for sale at Carolina Fear Fest. In all honesty, that’s just scratching the surface too – there are even more styles of products from VDD that’s for sale at his booth, but you’ll have to see them for yourself if he’s at a show near you.
One of my favorite horror artists that I’ve come across over the years is Byron Winton, who’s perhaps best known for his Creature Feature painting, which shows a movie theater auditorium packed to the brim with countless iconic characters from the horror genre. I’ve been a fan of Byron’s art since I first saw Creature Feature at a Mad Monster Party show in Charlotte a few years ago, and I love his style and the way he puts his own spin on things. Creature Feature has been hanging on my wall for the past several years, and with Byron back in the area, it was time for an update. Ironically enough, while I’ve seen his booth set up at other conventions in the past, Carolina Fear Fest marked my first time actually meeting the artist face to face. Byron was a super cool dude who had no problem taking time to talk to someone about his art, the way he works, and his favorite movies, and it made me feel even more proud to support him and his art. I had a great time talking with him and hope to see him at another show soon, and I can’t recommend visiting his booth enough if he’s at a nearby convention.
Carolina Fear Fest has a tradition of featuring an artist each year to do the official artwork for the show, and this year’s official artist was Raleigh native Wes Flanary, who created a design inspired by the 1931 Universal classic Frankenstein for the convention. Full disclosure, I never heard of Flanary’s work until the buildup to this show, but I became a fan VERY quickly! Being a diehard Universal Monsters nerd, I immediately went down a rabbit hole of looking at his art after seeing the Frankenstein design, and I was immediately hooked – I love how accurate his work is as far as appearances go, as well as his use of colors and the tones he uses for each monster/movie. Along with the official Fear Fest art, a new addition in time for this show was a GORGEOUS print inspired by Dracula (1931) – being the Dracula fan that I am, buying a print was a no-brainer for me, and it was by pure chance that I managed to get the first numbered one (the print was limited to only 20). Wes was another great artist to talk to, and with him residing in the Raleigh area, I’m sure it won’t be long before I run into him again at another show.
The Celebrities
An interesting thing about my experience at Carolina Fear Fest is that this was my first convention as a credentialed press member. Along with getting video footage of cosplayers, vendors, and other elements of the convention, I was also able to interview a few of the celebrity guests in attendance. As a fan, I’ve always had positive experiences with guests at conventions at the shows I’ve been to, and I’m glad to say that nothing changed as a media member. Each guest I talked to was extremely kind and willing to talk, and I’d like to think they resulted in a couple fun conversations.
Talking with Heather Matarazzo both on and off-camera was one of my favorite experiences with a guest at a convention – I can’t say enough good things about her. We probably spent a good 15-20 minutes talking before the camera even started rolling, and it was fun to discover that she grew up in the same New York neighborhood as my dad. Needless to say, I could’ve easily talked with her for hours, but I’m grateful for the few minutes I was able to pick her brain.
Carolina Fear Fest marked my second time meeting Dee Wallace, and she was just as awesome as the first time around. Cujo was one of my favorite movies for a while when I was younger, so to be able to celebrate the film’s 40th anniversary with her was awesome. Due to the lines, this interview had to be brief, but I was glad to have any time at all to be interviewing someone like her.
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love classic horror, so being able to interview John Russo, the writer and zombie from the original Night of the Living Dead (1968) 55 years after its release was a bit of a surreal experience. I’m sure none of the questions I asked were anything Russo hadn't heard before or revealed any new information that hardcore fans didn’t already know, but it was great to hear insight firsthand about the making of the film and its iconic status today. Off-camera, it was fun to see other guests like Derek Mears (for the third time) and David Naughton, who were both very nice to talk with. Long story short, anyone who’s said not to meet your heroes has clearly never been to a horror convention.
Final Thoughts
To sum things up, Carolina Fear Fest was an incredibly fun experience as both a fan and professional. Their setup in the Jim Graham Building of the NC State Fairgrounds was top notch, and it was so easy to move around without things getting cramped. Having this kind of space at a horror convention was a luxury, and I probably wouldn’t have been able to do a lot of the work I did if it was jam-packed like a hotel show. It was a dream come true being able to interview the guests that I did, and I can’t thank the organizers and staff of the convention for their readiness to assist and answer questions, as well as the opportunity to do press coverage at their show. I had a great time at this convention, and I hope to be back again!
To see my video coverage and interviews from the event, click here.
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