By: Pam Zamora
On March 19, I went to a place that I had been wanting to visit since my emo days, back in the early 2000’s. That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, I'm talking about the cathedral from the 2006 music video for "Helena" by My Chemical Romance. GHOULS' DAY OUT is an event from Spooksieboo where you can immerse yourself in the beautiful Immanuel Church, which My Chemical Romance fans know, is the place where they filmed the funeral scene in the "Helena" video.
The church looks like a mid-century cathedral from the outside, and from the inside, a goth-inspired chapel reminded me of the opening scene of Bram Stoker's Dracula. The stained windows are beautiful, and they have a black coffin for pictures - you could even take pictures at the podium in the church. There were also photo ops with Jamisin Matthews, better known for being the official "Demolition Groom." I had a chance to speak with Matthews about his experience at GHOULS' DAY OUT.
Images c/o Inigma Photography
“GHOULS' DAY OUT is great, because you get a scare experience, bite-sized horror convention, and thematic homage to My Chemical Romance’s Revenge era, all at the hauntingly beautiful real-life filming location. I had an amazing time sharing my story about my portrayal of Life on the Murder Scene’s Demolition Groom as well as Resident Evil's Leon S. Kennedy," Matthews said.
There were also photo opportunities with Victoria Venin, dressed as Helena, and a guided tour with Mary Misery. What I liked most were the jump scares when you walked into the church. There were monsters, demons, and a vampire waiting to consume your soul. The haunt actors were provided by the Tormented Society, a traveling haunt squad who is sure to give you a scare. There was also beautiful art by the Horror Dude, better known as Miguel Castle, who spoke to me about his brand. “Basically, the Horror Dude brand is for horror fans that custom makes mask and horror props, which are very realistic and horrifying to the public eye. I also sell horror merchandise for the true horror fan since 2018,” Castle said. There was also the “Mirror Monster” art display by Jim Mckenzie, a creepy mirror shape like the mouth and teeth of a red licorice monster. Be sure to check out his instagram for more of his artwork. Another favorite art piece of mine was from Jake Sculpts, who sculpted a beautiful Nosferatu head that was on display.
Outside of the church was "The Ghouls’ Market Place," with various vendors, such as the art of Kimmy AKA the talented woman behind SpooksieBoo. She is a digital artist inspired by spooky, Kawaii, strange, and adorable things int the universe. Kimmy creates beautiful earrings, pins, stickers, and other jewelry pieces, as well as adorable handbags. Handmade by Kitten Frost is another favorite vendor of mine, her purses and wallets are to die for. Madame Whiskers creates fashionable berets and hats. I purchased a beret from her, and it looks amazing!
For all you foodies, there was The Wicked Kitchen serving up some delicious plates, like cowboy fries (over easy eggs on top of a bed of fries with jalapeno, cheese, cabbage and spicy hot sauce). I can’t wait to attend the next GHOULS' DAY OUT, because I had so much fun walking around the church, getting to meet new friends in the The Ghouls’ Market Place, and re-living my emo days. Thank you to the team of Kimmy Perez and Sam Gomez for bringing this wonderful event together for all us horror/emo lovers. For more information on GHOULS' DAY OUT, be sure to follow @spooksiebooevents.
Images c/o Inigma Photography