Spooky Empire May Hem Review: Summerween Took Over Orlando

By Jaimz Dillman

Amidst the heat and rain, Spooky Empire brought Summerween to Orlando.

A weekend full of celebrities, vendors, costumes, tattoos, bands, and more filled the convention rooms and hallways at the DoubleTree by Hilton on I Drive.

Starting early Thursday, cars lined the entrance to the hotel, now in its second year at this location, to deliver every type of fandom for a celebration of horror and pop culture. Going into its 23rd year, Spooky Empire has been the go to name in counter comic con culture for decades. Once you see the dedication of con goers who line up hours in advance for entry and autographs, it is clear this event is not going anywhere anytime soon.

Loads of big names filled the convention hall, making it the place to be for autographs and photos. A short list included C.J. Graham from Friday the 13th Part VI, Jonathan Breck of Jeepers Creepers, Stephen Dorff from Blade, and even shock rock band GWAR, who met with attendees in full, um, costume.

The main draw this round was the chance to meet stars like Robert Englund from the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, as well as a collection of the ladies of Elm Street, including Tuesday Knight, Lisa Wilcox, Brooke Theiss, Toy Newkirk, Jennifer Rubin, JoAnn Willette, and Brooke Bundy. This round, the legendary “jump rope girls” of Elm Street, Coye and Adri Anne Cecere, were added to the reunion as well.

If big cast gatherings are your thing, the celebrity room also boasted Brad and Fiona Dourif, Alex Vincent and sister Ashley Brooke, Christine Elise, and creator and director Don Mancini, bringing plenty of Child’s Play representation.

Small screen stars were not to be missed either, including the cast of the hugely popular prequel to Stephen King’s It, Welcome to Derry. Taylour Paige, Chris Chalk, Amanda Christine, Mikkal Karim Fidler, Blake Cameron James, Stephen Rider, and Emma Leigh Cullum cracked up a full panel room with their on set stories of pranks and what scared them the most during filming.

We also heard about a trip to the Epic Universe theme park during their Florida visit, where Karim Fidler apparently gave out screams on coasters equal to those we had while watching Derry. There was definitely a sense of camaraderie and family among them, and CK got even more of that when we spoke to a few of the actors at their autograph tables later. Rider expressed his hope for a deeper exploration into the 1930s experience with the Pennywise entity in seasons two and three, and Paige really liked the humanity of seeing everyone visiting them over the weekend.

Another star of several cinematic universes, Warwick Davis, treated a young fan to her very own wand lesson in front of the whole audience during his Q and A. We also learned some great behind the scenes stories about his work with the late, great Carrie Fisher during Star Wars and Val Kilmer from Willow.

The party continued into the evenings with live bands taking the courtyard stage. The Astrocreeps, Just Priest, Bloody Jug Band, MRSA, and TV Generation rocked into the late night. Plus, a first time BMX Spooktacular exhibit brought tricks from KTS Action Sports for all to see.

An invite-only VIP party was offered for those with upgraded passes on Saturday night, food and bars throughout the resort were plentiful, and a stacked vendor room had art and items from over 200 tables. Want to go home with a permanent souvenir? Rows of tattoo artists were booked solid throughout the three day fest, inking guests with custom and flash designs.

The whole event culminated in a grand costume contest, including a round for the little monsters, awarding those wanting to show off their creativity and love of the horror genre. Sponsored by VAMP School, with a championship belt by Mohawk Crew going to the big winner, other victors went home with cash prizes and bragging rights, at least until October, when it all happens again Halloween weekend at the Hyatt Regency.

Through long waits to meet celebrities, intermittent rain, and parking woes, attendees still showed up in droves once again for the experience with their chosen “spooky family.” Tireless volunteers and a small core staff keep things rolling year after year. If you are not a part of it, you may not understand. But once welcomed into the fold, you will know why this biannual gathering feels more like a reunion of friends, new and old, and not just any other con.

For info about the upcoming October event and tickets, visit SpookyEmpire.com.