Long Island Convention Of Horror - 02/28/26 - Hyatt Regency, Hauppauge, NY
By John A. Wilcox
It's been quite a long time since I found myself in Long Island. First time in Hauppauge, I believe. It was almost a 2 hour drive, but everything was smooth going. I went there with my friend Bob. I wasn't sure what I was in for, but I was hoping it would be fun and interesting. It sure was! Far beyond my expectations! I immediately ran into our friendly neighborhood Ghostbusters who never crossed their streams! Fine folks with a great sense of humor. Then I was delighted to meet Joe Cirillo. Cirillo was a police officer turned actor/stuntman/bodyguard. I knew him from Death Wish 3, but he also appeared in The Godfather, Ghostbusters, Splash and lots more. We had a great chat and I snapped up a copy of his autobiography! Next was Stefanie Gangone, who runs Trek Long Island. She has an event coming up in June and we had a fantastic chat about all things Star Trek! I hadn't even made it into the main room yet!!
I'm going to take this moment to make mention of the fact that the entire building was most definitely wheelchair-friendly, and I was able to navigate very easily. Impressive. Nick & Zoe Graystone were extra-fine folks! Talked a bit to artist and writer Dean Haspiel. Great conversation! Also had a lovely chat with fellow Elvira scribe David Avallone about the lady herself! Next was bit of a chat with Sara from Tarot Readings By Sara and her family. Such engaging people!
Off to Troma-land! I had a few words with the high-energy, ever-busy Lloyd Kaufman. Quite a guy - funny as well. Then a very productive conversation with Scarlet (or was it Scarlett?)/Sara about the TROMANOW! service as well as her own project. A great connection to a fabulous person! Caught up with Russ Braun as I looked over his outstanding art. Braun has a great energy to him. Rochelle Davis (Best known for her role in The Crow) was incredibly easygoing and down-to-Earth. As was Charles Edwin Powell. The actor and I traded quite a few stories about our various experiences. So I hit the Skullman Prints booth next and was blown away by the artist's amazing work! I bought a very cool button and honestly marveled at his incredible work! Shannon Michele Collins may indeed be the Queen of darkness, but she had stunning tattoos and was as sweet a person as I have ever met!
After talking to her fascinating manager, Pooya Mohseni showed me her 3 lil snake tattoos! She had an infectious spirit of fun to her and exuded glamour! A vendor from one of the food trucks outdoors gave us all fresh hot samples of some of the most delicious donuts I have ever tasted! Mary Badham immediately had my full attention. She, of course, played Scout in one of the greatest films ever made - To Kill A Mockingbird, as well as appearing in the very last Twilight Zone of the original run. We talked for nearly 45 minutes about Hollywood, the theatre, actors, directors, and life. She was a huge but gentle presence, and I felt quite humbled. Marc L. Abbott, Kirk A. Johnson, Steven Van Patten, and Denise Tapscott were young horror authors displaying their many titles. I loved their enthusiasm and commitment for their work. Remember those names!!
I bought a "Little Sam" as she called it from Danielle Suneco of Dani's Crochet Haven and a 3-eyed cute monster from The Busy And The Tired. Well worth my cash! Both are wildly creative and I want to buy more soon from each of them! Woodsy Witch, Decor By Diane, and Crimson Culture Tattoo were just a few of the stellar vendors within!
A quick hello to the guys from Stream and The Omicron Killer before sidling over to the lovely Randee Dawn. Randee and I had a bubbly chat - belying the serious tone of her work on Leave No Trace and Tune In Tomorrow. Her work is a reminder that there are so many types of horror. It's a deep, rich landscape. Speaking of bubbly - Liana Pirraglia was full of positive vibes! Shout-out to Terry Alexander (from Day Of The Dead and the guy who drew all the cool H. P. Lovecraft stuff but I dropped his card! Thanks for making my day better! The Finklepotts Fairy Hair ladies were charming and so very friendly! I loved that corner booth with all the Funko stuff & wild figures. Too cool. A nice, deep conversation about horror artistry and creativity with the folks from Uchikatsu. Brilliant work.
Deadgrlart and Creations By Haygal knocked me for a loop with the unique nature of their artistic output. I loved looking and chatting! The same must be said about J33 Art Studios Inc. The work showed the different mediums a creator can use to express their vision! More folks of note: Beef, Wine & Shenanigans podcast and artist Fred Harper. As my time was running out, I had a nice talk with voice actor Dan Delgado and the fine Punk Rock Saves Lives. The latter are doing outstanding work to have a positive effect. Please support them! Big thanks to Patrick Kennedy for generously allowing me to attend. Apologies to anyone I overlooked. My love to all! See you next year!!!
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