Badges and Lanyards

A blog about conventions in Southern California https://badgesandlanyards.wordpress.com/

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This year The History Channel took a break from handing out Vikings drinking horns at Comic-Con and put together an activation for their new drama Project Blue Book. The show is based on real top-secret investigations into UFOs conducted by the US Air Force between 1952 and 1969.

The offsite was located in Comic-Con’s Experience in the Petco Park parking lot (formerly the Interactive Zone), and did not require a badge. We visited in the afternoon on Thursday and the line was relatively short.

Once you reached the front of the queue and registered on their website you were assigned to one of the staff that would make a record of your alien or UFO sighting. This was something completely unique to this offsite this year. The activation was themed like a military base and you were seated on a small camp stool across the table from and actor who asked a series of questions about your alien encounter. After you answered all of the questions your record was sent to an artist to generate a personal sketch of your story. The sketch wasn’t available until 30 to 40 minutes after you left the experience (which was just enough time to get some free DC ice cream so it didn’t seem inconvenient at all).

The second part of the experience was a room where sketches based on UFO or alien sightings were projected onto the walls with audio recordings to accompany them. This part of the walk through was less memorable since it was not interactive. All of the staff and actors did a great job staying in character as they led us through each segment.

The final room was set up as a command center where the sketch artists were working and where we able to send a message to space.

I can’t remember having attended a History Channel offsite like this before. I know my friends and I have attended Vikings boat rides and the Vikings funeral previous years at San Diego Comic Con. The overall presentation and themeing was well done and definitely presented the show in a compelling and fun way. Being able to tell them your “experience” put you in the show and made you part of the drama.

Your visit got you not only a personal sketch, but a lanyard for Blue Book headquarters and a comic (Project Blue Book – Case #1972). I spent the rest of the weekend of SDCC recommending this offsite to other attendees.

My only request for next year would be more air conditioning.

Find out more about Project Blue Book here: https://www.history.com/shows/project-blue-book/about

The Project Blue Book Activation at SDCC This year The History Channel took a break from handing out Vikings drinking horns at Comic-Con and put together an activation for their new drama Project Blue Book.

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This year was the first time for all of us at Long Beach Comic Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center (not to be confused with Long Beach Comic Con that takes place in September at the same location).

  Jen and I will be contributing our thoughts on this con.

  Mary:

This con is definitely more of a small and local size compared to the many larger cons that happen in and around Los Angeles. We attended on Sunday because we acquired our badges for a discounted price through Groupon. Disappointingly, I think that we missed the majority of the programming since we did  not attend on Saturday. While I really enjoy shopping at cons and browsing the vendor booths I would like for there to be something else on offer to keep attendees entertained. My pros for this con: affordable parking in a congested area that was within easy walking distance, it was easy to browse in the vendor hall because it was not slammed with people and there was an okay variety of goods on offer, and the location of the con. Downtown Long Beach has the most similar feel to Downtown San Diego during SDCC; meaning that whatever type of food or drink your after you can find a place to gather with your friends.

I think that this con is probably best for people who are in the local nerd community to hang out with their friends and possibly to meet potential friends. My suggestion to the con would be to implement more activities and panels that foster community interaction.

We all also enjoyed the Space Expo that was part of the exhibit hall and hosted by the Columbia Memorial Space Center.

  Jen:

What do you do at a con when you have no money to buy anything? At the Long Beach Comic Expo the answer is: not much. This was a pretty disappointing discovery to a currently broke person.

Normally I come to cons flush with cash which makes shopping my favorite part. I love walking through every inch of an exhibit hall scouring booths to find some unique exclusive item.  But window shopping becomes a lot less fun when you find something cool but don’t actually have the funds to acquire it.

Ok, so what else did we do then? Well as Mary mentioned above, nothing. None of the panels appealed to us so after we did our walkthrough of the hall we left the con and went home.

So let’s compare the cost of the badge vs what I actually got for that badge. Since I bought my badge through goldstar I paid $16.00 for 2 tickets plus a $1.00 ticketing fee. For some reason the fee was only $1 this time which makes my previous $3 goldstar fee extremely suspect. But that’s a discussion for another time.

I didn’t get much out of this con since I didn’t buy anything and there weren’t a whole lot of other activities to choose from. Word on the street is that people like going to the Long Beach Comic Expo because it caters to actual comic enthusiasts. I’m definitely not an “actual comic enthusiast” so maybe next time we’ll bring someone who is and write a post about that!

  Long Beach Comic Expo This year was the first time for all of us at Long Beach Comic Expo at the Long Beach Convention Center (not to be confused with Long Beach Comic Con that takes place in September at the same location).

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I was randomly scrolling through events on the Goldstar website when I saw an offer for “Blushcon.” Obviously anything with “con” in the name is going to catch my eye and the price was right- only $5 for a one day ticket (with a $3 “service fee” of course). I clicked on the description and found this:

  I find that title hilarious because this thing was probably the furthest from “Ultimate Beauty Convention” as you could get.

It turns out that Blushcon was a little side con appearing alongside Anime Impulse and the Asian American Expo. Which makes way more sense because if this thing was trying to bill itself as a standalone con then honestly $5 is overpriced.

So in doing research for this event like the good blogger I am, I found this list of vendors that were to appear at the con:

    These brands may sound unrecognizable, but they’re actually pretty exciting to someone obsessed with asian skincare like me. What’s amusing in hindsight is I was actually concerned about the amount of money I was going to spend at this con. I expected to be tempted by a lot of great deals and hopeful I’d walk away with a bunch of samples too.

So what did I see at Blushcon? A Tonymoly pop-up? Great deals on Mediheal masks? New products from Dr. Jart? NOPE. Instead what I got was a sad little room filled with two rows of bored vendors.

The con was completely deserted. Now normally on this blog we like to complain about how crowded cons are so usually when there is space to walk around it’s a welcome experience. However, the downside to having all that space is things get awkward with the vendors. Since they’re so starved for human connection they immediately pounce on anyone making eye contact in an attempt to lure them to their booth. I’m generally ok with making awkward small talk with vendors if I get some freebies out of the experience. But in this case the freebies were all face serums tested on my hand. Which felt nice, I guess, but for someone (me) with super sensitive skin I can’t just try something on my hand and expect it to work on my face.

There was, however, one cool freebie that sort of made up for it all. Wet n wild had the only crowded booth at the con and it was because they were giving away TWO cushions to anyone who simply followed them on instagram and made a post about the booth. This would be a pretty great deal but unfortunately I feel like wet n wild doesn’t have a great foundation reputation so I have been too terrified to actually try it on my face.

I’m not mad I spent like 20 minutes walking through Blushcon for $5 (plus $3 service fee). I got access to Anime Impulse and the Asian American Expo (with boba!) so I feel like it was still a worthwhile experience. As for going again next year, I guess if I have $5 (plus $3 service fee) and nothing better to do, why not?

Blushcon: the embodiment of “meh.” I was randomly scrolling through events on the Goldstar website when I saw an offer for “Blushcon.” Obviously anything with “con” in the name is going to catch my eye and the price was right- only $5 for a one day ticket (with a $3 “service fee” of course).

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This year was our first year attending the LA art show (we are aware this isn’t technically a convention, bear with us).

The show took place at the LA convention center this January. We were able to get discount tickets online through Groupon. According to the FAQ on the LA Art show website there are also discounted tickets available for certain museum members and members of non-profit groups. If you happen to be a docent at one of the museums exhibiting at the show your admission is free.

Parking downtown is very expensive so we opted to take public transport or use a rideshare app to get downtown. There was a very short line/security checkpoint at the entrance to the escalators leading up to the exhibit hall that took about five minutes. There were a lot of people but never so many that you felt overwhelmed. There was plenty of space to walk and view the art on display.

There are many museums and galleries that were exhibiting modern and contemporary art from their collections (the show’s focus was on modern and contemporary art). Many of the art works were for sale. The displays covered the entirety of the south exhibit hall floor, and even with not attending any of the programming, it took us more than three hours to walk through.

In addition to viewing the artworks there were a few interactive exhibits that were interesting or funny. One exhibit was supposed to allow individuals to experience synesthesia. Another was made of punching bags with faces that would (most likely) make you want to punch them. Jen and Chris also participated in an exhibit that used a Microsoft Kinect to make music and was accompanied by visuals.

There were several places throughout the hall where you could get food (fancier food than what is usually on offer at a convention center) or beverages, including refreshments for those 21+. What’s a gallery show without wine and cheese after all?

Here are some more pictures from the show. It is a great chance to see a little of what LA’s art scene has on offer.

And even if the art doesn’t hold your attention there are plenty of things to do downtown once you are done or want a change of scenery.

The LA Art Show 2018 This year was our first year attending the LA art show (we are aware this isn't technically a convention, bear with us).

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By Phurpurska

This past Saturday the whole team got together and traveled out to Pasadena, CA for the annual Designer Con. It is typically a fun filled weekend where we get to see local independent artists putting out some really unique pieces ranging from startup toy lines to pop culture inspired art collections. The exhibit hall in the past has been hassle free, relaxed, and in a good way relatively empty. For whatever reason, this year was completely different.

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What Happened? – We arrived this year only to get to wait in a 20 minute line even with presale tickets. I know this sounds bougie considering it is still a con, but when you remember the days when you could walk up and buy a badge without waiting, it’s hard not to be a little sad. The con started out with two halls which has now expanded to three. The first hall has been and will always be extremely over packed. It always sets off the engineering side of my brain like, “How is this not a fire marshall concern?” But I digress. The main point I want to make is all three halls are like this now. Not only is it really annoying to perform the con shuffle through every aisle for the entire day, it just makes the con feel less unique. I expect the crowds and lines and smells at Comicon, but not Designer Con.

  What’s Next? – I suppose any convention that has what it takes to develop a strong following inevitably gets bigger and bigger. Just look at Stan Lee’s Comikaze. Designer Con seems to be moving in that direction which has me wondering if next year they will upgrade to the Long Beach Convention Center or even the West Exhibit Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center. As long as they figure out how to avoid the drama caused by long lines and ticket issues, I have to be happy for them. On the bright side, growth for the con means growth and exposure for all the local artists who have a history with the convention. But in reality, how long does that last before the larger companies come in a change the con forever? I mean part of the issue is when sponsors like Paul Frank hop into the mix. I guess only time will tell.

Designer Con – Pasadena 2017 By Phurpurska This past Saturday the whole team got together and traveled out to Pasadena, CA for the annual…

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I made my annual trip to Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con (formerly Comikaze) this year on Sunday. The members of this blog have been attending this con in some capacity for several years; including once being vendors. While this con is smaller than Wondercon or San Diego Comic-con it now has Stan Lee’s name on it, and has been able to pull some pretty interesting guests over the years.

The con seemed pretty well organized this year.  There were plenty of staff directing attendees to the box office and the badge pick-up. We showed up at 11am, an hour after opening.  I don’t drive to get downtown anymore since parking has gotten expensive. We noticed that most of the lots close to the convention center were advertising thirty dollars. I’d recommend taking the metro if you have convenient access to it.

Entry was painless. Weapons check was happening before they even let you in the door for registration this year. They also stopped a girl in front of us that had a Harry Potter-style wizard’s wand and made her exit and go through weapons check before they would admit her (which may have been a bit over-kill). They were also performing bag checks as you entered. This, in addition to their change in costume policy disallowing any fake guns or things similar to guns, may have been too strict for some people. We were able to walk right in and get our badges and lanyards without waiting. If you didn’t buy badges during the pre-sale they were available at the box office. Like may conventions, the price during pre-sale is lower than what you will pay at the door.

  The first floor of the south hall was home to large groups of cosplayers and photographers all day long. I think that this con has a ton of interesting and beautiful costumes.  It helps that it is usually the same weekend as Halloween. There was plenty of room to walk around and through if you wanted to get pictures or see the costumes up close.

We headed up to the exhibit hall first. The main stage is also located in the exhibit hall. This year they moved the stage from the center of the hall to one side which seemed to help with some of the congestion and noise issues they have had in the past. Unfortunately, the main stage has limited seating which means you have to stand to watch any panels unless you luck out and grab one of the 60 seats to the left or right of the main stage. 

There was a large variety of vendors and artist at this year’s con. If you are a regular at some of the other So Cal conventions there are some notable absences including the T-shirt tower people, WeLoveFine, and most of the comic publishers. This con is definitely geared more towards pop culture and less toward comics even though there were comics vendors on the floor. Since we have worked this con as vendors, and because we regularly make purchases at this con, we have heard a lot of complaints of tons of people browsing and no one actually buying anything. I will mention that there were several “vendors” that were only there to sign you up for time shares (and most likely, sell your information). One of which was using the San Diego Comic-con logo to attract attendees. I recommend that attendees to this con take a second look at who they are giving their contact info to.

I, personally, use this con to buy gifts for the holidays because there are consistently good deals. I can’t compare the deals on Sunday to what was happening on Friday or Saturday but it appeared that prices may have been cut to liquidate stock since it was the last day of the con. I was impressed with the variety of merchandise available as well. It was the first con of the season where I was able to find multiple things that  I wanted for myself. 

Since this con is on Halloween weekend most of the vendors keep candy at their booths so that kids that are attending can trick-or-treat. There are a lot less people dressed in bondage gear or being lead around on leashes then other cons that are host at the LA convention center (looking at you AX). The atmosphere at this con and the trick-or-treating seem to lend to a family-friendly atmosphere.

We decided to attend the Makeup National Championships. Entrants were given the theme of “undead glam” and they had to execute a makeup on a model that they brought with them. No prosthetic were allowed. The lack of actual chairs at the main stage let us get close to the makeup models but it was still annoying. Another setback of this being in the main hall for panels was that the crowd in the exhibit hall was playing loud music during parts of the judging of the contest. There were very few spectators compared to the numbers I saw attending some of the earlier panels of the day that had special guests, and it was obvious that the PA was exhausted (high energy but lots of foibles and forgetting to let the judges ask questions). The makeup was pretty impressive and the prizes for the winners seemed well worth their participation: a cash prize and MAC products along with MAC classes. The winner did a very subtle and detailed clown makeup. I’m sure that the judges could see a lot more than we could since the stage lighting washed the model out.

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  If you are coming to this con specifically for Stan Lee then you are definitely going to get what you paid for. There was a Stan Lee exhibit this year (there usually is), panels with the man himself, and the ability to purchase photo ops and autographs. There are also usually exclusives; such as this years’ Stan Lee Funko Pop.

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  This con is doable in a day if you aren’t going for specific guests or panels. The exhibit hall floor can be covered in a few hours and you will still have enough time to grab an autograph or see a few panels. They have started hosting more parties on Saturday nights, so if you are staying downtown or don’t have to drive this could also be a fun option. They have some Magic tournaments that run during the con and also a cosplay competition with generous prizes. And if you have never cosplayed before what better time to give it shot that Halloween weekend?

If you are looking for a convention in LA that is easy to get to and doesn’t require as much planning as Wondercon or Comic-con this is probably the con for you. There are not a lot of free things at this con (other than the Halloween candy) so be prepaid to pay out for autographs and photo ops.  I would also make sure that you buy your tickets during the pre-sale or online through Goldstar or a similar ap to get a better price on the badges since you will need your money for the actual convention when you get there.

So see you again next year Stan Lee’s LA Comic Con! As long as you don’t raise prices and nothing more interesting or fun is happening (Halloween will always win over conventions).

    Stan Lee’s Comic Con 2017 I made my annual trip to Stan Lee's LA Comic Con (formerly Comikaze) this year on Sunday.

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San Diego Comic-Con on Twitter

“Time to talk about Registration Codes for #RR2018 Curious about the codes? We have all the official info here! #SDCC https://t.co/q9PPehMaAi”

#SDCC #SDCC2018 #soitbegins

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This year we headed back to one of our favorite conventions. Three times a year Strategicon hosts a convention at the LAX Hilton where attendees can come and play games of every kind. Board games, RPGs, miniatures, they have it all.

We highly recommend checking out one of the cons if you have any interest in gaming because there will be something for you. This year we had a large group of people attending with us so we spent the majority of our time checking out games from Strategicon’s massive library.

We started our day with Codename: Pictures; a fun party game. You have to choose a word that describes as many of your team’s picture tiles as possible. The first team to guess all of the correct tiles for their team wins. We grabbed Harry Potter: Hogwarts Battle and played through the first and third years. In this game you chose one of the characters from Harry Potter and as a team you have to work cooperatively to defeat the villains. It was simple to understand and as you progress through each year (1-7) there was an increase in difficulty that kept the game entertaining and challenging. The room that was designated for open gaming was large with plenty of space and tables for everyone. Unfortunately the AC was not set low enough. After a few hours we decided to pick up and move locations. Strategicon always provides complimentary water so at least we were not in danger of dehydration.

  We took some time to explore the con before we checked out some more games. If you find a game that you must have while you are at Strategicon there is a pretty robust selection in the dealer’s room. You can find most of the current popular games in addition to popular classics and gaming essentials like dice. The dealer’s room is accessible to everyone; even those without a badge.

  The miniatures area was set up in a ballroom across from the dealer’s area. Even though I have never played any miniature games I love checking out all of the boards when they are set up. This room was also where the tournaments and tutorials were held. Strategicon will host tournaments for a variety of games in addition to introductions to board games led by experienced individuals for new players. They post a schedule and all you have to do is sign up. Almost all of the tutorials and tournaments are free unless otherwise stated. Sometimes they also have opportunities to play with the creators of games or test play a new game that is coming out. This year this ballroom also had a variety of snacks on offer, including nachos. I’m not sure if I can blame the terrible smell of this room on the hot processed cheese though. In contrast to the free play room this room had the AC so high that I was regretting my choice to not bring a jacket.

  We rented Dead of Winter next. It was really fun. Another mostly cooperative game. I’d recommend it to those who are into games like Arkham Horror. It is a little more complicated so having a veteran player around can really help.

We grabbed dinner at the restaurant in the Hilton lobby. There are not a lot of options for food at this venue so if you want to save money you may want to bring your own snacks. The Starbucks is located in the Marriott two doors west.

We played Bang! (the card version). I think that I’m going to pick up this game next time I have  a chance. It is a bit like Mafia or Werewolf. I would recommend. We found an interesting escape room card game: Unlock!. We had to download an app to play this game. You work cooperatively to escape the “room” in the scenario”. This was a ton of fun, unfortunately, there is no replayability. Check it out if you don’t have to buy it.

We finished our day by playing Captain Sonar. This is a game for up to 8 players that allows you to play Battleship in teams of up to 4; the goal being to sink the other’s team submarine first. You can play either turn by turn or in real time. We would all recommend this party game.

Strategicon also offers computer-based gaming and LARPing. Their conventions always run Friday-Monday on holiday weekends. There is more than enough to keep you busy for the four full days if you try a bit of everything.

Strategicon offers three conventions throughout the year. Orccon is President’s day weekend, Gamex is Memorial day weekend, and Strategicon is Labor Day weekend.

Gateway 2017 This year we headed back to one of our favorite conventions. Three times a year Strategicon…

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This year we decided to attend ScareLA again…

In 2016 I had a terrible experience trying to check in to registration at ScareLA (not for the first time). After waiting more than 30 minutes in a stagnant line in the blazing Pasadena sun (after the doors to the convention had already opened) we decided to forego our official registration (since we had pre-paid) and ended up walking around to the Starbucks and entering the convention hall though the connecting door.  We picked up our wristbands a few hours later once the registration lines had been worked out. In light of this, we didn’t plan on attending the convention when the doors opened this year. In fact, I really wasn’t considering this a convention I would attend until the last moment this year.

Yelp review saying that registration was a problem again in 2017

This year ScareLA was held at the LA Convention Center. A new venue for them as it was previously at the Pasadena Convention center and before that LA Mart. We arrived a couple hours after the doors opened. It looked like there was once again some confusion about registration this year but I didn’t hear anyone complaining at the event.

I wasn’t surprised to see that this the convention felt a little empty overall. It was a combination of the larger venue and the fact that Midsummer Scream, another Halloween convention hosted in Long Beach that is becoming more and more popular, had been the weekend before. While Midsummer Scream’s reviews from 2017 seem overwhelmingly positive with a few complaints of over-crowded halls and no parking (somewhat expected for an expanding second year convention) ScareLA was mediocre. Unfortunate, since we were really hoping the change in venue would help the con improve.

Reviews of Scare LA 2017

Reviews of Scare LA 2017

While Scare LA did have John Murdy in for a Universal Halloween Horror Nights panel Midsummer scream had a lot more panels with the big SoCal October Haunts. If you go to the Halloween conventions for the panels, or for help in making choices on which haunt events to attend, then this would obviously make Midsummer Scream a better choice.

There was additional programming that included classes about making your own Halloween decor or props (for an additional fee). And some smaller panels that ranged in quality. We enjoyed “Immersion: Using New AR Technology in the Old Haunting Niche”.

The vendors have an array of Halloween paraphernalia of varying quality.

    It is always fun to see what they have and we are always looking for cute Halloween accessories. Unfortunately, we have noticed that some of the vendors with the highest quality and popular goods are not very approachable. Between this year and last year the members of this blog have had more than one negative interaction when browsing or trying to make a decision regarding a large (more than 50 dollars) purchase. Shout out to friend of the blog Debbie (Dr. Hogan-Berry Extraordinary Emporium) for being an amazing kind person and vendor no matter what crazy stuff is going on. Her fandom jewelry and accessories are amazing too.

We got to experience a few of the escape rooms. The darkness in the hall where the mini-haunts were made them a bit hard to locate and some of them were empty and un-staffed. There was also a stage with scheduled performances and an area for slider shows (the guys who jump out at you and slide on their knees at haunts).

    Overall, while still a good time, I was underwhelmed with what was presented at this year’s ScareLA. Jen and Chris were promised an improved experience after last year when they purchased their tickets. We all agreed that this year’s main improvement was that we didn’t have to drive Pasadena. Next year I plan on saving my money for Midsummer Scream.

Saturday at ScareLA 2017 This year we decided to attend ScareLA again… In 2016 I had a terrible experience trying to check in to registration at ScareLA (not for the first time).

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A Sampling of Mini Escape Rooms at Scarela

A Sampling of Mini Escape Rooms at Scarela

By Jen Tichman At Scarela this year we had one goal: to try out as many mini escape rooms as possible. Here’s our ranking from best to worst #1 Crossroads Escape Room: The Asylum Although we are a bit biased because we have played (and loved) the 2 escape rooms Crossroads currently offers (link) I think objectively this mini-room was still the best at the con. The asylum had everything I love…

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Con Perks - Nerding and Making Money

Con Perks – Nerding and Making Money

By Phurpurska If you have been following this blog, you will have noticed by now we at Badges and Lanyards love free stuff aka swag. What is even more amazing than swag being free is when you can turn that swag into cold hard cash. Recently, I did just this. At Comicon this year, Jen and I were able to secure a few pieces of pretty neat swag….(2) Game of Thrones Night King Funko POPs – Comicon…

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Luke Hemsworth: I wanna ride a horse naked. Ben Barnes: Mate, you don’t.

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Caught in the Deadlights

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Titans of Terror Tram announcement slide

  This year I attended Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights panel that was hosted at Scare LA.

I got in line for the panel shortly before its start time because I had a Fear Freak badge that included front-of-line admission at the entrance, panels, and presentations. There were a lot of people people waiting in two separate lines; one for Fear Freak and VIP and one for general admission. The lines were organized on opposite sides of the hallway but eventually got long enough that the end of the lines met and started to intermingle in an alcove. People were confused and frustrated trying to find the end of the lines.

Even with the confusion, entering the panel hall was organized and I was able to get a seat in the second row center with no problems. They admit the VIP and press first and then the Fear Freaks before the general attendees. They admitted everyone in line and then shut the doors and once the panel began. Staff did not allow anyone else into the panel even though there were empty seats once it had started.

Scare LA panel MC

They had an MC working the panels this year dressed as an undead(?) demon(?) rockstar.  He wasn’t super memorable. He sang. I remember wishing that they would just get on with the panel.

John Murdy, the creative director for Universal’s Hollywood Halloween Horror Nights (from now on HHN) was introduced. Chris Williams, HHN’s art director, was also supposed to be present but could not attend.

John Murdy at the ScareLA HHN panel 2017

The best parts of Haunt panels for me are when they do reveals and talk about what it takes to make the mazes and scare zones. They were definitely the best parts of HHN’s panel from this year as well. Murdy started the panel by announcing announcing that one of the mazes this year would be Titans of Terror and include Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface. The overall design of the maze will include the classic slashers in a “home haunt gone wrong”. It sounds cool. HHN is killing it with the themes of their mazes this year. Murdy also announced that the Titans of Terror theme would continue onto the Terror Tram this year, which sounds like a vast improvement over the weird cannibal clown thing from last year. Chucky is also going to be included on the tram.

Titan’s of Terror announcement slide

After a quick promo for the new Chucky movie we got to see character designs for the three scare zones that are happening this year. I’m most looking forward to Hell-o-ween. Knott’s has done a classic Halloween maze before and it was great (if not particularly scary) so I am looking forward to see Universal’s take on classic Halloween monsters.

Character designs for HHN 2017 scare zone Urban Inferno

After the scare zones we got into fan questions. Thankfully they were all taken from Twitter and not just picked at random from the hall. However, this middle part of the panel was by far the most boring part for me. Murdy spent a long time talking about his background and how he ended up being creative director at Universal’s HHN. I get why people or kids would want to know but it was like any other story about getting a job in entertainment. In summary: interest in show production, get shitty PA jobs and or theme park jobs and work really hard, use your connections+luck to get enough experience/be in the right place at the right time. Also have talent and be organized.

After a while the subject looped back around to HHN and more interesting things like where the sets go (a big prop warehouse) and what Murdy’s favorite maze has been (La Llorona). There was some interesting information on the La Llorona maze and what went into designing its facade. I still look back on this maze as one of the best/ most disturbing themes that HHN has ever done.

  La Llorona color study for ScareLA HHN panel 2017

La Llorona facade for ScareLA HHN panel 2017

We then got a few more looks at some of the mask sculpts that are coming out for characters this year and a sneak peak at the American Horror Story: Roanoke maze.

The Butcher from HHN 2017 AHS: Roanoke maze

There was an up close and personal look at The Butcher character from AHS. I’m disappointed that we aren’t going to get to experience more from other seasons of American Horror Story this year, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed to see more of the franchise in maze form in the coming years.

The panel wrapped with a trivia question. The winner received free VIP admission to Universal’s HHN 2017 and a behind the scenes tour with John Murdy. So if you are a hardcore fan and want a super sweet VIP experience it may be worth attending Scare LA just to try and win the HHN prize. I know I wish I had known the answer. I think that the panel suffered greatly by not focusing on HHN itself. If we return to ScareLA next year (which is looking unlikely) I will probably skip the panel if I have a choice… especially since everyone else did an escape room while I was sitting in it.

ScareLA’s Haloween Horror Nights Panel This year I attended Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights panel that was hosted at Scare LA.

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I don’t know what’s funnier.. the baby elephant chasing the birds, or when he fell and ran to his mom xD

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By Jen Tichman

The days preceeding and following Sinister Circus were mired in facebook drama on the page for the event. Allow me to attempt to break down the various complaints: 

Rule Breakers

Days before the event, freakouts began to occur over a list of rules issued by the Queen Mary. One of those rules stated that masks  and facial prosthetics wouldn’t be allowed. This seems reasonable for an event where people will need to prove that they are old enough to purchase alcoholic beverages. However, this does not seem reasonable for people who are coming straight from a halloween convention or who are hoping to attend a halloween themed costume ball.  

  In a final back-pedal Queen Mary issued the following statement allowing masks put on after entering the event and prosthetics that rendered the wearer “completely identifiable”

So things were already off to a bad start.

Post-event criticism

After the event the negative reviews began to roll in. The first major complaint was that the event was oversold and the event space was too small. Now the poor layout was definitely something we experienced but since we arrived early to the event we had no issue with getting through the door. Apparently there were some who waited outside, and some who weren’t allowed into the event at all! Although con rules state always come early, people should still be expected to enter an event they purchased a ticket to.

Apparently there was miscommunication between the Queen Mary, the owners of the venue, and Midsummer Scream, the halloween convention putting on the event. It appears that the Queen Mary sold their own tickets which were not accounted for when Midsummer Scream was selling theirs. This was the rumor about how Sinister Circus became oversold.

What kind of a ball is this?

Besides logistics, complaints were also made about the theming and music. I have to agree with some of these commenters. Sinister Circus billed itself as a halloween “ball” and what we got was somewhere between a backyard haunt and a lower-tier nightclub.

And the final verdict:

Sinister Circus Facebook Drama By Jen Tichman The days preceeding and following Sinister Circus were mired in facebook drama on the page for the event.