Are you a fan of horror and all things that go bump in the night?
There is a new horror convention making its way around Florida. Welcome Spookala, now in its second year. It is bigger and better than last year, and you can find meet and greets, photo-ops, artists, live entertainment, shopping and more. Spookala happens twice a year. Once in June and again in October.
The fall Spookala convention was October 6-8 at the Florida State Fairgrounds. If you missed it, don’t worry, they will be back April 5-7. Also, they will be hosting a Flea Market on December 17.
In Tampa, there were no shortages of horror icons. Actors included Mathew Lillard (Scream, Scooby- Doo, and Five Nights at Freddy’s), Michael Rooker (The Walking Dead, Guardians of the Galaxy and The Out-Laws) Ken Page (Voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas), and Laurie Holden (The Walking Dead, X-Files, and The Outer Limits). Oscar award-winning makeup artist and actor Christopher Nelson (Halloween, Kill Bill, and Suicide Squad) also had some of his iconic Halloween masks on display at his meet-and-greet table.
There were many more special guests, panels, and events, including a meetup of approximately 150 attendees in a “ghost face” (Scream) mask and costumes. Entry prices were also fairly low. Tickets ranged from $35-$50 for general admission.
Frequent Rob Zombie film start Jeff Daniel Phillips was also in attendance. Standing 6’5’, he is the perfect fit for the role of Herman Munster in the recently released “The Munsters” film. Phillips also played in many other Rob Zombie (31, The Lords of Salem, 3 from Hell) and Maurice the caveman in the GEICO commercials. He shared that he is currently filming an additional Caveman commercial with GEICO. When asked “What is your favorite Rob Zombie movie and role you’ve played?” Phillips said, “I love all my roles. They’re my babies. I can’t pick just one of them.”
TV icon Tom Arnold (Roseanne) was also on-site to promote his new horror black comedy film Abomination. He said he just surpassed 150 movie credits this year. Always the comedian, he added, “I’ve got four ex-wives and a five-year-old. I got to keep working.”
Keep up to date with Spookala on Facebook or follow them on Instagram @spookalafl.
