2025 Motor City Nightmare Review

This past Saturday I attended the Motor City Nightmares horror convention.  I got there pretty much when they opened at 10 am because I started vacation on Sunday and still had a crap-ton to get done before rolling in the next morning.  So, the goal was to get in and out before the Saturday crowd showed up.  

I could be wrong, but the lineup seemed slimmer than years past.  Even so, there were three autos I wanted to add to the collection.  Those being Melanie Kinnaman, Ron Sloan and Dee Wallace.  Melanie and Ron were my 7th and 8th autos from Friday the 13th Part V and getting them this year was significant being that the film turned fourty back in March.  

I headed to Melanie's table first.  I actually just got her auto on one of my horror auto cards during last year's Monroe Comic-Con that matches my other Friday V cards, but I've been messing with tweaking the design just a bit.  So this one will serve as an auxiliary to the others as a special edition "Final Girl" card.  

The main change was making the picture frame a little larger and a bit rounded like an older tv screen's shaping.  I added some other little accoutrements as well to set it apart from the regular design, but the larger picture was the main objective.  

Melanie seemed to like the card but honestly got a bigger kick out of the previous one; taking a pic and posting it to her Facebook page.  As for me, I like this one a little more finding it to be a tad more stylish... plus it's got the added coolness factor of being signed during the movie's 40th anniversary year.  

I'm one of those horror film obsessed types and I've been making my horror autograph cards for quite some time now with very little change outside of dressing it up specific to the particular movie with coordinating colors, logo and art.  I really like the design as it's an original of mine.  But, going forward, if it's a movie I've not made horror auto cards for before I'm going to start using the 2.0 template.  But, there's not a ton of horror movies I haven't covered, so I suspect they'll be few and far between.  If I've already made auto cards I'm going to continue to use the original version so it'll match the previous cards made.  I'm a bit anal about that part.  The exception would be making alternate "Final Girl" versions when applicable like I did here.  

Ron Sloan was next.  His table was three down the line from Melanie's, bookending the two other New Beginning alums in attendance; Bob DeSimone and Dick Wieand (both of which I've got cards signed from).  Ron was really, really nice and was really loving the card.  He stood there looking at it and smiling for what seemed like an awful long time.  Finally, to sort of break up the awkwardness I was feeling, I asked "could you use red to sign?" and that seemed to snap him out of his trance.  I love that he inscribed it with his character's name.  After signing he asked if I wanted to take a selfie with his Junior prop head.  As politely as I could I just declined explaining that I wasn't much of a selfie taker.  His table assistant guy piped in questioning if I was sure that I didn't want to take a picture with the head from the movie, to which I replied "that's THE head?" then getting a sly nod as confirmation. "HELL YES I do!", and just like that my shyness was remedied.  [I thought it was just a replicable prop he brings with to dress up hi table] If I had it to do over I would have also bargained for a picture of my card with the head.  Next time!

Last was Dee Wallace.  I've gotten her auto a number of times through the mail.  I've got a Topps E.T. card, one I made of 1985's Secret Admirer and The Howling.  The seventy-six year old horror icon was very sweet, like a kindly grandma.  She complimented my card.  I got the Cujo card done to match the one I have signed previously by Jerry Hardin. If I see her again I'll get a Critters card done.

Each card also has a unique back giving them provenance to the event in which they were signed at. 

Before heading out I added some DVDs, a Blu-Ray and a VHS to my physical media hoard. Then it was home to pack.

2024 Motor City Nightmares Review

This past Saturday my fiancé and I took to the Motor City Nightmares Festival.  For any that doesn't know, Motor City Nightmares is an annual horror themed convention -- much like a comic con, just a different genre of nerdery.  To tell the truth, I like it better than a regular comic-con.  Frankly, I'm into that shit.  I love horror movies.  To be more specific, I love bad horror movies with an oozing soft spot for the horror flicks that came out in the '80s.  It's one of my things.  Seems like I have a lot of "things", but it's definitely a high ranking thing.  

This year, like the last MCN I went to, I was armed with 3 custom cards for two signers.  Those being Felissa Rose and Arye Gross.  If you've read any of my other convention write-ups I've done you'll know I make a big deal out of how fucking awkward I am.  This post will not stray from that tone.

We walked around a bit looking at all the horror vendors.  My fiancé just thought I was wanting to peep all the cool horror shit.  She was only half right.  Little did she know my weird ass was literally mentally preparing myself to meet the two signers.  Most people get exciting about that, not me.  My anxiety goes through the roof.  I just want to get my autograph and go so as not to show a semi-famous person how inept I am at small talk.  

We found Felissa Rose's table first, but she wasn't there.  So, we went in search of Arye Gross' table.  Took a sec. to find because he wasn't in the main area, more out in the hallway area.  When we did spot him he was just getting up to go somewhere.  Bathroom?  Grab a bite to eat?  I don't know.  All I know is he was walking away from his table.  That gave us an opportunity to ogle more cool stuff at the vendor's tables and for me to re-encourage myself that I can get in-person autographs without being a goofy.  

Before long we saw Felissa making her way back to her table.  She was kind of hard to miss.  She was in a bright red gown and was tanner than any one of us Michiganders in attendance.  So we preceded to get into her line.  I'd say there was like 2-3 people ahead of us.  As we neared her table I noticed her signing fee included a picture with her.  Exactly what I wasn't hoping for.  You see, when you take a picture that's more interaction and more opportunity for me to be a goober.  When it was our turn I got a hug before I even said a word, so did my fiancé.  To Felissa's credit, she is super peopley and seemed to genuinely appreciate us being fans.  I laid my card on the table (so to speak) and she seemed to get a kick out of it.  She appreciated that my autograph horror card design has a designated autograph area.  My fiancé Jeni volunteered the fact that I made the card.  This is something I wasn't going to do myself because I'm not a spotlight type of guy and I already felt eyes upon us since she was making a big deal out of us for simply attending the show and getting her signature.  With that being said she did seem to dig the card and even threw in a free auto'd 8x10 for being fans I guess?  VERY gracious of her I thought.  Then it came time for the picture.  I said something like "yay" or "great", I don't recall which.  In my mind I was trying to seem enthusiastic, but I knew when it came out it sounded hella sarcastic as evidence by her handler person saying we didn't have to if e didn't want to.  I felt REALLY embarrassed.  I did say "no, I want to" and didn't belabor the point to not mind me, I'm probably on the spectrum, I just moved in for the pic, motioning Jeni over for emotional support.  I was sure to be a gentleman and do the ol' "hover hand" thing.  She was actually one of the nicest celebs I've met at any of these cons and I hope I didn't offend her or weird her out.  

I really like the was the auto came out.  I don't usually do black, but I think it worked on this one.  Plus, the inscription is cool with one of "Angela's" few lines in Sleepaway Camp.

We then went to check on Arye, still wasn't there.  We got a couple of hot dogs and walked around a bit more.  Eventually Arye was back at his table.  We waited there a few minutes behind these two guys who were just chatting him up.  I think once Arye's handler realized that we were paying customers and they weren't he sort of moved them along.  Something like: Soul Man, crazy right?  You guys getting an autograph, orrr?  This signing was more banal.  No hugs.  No chit-chat really.  I really wanted to get he House II card signed as it makes the fourth card from that movie in my horror design that I've gotten signed.  When I was young I lovvved that movie.  I thought it was pretty cool that Arye's character was named "Jesse" on top of it being an entertaining movie.  That movie is the genesis for my love of the horror/comedy subgenre.  

The Just One Of The Guys card is not officially part of the set I made.  I guess it's a bonus card?  It's another movie I love-love and I've always been proud of that set in particular.  If I'm correct, it's the 3rd card from that movie I've been able to have autographed. 

Overall we had a really fun time at MCN.  I think though they may want to look into a bigger venue maybe.  They use a banquet room in the Novi (about 35 minutes NW of Detroit) Sheraton.  With all the vendors, signers and convention goers it can be a little cramped.  Also, I'd either go on Friday or Sunday next time.  They charge a bit of a premium for Saturday.  I figure I can be just as awkward and pay less next year.  

We also picked up some horror goodies but I'm inclined to keep the post about the cards and over-stating how socially inept I am.  

Motor City Nightmares

Today I took in Motor City Nightmares armed with three custom autograph cards.  Motor City Nightmares is like a comic-con, but completely horror genre themed.  This was the 12th iteration of the convention, but my first time partaking.

In looking at the guest list there were a some really cool attendees, a few of which I'd gotten autographs on custom cards in the past.  Two names stood out that I'd not yet gotten autographs from that I thought would be fun for custom cards.  Those two being Traci Lords and Thom Mathews.

For these I made autograph cards, that's to sat they're different from the vintage inspired designs my cards are usually done in.  I've been doing more of these lately just for my personal autograph collection.  I like the challenge of it being an original design of my own and figuring out how to best design a card around the anticipated autograph.  With a vintage inspired custom card the design stands on it's own and getting an autograph on them is a great bonus.  With an autograph card the signature is the centerpiece and the card is incomplete without it, so it's a different kind of approach to the design.  I also have to research those particular signatures to make sure that the way they sign their name will fit with how I design the card.

I'm a big fan of Traci Lords and B quality movies from the '80s/early '90s ... which Lords appeared in a number of.  The card to the far left is from the movie Shock 'Em Dead.  It's a movie that combines horror and heavy metal so I just adore it, lol.  The movie is very "of its time".  

I spent a lot of time on this card, mainly because it didn't turn out anything like I pictured in my mind.  The way I pictured it turned out to have a much too busy composition for my liking.  It just didn't flow nicely as I would have hoped.  What I ended up with was better than what I initially had in mind I feel.  One thing I really wanted to incorporate somehow was the double guitar that the demon used in the movie. I thought of a way to use a vectored version of it as the "K" in Shock with a custom movie text logo.  It's not something I'd normally do, but the movie really doesn't have a  recognizable signature font logo like a lot of movies do, so I was okay taking the liberty.  I think the way that element turned out is just as fun to look at as Traci herself, and the signature ties it all together.

The next two cards were done with a template I had made previously.  I tend to use this design for horror movie autographs.  It works best when the movie has a text logo and some sort of secondary logo or graphic image specific to the movie.  I did one for Not of This Earth because, c'mon, Traci Lords and one of Thom Mathews from Friday the 13th Part VI.  It's also worth noting I brought my own Sharpies to color coordinate the autographs to the cards for that extra little touch because, like I said, the autograph is the key to the design.

I also wanted to do cards of Thom from Return of the Living Dead and its sequel, but I ran out of time enough to make those.  I've had a lot going on outside the card thing lately.  I also wanted to get some VHS slip covers auto'd but resources are not unlimited and when it's a choice between those and cards, well, I'm a card guy first.  I did pick up an issue of Fangoria that I was looking for at a decent price, so that was an unexpected win.

As for the signers they were both pleasant.  I wish I could have chatted them up a little but, and I think I mentioned it before in other posts, I'm a pretty awkward/introverted person.  It would have come off about as well as Chris Farley interviewing Paul McCartney.  So, I just get the autographs say "thank you" and sort of fade away.