FrightVision Invades Akron!

By CARL THOMPSON

(NOTE: The first of hopefully a long line of horror and cult film conventions, FrightVision, will descend on Akron, Ohio, next month. HORROR-WOOD asked the Con’s organizer, Carl Thompson, to give us all the creepy details. Over to you, Carl…)

I’m pleased to fill HORROR-WOOD’s readers in on all the events pertaining to FrightVision. First of all, it is being held at The Hilton at Quaker Square in Akron, Ohio on March 19-20-21, 1999. The show is being put together by Carl Thompson, which is me. It is being hosted by The Son of Ghoul, a local horror show host to northeastern Ohio for the last 15 years. His studio, Talon Media, will be taping the event all weekend to be shown on Son of Ghoul's station known as "The Cat" meaning Cleveland/ Akron Television. Their call letters are WAOH CH.29 and WAX Ch.35, There will also be radio stations on hand broadcasting "live" all weekend. They are so far, WNIR, WAPS, and I'm sure there will be more added as well as more TV stations. So everybody will be on TV.

The room rates are $85.00 per night which includes a brunch. (Ask for FrightVision rates.) The hotel is a knockout with 4 bars and a variety of restaurants, as well as a specialty shop mall attached to it. Nobody has to leave the hotel for anything. Quaker Square is very accessible to many other fast food restaurants, activities, etc.
Our star line-up is as follows :

Ben Chapman- The Creature from the Black Lagoon
Dick Durock-The Swamp Thing, Guy Williams' stunt double
Vickie Abbott and Chris Costello-Abbott and Costello's daughters
Bob May-TV's Lost In Space robot B9
Fred Olen Ray-B-movie director
Ron Bonk- B-movie director
John Russo- Author, Night Of The Living Dead
Kyra Schon- Night Of The Living Dead
Tom Savini- FX Master, Director
Countess Vladimira
David "The Rock" Nelson
Debbie Rochon-Scream Queen
Spooky Spectre- Pittsburgh's horror show host
The Talon Models
...Plus a few local celebs

We also are featuring "The King Dapper Combo" doing a concert both Friday and Saturday night, Saturday where they will be joined by The Son of Ghoul's band "The Ignitors" We are still planning yet one more band to be added for Saturday. We have also added a role playing show tentatively planned, we are also working on a modeling "kit" contest.

Here is our schedule:

Friday night, March 19: 7:00PM-9:30PM: Dinner with the Stars, RSVP meal. Cost is $25.00, limited to 100 people. The musical entertainment at this meal is provided by "The Fellowcrafter's Trio".
10:00PM until (?): We feature a concert with The King Dapper Combo. WAPS Radio 91.3 will be hosting this with a small food outing. We are now also planning, while this event is running, a special star-vendor get-together. This entire event will happen downstairs in the "Dungeon" Saturday, March 20, at 10:00 a.m. Dealer's Rooms will remain open until 7:00 p.m. During these hours we will host Q&A sessions with the stars, autograph signings, 16mm films presentation of movies pertaining to our stars, and others. Movie line up and times of all events are being finalized right now.

There will be a presentation to Bob May, from the B-9 Robot Builder's Club at 5:00 p.m., as well as presentations by Ben Chapman on The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Chris Costello is planning a huge presentation on her father and Bud Abbott, she also will be signing "Who's On First" scripts. The role playing show will also commence throughout the day. There will be a Klingon "bikini" pageant. Son of Ghoul will be taping his show "live" both days and will be showing bloopers and outtakes of prior tapings. Spooky Spectre and Son of Ghoul will be transposing shows back and forth, to be aired in both states.

On Saturday evening, 8:00 p.m., the concert starts. We are looking at many opening bands right now, we will be deciding on one this week. "The Ignitors" will begin at 9:00 p.m.
At midnight, the King Dapper Combo will perform again, and all bars/restaurants (including the attached mini mall) will remain open. There will be a bar, with munchies, adjacent to the concert.
Sunday, March 21: 10:00-5:00 Dealer's Rooms are open. Q&A sessions, autographing, and 16mm films will continue throughout the day again. Ben Chapman, Bob May and Abbott & Costello presentations will occur during the afternoon.

Thanks for your interest and hope to see you at FrightVision!