It was the perfect day for a drive to Cherry Hill, NJ for the semi-annual Monster Mania horror convention. This particular show was their 37th and certainly one of their most star-studded with such celebs as Val Kilmer, Kate Beckinsale, Peter Weller, Daphne Zuniga, Jennifer Carpenter, Chris Kattan, Ke Huy Quan, Jeffrey Combs, Stephen McHattie, and oh-so-many more.
On my list were Kilmer, Weller, Quan, Carpenter, and McHattie. I was not able to have my photo taken with Mr. Weller or Mr. Kilmer this time around. However, I did meet Mr. Kilmer about eight years ago at a comic con in NYC where I did have my photo taken with him. As for Mr. Weller, maybe next time.
Happily, I was able to pose for photos with Jennifer Carpenter (Dexter, Exorcism of Emily Rose), Stephen McHattie (character actor from just about every TV show), and Ke Huy Quan (Goonies, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom) at their autograph tables.
My wife and I then roamed the dealer room and stopped to chat with artist friend Michael Riehl and his wife Kate Phillip Riehl at their traditional spot in the room where Mike’s hand-painted ornaments depicting characters and vehicles from TV and movies never fail to draw eager attention from the fans.
The crowd was not as intolerable as I had originally anticipated given the caliber of stars signing at this con. All told, it was a wonderful day for my wife and I to spend with friends, fellow fans, and celebrities. Onto the next!
