Haunted Newsreel

Everybody loves toys. Everybody - including Comic-Con. There are entire parts of the Exhibition Floor devoted to toys – action figures, statuettes, plushies, etc. At Comic-Con, toys are everywhere. And, because toys are everywhere, The Comic-Con Experience 2008, Feature #3 is Sideshow Collectibles.

While Sideshow originally got its start making chintzy little toys and figures of pop culture notables, the company has grown and now specializes in high-quality, screen-accurate replicas of well-known genre characters. These figures, statuettes and life-size replicas do not come cheap, ranging in price from $35 for some of the more common, smaller items to thousands of dollars for their more elaborate display pieces.
(read more...)

Since that first convention in 1970, with just 300 people in attendance, San Diego Comic-Con has been devoted to the celebration of the popular arts. While the heart of Comic-Con may be comic books and graphic novels, over the years the event has developed into something of a geek haven, with little bit of everything, appealing to fans across genres. It is this culture of diversity, this unabashed love of popular art – including horror – that now draws over 100,000 people to the San Diego Convention Center, including the staff of Classic-Horror.com
(read more...)

Well, another Comic-Con has come and gone and we have all sorts of coverage we're prepping. Look forward to pieces on Repo! The Genetic Opera, the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes remake, Frank Darabont, classic monster art, Torchwood, Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer, Laid to Rest, and more!

Here's a few more pictures from the course of the weekend to tide you over (click to open larger version in new window):

The Comic-Con logo at night

Our esteemed Managing Deaditor Julia Merriam
standing in front of a series of Dexter posters

You may have noticed a lack of news stories this month, despite a whole bunch of excellent discs coming down the way (new Alfred Hitchcock sets, Nightmare Castle restored, and Beyond the Door, just to name a few). That's because we've been deep in prep for the three major events that will define the second half of our year.

First up is San Diego Comic-Con International, which runs from July 24th through the 27th this year. We'll have a team of four there this year -- Julia Merriam, Emily Langton, new recruit Courtney Banach, and myself. Keep your eyes peeled to Classic-Horror for daily updates from the floor. We can't reveal all the goodies yet, but we will be looking at offerings from Lionsgate, Universal, Warner Bros., Troma, the BBC, Platinum Dunes, Dimension, and other fine providers of horror entertainment. (read more...)