WILMINGTON — “The Walking Dead” alumni, WCW legend Papa Stro Maestro and the original TV Spider-Man will all be at the Coast Line Conference and Convention Center this Saturday, Oct. 28.
Rob Kellum (aka Papa Stro Maestro) will serve as Grand Marshall of the 2016 Cape Fear Halloween Comic Con, joining several famous zombies from AMC’s hit drama, now in its gruesome seventh season.
Haunted house fans will get to experience a graveyard scene designed by Little Spider Creations, including a six-foot spider. The South Carolina group has produced haunted houses for Six Flags and other major theme parks.
The convention will also feature a designated area for children, with balloon sculptures, face painting, and more. The family-friendly convention is free for children 12 and under.
The main event for children and families will be the Kids’ Halloween Walk, featuring Kellum as grand marshal. The parade will stretch from the convention center to the Museum of the Bizarre. The Museum will provide candy and other Halloween treats for the children.
Justin LaNasa, who owns the Museum as well as Hardwire Tattoo and Piercing Studio, said he believes the convention will bring business to the downtown area as well as being fun for the children.
Cosplay enthusiasts can enter in one of the convention’s three age-group categories, under-12, ages 12-17, and 18 and over. The contest, coordinated by Dark Matter Cosplay, will begin at noon with winners announced at 5 p.m. Award-winning cosplay artists will also be in attendance, including Teddy Braswell, Alexander Baker and others.
Alex Sinesi, a featured guest, will be talking about his new film “Baphomet.” The Wilmington-based director will have out-takes and trailers for the independent horror film, which starts filming in and around the Cape Fear area in November. Sinesi said he will be filming with a “cast and crew of talented Wilmington natives.” Convention guests will be able to meet the director and discuss his latest project with him.
Young-at-heart fans who remember “Spidey Super Stories” on the PBS show “The Electric Company” will get a to meet the original TV Spider-Man, Danny Seagren, who portrayed the superhero from 1974 to 1977.
The convention officially closes at 6 p.m., but there will be a “Haunted After-Party” on the balcony of the Grace on 2nd restaurant. The after-party will feature the South Carolina paranormal investigation team, Phasma Paranormal, and Alex and Ashley Baker of the Steampunk Alliance of Eastern Virginia will host a steampunk-themed cocktail party (drinks not included, aviator goggles recommend).
The after-party will also serve to introduce a planned overnight ghost hunt, scheduled for Nov. 9, and held in the Grace on 2nd restaurant from 3 a.m. to sun-up. It will be hosted by John Stamey, Halloween Comic Con’s executive director, and is set to feature Sinesi, Kellum, and Phasma Paranormal. More information on the planned event will be available here starting Sunday, Oct. 30.
The Cape Fear Halloween Comic Con (501 Nutt St. at N. Water St.) will take place on Saturday, Oct. 29, from 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., with an informal after-party held at the Grace on 2nd Restaurant from .7 p.m. until close. Tickets are $8 online here, or $10 at the convention center. More information and the full list of featured guests is available here, by email at capefearcomiccon@gmail.com, and by phone 843-665-8775.
