Horror Fuel Invades Days Of The Dead Atlanta 2017

February 8, 2017

Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: horrorfuelinfo@gmail.com

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I spent this past weekend (Feb 3- 5) at the Days of the Dead convention in Atlanta. This is the second DOTD I have attended in the past few years and once again, it did not disappoint.
 
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First, I would like to tell you about my favorite part of the convention. No, it’s not the parties, or the other events, it is the people. To say that horror fans are the best would be an understatement. You will not find a friendlier group of people. Stand by a booth, in a line, by an elevator, or outside smoking and in with seconds there is a conversation happening. It is nothing to be asked “How far did you traveled?”, “Are you having fun?”, “Did you see….?”.
As for the celebs, every single celebrity I talked to was pleasant. Some were as excited about the convention as I was. No joke, Derek Mears, who has played Jason, the Predator, and more, was as excited to be there as his fans were to meet him.
 
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I’m not proud of this, but I’m going to tell you any way, on Friday I was walking through the vendors when non other than Tom Savini crossed my path. I have NEVER had a “fangirl” meltdown, until that moment. I haven’t stuttered in years, but it took everything I had to get out “Hello, Mr. Savini.” It took two tries before I managed to make it to his booth. He is the man!
 
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I also had the pleasure of meeting Bill “Chop Top” Moseley, he was very pleasant. I met Tyler Mane, a nice guy. P.J. Soles and I talked for a few minutes about the fact that I had actually seen ‘Rock and Roll High School’, which she was great in. Kane Hodder is exactly how you would imagine him. He’s bad ass.
I met so many fascinating, incredibly talented actors/actresses, but at every convention one person truly stands out. This year, that was Derek Mears. He was so friendly, so excited, and came across like you hope every celebrity would. He was there for the fans, because he is a fan. He was all smiles and handshakes and hugs. Not only is he a talented actor, but an honest-to-god good guy!
 
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When you get to meet your favorite actors or actresses you actually get the chance to talk with them for a few minutes. As for the prices, they are much more reasonable than you would expect. However, some celebs wanted more than others, the ‘Stranger Things’ kids wanted the most out of any of the other people there, $40 for an autograph, plus there was a fee for pictures with one of them. For comparison, Bill Moseley charged $30 for an autograph, and you got a free picture with him. It’s Bill freaking Moseley, that’s a very fair price.
The convention, well, the best way I can describe it is intimate, but big enough to keep you busy all weekend. Imagine if you will, “Disneyland for horror fans”, that’s how Mears described it and that’s pretty dead-on.
 
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Get lost? Looking for a booth? The staff of DOTD are more than willing to help, point you in the right direction, or take you to where you are trying to get.
As for activities, there were panels, a 48 hour film festival, an 80’s prom, VIP parties, and more. And no, you don’t have to stand in line for an hour to get your passes. I timed it, it took 3 minutes and 45 seconds in line to get ours.
One of the many great things about Days of the Dead is that they have conventions in multiple states. Be sure to visit their website to find one close to your area.
I can’t wait for the Days of the Dead Atlanta in 2018! I will definitely be going and I highly recommend that you do the same.

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