Category Archives: News

News

Nostalgic Toys, Wrestling Legends, and Iconic 80s’ Faces Invade Las Vegas Toy Con!

Image February 18, 2020 Patti PaulterGeist Leave a comment

So you’re telling me- an entire weekend con, (not just one night) featuring the best of 80s’ toys, wrestling legends, Garbage Pail Kids artists, and for the love of the best damn cinematic American patriot Apollo Creed, Carl Weathers, all together at once in my hometown?

This GIF is a big mood, guys.

Because you know, it’s clearly not like I dedicate a part of my life to this or anything.

Anyways, YES- the 12th annual Vegas Toycon is back and better than ever with an entire weekend full of childhood fuzzies that will take you through a time warp of wonderful childhood memories including a slew of celebrity guests that are sure to make even the manliest of men shed a tear of nostalgic joy.

Held at the Las Vegas Cannery, March 13-15th, 2020, Toycon is breaking out the red carpet for such guests as Carl Weathers (The Mandalorian, Predator, Rocky Films Saga), Ryan Hurst (The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy), Jimmy Vee (R2D2-Star Wars), Dominic Pace (The Mandalorian), along with Optimus Prime and Megatron themselves Peter Cullen and Frank Welker!

Appearing alongside these screen gems are a couple of WWE legends prepared to sign autographs with photo ops as well! The attendance roster includes Scott Hall (Razor Ramon), Kevin Nash (Diesel), Sting, Jon Moxley, and Fred Ottman (Tugboat, Typhoon)!

So much machismo.

If that’s enough to rattle your inner 80s’ kid, the cast from Steven Spielberg’s E.T. and a select slew of the Netflix giant Stranger Things will be on hand as well and if that’s not enough for you- then I honestly should just stop right now and kind of give up. Let’s get real- Dee Wallace is an absolute treasure beyond her E.T. fandom, i.e Cujo, The Howling, Critters and more.

Ok, that’s the fangirl talking. Let’s move along.

And for all the Garbage Pail Kids fans out there, (everyone am I right?!):

Beyond the overwhelming appearances, and honestly, there are so many more but I could be here all day, are tons of family-friendly activities. Funko Pop giveaways and scavenger hunts, custom toy contests, original artwork, cosplay, and tons of awesome toy and comic vendors!

Tickets are available here directly through the TOYCON website. Check the website thoroughly for days and photo-op times of celebrity appearances and kids 12 and under are free!

I will be there covering the event for Nightmare Nostalgia so if you see a tiny girl in an Apollo Creed shirt covered in tattoos, run up to me with the password phrase “I WANT YOU CHUMP!“, and I MIGHT just have a little gift for you! Happy hunting and see you at Toycon folks!

News

Google Searches Identify Each State’s Most Popular Horror Icon

Image October 23, 2019 Patti PaulterGeist Leave a comment

Welp, it’s that time of year again where the Gods of the Interwebs invade our search history and reveal all that naughty late-night, drunk browsing for the world to see! Just kidding ( I hope). But seriously, a team of Google analysts at Frontier Bundles performs this just-for-fun horror data search every year that reveals which horror icon is the most popular across the United States of America.

The Frontier Bundles data analyst team selected 12 popular villains from classic, pre-21st-century horror movies and used Google Trends to analyze their search volume in the last 12 months. They then reported the villain with the highest search volume in each state.

In other words, don’t shoot the messenger here if you are displeased with your home town’s results. Personally speaking as a Nevadan, my black little heart of Damballa is content with Chucky being our most beloved. Check out the map and details below provided by Frontier Bundles themselves!

Alabama	Pennywise
Alaska	Alien
Arizona	Jack Torrance
Arkansas	Leatherface
California	Chucky
Colorado	Jack Torrance
Connecticut	Frankenstein’s Monster
Delaware	Frankenstein’s Monster
Florida	Hannibal Lecter
Georgia	Ghostface
Hawaii	Count Dracula
Idaho	Pennywise
Illinois	Chucky
Indiana	Pennywise
Iowa	Pennywise
Kansas	Alien
Kentucky	Leatherface
Louisiana	Chucky
Maine	Pennywise
Maryland	Ghostface
Massachusetts	Frankenstein’s Monster
Michigan	Jack Torrance
Minnesota	Hannibal Lecter
Mississippi	Chucky
Missouri	Jack Torrance
Montana	Hannibal Lecter
Nebraska	Jack Torrance
Nevada	Chucky
New Hampshire	Hannibal Lecter
New Jersey	Frankenstein’s Monster
New Mexico	Chucky
New York	Jack Torrance
North Carolina	Frankenstein’s Monster
North Dakota	Pennywise
Ohio	Leatherface
Oklahoma	Hannibal Lecter
Oregon	Jack Torrance
Pennsylvania	Jack Torrance
Rhode Island	Norman Bates
South Carolina	Frankenstein’s Monster
South Dakota	Norman Bates
Tennessee	Jack Torrance
Texas	Leatherface
Utah	Pennywise
Vermont	Carrie
Virginia	Pennywise
Washington	Alien
West Virginia	Freddy Krueger
Wisconsin	Jack Torrance
Wyoming	Carrie

Which horror villain reigns supreme in your state? Sound off below!

News

Freakling Bros To Retire Nosferatu This Year With “Death Of The Vampyre”

Image October 8, 2019 Patti PaulterGeist Leave a comment

Oh, Vegas. As soon as the first leaf falls from (depending on where you live), the neighborhood tree, it marks the end of boob and butt-crack sweat and begins a few glorious months of favorable weather conditions. If you, like me, live in what we refer to Satan’s Armpit, you know exactly what I mean and how we feel about this. And as we continue a stroke of relief of 90 degree days in October, the long-standing Las Vegas-based haunt Freakling Bros. has been hard at work during those awful Summer days to prepare for the most wonderful time of the year and the October opening of the infamous, Trilogy of Terror.

The legacy that is Freakling started over 40 years ago with the Mollner family and their passionate love affair with Samhain. With what began as a simple, yet startling decorated haunted house to amuse trick-or-treaters on Halloween night, ballooned into three separate haunts immersive experience that returns year after year to the Vegas Valley with welcoming arms to both locals and tourists alike. Being a native to the Vegas Valley, I’ve had the privilege to visit Freakling’s haunts annually since my adolescence and it’s been a marvel to watch them grow into what they have become today.

Over the years, the haunts have interchanged to make way for fresh ideas- including the now infamous R-Rated, GATES OF HELL that pushes your anxiety to the brink of terror. And worth noting, your precious nerve endings that will receive the occasional mild electrical shock delivered by some of the sadistically enthusiastic actors. However, Nosferatu who resides inside the fan-favorite PG Castle Vampyre that has stood on the haunt grounds of the Trilogy for years, is due to take his last flight this Halloween 2019.

I am a little sad to see the haunt lay to rest, however, I’m also intrigued and excited to see what twisted brainchild of the Mollners’ comes to fruition in the 2020 haunt season. So if you’re in the Vegas area, or plan on visiting the city this October, make sure to pay your respects to “DEATH OF THE VAMPYRE” and bid farewell to Nosferatu, Vampyra, Drucilla, Shadow, and all the other vamp inhabitants of Castle Vampyre!

For tickets and calendar dates, visit the official FREAKLING website and follow them on TWITTER.