A week ago today, Frank and I packed up our truck with our luggage, a cooler full of snacks/drinks, my artwork, 2 wagon utility carts, multiple large bins of donated prizes and a rubber chicken and headed off for another killer artventure with our horror community fam at Flashback Weekend Chicago!
When we arrived I already got a sign that it was going to be a memorable weekend because 23 was on the parking spot we parked in without even realizing it until we got out. It’s my Mom and my Uncle Randy’s birthdate number (both have passed away) and it often manifests (as what I refer to as) a “glimmer” telling me I am exactly where the universe intends for me to be. ✨
Once we got the truck unloaded and got moved into our “home away from home for the week” we cooled down, relaxed a bit and then got a bite to eat at their Red Bar. When my shrimp tempura arrived I couldn’t help but feel like I needed to cash in a coupon for a “free demon possession with every exorcism” because immediately when the waitress set it on the table I started singing “DAY-O!” and honestly it couldn’t have been a funnier way to kick off a memorable weekend.
The big national sports collector event was taking place at the convention center next door again, but this time the hotel listened to everyone’s feedback from last year and put up signs and had extra security that prevented the lobby areas from being hoarded with collectors trading and collecting cards in every orifice of the hotel and making rude remarks to the “freaks” (as some said they were called) trying to have a good time. There were actual places to sit in the bar and lounge areas again this year and it felt more like the fun hotel vibes we love about the Hyatt Regency. Although we have had many amazing memories at the Crowne Plaza (where Flashback Weekend used to be held at), we have really grown to love the open layout of the Hyatt. So it really made us happy to see the hotel staff listened to why so many guests were not happy with the chaos we endured during our stay last year. Seeing these signs through out the hotel was a win for us horror fans.
The first thing we did at the convention was venture off to get our badges at the registration booth, where we were greeted by Mia (our horror con fam’s Momma and queen of the con) and the amazing convention staff volunteers. I was quite smitten to see there was a little shout out for me inside the Ultimate Ticket Holder goodie bags! 😊
For those of you that may not be aware, Frank and I have been attending Flashback Weekend for 22 years now and I have become the convention’s Prize Coordinator. This means I am in charge of organizing and collaborating with various businesses, artists and vendors to collect and deliver merchandise for prize donations that we raffle off for the convention’s Ultimate VIP Cocktail Reception Party (held exclusively for Ultimate Ticket Holders and the celebrity guests) every year. This also means setting up the prize table at the event and marketing the sponsors leading up to it by maintaining the landing page, and designing/sharing social media posts and promotional flyers/signs. I would like to mention that Frank should get an award just for his patience with me over the months leading up to the con while I am collaborating, tracking and getting packages on our doorstep for months, keeping them safe and stored in our home, and then of corpse all the loading and set up during the con itself. I truly could not do this without him and he’s a real trooper about all of it.
Mia, the sweetheart that she is, pulled out a layout map so Frank and I could easily find the vendors that I needed to pick up raffle prizes from. After picking them up and packing them safely with the others we ventured back into the ballroom to visit with our very talented friend Chad Savage (Sinister Visions). We got carried away getting caught up that we forgot to take our annual reunion pic but I made sure to remember to get one with him on Sunday when we made our last rounds and goodbyes.
After scoping out the amazing vendors and getting an idea on where everything was located, we went and got a bite to eat at the hotel’s O’H American Grill where we were standing in line with actor Joseph Whipp and his lovely wife. She was such a hoot and laughed with us over mai tai drinks and ended up sitting next to us. When the staff handed us our table number as 23, I couldn’t help but acknowledge it as another manifested glimmer. ✨
After making more rounds around the con we went and got ready for the return of Svengoolie Live! It’s a fun on stage late night talk show hosted by our favorite local horror host legend. Flashback Weekend introduced this new event to the con for the first time last year and we absolutely loved it. This year he interviewed actors David Naughton and David Arquette and just like last year, we were not disappointed. Each guest was full of stories and kept us laughing through out the entire show. Of corpse Sven never disappoints when it comes to comedy relief so it was once again worth attending. After the show we stopped in at the con’s little after party for a bit, roamed around the hotel and then headed back to chill on the balcony of our room. Unfortunately the full moon was rising on the other side of the hotel but we still felt its presence.
We woke up Saturday to a text from our friends Ben and Jon from Dead Regime Media telling us that they had arrived and that Ben had Wisconsin dill cheese curds in his cooler with our names on them. So we got our butts in gear and met up and hung out at the con with them all day. One of the many reasons we love reuniting with Ben is because we always reminisce about our memories and friendship with Sid Haig. Our friendship blossomed many moons ago after Ben worked with Sid on High On The Hog and then later interviewed us for a possible future documentary in tribute to Sid’s life. When we are all together it always feels like Sid is there with us in spirit and it helps to not focus on the fact that Sid isn’t at a table ready to look up at us with a huge grin on his face, but instead he is looking down on us from the stardust happy we are all together and keeping his memory alive.
When it was time to finally meet Svengoolie, our horror con fam pulled through. Between Mia and Don (who manages the successful operations of the con each year) they made sure that when the time arrived for me to gift Sven my “You’re All Grown Up Now” portrait that Frank and I would have enough time to spend with him. Don even captured memorable candid and posed pictures of us during our interaction and made sure Sven’s people properly handled his gift bag of art from me.
When talking to Sven, I was so thrilled to hear that he remembered the art piece from our online messages and was excited to finally receive it. He kept telling me how “terrific” the artwork was and even remembered that I had made a special barrette to give to him, so he could hand deliver it to his glamour ghoul co-host Gwengoolie. I also was able to tell Sven that my Dad is an artist and one of my biggest inspirations and loves tuning into the show every Saturday. He loved hearing how excited my Dad was for me to gift my work to him. Being in his presence, I couldn’t help but reflect on how seriously blessed we all are to have such an incredibly talented and kind soul as one of our local Chicagoland legends. And thanks to him always being such a big supporter of Flashback Weekend we now officially have an autographed rubber chicken hanging in our home as a reminder of this memorable moment spent with him.
After grabbing a bite to eat and some drinks with our friends, we headed to our room to start gathering the prizes and loading our carts up to head to the Ultimate VIP Cocktail Reception Party. As always, Frank did an awesome job helping me set the table up. This year it was full with the most prizes we have ever received. There was 20 generous prize sponsors and many of them were kind enough to donate more then one item leaving the party attendees in awe.
Chad, John and Don all assisted in the prize announcements and as always we announced who donated each prize before raffling them off. Frank took photos of all of us live in action while Kat was getting photos of each individual winner with their prizes. It may have been a bit more work this year with so many prizes being donated, but it was so rewarding to see the excitement of so many people leaving the party with something amazing and giving all these generous people and businesses who donated the exposure they deserved.
Donating my own artwork for prizes over the years is actually what led to me becoming the Prize Coordinator to begin with, and this year I found it fitting to donate an oversized 16×20″ canvas print of my “You’re All Grown Up Now” split face portrait of Svengoolie! Laura, a member of our beloved horror con fam had her raffle ticket number pulled as the winner and the whole party cheered in excitement for her again this year. For those who may not recall Laura won my “Daddy” oversized 16×20″ canvas print last year and Kane Hodder signed it for her at his table. She has been attending Flashback Weekend for many years and she had never won a prize until then. Now she’s on a two year winning streak with her very own limited edition Living Dead Girl Nicole print collection and my soul could not feel more fulfilled.
Be sure to go to the Flashback Weekend Instagram page to see a video reel recap from the event and join the Flashback Weekend Facebook Group to see all the amazing photos of the rest of the winners that Kat will be posting soon!
That evening we stopped in for the Woodsboro dance party that kicked off later in the evening before roaming the hotel and enjoying more chill time watching the airplanes fly over on our hotel room balcony. On Sunday we were tired after a very eventful weekend. We checked out and loaded up the truck and then went back to the con to make our final rounds and say our goodbyes to any of the horror con fam we could find as everyone was wrapping things up as another successful con came to an end.
Like I always say, no matter what other events and cons Frank and I go to, Flashback Weekend will always be home. Not just because its the first, the best and largest horror con in Chicago, but because it genuinely feels like our horror home away from home. We love our horror con fam and look forward to our reunion with all of them every year. Thank you for doing all that you do for us Mike and Mia! You truly have created something special. All of us feel the heart and soul you always put into this event and we are so blessed to be able to be a part of it for over 20 years!
See you in June…
Stay Spooky & Magical✨
LDG Nicole
