How’s this sound?: Horror movie screenings, costume contests, sci-fi references, comic books and appearances from the two guys in this photo. If that sounds like a pop culture-gasm then dude (yeah, I’m assuming you’re a dude) you should get your ass to Con-tamination this weekend.
St. Louis’ first Horror, Sci-Fi & Pop Culture convention all under one roof! A weekend packed with toxic celebrities, contagious dealers, viral gamers, brain hemorrhaging music and other coma inducing activities.
With the first of hopefully many Con-tamination’s already upon us, we got the chance to wait in the dark and then sneak up all slow and creep like behind Con-tamination and Dyer Straits Productions’ mad scientist Dave Dyer, who was nice enough to not only drop all the charges but answer some questions for us too.
Punching Kitty: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us Dave, we realize its got to be a pretty crazy time right now.
PK: This is the first year for what you are calling a “horror, sci-fi, pop culture” convention. What was the driving force to put this together?
Dave Dyer: I have been a dealer/vendor for many years & I have always wondered why there hasn’t been a show in St. Louis like all the ones I have worked at. I thought it would be a brilliant Idea to do one myself.
PK: …and why St. Louis? Every area has geeks that love zombies, but is St. Louis particularly suited for this convention?
Dyer: Well this is not only a Horror but a Sci-Fi & Pop Culture event. I knew that in order to keep viable in this industry I need to think outside the box. St. Louis is my home town & the gateway to the Midwest it only makes sense that St. Louis should play with the big dogs, It is Hub to so many states & a large area with many fans of the genre.
PK: The line up this year appears to be especially horror focused despite the eclectic description, was that planned, did it just work out that way?
Dyer: It just worked that way, It was not planned I really wanted to try to represent all of the genres we are covering but it did not work out that way! This year we are a little bit more Horror but next year we will make it up by going more Sci-Fi! That’s whats so wonderful about “Contamination” we have created something that can be very flexible.
PK: How have sales been? Are you expecting a good turn out for the event?
Dyer: Sales of course for a first show started out slow but with our media campaign it has picked up & started a momentum that we hope will continue through the show.
PK: You have a pretty awesome list of celebrities coming in for the event, including two guys from the classic “Dusk Til Dawn” flick, Tom Savini and Fred “The Hammer” Williamson. What are you most excited about?
Dyer: I have known Tom & Fred for a while so they are like old friends to me so I am most excited about Daredevil Bob Gill who was one of the greatest daredevil,s of all time breaking all of Evils records without the aid of a ramp, until his accident in 1974. Also I am looking forward to having Lorri Cardille from “Dead of the Dead”.
PK: What would happen if someone rolled in to the costume contest rocking an Edward from Twilight costume?
Dyer: They would most likely be laughed at this Is a Zombie Town all the way!
PK: We love that not only are you talking about horror movies but you have a pretty impressive list of people showing their flicks over the weekend. Are there any budding horror flim-makers that we shouldn’t miss?
Dyer: Yeah! You don’t want to miss any of the up & coming Filmmakers we are showcasing! Wicked Pixel & Pirate Pictures from St. Louis are our homeboys but we have some filmmakers from Chicago & Milwaukee also.
PK: Maybe this is too soon, but any thoughts towards doing this again next year?
Dyer: OH YEAH! We are already planning next year & it’s going to be even better!!!
PK: Lastly, which do you prefer, the classic slow-moving zombies or the new-style running zombies?
Dyer: Slow Moving Baby! George Romero all the way!!!!!
Con-tamination 2010 starts today, April 30th, and goes through May 2nd at the Holiday Inn/Viking, St. Louis. You can get all the info you want at their site www.con-tamination.com including a schedule of events.
We’ll be there checking out the scene Saturday, so come up and say hello!