Horror fans, celebrities, and comic creators from across the globe ascended on Bangor, Maine the Weekend of the Wicked from September 30-October 5 at the Cross Insurance Center.
The convention’s featured guests were from Stephen King‘s It television special from 1990. Brandon Crane, Adam Faraizl, Ben Heller, Emily Perkins, and Marlon Taylor of The Losers’ Club visited the fictional town of Derry, but real City of Bangor to take photos and sign autographs with fans.
In addition to the amazing cast of It, the weekend welcomed celebrity guests such as, X-Men: The Animated Series voice actors Lenore Zann and Tony Daniels; David Naughton of An American Werewolf In London, makeup guru Bart Mixon, and Tamara Glynn of Halloween 5.
“How does one say amazing? It’s easy, it’s people, people that make you feel good, people that recognize your talent, and people that are nice!” said Daniels via Facebook. “It was not just a fun time [Jay Cochran and Will Hesketh] are the epitome of class. The way you treated your guests which included me is amazing.” Daniels voiced Gambit towards the end of X-Men: The Animated Series.
Ben Bishop (The Last Ronin, Aggregate), Joseph Schmalke (Seven Years In Darkness, We Don’t Kill Spiders), Bob Tkacik (Good Boy Paws, Seven Years In Darkness Variant), Amanda Kahl (Age of Night, I Am The First), and many more comic book creators joined the fun with many various vendors and other creators in attendance.
Bangor Comic and Toy Con co-owners Hesketh and Cochran put on an outstanding Weekend of the Wicked with the help of the Cross Insurance Center staff and a long list of amazing volunteers. Shane Grant Photography nailed it once again with professional photo ops for all those who wished to get one.
John Campopiano, recent guest of the Capes and Tights Podcast, was also in attendance at Weekend of the Wicked showing off two screen-used Pennywise costumes from the 1990’s It and talk with fans about his documentary. “We had an amazing three days in Bangor. There were many highlights, but joining the Losers and Bart Mixon on stage for a Q&A was tops,” said Campopiano. “There was so much love for those guys, the miniseries, and even our new documentary. Big thanks to everyone who came by my table to buy some posters, share kind words about the docs, and to see the Pennywise suits. I’m humbled and grateful.”
Not only did the Losers’ Club take photos with fans at the convention, but a select few attendees got a special photo op in front of King’s West Broadway home and the Thomas Hill Standpipe. These locations gave people an extra special connection to the history of King’s creations.
The addition of SK Tours and The Losers’ Club Podcast only helped expand the already King focused convention. Winter House Gaming setup their video games for all those in attendance to enjoy.
Marsh Island Brewing Company of Orono, Maine also brewed a special one-of-a-kind beer for the event entitled “We All Float IPA” which had a can label illustrated by yours truly, Justin Soderberg. The Weekend of the Wicked beer is on sale across the State of Maine.
Smaller regional conventions like Weekend of the Wicked are some of the best opportunities for attendees, celebrities, artist, and creators to connect with their fans in a more meaningful way. Telling the guests how they fell in love with their movie, tv show, or comic book and how much they meaning to them is so much easier the more well known events.
The BCTC clan will return to the Cross Insurance Center next October 13-15, 2023 with the return of the Bangor Comic and Toy Con headline event with celebrity guests from Terrifier and more. But first is the Maine Comic and Toy Con in Portland, Maine from April 28-30, 2023.
