It might behoove the members of the Valley's collective nerd-dom to ease off on their holiday spending, pare down their wish lists, and start squirreling away some cash ASAP. That's because another major geek-friendly event will be happening exactly a week after next year's Phoenix Comicon.
And by all appearances, it looks like it might be a blast, particularly for fans of monster movies, slasher flicks, or other films and television programs that make your hair stand on end.
See also: Phoenix Comicon Announces 2014 Dates
The Mad Monster Party -- a weekend-long horror, science fiction, and fantasy-themed convention -- is scheduled to take place from Friday, June 13, to Sunday, June 15, at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel, according to an announcement posted to Facebook on Monday.
The three-day con is being put on by Mad Monster, a Southern California-based entertainment company that produces horror-themed events in L.A. and across the country, as well as publishing a "retro-style throwback" monster magazine.
Similar Mad Monster parties and conventions have been held in over the past couple years in North Carolina and New Orleans and have featured special guests and programming of (you guessed it) a horror, sci-fi, and fantasy bent.
Taking a gander at Mad Monster's Facebook page reveals that in the past they've booked some big names and noteworthy celebrities from said genres to make appearances, sign autographs, and hold Q&A sessions. The list includes such geek icons as Evil Dead's Bruce Campbell and Hellboy's Ron Perlman, as well as Patricia Quinn, Barry Bostwick, and Nell Campbell from The Rocky Horror Picture Show, just to name a few.
Plus, musicians like KISS' Peter Criss, Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo, and Metallica's Kirk Hammett have also shown up at Mad Monster's conventions and parties, as have Gremlins director Joe Dante, The Exorcist's Linda Blair, Blade Runner's Rutger Hauer, and veteran character actor Brad Dourif.
So who will be appearing at Phoenix's Mad Monster next summer? Organizers state that they'll begin announcing special guests on Friday, November 29. Ticket prices for the event haven't been announced as of this writing, although responses to the Mad Monster Phoenix event page have speculated that single-day admission is around $25 to $30 and a weekend pass will reportedly run you around $50.
If you're a local geek with the means and money to attend both Phoenix Comicon and Mad Monster, June's gonna be a busy month. (Provided, of course, that the latter event features some "can't miss" special guests and programming.) If your bank account's a little threadbare, however, you might be making a choice between the two come next year.
Mad Monster Phoenix is scheduled to take place from June 13 to June 15 at the Sheraton Phoenix Downtown Hotel.
