CONVENTION Dark Xmas to feature trio of horror actors

The event is luring bigger and better guest stars.
By GUY D'ASTOLFO
VINDICATOR ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
WARREN -- They may be the devil's rejects, but they're more than welcome at the Dark Xmas sci-fi and horror convention.
In fact, the star power generated by a trio of actors from the horror film "The Devil's Rejects" could make this the breakout year for the three-day event.
"Attendance wasn't so hot the first two years, but we're expecting about 1,500 this year," said promoter Travis Bowen of Niles.
Dark Xmas returns for its third year Friday through Sunday. The convention moved to the Comfort Inn in downtown Warren after its first year, when it was held at the former Youngstown Inn, at state Route 46 and I-80 in Austintown.
"I like the look of the Comfort Inn," said Bowen. "It's a dark, older building."
Gaining in popularity
Bowen's brainchild has steadily built a track record in horror circles. As a result, its luring bigger stars.
Topping the list this year will be Sid Haig, Bill Mosely and Leslie Easterbrook from the 2005 Rob Zombie film, "The Devil's Rejects."
Other top names include Conrad Brooks, "the King of B-Movies," who starred in "Plan 9 from Outer Space"; Felix Silla, who played Cousin Itt on "The Addams Family"; Aubree Miller from "Star Wars Ewok Adventures"; Noel Neil, who was the original Lois Lane in the 1940s Superman movies; and Tom Savini, horror special effects expert for "Dawn of the Dead," "Friday the 13th" and others.
Fans come from beyond the Mahoning Valley, said Bowen, who pointed out that the Comfort Inn is sold out for the weekend.
Convention-goers can shop at the vendor tables, watch movies and talk to the guest stars and get their autographs for free, said Bowen. Question and answer sessions are scheduled with the guests, who also participate in a karaoke party.
Bowen promoted the event by himself the first two years, but has a partner this year, Jeremy Caughey, whom he credits with boosting the show's popularity.
"This year will definitely be the best show we've ever done and I couldn't have done it without Jeremy's help," said Bowen. Caughey, a tattoo artist at Artistic Dermographics in Boardman, placed ads in several industry publications, which has boosted advance ticket sales.
Other credits
The 28-year-old Bowen has his fingers all over the throat of the horror field.
In addition to staging Dark Xmas, Bowen acts in, writes and directs very-low-budget films, and is opening a video store at 237 N. State St., Girard. "It will have more independent, horror and sci-fi movies than anywhere else in the area," he said.
His latest movie is "2020: An American Nightmare." Shot in the Mahoning Valley by Bowen's film company, Eerie Frequency Entertainment, it is an end-of-the-world scenario in which an incurable virus threatens the population. The cast of "2020" includes Conrad Brooks, Joe Estevez (the brother of Martin Sheen) and Dean Haglund, who had a part in "The X-Files."
"I was on the junior high basketball team, but wasn't good enough for the varsity, so I started filming the games for the school," said Bowen, who grew up in Erie, Pa., and moved to Niles six years ago. "That's how I learned to handle the camera."
Bowen never went to film school, but made some contacts in the horror/sci-fi field at conventions. It was at one such event where he met B-movie king Conrad Brooks.
Brooks, who is 75, agreed to be in the film "2020," giving an instant boost to Bowen's dream.
After Dark Xmas, Bowen will concentrate on his next project, "Shadows in the Woods: Forest of the Damned."