Creep I.E. Con returns to haunt the Ontario Convention Center Feb. 4 and 5.
Billed as the Inland Empire’s largest horror-themed convention producers say will be the biggest yet, complete with unique experiences, celebrity guests, and more than 150 unique spooky-themed vendors.
Born from a desire to match the Inland Empire’s horror culture while keeping things local, SoCal Social Events and Fearsome Figures made it all happen. “We wanted to bring it to everyone in their own backyard”, says Brian Boget of SoCal Social Events and co-producer of the event. “We are all about the Inland Empire, and even pay homage in our name ‘Creep I.E. Con.’”
The convention once again promises a celebrity lineup, with some notable names like Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, Lee Waddell, and David Howard Thronton.
There will also be many unique experiences at the convention according to Boget: “Our friends at Fear Farm are putting together something special for an exclusive haunt, and RetroVolt Games and Pixel Vault Games are bringing classic horror and sci-fi gaming including pinball, arcade machines and 8-bit gaming to our Creep I.E. Arcade.”
More experiences include the return of the popular activity Horror Speed Dating with Hetero, LGBTQ, and friend sessions, as well as the Prop Museum of Horror.
There will be a Scream reunion, a Terrifier 2 reunion — the first ever on the West Coast — including David Howard Thornton in full Art the Clown makeup and costume by writer, director, producer, and SFX artist Damien Leone. Special photo ops are available. The convention will also be celebrating the 20th anniversary of House of 1000 Corpses with four cast members.
Boget gave Halloween Every Night a few more thoughts about the event.
Halloween Every Night: What are some of the highlights of this year’s Creep I.E. Con?
Brian Boget: The Scream and Terrifier 2 reunions are definitely highlights. We have also added our first ever haunt experience produced by our friends — and local I.E. company — Fear Farm.
HEN: Since this is its second year, are you taking any lessons from last year to implement this year? What are some examples?
BB: There’s always room to modify and improve any event whether it’s been around for one year or 10 years. We have made some behind-the-scenes adjustments, but we are proud to have had such amazing feedback from attendees, celebrities and vendors in year one that no major issues needed to be addressed.
HEN: Last year you said you wanted to bring more horror/Halloween activity to Inland Empire. Do you feel you’ve accomplished this?
BB: Yes, proud to have instantly become the Inland Empire’s largest horror themed event. The I.E. has never had so many celebrities from the world of spooky cinema and TV visit for meet and greets with their fans.
HEN: How does your event stand out in the Halloween and horror convention world?
BB: We put together a convention that has a little bit of this, a whole lot of that to make it our own unique horror convention experience. There are elements from our convention that are part of other conventions, but the mix of celebrities, experiences like Horror Speed Dating and the local vendors — a lot of whom are directly from here in the Inland Empire — make us unique to Southern California.
HEN: Anything else you’d like to add?
BB: Our Scream, Terrifier 2 and Bill & Ted professional photo ops include custom backdrops that put attendees right into a scene from these iconic films. This is a first to my knowledge in Southern California.
The Gory Details:
Creep I.E. Con
Saturday Feb.4 – Sunday Feb.5
Ontario Convention Center
2000 E. Convention Center Way
Ontario, CA 91764
Tickets are $25-$30
