London Film & Comic Con

July, while not a vampire-event-heavy month, does at least host the London Film & Comic Con. Although vampire-specific content is somewhat low in 2014, this is still a great con to attend. Buffy/Angel fans might find it worth stopping by to see Juliet Landau aka Drusilla; Summer Glau (who made her debut as the Prima Ballerina in the "Waiting in the Wings" episode of Angel); and T.J. Thyne (spotted as a lawyer/employee at Wolfram & Hart). All three will be available for autographs.

Beyond Angel alum, there are plenty of interesting classes on offer, many relating to the writing and art of comics. There are also classes on creating a graphic novel and storytelling. In addition you can look forward to Q&A with various guests (some free), zones for specific interests (books, anime, comics, video games...), cosplay, and an extensive marketplace.

London Film & Comic Con 2014 takes place from 11 to 13 July. More info here.

Upcoming Events; Slay-a-thon & Blood Vengeance

Want to watch episodes of Buffy and Angel for a good cause? Sign up for this year's Slay-a-Thon (21 June, in Chicago IL) and raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Illinois. You'll also get to participate in games, Q&A, a raffle and an auction. Best of all, the special guest is James Leary, aka Clem the demon. Somebody needs to challenge him to a poker game (or at least a round of D&D). Just leave the kittens at home.

More info here.

On the other hand, if you find yourself in Glasgow, Scotland on the weekend of 19 to 24 June, you might want to check out Blood Vengeance. This unofficial Vampire Diaries, Supernatural, & Twilight convention features meet & greets, photo ops, workshops, and themed parties. The event will be hosted by Jamie Christlow, known as Ian Somerhalder's doppelganger. Guests will include Nathaniel Buzolic, David Alpay, Trent Ford, and Alex Meraz.

More info here.

Eventful

It's been a while since I last posted on Blood Lines, but fear not, faithful readers; things are about to pick up around here, starting with some info on upcoming Cons.

For Vampire Diaries fans, there are three unofficial TVD-themed events to look forward to.

If you're lucky enough to be in Rome, Italy, on the weekend of 30 May to 1 June check out Love & Blood ItaCon 2.0, a Vampire Diaries & The Originals fan gathering. Guests include Paul Wesley, Steven R McQueen, Matt Davis, and Nathaniel Buzolic.

More info here.

On the other hand, if from 31 May to 1 June you're in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, you might want to attend Vampire Attraction Con. I don't speak Portuguese so I couldn't read the info (hint, guys: include a translation option on your site), but I did gather that the featured guests are Ian Somerhalder, Kat Graham, and Rick Cosnett.

More info here.

Lastly, from 13-15 June, Insurgence 6 is taking place in Birminham, UK. Guests include Paul Wesley, Steven R McQueen, Rick Cosnett, Zach Roerig, Todd Stashwick, and Michael Malarkey.

More info here.

Each of these cons offers its own unique activities but you can generally count on photo ops, meet & greets, and autograph opportunities. Also be aware that the scheduled guests are subject to change.

Anyone looking for an event with a wider scope should definitely plan to attend Terror Con, taking place in Providence, Rhode Island, from 7 to 6 June.

Terror Con features tons of guests from all branches of horror, sci fi, fantasy, and the paranormal (and for some reason professional wrestling), but the vampire-specific ones include Nicholas Brendan (Buffy), Fred Williamson (From Dusk Til Dawn), Vincent M Ward (True Blood), and Bobby Campo (Being Human).

A highlight of Terror Con has to be Karaoke with Nicholas Brendan. How perfectly Xander is that? The Scoobies would definitely approve.

There are also going to be psychic readings, panels, a costume contest, a live sideshow, and a film festival.

More info here.

Fan Expo

Once again it's FanExpo time in Toronto! For those of you of a vampire fandom persuasion...

In the HORROR section of the Expo (aka Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear):

A screening of Near Dark along with Q&A with Lance Henriksen (special ticket required)

Appearances by Lance Henriksen; Sam Trammell (True Blood's Sam Merlotte); and Tom Savini (special effects genius and also appeared in From Dusk Till Dawn, Lost Boys: The Tribe and Innocent Blood).

Featured Authors:

Heather Brewer, The Slayer Chronicles
Nancy Kilpatrick, The Power of Blood
Alyxandra Harvey, The Drake Chronicles
Max Turner, Night Runner
Nikki Stafford, Bite Me (Buffy companion guide)
Crissy Calhoun, Love You to Death (Vampire Diaries companion guide)

Panels:
Remembering Frightenstein
Lance versus Lance
Horror Fiction: Horror Heroes & Villains
Creature Features 2.0

In the SCI FI section of the Expo:

Eliza Dushku (Buffy's Faith)


FanExpo, Aug 25-28, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, South Building, 222 Bremner Ave

More info here.

Charlaine Harris in Toronto

Before I get into the details I want to give a quick wave to all the Blood Lines readers in the US, Canada, Germany, the UK, France, Australia, Italy, Romania, the Philippines, and Denmark! According to the metrics those are the top ten countries in terms of my readership. Hi, guys (and also hallo, alright?, allo, g'day, ciao, salut, kumusta ka?, and hej)--and thanks/danke/cheers/merci/ta/grazie/mulţumesc/salamat/tak!

But wherever you're from if you happen to be in Toronto on 18 July, stop by the Indigo bookstore at the Eaton Centre at 7 pm, where Charlaine Harris will be talking about and signing copies of her new book, Dead Reckoning. (By the way, you can read the first chapter of the book here.)

Harris will also be attending her first Canadian convention at Polaris on July 15 to 17, where she'll be signing autographs, reading, participating in Q & A and attending the blastoff party. Polaris is being held at the Sheraton Parkway Toronto North Hotel and you can find out more info about it here.

Besides Charlaine Harris other vampire-friendly guests attending Polaris include: Meaghan Rath (Sally, Being Human US); Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder, Buffy); Adam Baldwin (Marcus Hamilton, Angel, but more importantly--Firefly's Jayne!); Melinda Clarke (Kelly Donovan, The Vampire Diaries); and authors Kelley Armstrong, Karen Dales, Keith R.A. DeCandido, and Nikki Stafford.

Maybe I'll see you there...

Ad Astra Convention (Toronto)

It's getting to be that time of the year again when vampire fans have to start choosing which events to go to (is it just me or do all these things overlap?) If you happen to be in Toronto the weekend of April 9 to 11th, the Ad Astra con is a good option.

What's in it for you?

Book Launches

*Truthseekers 3: Level Up by Rob St.Martin
A group of small-town teens fight all manner of nasties, including vampires.

*Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead, various authors
The first Canadian all-vampire anthology explores the future of vamps.


Making Appearances

*Author Kelley Armstrong
*Author Stephanie Bedwell-Grime
*Author Robert Boyczuk
*Author Karen Dales
*Author Nancy Kilpatrick
*Designer/Illustrator Ken Lillie-Paetz
*Author Kevin Nunn
*Author Rob St.Martin

Masquerade

An amateur costume and sketch competition for costumes of any origin including Buffy and other vampire related. More info here.

Panels

*Fandom: From Generation to Generation-- Who inspired fandom in you and how do you share it with your children?

*Paranormal Fiction: a Rising Genre-- What is it, why is it so popular, what do you want to see more/less of?

*Monster as Political Statement-- When is a walking corpse just a walking corpse?

*Vampires through the Ages

*Vampire Overload

Shopping

Vendors and dealers to serve all your shopping needs.

For more info, click here.

Ad Astra Convention, April 9 to 11, at Toronto Don Valley Hotel and Suites, 1250 Eglinton Avenue East.

Hallowhedon

Clear my schedule, I'm going to London. Wishful thinking for me, alas, but for those of you who can manage it, why would you possibly miss out on Hallowhedon? Yes, it's a three-day (unofficial) convention celebrating all things Joss (Buffy, Angel, Firefly/Serenity, and Dollhouse). And official or not, their guest list still includes James Marsters (Spike), Nicholas Brendon (Xander), Mercedes McNab (Harmony), James Leary (wrinkly demon Clem), and Mark Lutz (Groo)! If I were anywhere within 100 km of the place this weekend you wouldn't be able to keep me away. But I'm in Toronto. Pity me.

If you're lucky enough to be able to make it you can also expect to enjoy parties, autograph sessions, a wine reception, photo shoots, guest talks and panels, shopping opportunities, and more. Unfortunately it looks like the silver and gold programmes are sold out, but the standard programmes (adult and children) are still available for £78 and £29 respectively. For more programme info, click here.

Hallowhedon, 30 October to 1 November 2009, at the Thistle Hotel, Heathrow (London). More info here.

Festival of Fear and The Official Twilight Convention

August seems to be the month for conventions and festivals, particularly for creatures of the night (you'd think they'd prefer a less-sunny time of year).








The Official Twilight Convention kicks off its multi-city tour this month and continues until next September. Attendees can look forward to special guests, parties, Q&A sessions, photos and autograph signings, as well as ample opportunity to spend their college funds on Twilight merchandise.

The tour starts this weekend (August 28-30) in New Jersey, and from there heads to Chicago, Miami, Seattle, Nashville, San Francisco, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Arlington (VA), Charlotte (NC), Vancouver (BC), Minneapolis, Phoenix, Boston, Toronto, and Portland. As the official site points out, locations (and dates) are subject to change.



If Twilight's (really) not your thing, you might want to stop by Rue Morgue's Festival of Fear should you be in Toronto this weekend. It's three days of screenings, panel discussions, signings, Q&A sessions, and lots of nifty things to buy. Special guests of interest to vampire fans include: Udo Kier (Blood for Dracula, Blade), Barbara Steele (Dark Shadows), Tom Savini (From Dusk Till Dawn, Lost Boys: The Tribe), Kelley Armstrong (author of the Otherworld series, Angel: Aftermath), and Dr. Elizabeth Miller ("Canada's Vampire Expert"). Just be prepared for long, long lines to get in.

Festival of Fear, August 28-30, 2009; The Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 222 Bremner Blvd, South Building.

Vampire-Con in Hollywood

If you're lucky enough to be within reach of Hollywood this weekend, get yourself to Vampire-Con, the debut of "the world's first convention devoted exclusively to Vam-Pop culture." There's going to be a film festival (The Lost Boys, The Hunger, The Velvet Vampire, Count Yorga- Vampire, and a sneak preview of Midnight Son), celebrity panel discussions (including True Blood, Twilight, and Inked in Blood: 40 Years of Vampirella), a costume parade, contests, and Vampirella's Ball. Creatures of the night are gleefully invited to attend. In association with, among others, the American Red Cross (no, really).

Click here for more info and to order tickets.