A horde of undead bodies will drag through the streets of Tampa on Friday morning. If that sounds like your happy place, you can be right there in the middle of it.

It’s nearly the end of “spooky season” (a.k.a. “Spooky Szn” if you speak Twitter), and the sort of folks who spent October streaming nonstop horror flicks in their “resting witch face” T-shirts are expected to congregate downtown by the thousands for Spooky Empire. The convention celebrating everything Halloween and horror runs Thursday through Sunday and is billed as "the dark side of comic con.”

“Honestly, I think the cosplay is better than comic con,” said Spooky Empire founder Pete Mongelli, who runs the event with his wife Gina. “I mean, come on. It’s Halloween.”

Friday’s festivities kick off with the giant “zombie walk,” which departs from the Unlock Tampa Bay Visitors Center (201 N Franklin St., Suite 102) at 1 p.m. and arrives at the Tampa Convention Center just before the doors open. Starting at 11 a.m., the visitors center will have free samples of local beers, and makeup artists from Post Mortem FX will help zombify those who want to take part in the parade for a “small fee.”

Inside the convention center’s main hall will be hundreds of vendors selling everything from rare DVDs to rubber masks to T-shirts. The convention even has its own limited-edition Spooky Empire Elvira Funko Pop toy sold only during the event, as well as exclusive posters for Candyman and Army of Darkness.

Speaking of the “Mistress of the Night,” Cassandra Peterson, who portrays the character Elvira, will be among the celebrity guests at the con, along with a number of horror actors, directors and rock stars scheduled to sign autographs, pose for photos and speak at panels and Q&As.

Cassandra Peterson, left, as Elvira and musician Alice Cooper will be celebrity guests at the Spooky Empire convention at the Tampa Convention Center. [ JC Olivera | Sipa USA via AP / Tampa Bay Times (2014) ]

There’s a long lineup of events and attractions within the various convention hall spaces, and there are official, after-hours parties planned for American Social on Harbour Island Thursday through Saturday night.

“The parties are really one of the things we’re known for because people get to mix with the celebrity guests," Mongelli said. “One year we had Joey Belladonna from Anthrax singing karaoke to Journey. It was amazing. That’s the stuff I remember.”

Spooky Empire has called Orlando home for the past few years, drawing as many as 15,000 people. Mongelli said the decision to move to Tampa came after the convention outgrew its Orlando venue and couldn’t find another one that was large enough.

“They really just didn’t have room for us anymore,” he said.

Mongelli started out on the convention scene working for KISS cons in New Jersey. “I was a rock 'n' roll guy,” he said, “but when I moved to Florida there was nothing like that, and at the time, rock 'n' roll was dead." He did notice, however, that the horror vibe was really working out for stars like Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie, who were “selling albums when nobody else was.”

So he pulled together some friends, including the bassist from Marilyn Manson and Joey Image from the horror punk band the Misfits. Then he booked the actor who played Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre. To his surprise, more than 1,000 people packed the Holiday Inn in Plantation for the first Spooky Empire in 2000.

Cosplayers at the Spooky Empire convention in Orlando in 2018. [ Courtesy of Jacob Kemp ]

Social media came into play and accelerated everything, allowing fandoms to find each other and promoters to find them. With the help of MySpace and Facebook, Spooky Empire was able move to a much larger venue in Orlando. The second year there, they booked Robert Englund of Freddy Krueger fame. Then, Mongelli says, attendance “just exploded.”

“Before I started this I thought I was a big horror fan because I liked to watch Halloween and Friday the 13th, but these are the real fans. You start learning about all the underground and cult classic horror movies,” Mongelli said. “Then you become friends with people. It’s surreal. One time I was sitting in a hotel lobby with like four of the actors who’ve played Jason. I looked around and thought, wow, man, I’m here with all the killers.”

MAIN EVENTS

Dozens of events are scheduled, including classes, film screenings and photo ops, but here are some highlights.

Costume contest: Much like comic conventions, the costume contest is a fan favorite that caps off the weekend. There will be cash prizes ranging from $150 to $500 for Best in Show, Best Craftsmanship, Best Exhibition and Best Look-alike, plus a People’s Choice Award. Competitors must register ahead of time at spookyempire.com/costume-contest/, and keep it PG-13. Registration is free with convention admission. 4 p.m. Sunday in Ballroom B.

"Michael Myers" comes over the top rope during Fantasy Super Cosplay Wrestling at Spooky Empire in Orlando in 2018. [ Courtesy of Super Fantasy Cosplay Wrestling ]

Fantasy Super Cosplay Wrestling: Ever wanted to watch Daryl Dixon from the Walking Dead body-slam Michael Myers from Halloween? You might get your chance in this pro-wrestling showcase featuring high-flying wrestlers, some of whom have worked with the WWE, portraying dozens of characters from beloved horror movies and TV shows. 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday in Ballroom A.

Celebrity Q&As: Some of this year’s celebrity guests will participate in question-and-answer sessions with fans in Ballroom B. On Saturday, they include shock rocker Alice Cooper at 2 p.m., actor Mia Farrow (Rosemary’s Baby) at 3 p.m., director Sam Raimi (Evil Dead, Army of Darkness, Spider-Man) at 6 p.m. and actor James Ransone (It Chapter Two). Sunday brings actors Tony Todd (Candyman) at 1 p.m. and Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead, Army of Darkness) at 2 p.m.

Film Festival: Dozens of new, independent micro-films, short films and feature-length movies will be screened in this judged competition that includes horror, supernatural, sci-fi, thriller, cult, bizarre and experimental documentary genres. Who will be crowned 2019′s “Fearmaker of the Year"? Screenings run Thursday through Sunday in Rooms 15 and 16.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show: A late-night “shadowcast” screening of The Rocky Horror Picture Show with live performers and fan participation. 11 p.m. Saturday in Ballroom B.

A Jack Skellington tattoo by artist Austen Dukes at Atomic Tattoos in Tampa. Dukes will be part of Spooky Empire's Tattoo Festival. [ Courtesy of Austen Dukes ]

Tattoo Festival: More than 80 tattoo artists from Tampa Bay and from around the country will be on hand for all your horror-themed tattoo needs. You can find artists’ work and contact info to book a reservation on the Spooky Empire website under “All Events/Tattoo Festival."

IF YOU GO

Spooky Empire

$20 to $50 for single-day admission, $85 to $100 for multiday passes. 5-10 p.m. Thursday, 1-9 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Tampa Convention Center, 333 S Franklin St. (954) 258-7852. spookyempire.com.



















