TERRIFIER’s Art the Clown Set to Invade Texas Chainsaw Convention This September!
Do we have any Terrifier fans out in Texas? Just a note: David Howard Thornton (aka Art the Clown) and the Dread Central team will be making a stop at the second annual Cult Classic Convention this September 28th through the 30th! This Texas Chainsaw Massacre-centric event kicks off at the Bastrop Convention & Exhibit Center in Bastrop, TX (just outside of Austin).
Thornton will join a handful of Chainsaw franchise alumni including Ed Neal and Allen Danzinger (The Texas Chain Saw Massacre), Bill Johnson (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2), R.A. Mihailoff and Jennifer Banko (Leatherface: Texas Chainsaw Massacre III), Dan Yeager (Texas Chainsaw 3D), and — in his first convention appearance — Tyler Cone from Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation!
Other guests will include Marta Kober (Friday the 13th Part II), Kelli Maroney (Chopping Mall), Robert Mukes (House of 1000 Corpses), W. F. Bell (The Walking Dead, Rob Zombie’s 31), Lane Hughes and L. C. Holt (You’re Next and the V/H/S films), and a Circus of the Dead reunion (Parrish Randall, Rusty Edwards, Ryan Clapp, Chanel Ryan and director Billy Pon), with more to be announced soon!
Hosted by Chainsaw fan Roy Rose and his wife Lisa (in association with Ed Neal and Theresa Jara), the Cult Classic Convention is located in the vicinity of several filming locations from the series, most notably the gas station from the original and bridge from Chainsaw 2. Other landmarks, including those from The Next Generation and remakes, are within the surrounding areas of Austin.
The gas station, which sat dilapidated for years, was purchased by Rose back in 2015 — and transformed into a BBQ joint serving sausage wraps and brisket sandwiches. Now restored to its former glory, Rose is proud to promote the property’s cinematic history — adjacent to the eatery is a horror memorabilia gift shop and several lodging cabins (priced at $129 per night).
The convention will also host a number of live performers, including Rebel Flesh, Silver Tongue Devil, Texas Microphone Massacre and – in his first appearance – musician Roger Bartlett! Known among Chainsaw fans for his song “Fool for a Blonde” (which appeared in the original film), Bartlett will be on hand to perform this little ditty alongside Ed Neal!
Sad to say, the Chainsaw franchise has lost quite a few members of its alumni over the years, including director Tobe Hooper, stars Marilyn Burns, Jim Siedow, Dennis Hopper, and “Leatherface” actors Gunnar Hansen and Robert Jacks. To commemorate the local and cinematic legacy of these genre icons, a memorial bench will be unveiled during the convention and installed at the gas station.
With live music and celebrity guests — not to mention BBQ — the Cult Classic Convention sounds like a killer time! For ticket info and future updates, be sure to check out the Cult Classic website as well as follow the official Facebook page!
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