AUGUST 29, 2019 (HOUSTON, TX) – ScaryDad Con does more than kick off Houston’s 2019 Halloween season on September 28 & 29, it also gives a jolt of electricity to Houston’s more frightening creative community. Taking place at the Crowne Plaza Hotel at 7611 Katy Freeway, the convention not only has exhibitors, cosplayers, a costume contest, and DIY workshops on turning your house into a haunt, it also features professional Houston-based writers and filmmakers giving panels and workshops on how to write and sell your horror novels, or film and distribute horror movies. Tickets are only $20 for both days, but you can get discount prices for buying in advance at www.scarydadcon.com.
Guests are available for advance interviews. Notable speakers include:
Tom Vaughan has been writing professionally for over twenty years and has written the screenplays for, among others, WINCHESTER (2018), the untitled horror film about one of the most haunted places in the world, the HMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, UNSTOPPABLE. Additional productions as writer or director include PLAYING HOUSE, BLACKOUT, CRITICAL ASSEMBLY, ATOMIC TWISTER, and DEAD IN A HEARTBEAT. Tom teaches workshops in both Los Angeles and Texas as well as the advanced screenwriting class at his beloved alma mater The University of Houston.
Johnnard Harper‘s 12-year career in independent film began with a part in the movie OCULUS. Since then, Johnnard has gone on to write, direct, and act in numerous films including SLICE OF HEAVEN, BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, SALLY STITCHED, and his newly released feature film CAPTURED. Johnnard is a home-grown filmmaker born in Houston’s Third Ward.
Joe Grisaffi is an actor, writer and award-winning director. His films include the acclaimed LARS THE EMO KID and fan-loved CONJOINED, as well as DEAD OF KNIGHT and LAUGHING BOY. As an actor, Joe has starring or co-starring roles in films such as HAUNTED TRAILER, GEM OF THE RAINFOREST, POUND OF FLESH, and the upcoming LIFE INSURANCE LOTTERY, to name a few. Joe will be conducting a panel on distributing independent films.
Jessica Raney is the author of six books. Her latest, The Hard Truth is the follow-up to her Appalachian-Supernatural-Noir novel, Tooth and Nail. Her other works include a zombie Apocalypse adventure, These Violent Delights, and two collections of short stories, Oddballs and Dreadful Pennies. She has also co-written a collection of short, dark fiction, Tales from the Den: Volume I. She loves all things quirky and spooky, and her style could be best described as the intersection of dark comedy, horror, and the fantastical.
Jeremy Sumrall — Starting with 2007’s SWEATSHOP, Jeremy became involved with making short and feature-length films. He is the writer/director for the soon-to-be-released slasher movie THE PICKAXE MURDERS, and is currently in pre-production on another boobs-and-blood flick; this time a love letter to the likes of Jim Wynorski and Fred Olen Ray, in the form of CANNIBAL CALL GIRLS FROM HELL. Jeremy will be conducting a workshop on making a horror movie on a shoestring budget.
Veronica Smith is a lover of all things horror. She’s been writing since 2014, when her first short story, A Very Zombie Christmas, was published in an anthology. Since then she has published a novel: Salvation, a novella: Chalk Outline, a collection: Transparent Walkways, and a zombie short story series: Between the Pages.
Amy Jordan has been teaching improv and sketch comedy in Austin, Texas for the past 10 years. She is currently the producer and host of Yes But Why, a weekly podcast which interviews performers around the world about their journey as an artist and the ups and downs they’ve experienced in the industry. yesbutwhypodcast com
Miranda Enzor is the Houston-based writer, blogger and Halloween lover behind SpookyLittleHalloween.com, the blog celebrating October 31st all year long. Halloween has been one of her favorite holidays to celebrate for as long as she can remember. These days she keeps her love of the spooky season alive by hosting her annual party, Halloweenie Roast, carving as many jack-o-lanterns and possible and, of course, writing her blog.
