IRVING, Texas — In the crowded world of Dallas-Fort Worth fan conventions, one stands out from the pack as easily its spookiest.
Since 2006, Texas Frightmare Weekend has brought North Texas horror fans a chillingly entertaining hub for congregating and celebrating all things terrifying, ghoulish and gory. And, this past weekend, the three-day upped its hair-raising annual ante by moving its scares to the cavernous climes of the Irving Convention Center after years of operating at smaller haunts.
Along with the expected vendors and niche celebrities related to the subject matter that you'd see at most conventions, this year's Frightmare offering included some bona fide horror icons in its celebrity guest list as filmmakers John Carpenter ('Halloween', 'The Thing', 'Escape From New York', 'Big Trouble in Little China', 'They Live', 'Assault on Precinct 13') and Ted Raimi ('The Evil Dead', 'Evil Dead II', 'Army of Darkness', 'Spider-Man', 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness') were among the roster brought in for photo opportunities, autograph sessions and meet-and-greets.
And just how big a deal was Carpenter's guest appearance in particular? Well, big enough for the nearby Las Colinas location of the Alamo Drafthouse to dedicate its theater to his name, anyway!
As ever, though, the real stars of the show were not the out-of-towners brought in to beef up the bill, but rather the hometown cosplay heroes whose intricate get-ups put their frighteningly cool fandoms and talents on display for all to see and enjoy.
WFAA's Alan Tijerina was on hand throughout the weekend, camera in hand and ready to capture those attendees in all their devilish delight. Check out the footage at the top of this article to see what caught his eye at Frightmare 2023 -- if you dare!