Convention Politics: Sacramento's Twisted Terror Convention

Well, horror community, especially independent artists, I got a lovely letter from my “friends” Aaron Dodge and Dorine Hartnett from Sacramento’s Twisted Terror Convention, the convention I was supposed to be a “Featured Artist” on  March 29^th and 30th. My dear buddies who I spent all 2013 promoting their convention and giving out flyers all over San Mateo County sent me a PDF message stating they were cancelling my contract with them and sending me back my table fee. Here is the fucking kicker, people, the reason I was kicked out of this convention, which I helped to get Gil Gerard for, was because Brandon Slagle and Jessica Cameron don’t like me and would feel uneasy with me as a guest at this convention. Isn’t that nice, horror community? Yeah, I had been involved in this convention since last February, so for nearly a year. Aaron and Dorine assured me that this convention was not going to be based on petty politics and was going to be fair to all the people involved. Hell, they weren’t even going to have a vendors room, they were going to mix vendors, artists, and celebrities together so everyone would have exposure. Well, that was the dream. Then suddenly actress Jessica Cameron started royally kissing Aaron ass. Suddenly Jessica’s film Truth or Dare was getting a screening there. Suddenly, Jessica was all over the website. Shit in December they royally pushed Jessica to get horny male horror fans by offering them autographed skanky Jessica pictures (like below) if they bought their tickets by December 31.

Oh, and you didn’t like that, Eric Morse, because you were jealous of her getting all the attention, right? You say. Honesty, I could give a fuck, but I promoted this convention and helped Aaron and Dorine out a number of times. Shit, as I said I went around giving out teaser cards to every comic book store, Hot Topic, and major social place in San Mateo County. When they got Erin Gray as a guest I put out the idea of having a Buck Rogers reunion and told them I could get them contact info for Gil Gerard. So, I contacted my dear friend JA Steel and got contact info for Gil’s representative who sets up his appearances. Oh, and I also had Aaron and Dorine on my podcast, The Wolf Pack Podcast, so they could talk about the convention and plug it. So, the thing was I was fine with things then but as time went on I noticed that Twisted Terror Convention was promoting the other guests, but weren’t promoting me. I noticed that on their second poster for the convention they had all the other guests pictures but mine was not there. This was also round the time I was helping Reyna Young promote herself for Scarenormal Convention because she and a couple of other independents were being ignored by that convention’s organizer (remember the controversy with that….Sorry, no more Scarenormal because of bullshit like this). Anyway, I ended up making my own banner and posting it on Facebook and other sites. I even subtly kept trying remind Aaron and Dorine I wasn’t getting promoted. They ignored me on that. Anyway, three months ago I contacted Aaron about possibly doing a panel on writing horror. I never got an answer, he completely ignored me. It was around then he got his huge Jessica Cameron “infatuation”. I contacted him again, figuring he had just forgot to get back to me. Oh, and I also in a round about way mentioned that pesky not promoting me thing. Well, I got nothing for an answer. I knew something was off here. So, last night Aaron posted the latest poster for Twisted Terror Convention. I looked it over and noticed all the guests were on there except of course me. Also, they posted all the films that were going to be shown at the convention. Of course Jessica Cameron’s Truth or Dare got the top spot (take a look).

Now I ask you, would you be unhappy about this? So I made a comment on the Twisted Terror Convention Facebook under the above picture. I wrote “Where is my name, Aaron and Dorine? I’m a “Featured Artist” at this convention. I’ve been a part of this convention since last February. I guess I’m the “and more”. I find that very amusing.”

A friend of mine actually found the post and said he wasn’t amused by it and thought it was wrong. He said I should have been listed along with the other guest. Well, I guess Aaron got on and said that none of the “vendors” were listed either, that this poster was only to promote their “Celebrity” guests and the movies that were going to be shown. He went on to say that because I paid for my table I didn’t belong with the “guests”, so basically I was a third class member of this convention and not worthy of promotion. This royally upset me. I ended up talking to my co-host on my radio show and independent filmmaker, Derek Young. Derek contacted Dorine Hartnett and told her about the situation. He made her aware that every convention on the convention scene posts the independent artists that pay for their tables on the guest page and treat them like guests including promoting their being there. He told her that other conventions do it as a courtesy because the independents are usually putting everything they have into the appearance and can’t make back their expenses if people don’t know they are there. Dorine also contacted me and I told her the same thing that Derek said. I mentioned that at the first Days of the Dead Adolfo posted both me and Derek on the guest page and promoted us the same way as the guests. We even were part of the VIP party just like all the independent artists that bought tables there. Dorine promised Derek she would talk to her associates and tell them what we said and try to get me on future posters and promoted with the other guests.

Well, at 10:45 last night I got the following PDF letter:

 Twisted Terror Productions Email: aaron@twistedterrorconvention.com

 P.O. Box 785. Lathrop CA 95330

 Dear William Pattison, aka Eric Morse,

We regret to inform you that we will be cancelling your Artist contract with us. Unfortunately, your attendance conflicts with some of our current Celebrity guests.

Be on the lookout for you $50.00 deposit. We will make it out to Jeanette L. Thompson, unless you need it made out to someone else.

This was a Team decision, so please stop all emails to Dorine. We have made this decision and we are not turning back. Our number one priority is our Celebrity guests and making sure that their comfort level is at 100%.

We will be removing you from our website this week.

This is complete and utter bullshit. I did nothing to be kicked out of this convention and I have not threatened any of their “guests”. Jessica Cameron just doesn’t like me because I blocked Jen and Sylvia Soska on Facebook. Brandon Slagle doesn’t like me because I didn’t appreciate him not showing up for two interviews on my podcast and then saying I quote, “I just didn’t feel like being interviewed tonight and who gives a fuck because all it is is some piece of shit podcast.” I’m sorry you wouldn’t like it if someone said that to you. The most I’ve said about Brandon, besides the fact I didn’t like The Black Dahlia Haunting was that he is a hypocrite for saying he is one hundred percent professional after what he did to my podcast and what he said. None of this even remotely gives reason for me to be ejected from this convention.

So, independent filmmakers and artists in horror take a good look at how Aaron Dodge, Dorine Hartnett, and Twisted Terror Convention has treated me. They have stated right on their Facebook, but I need to note that Aaron has pulled all the comments, that independent artists that pay for their tables will not be mentioned or promoted by Twisted Terror Convention. Also, it has been made perfectly clear that if you comment about this state of affairs they will find a bullshit excuse and kick you out. I ask you, horror community, is this the kind of convention you want to support. Honestly, after this I have a new respect for Adolfo. Atleast he is honest with his bias and atleast he does show independent artists some courtesy. I started out joining  this convention with a lot of respect for its organizers and what it stood for. Now I walk away with disgust. It turns out they are even more biased and politically motivated than Adolfo. That is saying a lot. All I can say is good luck Twisted Terror Convention. If that is what your convention represents I don’t see a bright future ahead for you. Don’t be fooled and don’t drink their bullshit.