Apple of my Odd Eye spent the weekend at the Strange and Astounding Show in Oshawa. This was the first year for a new horror and science fiction convention, and while the venue was hard to find, the vendors and entertainment were fantastic (and in many cases, fantastical). Creepy costumed figures wandered through the event, past vendors selling art, games, jewellery, animal skeletons, and clothing; photo op booths complete with props and makeup artists; and a gaming tournament.
We grabbed a few photos while we were there, including a selfie with Krampus!
Here are a few shots of our booth:
Here’s the rest of the show:
The first brave cape-tester.
Devin checking out the games for sale.
Man versus Alien.
Alien obviously wins.
The Wretch sneaking up on an unsuspecting victim.
Steampunk monster battle, part 1.
Devin fends off The Wretch with his cane.
Go away, foul creature!
In search of less violent victims.
Zombies wandering around outside.
I (Sarah) tried out the cape tester too (even though it was mostly for kids).
Looking a bit more villainous than heroic . . .
Devin competing in the gaming tournament.
Selfie with Krampus!
Sketching away.
A zombie-gnome short film in progress at the RevenantFX booth.
Creepy awesomeness from the Skull Store.
Steamgummi’s steampunk designs.
Mouthy guts are courtesy of Haunt Ventures.
Propraetor posing at his booth, Atelier Propraetoria.
Ryan “The Fiend” Howe working on a piece at his booth.
Zombie Santa just walking about.
Alien is curious about the video games.
Krampus approves.
If you’re curious about any of the vendors in the pictures above, you can click on the links in the business-card gallery below:
It was fun to see some familiar faces–like Steamgummi with her steampunk jewellery and Propraetor with his dark illustrations. It was also nice to meet new people, such as Ryan Howe, who I chatted with about the tattoo business (Apple of my Odd Eye might start selling flash pages soon!), brushes, and ink for at least half an hour. The addition of the wandering monsters and the photo booths that made this a convention rather than just a craft show were nice touches as well.
If you missed us at the Strange and Astounding Show, you can find us at the Bazaar of the Bizarre: Frostbite Edition 2014 on Sunday December 14 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m at the Pia Bouman School for Ballet (6 Noble Street, near Dufferin and Queen) in Toronto.
-Sarah
Apple of my Odd Eye 