Soonercon, Roughtail and Haunted Shuffle

Hello, everyone!

had a great time at Soonercon in Norman, Oklahoma, this year, and I want to start this post with a recap of my experience.

For the first panel about urban legends, moderated by Jeff Provine with Trina Jacobs, I knew in advance I would be late due to a gig with the OKCMOA, so Jeff said I should make a dramatic entrance. When I arrived, I burst in as Mr. Menace the Sixth, proclaiming I had a message from beyond the grave. Since Jeff was in on the plan, he introduced me to the audience, so they would know we were doing a bit. I went on to share the story of the EVP (electronic voice phenomenon) I captured at Flower Bluff Manor, in which a man said, “I’m here.” You can listen to that full story on my Tales Unveiled podcast episode, I’m Here at Flower Bluff Manor. After my entrance, I took my TV head and proceeded with the rest of the panel as myself.

Following this panel, I hosted my horror trivia game. When I did the trivia session last year, I filled up the room (and I did again this year). From what I learned in the previous session, I created a slide deck this year to display the questions and answers on the big-screen TV. I included a diverse assortment of trivia questions from TV, movies, anime, podcasts, art, and even real-life horrors. Out of 24 questions, the winner got about 17 correct, with the audience average being 10. I also had a couple who came last year come back because they had so much fun; however, they arrived after I finished, but I had time, so I did a private game session, which they enjoyed. 

On Saturday, I got to do a one-on-one play test for my Haunted Shuffle card game. A play-test with strangers has been on my to-do list for a long time. I got some great feedback. Next, I need to run a large-group playtest, since up to 8 people can play. Then I’ll need to print a new version and test it before I get to the launch phase.

For Sunday, I was on a panel about being creative in Oklahoma, moderated by Elizabeth Campbell with J.D. Woods, Karen Thrower, and Matthew Price. I enjoy chatting with other professional creatives because I always learn something new or get inspired.

I also filmed a cosplay interview with Mr. Ray, asking them about their fears and how to hide a body. This was a test for a new Spooky Talk segment, which you can watch here. 

I ended Soonercon by setting up in the Creator Spotlight for an hour, talking to folks about Doorventure.art. I had a wonderful time meeting with everyone, and I know some of you are here now because of that encounter, so thank you again!

As for what’s next, I’ll be at Roughtail Brewing Co. in Oklahoma City on Friday, July 10th, at 5 pm, as part of their horror short-film festival. Several of my Haunted Shuffle skits will be scattered throughout the programming block to break up the pacing with the longer shorts. I also plan to be there, all dressed up as Mr. Menace. 

That’s all for this blog post! Thank you for following me!