After a successful trial run in New Jersey in 2008, Monsterpalooza was organized on the West Coast by Eliot Brodsky in 2009, and held at the Marriott Burbank Convention Center.[1] It has been held annually since then, and usually takes place in March, April or May. The spring event moved from Burbank to the Pasadena Convention Center in 2016, and became the venue's most attended event.[2] A smaller offshoot convention, "Son of Monsterpalooza" is still held in Burbank in September.[3]
Convention programming includes presentations, panels, and workshops. The spring Monsterpalooza event features a museum which displays screen-used props, masks, life-size figures and movie creatures from participating Hollywood FX studios and artists.[4] Workshops focus on the craft; makeup demonstrations and creature effects. The emphasis is on classic horror, including characters from B movies of Hollywood's Golden Age and modern horror, science fiction and fantasy films.[5] Panels have included behind the scenes looks at films such as The Shape of Water, The Predator, Godzilla: King of the Monsters and more.
Monsterpalooza draws tens of thousands of attendees and is also visited by various horror celebrities and others from the film industry. Director Guillermo del Toro said on his Twitter that Monsterpalooza is "the monster convention I dreamt could be possible as a kid".[6] Director J. J. Abrams said in an article with CNN's Marquee Blog that Monsterpalooza "is a total blast".[7] Brian Collins from Birth. Movies. Death. calls it the "best horror convention of all".[8]
Monsterpalooza was featured on Jeopardy! as part of a question in September 2022.
