Universal is setting up a full booth at Midsummer Scream in Long Beach August 7 through 9, and the headline for park fans is a first look at the new haunted houses coming to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood. Halloween Horror Nights Creative Director and Executive Producer John Murdy closes the weekend with a panel on Sunday, August 9 at 5 p.m. PT.
Murdy also does an exclusive poster signing earlier that day, at 11:30 a.m. PT. Fans who want to meet the monsters themselves get Saturday, August 8, when Bride of Frankenstein, Frankenstein, and Dracula appear in the Universal booth from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT.
What can you buy only at the Universal booth?
A few things, and they’re staggered across the weekend. HamiKuma pins drop on Friday. Saturday and Sunday bring denim jackets from BoxLunch’s Dark Zodiac collection and Universal Monsters blind box bag charms from Whatever! Makes You Happy. BoxLunch’s full Dark Zodiac collection is first available to purchase at Universal Booth #219, and Dark Zodiac artist Dan Kuhlken signs posters Saturday at 12 p.m. PT.
HamiKuma is coming direct from Universal Studios Japan for two booth appearances: Friday, August 7 from 6 to 10 p.m. PT, and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. PT.
Where can you get the new Universal Monsters merch after the show?
Most of it isn’t convention-exclusive. The Whatever! Makes You Happy x Universal Monsters collection lands August 10 at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood, and shopUniversal.com. The Coquette version of that line goes wider: Toys R Us, Spencers, Box Lunch, Hot Topic, Entertainment Earth, and Shopwhatever.com.
NECA takes pre-orders for an Ultimate The Invisible Man 7-inch scale action figure, and Loungefly has an Invisible Man backpack and wallet at Loungefly.com. Monster High crossed over with Universal Monsters for collector dolls sold exclusively at Walmart. On the Halloween II side, Funko is taking pre-orders for a Michael Myers POP! vinyl and a Movie Cover figure, and Mattel Creations has a Monster High x Halloween II collector doll.
The Las Vegas programming is worth a look too
Universal Horror Unleashed brings “Dead Famous” to the Hall of Shadows all weekend, a character encounter and photo op setup built around its Las Vegas icons. Two Sunday sessions dig into that project: Del Wynegar, Assistant Director of Entertainment, teaches a class on creative evolution and sustainability at 11:30 a.m. PT, and at 1 p.m. PT, Midsummer Scream’s Rick West hosts a Las Vegas haunt panel with Kim Scott, Senior Director and General Manager of Universal Horror Unleashed Las Vegas, plus Jason Egan of Egan Productions and Tom Devlin of Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum.
Saturday at 3 p.m. PT there’s a panel called Universal Horror: Legends Reimagined, on how horror characters become collectible dolls. Designers from Mattel and Universal Products & Experiences join designer and horror icon Micheline Pitt, with moderator Nima “Neemz” Nakshab.
Shark Take
If you’re only going one day, Sunday stacks Murdy’s 5 p.m. PT Halloween Horror Nights panel with HamiKuma’s 1 to 5 p.m. booth appearance and the Universal Horror Unleashed Las Vegas sessions earlier in the day.
Source: Universal Products & Experiences
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