By Ed Avis
Loyd Cryer says he’s always been “a massive movie fan with a proclivity towards horror movies.” Most horror movie fans satisfy their proclivities by watching horror movies or reading fan magazines, but that wasn’t enough for Cryer – in 2006 he started his own horror festival, the Texas Frightmare Weekend!
“There wasn’t anything like that around here,” says Cryer. “I talked to my wife and she encouraged me to do go for it.
Cryer, who worked in the parts and service department of a Lexus dealership at the time, didn’t have any experience running big shows, but he figured it out. The first few years were lean, as potential exhibitors were not excited to display their horror wares at a new event. But Cryer was able to book some celebrity guests that attracted attendees, and eventually things took off.
“When the demand among the exhibitors started to go up, we were able to be a little more choosy and pull in the kind of exhibitors that attendees wanted to shop with,” Cryer says, explaining that Trick or Treat Studios, Vinegar Syndrome, Living Dead Dolls and many other horror vendors exhibit at the events now.
Cryer continued working at the Lexus dealership as he grew Frightmare Weekend. However, when the world stopped during Covid in 2020, Cryer lost his job and suddenly had to reconsider his career. He decided that opening a retail store that catered to some of the same people who attended Frightmare Weekend made the most sense.
“This seemed like a natural fit,” he says. “We wanted to host in-store experiences, so it would be something that the fans in the area could take part in on a regular basis outside of conventions. We found a space, rented it, and have been going since October 2020.”
Cryer’s store, Frightmare Collectibles in Justin, Texas, joined the NCA in August.
The inventory at Frightmare Collectibles includes products from many of the vendors of the convention. Cryer says he stocks a lot of products that customers cannot find at area big box stores.
“We have a little of everything,” he says. “That’s what our customers really like when they come in. We try to stay unique. Customers come in and can find a good selection of stuff that they usually find at the convention.”
Events are important for the business, Cryer says. His 1,400-square-foot store is located in a warehouse district, and the other businesses there are generally not open on the weekends. That means they have the area to themselves for weekend events.
“It’s always a boon for us when we bring in a celebrity,” he says. “And after the people get an autograph, they shop the store.”
Welcome to the NCA, Loyd!