Werewolves are the BEST MONSTER
Werewolves go for your heart; sure, they're gruesomely fun, but Larry, Ginger, Raze, and family are us. They're our dark sense of humor and our longing for the wild. They're our self-indulgent anger. They're transformation and release. Zombies and squid gods can't touch that.
The global community of werewolf lovers has their very own convention . . . sometimes. Hi, I'm Stephen, and I produced two HOWL CON events in 2012 and 2015. Hundreds of lunatics just like you got our socks charmed off by GRIMM's Silas Weir Mitchell, line-moshed in costume to GrimWolf's blood-boiling werewolf metal, laughed ourselves silly at the instant cult classic film Wolf Cop, and raised money & awareness for Wolf Haven International.
Those were great cons, but behind the scenes they were pretty threadbare, achieved on charm, cussedness, and borrowed capabilities. If we're going to howl together again, especially in the wake of 2016's failure to launch, let's do it without begging pardons or cutting corners.
Give a Bite, Take a Bite
Every convention has the same basic needs: someplace to happen, guests to fill the space, panels/content to participate in, and a publicity push to bring people in the door. For a HOWL CON-sized event, a low-four-figure sum can knock down each of these responsibilities (a little more for the venue). Add details like insurance policies and equipment rental, and the budget for an appropriately monstrous HOWL CON for between 250-500 attendees looks like this:
- $6,000 - a weekend of suitable hotel conference space
- $2,500 - guests & programming (mostly travel & lodging subsidy)
- $1,500 - online, horror/fandom press, and cross-event targeted promotion
- $1,000 - commissioning a signature artwork & printing posters/handbills, etc.
- $1,000 - ops/admin expenses like insurance, tech rental, and flyer distro
- $500 - to coordinate a new awards & honors feature of HOWL CON
- $2,500 - IndieGoGo's fees, swag production, shipping, other campaign costs
... for a grand total of $15,000.
500 passes at $40/head would cover that with enough overage to put a deposit on next year and make a tidy donation to the wolf sanctuary, but pre-registration is just one way you can help. We're offering patron-level admissions, gift packs for non-attending supporters, and more perks for wallets mighty or mangy, whether you're attending HOWL CON or not.
Even if we only raise half of our goal, that gives us the wherewithal to secure a hotel and book featured guests, and a regular pre-registration campaign will have August-January to finish the job. If, on the other hand, you wolf down these perks and overfund us, we'll have what we really need: a war chest to ensure HOWL CON's return year after year.
Outgrowing Our Skin
What's a crowdfund without stretch goals? It's simple: the more you fund us, the bigger and badder HOWL CON can be.
$18,000 - Extra Content - Deeper pockets to book, fly, & house the guests you want to see.
$20,000 - Special Entertainment - Something extra for Saturday night at the con.
$25,000 - Movie Event - An entire bonus event: werewolf double feature night at a historic Portland cinema with special guests, audience games, costume prizes and more. Depending on how convention planning and this campaign develop, this event could occur several months before or after February 2017's HOWL CON.
Howl Out Loud
Come February, I hope to see all your fearsome faces in Portland, but if you can't attend, you can still contribute--and if you can't contribute, you can still help by making an unholy noise. IndieGoGo makes it easy to share this campaign on your social profile or blog, and I'd love to discuss HOWL CON by phone or email for your site, publication, or podcast.
[If you follow us on Facebook, you know I'm activating this campaign a few hours late. The previous version asked for a lowball figure because we've always done this on the cheap, and I've taken the difference out of my own skin. I retooled at the last minute because if this is going to happen, I have to trust you not to flinch at what it really costs. Pitch in and spread the word, and we will get the pack back together for years to come.]
Final word: if you can't support HOWL CON supporting Wolf Haven, then please directly support Wolf Haven however you can.
AAAWWWRROOOO--
-S.