There will be several celebrity sightings around Evansville this weekend, but this one has horror fans super stoked!

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Notorious Slashers

While there are all kinds of sub-genres within the horror genre, there's no denying the impact the slasher genre has had on pop culture.  While slasher films have been around for decades, there are a few slashers who seem to stay relevant and popular through the years.   Slashers like Michael Myers, Leatherface, Freddy Krueger, Ghostface, and Jason Voorhees are all horror villains who seem to withstand the test of time. Every Halloween, you're guaranteed to see plenty of costumes of these notorious slashers.  This weekend you can meet the first Jason Voorhees.

The First Jason Voorhees

In 1980 the world was introduced to Jason Voorhees as the first movie of the Friday the 13th franchise was released.  The movie would spawn a franchise of over a dozen movies, a tv series, video games, novels, comic books, and more.   Ari Lehman portrayed the first Jason Voorhees, and he'll be in Evansville this weekend!

Ari Lehman at Raptor Con

On December 10th and 11th, the National Guard Armory in Evansville will be transformed into a convention celebrating all things geek and pop culture.   Raptor Con has a stacked lineup of celebrity guests who will be hosting panels, meet and greets, and more.  There will also be a cosplay contest, vendors, food trucks, a game room and more.   You can read more about Raptor Con and everything you will find at the event, here.

YouTube/Canva
YouTube/Canva
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Of course, as a horror fan, I was pretty stoked to see names like Ari Lehman, Lew Temple, and Jason Marsden (okay maybe Jason isn't "horror" but he was Binx in Hocus Pocus which was one of my favorite movies growing up and it was my gateway to the horror genre, let me have this) on the celebrity lineup too!

And if Being the OG Jason Wasn't Cool Enough

If being the first Jason Voorhees wasn't cool enough, Ari Lehman also fronts a metal band called "First Jason" of course paying homage to his role in the first Friday the 13th movie.   His website also says he has a passion for helping to advocate for homeless animals, especially Pit Bulls, so I think he and I would be friends.

Check out his band, below.

Evansville Raptor Con 2022 Celebrity Guests and Ticket Info

Raptor Con is Evansville's Premier Geek and Pop Culture Comic Convention. It features a variety of Celebrity guests, Vendors, Cosplay contests, Workshops, and panels. This all-inclusive event will bring the best of the geek world to Evansville.
Mark your calendar for Saturday, December 10, and Sunday, December 11, for Evansville Raptor Con 2022.

  • National Guard Armory 3300 E. Division Street, Evansville, Indiana 47712
  • Get Tickets HERE

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