Our very first Phoenix Fan Fusion was a screaming success!
Sinister Studios AZ had the chance to share a booth with our favorite spooky soul sister, Trish from Hauntingly Yours XOXO, and together we created a monster mashup of horror-loving energy under the banner Hauntingly Sinister.
A few months back, Trish reached out with an idea: let’s split a booth at Phoenix’s answer to Comic-Con and bring our creepy creations to the con crowd. (Booth fees for a 3-day weekend are no joke, so this was a win-win.) We’ve always felt like our items would be found haunting the same shelf, and our shared booth totally proved that. We were thrilled with how everything came together!
Our goal? To make our space feel inviting and immersive, like a mini spooky boutique that screamed summerween. We added green accent lighting for Sinister Studios, pink lighting for Hauntingly Yours, and sprinkled in bloody sand pails and logo beach balls for a splash of horror-in-the-sun vibes. Oh, and our new mascot skeleton, lovingly named Boner, made his debut and quickly stole the show.
Set-up was a dream, with two full days for vendors to unload and decorate (bless whoever made that decision). Parking and unloading had a good flow, and by Thursday night, we were ready for the Friday morning rush.
That said... vendor check-in on Friday was kind of a nightmare. My husband got held at the door after parking because they said they were "at vendor capacity" (???). Vendors were shoved into the same long security line as attendees in full cosplay, and the rules about bringing in food or drinks were inconsistent at best. So hey, Phoenix Convention Center: do better next year. Vendors need caffeine and clear communication, not confusion and chaos.
But beyond that little hiccup? We had a blast.
While this wasn’t a horror-specific con, we were blown away by how many people wandered over to check out our booth, appreciate our creepy creations, and share their love for all things spooky. We know our aesthetic isn’t for everyone, and that’s exactly why we love the people who get it. You’re our kind of weird.
Our best-selling items of the weekend? Hands down: our glow-in-the-dark keychains and hand-poured horror candles. Whether people were treating themselves or grabbing spooky gifts for fellow fiends, those flew off the table!
And the cosplay? Absolutely on fire. From massive monster builds to glam horror queens, we had nonstop entertainment just people-watching from our booth. It’s one of the best parts of vending at events like this!
One of the biggest highlights of the weekend was getting a visit from Ming Chen of Comic Book Men! He noticed one of our Silence of the Lambs-inspired t-shirts and struck up a conversation. He complimented the design, so I gifted him one on the spot—and he came back to our booth after his signing on Saturday to hang out! We snagged a few pics with him, and his friend even bought something from us. Such a cool, genuine guy, and definitely a moment we won’t forget.
We met so many amazing people we hope to see again at future events, and we came away from this weekend exhausted, entertained, successful, and already brainstorming for next year. We’ve got notes on what to do the same, and what to tweak for an even better setup.
Thanks for the memories, the spooky love, and the incredible energy, Fan Fusion.
We’ll see ya next year, Phoenix Fan Fusion!
Stay creepy,
Andria & Todd
Sinister Studios AZ
