This year, we had something a little different in the area – HallowCon Missouri. I was pretty surprised to see someone putting together a horror con fairly close to home. So, of course, I was up for checking it out.
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missouri
The Vampire Graveyard
We all have local urban legends: haunted cemeteries, unsolved murders, roads with mysterious, ghostly hitchhikers. One of the more prominent ones we have around here in small town Missouri is the legend of the Elvins Vampire.
And I decided to hunt for his grave.
Planet Comic Con
The decision to go to Planet Comic Con was fairly last minute, and I’m amazed we managed to pull it off successfully. But, my mom and I have a weird amount of skill in handling last minute trips fairly well.
So, why the random journey?
Simple answer: My mom wanted to meet Jason Momoa.
Rick Burchett at Villainous Grounds
You guys know how much I love, love, loooooove Villainous Grounds in Perryville, MO. (If you don’t know, I recommend finding out here and here.) I recently heard they were going to have comic artist Rick Burchett in the shop for a signing, and I’ve been meaning to make a trip down for a few weeks, so I rearranged my plans for May 13th and made the hour drive.
Nerd Girls Day Out
The beginning of February, I took my mom and best friend both on a bit of a nerdy shopping adventure for girls day out. It was much needed, since I haven’t gotten to spend a lot of time with my best friend lately, and retail therapy always helps.
We started our adventures back at one of my favorite places, Villainous Grounds in Perryville, MO. I caught up on some comics I needed, since they were having a fantastic sale (25% off single issues, if I remember correctly) and picked up a cup of delicious hot chocolate before we set out for our next destination.
Brittaney had told me about a store in the St Louis area called Saga Toys, gushing about how amazing it was and promising me I would love it. She was not wrong! I hope to go back some time with more money and focus, and do a proper post on just this store alone. Saga Toys is huge, filled with new and old, loads of Legos, tons of Batman (yay, me!) and – as you would expect – SO MUCH STAR WARS!
Then we moved on to the mall closest to where we were – South County. Inside, though, are two of my favorite stores to hunt for collectibles in: V-Stock, and Slackers. I bought a bunch of Batman books in V-Stock, since they were having a BOGO free sale on Batman back issues and pre-owned comics. OOOOOH, yes. Then, my only pick up from Slackers was the newest All Star Batman, I believe.
Overall, it was a great day of nerding out and spending quality time with my best friend.
If you’d like to see more of these collection hunting posts, and maybe including the haul at the end, let me know in the comments!
I have LOADS of posts to catch up on, and Wizard World St Louis is just around the corner. So stay tuned!
~Angel
Villainous Grounds
A few months ago, I went to a tiny con in Farmington, MO called Max Con. While there, I met the lovely shop owner of Villainous Grounds in Perryville, MO. I’ve never been to Perryville, but decided that I’d make the 50 minute trip to check out the shop on a weekend. It took me a couple months, but I did it! Totally worth the drive!
There are two floors to Villainous Grounds. The first floor is a cool and welcoming coffee shop. The second floor, which is where I darted to first, has three rooms of comics and collectibles, etc, as well as The Mad Hatter’s Tea Room – a cozy place to enjoy your beverage ordered downstairs, or to host a small event for a reasonable fee.
Upstairs was my haven. I loved how comfortable I felt, as well as the selection of newer issues. And that DC Rebirth wall? Ooooh, yeah. I need to go back in with a list of what I’m missing and catch myself up!
But, the comfort was a big thing for me. I have, on occasion, felt very uncomfortable in some shops, as odd as it sounds. I feel like I shouldn’t look or touch, or I shouldn’t even be there, etc. However, in Villainous Grounds, I felt at home. It was clean and cool, but also felt like you were in a welcoming environment. Plus, you can’t beat the delicious smells coming from downstairs. Then, there are the nerdy little touches:
After I made my selections, I headed back downstairs to pay, and ordered one of the most delicious hot chocolates EVER to go. You can check out their menu here.
My haul:
I hope to head back soon with some friends, a list, more time, and a wad of cash. And, hopefully, make it in for an in store event. If you live in Missouri, or happen to be visiting, definitely go stop in if you have a chance. I hope to spend a little more time during my next visit, and plan to do another, more detailed post when I do.
You can visit Villainous Grounds on their website or check out their Instagram ( @VillainousGrounds ) for some fantastic pictures.
-Angel
Day Trip: Elephant Rocks
Hiking and nature trails are among my top favorite things to do on weekends. Luckily, I live in the middle of nowhere, and there are loads of state parks and trails and everything else around me to go adventuring on. One of my favorite places is Elephant Rocks.
Elephant Rocks, named for the giant boulders, which some compare in size and/or shape to elephants. The hiking is fantastic, and has some stunning scenery.
And there are some fantastic adventures to be had on this trail.
If you’re planning to visit Missouri, or maybe you’ll be passing thru the state sometime, and wanna check it out, you can visit this site here and learn more.
I’d love to cover more trails and parks in the future! Let me know what you think!
~Angel
