Cinema Wasteland and Frightvision 2004: Pictures and commentary • More Pictures

In early 2004, Lloyd Kaufman was asked to attend two separate conventions being held in North Ohio the same weekend, Cinema Wasteland in Strongsville and Frightvision in West Lake. Not wanting to disappoint fans, Lloyd worked with the conventions to make sure he could be at both.

Troma fan Chris Haberman submitted this article about Lloyd's appearance at Cinema Wasteland...

Lloyd Radiates Cinema Wasteland in Cleveland

By Chris Haberman

Deep within the heart of Cleveland's Holiday Inn Select hotel, a bloody reunion is taking place. Cinema Wasteland's annual convention is celebrating the 30th anniversary of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. The building is full of celebrities from the original film and two of its sequels. Rare Q & A panels are taking place all throughout the day in the hotel, featuring insightful recollections from the infamous and influential film series' cast and crew members. Unfortunately, nobody gives a fat baby's ass on this unusually frosty Saturday afternoon.

Instead, a thick line of people has formed and is snaking out of the convention's massive dealer and guest room, where Troma Entertainment has a table set up near the room's gaping entrance. A short, heavily tattooed young girl wearing a Leatherface t-shirt walks past the organized crowd of horror fans, obviously interested in what could keep people away from a panel featuring guest speakers/genre favorites Bill Moseley and Ken Foree, who are setting up to discuss Chainsaw sequels in another room. "What's going on?" the girl asks the midsection of the growing line. "Lloyd's here," someone lazily answers. "Lloyd who?" she asks. "Lloyd Kaufman," a faceless voice informs from within the crowd. The girl's jaw drops and she responds like any happily surprised Tromette: "Lloyd Kaufman's here?! Holy fuckin' shit!"

Anyone familiar with Kaufman's career understands how appropriate the young illustrated lady's response is. As Troma's devoted president and co-founder, Kaufman has rightfully earned respect and disrespect from around the globe since the early '70s. The man undoubtedly possesses America's largest and most consistently extended middle finger to the Midwest's diamond-encrusted yet impotently conventional film industry. With a fiercely independent and ballsy approach to writing, producing and directing various forms of outrageous horror/comedy-related entertainment, Kaufman has managed to develop a sprawling and faithfully die-hard legion of Troma supporters and contributors (a.k.a. 'Tromites'). Watch any five minutes of any Troma Team film release and you'll find yourself in the giddy hands of these hard-working albeit disturbed Tromites; a faction who would seemingly rather drink their own pee before creating any form of media that could ever be construed as acceptable by corporate filmmaking Americana. If you happen to be a newcomer to Tromaville, feel free to challenge that last statement by popping in Troma's loaded DVD release of (my personal favorite of Troma's catalog) Buddy Giovinazzo's Combat Shock. No, seriously. Like, I dare you.

From The Toxic Avenger to Terror Firmer, Troma's films' no-holds-barred inclusion of graphic violence, ample nudity and crazier-than-a-shithouse-rat sense of humor has made Kaufman a living legend. Kaufman's fans quickly gathered to briefly meet and speak with the legend himself, as his unannounced Cinema Wasteland appearance generated enough hoopla to distract a hotel full of hardcore horror fans from three Leatherfaces and then some.

Kaufman spent a remarkable amount of time with each fan that approached him, as he allegedly does at most (if not all) of his appearances. Engaging sincerely with fans about what it is that they do and where they're from are not habits practiced by every celebrity. Kaufman, however, introduced himself to each person that came to him, shook their hand and asked them who they were, what they did and where they were from before letting them leave (but not before thanking them for stopping by!). People walked away from the guy feeling not only like they knew Kaufman, but also like Kaufman knew them.
That kind of personal exchange between fan and celebrity always resonates much longer with fans than when actors do disappointingly numb things at conventions, like mindlessly scribbling meaningless bullshit onto an 8 x 10 glossy photograph and accepting twenty bucks from the next monkey who comes through their line. Kaufman is a born charmer and his can't-shit-a-shitter panache effortlessly attracts people to him rather than intimidating them. A tall young man with spiky hair and a suit coat decorated with horror movie buttons spoke comfortably with Kaufman like he was a favored uncle from out of state:

LK - "So, what do you do?"
Young Man - "I'm working at a gas station right now."
LK - "Oh yeah? Which one?"

How many presidents of successful film companies give half a shit what gas stations their fans work at?

Any Tromites who were in earshot could hear other fascinating stuff going on around Kaufman during his short visit. A journalist walked by and ignored the herd of people in front of Kaufman to approach him and chat about something. She was put courteously on the back burner. "Sorry…fans first, art second," Kaufman assured her without looking up from what he was signing. Another free-lance journalist who had been waiting in line spoke with Kaufman about Troma's soon-to-be-up and improved website, Tromaville.com. "Send me some reviews if you want," invited Kaufman. "I'll make sure they go up on the site; even the bad ones!"

Kaufman's also a man who keeps his word. You're reading one of that patient free-lance journalist's bad reviews right now. (Sorry…I couldn't help it. It made me feel cool to write that, okay?)

Real Troma fans were happy to see that Kaufman didn't come into Cleveland alone. In tow with him was a lovely young Tromette named Toxemia (a.k.a. Hypothermia), who displayed some very nice and thankfully uninfected facial piercings (can't anyone clean those fuckin' things properly??) and the one, the only Toxie himself! That's right, you mamma jammas. We're talking about America's favorite hideously deformed creature of superhuman size and strength - the mop… the tutu…the ruined skin….The whole damned Thing. The trio posed with every fan who wanted a picture with some of the 'reel' folks from the truly distinct town of Tromaville.

It only took Lloyd Kaufman, Toxemia and the Toxic Avenger one afternoon to make some wonderfully Tromatic memories for those lucky enough to have been in Cleveland (don't quote me, but I heard the group was also planning to visit Fright Vision's convention in the same state later on that day). Kaufman has always presented himself and Troma as harmoniously deranged people who appreciate and respect nobody more than Troma's fans and supporters. As a long-time fan and new member of the Troma Team, I can tell you that the uncanny endearment which Troma's dedicated employees always seem to illuminate towards each other and the fans is refreshingly genuine.

If Lloyd Kaufman had been in his prime during the 1930s, he might've been a well-renowned carnival barker for one of the world's most confident, outrageous and successful band of united traveling sideshow performers.

Lloyd with The Ghoul and Supertromette Eileen Hirsch at Cinema Wasteland	Lloyd and Toby Radloff at Frightvision	Lloyd and Toby Radloff with with Suprt Tromette Nikki and Diane Silvio, producer of "Meat for Satan's Ice Box," at Frightvision	Kabukiman, Sybill Danning, Toxie and Supertromette Toxemia at Frightvision
The Ghoul, Eileen Hirsch, Lloyd at Cinema Wasteland	Lloyd with Tom Savini (in black) at Frightvision	Kabukiman, Sybill Danning, Toxie and Supertromette Toxemia at Frightvision	Lloyd and Sybill Danning
Hunh?	Super Tromette Nikki with a Tromette-in-training	And there was much rejoicing!