German autumns don’t indicate Halloween. It’s possible you’ll spot a witch cutout or encounter a lonely, uncarved pumpkin on someone’s porch, but you’re more likely to see tree ornaments, gingerbread cookies or Santa Claus. Here in Germany, October serves as more of a reminder that Christmas is coming. In spite of this, there exist those who refuse to let the Halloween season slip by uncelebrated. One such group are the men and women who organize, promote and support the annual Weekend of Horrors convention at the Salbaau Hall in Bottrop, Germany. Sponsored by Virus Magazine and organized by Thomas Hartz, 2012 marks the convention’s tenth anniversary of delivering Europe’s largest assembly of actors, amateur filmmakers, and horror memorabilia.

Why should horror fans in North America care about a horror convention in Germany? Because there’s all sorts of new material to discover!

The convention is sponsored by Germany’s most successful horror magazine, Virus, which is also celebrating its tenth anniversary. Virus contributor Michael Beyer (far left) displays his love of Virus‘ annual Girls & Corpses magazine – a supplement piece with pinup girls posing alongside zombies (yum!).

Newcomers, director Martin Faltermeier and producer Martin Hager of Fear4You-Crew attended the convention to advocate their new film Zombies from Outer Space, a horror comedy involving Bavarian farmers and their reaction to a zombie alien invasion. (You can learn more about the film on its official website.)

Actresses Katy Karrenbauer, Annika Strauss, Gabriela Wirbel, Ildiko Preszly, and director Marcel Walz of Matador Films showed up to support their 2011 film Candy House and to promote their upcoming film, Plastic.

Writer/creator Christopher Tauber and illustrator Ingo Römling of German zombie comic series Die Toten (German for “The Dead”)  were also in attendance, selling and autographing back issues as well as creating zombified portraits for people who purchased one or more of their graphic novels (a real treat for anyone who bags one!).

Amy Steel of Friday the 13th Part 2.

Dana Kimmel of Friday the 13th Part 3.

Danielle Harris of Stake Land and Hatchet II.

Doug Bradley of the Hellraiser series.

Ken Foree of Dawn of the Dead (1978) and The Lords of Salem.

Kyra Schon of 1968′s Night of the Living Dead.

Richard Masur of 1982′s The Thing.

Ricou Browning of Creature from the Black Lagoon and its sequels.

Scott Reiniger of Dawn of the Dead (1978) and Knightriders.

Shauna Macdonald of The Descent.