PopHorror Let's Get Scared
It’s always an immense joy in the horror community to see creepy creatives collaborating. This past weekend in Pittsburgh saw just that, as Eeeek! Creature Coffee hosted their first annual Drop Dead Crafty event, in association with Bold Escape Rooms and The ScareHouse.
This horror-themed vendor show took place in downtown Pittsburgh on Penn Avenue, as twenty-two vendors took over Bold Escape Rooms, with six different rooms being filled in total. Each room was specifically curated for the vendors, and each space showcased a smooth flow of ambiance and decorations to appease the abundant and artistic crowd.
From books to clothing, drawings to embroidery, and cupcakes to coffee, this space held something for every type of genre fan. I spoke to the event runner, Christalee Lema, and she hopes to host at least three of these events annually. Christalee is a special effects artist in the Pittsburgh indie film scene, having spent eleven years on film sets. She’s also a writer, model, and founder of her own coffee company, Eeeek! Creature Coffee. The coffee shop was actually Lema’s retirement plan, which was forced into play, and modified, earlier than expected, when filming ceased due to the global pandemic in 2020.
Christalee has fused her love for building macabre creatures with the warming effects of a hot cup of coffee during the creative process. With immersive and diverse events like Drop Dead Crafty, she hopes to cultivate an inclusive and safe space for everyone who doesn’t feel like they quite fit in, a counter-culture community of creatives.
Her passion for the genre bursts out through every set piece she molds and every story she tells. It would be a blessing for any fan of things that go bump in the night to check out a future Drop Dead Crafty event. You can buy her coffee now at Eeeekcreaturecafe.com or see future promotions on her Instagram under @Eeek_coffee.
