Inside of a 1960s era San Antonio shopping mall, fans line up to meet movie stars.
Scott Patterson and Sean Gunn, who played main characters in the hit television show “Gilmore Girls,” welcomed San Antonio residents for autographs, photos and meet and greets. They’ve acted in major franchises like “Saw” and Disney’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” respectively, but on Feb. 14 and 15, they were at Wonderland of the Americas in Balcones Heights.
The event was one of dozens put on by Kings of Horror, a group that has evolved from a collection of volunteers that wanted to bring movie fans together to a full-blown business facilitating free events and shows for thousands of San Antonians.
The weekend-long events include actors, dozens of vendors and community members who are excited to take home a piece of their favorite movie or television series, transforming the mall into a hybrid between a massive pop-up market and comic-con.
The day after Valentine’s Day, children wandered past stalls and tables crammed full of art and souvenirs. Families pushed strollers through crowded halls and waited for pizza and burger orders. Lines zigzagged around corners and through food courts.
“I’m a teacher. I work hard. But on the weekends, I can count on something being here,” said Nancy Bicacio, who was at Wonderland of the Americas to peruse the market.
“There’s something to do practically every weekend,” said John Hinojosa, a regular at the mall’s events.
In January, “Stranger Things” stunt doubles and cast members drew thousands of attendees interested in the hit Netflix show, which ended just weeks before.
Gunn and Patterson aren’t the only faces from the silver screen to appear at the mall. A dual event this weekend features actor Jason Lee and other stars from the show “My Name is Earl,” as well as cast members from the movie “Five Nights at Freddy’s 2,” appearing at the mall.
Actors from AMC’s “The Walking Dead,” including Marvel movie star Michael Rooker, are scheduled to visit this July.
Kings of Horror is giving movie and television fans a place to be passionate.
“We’re here for everyone. It’s getting harder and harder in the world, but here, it’s just about horror [movies],” said Angel Castorena, who first started organizing the events nearly four years ago. “It gives people a place to step away.”
Castorena worked in San Antonio’s music industry for years before the COVID-19 pandemic halted most events. As in-person activities returned, he decided to focus on his passion for horror movies.
In 2022, he and a small group of friends hosted an event with a single celebrity at The Rock Box, an Eastside concert venue. The first event was Steven King-themed, hence the Kings of Horror name, which stuck.
From the beginning, Castorena wanted the events to be free.
“We were trying to keep it affordable and accessible,” he said. “This should be for everyone. That’s our goal.”
Kings of Horror has grown slowly and organically, but Castorena says it started in 2022 when they organized an event based on the 1987 comedy horror film “The Lost Boys.”
“We moved the show here,” he said. “It was going to be too big. It morphed into something it wasn’t supposed to be.”
Castorena called Victoria Hernandez, the marketing manager at Wonderland. They decided to take a chance on the idea. Castorena and Kings of Horror proved the risk was worth it.
“He knocked it out of the park,” Hernandez said. “He and his team really know how to research and understand what’s working.”
Wonderland of the Americas opened its doors to third-party events several years ago, Hernandez said, hoping to find a way to bring in more foot traffic and attention.
The mall at 4522 Fredericksburg Rd. has seen major tenants leave like Santikos Entertainment’s Bijou movie theater in 2022. It’s anchored by discount stores like Burlington’s, Ross Dress for Less and Five Below and features a group of small businesses inside of The Little Shops at Wonderland.
Kings of Horror events have been boosting attention and foot traffic at the mall for the past four years. People eat in the food court or shop in stores, find something they like and return on their own.
These days, Kings of Horror puts on events each month, Castorena said, with three or four really large shows throughout the year that can draw as many as 5,000 attendees.
Vendors pay a fee to be a part of the event. Kings of Horror then uses that money to cover travel and lodging for celebrities, who in turn make their money from photos and autographs at the events.
Kings of Horror has built a reputation inside and outside of San Antonio. Fans come from other states. Movie and television show agents see the events Kings of Horror puts on, even if they’re in a mall, and understand how the events are structured to be more accessible. The word is out.
“Going into this year, we’ve had agents offer [to come to] us,” Castorena said.
It’s a win-win. Wonderland of the Americas has plenty of free parking and free admission, Castorena said. That’s part of what makes the events widely accessible.
Other comic book conventions or fan events tend to cost more money. Between vendors and elaborate decorations, Castorena wants to bring that same energy to Wonderland of the Americas without those pricey tickets at the door.
That way, guests can come and enjoy a free experience or choose to spend money on food, photos with celebrities or the wares sold by vendors.
For attendees like Nancy and Ted Bicacio, the events feel more local. Ted Bicacio comes every chance he gets. It feels like home, he said, and there are fewer tourists wandering around.
“It’s very niche to San Antonio. It’s a local favorite,” Nancy Bicacio added. “We’ve kind of strayed away from places like the Pearl.”
The pop-culture focus has a broad appeal, she added. Kids, parents and grandparents roam Wonderland of the Americas, where they can see nostalgic callbacks to 1980s horror movies, cult classics and the latest merchandise from animated TV shows coming out this week.
“There’s a little bit for everybody. It doesn’t exclude any age group,” she said.
Mall evolution
In-person shopping cratered during the pandemic and it’s struggled to come back since, Hernandez said. Wonderland of the Americas has endured struggles in the last decade, including a tumultuous ownership deal with the City of Balcones Heights.
“It’s never going to be that 1960s building anymore,” Hernandez said. “Retail is not what it used to be.”
Instead, Hernandez said, the mall decided to try something different. Wonderland of the Americas has added medical offices and clinics, building on its proximity to the South Texas Medical Center. It was also a major vaccine hub during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You can be a beautiful peach, but if they don’t like peaches, they’re not going to come,” Hernandez said. “We’ve embraced what works.”
Then they decided to open the door to the nerds, Hernandez said. “I say that lovingly.”
Hernandez asked Castorena to expand the events beyond a single genre. They have, adding other movies and television shows, like their “Gilmore Girls” event.
“It really brought a fresh breath of air back into Wonderland,” Hernandez said. “It’s a win for all. It’s a circle. It helps so many businesses and vendors and the city.”
Small business success
Barb and Steven Hinds own Goomba’s Pizzeria in the Wonderland of the Americas food court.
In their 15 years at the mall, they’ve never seen anything like it. Events had been important for the restaurant before Kings of Horror began its work at Wonderland of the Americas. But Castorena and his team have taken it to another level.
The increase in business is noticeable. Since Kings of Horror started at the mall, the family has bought a house and paid off a car. Steven Hinds still remembers the first event Kings of Horror hosted.
“That was the busiest weekend we’d ever had. Ever,” he said.
At a recent “Stranger Things” event in January, Goombas had a record Sunday and a record hour of sales.
“We always think we’re maxed out,” he said. Then they do better.
Across the food court, Vicious Eats owners Chastity Morales and Traci Kolesar-Morales took a break before the lunch rush to talk about the Kings of Horror events.
The couple started running a food truck featuring their burgers in 2001 and worked with Castorena at early events at The Rock Box. They followed Kings of Horror to Wonderland and have since put down roots.
“Angel [Castorena] is the reason we’re in here,” Morales said.
“It didn’t take long for us to double, triple what we were doing in that trailer,” Kolesar-Morales added.
A sign above the cash register reads ‘Sorry, we’re Punks.’ Vicious Eats embraces the horror and punk rock vibe that can come with the fan scene.
“The people who come to his events are our people,” Morales said.
The transition from The Rock Box to the Wonderland of the Americas wasn’t always smooth, Kolesar-Morales said. Now, though, the Kings of Horror events are booming.
“It’s a mix of everybody. It’s a good place for the weirdos, the outcasts, the good people,” Morales said.
Steven Hinds, who owns the pizza shop, says he knows all the other restaurant owners inside of the food court and they often help one another out. They’re all locally owned shops — there are no national fast food chains.
“This is how America was built, on these businesses, these mom and pops,” he said.
Sense of community
Lora Flores sells customized drawings and portraits printed onto stone slate canvases. Alexia Rodriguez, who sells digital art printed onto wood panels, started vending at Kings of Horror in 2023.
Both artists struggled to find consistent buyers at other events. Both artists found their community at Kings of Horror.
“I feel like I found my place,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like everyone really loves horror.”
Kings of Horror prioritizes a diverse, creative group of vendors who bring different products to the table, Flores said. There are ample opportunities for success at events that draw in audiences with celebrities and attention to detail and decoration.
“Not a lot of pop-ups go all out like that,” she said.
Flores and Rodriguez noted the community that’s grown up around the events. They have regulars that come back again and again to see their art. They’re also personally invested in the events — they’ve each taken on roles at Kings of Horror.
Flores is the business’ office manager, while Rodriguez works on marketing materials and graphic design.
“It’s great. We’ve gotten close. We’ve become this big family. We all know each other. We look forward to the weekend so we can see each other,” Flores said.
Three weeks after putting on a hectic “Stranger Things” event in January, a group of people dressed in old horror movie t-shirts laugh and eat sandwiches and burgers in the Wonderland of the Americas food court.
“Even though we all have our own separate lives, we’re all pushing toward the same goal,” said David Salinas.
Salinas is one of several Kings of Horror staff members who started as an attendee, but has since joined the tight community that’s laser-focused on creating a fun experience for fans.
After “The Lost Boys” event, he decided he needed to be a part of it. He’d brought a camera and he went to Castorena and offered to make two promotional videos for the event that night.
Kings of Horror works together to hone their events and learn from their mistakes.
“There are times over the last couple of years when I wasn’t sure we could make it to the next show or even through the weekend,” Castorena said.
For Castorena, it’s important to build a place where people belong. It’s not just about business, it’s about community. He seeks celebrity lineups that are balanced between male and female actors. He tries to highlight characters from the LGBTQ+ community.
Castorena says his fondest memories are when people come in with costumes they made themselves. When neurodiverse kids can relax and have fun. When fans can come in and capture some piece of the nostalgia and comfort people feel when they’re curled up on their couch or eating popcorn at the theater watching their favorite shows and movies.
“It’s not about spending money,” Castorena said. “We want to be around people who love and believe in what we do. That is everything.”
