Pop Culturalist Attends Teen Wolf Convention: Howler Con 2015

Howler Con is a fan-run convention for MTV’s hit supernatural drama series Teen Wolf. Held in Elizabeth, New Jersey, fans from around the world flew in for an exciting weekend packed with panels, meet and greets, photo ops, and more.

This year’s guests included:

• Daniel Sharman (Isaac Lahey)
• Linden Ashby (Sheriff Stilinski)
• Melissa Ponzio (Melissa McCall)
• Ryan Kelley (Deputy Parrish)
• Shelley Hennig (Malia Tate)
• Sinqua Walls (Vernon Boyd)
• Tyler Hoechlin (Derek Hale)

I never thought I would attend a convention. They have a bad reputation for huge crowds and long queues. This is not the case with Howler Con. The organizers, Amy and Betsy, do a terrific job creating an intimate environment. The panels are all driven by fan questions, the photo ops move swiftly, and the staff is always friendly. Many of the attendees have created lasting friendships which are evident by searching the #howlercon2015 hashtag on Twitter.

Attending for the second year in a row, I was skeptical that this year’s convention would live up to the first. Boy, was I wrong! Here are some of my favorite moments (in no particular order) from Howler Con 2015:

• At the Hale Blood panel, Tyler Hoechlin shared his plans to attend a World Series Game with Dylan O’Brien, had the series been extended. Fans were quick to inform Tyler that Dylan had gone to a game in New York. Playfully upset, Tyler whipped out his phone and texted Dylan.
• At the convention’s final panel, Sinqua Walls gave fans a memorable lip sync performance (dance moves included) to Fetty Wap’s “Trap Queen.”
• Prior to the convention, Daniel Sharman created a Represent campaign to raise money for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. As a special thank you to fans who preordered the shirt, Daniel took time out of his schedule to answer questions in a private t-shirt meet up. What a guy!
• In different panels throughout the weekend, Linden Ashby and Shelley Hennig jokingly threw Tyler Hoechlin under the bus for leaving the show. Tyler laughed it off and replied, “I love it under the bus! It’s become my new home.”
• Daniel Sharman stole the convention with his answer to what “Cheeky Nandos” means and the most British thing he could say. I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.
• Melissa Ponzio talking about her relationship and connection with Tyler Posey and how it’s similar to their characters.

Howler Con is hands down one of the best conventions I’ve ever attended and I’m excited they will be back in 2016. More details can be found on their website including their first guest announcement.