Lead designer and staff photographer for a Pacific Northwest horror convention — event posters, celebrity guest flyers, vouchers, magazine ads, badge systems, branding, social media, and four years of convention-floor photography.
Two years of design across every print and digital surface the convention touched, plus four years of floor photography documenting the community
Event Design2012-2017Convention
Lead Designer & Staff PhotographerJohn S. Eldridge, Jr.
Crypticon is a horror convention that runs each spring near Sea-Tac Airport, south of Seattle. I shot the floor as a staff photographer in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017. In 2014 and 2015 I came on as Lead Designer, working under the Creative Director who set the visual direction. My job was to execute it across every surface the convention touched — posters, flyers, vouchers, magazine ads, badges, branding, social media — and to keep shooting the floor when the design work was done.
The main event poster was the centerpiece. The convention had an established visual identity from prior years, and my job was to carry it forward with the new guest lineup and event details without losing what made it recognizable.
Crypticon 2014 — main event poster
Each celebrity guest got a dedicated promotional flyer. Reggie Lee was one of the 2014 headliners — the flyer needed to work as a standalone piece and as part of the larger guest announcement campaign.
Celebrity guest flyer for Reggie Lee, 2014
The "Dig It" themed event had its own poster. The Creeper line art is by Nick "The Hat" Gucker — I did the coloring on the Creeper, and the poster layout and typography are mine.
Dig It — event poster, 2014. Creeper line art by Nick "The Hat" Gucker; Creeper coloring by John Eldridge
A "Creeper vs Bigfoot" magazine ad ran in local publications ahead of the convention. The artwork is Nick "The Hat" Gucker's — my work was the ad layout, composition, and print preparation, making sure it held up at magazine size and in newsprint.
Creeper vs Bigfoot — magazine ad, 2014. Artwork by Nick "The Hat" Gucker; my work was the ad layout and design
A discount voucher was designed as a promotional insert — printed and distributed ahead of the convention to drive advance ticket sales. Small format, but it had to carry the brand and the offer in a single glance.
Crypticon 2014 — discount voucher, printed and distributed as a promotional insert
The VIP brunch had its own ticket — printed, numbered, and distributed to attendees. A small piece of print, but it was someone's first physical touchpoint with the event.
VIP brunch ticket, 2014
Between design duties I was on the floor with a camera for both days. Most of my photography each year was for the Official Special Fx Make-Up Contest — documenting the prosthetic appliances, airbrushed body paint, and creature builds that the contestants brought to the competition. The rest was convention floor shots: cosplayers, guests, and the atmosphere of the event.
Crypticon 2014 — cosplayer portrait
Crypticon 2014 — costume build and material detail
Crypticon 2014 — cosplayer working the floor
Crypticon 2014 — screen-accurate character build
Crypticon 2014 — holding a signature character pose
Crypticon 2014 — mask construction and paint finish
Crypticon 2014 — prosthetic makeup with blended edges
Crypticon 2014 — cosplay group from the same series
Crypticon 2014 — creature build with textured skin
Crypticon 2014 — classic horror franchise icon
Crypticon 2014 — iconic character
Crypticon 2014 — fan portrait
Crypticon 2014 — elaborate build
Crypticon 2014 — striking a pose
Crypticon 2014 — classic monster
Crypticon 2014 — posing for the camera
Crypticon 2014 — grand finale
1 / 17
In 2015 the design scope expanded. The themed programming — Dutch Sinister, Rocky Horror Picture Show, Drag Night — each needed its own poster with a distinct visual language that still read as Crypticon.
Dutch Sinister — themed event poster, 2015
Rocky Horror Picture Show — themed event poster, 2015
Drag Night — themed event poster, 2015
A two-sided promotional handbill was printed and distributed ahead of the convention — the front carried the event branding and headline guests, the back had the full schedule and logistics.
Promotional handbill, front — 2015
Promotional handbill, back — 2015
The 2015 badge system was the largest single piece of design work. A full set — VIP, celebrity, press, staff, security, sponsor, vendor, and volunteer — each with its own color coding and layout, all built from a master template so they looked like a family at a glance. Getting the hierarchy right mattered: a security badge and a vendor badge needed to be distinguishable from across a crowded convention floor.
Full badge set — 2015 badge system
Single badge mockup — 2015
The branding package included the Crypticon logo isolated for reuse across print and digital, an email banner for the newsletter campaign, and the Facebook cover image for the social media presence.
Crypticon logo, isolated — 2015 branding
Email banner — 2015 branding
Facebook cover image — 2015 social media
Beyond the design work, I was on the convention floor with a camera across four different years — 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2017. Most of my photography each year was for the Official Special Fx Make-Up Contest, documenting the contestants' prosthetic appliances, airbrushed body paint, and full-body creature builds. The rest was convention floor shots — cosplayers in character, guests, and the atmosphere of the event. The throughline was the community: people who spent months building creature suits, sculpting latex appliances, and airbrushing prosthetics, all for a weekend where they could walk the floor in character and be seen.
2012
Crypticon 2012 — evening event, attendees socializing with drinks
Crypticon 2012 — crowd at the bar during the evening event
Crypticon 2012 — cosplayer in an elaborate costume posing for a portrait
Crypticon 2012 — close-up of armor and fabric craftsmanship
Crypticon 2012 — cosplayer holding a character pose against the convention backdrop
Crypticon 2012 — gore makeup cosplayer at the step-and-repeat banner
Crypticon 2012 — prosthetic wounds and airbrushed makeup
Crypticon 2012 — cosplay group gathered together on the floor
Crypticon 2012 — full-body creature costume with detailed prosthetics
Crypticon 2012 — cosplayer channeling a classic slasher villain
1 / 10
2013
Crypticon 2013 — convention floor looking down the main aisle
Crypticon 2013 — cosplayer walking the floor in full regalia
Crypticon 2013 — screen-accurate character cosplay portrait
Crypticon 2013 — costume prop and accessory detail
Crypticon 2013 — cosplayer in mid-pose, staying in character
Crypticon 2013 — latex mask and appliance work
Crypticon 2013 — creature effects makeup with contact lenses
Crypticon 2013 — group cosplay lineup from the same franchise
Crypticon 2013 — creature build with full-head appliance
Crypticon 2013 — cosplayer as a recognizable horror villain
1 / 10
2017
Crypticon 2017 — wide shot of the convention floor crowd
Crypticon 2017 — cosplayer posing among the convention crowd
Crypticon 2017 — detailed character recreation on the convention floor
Crypticon 2017 — costume texture and material close-up
Crypticon 2017 — cosplayer holding a dynamic action pose
Crypticon 2017 — sculpted mask and face appliance
Crypticon 2017 — airbrushed body paint and prosthetic appliances
Crypticon 2017 — cosplay group photo on the convention floor
Crypticon 2017 — creature cosplay with full-body paint and appliances
Crypticon 2017 — cosplayer as an iconic horror movie character
