Clown in a Cornfield, the terrifying slasher film based on the book by Adam Cesare, is set to make its’ streaming debut on Shudder and AMC+ on August 8th, and Shudder, which is celebrating its 10th year as the go-to streamer for classic and new horror film and television, marked the occasion by bringing a terrific Clown in a Cornfield offsite activation to San Diego Comic Con.
Attendees were invited to the sleepy town of Kettle Springs, Missouri, for the 100th Annual Founders Day Parade (taking place on the rooftop of the Hilton Gaslamp Hotel across the street from the San Diego Convention Center). The space had been transformed into a small-town festival, complete with bales of hay, townspeople interacting with guests, and plenty of nods to the town’s infamous Baypen Corn Syrup factory. If you paid close attention though, you would see subtle clues sprinkled about the festivities–signs for lost pets, some warning clues written on things like a ohone booths–some eerie warnings that all might not be right there.
Guests were lined up and told they were about to enter Frendo’s (the clown) Corn Maze. We must give a special shout out-to the guy who explained the rules of the maze– completely in character as a small town-rube while tongue firmly in cheek– “Don’t go in the corn. I’ve been telling people that if we was corn, we wouldn’t want people going into us.”
The maze itself was fun. It was dark, and as it progressed, you could hear screaming and chainsaws in the background that grew increasingly louder until finally Frendo the Clown would jump out and pull one of the screaming guides into the darkness. Attendees would eventually end up in a locked barn and had to find a hidden key to get out, all while Frendo was taunting them from outside the barn’s window.
Once outside, attendees were at a town carnival, where they could do photo ops, and play carnival games for prizes like slushees and Shudder-branded jars of candy. Attendees were also given Clown in a Cornfield bags, popcorn, and Shudder posters.
Overall, this was one of the better activations at SDCC this year. It was immersive, fun, and had some good jumps and laughs. The actors (especially the guy giving the rules to the maze) were all top-notch. Plus you got some nice snacks and swag.
Hopefully, Shudder will continue to have a presence at future San Diego Comic Cons, both in terms of offsites and panels. There is no much great programming both new and old to be mined.
You can watch the walkthrough of the activation here:
Footage of some of the carnival activities are here:
The Clown in a Cornfield prize bar video is here:
Clown in a Cornfield will be available to stream on Shudder and AMC+ starting August 8th.
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