We’d like to thank everyone for over 25 years of love and support, but the April 2026 Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo was our last show.
I’ve gone from my 30s to my 60s running the show, and it’s certainly taking a little more out of me (and Pam) when it comes to getting things organized and actually running a hands on show for a long weekend. So, I can certainly admit it’s because I’d like to slow down a bit and do something different with all of the time I spend organizing two CW Shows a year, and that would certainly be 100% true. But there are other issues as well.
The costs to run a CW Show is a big reason. Costs have gone up every year for the last several years. They’re just going to get even worse and we’ve refused to keep jacking up admission prices or vendor tables to cover it since that always leads to less attendance. And I’m not even going to get into the shitty economy that we’re all suffering with.
There are naturally a few other reasons I won’t get into forcing our hand, and I’m certainly not about to go on a rant bitching about any of them. But sadly, between everything, it’s just time to go out while we’re still at the top of our game. We originally thought that we’d keep on by running just one show a year for the next couple years before we bowed out, but momentum plays a big part in getting a CW Show ready to go and we’ve realized that momentum just won’t be there a year from now. Especially when the last show tied with the worst show we ever had attendance and profit wise, and we’re looking at what guest flights will cost us next April in addition to the usual yearly expense increase.
I’ve had a helluva time running the 51 shows we’ve run over the years (counting our little one day show and film nights), and Pam and I certainly have a lot to be proud of when it comes to the Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo.
Unlike damn near every other convention running these days, we’ve never changed from what we started out as. We’re damn proud of that. We’ve always celebrated the drive-in era of the late 50s through the glory days of the mom and pop video stores that replaced the drive-in’s throughout the 1980s, and we celebrated that “wasteland era” for over 25 years.
Over the course of the CW Show run we’ve had people meet, fall in love, and get married at the CW Show… And sadly, divorced as well… only to find somebody new… We’ve had our share of the next generation of B movie fans conceived over a Wasteland Weekend, and we’ve lost more friends and “family” than you could imagine. But such is life.
We’ve held more first time cast and crew reunions than any convention running that I know of, hosted a ton of first time guests that got their start at a CW Show; and I was able to get damn near all of my mentors – the people who taught me a little showmanship and helped keep the CW Show grounded in what it is we always celebrated – to the show as a guest before they left my life for good.
But most of all, we’ve made a lot of people happy. We’ve created a place where like-minded film fans can gather, meet up with friends they’ve made at the show over the years, and not feel like the odd fan out for enjoying the films they enjoy. We’ve made Wasteland fans feel like they are a part of something bigger than just another film convention. People have always told us that they felt like they were part of a family. The CW family. And it will always feel that way to us as well.
So, rather than change one thing about the CW Show, I’m going out proud of the last 25+ years of celebrating the B movies I’ve loved all my life, while supporting the indie filmmakers and indie movie companies I’ve supported since I realized that I was running my own little business by the time 1987 rolled around. I’ve had the time of my life running the CW Show, but even the best of times eventually come to an end. I’ll never be able to retire as I wouldn’t know what to do with myself, but I can at least retire from something I’m proud of after working hard at it for 25+ years.
So, The Cinema Wasteland Movie and Memorabilia Expo may be no more, but, as stated, I realize that I’ll never be able to “retire” and live a life of leisure. The regular Cinema Wasteland business will keep on chugging along. We’ve got an amazing amount of merchandise to sell off, and it’s going to take us another 20 years to get rid of it all. If you are ever looking for an original movie poster at a reasonable price or an autograph from an old Hollywood or B movie legend, we remain the place to hopefully find it. I’ve been thinning out my 60+ year personal collection of damn near everything you can imagine, so there is no idea what I might feel I can finally live without next. Just stay tuned for whatever we may put on the next merchandise update or post on the website to find out… and yes, you can easily get on the merchandise update list to find out what it is.
We still set up as a vendor at a couple of other conventions, so until they call it a day or their attending fans quit spending money in their vendor rooms like every other other convention we’ve quit setting up at over the last 38 or 39 years, we’ll still see several “Wastelanders” on the road a couple of times a year.
Thanks to all who’ve enjoyed what it is we’ve done over the last 25+ years. From the 16mm film fans to the indie movie fans and filmmakers; and those who have told us that we were the last show with a vendor room worth a shit when it came to shopping, all I can say is that I tried… We tried! The CW Staff is the best convention staff any promoter could ask for, and past or present, they’ve remained the best group of people I could ever rely on to get the job done. They made me and Pam look good for over 25 years, and even though I’m starting to sound like a broken record, we will be forever grateful for their loyalty and commitment to helping make every Wasteland Weekend run as smoothly as possible.
In closing, I’d once again like to thank all of the CW Show fans, both past and present. And especially the CW Show regulars. The people who have enjoyed what it is we’ve done with the CW Show since the beginning, attend every show they can, gave me their honest opinion and suggestions, and made the most of their Wasteland Weekends time and time again. All of you CW Show regulars were also a big part of why the show never changed from that very first show and lasted over 25 years, and you will forever mean the world to Pam and I.
When the CW Show started, I never figured that I’d run more than one or two shows just to prove to myself I could do it. The Show has gone on to be the personal favorite show to a ton of attending fans as well as far too many guests by what you’ve all told us over the years, and that really means a lot. Calling the CW Show quits wasn’t an easy decision to make. It wasn’t easy now, and it wouldn’t be easy if we plodded along for another couple shows. It was just time to rip off the bandaid and make the hard choice.
Keep in touch with the friends you’ve made at the show over the years, continue to support the indie filmmakers; and above all, enjoy 25+ years of CW Show memories as much as we will.
It’s been one helluva ride.
Ken and Pam Kish