Mondo Con: The Third Coming

Mondo may as well just change their name to "Shut Up and Take My Money." The Austin-based print and collectibles company just announced that it'll be landing the Mondo Con festival mothership again.

The first big announcement is that, after two years running alongside Fantastic Fest, the Mondo team has given themselves some breathing room, moving the dates from late September to Oct. 22-23. It's also picked the location: a return to the former Marchesa Hall and Theatre (now rebranded the AFS Cinema) and the neighboring Holiday Inn Midtown Conference Center.

As always, prepare to break out the wallet, because there's already the first must-get collection addition announced: the first ever vinyl release of soundtrack of The Monster Squad, with exclusive new artwork from "Ghoulish" Gary Pullin. There's also a chance to score a signed copy of The Art of Jock, with the groundbreaking Scottish comic and poster artist in attendance.

With a long list of scheduling and programming yet to be confirmed (previous years have included celebrity artist panels, special screenings, and the unmissable behind-the-scenes peek at Mondo's unused and upcoming designs), the artist list is already filling in. So look out for Digging Up the Marrow artist Alex Pardee, hyper-realist Sam Wolfe Connelly, Mondo fixture Daniel Danger, and more.

If those two packed days aren't enough, there will also be a special preview night on Oct. 21 at Mondo Gallery with the opening of "New Works." That's a double-header show featuring, well, new works by Mondo regulars Jason Edmiston and Ken Taylor.

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Mondo Con: Close Encounters of the Third Con runs Oct. 22-23 at the AFS Cinema (6226 Middle Fiskville) and Holiday Inn Midtown Conference Center (6000 Middle Fiskville). Early bird two-day tickets, $79, available now; one-day tickets, $45, on sale later this summer.

More info at www.mondo-con.com.