At every turn, there seem to be new and exciting monsters to be frightened of, not all of whom have placed their hat in the ring for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. But sometimes it's best to stick with the classics; and that's just what the producers of the freewheeling Aliens to Zombies Convention aim to do. Beginning with a mixer Friday night — where you can hobnob with monster creators of every stripe — Saturday features a full program of potential apocalypses and alien contact what-ifs. Contemplate the “Beginning of the End”; with writers including Matt Mogk (Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Zombies) and Emmy-winning Martin Olson (Encyclopedia of Hell); an “Aliens Among Us” panel features Steve Murillo, Los Angeles section director of the Mutual UFO Network as well as award-winning special effects artists from Alien vs. Predator and Legacy FX. Other highlights include a Monster Making Halloween Challenge, where top special effects artists compete to make a monster on a budget, a discussion of “The Cinema's Simians: Monkey Men of the Movies,” and more squib jokes than you can shake a severed limb at. Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd.; Fri.-Sat., Oct. 21-22; $75-$50. (323) 665-8080. https://www.alienstozombies.com/

Fri., Oct. 21, 7 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 22, 11 a.m., 2011

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