Photo: Worldcon 1992

Carol Salemi

by Philip Gust | Apr 10, 2019

2019 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Carol Salemi has been active in costume fandom since the 1970s, and has won major awards at every imaginable level all over North America.  She is a humble costumer, and is happy helping at every level from sitting a reg table, to being a den mom, or being masquerade director. There has never been a convention where she was in attendance that she was not teaching a class and passing on her vast knowledge to others.

In addition to her fannish endeavors, Carol shines as an active promoter of our art form outside of the insular world of convention costuming, She has years of experience as a costumer in New England theater groups, designing building and teaching at everything from children’s theater to rethinking a modern musical take on the Scarlet Letter, for the Hawthorne Association .

Carol has planned numerous costume events for major motion picture openings at movie theaters in her area. As an original member of the Castle Blood Haunted Attraction, she worked to change the way costumes were thought of in an entire industry in the late 90’s, both at the Castle and at other attractions around the country. She continues that work at other haunts today. Carol also has TV credits, from being on the nationally syndicated horror host show Midnight Monster Hop, to the hugely popular and crazy My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding on cable.

For 40 years, she hasn’t changed. She’s done it all and continues to do it all, and will teach anyone how to do it as well.