Cleveland Toy Show

In late 1999, Travis snagged a gig as a security guard for the largest horror convention on the East Coast at the time called Chiller Theater in NJ where he met many people in the entertainment business and made a great deal of connections. This would eventually lead to him directing and acting in horror films and starting the first of many conventions held in the Mahoning Valley area from 2003 until 2013, the most notable being Dark Xmas. Bowen says, "Back in the early days when we started, there weren't tons of conventions/toy shows/comic-cons in the area like there are today, there was only one, Dark Xmas." Dark Xmas would bring such celebrity guests as Sid Haig (Devil's Rejects), Noel Neil (the original Lois Lane), hosted the only Star Wars Ewok Adventures reunion ever, Danielle Harris (Halloween franchise star), Tony Todd (The Candyman and Final Destination franchise star), Ken Foree (star of Dawn of the Dead), etc. He appeared with Noel Neil in an episode on a local TV show called Left of Center and appeared with Sid Haig in a Dark Xmas documentary. 

In 2003 he also released a local band compilation album called Youngstown Area Music which featured skits from David Prowse (Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy), Yvonne Craig (Batgirl), Dick Warlock (Michael Myers), and Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits. 

Travis had a news story done on him in 2020 as his first film shoot in 2003 and released in 2005 called 2020 An American Nightmare starring Conrad Brooks (Plan 9 From Outer Space) and Joe Estevez (brother of of Martin Sheen) predicted the spread of a deadly virus. His second film Shadows In The Woods featured an introduction by Lloyd Kaufman who also appears in the film and the Toxic Avenger, it features the final appearance of Michael Sheard (Admiral Ozzel from Star Wars The Empire Strikes Back), Eric Walker from the Star Wars Ewok Adventure films, and in the special features on the dvd there is a special feature with Peter Mayhew (the original Chewbacca of Star Wars).

These days Travis is probably best known for his campy horror film The Girl starring Playboy cover model and Trumbull County native Lisa Neeld. It also featured the original Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th Ari Lehman and Robert Z'Dar from Tango & Cash. Travis is currently in post-production for The Girl 2 picking up 10 years after the original. 

Later next year will be the premiere screening for his new film Midnight Massacre starring Susie Feldman (The Two Coreys), Linda Harrison (Nova in Planet of the Apes & Beneath the Planet of the Apes), Byron Cherry (The Dukes of Hazzard), Matthew T Metzler (Maze Runner Scorch Trials), and the final film of Don Pedro Colley (George Lucas's THX 1138, The Dukes of Hazzard, Beneath the Planet of the Apes). 

Travis is also the former owner of Movie Carnival which was located in Girard, Ohio that rented & sold DVDs, video games, and sold action figures. His film The Girl 2 will have it's premiere at the Akron Comicon the first weekend in November 2023, it stars Gigi Edgley from Farscape, Marc Price (Family Ties, Trick or Treat), Leonora Scelfo (Scream), Nancy Anne Ridder (Scream), Dylan Postl (Leprechaun Origins, WWE's Hornswoggle), Melissa Savini Dunlap (Dawn of the Dead), and Lisa Neeld. 

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