Review: Walker Stalker Con 2014

The Chicago Walker Stalker Con I attended was in March of 2014 at the Donald J. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. I attended with zero expectations because I had, quite literally, only found out about it that week. I saw the guest list (about 50% of the primary cast of The Walking Dead as well as Bub from Day of the Dead) and that was the only advertisement I needed. I showed up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, and I was not disappointed.

I've attended a fair number of conventions in the Chicagoland area, including C2E2, Wizard World, Flashback Weekend, and Cyphan (RIP). While I don't want to knock any of those conventions (except perhaps Wizard World), this was BY FAR the best convention I've ever attended. It was well organized and low-key, while still providing a high-quality, professional convention experience. The attendance was reasonable: busy enough to feel like a legit convention experience without being so overwhelming that I felt like a small face in a zombie hoard.

The guest list was phenomenal. It was one of those conventions that you went to with a budget for autographs and then tossed that budget to the curb so damned quickly because how could you resist getting autographs from these excellent guests? To name a few, Walker Stalker Con Chicago 2014 featured Greg Nicotero (Walking Dead make-up effects guru), Steven Yeun (Glenn from The Walking Dead), Lauren Cohan (Maggie from The Walking Dead), Chad Coleman (Tyrese from TWD), Soniqua Martin-Green (Sasha from TWD), Michael Cudlitz (Abraham from TWD), IronE Singleton (T-Dog from TWD), Melissa Hutchinson (Clementine from Telltale's The Walking Dead video game), Jay Bonansinga (Author of Rise of the Governor and other TWD novels) and Sherman Howard (Bub from Day of the Dead). That's a guest list worth paying the VIP ticket price for.

In addition to the sheer volume of actors and other zombie players at the con, the panels were excellent as well. With a pretty reasonably priced VIP pass, I was able to get very close for all the panels. Even those with general admission were often invited to move forward. That's a positive vibe that you just don't get at other conventions. The actors were very candid in panels as well, and since there were so many different actors from The Walking Dead, you didn't have a one-size-fits-all TWD panel. Instead, you got to see Michael Cudlitz speak on Abraham for an hour. IronE Singleton got a full hour to be the wonderful and unique individual that he is. And, in addition to the actors, behind the scenes players like Greg Nicotero, Jay Bonansinga, and Melissa Hutchinson each got full hours in the spotlight which they probably wouldn't get at other conventions. All the panels were engaging and seemed very intimate.

And if you didn't feel you got your questions answered in panel, the greatest thing about Walker Stalker Con was that the guests were completely accessible to the fans. For some of my favorite side characters (Alanna Masterson and Lawerence Gilliard Jr just to name a few) there was virtually no line. You could just walk right up and not only get your autograph in an expeditious manner, but you could also chat with the actors and tell them how much they mean to you. You didn't feel like you were holding up a line or wasting their time. I've rarely felt that vibe at other conventions. But it wasn't just because the convention wasn't busy; it was also because the guests seemed genuinely happy to be there. They didn't seem uncomfortable talking to the attendees. I genuinely felt, and I don't even think this is naivete, that they wanted to talk to their fans. Greg Nicotero sat in the audience for many of the panels and even celebrated his birthday with the guests, birthday cake and all. You didn't feel a line between guests and attendees--we were all just zombie-lovers spending a weekend together.

For many of the guests, you could also get pictures at the table for an additional fee rather than having to go through the secondary line at the photo op booth. And these weren't just your standard "stand side by side and smile awkwardly" pictures. Brighton Sharbino (Lizzie from TWD) was doing pictures where she pretended to suffocate you just like she did to Judith. Chad Coleman had his signature hammer on the table for pictures, and IronE Singleton was hugging every attendee with a  kindness you don't find many places. It certainly caused me to shell out a few extra bucks because you just don't get experiences like that every day.

Overall, I had an absolutely wonderful time, and I can't wait for them to return in 2015. Even though the current guest list includes many of the people I've already met, it's still worth it to me to have that communal experience of basking in the glow of all things zombie. Walker Stalker Conventons began in Atlanta and extended to Chicago as their first new city in 2014. Obviously, it was a success, as they're now in seven different cities for the 2014-2015 convention season. They'll be back in Chicago on February 21st and 22nd, 2015 at Navy Pier.

Walker Stalker Con is a great gift to the zombie-loving community, and I hope others are able to attend their kick ass events. They've extended guest lists to include classic zombie actors from Night of the Living Dead as well this season, so if you love the zombie genre, Walker Stalker Con is an absolute must.