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.

News: Steven Yeun & Lauren Cohan Rock C2E2

Steven Yeun takes a picture of us as we all do the opposite.

Because I don't wake up at 4am on Saturday mornings, I was unable to get autograph tickets for Steven Yeun (Glenn) and Lauren Cohan (Maggie). Still, once I'd passed that little snag, I had a great time at C2E2. I sat through some great panels, got a signed copy of The Walking Dead: Covers from Tony Moore's table, and bought some nerdalicious swag.

My day was capped off with the Walking Dead panel. Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan hit the stage in the IGN Theater to talk about the show and the romantic relationship of "Glaggie". Overall, the two were both absolutely adorable and very articulate. Cohan talked about killing Shane as something that "had to happen" and condoned Rick's decision. She also addressed a question about why Tyrese, Rick's BFF in the comics, hasn't arrived yet. She explained that keeping Shane alive for season two kind of fulfilled Tyrese's role for a while, and that she hasn't heard anything about casting him or having his character appear in the show. I know. Sad face.

Steven Yeun was a laugh a minute during the panel. He talked about his script-reading habits (ie: on the toilet), and discussed how that made encountering Dale's death for the first time a little awkward. When asked about Glenn's relationship with Maggie, he jokingly referred to their relationship as "two people who love each other doing cool sh*t". He also referenced that before there would be any sex scenes, he'd have to get to the gym, but he was reassured when Cohan revealed that he was absolutely a better kisser than her Supernatural co-star. Yeun was quite the jokester, even threatening to take season three back to the farm (to which the packed theater booed and jeered), but he did reference the gloomy nature of the show by saying "any of us can go".

I guess we'll have to wait and see if that is, in fact, true when season three of The Walking Dead hits television screens in October. The cast returns to shooting in three weeks, and hopefully we'll be getting a couple of spoilers soon. Until then, I'll leave you with this highpoint of the panel. Imagine Lauren Cohan and Steven Yeun doing their best "zombie walks" across the stage. Who do you think did the best job? The answer: Lauren. Steven admitted that his just really looked like him "on a sad day".

Events: C2E2 at McCormick Place

Okay...so after much stress and after a few new guest announcements...I guess I'm going to C2E2 as well this weekend. C2E2, the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo, will be at McCormick place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday this coming weekend. It will feature zombie-rific guests such as Steven Yeun and Lauren Cohan (The Walking Dead), Chris Hardwick (Talking Dead), and Tony Moore (Walking Dead issues 1-6). Also, for those interested in running around and fighting zombies, Humans vs. Zombies will be hosting events throughout the weekend.

Check out the whole line up here, as there are many non-zombie related guests that will also likely grab your attention. The event is in the North Building at McCormick Place, and free shuttles are available from downtown to the convention center. It doesn't get much more convenient than that.

News: World War Z Tattoo Contest

World War Z is having a tattoo competition on Facebook and I'm entered! The winner of the contest will have their tattoo made into a temporary tattoo and handed out at the San Diego Comic Con. Would that be awesome or what? All the runners up get signed copies of World War Z and The Zombie Survival Guide by Max Brooks. That would be pretty awesome as well.

Wanna vote for your favorite zombie girl? Click on the link here and vote. You can vote once per day!

News: Guest Announcements for Flashback Weekend

For Chicago horror lovers, Flashback Weekend is often a summer must. This convention has been around for a decade, and it delights in bringing some big names in horror to the Chicagoland area. This year's highlights for zombie lovers will be Ken Foree of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. He also made a brief appearance in the 2004 version (you can check out my post on that here). I've met Mr. Foree during past conventions and can attest that he's a very chill dude. Additionally, and this is their headliner, the great John Carpenter will be present and signing autographs. If I have to list some of his movies for you, you're likely on the wrong blog, but my personal favorite (and I know it's not his best...but still) is Ghosts of Mars. I guess you could sort of say that's an "infected" movie.

There are plenty of other horror and zombie themed guest making an appearance at Flashback this year, so check out the convention's webpage here. Hopefully I'll see you there this summer! The convention will be held at the Crown Plaza in Rosemont on August 10th-12th. I'll post more information as it comes through.