ZomBcon 2011 Roundup

I’m not much for hyperbole, but Zombcon 2011, which just finished its weekend run at the SeaTac Hilton convention center, might be the greatest convention ever. You can have your overcrowded Comic-Con in San Diego, or your piddly little sci-fi conventions in whatever Podunk town you are close to. Nothing known to Human civilization can prepare you for the sheer amounts of awesomeness that would melt a normal person’s head.

OK, so I can do hyperbole when I need to. In all seriousness, Zombcon was an absolute blast. Zombcon is a convention by Zombie fans for Zombie fans. There were panels on everything from the evolution of Horror Journalism, to the anatomy and science of Zombie physiology, up to hand to hand combat techniques. Some of the guests included Horror God Tom Savini, Sid Haig from “The Devil’s Rejects”, Bill Mosely from just about any horror movie ever made. My personal favorite was Judith O’Dea, the original Barbara from 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead.” On Saturday night (the 22nd) they had a costume party called “Prom of the Living Dead” which had a great number of people turn out in costume, some of which were amazing, and others…not so much. I took as many pics as I could, which should hopefully give you an idea of what went down…

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Thursday Night

hursday night was referred to as the Preview Party. Those of us with VIP badges basically gathered in the Convention Center’s Lounge area and mingled with each other, each of us hoping to catch a moment with whichever of the Con’s guests managed to stop by. There was a bar, but hotel mark-ups being what they are, I went without the benefit of booze. I found myself talking with some of the Genre’s coolest writers, many of them under the Permuted Press banner. I got to chat with Bowie V. Ibarra, Craig DiLouie, Peter Clines, and Tim Long. I had Tom Savini bump into me while I was in a group discussion, and I managed a handshake before he scurried off to wherever he was going. The only other of the Con’s guests that I saw was Bill Mosely, but he sort of kept to the sides and didn’t mingle a whole lot. Without a doubt, the highlight of the night was chatting for a good 25 minutes with Jonathon Maberry, NYT bestselling author. Jonathan is a great guy and he is a fountain of interesting stories and information. I get to talk to him more as the weekend goes on *nerd squeal*.

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Friday

Friday was spent taking pictures. I attended a screening of the 1968 Night of the Living Dead, and then sat in on a Q&A session with Judith O’Dea (Barbara), who was a delightful woman who shared some interesting story and insight into George Romero’s classic. There was a very well rounded assortment of booths, hawking everything from artwork to zombie insurance. There was even a booth from some women trying to drum up interest in their Jell-O wrestling venture. I’m not entirely sure what that had to do with zombies, but scantily-clad women are always a good thing in my book. Check out the pics to see some of the items that are available. Check out the list of vendors if you see anything you like. Help support these small business types. This was also the day I splurged and bought most of my books. (I wound up the Con having acquired twelve novels). After the Con’s events ended, I caught a screening of the Ford Brother’s movie THE DEAD (review to come).

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Saturday

Saturday was the busy day of the Con, and the day I got all my interviews in. I spent most of the day taking pictures, trying not to run over skimpily dressed zombie chicks and trying to corral people for a few minutes. I attended a panel called the “Zombie Autopsies” with Jonathan Maberry and Dr. Steven Schlozman. I also attended a panel about hand-to-hand combat with Maberry, as well as author and martial-arts expert Roger Ma. Sean Patrick Flanery, who was in attendance for a “Boondock Saints” party, sat in on the panel as well. I managed to score an interview with author and founder of Rainstorm Press’ Lyle Perez. He’s a nice guy and one of the hardest working guys in publishing right now. One thing that caught me by surprise was seeing the legendary John Skipp. John Skipp was one of the coolest and most energetic gentlemen I’ve ever got to meet. He was gracious enough to chat with me for a few minutes. He signed a couple of books for me. It was a really cool moment.

Saturday Night Author After Party

Saturday night was a moment of pure geek heaven. After the Con events, I attended a party that had a guest list that included Jonathan Maberry, Craig DiLouie, Tim Long, Scott G. Browne, Roger Ma, Bowie Ibarra, Peter Clines, and Iain McKinnon. It was fascinating to be able to sit back and listen to zombie writers talk about their craft. I was able to hold an impromptu writer’s roundtable, which I will have posted in the next few days. It was food, fun and I learned a lot from everyone in attendance.

Overall

Needless to say, it was an absolute blast. If you love the Zombie genre, you should really make a point to make your way to a Zombcon. There are rumors that Zombcon, which has been held in Seattle for the last two years, might be moving to a different city next year. Wherever it is being held, go. Book your tickets and your hotel rooms now. It is definitely worth your time.

Expect more ZomBcon coverage from the past weekend over this next week!