Walk like a zombie: the zombie horde takes over
By Lindsey Rivait
Arts Editor
October 24, 2007
 Movies like Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and 28 Days Later have helped pull zombies into the mainstream, inspiring many of the living to dress up and act like the undead. Some aspiring zombies have even gone so far as to organize zombie walks to provide a fun, safe time for the living dead.
A zombie walk consists of a group of people who dress up and act like zombies out in public. The horde meets up at a specific location as advertised on zombie walk message boards and begins their journey.
Participants lurch and limp throughout the city streets, covered in red corn syrup and liquid latex. Zombies are encouraged to stay in character for the duration of the walk, doing such things as grunting, groaning or calling out for brains.
Toronto is home of one of the first zombie walks, which took place in October 2003. Since then, zombie fans from all over the world have followed suit, including Windsor residents, Adam Timm and Jake Witalec, who have taken it upon themselves to bring out the undead locally.
Timm, a self-proclaimed zombie movie buff, says he got the idea for Windsor Zombie Walk from a friend who brought it up during a conversation. “I thought that it would be great to have another one here in Windsor, for everyone to get together and just have a good old zombie-themed time,” explains Timm.
Zombie hordes
The Facebook group for the event currently boasts over 100 confirmed guests. “I was quite impressed by the number of people who said they wanted to come,” admits Timm. “We’re really excited actually, due partially to the fact that people from as far as Waterloo have taken an interest and have agreed to attend. I hope that the interest and awareness of this event will only spread and in turn spark a bigger turnout for future walks,” adds Witalec.
The largest zombie walk achieved a spot in the Guinness World Records with 894 participants at the Monroeville Mall in Pittsburgh, PA in 2006.
Zombie walk turnout differs from year to year, but they definitely attract a lot of people. “The one we had in Royal Oak on September 29 drew around 200 participants, at least 30 photographers, and countless spectators,” says Kelli Von Zombie, founder of Zombie Walk Detroit.
Kelli has seen zombies of all ages, three months to 70 years, and from all walks of life. “School kids, lawyers, college professors, steel workers, you name it,” Kelli says.
“It’s really interesting to see the variations—everyone’s unique interpretations of what they imagine they would look like as a zombie,” says Kelli.
Zombie Walk Detroit is hosting its next zombie walk in December. “When it starts getting closer to Halloween people almost expect Zombies. Don’t you? Wouldn’t it be a whole lot weirder to see a bunch of formerly-living coming at you in May?” explains Kelli when asked if there would be a Zombie Walk Detroit event in October.
Kelli doesn’t rule out organizing zombie walks near Halloween completely, however. “We have quite an event in the works for next October in Ferndale, Michigan,” teases Kelli.
The gift of giving
Zombie walks are also a useful tool in raising money for charity. The zombie walk at the Monroeville Mall served as a benefit for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, for example. The December Zombie Walk Detroit will be indoors and will also benefit a local food bank.
Other charitable zombie organizations include the Zombie Squad, which raises awareness for food and blood drives and other community service events. According to their website, the Zombie Squad “is an elite zombie suppression task force ready to defend your neighbourhood from the shambling hordes of the walking dead.”
The Zombie Squad organizes charity events for the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, Meals on Wheels, and Youth in Need among others and has also raised thousands of dollars for Hurricane Katrina relief.
Look like a zombie
It is, of course, important that you dress the part. Becoming a convincing citizen of the undead makes zombie walks more fun and scary. Many zombie walk organizers give away prizes for the best costumes as incentive.
Getting the right sickly zombie pallor is imperative. Usually a grey or green-tinted face colour works best for that decayed flesh look. Use dark grey or black colour to highlight the sunken-in areas of your face, emphasizing your state of undead. Liquid latex is available in costume supply stores and is effective for creating fake gross peeling skin.
A copious amount of fake blood is a zombie necessity! After all, the undead are messy eaters. There are lots of recipes available online that you can make easily at home. Be creative with the fake blood—smear it, drip it, pour it! Rub it on your zombie clothes as well to give them a lived-in look. Tear and cut your clothes to make them look more ragged. You’ve been buried underground and groping your way around the city looking for human flesh. You’re not going to look like you’ve just stepped out of the Gap!
Turning heads
“One of my favourite parts after a walk is looking through the photos at those surprised by our visit—there are so many smiling faces! In Royal Oak, people stopped eating, walking, working—just to watch the long line of zombies shamble by,” says Kelli.
Acting like a proper zombie and staying in character is key for a successful zombie walk. Walk slowly, stiffly and with a bit of a limp. Don’t speak properly either—stick to moans and groans. Bump into each other. Devour human flesh.
Zombie walks are meant for fun, so be careful not to cause a ruckus or torment small children who do not understand what is going on. The important part is to go out and have a great time.
For more information about zombie walks in the area, visit Zombie Walk Detroit at http://www.zombiewalkdetroit.com.
Details for Windsor Zombie Walk are available on Facebook at http://uwindsor.facebook.com/event.php?eid=7382275762. For more information about the Zombie Squad and their projects, visit them online at http://www.zombiehunters.org.
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