An Anti-Zombie Convention in Wisconsin? Outrageous!
We’re a pretty tolerant area for the Zombie Community here in Wisconsin, and the Undead are active members of our communities, as we’ve copiously documented on the blog.
So when I heard about an explicitly Anti-Zombie angle on a local gaming convention I was shocked and offended:
WESTON — Every year, the D.C. Everest Gaming Club works to make the annual Evercon gaming convention bigger.
This year, however, things have exploded.
“Everything is new this year,” said co-director Jonathan Elmergreen.
…
The Friday evening events will feature a panel on how to survive a potential zombie apocalypse, and attendees are encouraged to come to the panel dressed as zombies.
“The first night of the event is on Friday the 13th, and 2012 is supposed to be the end of the world, so we really wanted to have some fun with it,” Elmergreen said. “Zombies have become huge in pop culture, and everyone is talking about how they would survive a zombie apocalypse. We just thought this would be a fun way to start the con.”
First of all, Mr. Elmergreen, the preferred nomenclature is ‘Global Reanimation Block Party’, not ‘Zombie Apocalypse’.
Well, at least it is around here.
Second, way to show the vibrant Wisconsin Zombie Community the cold shoulder! Zombies don’t have to equate to the ‘apocalypse’; we’ve been getting along quite well with the Undead for some time here in the Upper Midwest, so this sort of a backslide is awful for public relations as well as civil liberties.
We need to be an example for the nation, not another area piling-on the Differently Animated, adding to their troubles.
For shame, Evercon 2012. It’s a new year and we all need a fresh start, not the same old tired stereotypes about the ‘Zombie Apocalypse and videogames glorifying the violent suppression of the Undead.
For shame.
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I’m a little confused, perhaps it’s because I haven’t had my morning coffee yet and since I don’t drink, coffee, so I’m screwed. So their first major event is ‘how to survive the global reanimation block party’, yet they’re asking attendees to come as the differently animated?
Two thoughts come to mind. First, they’re going to use the attendees as target practice, the panelists taking the roll of the non-differently animated. Second, they’re going to teach the differently animated how to survive in a hostile anarchic environment. And I’m not clear which.
It seems to me like holding a panel on counter-terrorism and asking everyone to come as their favorite Jihadist.
Yes, we were also confused by this. I’d be very worried if I was an attendee, and am now worried enough that I’d be wary of becoming one!
Though the idea of holding a Zombie-oriented survival course, teaching Zombies to survive the ravages of Max Brooks does hold a certain appeal…