Zombie hunters / lovers and geeky horror, thriller, and sci-fi fanatics unite! If you're looking for a place to come together and celebrate your far-out common interests, then the Walker Stalker Convention is the place to be! It's a festival that mainly focuses on AMC's The Walking Dead, but it additionally features other popular drama / action television shows, such as Bates Motel, American Horror Story, Gotham, Lost, and Breaking Bad, to name a few. I attended the convention at Boston's Westin Waterfront Hotel in the end of July, and I've got the inside scoop on all that the festival has to offer and of what to expect from your fellow nerdy attendees.
The second I entered the hotel lobby, I had already run into a couple of roaming zombies and a stomach-churning looking clown who was dressed like he had stepped right off of the set of "Freak Show", season four of American Horror Story. From what I've gathered in these first moments, it doesn't take you much time to realize that almost every other person you'll see is either dressed in full costume based on characters from the shows featured, carrying some sort of outrageous plastic prop, or simply wearing a Walking Dead shirt. Even before getting my tickets, I felt like I had stepped directly into a party for a seriously dedicated fandom. Props to you, you crazy fanatics! You've really outdone yourselves here.
Additionally, upon making my way into the convention, the looks given to decked out fans from some of the hotel regulars and employees were nothing short of priceless. It was if some of them didn't even know what the purpose of the convention was, or that it was even going on altogether!
Heading into the early afternoon, I was getting ready for a Q&A panel not with actors from The Walking Dead, but from Bates Motel. Yes, I'll admit that I attended the convention mainly to see and meet my favorite leading men from Bates, Nestor Carbonell (Sheriff Alex Romero) and Max Thieriot (Dylan Massett). Because Walker Stalker was my first-ever fandom convention experience, having the opportunity to sit in on a live panel and to be educated in a show I whole-heartedly binge watch straight from the actors from the set was nothing short of extraordinary. They filled fans in on every on-set scenario you could think of, from filming action scenes, to long dialogues, to shooting the best and worst scenes that affected each of them personally, whether physically or emotionally. Max had a handful of stories to tell from being involved with action scenes. He recalled when his fist accidentally went into direct contact with Freddie Highmore (Norman Bates)'s face while acting out a fighting scene. "Freddie hit the floor right on impact, and he was out cold! His legs were even twitching!" He laughs. When a fan asked each of the guests which scene was the hardest to shoot, Nestor immediately spoke about Norma's death in the show and wished that his character could have managed to save her. He then went on to the lighter side of things and joked, "Romero really needs to work on his CPR skills!"
Walking into the ballrooms on each hotel floor was every fandom member's paradise. The food, arts, and merchandise vendors were abundant and gathered together in the center of each floor, while the actors' appearance tables bordered along each of the walls. If you should ever find yourself attending a Walker Stalker Convention, make sure you have a hefty load of cash on you, as most areas won't take cards, and taking photos and getting autographs from your favorite guests can cost a pretty penny and quickly add up. However, make sure you enjoy yourself in the meantime and get involved with everything it has to offer! You'll thank yourself later.
As much as I love both of the actors who appeared from Bates Motel, I decided to take my chances with meeting Nestor Carbonell. I am more familiar with Carbonell's work -- you might remember him as Richard Alpert on ABC's groundbreaking series, Lost. If not, here's a photo to help jog your memory:
I felt honored to be the first person to meet Nestor after the Bates panel (long story short, my sister has been recovering from a knee injury, and so we received a line skipping card from disability services!). Needless to say, we most certainly had much to talk about since the panel experience was still fresh in our minds. Nestor is hands-down one of the most genuine guys I have ever met (strong handshakes AND free bear hugs you say?!) There's a thin line between actors who go to these events just to get paid, and those who actually realize that some of their fans have travelled a long way to see them and to be able to spend time with them. I could immediately tell from Nestor that he was thinking along the lines of the better side. He was incredibly friendly and social, and he seemed to put effort into making each moment with his fans a memorable one.
When Nestor came out to his table, he first noticed the photo from Lost I selected for an autograph with a sticky note with my name on it. "Are you Stacey?" He asked, and we excitedly greeted each other. I spent the next several minutes raving about Lost, saying I had been binge watching it on Netflix for the last few months and only had the series finale left to watch (how I hadn't run into any finale spoilers over the last many years since the show came to an end is beyond me!). Nestor then realized that he was talking quite a bit about the finale at the panel -- he put his head in his hands and said, "Oh my god, please don't tell me I ruined the end of it for you!" I laughed it off and reassured him that I didn't exactly pick up on what he was saying about Lost's dramatic end when an audience member had asked him about it. With a sigh of relief and a chuckle, he continued on with giving me one of the most memorable and meaningful moments of my entire life. He personalized his autograph with an extremely significant line from Lost that directly referred to his character, which I was basically jumping for joy over when he handed the photo to me ("So good to see you out of those chains!") We took some fantastic pictures together and joked about crazy Norman in Bates Motel, said our goodbyes (he came in for a massive bear hug and I squealed), and I was on my way with shaking hands and a face beaming with joy.
I don't know about you all, but I feel that there is something so fulfilling and thrilling about having the chance to meet someone who admire. It's a time where you can take in every single moment -- you realize that it is probably the one and only time that you can thank them for all that they've done for you personally and appreciate their accomplishments head on. If you ever find yourself with this kind of opportunity, I advise you to take it with open arms! It might only feel like a few short minutes spent with them, but there's always a way that you can make a lasting impression on them and generally make them feel even better about themselves, and ultimately yourself.
The Walker Stalker Convention's next stop is the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks on October 1st and 2nd! For more information about the event and other upcoming tour stops, check out their official website ! Here you can purchase admission tickets and professional photo ops, stay up-to-date on their frequently updated schedules and guest lists, and even apply to volunteer! My first Walker Stalker experience was nothing short of spectacular, so don't miss out on your chance!
