The streets of downtown Fort Myers will once again be invaded by hordes of the walking dead as ZombiCon returns for its 9th consecutive year October 17. ZombieCon has steadily grown from 500-800 people its inaugural year to now anticipating a crowd of well over 10,000 people in 2015. This year’s theme “Fallout: 1985,” pays homage to horror director George Romaro’s 1985 film, “Day of the Dead,” which includes scenes shot in downtown Fort Myers and celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. The film contains a strong military presence and this year’s theme is based on the idea that the world’s governments resorted to nuclear weapons meaning that most of the zombies around today in the fictional world participants will step into would have been dead for 30 years. In addition to dressing up as zombies in their favorite 80s styles, participants can enjoy entertainment including a dark arts show and live performances at five different venues. We’ll take a closer look at what’s involved in this massive event, along with an exploration of why so many of us remain ever fascinated by the zombie genre.
Guests:
Janet McCrory DeMarco, Founder of ZombieCon and Pushing Daizies, Inc., Musician and Educator
Peter Dendle, Ph.D., Professor of English at Penn State Mon Alto and author of “The Zombie Movie Encyclopedia,” volumes One and Two.
