Zombie Walk returns - maybe for the last time

4 JULY 2016

Even if you didn't attend San Diego Comic-Con 2014, you may have heard of the Zombie Walk car accident in which a woman was injured during the march. As lawsuits ensued and much hand-wringing went on over whose zombie face/car banging/reckless driving / failure to get permits caused what, one fatality seemed certain: the possibility of the Zombie Walk returning to the Con.

Now it's back. That would be 23 July, Saturday evening at 6 pm.

This year the Zombie Walk has merged forces with the 2016 Flex Your Rex / Dino-Mite Fun Walk, in which you can express your inner saurus. So dress up as a shambling corpse, an extinct raptor or a zombie pterodactyl; you've got choices.

What you may not have is a future Zombie Walk. The organizers aren't sure of the event's continued existence - so if you really want to shuffle along in all your putrescence, this is the year.

San Diego isn't liable for Zombie Walk accident

11 JUNE 2016





I still can't believe the Zombie Walk car crash was only 2 Cons ago, but it was - and today we moved a step closer to ending the whole saga. A Superior Court judge has ruled that the city of San Diego is not liable for damages and was not negligent when it came to the accident.

If you've forgotten who was suing who - because at this point, who can keep track - victim Cynthia Campbell who was pinned under the car and Matthew Pocci the driver and his passengers all sued the city. They contended San Diego should have arranged detours and closed roads to make the whole zombie parade safer, but the judge said no dice. Previously Pocci was found guilty and sentenced mainly to probation.

Zombie Walk driver gets probation

12 DECEMBER 2015



In November, Matthew Pocci Jr. - AKA the driver in the infamous SDCC Zombie Walk accident - was found guilty of felony reckless driving resulting in great bodily injury.

Now he's been sentenced to 3 years probation and 60 days home detention with electronic monitoring. He also has to do 120 days of volunteer work and will lose his driver's license for a year.

This may or may not be the end of the story, as last we knew there were still several civil lawsuits pending. But this aspect of the case is settled at least.

SDCC Zombie Walk driver found guilty

4 NOVEMBER 2015

Matthew Pocci, the driver charged with felony reckless driving in the 2014 SDCC Zombie Walk hit and run, was found guilty today.

The two sides put forward different perspectives. According to his defense attorney, Pocci "felt like he was a victim that day and he feels like he's a victim again for simply trying to protect his family."

The prosecutor painted a different picture, one of impatience and frustration. "He didn't want to wait any longer and he didn't want to communicate with the people trying to tell him to stop."

Most likely it was the different videos viewed in court that decided the matter for jurors. Pocci will be sentenced 11 December.

New video released in SDCC Zombie Walk lawsuit

27 OCTOBER 2015

While most of us have seen the above video of the now-infamous Zombie Walk hit and run - in which a car plowed through a section of the Zombie Walk parade at San Diego Comic-Con 2014, breaking a woman's arm - new and arguably better footage was aired today in court.

Defense arguments posited that driver Matthew Pocci drove forward out of fear, not frustration, and that several people in the crowd motioned him forward. He faces a felony charge of reckless driving and a possible prison term of three years. But that's not the only legal drama afoot; the woman injured is suing the city and the walk organizers along with Pocci, while Pocci and his passenger have their own lawsuit against the city and several parade participants.

Stay tuned.

ETA: The victim in the case has taken the stand.

Courtroom drama: the Zombie Walk hearing

4 JUNE 2015

For those of you following the legal aftermath of last summer's Zombie Walk accident, a preliminary hearing is underway. The accused: driver Matthew Pocci, whose car struck a woman and broke her arm.

Pocci had been working at Comic-Con earlier that day and was driving with several family members when his car became obstructed by the parade of hundreds of costumed zombies. Witnesses testified that Pocci was honking his car horn and gesturing for Zombie Walk participants to move out of the way of his car; the headline emphasizes that he looked "super angry" but also mentions that people jumped onto his car and banged on his windshield, at which point Pocci drove off and struck the woman. Pocci earlier reported that someone had also opened the rear door of his car and that he was afraid for his family's safety.

The hearing will resume today, with the judge concluding whether there's enough evidence to send Pocci to trial. He faces three years in prison if convicted of felony reckless driving causing great bodily injury.

For you first-timers, the Zombie Walk has always been a popular event and last year we had a Zombie Prom - a Night on Zombie Island. However, the organizers have been understandably quiet this year.

 

Zombie Walk driver & passenger are suing too

30 APRIL 2015



A month or so ago we learned that the woman injured in last summer's ZombieWalk is suing the city, the walk organizers and the driver. She's not alone; the driver and his passenger are also suing the city and several parade participants.

It boils down to the lack of a parade permit. But the lawsuit quite vividly describes how the driver "became increasingly confused by the traffic stoppage created by the parade" and how the Zombie Walk participants were "lurching like corpses and wearing gruesome makeup, torn and disheveled clothing and large amounts of fake blood." Also getting a mention: "threatening gestures." You get the idea.

Who else can sue who? Who's going to pay? I have no idea. But I am more convinced than ever that any zombies at this year's Comic-Con will be safely contained within Petco Park at the Walking Dead Escape.

Zombie Walk accident victim going after organizers

3 APRIL 2015

The woman struck in last summer's SDCC Zombie Walk car accident is pursuing legal action against several parties, including the organizers, we found out today. Cyndy Campbell has spoken out about what she called a "life-altering event" and made it clear that she will be suing the city of San Diego, the car driver, and the organizers of Zombie Walk. (Who are not affiliated with CCI or the Con.)

Originally it was reported that the woman was simply a passerby, disconnected from the walk. In fact, she headed down to photograph the event, but apparently was unprepared for the chaos: "It didn't seem too well handled as far as traffic control."

The driver, Michael Pocci, has been already been charged with reckless driving. His response is that he became frightened after the crowd began beating his vehicle and sitting on it, and drove away out of fears for his family's safety.

As for the organizers, they canceled their October event after the Comic-Con accident; since then their Facebook and Twitter have been quiet. While some blamed them for not obtaining a permit, which would have involved police presence, they said the event was not a parade and did not require a permit. They also pointed out that the Walk guidelines have clear admonitions against blocking traffic and touching cars, and claimed that the men who sat on the driver's car were not part of the event.

I know the Zombie Walk is a much-loved part of Comic-Con, but this is clearly going to have a chilling effect on future events. Even if new organizers rise to the fore, the city probably isn't happy about being named in the suit and I doubt CCI wants more negative associations attached to their attendees. If the Walk does return, it'd probably be best to keep it behind the convention center and have it proceed along the waterfront. Not as much fun, maybe, but not as risky or controversial either.

Update on last year's Zombie Walk accident

26 FEBRUARY 2015

Last summer, during the Saturday evening Zombie Walk, a driver struck a 64-year-old woman after trying to drive away from the crowds. Or in a perfect Comic-Con sentence, "The motorist tried to drive away from the intersection of Island and Second avenues after waiting for as long as 10 minutes as a raucous group of people portraying roaming corpses passed by."

The car struck a few people and broke the woman's arm; today it was announced the driver will face charges for reckless driving causing injury. He'll be arraigned on 8 March.

This wasn't nearly as bad as the Twilight fan getting killed by a car in 2012 - no one died this time, at least - but it might still inspire more calls for orderliness during this summer's Zombie Walk. Just a theory.

2014 trends and controversies

28 JULY 2014

Hopefully you're home and rested by now. If you're like most people, you're sick to death of anything SDCC at this point and aren't reading this - but you might also be catching up on all the gossipy Con news you missed, as it's hard to see everything when you're in the thick of it. In which case, read on.


Let's start with Saturday's ZombieWalk accident. Allegedly several zombies began banging on a car that allegedly honked/yelled at them, the zombies allegedly smashed its windshield, and the car definitely accelerated and hit a 64 year old woman (not part of the walk.) She was hospitalized with a broken arm. There are several versions of this story going around, hence all my "allegedly"s, but it's safe to speculate that this will impact next year's ZombieWalk, just like the Twilight fan who was killed running to the Hall H line a few years back generated stricter line guidelines.


If you chose not to think about it, the harassment controversy that dominated spring coverage wasn't a major factor in the Con - but it was there simmering beneath the surface if you did look for it. In addition to the CYA email sent out a few days before the Con, the harassment policy was posted in the restrooms and outlets ran articles like "Comic-Con's Dark Side: Harassment Amidst the Fantasy." Were cosplayers harassed at the same rate? I don't know. I got groped quite egregiously in the Hyatt bar by a drunk attendee who also said gross things to another woman and made a classic "what do you expect" comment. Neither of us were in costume but we were dressed like many women dress on a summer night, which apparently justified it in his mind. I'm including this story only to tell you that yes, this mentality does exist among attendees and it's not some hysterical fantasy made up for attention. Which is what many people have suggested.


But at least we know why CCI didn't want to create a new harassment policy: their lawyers were too busy creating a cease and desist order for Salt Lake Comic Con. This is a real thing. CCI is saying that Salt Lake Comic Con cannot use the term "comic con" for any event, logo, trademark or website moving forward. (So if one day this blog vanishes into a black hole, now you know why.) Salt Lake is challenging this by calling it intellectual property infringement and pointing out that hundreds of Cons already use the generic term "comic con." Team Salt Lake on this one.


Hall H wristbands seemed to exult some people and piss off others. I don't do Hall H, so I'm relying on other accounts here. Some people claimed to be robbed of their wristbands as they slept, which if true is a new low in Comic-Con world. Anyone who did this, I hope you fail at every future badge sale ever.

I also heard the general informal camaraderie of camping out seemed cooled by rules on where and how you could wait. Unpopular opinion: I don't have a problem with this. I remember well the tents and tiny grills people used to have, and how chaotic and uncontrollable it all got. And at the end of the day, we are on the convention center's property, at an event hosted by CCI, not at Burning Man. We're obligated to follow their rules.

In any case, the Saturday line seemed to blow everyone's mind and kick the mythos of the Hall H line into another dimension, from which it will hopefully boomerang back and settle into some kind of reasonable status. Because beginning your campout the afternoon or even morning of the day before the panel is just silly. It creates panic and then everyone has to get in line. I honestly don't even think it's that much about seeing the panel anymore - it's about the social experience and bragging rights. Enduring the Hall H line is running with the bulls for nerds. And the fact that people like Joss Whedon and Mischa Collins come along and feed the campers with coffee and attention doesn't help.


The outside events drew a large crowd, like we knew they would. However, while GOT was a big hit, I have to give Assassin's Creed top honors here, because that was almost as fun to watch as it was to do. (I'm guessing. There was no way I was going to even try.) Many of the events in and out of the convention center were social-based, which got old fast. It also seemed to be the year of Oculus Rift, which was employed by Fox/X Men, Sleepy Hollow, Pacific Rim and others. Minor gripe here: even though the X-Men experience had its own booth, it only gave out 75-100 passes a day and they seemed to be gone as soon as the Exhibit Hall opened. Offering an activity to only 100 people out of 130,000 is not the best planning.


And on the topic of bad planning, yikes to the Hasbro line. My sympathies if you were embroiled in that mess. You needed a ticket to stand in line, so people lined up in the pre-dawn hours to get tickets, and new attendees or anyone with a single day badge was out of luck. The line itself was poorly managed and while Hasbro said they were trying to eliminate resellers from the equation, I suspect the system gave resellers an advantage over regular attendees. Mattel and Funko looked hellish as well.


Nerd HQ is bigger than ever. Remember when it was just an appendage to Comic-Con? Now it feels like a threatening upstart - a sort of private club where you can sidestep the publicity nonsense and hear actual conversations with your favorite stars like Tatiana Maslany and Norman Reedus. I feel like a lot of people are skipping SDCC panels in favor of that option.

Which brings me to cosplay. I think the humidity shut a lot of cosplayers out of the Exhibit Hall, which at times felt like a Florida swamp. But I did see, in addition to the usual DC ensembles and Disney princesses and evil queens, some interesting trends. Namely Vikings, multiple Daryl Dixons (some with awful wigs), multiple Khaleesis (also with wigs), a few Helenas, and some amazing Saga cosplay.

My favorite cosplay photobomb was Maleficent below, if only for her predatory expression.

Finally, I can't believe how many people panicked over Stan Lee skipping the Con . A whole bunch of "Well, I heard..." sprung up but it was because of laryngitis, nothing more. You will see him again, I promise.

I'll post news and announcements in a bit.

Get a discount on Zombie Prom tickets

5 JULY 2014

If you haven't gotten your tickets yet for A Night on Zombie Island - AKA Prom of the Undead - now is the time. ZombieWalk:SanDiego is offering a $5 discount on all tickets until 10 pm Monday night. Just use the code BRAINS.

The prom is Saturday night, 26 July, at the Horton Grand Hotel, following ZombieWalk:SanDiego. The organizers say there will be "creepy cocktails, horrifying hors d'oeuvres, monstrous music, a frightening photo booth, crowning of the Zombie Prom King & Queen" and more. How do you dress for such an elegant event? "Prombie" style is encouraged, which I'm guessing involves rotted evening wear, but probably any kind of putrefaction is appropriate. Unlike traditional proms, you don't need a date, so feel free to come stag and meet the corpse of your dreams.

There are two ticket tiers. $30 is for standard tickets and $70 is for VIPs, who will get separate check-in, two drink tickets, and a swag bag. Yes, Saturday night is extremely crowded with enticing events, but this looks extremely fun - so if you want to go, act before Monday night and get that discount.

A Night on Zombie Island

27 MAY 2014

In addition to jumping to Saturday this year, the ZombieWalk has sparked up a new event: the Zombie Prom. (New to San Diego Comic-Con; I know other Cons have these already.)

A Night on Zombie Island will be held Saturday, 26 July, after the ZombieWalk, and played by Powerman 5000. Yes, it actually is inspired by the 1932 film White Zombie. (I'm not the only vintage horror fan who got excited by that, right?) However, before you can buy tickets, the organizers are asking for help. Booking venues, paying for beverage minimums and décor, and other costs are expensive - as the organizers point out, many venues hike prices sky-high during the Con.

If you donate, you get a social media shoutout, buttons, a poster, t-shirts and the chance to lead the ZombieWalk after getting all putrified up by a makeup artist, depending on donation level. They'll also be contributing to the Autistic Self Advocacy Network and Autism Women's Network, causes dear to the nerdy heart.

Once they hit the halfway mark of their goal, they'll offer single tickets. Right now, though, they're offering special VIP packages for early supporters. If you can't chip in, consider sharing their link and recommending any businesses who might want to become promotional partners with them.

So there you have it - Prom of the Undead with a Bela Lugosi theme. Saturday night is crowded with way too much magnificence so far.