Nothing says “creative class” like a zombie walk

Zombie kindergarten field trip

The official Zombie Wrangler at the corner of Vance and Main repeated: “Undead! Stay off the sidewalk! Stay on the street until after the Green Beetle!” Keeping the undead in line was a bit like herding…zombies.

Zombie Journalist

Memphis’ 4th Zombie Massacre had its best turnout this year. Perhaps it’s the forward zombie momentum. Perhaps it was the good weather.

Zombie therapy

Zombie walks are an international phenomenon. Memphis is in good company among cities like San Francisco, Vancouver, Sacramento, Minneapolis, Chicago, Philadelphia and Sydney, Australia who hold annual zombie events.

Zombies invade Beale Street

Some people may be skeptical that a zombie march is indicative of a thriving creative class. It shows several things: first, the zombie march shows an important stride in downtown revitalization – namely that the area has evolved to one that welcomes performance art in the form of the lurching undead. Second, it shows that there is sufficient critical mass to sustain a kitschy event which has grown by the year. (Other events show community-building strides, like the first-ever Midtown pillow fight of 2009 at Overton Park.)

More than 700 zombies RSVP’d to lurch and swagger along Main and Beale Streets, which seems to show that this phenomenon is more than a fleeting idea. Furthermore, the cadre of organizers (present company only tangentially included), is representative of the talented creative class who are being recruited and wooed to stay in the Mid-South. TheoGeo, a.k.a. Lindsay Turner, is also a local blogger and Commercial Appeal employee. Patrick French runs the Hauntedweb of Horrors, an annual fundraiser for Youth Villages. Duane Craig is a filmmaker, writer and horror enthusiast with a recent movie, Cruel. Says Craig,

“Special effects make up has always been a hobby as well since age 8, honestly. I did my own teeth mold and acrylic vampire fangs at age 12. I didn’t option a script or publish a book until 2005, though, and 2010 marks the release of my feature film debut, CRUEL – a black/white, silent horror film, whose lead actress was found during the first Memphis Zombie Walk. I hope to give back to all whom I’ve met or still to meet.”

(Service-oriented zombies? Keep reading.)

Christin Reeder is a local organizer, yoga teacher/belly dancer, anthropologist, humanitarian and zombitarian. Kerry Vaughn is a Midtowner who knits, has a fantastic record collection and an observant blog.

This year, zombies rehearsed the Thriller dance beforehand and performed on Beale Street with the accompaniment of a zombie Thriller flashmob who joined. The Zombie Massacre is scheduled each year to coincide with the month-long Memphis in May festivities as well as the Main Street Trolley Tour, two Memphis establishments which herald the city’s musical and cultural heritage.

Zombie Early Warning Network

Maybe I’m reading too much into the Zombie Massacre, but it does seem that a place has to have a requisite set of critical “cool city” elements to support this kind of event: enough enthusiasts to make it an event; urban density; media curiosity and support; neighborhood endorsement; safe streets; and a public-private partnership with local establishments and public services (like the police who serve and protect even the undead citizens). It’s important for cities to have fun happenings like this. One of the central tenets of understanding institutional development is that people support what they themselves create.

This annual curiosity is definitely supported by its creators – the fun-seeking, multigenerational (there were tons of zombie kids and babies this year!), widely-themed (including Mickey and Minnie Zombie and prom zombies), and law-abiding (no zombie misdemeanors that I know of) revelers from beyond the grave.

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