Norman Reedus, right, who plays fan-favorite Daryl, interacts with a fan.
NASHVILLE – What do you get when you combine thousands of passionate fans and zombies? Walker Stalker Con.
For the second year in a row, droves of fans descended on Nashville for a chance to meet their favorite cast members from the AMC hit television series, “The Walking Dead.” Stars on-hand included Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who plays main antagonist Negan and Norman Reedus, who plays the popular character Daryl.
Fans lined up in front of the Music City Center in Nashville chomping at the bit, not unlike the zombies on the show, for their chance to enter the convention hall and spend a weekend surrounded by the walking Dead.
“Walking Dead fans are nothing but a big ball of love," actor Chad Coleman, who played character Tyrese, told The Cullman Tribune in an interview at his booth. "I love that it is like family. The show demographic is from 3 to 83. You get the whole family and that is unusual."
Coleman could have not spoken truer words. Throughout the convention hall, there were babies outfitted in Walking Dead gear or dressed up like characters from the show, and grandmothers in Daryl shirts hoping to meet Norman Reedus and everyone in between.
The convention hall floor was shoulder-to-shoulder with people perusing merchandise and waiting in line to meet their favorite stars. The actors’ booths started on the far wall of the convention hall and wrapped all the way around to the photo op booth. Actors ranged from characters who have died on the show, like Emily Kinney who played Beth and Scott Wilson who played her father Herschel, to characters who are still going strong such as Carl who is played by Chandler Riggs and Morgan who is played by Lennie James.
For many, what made the Walker Stalker Con experience unlike any other convention was that actors actually took their time with the fans and interacted, instead of herding them through just to make a buck.
"They value the fans so strongly," Walker Stalker Con President Jackie Prutsman said.
“When you approach a cast member for an autograph or a selfie at their booth, they genuinely seem interested in how your day is and thankful that you're a fan of the show and this is unlike any other experience at any other horror or sci-fi convention,” said one fan. “From the shaking of hands are giving a hug to a female fan to answering questions about the show, the actors are more than happy to interact with each and every person.”
Along with the chance to meet favorite cast members, throughout the weekend there were two different stages where fans could hear the cast members talk about their experiences on the show and what it's like to be part of “The Walking Dead” community. They also took questions from the audience for a more intimate fan experience.
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