Zombie Crawl Flows Through NYC’s Heart

Today’s world has become infatuated with horror and the occult; what once was accepted by only horror fans has become “in.”

We live in a world where “The Walking Dead,” a show detailing the lives of a group of survivors in the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse, is the highest rated television series with over 11 million viewers.

The undead are more alive than ever.

And they live in Doug Sakmann’s NYC Zombie Crawl.

Sakmann or the “Zombie Ringleader” is a 14-year FX veteran who, eight years ago, started the Zombie Crawl as way for him and his FX buddies can not only practice, but have a good time.

“We kind of did it as a meet up for us to practice our effects and to run around,” said Sakmann.“The first one, about 150 people showed up and it kind of snowballed from there.”

“People are starting to catch up to what we love to do, which is crazy zombie gore stuff,” said one of the stars of “Return to Nuke ‘Em High” and close friend of Sakmann, Zac Amico. “Now, the tone of pop culture is finally starting to catch up to the cool nerds.”

The Crawl is an event where people gather dressed up as the undead to walk though the streets, scaring on-lookers, take photos and just have a good time.

Just like New York City itself, there is no shortage of diversity when it comes to zombies. You can see everything from a zombie Iron Man walking the streets to a more undead than usual Jason Vorhees logging around his machete among the zombie horde.

Outside of the after party, there is no required age for the Crawl. Little kids can be seen grasping a bloodied up baby doll with their teeth as other kids passing by scream for their mommy.

“It’s become more a family affair,” said Sakmann. “People who came to the Zombie Crawl eight years ago are now coming with their kids.”

This year’s first crawl was held on Sunday in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Zombies converged on Grand Street to meet up at Trash Bar, where outside,make up artists zombied-up participants.

The zombie horde led by their Ringleader Sakmann then crawled down to Driggs Avenue and North 7th street , where they stopped for what some hoped was for brains, but was for hot dogs at Crif Dogs.

Zombies walked down the avenue, residents of the neighborhood looked on as zombies got on top incoming traffic. It even drew the attention of the NYPD who arrived to shepherd the hoard to its next destination, The Charleston bar on Bedford Avenue and then onto McCarren park where the zombies took a family portrait.

The fun did not stop there.

The horde then made a final stop at Bar Matchless for a zombie after party.

Over the course of eight years, the Crawl has become so much more than just a way for FX artist to hone their skills; it is now an event where just about anyone can enjoy.

“People like to dressed up and have a lot of fun,” said Amico. “It’s something the mainstream culture is accepting now, people realize ‘Oh yeah, this is people just having fun.'”

Eight years in, the NYC Zombie scene is one of the fastest growing subcultures in the city.

Sakmann does not only hold the Crawl twice a year, but has a plethora of other zombified activities for New Yorkers to enjoy including a Zombie Beauty Pageant, that has everything from singing zombies to twerking zombies. There is also the Brain Bash at the Beach, where Zombies take over Luna Park and Cyclone Field in Coney Island and there is Zombie Night at Citi-Field, with special zombie priced tickets to see the zombies of the MLB play, The New York Mets.

Zombies don’t hog all the fun though.

There is the Zombie Mud Run. Humans can test their survival skills in a 5K zombie apocalypse obstacle course.

Its safe to say Sakmann has the NYC zombie game on lock.

Major companies are taking notice.

“We get contacted about doing all types of zombie events,” said Sakmann. “Book releases, movies, video games, conventions, all kinds of stuff.”

As for what direction Sakmann wants to take the Zombie Crawl, he said one day wants to bring the world record for most zombies in one place to New York, which he describes as the “World’s Capital.”

“Since the beginning it’s been going in the direction; first, the direction I didn’t really imagine it would go to where I’d like it to go cause more people are coming out to the events. Eventually I would like to hold the world record,” said Sakmann.

With all the blood, guts and mayhem it is as Amico puts it, “We’re just recapturing the fun of our youth.”