'Walking Dead'-themed Walker Stalker Con hits Philly

All of the hype surrounding the World Meeting of Families and the arrival of Pope Francis - to say nothing of Philadelphia's massive entertainment shutdown while he's here - makes us want to shout, "What else is happening, and how different can you make it?"

"This weekend, Philadelphia will have two amazing opportunities: seeing the pope and/or attending the largest touring zombie convention in the U.S.," said James Frazier who, along with Eric Nordhoff, organizes Saturday and Sunday's Walker Stalker Convention, a tribute to AMC's megahit show The Walking Dead and all things zombielike, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks. "I've heard people fear that our presence, combined with the millions jamming into downtown Philadelphia, may actually result in the real-world start of the zombie apocalypse."

Walker Stalker Con's main draw is the stars of The Walking Dead, including the currently alive (such as Steven "Glenn" Yeun and Tovah "Deanna" Feldshuh), and the not-so-lucky (Jon "Shane" Bernthal and IronE "T-Dog" Singleton), among many others. Even Lincoln A. Castellanos, from newly minted hit Fear the Walking Dead, will tag along.

Not all the celebs are so spooky. Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito and RJ Mitte and Comic Book Men's Mike Zapcic will also be in attendance.

Ten thousand to 15,000 fans a day are expected to attend this weekend's Walker Stalker Con, all dressed in zombie gear. Frazier said the event has drawn all ages, from 4 to 84, all socio-economic statuses, all ready to bond with the celebrities they watch on TV.

The con is right in time for the sixth season of The Walking Dead, premiering Oct. 11.

"My mother used to take me to all the horror stuff when I was a 4-year-old kid - Friday the 13th, Nightmare on Elm Street, even Ghost - and I was pretty scared then," said Singleton, who lived for three years in the zombie apocalypse on The Walking Dead. "Now, the zombies don't worry me so much. I just liken them to the crack addicts I see."

Other than mingling with The Walking Dead stars, fans can check out vendors, see Emily "Beth" Kinney perform music (7:30 p.m. Saturday; separate tickets required), check out a cosplay contest (4 p.m. Saturday), or check out the Zombie Apocalypse Experience, where you too can fight off brain-thirsty walkers (separate tickets start at $17).

Frazier and Nordhoff grew up neighbors in Orlando, Fla. They weren't so much monster-movie acolytes as Halloween haunted-house enthusiasts who were fans of "an amazing attraction in downtown Orlando called 'Terror on Church Street,' " Frazier said. "One Thursday evening, I learned The Walking Dead was filming the final scenes of season three in Senoia, Ga., and it was open to the public to watch. We got up at 4 a.m., drove, met Andrew Lincoln [embattled team leader Rick Grimes], Norman Reedus [tough-but-sweet Daryl Dixon], Melissa McBride [mom-turned-zombie-killer Carol], and watched them film different scenes."

The pair came home and decided to start a podcast about the behind-the-scenes tour, calling it the Walker Stalkers (download it at www.thewalkerstalkers.com or on iTunes). The podcast immediately gained a following because Frazier and Nordhoff were able to connect the fans to the actors. They applied the same philosophy to their first two fan meet-ups, which ultimately turned into what is now Walker Stalker Con.

"The podcast was first an opportunity for Eric and I to hang out, drink beer, and talk about TWD. But we got serious," Frazier said, "when we were able to get staff and cast to come on, interact with us and then with fans."

They had their first meet-up for the Season 3 finale, and McBride showed up to hang with Frazier and Nordhoff and 100 fans in a small bar in Newnan, Ga. The next party was for the Season 4 premiere. That brought 600 people together.

"Then we planned a larger meet-up for October 2013, expecting 1,500 people," Frazier said, "which turned into 10,500."

That's how The Walking Dead fans roll - like zombies, en masse and occasionally with stiff arms. "T-Dog was beloved," said Singleton, "so when I meet fans, I get genuine crying because fans miss him, to people calling me their hero, to genuine admiration. It's a great feeling."

The Walker Stalker Con Philadelphia 2015, 10:30 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, 100 Station Ave., Oaks, Pa. Tickets: General admission is $45-$100. VIP packages from $220-$1,400. Tickets do not include autographs or photo-ops, excluding celebrity-specific VIP tickets. Information: www.walkerstalkercon.com/philadelphia/