Toronto Zombie Walk 2008 Photos
Yesterday, hundreds thousands of zombies descended on Trinity-Bellwoods Park and (much to the delight and fear of passersby) dragged themselves through the streets for the annual Toronto Zombie Walk.
So many great shots of the event are appearing on Flickr that I just had to share in a slideshow (below). I just have to make sure my boss doesn't catch me with my feet up on my desk and zombies on my monitor.
Have photos of the event and want them to show up in the above slideshow? Simply drop them into the blogTO Flickr pool and use the tag "toronto zombie walk 2008".
Lead photo by Squeakyrat.
UPDATE: Also be sure to check out shots by Miles Storey over at Torontoist. He's got some great close up zombie portraits of a bunch of participants.
Comments (52)
Somehow the sunny weather and zombies tossing a frisbee just didn't do it for me... but these photos are wicked!
Dude with the CHUD baby carriage, my favourite.
I love how ALL OUT people go for this. Some of those drooping eyeballs and knives through heads are really well done!
I am very offended by this practice. Before you tell me I am overreacting or something, let me put this in context. I recently came to Canada from a country where landmines and bombs and shootings were killing and injuring people in my community everyday and I had to see gruesomeness like this all the time. I did not realize that this zombie walk was happening yesterday, and it caused my entire family to question the country we had moved to. Are you all that removed from reality that something like this seems fun? To dress up as if you have been disfigured by a landmine, as if you have been shot in the head, is this exciting to you? I am confused and disgusted by this practice. I don't know where else to say this than here, though I know that no one will care or provide any answers.
I can understand, given your circumstances, how this zombie phenomenon might be offensive.
But for most, it's all in good fun.
Horror and gore are really popular in Toronto... from a really great niche film festival, to zombies as art, to magazines...
Adelah: Chill out! Zombie movies don't represent war. The good ones are criticisms of various facets of society.
This event was all in good fun. Nobody was there to make light of the suffering of citizens of war-torn countries.
This practice is desensitizing us to the growing Zombie Menace! We need our survival instincts to remain intact! The reaction to seeing the undead roaming free and unhindered throughout our streets should be to grab the nearest makeshift weapon and get to work ridding our streets of these decayed corpse!
The welcoming of these evil menace must come to an end, or it shall be you who rue the day the dead rise up!
These people aren't dressing up like landmine or murder victims, they are dressed up like imaginary monsters. Isn't playing make believe better then deciding your neighbour has offended you and killing him?
Adelah I totally understand your point, and I myself have seen war from close while growing up.
People here are mostly bored and uninspired, because their society is mostly uneventful does not give them any cause to believe in, just work and fun. now I understand that is a general statement. but in general, when you compare a middle eastern country (for example) with all its problems, to Canada, you would understand my point.
They need some sort of excitement all the time. They have not seen the real violence and horror from up close (and that is a GREAT thing) that's why they find it fun. Just a mere encounter with one and only one horrific and violent event in their life would make them resent this form of 'entertainment'.
Matthew: What's with your bizarre assumption that Adelah's culture (which Adelah doesn't specify) condones killing those who offend you?
I'm more offended when people move to a country and complain about the freedoms and customs of that country. Adelah, you are free to live where you want, but don't go somewhere and try to change it. If enough people are offended they will turn to real violence. This is a cultur of acceptance, enjoy it and the freedoms it provides, turn away fromthings that you don't enjoy.
Fucking right THAT GUY! You took the words right out of my mouth. I have really seen it all now, in terms of societal sensitivities. Let's all just settle down and not worry about being so proper all the time and recognize some of these things as what they are -- just plain old harmless fun.
@That Guy
First of all, you are doing the exact thing that you are advising her not to do.
Secondly, doesn't freedom of speech count as a very important of the 'freedoms' of your country? if so, why can't she express her thoughts and feelings and speak her mind?
Wow, can you say a hypocrite?
@That Guy
First of all, you are doing the exact thing that you are advising her not to do. You also could, as you suggest, follow your culture of acceptance and turn away from things that you don't enjoy such as her comment.
Secondly, doesn't freedom of speech count as a very important part the 'freedoms' that you talk about? if so, why can't she express her thoughts and feelings and speak her mind?
Wow, can you say a hypocrite?
I had no idea people were so offended by zombies.
I'm cursing at my less-than-par health right now since it caused me to miss to walk this year. The photos look great though.
Munzz.. interesting point. My comment does not prevent Adelah from speaking her mind. I never said she can't be offended. Just like i am offended that you called me a hypocrite. I just like to point out that we need to be accepting and mildly put not give a shit about things that don't matter to us.
As a hypocrite I would question her culture, woudl complain about something i could dig up that offends me. I don't, and if i did i wouldn't care. I'm all for freedom of speech, and the only line i draw is if your freedom of speech causes violence or prevents my freedom of speech.
To add to this I am an immigrant to this country, I try not to bitch and complain. Hey I hate hockey, but i won't try to spoil it for others.
In case you are taking the coming zombie apocalypse lightly read this:
http://www.cracked.com/article_15643_5-scientific-reasons-zombie-apocalypse-could-actually-happen.html
:)
The guy with the CHUD baby is awesome. (Please tell me Kathleen did a "What's Your Story?" piece on him? :)
@ Gloria:
Here is his reason I believe quoting the OP:
"I recently came to Canada from a country where landmines and bombs and shootings were killing and injuring people in my community everyday and I had to see gruesomeness like this all the time."
Plus in the end all conflict comes down to neighbors offending each others religions. To me it never made sense, whether it's Catholics fighting the protestants, or Muslims fighting the Jews. Seems like we would be all better off if all history was forgotten. Hey playing dress up as zombies seems like the safe peaceful way to go. More death and war has been caused in the name of god than anything else.
this zombie walk was my first, it was really incredible seeing -like jarrold said- how decked out people were.
all in all it was a really fun day
If anyone has any pictures of me...
please send them...
www.myspace.com/synthetixx
there is a few pics of me...
i need more, and i know there are tons!!!
please send.
thanks so much.
i don't mean to be insensitive- but just as you ask us to place your reason-for-offense in context, you've got to place this zombie walk within it's north american cultural context- zombies do not represent war victims. they represent the horror genre of film- fantasy and fiction. so while your offense is certainly justified and merited, it's highly personal, and you're kinda grafting your own personal, foreign (and to most north americans somewhat alien) meanings to pop culture symbols.
kind of culture shock, i'd say.
Adelah: As gruesome as random land mine maimings and civil war can be, you have to understand that this is an extension of a centuries-old tradition of dressing up in costume as monsters and ghouls and ghosts. Much of Canadian culture originated in the British Isles where Hallowe'en was born.
@Adelah & the Sensitively Correct.
Suggestion: Stay inside, Lock your doors & don't look out the windows on the 31st.
This has nothing to do with war. Please! If it makes you question the social values of the country you chose (Canada), then I suggest maybe going back?
Now if you wish to understand a bit more, you should visit your local video store and go check the obscure section entitled: HORROR - The one you probably always avoid. This should give you a different perspective.
I am offended by this. Not personally offended, but offended as in I don't want to see that shit in my face offended. If I were to see the person pictured act like that on the same sidewalk as me, I would probably impose violence on him. Why? Because he acts like he likes the vioelnce and horror. If he were born a zombie I would be more understanding.
But I understand that you people think it's fun and games. I don't see it as fun and games I see it as disgusting and stupid. So I'll give you that, if you give me that.
But hey, I am entitled to my own opinions as you are. Damn hipsters.
And this may have nothing to do directly with war, but more with the image of humanity.
Gloria:
I'm sure Adelah's culture doesn't condone killing people, and I never said it did. However she did say that "landmines and bombs and shootings were killing and injuring people in my community everyday" and I'm sure you'll agree that most of the time when people are being killed more often then not it's over petty offenses and imagined slights.
I for one am glad I don't need to see people killed in the streets on a daily basis. I find it preposterous that someone would consider moving back to a place where people are constantly being killed rather then staying in order to escape people playing make belive.
You know what I find offensive? Pompous smart-asses telling a new immigrant who is obviously confused about our social and cultural norms to "go back to their country". Who's the one who needs "perspective" here?
Matthew: I read your comment as saying that playing zombies is better than "deciding your neighbour has offended you and killing him." At no point did Adelah ever say playing zombies was worse than war -- only that it was reminiscent of much worse circumstances. I can't see why else you'd try to compare the two.
I just didn't see your point was in telling her what she already knows -- that war is horrific.
I too think Adelah's misunderstood the context of zombie walks, but only about the concept of zombies and horror culture, not war.
@Elle Driver
Quote: "...and it caused my entire family to question the country we had moved to."
Elle. What are you defending here? There were about 1,000 people at this event. It wasn't a random get-together; it was an organized event. While you may find my comments "pompous" a/o "offensive", they are not taken out of context. This whole thread could have been applied the same way to Halloween or El Dia de los Muertos in S-America. The logic is flawed. If someone doesn't understand the context in which actions and events take place, it does not excuse them from making wrong assumptions. Though I feel sympathy for their situation, I don't think it's fair to refer back to it and pass judgment on others cultures using their as a valid social model.
The same way you could trash-talk Trek'ies and their "Pointy ears and spandex suits conventions" for being a fictional representation of the U.S.' world hegemony.
I don't get it.
A) nobody ever told anyone to take it seriously, nobody is taking it seriously.. there's COPS controlling so called dead people, who are obeying stop signs and not interfering with anyone who doesn't want to be bothered. If you don't like seeing it, look at your feet, look at the sky, go home and cry for god's sake.
B) Moving to a new country, locking yourself in an abandoned warehouse or basement with loved ones either way you hide, you're going to die eventually and it probably won't be remotely cool. "Died peacefully in my sleep" zombie isn't exactly fun... and finally
the living dead and all related gore have always, since the very first zombie movie ever made, been representational. You can say things using gore that you can't say in any newspaper, book, song, CNN newscast, political debate.
Blood, guts, death, are all things people can actually relate to. Because, you know, its what makes you human.
Or otherwise.
Wow. You people are looking way to deep into this.
It's a way for people to have fun..its friggen playing dress up. I did it personally because i LOVE make up. I love doing make up and zombie make up isnt exactly your everyday thing. and really, come on it takes place one time a year. Try looking at it through a different prespective.
@Nerds-R-Us: Please spare me the sermon. You're talking like this Adelah has committed some kind of unforgivable faux-pas by not understanding the whole zombie walk. Your knee-jerk suggestion was to send them back to their country. Because that's totally NOT AT ALL jingoistic or irrational-sounding.
And since you've strangely brought up "conventions" and "Trekkies" in this conversation: I used to attend comic cons quite often, and I was actually a guest speaker at the big Toronto comic con a few years ago. (Does that make me a bigger "nerd" than you?) But that's REALLY beside the point, right?
@Death__Cadet:
"Moving to a new country, locking yourself in an abandoned warehouse or basement with loved ones either way you hide, you're going to die eventually and it probably won't be remotely cool. "Died peacefully in my sleep" zombie isn't exactly fun..."
That is something Sarah Palin would say. lol
@Elle Driver
I love living in a country that accepts multiculturalism, that allows to you have a choice, that gives you a freedom of speech, that lets you walk around half naked or fully dressed up or disguised (in a park or in the city) and drink a virgin mary or a bloody ceasar at a local terrace.
I dislike seeing my values criticized. It strikes a nerve when I see people who land here and decide to voice out and demand change to accommodate their personal values.
I say it again. If you are not happy leave, go back, find something better suited for you.
As to Treks, it doesn't make you a bigger nerd, it makes you friggin' hot!
Back to Zombies please :)
@Nerds-R-Us
If you believe in freedom of speech so much, why can't you stand people expressing their opinion?
Or maybe you like freedom of speech as long as people agree with your own ideas?
@Munzz
If you had to/moved to a different country; you would have to adapt. No? And not be able to voice your own opinion. No?
I'm sure you'll "agree" with this.
These are not "my" ideas - these are known facts.
@Nerds-R-Us:
Thank god immigrants didn't fully adapt to everything or else we wouldn't have a great multi-cultural city like Toronto. the great thing about Canada is taht people are able bring their culture here too and we all benefit from it.
"..And not be able to voice your own opinion. No?"
Its unclear what you mean by this.
"These are not "my" ideas - these are known facts."
where did get those facts? do you have any references for them?
None of you quite understand my point. And I'm glad you don't understand - as Munzz said,
"They have not seen the real violence and horror from up close (and that is a GREAT thing) that's why they find it fun".
Let's be PC about this. No more zombies for fear of offending those from nations insane with human destruction. No more parades for fear of offending those who dislike Nazis & Communists since both had held their propaganda pageants. No bright colors in society so no conservative cultures are offended. Happy Now?
@Adelah
And let's keep it that way. We don't want real violence. Sorry for what you experienced, I hope you won't encounter any real violence here. What you will find here is people enjoying life and having fun in their own way.
@SCREWFACE
"I would probably impose violence on him. Why? Because he acts like he likes the vioelnce and horror."
So you are the type that would rape a woman in a mini skirt because she 'she acts like she asked for it?'
Adelah, I hope some of these comments helped give you some perspective. People dress up like zombies because they are fans of horror movies, and the makeup part is artistic expression. Think for a second: Your former country=gruesome, unnecessary deaths from real war. Canada=people dressing up as reanimated dead people, no one killed or hurt....which country needs to re-evaluate itself?
Muzik had a great party... I heard Liberty Grand did as well. I saw tons of Halloween pics from this year at this link http://www.clubpath.com/blogs/Best_Halloween_Costumes_of_2008/8ec13435-ff74-4d1a-9682-c94760a9f320
just because this is picture of stated here ... doesnt mean you nessarly saw them . you couldve photo shot these or even to makeup on your buddies of all we know .
zombies are the thing we cannot see nor examin .
i know for a fact if there was zombies the local would be talkin or the fbi or something would keep secret. idiot.
Haven't you ever seen any of the George Romero movies about the living dead? Night, Dawn, Day, Return, etc. of horror movies. It's all in having fun. Understand?
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