BY BOB KRASNER | It was a quiet Sunday night in Tompkins Square Park, just a little chilly. Although it’s getting darker earlier, people were still sitting on benches, dogs were chasing each other — and there were about 150 or so blood-drenched zombies staggering past.
Led by Kabukiman, a.k.a. special-effects makeup artist Doug Sakmann, the enthusiastic crew included kids as young as 8 and pros as well as amateurs.
The march began with Kabukiman leading chants in front of the Lucky bar on Avenue B. (“What do we want?” “Brains!” “When do we want them?” “Now!”) They continued through the park to The Continental bar on Third Ave.
It was the 22nd Zombie Crawl. Sakmann started the biannual event 11 years ago with a bunch of friends, and has watched it grow and get more elaborate each year, even picking up some corporate sponsorship along the way.
He estimated there were about 300 undead revelers (over age 21 only) at the after-party at Bowery Electric. They partied to live music and handed out best costume prizes in various categories, including Hottest Zombie.
Sakmann, musing on the success of the gory celebration, noted, “It’s a refreshing break from what is going on in the world. You don’t have to have brains to have a good time,” he added. “But they are delicious.”
For information on future events, visit https://nyczombiecrawl.com/.
