Zombie Research Society
The Zombie Research Society is extremely happy to announce our support for the very first official Theorizing Zombiism Conference, presented by the fine folks at the UCD Humanities Institute in Dublin, Ireland from July 25th – 27th, 2019. This is definitely one event that all of our friends, followers, and members won’t want to miss; especially considering the honorary inclusion our very own Advisory Board member, novelist, author, and satirist Scott Kenemore.
You may know Scott Kenemore from his extremely popular zombie trilogy; Zombie, Ohio, Zombie, Illinois, and Zombie, Indiana. But he joins a whole host of speakers, presenters, and academics who are dedicated to the historic, cultural, and scientific study of the living dead.
The academic interest in the zombie as an allegory for cultural and social analysis continues to span disciplines including humanities, anthropology, economics, and political science. The zombie itself has been used as a metaphor for economic policy, political administrations, and cultural critique through various theoretical frameworks. And the very first official Theorizing Zombiism Conference intends to examine all of these seemingly disparate aspects and more!
Attendees will be subject to everything from the artistic interpretation of Lucio Fulci’s zombie cult classic The Gates of Hell to the deeper meaning behind the music, politics and ideology of George A. Romero’s Land of the Dead. Just a few of the highlights include the following:
- Violence is Italian Art: Art and Adaptation in Lucio Fulci’s Gates of Hell Trilogy
- The Logic of Sacrifice in the Televised Zombie Apocalypse
- Last Ones Left Alive: Zombies and Post-Politics
- The Family Trouble in Post-Millennial Zombie Cinema: The Father-Hero in I Am Legend and World War Z
- Surviving the Shambling Signifieds: Zombies, Language, and Chaos
- Weaponised Walkers: Combat and the Zombies in The Walking Dead
- Distortions of the Video Dead: The Degradation of Reality in the Era of Zombie VHS
- The Apocalypse Workout: Health, Identity and Zombies
- Rise of the Nordic Dead: Icelandic Folk Tales and National Identity
Thursday, July 25
Friday, July 26
Saturday, July 27
These are only a few of the incredible topics that will be discussed, dissected, and debated at the first Theorizing Zombiism Conference in Dublin. For a far more complete list of confirmed speakers, events, and programs please visit the official website online; we’re certain you’ll be impressed with the wide breadth of expertise and extent of vision that the UCD Humanities Institute has assembled. Not to mention a screening of The Cured, arts and crafts, designated pub nights, and an incredibly important discussion on the future of zombie studies itself.
But obviously the highlight of the event will be our official Zombie Research Society Advisory Board member Scott Kenemore, who will be co-presenting a very fun and entertaining sort of Creature Feature early on Saturday evening, July 27th at 5:00pm with Sarah Davis-Goff at the UCD Humanities Institute, chaired by Scott Eric Hamilton. Don’t leave early, or you’ll miss out!
You can learn even more about the Theorizing Zombiism Conference via their official website, including the complete program, a full list of the confirmed speakers, convention curiosities, and venue information. They’re also incredibly active and available online at Twitter, so make sure that you follow them, and our friend Scott Kenemore, for additional details and updates!
Damn, sad I missed this year, I’ll have to come next year.
I have a zombie to donate. My ex-wife Karen, she was an emotional zombie, and also ate one of the kids after she got custody. If you can hear this, Karen, I want the kids back and these zombie men are going to help me.