Team Hershel / The Walking Dead

I promised a Cincinnati HorrorHound review, but I’ve decided against posting a review. Instead I’m going to write about a single experience.

During the chaos and confusion of the HorrorHound Convention I had a brief encounter with actor Scott Wilson (Hershel on The Walking Dead). It was probably around 1pm on Saturday, but the day already felt long. We got up early to drive a couple hours to the sold-out Horrorhound Convention. We stood in a long line to get inside the convention center, and then waded through the masses to look at merchandise. It was difficult to see The Walking Dead celebrities because they were in the basement. The lines into the basement extremely long and the hallways were narrow. It was not an ideal setup. Pushing through the crowds to get anywhere was difficult and frustrating.

There was a point where I felt particularly defeated. We stood in the basement, near a cafeteria, with a handful of others who got tired of fighting the crowd when a bit of dumb luck rolled our way. The Walking Dead actors had finished their group photo shoot and a few of them exited a room right in front of us. Norman Reedus and Sarah Wayne Callies walked past and said hello, which was cool, but it was good ol’ Hershel that saved the day. Without hesitation Scott Wilson walk up to each person standing in that hallway, including myself and my wife, and politely greeted us with a kind word and a handshake. This might not seem like a big deal to some people, but in that much needed moment, his friendly gesture meant the world to us. His simple act of kindness made our day better and we left the convention happy. Before Saturday I didn’t care if the Hershel character lived or died, but now I’m rooting for him! Team Hershel!

This experience is why I love horror conventions. You never know what’s going to happen.

I’ve heard from other attendees that Norman stayed late every night to sign autographs. The entire cast was great. I saw the Walking Dead group photos on a table. It was obvious that cast members were making a special effort to ensure everyone who waited in line had an awesome experience. I’m sure that every celebrity did something similar for others during this convention. It’s been my experience that the celebrities who attend horror conventions are attentive and respectful. My hats off to them for all their hard work.