Michael Counts Helms Immersive WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE at Walker Stalker Con This Weekend

A unique theatrical experience like no other! Conceived and created by immersive theater pioneer and acclaimed director Michael Counts, THE WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE-CHAPTER 1 makes its New York-area premiere during the Walker Stalker Con this weekend, December 4 - 6, 2015 at the Meadowlands.

The Walker Stalker Con, now the second largest fan convention in North America, in partnership with Skybound Entertainment, the Los Angeles based entertainment company led by "The Walking Dead" creator Robert Kirkman and executive producer David Alpert, have come together to present a new immersive experience and attraction created by Michael Counts, the immersive theater luminary who has been called a "mad genius" by the New York Times. THE WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE-CHAPTER 1 previewed at the 2015 Atlanta Walker Stalker Con, at the Georgia World Congress Center, to sold out audiences and critical acclaim.

After its run at the Meadowlands, THE WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE-CHAPTER ONE rolls out nationwide, with stops in Nashville , TN (January 2016), Jacksonville, FL,; Orlando, FL; New Orleans, LA; Dallas, TX; Denver, CO; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; and cities more to be announced.

Tickets to the attraction allow audiences to choose whether they want to be a "survivor" and/or a "walker" and premium ticket options offer additional unique opportunities, like professional "walker" make-up and a customized one-on-one experience with the "sole survivor" ticket. Ticket prices start at $50. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit twdexp.com.

THE WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE - CHAPTER 1 is a full-throttle immersive attraction that drops audiences straight into the chaotic and terrifying world of "The Walking Dead." Experienced in small (7 person) audience groups, Chapter 1 sends participants on an adventure through the edge of a small town on the night the outbreak hit - the night zombies began their rampage and the social order began to unravel. The experience lasts anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the ticket purchased.

Set in over 10,000 square feet of highly produced sets and employing state-of-the-art technology and never-before-seen special effects, this attraction drops theater-goers directly into the action, as they mix with professional actors to evade walkers or join the scores of undead.

THE WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE-CHAPTER 1 takes the rapidly developing genre of "immersive" extensions of popular entertainment brands to the next level. Counts, who is one of the early pioneers of immersive theater and attractions, DESCRIBED THE WALKING DEAD EXPERIENCE-CHAPTER 1 as "the scariest and most fully transportive production of this type ever made."

As the first chapter in an episodic series, this installment renders the "world on the night hell broke loose" at the start of the outbreak that led to the zombie apocalypse. Subsequent productions will continue the stories and experiences introduced in Chapter 1. Though the experience is designed so that each episode can stand alone, the structure of the concept follows the expanding story framework of "The Walking Dead" comic books, TV show and video game series.

James Frazier, founder of Walker Stalker, executive producer of this project and one of the leaders of the TWD fan community, explained his motivation as a direct response to the desires of the fans like himself: "We've heard the fans' desire for more immersive and terrifying experiences at our events. The Walking Dead Experience - Chapter 1 is the response to that desire! We've all wanted to be thrown into the middle of TWD. Now we can do that in a way that is true to what TWD is and in a way that we can expand upon in upcoming chapters. This is the ultimate in 'fan fiction'!" He added, "As a fan of TWD, this is a dream come true to create an immersive experience with the team of Robert Kirkman, Skybound and Michael Counts."

Jon Goldman, Managing Partner of Skybound, said of the project, "The Walking Dead has been extremely successful working with fellow creators to expand the universe of The Walking Dead. We're excited to extend Robert's vision to live, immersive entertainment."

Counts' production team includes longtime collaborators: Ryan O'Gara (Hamilton) - lights, Matt Haber and Phil Gulley (Michael Kors, Grand Central Station) - Video and Special Effects, Caleb Sharp (Fighting Gravity) - Sound Design, Katie Fleming (Sleep No More, Queen of The Night)- Props, Set Dressing and Associate Scenic Design, Katie Naka (Blue Man Group) - Production Management and Associate Direction. The project and ongoing tour are being produced and managed by Captain Worldwide.

Since opening its doors Skybound Entertainment has grown into a multiplatform entertainment company. CEO Robert Kirkman is creator of the award-­winning The Walking Dead comic book series, the inspiration for the hit TV show of the same name where he serves as creator and executive producer. To date The Walking Dead is the #1 show on television among the coveted 18-­49 demo. Kirkman and Alpert also serve as executive producers on the companion series, Fear the Walking Dead, which premiered in August 2015 and set records by becoming the #1 rated cable television series launch of all time.

Skybound Entertainment recently produced its first feature film, AIR, starring The Walking Dead's Norman Reedus and Academy Award-­?nominated actor Djimon Hounsou. The film was released in August 2015. Kirkman and Alpert served as producers on the post-apocalyptic sci-­fi film.

Skybound released Kirkman's newest comic, Outcast, in June 2014 which recently received a series pickup for CINEMAX with Fox International attached as the studio. Outcast, starring Patrick Fugit as Kyle Barnes and Philip Glenister as Reverend Anderson, will begin production this summer. Kirkman and Alpert will serve as executive producers on the series.

Skybound Entertainment has also entered the world of digital content production with Disney-owned Maker Studios. The pair recently launched Nerd Court, a play on the classic People's Court show, where nerds can bring their foes before a judge to settle their fandom-­related disputes. The series was created by Book of Eli's Gary Whitta. The company has also partnered with Samsung to develop virtual reality content for Milk VR.

Other comic book titles published by Skybound include the superhero comic Invincible, fantasy adventure comic Birthright, the revenge drama Dead Body Road, and heist comic Thief of Thieves.

Skybound also creates a wide range of merchandise, including its first tabletop card game Superfight, apparel, board games, and action figures.

For more information, visit Skybound online at www.skybound.com and www.thewalkingdead.com.

After a last minute decision to take a trip to Senoia, GA, James Frazier and Eric Nordhoff were given the opportunity to venture on the set of The Walking Dead and meet the actors of the hit television series. The duo became enamored with the show and its subject matter and created a podcast to discuss all things Walking Dead. The topic eventually arose of a convention focused around recreating the very same experience that the cast and crew of the show endure every single day. And thus the concept of Walker Stalker Con was born.

After a successful Kickstarter campaign, the first convention was held in Atlanta in October of 2013. Here, 10,500 fans attended the event over the three-day period. In 2014, three additional regions were added to the tour: Chicago, Boston, and New York/New Jersey.

Now, in 2015, conventions have been seen in San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas, Orlando, Boston, Philadelphia, as well as a Fan Fest event and The Walking Dead Escape based in San Diego. The year is finishing up with conventions in Atlanta, and New York/New Jersey. In Atlanta, attendance reached 50,000 over the Halloween weekend. With over 60 guests in attendance, including Andrew Lincoln and Norman Reedus, Atlanta was the biggest event to date. A link to the website can be found here: walkerstalkercon.com/atlanta.

Plans for 2016 are only getting bigger with preparations to add a cruise to the Bahamas, an international event in London, as well as additional cities in the U.S.!

Walker Stalker Con is a convention created for fans, by fans. The goal is to have each guest walk away feeling like they've had an amazing experience and that they've become part of a greater community of zombie lovers. Walker Stalker is an experience that zombie fans won't be able to find elsewhere.

The creative team's newest venture, Heroes & Villains Fan Fest (heroesfanfest.com) will debut in San Jose, CA this November. Their plan is to modernize the comic con just as they have the horror con. Special guests will include Steven Amell, Katie Cassidy, Hayley Atwell, and many others.

Michael Counts is a theatrical designer and stage director, visual artist, and media and entertainment entrepreneur who has been focused on creating large-scale immersive installations, theatrical productions and innovative media and entertainment experiences, often in unconventional spaces, for the last 20 years. He is one of the early pioneers of immersive theater and has been called a "visionary" and a "mad genius" by the New York Times and "one of the most fertile imaginations working in New York City, today" by Time Out New York Magazine. Two of his recent productions (Moses in Egypt with New York City Opera and Philharmonic 360 with the New York Philharmonic) were listed on the New York Times Top 10 Lists for 2011 and 2013 and his projects in a wide range of media have been critically acclaimed and featured in press and media around the world. His recent brand launch for Michael Kors in Shanghai China was a critical success that will be remounted in Dubai and Seoul, Korea in 2016.

Upcoming productions include: The Beacon, a 60-foot tall projection mapped video public artwork at the Lake Nona Town Center in Orlando, Florida; the August Moon Drive-In, an immersive experience that transports audiences to a country Drive-In movie in 1965, which has been created as a partnership with music industry legends Ken Levitan (Vector Management) and James Deiner (A&M Octone and Freesolo Management) that will launch in Nashville in 2016; the Ouroboros Trilogy, an Opera production that will complete the Pulitzer Prize winning Madame White Snake with the addition of two new operas Naga and Gilgamesh, in 2016; Permadeath, by librettist/producer Cerise Jacobs, which will be the first fully staged video game opera that will launch at Pax East in 2017.

For more information on Michael Counts, visit www.countsprojects.com or contact Michael Solomon at Brickwall Management in New York, www.brickwallmgmt.com.

Captain is an early-stage entertainment, tech and brand development company formed through a partnership of Douglas Howell - one of the most accomplished and well regarded commercial and television production pioneers, Dan Morales - an award winning advertising creative director, and Michael Counts - a leading talent in the immersive entertainment and attractions business and a critically acclaimed stage, opera and experience director.

Designed as a nimble creative shop with a broad focus, Captain is a new breed of company with world-class creative talent, technology and production, all under one roof. The companies ultimate mission to capitalize on the sea change that is happening in the commercial, television, film and event production spheres due to fundamental changes happening within the "ad agency" business and creative model.

Captain's talent pool has been responsible for some of the most innovative and critically acclaimed immersive and experiential art, entertainment and brand launches of recent years. Captain included Academy and Emmy Award winners, Cannes Grand Prix Lion winners, and leaders in digital and social media that have generated content that has garnered nearly half a billion views on Youtube and more.

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