Madison's annual spring spectacle of inebriation was the scene of a minor infestation of zombies early Saturday afternoon, when a score or so of the undead gathered at former home of the Mifflin Street Co-op for a series of forays into the growing crowd.
Organized swiftly over the last week to highlight the closing of the co-op and the long-departed political origins of the party, this zombie gathering consisted of two distinct phases. For about an hour before noon, small groups of the creatures arrived at the block party, oftentimes making brief forays up and down Mifflin Street to lurch among the revelers and otherwise add to the spectacle.
The primary outbreak, though, occurred shortly after noon, when a group of the undead assembled in front of the Co-op mural, unfurled a banner proclaiming their desire to "eat the rich," and proceeded to stagger west down the final block of Mifflin Street.
The reaction from revelers clustered amidst the yards and porches of houses along the way could be described as mixed at best.
There were plenty of epithets shouted by onlookers in the party -- "Fuckin' hippies," "losers," "Wal-Mart," and of course, "Get a job!" -- as well as regular choruses of boos and other derisive catcalls. "We're searching for brains," responded one of the undead, "but can't find any" to one particularly loud house. Of course there were scattered cheers and friendly comments, along with more than a few shouts for a "Thriller" soundtrack to accompany the march.
A brief video from the lurch follows.
