More news regarding this Escape Velocity 2018 event at the National Harbor in Maryland is expected to roll out as the event approaches, but for now, it has been revealed that Greg Nicotero, one of the directors and makeup effects gurus on AMC's The Walking Dead, will be in attendance. Mr. Nicotero will discuss his career and experiences working on The Walking Dead, all from the angles of both science and fiction:

Press Release: Washington, DC (Apr. 11, 2018) – The Museum of Science Fiction is thrilled to announce Greg Nicotero, executive producer, director, and special effects make-up supervisor for The Walking Dead, will speak about his work on the hit show at Escape Velocity 2018.

"Seeing Jaws as a boy is what got me into the world of special effects," said Nicotero. "Whether it leads to becoming a filmmaker or scientist, artist or engineer, science fiction has the power to inspire us to follow our imaginations like few other things can, and that's why I'm thrilled to be a part of EV 2018 and hopefully convince some future monster makers to pursue their passions."

Mr. Nicotero's panel discussion will offer fans a retrospective of some of his favorite moments and make-up designs from the show's first eight seasons, as well as hints of things to come. It will be part of a series of programming at Escape Velocity that looks at zombies from both scientific and fictional perspectives. Expect to hear epidemiologists explain what we can learn from real-life pathogens to survive a hypothetical zombie outbreak, literary and pop culture historians describe how the depiction of zombies have changed over time, and more. Additional announcements on zombie-related programming will be made in the coming weeks as Escape Velocity approaches.

"This year marks the 200th anniversary of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, one of the first works in the genre of science fiction," said Jandy Hanna, Director of Science Programming at Escape Velocity. "It is a great privilege to hear one of the premier storytellers today address what it is about bringing the dead back to life that continues to fascinate and frighten audiences around the world."

In addition to directing over 20 episodes of The Walking Dead for which he and his team have won numerous awards, Mr. Nicotero has worked on hundreds of film and television projects throughout his career, including Day of the DeadFrank Herbert's Dune, and The Chronicles of Narnia. He has owned and operated his special effects studio, KNB EFX Group, based in Los Angeles, since 1988.

Escape Velocity 2018 is the third annual convention presented by the Museum of Science Fiction. It will return to the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on May 25-27, 2018 at National Harbor, MD, the site of the inaugural convention in 2016. For additional information about Escape Velocity, including details for press registration, please visit: https://escapevelocity.events/press-media/

About the Museum of Science Fiction
The nonprofit Museum of Science Fiction will be the world’s first comprehensive science fiction museum, covering the history of the genre across the arts and providing a narrative on its relationship to the real world. The Museum will show how science fiction continually inspires individuals, influences cultures, and impacts societies. Also serving as an educational catalyst to expand interest in the science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM) areas, the Museum uses tools such as mobile applications and wifi-enabled display objects to engage and entertain. For a full press packet on the Museum of Science Fiction’s vision and other information, please visit: www.museumofsciencefiction.org/presspacket

About Escape Velocity 2018 
The Museum of Science Fiction and NASA are partnering to bring Escape Velocity 2018 to Washington, DC. The event is a futuristic world’s fair to promote informal STEAM educational activities within the context of science fiction using the fun of comic cons and fascination of science and engineering festivals. Escape Velocity 2018 seeks to make a measurable positive impact to boost informal learning on the more conceptually challenging academic areas. Escape Velocity's mission is to attract young people to science, technology, engineering, art, and math by producing and presenting the most compelling, exciting, educational, and entertaining science festival in the United States using science fiction as its primary engine. Escape Velocity will achieve orbit on May 25-27, 2018 at the Marriott Gaylord Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland, just outside of Washington, DC.

  • Tamika Jones
    About the Author - Tamika Jones

    Tamika hails from North Beach, Maryland, a tiny town inches from the Chesapeake Bay.She knew she wanted to be an actor after reciting a soliloquy by Sojourner Truth in front of her entire fifth grade class. Since then, she's appeared in over 20 film and television projects. In addition to acting, Tamika is the Indie Spotlight manager for Daily Dead, where she brings readers news on independent horror projects every weekend.

    The first horror film Tamika watched was Child's Play. Being eight years old at the time, she remembers being so scared when Chucky came to life that she projectile vomited. It's tough for her to choose only one movie as her favorite horror film, so she picked two: Nosferatu and The Stepford Wives (1975).