"Extremely bad taste" was just one of the comments.
But, Wellington Zomburlesque zombie Eli Joseph reckons the shufflers are cruelly misunderstood.
"Zombie walks - or shambles - are becoming very popular around the world as fundraising events," he wheezed during last night's zombie shuffle after the 2012 Dunedin Fringe Festival launch.
In 2010, around 10,000 people participated in a zombie walk in Brisbane to raise money for the Brain Foundation of Australia.
Last night in Dunedin, the zombies were attacked by a self-styled group of "zombie-hunters" as they staggered through Queens Gardens.
The funniest thing about the attack was the zombies pretending to be surprised at the ambush.
"At least I know we didn't have any fatalities," Joseph scoffed afterwards.
Zomburlesque combines song, dance, burlesque and lots of zombies at Sammy's, at 9pm today and tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the mysterious red shipping container in the Octagon was yesterday revealed to be a movie theatre, which is featuring the "Rare Goods" programme of film and animation by local film-makers.
The adjacent Ltd Festival Kiosk has daily news and cheap tickets to events. Pop in, say hi and see if you can barter or beg a special deal. Most days, the Fringe staff on site are pushovers.
Tonight, the fire and brimstone of an Italian volcano will erupt in the Octagon at 8pm, when pyrotechnic performers Highly Flammable light things up, fresh from appearing at the Stromboli Fire Festival on an Italian volcano.
And what a treat dark blue folk noir exponent Delaney Davidson was at the Festival Club at Ironic Cafe last night. The Lyttelton troubadour ensured the Festival Club was an immediate hit with public and performers alike.
Tonight will feature a trip down memory lane with the return of Dunedin's own Puddle, supported by Chris Knox.
Today
Daily: Rare Goods, lower Octagon.
Daily: Party Up Large, Cnr Vogel and Jetty Sts.
Daily: Billboard Sixty Special, Andersons Bay Rd.
9am-4pm: Performative Painting, Studio2 Gallery.
10am-6pm: Botanica Banners, Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Noon: Fringe Picks, lower Octagon.
5pm: Concrete Chimera, Bunker Under Salisbury Boutique.
5.30pm: None DNA, None Gallery.
6.30pm: Fickle Finger of Fate, Fortune Theatre Studio.
7pm: Goodnight Irene, Globe Theatre.
7.30pm: Comedy Club, Ironic Cafe.
8pm: Firestrom, lower Octagon.
9pm: My Dinner With Dick, Fortune Theatre Studio.
9pm: Be Glad You're Neurotic, Globe Theatre.
9pm: Zomburlesque, Sammy's.
10pm: Festival Club, Ironic Cafe.
Night: Music to Repel, Age Concern car park, Bath St.
Various: Performance Series, Blue Oyster Gallery.
TOMORROW
Daily: Rare Goods, lower Octagon.
Daily: Party Up Large, Cnr Vogel and Jetty Sts.
Daily: Billboard Sixty Special, Andersons Bay Rd,9am-4pm: Performative Painting, Studio2 Gallery.
10am-6pm: Botanica Banners, Dunedin Botanic Garden.
Noon: Fringe Picks, lower Octagon.
Noon: Classical Jazz, St Paul's Cathedral.
Noon-3pm: Concrete Chimera, Bunker Under Salisbury Boutique.
Noon-4pm: None DNA, None Gallery.
Noon-6pm: Transit, Glue Gallery.
2pm: Weekend @ Burny's, Wing Sang Building.
2pm: Goodnight Irene, Globe Theatre.
3pm: The Moon Knows:New Work by Mary McFarlane, Glue Gallery.
6pm: Classical Jazz, St Paul's Cathedral.
6.30pm: Fickle Finger of Fate, Fortune Theatre Studio.
7pm: Goodnight Irene, Globe Theatre.
7.30pm: Piccolo Cor, Mary Hopewell Theatre.
7.30pm: Comedy Club, Ironic Cafe.
8pm: Swing Time with King Leo, Mayfair Theatre.
8.30pm: Jacqui Williams, The Church.
9pm: My Dinner With Dick, Fortune Theatre Studio.
9pm: Be Glad You're Neurotic, Globe Theatre.
9pm: Zomburlesque, Sammy's.
10pm: Festival Club, Ironic Cafe.
Night: Music to Repel, Age Concern car park, Bath St.
Various: Performance Series, Blue Oyster Gallery.
