"Eat Locals" tee, for the socially conscious zombie.

From Lonely Dinosaur...

Whether you're in your garden, at the farmers market, or holed up in the local mall fending off a ravenous zombie hoard, this shirt is the best way to give zombies a piece of your mind.

via Patrick Parker

ParaNorman, new stop-motion zombie movie from Laika, looks kewl...

Not like there's anything wrong with CGI, but all that glorious old school stop motion in Coraline is, well, glorious. Coming soon from the folks behind that gloriousness, ParaNorman is apparently about horror geek kid who can talk to dead people and generally finds out all his favorite movies are true, and has to fight a curse afflicting his home town and none of the grownups believe him.

And I will totally be there to watch it, anyway.

Free Amazon Android App Today: Night of the Living Dead Defense

If you have an Android smart phone or other device, you may or may not know that one of the greatest advantages of the platform is your ability to purchase apps from multiple marketplaces. One of them is Amazon's store, which gives away an app or game for free every day - some of them great ones, some turds, some right in the middle.


Night of the Living Dead Defense is somewhere in the middle: not the greatest tower defense game you ever played, not even the greatest one with zombies in it, most likely. In fact, it's kind of a big ripoff of GRave Defense. And like most spinoffs lately labeled with the name of a classic Romero movie, it's got jack squat to do with Night of the Living Dead. 


But hell, it's free instead of two bucks, just for today, and provides yet another way to spend another hour of your life shooting zombies. And you can't buy that kind of quality time, really.

The Walking Dead - Season 2- Ep. 1-4 Recap (Spoof)

That's Not Your Mommy Anymore

How do you prepare a child for his first dental appointment, or for his parents divorcing? In my family, the answer was always with a book! If only I had had access to That's Not Your Mommy Anymore before my mother turned my brother into a six foot tall Slim Jim...

That's Not Your Mommy Anymore: A Zombie Tale

Written by Matt Mogk, founder of the Zombie Research Society, this illustrated paperback prepares kids for the - let's be honest here - INEVITABLE rising of the dead bent on consuming the flesh of the living. It's fact, people. Why not stock your nieces' & nephews' stockings with terror this year?

#Zombies: Followers of the Dead

Once again I get to say, "Here's a cute zombie short. You may remember this comedy group from their adult Mario spoof a little while back." Except I'm talking about a different zombie short, a different comedy group, and a different Mario spoof. Eerie. Enjoy!

Thursday Zombie Roundup, Pt II

Because Halloween is close, and we know you want your zombie...

Costumes!
Pregnant Zombie Costumes to make sure you'll get perma-banned from your church's Trunk-or-Treat

Pumpkins!
Ray Villafane carves giant pumpkins into zombies at the New York Botanical Gardens. (You know Villafane, he's the mad fiend behind the legendary, viral Predator Jack-o-Lantern.)

Spooky music!
Zombie mashup/video by Eclectic Method.

...Wrestlers?
WWE Zombies

Thursday Zombie Roundup

Missouri Department of Conservation has tips on how to identify zombies!
Did you know that cauliflower is a zombie-attractant due to its visual similarity to brains? It's true! This I know, for the .gov website tells me so.

New York Daily News gallery of zombie celebrities

As a friend of Print Is Dead commented: "Slow news day."

Are either of these great? No. Is it great that stuff like this is in vogue? YES.

CONTEST: John Skipp and PRINT IS DEAD Team Up For THE ZOMBIE CENSUS

Creeping Hemlock Press Proudly Presents...

THE ZOMBIE CENSUS

The modern American zombie first shuffled onto the scene in 1968, in George A. Romero’s landmark horror classic, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD. Over forty years later, the walking dead are everywhere, and we need you to help us keep tabs on this ever-growing pustulent population.

In celebration of the release of the fourth novel from PRINT IS DEAD, Martin Mundt’s REANIMATED AMERICANS, we’re pleased to announce THE ZOMBIE CENSUS.

Are you a zombieholic? A cadaveriffic cadet? An undead aficionado? Have you always wanted to see yourself through milky uncomprehending eyes? Or are you just going as a zombie for Halloween? If you said “Yes” to any of these questions, you should know that speaking responses aloud to internet questionnaires is actually unnecessary! And also that this contest is for you… We want to count you among the living dead!

It’s simple: email us a photo of yourself as a zombie, DMV/photo ID style, just like the pics on this page. You can use make-up or Photoshop or both (but please, none of those silly zombie apps—show some creativity).

All entries will be posted here, and the Grand Prize winner—chosen by none other than the legendary John Skipp (Books of the Dead 1 and 2, Zombies, Mondo Zombie, and the upcoming Bizarro Zombie Musical, ROSE, among a million other awesome things)—will appear in some form on the cover of REANIMATED AMERICANS, to be released December 20, 2011.

Prizes:

Third Place: a signed copy of REANIMATED AMERICANS by Martin Mundt.

Second Place: signed copies of all four current PRINT IS DEAD novels: PRAY TO STAY DEAD by Mason James Cole, WORLD IN RED by John Sebastian Gorumba, SCAVENGERS by Nate Southard, and REANIMATED AMERICANS.

Grand Prize: In addition to an appearance on the cover of REANIMATED AMERICANS, you receive all four signed books and a special zombie surprise pack.

Rules:

One photo per person, so send us your best (worst) mug. Photos should be in jpg format and should be at least 1200x1800 pixels with a maximum file size of 5mb. We’re looking for simple zombie mug shots against a blank or single-color background—nothing pornographic. No feasting zombies. No photos of actual dead bodies (because at least one of you was thinking about doing that). Email photos to: zombiecensus@hotmail.com. Include your name (and the name of the photographer if credit is desired) in the body of the email. Submission implies acceptance of these terms: The winning photo and two runners-up become exclusive intellectual property of Creeping Hemlock Productions, LLC. In the case of non-winning/non-placing submissions, Creeping Hemlock Productions, LLC is granted the right so use images for promotional purposes only and all other rights (e.g. reproduction and sale) remain with the author.

Contest ends November 15, 2011.

Need a reminder as we shamble closer to the date? Like THE ZOMBIE CENSUS on Facebook at facebook.com/zombiecensus!

About REANIMATED AMERICANS

Jett Ahrens has just joined the Zombie Division of the Census Bureau, hoping for a dull, uncomplicated job counting the country’s newest citizens—the Living Dead. Y’know: Zombies, Rotters, Grave Potatoes, but don’t call them any of those names. They’re Reanimated Americans, and they aren’t anything like their cinematic counterparts—they don’t eat your flesh or want your brains. They just… stand around. Loitering. Stinking up the place.

Easy enough, yeah, but one of Jett’s partners might be a little nuts, and then there’s the serial re-killer going around town and setting walking dead folks on fire. Not to mention the Red Death Gang transforming the undead into works of art. Or the pair of psychotic cops tracking the serial re-killer and wreaking havoc of their own.

Or the nasty secret Jett keeps in a rental storage unit…

A biting satire about how civilization might cope with its most popular boogieman, Reanimated Americans by Martin Mundt will send a chill down the spines of zombie-lovers and bureaucracy-fearers everywhere.

Praise For REANIMATED AMERICANS and Martin Mundt

“With REANIMATED AMERICANS, author Martin Mundt has created a malignant masterpiece. Like a literary mad scientist armed with diabolical narrative skill and a mordant sense of humor, Mundt manages to mash-up the zombie mythos with both mayhem and Swiftian satire. REANIMATED AMERICANS is a must-read for undead-heads of all persuasions, slithering from laugh-out-loud sequences to gut-wrenching gore with the greatest of ease. Highly recommended!”

- Jay Bonansinga, National Bestselling author of PERFECT VICTIM, PINKERTON’S WAR, and co-author of THE WALKING DEAD: RISE OF THE GOVERNOR.

“If you are a fan of sardonic wordplay and the macabre; or dare I suggest, macabre sardonic wordplay ... then you, my dear X, must read Martin Mundt.”

-John Everson, author of SIREN and THE PUMPKIN MAN

“Martin Mundt writes like no one on earth, and mankind is much the better

for his efforts.”

-Bill Breedlove, author of HOW TO DIE WELL

“Martin Mundt is a nasty, warped, zero-termperature so-and-so who can't put two words together without first snickering, then slitting their throats. This guy is far too hip for his own good. No wonder reading him is such a pleasure.”

-Peter Straub, author of A DARK MATTER and THE TALISMAN (with Stephen King)

About PRINT IS DEAD

Creeping Hemlock Press was founded in New Orleans by the husband-and-wife creative duo RJ and Julia Sevin. As sometime writers and passionate readers, they found themselves frustrated with the scarcity of generous-paying, atmospheric short story anthologies. They took matters into their own hands in late 2004 when they began to accept submissions for their own anthology. Many months, one baby, two hurricanes, and one soggy home later, Corpse Blossoms was born to critical success and a nomination for the Horror Writers Association’s Bram Stoker award.

As their homeless wanderings carried them to Texas and back, the Sevins also produced an original limited-edition novella by Tom Piccirilli, Frayed, to terrific reviews and enthusiastic reader sentiment. The December 2007 release of Piccirilli's The Fever Kill brought them into an entire new league of publishers. Critically lauded and carried in bookstores nationwide, this popular title has sold far beyond expectations.

Not long after the release of The Fever Kill, the press released two zombie chapbooks – Thin Them Out (a collaboration between the Sevins and zombie lit master Kim Paffenroth) and Flesh Is Fleeting… Art Is Forever! by Gary A. Braunbeck.

The chapbooks were unveiled to much acclaim at Zombie Fest, in the hallowed halls of the Monroeville Mall (the mall location used in George Romero’s classic, DAWN OF THE DEAD). Thin Them Out went on to be reprinted in J.J. Adams’s epic zombie anthology, The Living Dead II, and the Sevins found themselves surrounded by the living dead. The seeds for PRINT IS DEAD were planted…

Even before the disaster and reaction surrounding Katrina demonstrated its true meaning, charity was a pillar of Creeping Hemlock Press's philosophy and business model. The press dedicates 10% of earnings to various charities. Your purchase from Creeping Hemlock Press or any bookseller carrying the press’s titles will help to benefit those in need.

Praise for PRINT IS DEAD

“These guys know more about the undead than I do... and that's saying something, because I've been hanging out with zombies for as long as I can remember."

-George A. Romero

"PRINT IS DEAD is the terrifying new voice of zombie fiction. They're coming to get you..."

-Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of PATIENT ZERO

"This is the best of modern zombie fiction. If you want the best, you need to read the stuff these guys are putting out at PRINT IS DEAD. It doesn't get any better than this."

-Joe McKinney, author of FLESH EATERS and DEAD CITY

Zombie$: Worth Over Five BILLION Dead Presidents?

That's what this article says, anyway.

I suspect that some of their numbers are off (their Walking Dead numbers certainly are--given how popular the trade-paperbacks are, their total should be significantly higher than 10 million, since the series debut in 2003) and the time period over which this five billion was generated is not always clear, but there's no question about it: the zombie sub-genre has peaked in a way no horror icon born of folklore has done since the vampire. They're huge.

So do your part and buy one of our books today!

If you have eight minutes to watch the best zombie movie of 2011...

...Zombie In a Penguin Suit is that movie.

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE: It's...an Asylum/Syfy zombie movie.

Man, Ving Rhames is making a side career out of iterations of Dawn of the Dead with gently decreasing budgets, isn't he?



It's on Sunday. I think there's some other zombie show on Sunday, too.

Oh, hellz yes, we are all watching ZOMBIES: A LIVING HISTORY

It's so funny, it's not funny anymore: similar to the way MTV hasn't shown music videos since 1987 or so and you can't find any actual news on any of the cable news channels anymore, they're all jam-packed with prescheduled programming...The History Channel ain't so much about history. Not for a good while, now. You used to mock it as the WWII, All the Time channel, now it's the All Antichrist, Bigfoot, and Chariots of the Gods, All the Time channel.

So zombies are popular with the kids these days so, welcome to THAT: PLUS ZOMBIES.



Is the answer to "Can you weaponize a zombie virus?" really "Surprisingly, yes?" No, of course not, what are we, kids? But who cares?



Anyway, Max Brooks and Jonathan Maberry and J.L. Bourne and Kim Paffenroth, among other zombie authors and pro geeks will be represented. And if we're all lucky, they'll trot out the Nostradamus guy from every other History channel show, who has the amazing superpower of being able to make any word in any language ever into "Hitler." Cannot wait.

ZOMBIELAND: The Television Series

Last night's WALKING DEAD premiere was watched by 7.3 million sets of eyes, so it would seem that this sometimes shambling/sometimes sprinting sub-genre still has a little juice left in its creaky, reanimated bones.

Case in point: ZOMBIELAND is coming to television.

The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that the highest-grossing zombie film of all time will serve as the springboard for a new half-hour comedy series from producer Gavin Palone. The ZOMBIELAND series will be written by Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, the duo who penned the film.

With a previously-announced 3D sequel to the Atlanta-lensed ZOMBIELAND being dropped in favor of a the television show, there is no word whether or not the series will follow the characters from the film (recast, naturally) or if the focus will instead be on a new group of survivors.

Either way, one can only wonder how they'll emulate ZOMBIELAND's now-classic cameo. If I may, a suggestion:

ZOMBIE: We Are Going To Eat You At Your Local Cinema!

Lucio Fulci's ZOMBIE has become my Halloween closer--for the past few years, I end every Halloween alone on the couch with a beer in my hand and some shark-fightin', eyeball-splinterin' Italian action on the TV.

On October 25th, Blue Underground is releasing ZOMBIE on Blu-Ray. We haven't gotten a review copy yet, but advance word is that the transfer is beautiful. Time to retire the thoroughly awesome Media Blasters DVD from 2004 (still my all-time favorite DVD packaging).

Better yet, some of you lucky slobs are going to get a chance to see the remastered ZOMBIE on the following silver screens:

ALBUQUERQUE Guild Cinema (Oct. 28 & 29)

ATLANTA Plaza Theatre

AUSTIN Alamo The Ritz (Oct. 24 & 31)

AUSTIN Alamo S. Lamar (Oct. 30)

BOSTON Coolidge Corner Theatre

CHICAGO Music Box Theatre (also Oct. 28 & 29)

CLEVELAND Capitol Theatre (Oct. 15)

DALLAS Landmark Inwood Theatre

DENVER Landmark Esquire

DETROIT Landmark Main Art

HOUSTON Landmark River Oaks

JACKSONVILLE, FL 5 Points Theatre

KANSAS CITY Tivoli Cinemas

LAS VEGAS Theatre 7 (Oct. 31)

LAWRENCE, KS Liberty Hall (Oct. 21 only)

LOS ANGELES New Beverly Cinema

MESA, AZ The Royale

MINNEAPOLIS Landmark Uptown (Nov. 4 & 5)

NEW YORK CITY Landmark’s Sunshine

OTTAWA, ONTARIO Mayfair Theatre

PHILADELPHIA Landmark Ritz

PITTSBURGH The Oaks Theater

PORTLAND, OR Hollywood Theatre

SACRAMENTO Crest Theatre

SAN ANTONIO Alamo Westlakes

SAN DIEGO Landmark Ken Cinema

SAN FRANCISCO Roxie Theater (Oct. 29 – 31)

SEATTLE Landmark Egyptian

ST. LOUIS Hi-Pointe Theatre

ST. PETE BEACH, FL The Beach Theatre

TORONTO The Revue Cinema (Oct. 22 & Oct. 31)

TUCSON, AZ The Loft Cinema

WASHINGTON, D.C. Landmark E Street Cinema

WICHITA, KS Warren Old Town Theater (Oct. 24 & 25)

WINCHESTER, VA Alamo Drafthouse Winchester

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA Park Theatre Café (Oct. 13)

YELLOW SPRINGS, OH Little Art Theatre (Oct. 22)

New Orleans isn't on that list, but that's okay--I have a hot date with ZOMBIE, anyway...

Spoiler-iffic WALKING DEAD Review Addendum

I've read THE WALKING DEAD since the very first issue premiered in 2003. Because of this, it's been a long time since I've read the issues from which the television series is currently being drawn.

When I said that the end of the season two premiere was a major departure from the comics, it's because I totally forgot that Carl got shot by Otis in the books. Considering how things panned out in the NO WAY OUT arc, it's becoming clear that Image's top-selling book is spinning its wheels just a bit by this point, and that Carl is well on his way to becoming the Aunt May to Rick's Peter Parker...

And they'll do it all again every eight to ten years...

"Mail of the Living Dead" ongoing collaborative art project is kewl...

This just popped up at random in my Google+ feed today...somebody needs to tell John Skipp about this, stat. It's so right up his alley, I'm shocked that it's not his project.



If you know anything about the "Mail Art" movement, are already some sort of practitioner of the form, etc., you'll know what to expect from "Mail of the Living Dead." If not...there are hundreds of pages of collage and drawing and painting, already, all anonymous, all just contributed by people just like you, because they thought it was neat.



People exactly like you, actually, this is a living, crowdsourced document. If you like what you see and have a free little while and an itch to make your own zombie art contribution, just comment at Marc Rossmiller's Google+ page, where he keeps a running account of contributions and links to creators' accounts on Google+. Or head over to the Mail of the Living Dead blog and contribute there, or email your contributions, or snail mail your mail art, old school, to:

Zombie Encyclopedia
c/o Mail of the Living Dead
1234 Sandusky Dr.
Iowa City, IA 52240
USA



There is some really beautiful and sometimes funny art and writing, here, and it's well worth your time to look through, anyway.

Walking Dead Season 2, Trailer Number 2...

Well, there's a farmhouse and a prison, but I don't see anybody showing up with katanas, yet.

Zombie Analytics OF SCIENCE

University of Oxford science...

"The map reveals two important spatial patterns. First, much of the world lacks any content mentioning "zombies" whatsoever. Second, and related, the highest concentrations of zombies in the Geoweb are located in the Anglophone world, especially in large. The results either provide a rough proxy for the amount of English-language content indexed over our planet, or offer an early warning into the geographies of the impending zombie apocalypse."

I like to think it proves people who publish zombie books are trying way too hard in already-oversaturated markets. Come on, look at all that black space in South America! Don't you know anybody who can read and write Portuguese?

(Well, either that or: my god, the whole "First World" is clearly terrified that the rest of the world is going to show up on its doorstep and tear it to bits.)



via Geekosystem

Well, No, We Aren't Tired of Zombie Apocalypses...

...now that you mention it, but Richard Sala's new zombie-apocalypse-meets-Frankenstein graphic novel looks kewl, anyway.



Multi-page preview available over at Sala's blog, BTW.