I Love the Undead

"Dead Beyond the Fence" Book Review

2011-09-19T10:05:00.019-05:00

Fall is here, and we are back! We have spent the summer traveling, reading stacks of zombie books for review, and watching the world go zombie crrrazaay. From video games, movies, books, pub crawls, and even the new 5k zombie dash in Maryland, it has been non-stop zombie love taken to the next level!

All that being said - we are back to start our full run of zombie book reviews, so that you will have more than enough reading material for the long winter ahead. I know a few of you have been waiting patiently for these to start, so let to it!

Our first book review comes from the author Brian Kaufman. We will be posting a interview with him soon, so stay tumed for that! in the mean time, here is a quick run down of "Dead Beyond the Fence" reviewed by Grady Arth, our newest edition to the iLovetheUndead Crew!

Zombie novels are not regular Pulitzer Prize winners, and with good reason. It's hard to make the undead more than formulaic and occasionally gross. But, see, here's the thing: I sat down to give it a chance and two hours later I got up to close all the windows, double-check the locks on the doors and nervously watch cartoons before going to bed, jumping when the neighbors made a loud noise upstairs. It got under my skin. In Kaufman's novel, the action sequences are remarkably engaging, with the characters showing an unnervingly realistic mix of fear and the kind of boredom that comes from being horribly traumatized for a long time with no respite.

Dead Beyond The Fence tells the story of Kevin and Angel, two people in Fort Collins, Colorado, who somewhat randomly hooked up when the world suddenly became jam-packed with zombies. When their building's security is compromised the two of them split with no plan and fewer resources. After a meticulously mapped hike through the streets (Kaufman lives in Fort Collins; he was clearly brimming with glee while imagining zombies at all the intersections and businesses he describes), the pair happen upon a fenced research facility. The 10 people in the building protected by the titular fence are mostly scientists who have been brought together under the charismatic control of one Nurse Rached-style woman.

The greatness shines in little flashes when Kevin and his new friend Corey go out on short trips to look for food and supplies. Armed with a hand gun and a crowbar respectively, they search for food and weapons to take back to the comp

ound. The zombies are slow, so their primary defense is walking away when one comes close. That makes it sound kind of boring, but these little confrontations are actually remarkably gripping. There were several passages where I had to remind myself to slow down and actually and read the words and not skim just to find out what happened next. There are a couple places in this book where I get the cloudy impression that Kaufman wanted to convey a generalized "be nice to nature or it'll kick you like a cranky mule" message, and maybe a little "human nature is a black, vile monster barely held in check by the fragile chains of society, so you guys better watch the hell out when society crumbles" thrown in, but he never comes right out with it.
The novel itself is a decent little yarn about regular people struggling through a crisis.

iLovetheUndead Score: 3/5

Stay tuned for our interview with Brian Kaufman!

Holy Zombie Books Batman!

2011-06-01T17:14:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus guys, but we are FLOODED with zombie novels for review - and we want to make sure we give each book its due.

We will be gearing up with nonstop book reviews and zombie news in the upcoming weeks here - so stay tuned!

Thank you all for the continued support! We promise we will make it worth your while ;)

The I<3Undead Crew

Artist Spotlight: Aleksandr Poltavskiy

2011-02-23T12:24:00.012-06:00

Undead Crew: Who are your influences?

Alek P: Now days it's not as much as who but what. Pretty much I get influenced by all the random stuff I see. It can be watching a movie, reading a book, to even staring at the floor until the blobs form something and I go, Oh Damn! And run to draw something.

Undead Crew: What is your process in creating art?

Alek P: Usually my best work happens very randomly. For example some of my best designs I have done by just scribbling random ideas. One time I was making dinner and started drawing a skull, then added some horns for fun, then some hands. Next thing I know it was a design that sold in one day! But for most part I draw a sketch on the computer, then I go through with a new layer and re-ink it. Then go through and color. All done in Manga Studio by the way.

Undead Crew: What if any formal art training have you had?

Alek P: None, I tried to get some training twice actually. One time I went to an art school when I was a kid and we were told to draw whatever, so I drew a voodoo doll. All the kids started telling on me and the teacher told me not to draw it any longer. I never came back to that place. Second time I had a guy come over on the weekends to teach me how to draw, after 5-10 sessions we didn't get past 1 point perspective and so I got annoyed because I knew it before he came along and told him I was done.

Undead Crew: What made you decide to pursue art seriously?

Alek P: Chicks! Heh kidding, I always loved art and drawing. So I decided to try to do it digitally and had fun, eventually some people wanted to hire me so I thought, hell might as well try to make some money!

Undead Crew: Have you always been interested in horrific and morbid imagery?

Alek P: Umm kind of. I come from a christian background and so my entire life everything that was anything from normal was considered evil. Just like if you tell a child not to touch a hot stove a second later he burns himself I burned with desire to explore! For most part though yes, the way I see it. I can draw nice pretty mountains that everyone has seen day in and day out, or I can create concepts no one imagines. Or as some people have told me the art I create is what they see in their nightmares from Satan. I am envious of that though, because I have to sit and think of these concepts and they get them for free in their dreams!

Undead Crew: Who are some of your clients?

Alek P: Gah so many! Some of my latest and biggest have been: Bravado, Harley-Davidson, Lamb of God, Sumerian Records, Psychopathic records, KungFu Vampire, Bizzy Bone, and so many others I can list.

Undead Crew: What are some of your upcoming projects?

Alek P: Lately I have actually started doing more work on Motorcycle Helmets. So I am doing a few helmets for people now. I am always doing random T-shirt designs here and there, but currently these helmets are what I am focusing on as they are completely different and a challenge to work on!

Undead Crew: What do you like to do when you are not creating art?

Alek P: Oh so many things! One of the activities I really love but can't at the moment because of the weather is to practice motorcycle stunting. I am still learning but it's a lot of fun to try to get the wheelie as high as possible! Other then that video games are fun as well, hell tonight I am going to the release of KillZone 3. Most people reading this will read it after it has been released, but yes I was going to the release! I am sure this also falls under art but I like to practice different forms, lately I have been experimenting with airbrushing as well. Just anything and everything though.

Undead Crew: What is your favorite color?

Alek P: It used to be black (which is a tone of course) but lately I have been using so many colors in my work that it is hard to choose a favorite. Pink is always fun to work with, so is orange, green, purple, and all others. So all colors? :P

Undead Crew: How do zombies influence your art?

Alek P: The rotting! I love how they look when they are rotting away in details and their hands all over the place. A lot of the hands I draw are typically boney and just randomly positioned and fingers gesturing random stuff. So It's a lot of fun to draw stuff that looks grotesque and decaying!

Undead Crew: Do you prefer slow or fast zombies?

Alek P: There are 2 ways of answering this.

1. Am I part of the apocalypse? If so then slow zombies! That way I can have a chance to run away.
2. I think it was the movie Day of the Dead? Where the zombies are super fast and just jumping insanely high killing everyone? Not sure since I saw so many of those movies. But those were so bad a! I loved how no one stood a chance, and it made zombies the ultimate hardcore killing machine. Those I prefer but if I was to survive and those were the zombies I would deal with, I would definitely be the first to go! Unless I put zombie guts all over myself and walk around pretending I was a zombie like in the walking dead. (although I have a weak stomach so I would vomit every couple seconds.)

Undead Crew: What is your favorite zombie weapon?

Alek P: To use against zombies or that zombies use? In all honesty I do not know, I would always have the fear of their blood splattering in my eyes or mouth and I would get infected. I guess a machine gun would be nice so I can shoot at a distance, or a sniper. In the flicks that seemed to always take them out right away!

Undead Crew: What is your favorite zombie flick?

Alek P: Although hey are not as much zombies anymore I love the resident evil movies. For the fact that it gives the humans a fighting chance. FOr most part none of the zombie movies ever give humans a chance, in the end everyone dies because how is anyone supposed to kill the entire population of the world? In this movie there is some hope!

Undead Crew: How did you find out about ilovetheundead.com?

Alek P: I was actually browsing through different art sites and artist pages and saw you guys through one of them, so I thought I would check it out since zombies always interested me. :)

Undead Crew: How can people contact you for work?

Alek P: Best way would be through my email. info@poltart.com Anyone can find all the information about me on my website though www.poltart.com

Undead Crew: Thank you for sharing your art and spending the time to talk to us! As a band of artists ourselves, we always enjoy seeing what others are creating! please keep in touch and thank you again for supporting iLovetheUndead.com!

Alek P: Well guys thanks for the interview, It was a nice break from work. Now I will get back to creating demonic horrific work. Take care!

Simply Amazing.

2011-02-16T13:53:00.001-06:00

This has to be the greatest trailer I have witnessed in a long time. Beautiful. Chilling. Zombies.

Enjoy my friends.

//spm

Zombie Book Reviews and Interviews with the Authors

2011-01-19T10:32:00.002-06:00

For all aspects of zombie culture, the most talent belong to the writers. There are countless zombie novels out today, and some fall victim to formula. So which ones do you read? We have done several book reviews in the past for the best zombie books we have come across. This is nothing new, in fact most zombie websites do the same. But we are going to try to bring you something special in the next few months.

Starting in February, we will be bringing you reviews to some recent novels including interviews with the authors, to get an insight on their thought process on their book as well as the zombie genre. Our first review coming up will be "Dead beyond the Fence" by Brian Kaufman. Books from IPG and St. Martins Press to follow!

Stay tuned zombie lovers - there is some good reading ahead ;)

//spm

2011: A reflection on zombie culture

2011-01-04T10:14:00.003-06:00

As with every holiday - we all take a bit of a hiatus to be with family and friends, but we are back with a humble reflection on zombie culture today.

2010 was a very interesting year for zombies. General society is now saturated with the fascination of zombies. Games, movies, books, television and even plush toys have cashed in on the zombie phenomenon. within the past 3 years, zombie culture has seemed to become pop-culture.
It is a matter of personal opinion whether that is a good or bad thing. So where do we go from here? What are we looking forward to that hasn't already been done? will we see a rise in new and exciting ideas or a sharp decline in popular interest?

Only time will tell, but no matter the status of zombies in pop-culture, there will always be true followers of zombie culture. And that is you and me ;)

//spm

"The Walking Dead" Season 2!

2010-11-08T16:03:00.001-06:00

For anyone that was worried about "Walking Dead" only lasting 6 episodes - fear not, for I read this today :)

AMC announced today the renewal of "The Walking Dead" for a 13-episode second season. Since debuting Sunday, October 31, "The Walking Dead" has broken ratings records, with the series reaching more Adults 18-49 than any other show in the history of cable television.

Today's announcement also includes Fox International Channels' (FIC) global renewal for a second season, following record-breaking premiere ratings in 120 countries in Europe, Latin America, Asia and the Middle East. "The Walking Dead" was the highest-rated original series premiere ever to air on FIC simultaneously worldwide.

"The 'Dead' has spread!" said Charlie Collier, President, AMC. "No other cable series has ever attracted as many Adults 18-49 as 'The Walking Dead.' This reaffirms viewers' hunger for premium television on basic cable. We are so proud to be bringing back 'The Dead' again, across the globe."

Booya Grandma.

//spm

Atlanta Zombie Apocalypse!

2010-10-30T11:40:00.003-05:00

Want to know how the zombie apocalypse will feel like? want to walk through a city overrun by zombies? want to shoot zombies with a paintball gun?! through the month of October, you can! visit Atlanta Zombie for all the awesome details!

I personally will be making the trip next year, this is too awesome to pass up!

Have a Happy Halloween weekend everyone!
//spm

Chainsaw Maid 2....awesomeness

2010-10-29T16:35:00.001-05:00

October and Zombies are one in the same

2010-10-13T15:47:00.003-05:00

Im excited to post the Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl pictures along with my 2 cents on the event (best year yet;)

But you all will have to wait until I can get all the pictures from Pk Worldwide
and trust me, they are worth the wait!

Until then, be sure to tune to Comedy Central tonight to see more zombie comedy on "Ugly Americans"

Ugly Americans

Weds 10:30pm / 9:30c

Zombieology

www.comedycentral.com

Department of Integration Field Guide

Follow the Show on Twitter

Zombie Filmmakers Combine Forces

2010-09-28T22:03:00.002-05:00

Lost Zombies is a zombie themed social network with the goal of creating a community generated zombie documentary. Lost Zombies follows a fictional time line which begins in February 2007 with a Flu epidemic. The flu virus mutates out of control, eventually causing Zombism. The time line leads to the present day where 75% of the world's population is dead or undead.
Users are able to create a profile on the Lost Zombies website and submit videos, audio, pictures and written accounts that reflect some portion of the Lost Zombies time line. The creators of Lost Zombies intend to compile the user submissions into a single, cohesive, mock documentary.
Lost Zombies received the Best Community Web Site Award and the People’s Choice Award at the 2009 SXSW Web Awards held on March 15, 2009.
Lost Zombies was featured as one of the 25 new faces of independent film by FilmMaker Magazine.

Check it out at www.lostzombies.com

//spm

THE WALKING DEAD opening titles

2010-09-28T08:57:00.001-05:00

Looks pretty slick, doesn't it?

THE WALKING DEAD "Opening Titles" from Daniel Kanemoto on Vimeo.

The Walking Dead premiers October 31st.

AMC's "The Walking Dead" TV Spots / Full Trailer

2010-09-10T13:48:00.001-05:00

How to Survive the Braindead

2010-08-11T21:50:00.003-05:00

Many thanks to Camiele White for writing this entry for us :)

...............

I’ve never come across a film that’s actually made me reconsider an entire food group. But after having experienced the mind fuck that is Dead Alive, I’m actually thinking long and hard about eating any dairy product with the consistency of yogurt.

In preparing this blog, I had to actually step away from the project and get my head wrapped around what it was I just experienced. Having seen Dead Alive (a.k.a. Braindead) when I was a kid, I think I had to unbury some tragically traumatising experience because I couldn’t exactly remember what it was that made me never watch it again. Now, after a decade I’ve come to realise that the film is the most repulsive, hideously gory, and hideously ridiculous film I’d ever seen in my entire life.

The true testament of a brilliant film is one that finely balances the grotesque and the hilarious. Peter Jackson, though he certainly matured as a director (winning Oscars and such), definitely showed the signs of a true genius with the clay work and animation involved in the bloody ridiculousness of Dead Alive. It starts with a trip to Skull Island --a fictional native wasteland full of the most unique beasts of the world. We come across an explorer, straight out of Imperialist Europe, guided by his indigenous tracker and lugging a crate holding, no doubt, one of the many weird and wonderful creatures of the island (we find out later that it was a monkey that was raped by a rabid rat --go figure, huh?). Our illustrious adventurer, in an attempt to throw a little White Power muscle on the half-naked natives, runs away when his tactics of intimidation backfire. Whilst running away (and forgetting his guide, no less), he gets bitten by this raped and rabies ridden monkey. Both the guide and the driver exclaim in the voices of over exaggerated cries of disgust and fear, “You’ve got...THE BITE!!!!”

And that’s where our glorious tale of guts, gore, and romance begins.

Our two lovers, Lionel and Paquita, are ensnared into a disgusting journey of a sickness gone horribly awry. In probably the most disturbing sequence of scenes ever strung together in a film, the audience is bombarded with nothing less than live animal consumption, necrophilia, pornos including mysterious scenes with a donkey and a chambermaid, and bursting pus filled boils into yellow cream filled custards. It’s enough to strain any budding relationship --not surprisingly, Lionel finds the stress of keeping the living death of his mother and three other hapless victims in check too much of a burden to add to his self-suppressed feelings for Paquita. But the brave Latina isn’t deterred by her flame’s sudden “disinterest” in her. She’s ever persistent in ringing him up and knocking on his door until she decides enough is enough and barges into his home (now inhabited by over a hundred guests and a perverted, money hungry uncle).

This rushed and somewhat slipshod summary of the events that occur only serves to set up the most gruesomely entertaining massacre ever captured on film. How does one survive an onslaught of the braindead, so engrained with evil and carnal hunger that even their innards have the ability to reach out and feed? By lawnmower, of course! In what can only be described as a stroke of pure, unadulterated genius, Peter Jackson has our fumbling protagonist literally mow down a horde of the hungry undead. For virtually 20 minutes, the audience is led through chunky body parts, chomping teeth, crunching bone, and blood, blood, BLOOD!!! It’s enough to drive one crazy with laughter or cramping from the amount of vomit you’ve tried to keep from bursting from your pores.

Briandead is ultimately about the tortured and often twisted relationship between mother and son. The apex of the film (and my favourite scene) has Lionel finally confront his overbearing mum --who, as a result of a ridiculous mishap, has been transformed into some sort of evil zombie alien bitch that looks like something left in a toilet after burrito night. Without giving any credence to Lionel’s heroic speech on the rooftop, his mother gurgles “No one can love you like your mother!” Her gigantic belly splits open, revealing insides that in an instant reach out and grab Lionel and envelop him (where else?) in her womb. Whilst toying with the now flailing and helpless Paquita, Lionel experiences a literal rebirth as he bursts through big, ugly Momma’s belly (covered in “afterbirth”) to save the love of his life and leave his house, full of horrid memories, to burn to the ground.

Braindead did for horror what the Beatles did for pop music --make it okay to be what it is. Essentially, horror is a genre that brings together the fears of the audience and exploits them into something that’s utterly ridiculous. Peter Jackson, though moving on to such mature material as The Lord of the Rings, should never look back on his earlier work as anything less than the makings of sheer brilliance. His take on the genre was enough to make me repress some pretty graphic imagery. If that’s not making an impact, I don’t know what is.

Article writer by day, renegade poet by night, Camiele White loves any and everything film. She chases only the original (or incredibly funny) and has been known to talk for hours about subjects that most people just don’t care about. Right now, she gets her jabberjaw jollies writing about Halloween costumes. If you want to give her a buzz, she can be reached at cmlewhite@gmail.com.

Asylum Press reanimates zombies for new anthology

2010-08-04T09:01:00.004-05:00

"We're calling it Zombie Terrors, an Anthology of the Undead," says Publisher/Creator Frank Forte, "it's a collection of horrific and fantastic stories featuring everyone's favorite brain eaters." Szymon Kudranski (SPAWN) brings us The Barber, a tale of the undead and the Mob. In Creature Converts, by Canadian storyboard and comic artist Craig Wilson, a cat lady's feline friends develop a taste for the flesh. In Feast ( written by Royal McGraw (Batman:Battle for the Cowl, Commissioner Gordon), Illustrated by Adauto Silva ) a gangster's taste for a delicacy becomes his end. In Hate by Doug Williams, a zombie must confront what he's become. Billy George brings us The Undead Templars a tale of the blind dead. Allison written by Myself and illustrated by horror master Tim Vigil, colored by Joe Vigil, a lovesick man tries to resurrect his dead lover with horrifying results. Bond follows a lone survivor in a zombie holocaust (by Euro guys Bartosz Sztybor and Macie Wodz). Grmbghraaaaagh! (by Bartosz Sztybor and Pawel Wojiechowicz) is a tale of zombies trying to escape what they are. Dead of Night by Joie Simmons is a great B&W tale. David Paleo brings Rot Clowns, which is rendered in a great old school brush style. Bunker Buster (Illustrated by Steve Mannion) is a tale of Nazi Scientists trying to engineer zombie super-soldiers. Aaron Rintoul brings When we Disappear, a esoteric tale of zombie armageddon where we track two lovers trying to survive. Other tales by Robert S. Rhine (Girls and Corpses) , Nenad Gucunja, JC Wong, myself and others. Also includes a special preview of the upcoming voodoo/zombie series Undead Evil illustrated by Nenad Gucunja.

Shipping this Sept for the Halloween season will be Zombie Terrors (ISBN13: 978-1-61724-001-0 ), a 152 page anthology of stories based on the undead. It features writers and artist from all over the world.

Check out a preview HERE!

Braaaiiinsss....
//spm

Walking Dead Trailer at Comic Con

2010-07-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

awesome. just....awesome.

thanks to Drew for getting this for us!

//spm

Minneapolis ZPC VI: It Just Won't Die!

2010-07-06T12:52:00.003-05:00

Those in the area, prepare yourself once again for the Zombie Pub Crawl. This thing gets bigger and bigger every year, so safe to say I am excited to see the horde that comes out on October 9! More details to come.....

//spm

AMC's "The Walking Dead" shows immense promise

2010-06-14T14:33:00.005-05:00

Hello all - I just got back from a wedding in North Carolia, and Ive been itching to post this....
If you havent heard by now, AMC is currently producing a TV series adaptation of "The Walking Dead", The graphic novel we all know and love.
At first I was skeptical, because the comic is so good. AMC didnt seem like a cable channel that would do the story justice. But then I saw a production still, and everything changed. I couldnt be more happy. I just hope everything else comes out as flawless as this picture

The Walking Dead premieres in October.

//spm

Dead Nation Trailer

2010-06-10T15:40:00.001-05:00

Dead Nation PlayStation 3 Trailer - E3 2010: Live Action Trailer

//spm

Rec 2.....in theaters July 9th

2010-06-08T13:43:00.001-05:00

Heres something to wet the whistle ;)

//spm

Vote for Zombie Bashers

2010-05-17T10:30:00.002-05:00

Director Conor McMahon has started a web-series called "Zombie Bashers" which, in my humble opinion - looks awesome!
please go and VOTE for this as your favorite show! it is between Zombie Bashers and another show, so lets all help Conor take home the cake.

Keep on livin'

//spm

Cinco de Mayo

2010-05-05T11:43:00.003-05:00

Who loves Street Fighter?
I sure do. and if you dont, you do now ;)

Check out these awesome Zombie Street Fighter illustrations by Manuel Augusto Dischinger Moura.

Thanks to Drew for the heads up!

//spm

Vegan Zombies

2010-04-27T16:00:00.003-05:00

Whats more terrifying than a self-righteous vegan?! ;) a Zombie Vegan. You thought you would never see the day. I know I didn't. Attack of the Vegan Zombies is a unique take on the campy zombie genre we all know and love.

Thanks to Jim for the DL!

//spm

Class 3 Outbreak! Glad im in this space station...

2010-04-08T17:58:00.002-05:00

"hey honey, how do we get to the restaurant from here?"
"im not sure, let me google map it..AH SHIT!"

thats right. zombies all up on your googlemaps, son!

If any of you remember our preview post, you would know that this was coming.
and now its here! Check out the press release for CLASS 3 OUTBREAK

Thanks to Jay for the heads up!

//spm

Happy Easter 2010!

2010-04-04T03:16:00.001-05:00

Romero strikes again, with "Survival of the Dead"

2010-03-30T00:07:00.001-05:00

do I need to say anything? its Romero. Boom goes the dynamite.

More George A. Romero's Survival of the Dead Info

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Hard Cover

2010-03-09T11:12:00.003-06:00

So today is a good day. My Hard Cover copy of "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" arrived today, and it is classier than I expected (It has a fabric bookmark!). At first I waited to purchase this book, because I had a stack of zombie books queued up to read. Now the stack has dwindled, and the release of "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter" on March 2nd persuaded me to finally pick it up. Although most of you probably have already read "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", so I assume no one is anxious for a review. Plus I have a few novels that have been sent to me, that I must read first.

Also -

Left 4 Dead 2 is coming to the Mac in April! This is exciting news for people that swear by Macs and PS3's (err...like me.)

P.S.
The Illustrations in the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Deluxe Edition are AMAZING
check out Roberto Paradas Illustrations HERE

//spm

Sponsor a Zombie. Because every little bit helps.

2010-03-02T15:10:00.001-06:00

Sponsor a Zombie from Harvey J. Wallbanger on Vimeo.

Dear iPhone. Stop tempting me.

2010-02-25T11:26:00.005-06:00

MMMOOOOAAR zombie apps for the iPhone, and im sure there are dozens more to come.
Zombie Cannon Carnage.

Freeverse website reads:

No one has ever claimed that Zombies are very smart. They are however, very busy. In ZCC! three of these morons crash landed on our lovely little planet. With no other options, a fierce need to feed and a couple of spare circus parts they quickly build a cannon in a brilliant attempt to fire themselves back into space. This plan will never work, but at the very least they can save some hapless and unfortunate humans along the way and then eat their brains.

Using your Zombie Cannon fire Pee-Pee Boy and his cohorts up into the night sky. Use your Jet Pack to rocket through the city avoiding air conditioners, balconies, crane hooks and the pesky Police Helicopter. Fly too high and the military will unleash their F15 armed with Air-to-Zombie missiles. Hit pinball bumpers to up your bonus multiplier, hit multiple objects to crank up your combo bonus and try to find all eleven Signature Impacts for maximum points. If that somehow isn’t enough carnage, you can buy the power to call in Air Strikes on yourself, a chainsaw to wield, TNT crates, Radioactive Barrels and more at the Upgrade-O-Matic vending machine with the points that you have earned along the way.

Click HERE for the full article

This game came out on Tuesday, so if if you got an iPhone, you can pick this up now!

Brains.
//spm

My iPhone is infected.

2010-02-22T13:16:00.002-06:00

Ok, I lied. I dont have an iPhone. But if I did, I would be looking forward to getting this game. This trailer made me chuckle. Yeah. I said it.....

Chuckle.

//spm

Jack Larson: Confessions of a Zombie Hero

2010-02-11T10:41:00.004-06:00

So a few months back, I went to visit a friend of mine in L.A.
I had previously seen the documentary "Confessions of a SuperHero" which delves into the lives of Hollywood Blvd. Street people. I recommend you all check the movie out.
Anyways, I went in search of the main character of the movie (superman), and sure enough - there he was! after talking to him for a while, I had my friend take a picture of me with Superman, gave him a $5 and we were on our way.

Jack Larson was gracious enough to paint me a portrait of the picture I sent him of me and Superman - So I thought I would share it with the world.

This painting now sits at my desk at work, reminding me everyday why we run this blog.

Thanks for the AWESOME painting JL!

//spm

Its about time something like this was made

2010-02-05T14:50:00.001-06:00

Love it.

//spm

Turn into a Zombie...on canvas.

2010-02-04T10:40:00.003-06:00

Jack Larson has created dozens and dozens of zombie artwork. A good amount of it is custom zombie portraits, so if you want to be "turned" check out his blog and ebay auction site!

On JL's blog, the Dominos thin crust pizza that resembles a zombie face is hilarious. Only a true zombie fan would find such a thing.

//spm

Zombieland DVD / BluRay: In Stores Today

2010-02-02T13:24:00.004-06:00

Oh man, am I just going through the motions with this blog post? Im sure everyone and their grandma (dead or undead) knows about this already.
Well what are you waiting for?! Go buy it!....

Oh, and theres always Netflix ;)

Stay Alive, Friends.

//spm

Zombie Fortress: Upcoming iPhone App?

2010-01-22T16:13:00.002-06:00

Rick contacted us to let everyone know that he is working on making this zombie iPhone Game a reality. I dont have an iPhone, but id get one for this game. good luck, and hope it goes through!

If you want this game on your phone, go pledge and back this project HERE

Happy Friday everyone.

//spm

We are Undead.

2010-01-21T11:23:00.004-06:00

Sorry for the brief Hiatus friends. Talk about hitting the ground running in 2010!
So Happy New Year to all. Whats going on in the zombie world these days?

Ill start with some very sad news. Many of you may of heard that Author Z.A. Recht passed away in December. This saddens me very much. I really enjoy the MorningStar saga, and was looking froward for him to complete the final book. "Plauge of The Dead" and "Thunder and Ashes" are that much more special to me. He certainly will be missed.

On behalf of all of us here. We Salute you Mr. Recht.

RIP

On a brighter note, J.L. Bourne is done writing and editing the 2nd installment of "Day by Day Armageddon". It is currently going through the layout and illustration process, so the book is right around the corner! something to be excited about in these sad zombie novel times. :)

Hope everyone is having a good 2010 so far.

//spm

Merry Christmas

2009-12-22T12:09:00.003-06:00

Declan Shavley (artist of the 28 Days Later comic and the daily sketchblog Eclectic Micks) wishes you a bloody good Christmas...

Nothing says "Merry Xmas" better than......zombies.

2009-12-09T13:43:00.004-06:00

I dont know about you, but when I open my presents on Christmas morn, I hope to find dismembered zombie parts under my tree. And ThinkGeek.com has just the thing.
Dismember-Me Plush Zombie is one of the coolest zombie toys out there is holiday season. So if you want to please that zombie lover in the family - go buy it!

And if you want to go the extra mile, you can leave zombie cookies for Santa ;)

Happy Holidays

//spm

The GOP just got BRRAAAIIINS!!!!

2009-12-01T13:14:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Joey for the heads up!

Zombie Reagan Raised From Grave To Lead GOP

Th Morningstar Strain: Thunder and Ashes Review

2009-11-25T21:24:00.002-06:00

Is it wrong to like this more than the first? of course not. And that is exactly what happened. But I guess when you think of trilogies - the most action packed story, is usually the second. Epic. Thunder and Ashes starts exactly where Plague of the Dead left off. Z.A. Recht really impressed me with his ability to keep me engaged throughout the entire book. This book really puts you on edge, and does a great job setting up the 3rd and final installment titled: "Survivors". I obviously dont want to give anything away, so go out and read this book. My review of the first book, I talk about the overly military language of the soldiers. I take this back. And this is not the case for the second book at all. The character development is at its peak. (Death to Sawyer!)
Some of our followers have emailed me, letting me know how much they loved this 2nd installment of "The Morningstar Strain" and I completely agree with them. Great job Z.A. Recht. I cant wait for the 3rd book!

Zombie Nation Rating: 5/5

//spm

When the outbreak happens...this is what it looks like from the space station.

2009-11-23T20:25:00.003-06:00

Binary Space have released "Zombie Outbreak Simulator" (ZOS), a sandbox application running on Google Maps(R). ZOS allows players to unleash waves of zombies on the unsuspecting people of Washington DC. Players can tweak a number of zombie and infection variables such as zombie speed, infection rate, number of civilians and shooting accuracy to create their own version of a zombie outbreak. Watch as up to 15,000 civilians are chased down, attacked and infected by hundreds or thousands of shambling (or terrifyingly fast!) zombies over a 1km square area.

Zombie Outbreak Simulator is Binary Space's "teaser app" for their upcoming zombie RTS, "Class 3 Outbreak", which also runs on Google Maps. Game designer, Jay Weston says, "ZOS and Class 3 Outbreak are by far the most ambitious games to be released on Google Maps, we can't wait to see what the reaction is like. A large scale zombie infection has never been simulated like this before." Programmer, Saxon Druce has coded each of the 15,000 map inhabitants to behave individually and interact with terrain on Google Maps, meaning that characters move under trees, around walls and into buildings, all while running at 30+ frames per second on very average PCs.

More details about ZOS and Class 3 Outbreak can be found on the Binary Space (www.binaryspacegames.com) and Class 3 Outbreak (www.class3outbreak.com) websites.

CHECK IT OUUUTT!!!!!!!

The url to the simulator is http://www.class3outbreak.com/zombie-outbreak-simulator/

Thanks to Jay for the heads up!

//spm

Chickenhawk's Zombie Music Vid

2009-11-16T18:41:00.001-06:00

My girlfriend sent this to me today...

And its pretty excellent.

//spm

Hip Hop Zombies

2009-11-12T12:56:00.001-06:00

An oldie but a goodie...Aesop Rock's video for "Coffee," yet MORE evidence Aesop Rock's pretty much unfuckwitable...from the album "None Shall Pass."

Zombie Celebrities Unite

2009-11-03T16:24:00.002-06:00

Worth1000.com had a celebrity zombie photoshop competition. check um out HERE

//spm

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-30T16:48:00.002-05:00

Have a good Halloween tomorrow, everyone!

Here is something interesting for all of you:

//spm

October Zombie World Tour

2009-10-23T10:41:00.007-05:00

We are knee deep in Zombie month, so what the hell is going on?
First off, make sure to show your zombie love with tshirts from www.icamefromnothing.com These series of artists do some sick stuff, (dinosaur zombie Michael Jackson? brilliant.) and if youre out in the UK, its free shipping. Eat that shit up, fellas.

In the mood for some good ol' fashion zombie reading? head over to Deadmeatnovel.com. Chris and Patrick Williams have 30 chapters written so far, in their online zombie novel. The site is sponsored by Permuted Press, who have brought life to other online born novels like "Day by Day Armageddon". Well be covering "Dead Meat" with a full written review soon! But for now, go ahead and start reading!

Jay over at www.binaryspacegames.com gave us the heads up last month about a zombie flash game they are developing. They are hard at work on it, and have promised to keep us updated, so stay tuned.

"Zombie Diaries" comes out on DVD November 18. from what I gather, it is another pandemic movie contrived from 28 Days Later and Romero's Diary of the Dead. Good makeup effects, so if your in the mood for mindless zombies, this one hits stores in a few weeks.

And thus, the Finale. The Left 4 Dead 2 Leaked Trailer. IMHO: Holy crap. I wish I had an Xbox just for this game. Please Valve, stop being little whinny bitches, and release this for PS3 please? ;)

Till next time.

//spm

Treehouse of Horror XX on Hulu.com

2009-10-21T22:10:00.002-05:00

In case any of you missed The Simpsons "Treehouse of Horror XX" on Sunday - you can catch it on Hulu.com! This year, they had a short based on "28 Days Later" and the episode as a whole is good. Not the best Treehouse, but one of the better ones!

We have a huge post coming up soon, with awesome new zombie news, great zombie t-shirt art, and zombie online novels! so stay tuuuuuned....

//spm

Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl. Greatest night of the year.

2009-10-13T21:31:00.008-05:00

The 5th annual Zombie Pub Crawl in Minneapolis, MN was nothing short of fantastic. This being my 3rd year, i have witnessed it grow by the thousands. That is not an over-exaggeration. I decided to go as a rabid sprinting zombie this year (I was a shambling slow zombie last year) and it was really fun to run around in full sprint like a complete idiot(notice the running shoes haha). Last year we missed our fellow friend and Zombie Nation contributor: R.M. Hanson. But this year he has returned to MN after a year of working out in San Fransisco, CA. So the Z-Nation crew was finally together at this years Zombie Crawl. Having RM back means nothing but good news for the future of this website. So RM, Me and Lil' Ric welcome you back home! We will post a Flickr album of pics soon. If you follow us on Facebook, we posted a zombie pub crawl album by my favorite photographer, Patrick Kelley. heres a picture of the ilovetheundead.com crew. we ARE the zombie nation ;)

What do we want? BRAAAIIINS!!! When do we want them? BRAAAAIIIIINS!!!!!!

Left: SPM | Center: Lil' Ric | Right: R.M. (beer goes well with bbrrains)

till next time, zombie lovers

//spm

Max Brooks Releases New Book

2009-10-09T09:14:00.002-05:00

If you havent already pre-ordered and or bought this book the minute the book stores opened this morning, you may want to take a look at Max Brooks's new zombie graphic novel: "The Zombie Survival Guide: Recorded Attacks"
From what ive seen so far, it has some really kick ass art - so make sure to check it out!
Max Brooks hasnt let us down so far, right?!

//spm

ZOMBIELAND REVIEW

2009-10-02T02:13:00.003-05:00

I just got out of the midnight showing of Zombieland. if there was any part of me that was worried that it wouldnt live up to expectations, it all evaporated within the first minute of the movie. It is hilarious. Loved it. Many will try to compare it to Shaun of the Dead, but you really cant. Its 2 completely different kind of humor. I am a huge fan of British comedy, (who isnt?) but Zombieland really made me piss my pants during its shining moments. Oh. and there are zombies.

5/5

Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did!

//spm

Zombie Apocalypse on the PSN

2009-09-24T22:17:00.002-05:00

The Playstation Network just released "Zombie Apocalypse" for download. If you are a zombie purist, you will most likely go out and buy this game without second thought (like I did).
But as a game, its not revolutionary by any means. And it becomes a bit redundant after a while.
That being said, its still a zombie game where you can kill with 11 different weapons including teddy bears strapped with dynamite over 55 days of survival.
In a nutshell, Its Left 4 dead meets Burn Zombie Burn.

Excuse me, I must get back to killing zombies.

//spm

Zombie month is around the corner.

2009-09-22T16:43:00.004-05:00

October is such a great time for us zombie lovers, don't you agree? it seems as if September was the calm before the storm.

First on our plate: Night of the Living Dead: Origins
There are good and bad things about the public domain of Romeros classic, it remains to be seen which of those this 3D CGI film will be, but at this time I shall remain optimistic.
For more details, heres an article I found on it last week

Second on our plate: The Walking Dead: TV Series
Oh, did Santa get my Christmas wish list from the past 11 years? Thank You.
I can see this being really successful, and I know they will get the right people to do it (right?!)
I cannot WAIT for this. Heres the article.

Third on the Plate: [REC 2] Official Trailer and News of [REC 3]
ummm, not really - but its possible. At the Midnight Madness Premire, Spanish directors Jaume Balaguero and Paco Plaza joked about doing a third movie. They swore they wouldnt do a second, and yet we have it, so who knows? Looking at the [REC] 2 trailer, it seems like the same formula as the first movie (not a bad thing) - so theres only so much you can do with it.

Stay alive.
//spm

Happy Birthday Zombie Nation!

2009-08-25T09:26:00.005-05:00

After a full year of polling, it is the KATANA SWORD that wins the preferred zombie weapon poll!
although the AK-47 had 1 more vote than the katana, the sword had the most unique votes, meaning someone didn't just vote for it over and over again :) nice try though.

This also marks ilovetheundead.com's 1 year anniversary! thanks to all of you for following us. What started as a blog between 3 friends has bloomed into a media hub for zombie news for over a 100 followers in a half dozen countries.
We show no signs of slowing down (and neither do zombies) so continue to support www.ilovetheundead.com !

We will have something special for all our followers coming up soon, so stay tuned!

In other news, the Minneapolis Zombie Pub Crawl is right around the corner! well have a plethora of zombie pictures once again from the outbreak. Mark your calendars: October 10 2009

//spm

Science ponders "Zombie Attack"

2009-08-19T14:52:00.004-05:00

[Researchers from University of Ottowa] say only frequent counter-attacks with increasing force would eradicate the fictional creatures.

The scientific paper is published in a book - Infectious Diseases Modelling Research Progress.

In books, films, video games and folklore, zombies are undead creatures, able to turn the living into other zombies with a bite.

But there is a serious side to the work.

In some respects, a zombie "plague" resembles a lethal, rapidly spreading infection. The researchers say the exercise could help scientists model the spread of unfamiliar diseases through human populations.

Check out the whole story here (via BBC.)

Zombie Bar Opens in Minneapolis

2009-08-18T17:20:00.002-05:00

Yeah. You guys know where to find me...

HERE

//spm

Godmachine Interview!

2009-08-18T15:41:00.009-05:00

Howdy folks. I present to you now some KILLER artwork and an EXCLUSIVE Zombie Nation interview with one of my favorite artists, GODMACHINE!!!

His amazing work can be found on t-shirts, skate decks, albums, and tons of other places, including on my wall next to my drawing desk. He has done work for Zombie Liquorice , a menagerie of metal bands, and his work has been featured in the Back in Black 2 T-Shirt Exhibit, and is also the featured artist this month on www.creepmachine.com.

In short, the man is a badass. Without further ado, here is the interview:

ZN: Greetings Mr. Machine! First off, what is your favorite zombie film?

GM: Night, day and return of the living dead. The first two because I don’t think I have ever been so depressed after seeing a film. I saw them when I was a kid and it totally ripped my heart out and left me feeling sad as hell. The only thing that is any comfort in death is that live will go on without you- that a memory of you will continue- now you take that away and suggest that all of humanity goes with you is frightening. And return of’…well that’s has all the best lines- I was a tad older when seeing that , skating and listening to black flag and was able to now understand why I was feeling these things about The Omega man and zombie films and so forth. The lines in that film are funny and classic.

ZN: How long have you been interested in art and design?

GM: All my life. I hate design though- or rather the classic sense of the word ‘design’ makes me think of people who wear shirts and clinical lines and sterile angles and vast huge spaces. I don’t really hate it- its just not for me. We managed to take ‘art’ off the lecturers and the teachers and make it our own- we made it so we didn’t need huge degrees to appreciate art- we have Banksy, we have pop art ner ner ner. But we can never take design away from them. My mate has posters of actual alphabets on his walls! I look for hours but cannot understand what is going on. He assures me its something to do with subtleties and …stuff.

ZN: Did your work always contain horrific imagery?

GM: I think so- not really horrific- but I have always been drawn to the more gory side of things. I think if I was to produce work for me and no one else it would consist of twisted ugly humans, after all as artists we ‘can only ever draw ourselves’.

ZN: What/who are your major influences?

GM: Klimt, Egon, Beardsley, Giger, Horsebites, Calvin and Hobbes and anyone who drew for 2000AD during the 90’s.

ZN: How long have you been creating art commercially?

GM: For about 2 years maybe less- I think its less. If I check when I first start posting work that is being bought it says 1 year ago. Things have moved fast and I don’t know why.

ZN: Who are some of your favorite clients?

GM: All the ones who appreciate that I work long and hard for them for less money than a lot of people charge hahaha. Seriously though I can’t answer that- there are too many to mention. Ones that bug me are the ones who think I sit around waiting for them alone and only have their work to do. Or ones that think my time is worth fuck all. Really though- you should ask an illustrator what/who bugs them the most- that could go one for hours. People who say ‘can you do it for less?’ or ‘its only a small job- shouldn’t take you long- go on do it for cheap’. Grrr hahaha

ZN: What is your preferred weapon against the legions of the undead?

GM: A working brain.

ZN: What is your favorite color?

GM: Green.

ZN: Got a lucky number?

GM: Nope.

ZN: What do you do when you are not creating killer artwork?

GM: I usually watch TV and flick from station to station- I tell a lie- I would like to do that but the Mrs. would tell me off so I scan the web looking for articles and videos and people that support my outlook on life- we all do that I have noticed: we form an opinion- then we look for arguments, videos, proof, etc to support that fact. Rarely are our outlooks unbiased and logical. Everything starts with and emotional seed. Sorry- off subject. I love YouTube- you get to look at all these people you would never normally meet- it’s awesome being allowed into other peoples lives. Have you noticed how many of the most scummy comments are on YouTube though? It’s like it’s a magnet for douche bags and racists.

ZN: Aside from zombies, what is your favorite monster?

GM: The human psyche. Some scary shit. Nietzsche said, "All great things must first wear terrifying and monstrous masks in order to inscribe themselves on the hearts of humanity."

ZN: How can people contact you if they want to hire your creative talents?

GM: Close your eyes and wish really hard or use the web and email me at www.godmachine.co.uk

ZN: Dogs or cats?

GM: I like both- but cats for me.

ZN: What kind of music (if any) do you get down to while working?

GM: I am gonna list some random stuff here: Soundgarden (blast from the past) Big Business, Blade Runner soundtrack, Krull soundtrack, Taxi Driver soundtrack, the Police, Goblin Cock, Beck, Bongzilla, The Fuck Buttons, CW Stoneking, Solaris soundtrack, Corrosion of Conformity, Chris Isaak, Kyuss, Hermano, Unida,…I will leave it there

ZN: What celebrity would you most like to see return as a brain-munching shambler?

GM: I think zombies are so appealing as it’s a form of life after death. Don’t you think? Oh, celebrity….um they are all the same when they are zombies- so it wouldn’t really matter- and as long as they are after my brains: no one.

ZN: Where can people purchase your work, be it prints or t-shirts?

GM: t-shirts- I haven’t got a clue- most bands get designs just for a tour- if you don’t go and see them live- you miss out- you really have to search for them these days- nowadays there are more merch companies that deal with it all that the bands so a google search will not always produce good results.

I highly recommend you buy posters from my shop- high quality goods for affordable prices: WWW.GODMACHINE.CO.UK

Godmachine, you fucking rule, sir, and thank you for your time on this interview!

For the LOVE OF GOD(machine) check out this man's website, and if you have any need for art done, hit him up!

Hope you all enjoyed,
RM

New Redband Zombie Land Trailer

2009-08-13T13:29:00.000-05:00

now im stoked x2

//spm

Zombie Hunting and Survival - At its best.

2009-07-30T11:14:00.001-05:00

World War Z Movie gets new writer

2009-07-28T10:11:00.002-05:00

The movie is back on track!
Looks like Michael Carnahan will be rewriting the script for the upcoming World War Z movie. Although this sets the movie release back a bunch, I am really happy about this. I had read the early script from J. Michael Straczynski (which leaked on the internet) and I was displeased to say the least. It was missing some of the best stories in the book! Lets hope Carnahan puts them back in.

//spm

Romero names his newest film

2009-07-21T11:37:00.004-05:00

"Survival of the Dead" is the name of Romero's newest zombie flick, which has gone unnamed for a few months now. Good title, if you ask me!

On a side note - become a fan of www.ilovetheundead.com on facebook!
//spm

Dan Mumford. Nuff said.

2009-07-13T13:16:00.002-05:00

This guys work is nothing short of fantastic. Hes based out of London, and is high on my list of kick-ass illustrators (along with R.M. Hanson)

He did some zombie illustrations for a band called "Evil Nine"
You can check them all out at his website HERE

Truly impressive.

//spm

Revenant Film Festival Official Poster

2009-07-10T05:14:00.001-05:00

So one of the projects I have just recently completed was creating the official poster for the Revenant Film Festival!
My good man Geoff at Revenant Magazine hit me up a while back, and here is the monster we have created!

This project was a fuckin' blast to do, and I am pretty pleased with the way things came out. Below are a few process sketches and color-ups, and I wanted to work in an homage to Forrest J. Ackerman's Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine covers, so that was fun too. Anyway, if you can make it up to Seattle for this momentous, gory, brain-splattering festival of Undead Cinema, get info and tickets HERE! Thanks again to Geoff and everyone at Revenant for the great opportunity!

Initial rough sketch and color idea:

Sketch for final piece:

And this is what I had originally intended as the style, but when it was in process I knew it was just going to be too goddamn muddy and confusing, so I reworked the sketch and colored it up in a more graphic style for the final. I hate how this one looks, except for the blood and guts, they look alright. Too dark and confusing on the rest.

Hope it meets all undead standards.
-RM

Cubist Literature creates zombie loving fish

2009-06-26T10:26:00.002-05:00

What are zombies good for? knitting fish of course.
CUBIST LITERATURE is based in New York, and specializes in hand knit garments and silkscreened t-shirts. He sent us one of his latest designs, and i must say- i would totally wear this shirt. AWESOME.
Click on the image for more pictures of his work!

//spm

Zombieland Trailer = GOLD

2009-06-19T16:50:00.000-05:00

Where's Waldo?...i donno, probably in a bunch of pieces.

2009-06-11T09:53:00.002-05:00

I came across this illustration by Lucy Knisley. Pretty rad stuff, my favorite part, is the zombie tackling a man through a window. *chuckle*

Cheers,
//spm

New "Rec 2" Photo

2009-06-10T10:27:00.002-05:00

Oh crap...here we go again with the crazy little zombie girls. This sequel looks like its gonna be really good! It doesnt have a release date yet, but im sure we wont see it stateside anytime soon.
If you havent seen the first [REC], it comes out on dvd on July 14.

Until then, check out these teaser Clips from [REC] 2

//spm

Sometimes, Mormons are scarier than Zombies.

2009-06-09T09:48:00.001-05:00

UK will have an outbreak...in record numbers

2009-06-03T13:47:00.003-05:00

The Big Chill festival is where Warp Films and Film4 plan to gather zombie extras in record breaking numbers for the shooting of "Spit on Your Rave" Directed by Chris Boyle. They have some pretty big shoes to fill - Michigan had an unofficial count of 3,370 zombies last year. Anyone want to take a trip to the UK, for some zombie action?!

Read the full article HERE

In other news, Left 4 Dead 2 was announced at this years E3, so all you Xbox fanboys - rejoice!
Being a PS3 owner myself, I shall cry myself to sleep, until Dead Rising 2 hits stores.

The Walking Dead: Compendium One

2009-05-28T13:28:00.003-05:00

So, many have heard about this release. It came out last week, and I finally got around to ordering it! "The Walking Dead" is a great comic, so if you havent heard of it - definitely check it out! The Compendium is the first 48 issues, 1088 pages and 5 lbs of pure zombie mayhem. Ive read that it is a limited release (who knows how many times thats actually true) but I had to pick it up just in case. It retails for $60, but i picked it up from an independent seller on barnes and noble for $40.

Remember to always aim for the head.
//spm

$70 + Zombies = HOLLYWOOD

2009-05-22T14:53:00.003-05:00

British Director Marc Price hit it big at Cannes Film Festival this year with his Zombie flick, "Colin". What separates it from the rest, is that it takes the zombies perspective, which is something that sounds really compelling. I had seen this movie posted on Revenant a while back, but never took the time to look into it. Now its has taken Hollywood by storm. Great Job Marc!!
I think we will be seeing much more of this very soon.

The Best part about the whole thing? The movie cost $70 to make.
Absolutely Brilliant.

Read the CNN article HERE

//spm

Aww Shit...Zombie Ants.

2009-05-19T10:08:00.006-05:00

When the respectable National Geographic uses the word "Zombie", you know your in for a good article. Apparently, in South America, female phorid flies are injecting fire ants with their eggs, using a needle appendage. The larva migrates to the ants head, and eats the brain, eventually controlling it to steer the ant away from the colony - to avoid detection and attack. The larva finally decapitates the ant, and squeezes out of the head.

my reaction to this news: NICE.
Read Full article HERE

In other news, pick up The Walking Dead Compendium Volume 1 if you havent read it yet!

Robert Elrod brings the zombie heat.

2009-05-14T17:01:00.003-05:00

Another painting from our friend Robert Elrod

This one is titled "Night of the Leering Dead"
Acrylic on Wood - (which is one of my favorite mediums to work in!)

// spm

Zombie American: Glen's Story

2009-05-12T22:32:00.003-05:00

This is a fantastic short film I just discovered on FearNet. I think it is a couple of years old, but it is still pretty great. Check out the Zombie American website, too.

RM

Doghouse Trailer

2009-05-08T04:17:00.001-05:00

This looks like a home-run to me.

Revenants...the PLAY!

2009-05-07T00:47:00.003-05:00

This is a trailer for WildClaw Theatre's newest horror stage production! If you are in Chicago on the between now and the 24th of May, CHECK THIS OUT!!!

A stage production of a zombie story sounds absolutely amazing. Tickets can be purchased through the WildClaw site.

If anyone goes to see this, please shoot us an email letting us know your review!

Love, RM

Zombified Audio Fiction

2009-05-07T00:27:00.004-05:00

This is a sweet throwback to old-school audio-dramas. Darker Projects has a great variety of horroresque stories brought to you in dramatic format. The Byron Chronicles is the series I stumbled upon recently. It is a story combining many characteristics and archetypes of the horror genre, however it kicks off the series with all of our favorites: SEA MONSTERS! Because that makes sense, you know, for this blog.

It's actually about the walking dead.

But really, now, this is a fantastic take on the ORIGINAL zombie! Also, it is funny because the episode is called "The Taint." I couldn't link directly to the story, but it is at the bottom of THIS PAGE.

Look out, "The Taint" is full of zombies.

Immaturely yours,
RM

Happy Birthday Lil' Ric!

2009-05-05T15:58:00.003-05:00

Zombie Nation's very own Eric Schuster is celebrating his briffday this weekend. I am leaving for California this week, (to fight the mutated zombie strain of swine flu) so I thought I would take this chance to say cheers!

Zombie virus outbreak in London.

2009-05-04T12:53:00.003-05:00

Remember what you have learned. Im out to loot my local Walmart (they carry guns and food...one stop shop for zombie outbreak)

You have trained for this. You are ready. See you on the battlefield.

Read the Full Fake Article HERE

New Trailer for "Dead Rising 2" Video Game!

2009-04-29T14:21:00.000-05:00

"Plague of the Dead" Book Review

2009-04-29T09:55:00.003-05:00

So, im guessing most of you have heard of "The Morningstar Strain Saga". If not - it is a 3 book trilogy about a zombie virus known as "Morningstar". The first book "Plague of the Dead" starts at the beginning of the outbreak in Africa, and moves out from there. The way the virus works in the book is quite interesting. Its like a combination of "28 days Later" and "Night of the Living Dead". Depeneding on how you are infected, it can take from minutes to weeks for someone to turn, And once the virus has taken over, the host becomes a fast, ravenous, rage infested creature. These zombies can be killed in anyway a human can be killed. However, if the head is not destroyed, within minutes, the virus re-animates the host into a slow shambeling corpse. Best of both worlds eh? If I had any criticism for the book, it would be that, the writing was a little sub-par at points, and (being from a military family) the military language of some of the soliders were used haphazrdly and at times unnecessary. All in all this was a good read, and im excited for the next 2 books.
Well, im on to the second book, "Thunder and Ashes". Ill let you know how it goes once I blow through that one!

Zombie Nation Rating: 4/5

"Morningstar Strain: Plague of the Dead"
By Z A Recht

ZUMBI

2009-04-27T12:09:00.005-05:00

Check out this Zombie track by Major Lazer featuring Andy Milokanis: ZUMBI! It's awesome. It's from their upcoming LP Guns Don't Kill People - Lazers Do, which should be decent. Mad Decent.

Further evidence....

2009-04-21T14:39:00.003-05:00

//spm

Destroy the Brain

2009-04-19T12:31:00.003-05:00

There are many crowbars like it, but this one is mine. Great for smashing skulls, breaking into locked buildings, playing croquet...I give you "Buster." Nice and manageable, just over 24", and the handle is wrapped in batting tape. I like the idea of having a solid piece of metal that has points and is blunt at the same time. Also, not pictured is a Remington 870 shotgun, but that is in a garage in Northern Minnesota, so doesn't do me a whole hell of a lot of good here in San Francisco. "Buster" it is.

-RM

Weapon Submission: TF

2009-04-18T17:00:00.003-05:00

Another weapon submission from one of our dedicated followers!

Thomas:
Now I don't have any firearms, but I have plenty of blunt objects that would
be useful against an undead ghoul.
After seeing Shaun of the Dead I purchased a cricket bat, despite not being
able to play the game.
I later realised that a wooden bat wouldn't last long after repeated skull
bashings so I searched for something more sturdy and found an old vacuum
cleaner's extention metal tube... Er... Thing.
It can double in length so it could keep me at a safe distance from a zombie
and when shortened it's light and easily transportable.
It's not much but I think it would work pretty well.
A couple of months before being eaten, perhaps? :-)
________________________________________________________

Thats a hella original weapon. Nice work TF!

//spm

Weapon Submission: CrazyIvan2x

2009-04-17T18:28:00.017-05:00

Being a fire fighter in my local township i am the first line of defense against the zombie horde. i take good care of my weapons and get to practice with them on a regular bases. remember the greatest weapon is ones mind.my side-arm- not really a zombie weapon but i have to list it because i carry it everywhere(and humans prove to be a greater threat)
bed room machete- i want a fighting chance when in my own bedroom. i don't sleep with it under my pillow but it is in easy reach from my bed, and i am a light sleeper.
car machete- like with the machete in my bedroom i have one in my car. it is part of my emergency supplies.
knuckle knife- i have about 6 of these in various places like: one with the emergency stuff in my car, one with my fire fighting gear, one in my school bag(yes i have a knife in my book-bag), one in the bag i take with me to work, and the others are stored in my room if i need a replacement.
new york roof hook- this is more to do with fire fighting than zed killing but it would be an effective tool for one person to take down multiple targets.

as of right now i do not own any firearms but i am looking in to getting a 12g shotgun and a FN five seven pistol

_________________________________________________________________

Awesome stuff! I think CrazyIvan2x will last a pretty long time.. ;)

Keep the submissions coming!!!!

The crucial anti-zombie weapon

2009-04-16T23:33:00.005-05:00

As the many zombie films out there have reliably informed us, the undead may rise up with little to no warning. When the hordes are pounding on your front door, do you have a weapon handy to defend yourself with?

My anti-zombie weapon of choice is the Maasai stick (or fimbo.) It's used by warriors in Africa to defend against invaders and lions. It doesn't need to be reloaded, and there's no danger of it getting stuck in a zombie. It's light and balances quite nicely. I'm still getting used to handling it, but if a zombie appears in my doorway, at least I'll have something close at hand to bust its head.

Send us pics of you and your anti-zombie weapon, and tell us a little about why you've chosen it!

"Day by Day Armageddon" Book Review

2009-04-16T09:32:00.003-05:00

Let me start off by saying, the journal format of this novel is perfect for the zombie genre. "Day by Day" follows a naval aviator through his journal writings. It starts at the beginning of the calendar year, where evidence of the outbreak begin in China (its always the Chinese isn't it? ;)
We follow our main character through Texas, where he uses his military training, along with the help of survivors, to stay alive. The authors attention to detail and extensive knowledge of survival make the book seem tangible and authentic.
The author; J.L. Bourne is a real life naval officer who is currently serving in Iraq, but has still managed to complete a Sequel, which should be coming out very soon. Im sure I will be pre-ordering the sequel, because "Day by Day Armageddon" is definately one of my favorite zombie novels to date.

Zombie Nation Rating: 5/5

Day by Day Armageddon"
By J.L. Bourne

//spm

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T00:00:00.004-05:00

Today, we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
You may ask yourself, "what does this have to do with zombies?" Or maybe you caught on a long time ago.
Thats right...

Jesus was a friggin' zombie.

From all of us at Zombie Nation,
Happy Easter

Paparazzi = Zombies

2009-04-11T11:26:00.003-05:00

I like to browse the news everyday, just to see whats going on in the world (making sure the outbreak isnt beginning) and its always bad news. But today, my friends, was a good day in news.
This is the best headline I have ever seen....

Click on the Headline to read the story!

and while your at it, check out this TIME article "Zombies are the new Vampires"

//spm

Zombie Dawn

2009-04-07T23:57:00.007-05:00

William over from ZombieDawn.com notified me of his sweet new zombie site!
its pretty fun to have a look aorund, so check it out!

The Big Zombie Video Game Update!!!

2009-04-02T22:46:00.008-05:00

Ok, so here are some zombie video games I am looking forward to in 2009.

Video Game #1
First of all, I don't really play PC games. But Im getting this. fighting zombies with...plants?! YES. this one looks super cute, and has the catchiest music video I have ever witnessed. Performance by the very talented Laura Shigihara
VIEWER BEWARE: This song will be stuck in your head ALL DAY.

Video Game #2
This is the newest zombie video game I have come across, and it looks damn sexy. And loads of classic fun. its called "Zombie Apocalypse" and it comes out in a few months!
Click This link to check it out!

Video Game #3
This one just came out for download on the PlayStation Network. it is called "Burn, Zombie, Burn!" It is almost like the cartoon version of the upcoming "Zombie Apocalypse". It is super fun!

Video Game #4
Last but not least is the game I am looking forward to the most. "Dead Rising 2". It looks insane. The premise of the first one was: You trapped in a mall. your weapon? anything. absolutely anything you could find. from a sword to a bowling ball. Why am I excited about this sequel?
because the developers have announced that this game will have the ability to have up to 6000 zombies on screen at the same time. yes. six thousand. simply. amazing. "Dead Rising 2" comes out later this year.

for more information on all these games, go to ign.com!

//spm

"Dying to Live" Book Review

2009-04-02T09:39:00.004-05:00

I finished this book last night, and was a little sad to see it end. Overall it was a very original zombie story, with noted references to Dantes inferno, Moby Dick, as well as the unsurprising homages to the great George Romero and other zombie culture pioneers. The entire book, I had envisioned that the writer was female (Kim?) only to find out in the acknowledgments, it is actually a man. Its not like this matters, but theres something about how the book was written that made it fascinating that a woman was ultimately the mastermind.
In "Dying to Live" we follow a man named "Jonah" who is one of the few survivors of the zombie pandemic which has whiped the entire planet. He comes across a group of people who have settled within a fortified museum. This band of people are led by a man named "Milton" who has a very interesting power over the undead.
When I read this part of the synopsis, I was very skeptical. I was worried the book would become some magical fantasy, or some sort of Scorcery. Thankfully, it was nothing like that at all. In fact, its one of the main keys of the story, and it uses it very very well. Whats great about this story, is that the author shows you that the undead arent the most evil things roaming the planet. Humanity can be much more sadistic than rotting corpses that feed on living brains. The book throws you right into the fight, and never lets up until the end. I definately reccomend this book. Ill leave you with that. So go check it out!

Zombie Nation Rating: 4/5

"Dying to Live: A Novel of Life amoung the Undead"
By Kim Paffenroth

//spm

Marvel Zombies trailer

2009-03-30T15:16:00.003-05:00

If they let these guys actually go through with this, it would be the most awesome Marvel film since Roger Corman's Fantastic Four. For real.

Make sure you stay after the credits.

New Header Design!

2009-03-25T15:41:00.000-05:00

So I got kind of tired of the original design, so I made a new one...hope you guys like it!

// spm

World War Z Concept Art

2009-03-20T15:09:00.003-05:00

Holy crap, did I really forget to post this?! The World War Z concept art by Dan LuVisis came out a couple months ago, which I have been completely in love with - yet.....I never posted it here? whats wrong with me? maybe I did, and dont remember? If I did, then its worth a 2nd run.
This is a rendition of the battle of Yonkers. check out some of his other work as well as an interview HERE

//spm

Zombie Munny

2009-03-19T13:46:00.003-05:00

So I have this blank Munny....and I was curious to see what others had done with theirs.

This one is definitely one of my favs!

Here are some others I have come across....

// spm

Zombie Dudes

2009-03-18T09:52:00.003-05:00

I played around a little with those zombie head vectors.

East Coast zombie outbreak, and free vector images!

2009-03-11T10:03:00.004-05:00

If I could build my dream team to fight zombies, it would be...

A 10 year old child and a delusional goth rocker.

If anyone reading this on the east coast, specifically the Boston area, you are in a red zone. you are not safe. in 6 days evacuate to your nearest Irish pub. I unfortunately, am stuck in the Midwest, where our outbreak began in October. But I have found an Irish pub that I may find means of communication with you. keep a look out. And may god have mercy on our souls....

But in the mean time,
I was sent these FREE zombie vector images!

Click on the image to get directed to the site where you can download the Illustrator file.
And be sure to send in your creations, so they can be posted!

Peace, Love, Brains

// spm

Tokyo Zombie!

2009-03-10T13:07:00.002-05:00

Yes my fellow ghouls....The day is around the corner. If you havent seen this 2005 zombie comedy, Im sure you will be entertained. The Japanese are so awesome. Release date for the DVD is April 7!

// spm

Zone of the Dead: A samurai sword and that one guy

2009-02-24T09:45:00.002-06:00

Wow, within this 1 minute trailer, I have already concluded these people are the best actors I have ever seen.......

.....I dont care, I am soo seeing this.