Okay, so those weren’t zombies we saw him battling alongside friends and influential high school teachers in the instant-classic hit film Starship Troopers. They were bugs. Big bugs. Big fast bugs. Big, fast deadly, angry extraterrestrial badass bugs. They’re hard to kill, but you only have to do it once – Nobody ever said “the only good zombie is a dead zombie,” not only because it’s a dumb thing to say, but because it just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Few others understand the importance of perfecting the patented flip six three hole, and even fewer can say they have traveled as far and walked as many roads as this seasoned actor, writer and producer.
Coming from a strong military background, Casper Van Dien was raised in New Jersey, on a street named after his great-great-grandfather … you guessed it…. Van Dien Avenue. After moving to Florida, he attended Admiral Farragut Academy where he graduated as Operations Officer, obviously setting the stage for the future and preparing for what lies ahead. While waiting for the zombie apocalypse to begin, Casper moved to Los Angeles and landed many TV roles, including television commercials and roles in Beverly Hills 90210 and One Life to Live before stepping onto the bigger screen.
Soon afterwards, he landed the lead role in James Dean: Race with Destiny before jumping into the part that even now remains one of the most recognizable to science fiction fandom, Johnny Rico in the ultra-violent action adventure,Starship Troopers. In 2009, the Lt once again donned Johnny Rico’s uniform and jumped to the front lines in the war against child abuse, appearing in several PSAs by ChildHelp.org. Many films and television appearances later, he appeared in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, earning himself some experience in dealing with the undead. Casper also became the 20th on-screen Lord of the Jungle when he took the starring role in Warner Brothers’ Tarzan and the Lost City. In 2008 he reprised his role as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder, and more recently he brought us Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat: Legacy
Coming soon: Watch for for Casper in Sharktopus vs. Mermantula… yes, you read that correctly. And after watching the trailer below, we simply CANNOT WAIT to see it.
In a world where the old ways are far too often overwhelmed by the new, Green Brigade Second Lieutenant Elizabeth Schiable combines classic beauty, brawn and brains with flawless grace and style. With her special ops training in traditional Chinese martial arts, specifically the Northern Shaolin Kung Fu style Bak Sil Lum, Lieutenant Schiable brings wisdom, balance and a good old-fashioned can of whoop-ass to the front lines of the Zombie Survival Crew’s ranks.
Known for her roles in Angel of Death, Beyond the Ropes and False Prophets, Elizabeth has also appeared in several television series, including The Protector and Hollywood Inc. Her talents are many, and she is also experienced in the goings-on behind the scenes, having carved a place for herself in every aspect of the business from makeup artist and production assistant to associate producer and assistant director. Elizabeth recently completed work on the films Crossroads and Don’t Pass Me By.
As one of the Zombie Survival Crew’s most valuable covert operatives, Elizabeth is a master (or mistress) of disguise. She is currently operating out of an undisclosed location, and Command is eagerly awaiting word on her next mission.
If you’re just joining us for this series, please be sure to check out our previous Commander Monday reports!
In our ongoing effort to keep the masses well fed and happy during the z-pocalypse, we’re taking a page from Green Brigade Commander IronE Singleton’s book. Not literally, of course… but it’s been suggested from time to time that the Commander has more than a few skills in the kitchen. We’ve come up with a quick and easy version of a traditional recipe that any Southern grandma would be proud to share. At least we hope so.
This quickie casserole can be made with fresh or frozen ingredients, in a traditional oven or even a Dutch oven over a campfire if the situation calls for it. Using frozen meat and veggies from your pre-apocalypse stockpile yields wholesome results in almost no time at all!
1 (10 3/4-oz.) can cream of chicken soup with herbs
1 (8-oz.) container sour cream
1 (8-oz.) can diced water chestnuts, drained
Optional: 3/4 cup sliced almonds, salt & pepper to taste
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°. Melt butter over medium heat, add onions and sauteé 6 to 8 minutes or until tender.
Stir all other ingredients and add onions. Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish or dutch oven, add salt & pepper, sprinkle almonds on top.
Bake at 400° for 30 to 35 minutes or until bubbly and almonds are lightly browned. Let stand 10 minutes.
Don’t like almonds? Sprinkle shredded cheese instead. Or try bread crumbs, crushed crackers or even crush pretzels or potato chips on top if it’s a little crunch you want. There’s plenty to share. Enjoy!
A few months ago, we were beyond giddy to find out Green Brigade commander IronE Singleton was working with ZSC Commander-in-Chief Juliette Terzieff to write his official autobiography.
After a long wait, we finally have news about the book…and the cover!
On the streets of Atlanta, the fight to survive is a daily battle.
From the drug-infested corners of one of the city’s worst housing projects, to alleyways filled with ravenous zombies– Blindsided by the Walking Dead examines one man’s battle to overcome the violence, drugs, and crime of the ‘hood; starting with a young IronE Singleton determined to succeed despite an abusive mother, an absent father, and the temptations of instant gratification inherent with the thug life.
Football and Faith in God become IronE’s allies in his quest to escape and help him reach for the lights of the University of Georgia’s football field and theater stages.
After years of struggle–failed businesses, small roles, and an ill-fated trip to Los Angeles–IronE snags his major breakthrough role, playing the kind of drug-dealing, gun-toting thug he would have become on the streets, in The Blind Side.
When he is cast as T-Dog on AMC’s international mega-hit “The Walking Dead”, IronE examines through art what humanity is about and what it means to truly survive against all odds. Alongside cast mates Michael Rooker, Norman Reedus, Jeffrey DeMunn, and Andrew Lincoln, IronE fought, gagged, and sweat his way into the hearts and minds of millions around the world.
From the mobile unit of ZSC Commander-in-Chief, Juliette Terzieff, with special guest Gary Streiner:
When we think of iconic horror movie moments it isn’t long before visions of Bill Hinzman lurching through the Evans City Cemetery towards unsuspecting siblings Barbra and Johnny in the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead float to the top. Like the gruesome murder of Janet Leigh in the infamous Psycho shower scene, or Linda Blair’s impossible head gymnastics in The Exorcist, the image of that first modern-era zombie seeking out a meal remains a favorite of horror fans around the globe.
George Romero’s black and white masterpiece is legend. A singular piece of filmmaking that has inspired generations of writers, artists, musicians, actors and filmmakers to probe through decaying flesh in search of the monster inside us all.
Night of the Living Dead fans and members of the movie’s production crew have joined forces in a labor of love to save the chapel featured in the movie’s opening sequence—which happens to be the last original building from the movie that still stands. The Evans City Chapel hasn’t been in use for decades, except as a storage shed, and is facing the wrecking ball.
Over the last year my guest today, Gary Streiner, NOTLD’s sound engineer and brother of Russ Streiner who played Johnny, has been helping drive a campaign to save the chapel. In that time Fix the Chapel has raised almost $50,000, inspired videos and given birth to an anthology Stories from the Chapel.
But the battle is not won yet. Even if the campaign successfully raises the fund’s required by the cemetery association to prevent a demolition, campaigners will be in place to help oversee the repairs.
Many of us in zombie Survival Crew Command, such as myself and Green Brigade Commander IronE Singleton, trace their love of zombies to this groundbreaking film. We’re sure many of you feel the same! So please, go check out the website and Facebook group, and get involved in the effort to
An Announcement From the desk of the Zombie Survival Crew Commander-in-Chief, Juliette Terzieff
It’s time to have some fun ZSC brigadiers! Green Brigade Commander IronE Singleton has issued an Olympic challenge this summer in honor of the London Games and the Season 3 premiere of AMC’s hit television show The Walking Dead.
Participation is easy and your chance to win is limited only by the borders of your own imagination. Simply take to Twitter anytime beginning July 27, the opening day of the London Olympic Games, and before October 13 to take your shot at identifying #TDogsNextLine.
Green Brigade’s 2nd Lieutenant Casper Van Dien may not have as much experience battling the undead as those previously mentioned, but he brings to the Zombie Survival Crew skills and strengths that make him the perfect candidate for Z-pocalypse leadership. Okay, so those weren’t zombies we saw him battling alongside friends and influential high school teachers. They were bugs. Big bugs. Big fast bugs. Big, fast deadly, angry extraterrestrial badass bugs. They’re hard to kill, but you only have to do it once. Nobody ever said “the only good zombie is a dead zombie,” not only because it’s a brain-numbingly dumb thing to say, but because it just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Few others understand the importance of perfecting the patented flip six three hole, and even fewer can say they have traveled as far and walked as many roads as this seasoned actor, writer and producer.
Coming from a strong military background, Casper Van Dien was raised in New Jersey, on a street named after his great-great-grandfather … you guessed it…. Van Dien Avenue. After moving to Florida, he attended Admiral Farragut Academy where he graduated as Operations Officer, obviously setting the stage for the future and preparing for what lies ahead. While waiting for the zombie apocalypse to begin, Casper moved to Los Angeles and landed many TV roles, including television commercials and roles in Beverly Hills 90210 and One Life to Live before stepping onto the bigger screen.Soon afterwards, he landed the lead role in James Dean: Race with Destiny before jumping into the part that even now remains one of the most recognizable to science fiction fandom, Johnny Rico in the ultra-violent action adventure,Starship Troopers.
Many films and television appearances later, he appeared in Tim Burton’s Sleepy Hollow, earning himself a small taste of dealing with the undead. Casper also became the 20th on-screen Lord of the Jungle when he took the starring role in Warner Brothers’ Tarzan and the Lost City. More recently, he’s appeared in the TV series Monk and Watch Over Me, and in 2008 he reprised his role as Johnny Rico in Starship Troopers 3: Marauder. Coming soon for Casper is the TV movie Fugitive at 17, the thriller Assumed Memories, and appearing as himself in noobz.
Actor, director, writer, motivational speaker and singer…. Green brigade’s commander IronE Singleton brings to the table an invaluable combination of strength, determination and passion possessed by some but unmatched by none. IronE hails from Atlanta, Georgia and has already faced the shambling horde, looked it right in the eye and refused to give up the good fight for even a moment. Outgoing, gregarious and quick to smile, Irone’s laughter is more infectious than any zombie plague and his endless determination is a shining example to all.
IronE recently got his feet wet in the convention scene by attending Monster Mania 21 in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. While a seemingly endless horde of adoring fans and admirers might have caused some to tremble in abject fear, IronE faced them all with his trademark disarming smile and made each one feel as welcome as if they were stepping into his home rather than standing in line at a noisy, crowded convention.
IronE’s many varied talents have taken him from the University of Georgia to television, theatre and film. He has appeared on the big screen in several films, including The Blind Side, Lottery Ticket, Seeking Justice. And the upcoming film A Box For Rob. Television appearances include pilots for ABC’s Detroit 1-8-7, VH1’s Single Ladies, and TNT’s Franklin & Bash, and he has also appeared in CW’s One Tree Hill and BET’s Somebodies… but most notably he is the one and only Theodore Douglas, a.k.a. T-Dog on AMC’s The Walking Dead. On the theatre side, be sure to check out his inspiring one-man show: IronE . . . The Resurrected. This inspiring story of survival, heartbreak, transformation and healing is a must-see for all.
Under IronE’s experienced leadership, Green Brigade is best equipped to keep up the morale as the battle for survival wages on and we would surely find ourselves in one fine mess without him.
With the holidays coming up, Undead Is Not An Option would make a nice gift for the zombie lover’s in your family.
What would you do if you were stuck in a tree house, with a complete stranger who is somewhat annoying but a bona fide optimist, a chest full of rocks, and a horde of zombies waiting below? Louie, the optimist, is certain the government is working on a cure for the zombies or a rescue plan, but Arnie keeps mulling over the question, what could be worse than zombies? The Changing by Jim Bronyaur answers the question, but leaves you with this one: will you draw blood gnawing on your knuckle by the time you reach the end?
Please note because the characters are dealing with a zombie outbreak, this excerpt has some strong language.
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The Changing by Jim Bronyaur
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After the rocks…
Without order, chaos would ensue. It was human nature, maybe instinct, maybe that extra little bit of work creation put into us, but give a man an inch and he’ll probably try to take more. Toss in the idea of the world ending and now you’ve got a whole new bag of shit to deal with.
Arnie noticed the beginning of the chaos after the second rock Louie threw at a zombie. Calm with the first throw, he pretended to be a baseball pitcher. Arnie didn’t like nor understand baseball but with the growing group of zombies below them, he’d take a long, hot day at a ballpark anytime.
Louie’s second throw was filled with rage. He barely took aim and cursed so much and so fast, the words mixed together. By the time he threw the rock, his body sweated and shook. The rock pegged a zombie in the shoulder and the thing fell over but climbed right back up.
“Three,” Arnie said. “Hey, we should consider the rules again. Is it just three? Or should you get three for knocking him over and then one for hitting them…” He tried to break the tension but Louie acted as if he lost his mind.
“Fuck the game,” Louie said. He picked up another rock. With his knuckles white from the grip on the rock, he pulled his arm back but only wept. As his head bobbed, Arnie watched as Louie’s body teetered on the edge.
Arnie knew that if the man kept it up they’d be out of rocks soon. And if he lost his mind, then maybe a push was in order. Sure, it was a sick thought to have—pushing an innocent, living man into a horde of zombies, but these weren’t normal times.
Trying to take the high road, Arnie wrapped his arms around Louie and pulled him back. The rock fell to the floor with a clunk.
“Louie, please. You’re losing it.”
Louie dropped to his ass and kept crying. Arnie always wondered what was worse than watching a woman cry when you had nothing to offer to make it stop. He found it, and it wasn’t the end of the world waiting outside, it was Louie babbling like a baby.
The crying lasted ten minutes or so until Louie sucked up all his snot and put out a shaky hand towards Arnie, offering a forgiveness handshake. “I’m sorry,” he said, “I haven’t had a smoke in a while. Withdrawal. And those things… I just think about all the people I know out there. Are they dead? Are they walking again, but as zombies?”
“You’re the one who told me we’d be saved soon. We had to just hang out here…”
“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I need a cigarette. And a shot of whiskey.”
“And a woman,” Arnie added with a smile.
“Amen to that. But enough talk about what we can’t have. You know what? I feel like something’s going to happen today. Something’s… changing.”
Changing.
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To read more, and find out what is changing and whether Louie and Arnie survive, check out Undead Is Not An Option.
Green Brigade Commander, IronE Singleton, took some time out of his busy schedule to bare his feelings (and his chest???) about his beloved brigade. So Green Brigade members are you going to answer his call? Show your pride and leave your commander a message to let him know that YOU are on your toes and READY to face the Zombiepocalypse with him.
Disclaimer: The Zombie Survival Crew is not responsible for the whereabouts of Commander IronE’s shirt and cannot be held accountable for its absence. No shirts were harmed in the filming of this public service announcement.
