In the last year we’ve learned of several ZSC members, including our own young Moira, who have been battling cancer with true warriors’ determination. Each and every one of them has shown tremendous bravery, and through them we have been able to express our continued love and support to everyone else out there battling the disease. For the month of November, the Zombie Survival Crew is asking all members, followers and readers to stand behind Canadian ZSC member Noelle, in support of her efforts to raise funds for cancer research. Noelle has recently run into some difficulties during her fundraising efforts for the Canadian Cancer Society, and we want to show her our support.
From now until November 30, 2012, please consider donating to the Canadian Cancer Society. You can donate directly through the website, or you can send your donations through the Zombie Survival Crew via Paypal. The ZSC Paypal email account is zombiesurvivalcrew@gmail.com. Donations sent through the ZSC will be tallied after November 30, and the total results announced soon afterwards. If you donate directly to the CCS, please let us know in the comments below, we would love to hear from you!
For more information about the Canadian Cancer Society, be sure to check out their Facebook page, and you can also follow them on Twitter. Whether it be through donations or just helping us to spread the word, every little bit can help. Please step forward and stand with us, to help Noelle, Moira and so many others kick Cancer’s butt!
We at Zombie Survival Crew Command hope that everyone in the areas affected by Hurricane Sandy is hunkered down with supplies in a safe place to ride out the storm. Four of our Commanders, including Red Brigade Sergeant At Arms Amy Sundberg, are in Sandy’s sights. Amy prepared this short recap of her experiences in the early hours of the storm.
From the National Hurricane Center: Two keys to weather safety are to prepare for the risks and to act on those preparations when alerted by emergency officials. These are essential pieces to the Weather-Ready Nation.
Stationed up here in the Northeast, weather preparedness is not an alien concept. We get snow. Buckets and buckets of the stuff. They don’t call them Nor’easters for nothing! We also get ice, torrential rain, thunderstorms, the occasional earthquake and a zombie or two. At least once a year we are threatened by a hurricane. This year is one of those years when the hurricane threat has become reality and the words “emergency preparedness” are the buzz of the week.
Hurricane Sandy is currently making a mess of the East Coast as I sit safely at home, surrounded by flickering lights and rattling windows. My biggest concern at the moment is the line of tall pine trees towering over the driveway outside. They’ve weathered many a big blow, but rarely without knocking on the shingles or putting a dent in the roof of my car. The reason I’m only concerned about the trees is simple – I’m prepared. Our storm kit is kept in a medium-sized bin in an easily-accessible place where nobody will trip over it. In the event of possible evacuation, the bin can be easily picked up and transported into the back seat of the car.
Note: Your Go-Bag is a completely different matter. That is what you grab when you have to run. Home storm kits aren’t meant to be that portable.
Storm kit items should include:
Drinking water – one gallon per person, per day
Non-perishable food – canned fruit, trail mix, power bars, crackers, pop tarts, anything that is wrapped and doesn’t require cooking or refrigeration. Don’t forget chocolate for emergency stress relief.
Flashlight and extra batteries
First aid kit – outdoor kit with a wide variety of supplies is best
Medium to large garbage bags
Toilet paper – trust me on this one
Hand sanitizer and/or handi-wipes
Battery-powered radio, with extra batteries
Any prescriptions or personal items that you must have should be in a purse, In your go-bag or on your person somewhere. Don’t leave them in anything that can be dropped, lost or left behind. Other things to have ready in case of evacuation: leashes and/or pet carriers for your furry friends, many emergency shelters are pet-friendly now. Also have ready at least one large sleeping bag per adult, one change of clothes, small toys or a couple books for kids, chew toys for the dog, and one for the hubby if he or she seems overly nervous. Get cash. If the power goes out, the ATMs will be down. Don’t stock up on alcohol, I mean the drinking kind. While a hurricane party sounds like fun, you don’t want to be too inebriated to function in an emergency. Save that for after the danger has passed.
On Saturday morning, two full days before Sandy was expected to slap us hard, I took stock of the situation and determined the risk was high enough to warrant a supply run. We were only missing batteries, food items and a can opener, so our mission was clear and simple. Full inventory completed, I departed for WalMart with high hopes. Upon arrival, we could immediately sense the underlying chaos, thanks in part to the storm supplies parked right in front of the door. Camping equipment, first aid supplies, flashlights and batteries, and a big empty space where the generators used to be stacked up.
My advice: avoid these “special sale” areas as the storm gets closer. Have you seen The Hunger Games? Remember the violence that ensued during that initial dash for the supplies? Exactly. Make your way around the store quickly, avoiding high-traffic areas and staying away from anything labeled “storm supplies.” That’s where the fights break out. D-batteries are always the first to go. Stock up when you don’t need them, and you won’t be sorry later. If you have the means, invest in a gas-powered generator or a camping stove (outdoor use only) for extended power outage times. Install a water filter on your faucet and fill up empty milk gallon containers to store in a closet. You don’t want to find yourself looking at an empty shelf situation when you realize it’s time to prepare.
Once home, storm kit stocked and ready… clean the house. Get the dishes out of the sink, tie up the garbage, put away any food, do a little laundry if you have time. It may seen obsessive or nit-picky, but if you end up having to leave for a few days or more, not having to come home to smelly garbage and airborne bacteria is a wonderful thing. If you don’t have to leave, all the better. Take preventative action ahead of time. You can then sit and indulge in guilty pleasures with zombie movies, video games and romance novels while the storm rages outside. When the power goes out – and it will – drink all the milk before it gets warm and have flashlightsaber battles to pass the time. Stay alert – if there’s damage outside or you think a tree fell on your roof, don’t go out in the storm to take pictures. Stay put, but be ready to leave if you have to- shoes on or within easy reach, wet weather gear by the door.
Most importantly – In the event that the worst happens and a mandatory evacuation is ordered for your area, DO IT. Staying behind during an evacuation order is not only endangers you, it means somebody else may have to put their lives at risk to rescue you if things do get bad. It also means our Commander in Chief will worry herself into a terrible state, and that’s just hard on everyone. Know where the emergency shelters are in your area, know your evacuation route, and have a destination in mind if you have to get out fast. Check out the ZSC’s Disaster Preparedness section for more information about what you should know before, during and after disaster strikes.
The command of the Zombie Survival Crew would like all members in the path of hurricane Sandy to take safety precautions as necessary. Please check in and let us know that you are safe or if in need of assistance. Once we have gathered the information, we will keep all crew members apprised of the situation and whether any help is required. Also please note you can find resources for help on the Zombie Survival Crew’s Disaster Preparedness page. Sergeant at Arms Sarah Q and Amy S are already at work in the affected areas.
As Hurricane Sandy moves its way across the U.S. East Coast we are reminded, once again, of the importance of pre-planning to manage a manmade, zombie or natural disaster. We here at Zombie Survival Crew command want all our brigade members to be prepared and stay safe whatever disaster hits. Some things are, ultimately, out of our control…but we can all be ready with supplies, plans and contact information to deal with most situations.
If you are in the path of Sandy, please check in with command either via this post or via Twitter or Facebook. Stay safe out there.
“George Romero has confirmed that he is writing a zombie title for Marvel Comics.
The Night of the Living Dead filmmaker revealed that the comic will not include any of the publisher’s superheroes, but promised it will feature the undead.”
“The living dead will be staggering through Cambridge city centre.
But it won’t be the end of a particularly heavy freshers’ pub crawl, rather a wave of fancy dressers paying homage to the zombie film genre.
The second Zombiegeddon walk, which could see more than 100 people in gory make-up weave through the city, was born last year when a group of friends on a fancy dress night out wanted to extend the fun.
Tyler Mortimer, one of the organisers, said it was about “poking fun” at the genre, while raising money for charity – and confusing shoppers.”
Last year I nearly drove my car off the side of a highway in Louisiana when the call came through informing me the Centers for Disease Control had issued a zombie apocalypse preparedness guide. Here was not only confirmation of everything I had been saying for a year about disaster preparedness and survival, but the first admission by a U.S. government agency that zombies pose a real threat.
More recently the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Emergency Management Agency made zombie apocalypse preparedness part of their disaster management planning. FEMA reportedly even went so far as to host a seminar for its Citizens Corps, encouraging trainers to use the threat of zombies in their community outreach efforts.
Then this past week media reports surfaced that the private security firm HALO Corp. will be providing the U.S. military training on how to manage a zombie apocalypse. Yep, you read it right. Our men and women in uniform will get zombie apocalypse training as part of this year’s counter-terrorism summit.
All the government agencies and bodies listed above have taken great pains to point out that the zombies they are preparing for are only metaphors, and that the advice and skills they’re developing are actually intended for use in cases of real world natural or mad-made disasters.
But we here at Zombie Survival Crew can’t help but wonder if the government knows something we don’t. We’ve asked all our Commanders to adopt a hyper-vigilant stance and keep their eyes open for suspicious activities. We urge you all to do the same…
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
Once again, it is time to delve into the realm of myth to find the sliver of truth behind some of the misinformation you, loyal ZSC brigadiers, may have heard while preparing for the Zombiepocalypse.
Myth: The only way to make a safe getaway is to have a souped-up zombie survival car.
Fact: Bells and whistled sure do draw a lot of unwanted attention.
There has been a trend in the last couple of years wherein folks have taken it upon themselves to try and modify their vehicles so that they have a fighting chance during post-apocalyptic scenarios. Personally, we blame one-too-many viewings of Mad Max and Tank Girl.
However, in June Hyundai announced that they’d teamed up with The Walking Dead’s Robert Kirkman to produce their ideal “Zombie Survival Machine” to celebrate the release of the comic book’s 100th installment. The vehicle was on display at San Diego Comic-Con in July and yours truly got to see if this modified Hyundai Elantra lives up to our idea of what it takes to survive the Zombiepocalypse.
Vehicle Specs: Mounted to the front is a massive spiked plow to move any oncoming zombies. An armored roof hatch opens, allowing the passenger to safely shoot attackers. Massive auxiliary off-road-spec lamps on the roof light the way. A winch on the nose of the car should come in handy, right? It also has racing wheels with huge serrated blades attached to the rims. To top it off, there are welded caged window openings to prevent the undead from reaching through and grabbing you.
There’s a CB radio to keep in contact with the others back at camp. A pair of machetes are mounted beside the center console as a just-in-case weapon. There are also explosives, a net launcher in the trunk and a fully functioning NOS system installed—on the off chance that you need even more bang-for-your-buck.
What is the “Zombie Survival Machine” lacking? Storage space. The net launcher eats up almost all of the trunk area. If you’re using a car at the end of days, you’re going to want to be able to shove everything you think is vital inside to make a getaway.
Cars in the Zombiepocalypse will all have one fatal flaw, no matter what shiny gadgets are strapped onto it—the need for fuel. Unless manufacturers begin producing a vehicle that runs strictly on water or solar power, depending on a vehicle past the first couple of weeks will be impossible. Invest on a couple good pairs of hiking boots and for your traveling needs.
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