We put the vert in covert… or maybe not. Any time the Zombie Survival Crew hits a new city, we tend to draw attention.
Hard to hide when arriving alongside Special Forces commander Michael Rooker, Blue Brigade commander Norman Reedus, plus first lieutenants David Della Rocco and Sean Patrick Flannery. And of course ZSC CIC and Red Brigade commander Juliette Terzieff, with yours truly scrambling to keep up.
Hey, your Orange Brigade commander is no slouch, but Juliette moves quickly. Blink and you miss her darting through a crowd of thousands. Which happened. Several times. Like a flesh and bone version of “Doctor Who” baddies, the Weeping Angels. Sacramento had no clue what hit them when Wizard World Comic Con rolled into town.
Once the shock passed, the locals and those who traveled from out of town to attend the event embraced the insanity and ran with it. The show opened Friday evening to a huge crowd, with many, many more folks to visit over the weekend. We saw tons of creative costumes, homemade fan shirts, and beautiful artwork. The massive crowds inside and out of the convention center attracted a herd of zombies—well over a hundred in the pack—leading Wizard World to call in the God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth, who helped in the good fight to save mankind.
Everyone’s efforts were repaid with smiles, kind words, hugs, and a lot of good local food to fuel us throughout the long weekend. We take pride in personally ensuring the safety of the folks in California’s capitol city.
Just another stop in the ZSC’s bid to prepare and protect the world from the undead hordes!
Looks like our tenacious Commander-in-Chief, Juliette Terzieff, went on another recruiting spree. Welcome James Allen McCune to the Zombie Survival Crew.
No stranger to dealing with the undead, James Allen McCune is best known for his role as Jimmy, Beth’s boyfriend in the second season of AMC’s hit drama “The Walking Dead.” We plan to utilize the skills he picked up while filming the show to help us. And won’t hold it against him if he has a flashback to his final days on the TWD set.
James is currently filming season four of Showtime’s “Shameless” . . . when he isn’t eating nachos and playing video games in his trailer, and hopefully practicing his skills with a sword.
Did someone leave a sign in front of the ZSC command center or something? We’ve got another new addition to Zombie Survival Crew Command ready to join our ranks! Brigadiers, raise your weapons and give a salute to Ming Chen, the newest Zombie Survival Crew commander!!
As one of the starts on AMC’s “Comic Book Men” Ming Chen provides plenty of knowledge about all things geek, and takes his share of razzing from fellow Secret Stash employees. Behind the scenes, he’s the tech guru for Kevin Smith’s View Askew and SModCo websites. He cohosts the “I Sell Comics!” podcast with fellow ZSC commander Michael Zapcic on Smodcast Internet Radio (S.I.R.) every Thursday. Ming donates his tech skills pro bono to Street Poets Inc. and The Kenny Gordon Foundation.
Ming joins his Comic Book Men compadre Michael Zapcic as a member of our Special Forces, under the Command ofMichael Rooker.
Raise your arms and salute the newest ZSC commander to join our ranks, Michael Zapcic!
Zapcic may sell comic books for a living, as well as starring on AMC’s “Comic Book Men” but that doesn’t mean he’s unprepared for the zombie apocalypse. Not with a wealth of comic book battles locked in his encyclopedic mind to pull information from.
While waiting for the undead to shamble forth, Zapcic continues to work in Red Bank, NJ at Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash while filming “Comic Book Men.” Every Thursday he records “I Sell Comics!” for Smodcast Internet Radio (S.I.R.) with cohost Ming Chen. Along with his fellow ZSC commanders, Zapcic believes in aiding charities to make the world a better place now, instead of later. He’s proud to support The Wayne Foundation and Lunchbreak of Red Bank.
On January 16th, the command crew stumbled across an encoded piece of information with sources in the Walking Dead camp. Once we opened the video . . . well, let’s just say we’re thankful the command center is sound-proofed. Wouldn’t want Blue Brigade Commander Reedus to hear our peals of laughter.
While Norman was in Japan doing a promo tour for “The Walking Dead,” the production company for the show decided it’d be the opportune time to prank him. Enter Nick Santonastasso.
The New Jersey native was born with only one arm and no legs due to Hanhart Syndrome. But that hasn’t stopped Nick from making the most out of life. Last year, Nick made a name for himself online when he donned zombie makeup and tattered clothes and filmed himself charging panicked customers in a NJ supermarket.
Shortly after, his friends created an online petition, urging Robert Kirkman—the creator of the Walking Dead comics and executive producer for the show—to bring Nick on as a walker.
The show’s producers did one better and flew Nick to Japan to be the zombie in their hidden-camera prank on Norman. With help from TWD star Andrew Lincoln and co-executive producer/FX makeup artist Greg Nicotero, Nick transformed into a walker fit to terrify the show’s most notorious bad boy.
It’s okay, Norman. We won’t tell too many people that you shrieked like a girl.
Oakland will belong to the stars June 27-29 2014. Evolution Expo is bringing together science fiction television and movie stars, along with notable scientists to the Oakland Marriott City Center for a weekend of workshops, panels, interactive exhibits, and photo ops.
Guest speakers include actors Amanda Tapping (“Stargate: SG-1”, “Sanctuary”, “Supernatural”), Jason Momoa (“The Red Road”, Road to Paloma, “Game of Thrones”), Katee Sackhoff (“Battlestar Galatica”, Riddick, “Longmire”), and Kevin Sorbo (“Hercules, the Legendary Journeys”, “Andromeda”).
Other guest speakers include astronauts Joe Edwards and Wendy Lawrence, planetary scientists Dr. Pascal Lee and Dr. Chris McKay, and many more.
Purchase your tickets now and enjoy a weekend of fun made just for science fiction fans.
In our new ongoing assignment, the Orange Brigade took on the job of scouting possible food sources during the zombiepocalypse within each of the zones laid out for our Tasty Survival series. One thing we’re all guilty of is not looking in our own backyards for ways to survive. Check for local farms you can hit on your escape routes to add to the canned/dried goods that should already be in your go bags. Grab fresh produce while you can. It will not last long once there is no one to tend to the crops. Kill only what livestock you need to feed your party. Don’t waste food others could use.
This is what we discovered for the Purple zone in western United States.
Alaska: A scant 1% of Alaska is used for farming.
Just over half of farms in the state, 54%, house livestock. The main focus is on processing dairy products, followed by cattle and hogs.
The remaining 46% of farms in Alaska grow hay, potatoes, barley, and oats.
The harsh climate makes surviving in Alaska a crapshoot to begin with.
After looking at these numbers, we advise brigadiers to stock up well on canned/dried goods before planning their escape routes.
California: Though top-ranking in crop production, only 27% of California is dedicated to farming.
27% of state farms house livestock. The primary focus is on dairy products, then cattle and eggs.
The majority of farms in California produce a wide range of crops—grapes, almonds, lettuce, strawberries, tomatoes…the list goes on and on.
California ranks #1 in production within the United States for the following products: Almonds, avocados, broccoli, celery, dairy products, grapes, greenhouse plants, hay, lemons, lettuce, onions, peaches, pistachio nuts, plums, strawberries, tomatoes, and walnuts.
If you’re in California, stay there. Set your sights on Central California, where the majority of produce and cattle farms, and chicken farms are located. There’s more than enough variety in food to keep survivors healthy for a long time.
Oregon: Approximately 28% of Oregon is dedicated to farmland.
28% of farms in the state produce livestock—cattle, dairy products, chicken eggs, and chicken.
The remaining 72% primarily grow greenhouse plants, hay, ryegrass, and wheat. However if you know where to look, you may also find onions, potatoes, pears, cherries, blackberries, and grapes.
Oregon ranks #1 in production within the United States for the following: hazelnuts, ryegrass, blackberries, and fescue.
This is another well-rounded state as far as variety of products goes. Plot your escape routes to hit as many farms as possible to stock up.
Washington: 36% of Washington is utilized for farming.
Only 30% of farms in the state house livestock, focusing on processing dairy products, followed by cattle, and aquaculture.
70% of Washington farms produce crops like apples, wheat, potatoes, hay, cherries, and grapes. Washington ranks #1 in production within the United States for the following: apples, asparagus, cherries, hops, Kentucky bluegrass, mint, and pears.
There is plenty of variety in products available in Washington, which is a good thing. Folks from nearby states may need to find their way to Washington in order to find enough food to get by.
Idaho: Only 22% of land in Idaho is used as farmland.
58% of farms in the state house livestock, focusing on processing dairy products, cattle, aquaculture, and sheep.
The remaining farms, 42%, grow crops such as potatoes, wheat, hay, sugar beets, and barley. You can also find onions, dry beans, apples, and sweet corn grown in the state.
Idaho ranks #1 in potato production. They also are the largest producer of rainbow trout—grab your fishing poles, guys.
Montana: Over half of the state, 65%, is dedicated to farming.
57% of farms in the state house livestock, with the vast majority focusing on cattle, followed by dairy products, hogs, and sheep.
43% of Montana farms produce crops like wheat, barley, hay, and sugar beets. If you know where to look, you may also find potatoes, cherries, dried beans, and oats at farms throughout the state.
North Dakota: The majority of North Dakota, approximately 89%, is used for farming.
Only 23% of farms in the state house livestock—primarily cattle, dairy products, and hogs.
77% of North Dakota farms are dedicated to growing crops like wheat, soybeans, grain corn, sugar beets, barley. With some searching you can also find farms growing potatoes. North Dakota ranks #1 in production within the United States for the following: flax seed, canola, dried peas, barley, dried beans, lentils, and oats.
Though boasting a vast amount of farmland, most of the products available in North Dakota require extra processing to be edible, which won’t help any of us on the run. Grab what you can, but plan to escape to a resource-rich state.
There you have it, the products available from the Purple Zone. The West Coast is full-to-bursting with produce. California alone could feed the entire Zombie Survival Crew for quite some time. Keep these states in mind when plotting your escape routes.
In our new ongoing assignment, the Orange Brigade took on the job of scouting possible food sources during the zombiepocalypse within each of the zones laid out for our Tasty Survival series. One thing we’re all guilty of is not looking in our own backyards for ways to survive. Check for local farms you can hit on your escape routes to add to the canned/dried goods that should already be in your go bags. Grab fresh produce while you can. It will not last long once there is no one to tend to the crops. Kill only what livestock you need to feed your party. Don’t waste food others could use.
This is what we discovered for the Green zone in the south-eastern United States.
Kentucky:
Just over half of the land in the state, 54%, is dedicated to farming.
66% of farms in Kentucky are used for livestock. Unfortunately, the majority of them raise horses and mules. The second largest product is chicken, followed by cattle.
The remaining 34% of farms in the state grow crops. Again, the top producer, tobacco, doesn’t do us much good. Instead look for the few farms growing apples, peaches, and mushrooms.
Kentucky ranks #1 in horse and mule production. While good for transporting things, they don’t make good eats.
Tennessee:
Approximately 44% of land in Tennessee is utilized for farming.
51% of farms in the state raise livestock—primarily cattle, chicken, and hogs. There is also a decent amount of dairy products processed in the state.
49% of Tennessee farms grow crops ranging from soybeans and cotton to tomatoes, apples, snap beans, and squash.
Mississippi:
Only 37% of land in Mississippi is dedicated to farmland.
Approximately 66% of the farms in the state house livestock, with a huge focus on chicken. They also produce catfish, bass, and cattle.
The remaining 34% of farms grow crops, with a focus on cotton, soybeans, and grain corn. However, if you look for it, you can find rice, sweet potatoes, and watermelon.
Mississippi ranks #1 in aquaculture production—mostly in farm-raised catfish and hybrid breeds of striped bass. Fish are great for survival and very forgiving of cooking over open flame with the right techniques.
Alabama:
Just over a quarter of the state, 27%, is utilized as farmland.
A whopping 82% of farms in Alabama raise livestock, with the majority product being chicken, followed by cattle and chicken eggs.
Only 18% of farms grow crops—primarily cotton, peanuts, grain corn, and soybeans. Some farms can be found growing tomatoes, sweet potatoes, peaches, and cucumbers.
Despite the majority product in the state being chicken, there is enough variety in produce to sustain survivors for quite some time. If you’re in the area, put Alabama in your sights on your escape routes.
Georgia:
Approximately 29% of Georgia is used as farmland.
67% of the farms in the state are dedicated to raising livestock, focusing on chicken, cattle, and chicken eggs.
The remaining 33% of farms in Georgia produce crops ranging from cotton and tobacco to peanuts, onions, sweet corn, and tomatoes.
Georgia is a well-rounded produce state, growing enough to satisfy the demands of a larger number of survivors if they stick to farmland. Do not get stuck in large cities.
Florida:
30% of the land in Florida is utilized as farmland.
Only 22% of farms in the state produce livestock, with the top products being cattle, dairy products, and chicken.
The majority of farms, 78%, grow crops—with oranges and sugarcane topping the list for edible produce. You can also find tomatoes, grapefruit, strawberries, and sweet corn grown in the state. Florida ranks #1 in the United States producing the following: Sugarcane, grapefruit, oranges, squash, tangerines, and watermelon.
It is a good thing Florida is so resource-rich and diversified. Hanging out as it does at the butt-end of the U.S., travel out of state will bottleneck. Hang tight, find a few farms to gather supplies from, and everything should be okay.
There you have it, the resources available thanks to farmers within the Green Zone in the south-eastern United States. There’s plenty to choose from, if you know where to look. Start plotting your escape routes now.
In our new ongoing assignment, the Orange Brigade took on the job of scouting possible food sources during the zombiepocalypse within each of the zones laid out for our Tasty Survival series. One thing we’re all guilty of is not looking in our own backyards for ways to survive. Check for local farms you can hit on your escape routes to add to the canned/dried goods that should already be in your go bags. Grab fresh produce while you can. It will not last long once there is no one to tend to the crops. Kill only what livestock you need to feed your party. Don’t waste food others could use.
This is what we discovered for the Light Blue Brigade’s zone in the central United States.
Iowa:
Nearly the entire state is utilized as farmland, totaling approximately 89%.
Half of the farms in Iowa raise livestock, with a focus on hogs, cattle, dairy products, and eggs. The other half of farms in the state produce grain corn, soybeans, hay and greenhouse plants. Now very good for gathering supplies on the run.
Iowa ranks #3 in the country for total agricultural production, though most produce is grown to feed livestock. The state ranks #1 in grain corn and hog production. We suggest grabbing what meat you can safely store and moving on to a state with more variety in produce.
Kansas:
A total of 90% of Kansas is dedicated to farmland.
Approximately 68% of farms in the state house livestock—primarily cattle, hogs, and the production of dairy products.
The remaining 32% of Kansas farms grow crops ranging from wheat, grain corn, and hay, to soybeans, sorghum grain, and cotton. Kansas ranks #1 in sorghum and hay production.
This is another state with crop production focusing mainly on maintaining their livestock. Gather what you can and move on quickly to another state.
Missouri:
68% of the land in Missouri is set aside as farmland.
About 53% of farms in the state raise livestock, housing mainly cattle and hogs, as well as facilities to manufacture dairy products.
The remaining 47% of Missouri farms focus on growing soybeans, grain corn, cotton, wheat, and hay.
In the right season, you may be able to find potatoes, apples, and watermelons. Don’t bank on it, though.
Oklahoma:
Over 77% of Oklahoma is utilized as farmland.
The vast majority of farms in the state, 79%, raise livestock, focusing on cattle, hogs, and chicken.
Only 23% of Oklahoma farms grow crops, mostly wheat, greenhouse plants, cotton and soybeans.
You may be able to find peanuts, watermelon, and peaches—try to plot your escape routes to pass through these farms.
Arkansas:
Less than half of Arkansas is dedicated to farmland, approximately 43%.
63% of the farms in the state raise livestock, with a focus on chicken, cattle, and chicken eggs.
The remaining 37% of Arkansas farms grow mostly rice, soybeans, cotton, grain corn, and wheat. In smaller quantities they grow tomatoes, peaches, and blueberries.
Arkansas ranks #1 in the United States for rice production, and #2 for production of channel catfish and bait fish.
Texas:
Approximately 68% of land in Texas is dedicated to farming.
67% of state farms house livestock, with an obvious focus on cattle. They also produce chicken, eggs, and dairy products.
37% of Texas farms grow crops such as cotton, greenhouse plants, grain corn, hay, and wheat. If lucky, you can find a farm growing onions, potatoes, and cabbage to go with your beef on your quest to survive.
Texas ranks #1 in total livestock production, and #1 in total cattle production in the United States. The state also ranks #1 in cotton and cabbage production.
Louisiana:
Only 28% of the state is used as farmland.
39% of state farms house livestock, including cattle and aquaculture (fish, shellfish, etc.). Some of these farms likewise process dairy products.
61% of Louisiana farms produce crops ranging from Sugar cane, to rice, soybeans, cotton, and grain corn. You may also find sweet potatoes, peaches, and watermelon grown in the state.
There it is, folks. These are the resources available in the Light Blue Zone. A lot of the focus in the area is on livestock. We suggest grabbing what foods you can and make your way south to the more resource-rich states.
As part of our collective efforts to prepare for the z-poc, ZSC command has undertaken a mission to bring you a series of recipes to keep the body strong and the spirit lifted during dark times. This recipe from Red Brigade Sergeant at Arms Amy Sundberg works great in the Green brigade’s zone, the Southeastern United States, where it shouldn’t be too hard to find a chicken or two…
Coffee Can Chicken
Yep, you read it right. Not canned chicken, although that’s not an unreasonable item to add to your food supply list… but this recipe is the tried-and true real deal. Slow cooking techniques, while they are certainly slow, are key to bringing out the natural flavor of just about any kind of meat. Little preparation is required, and the necessary ingredients are few. If you want a quick meal, this isn’t it. But if you have the time to sit down for a spell or you have other things you can do in the meantime, this one is worth trying.
You will need:
1 whole chicken, butchered and plucked (no more than 3 1/2 lbs)
Butter (margarine or oil will work)
Salt & Pepper
Heavy duty aluminum foil
Gallon-sized tin can
Charcoal briquettes
Optional: Veggies of choice, such as onions, carrots or garlic for more flavor. Go light on the extras, as more materials will extend the cooking time considerably.
Note: During cooking, the can WILL get hot enough to burn whatever is below it, so be very careful about choosing where to put it. If you have inquisitive young ones around, we recommend hanging it from a low branch in a safe place, away from flammable materials and grabby fingers.
Preparation:
Punch or drill holes in the tin can 1 inch up from the bottom approximately 1 inch apart all the way around the can. Place 18 briquettes (no more no less) in the bottom of the can and light.
Rub chicken with butter and season as you like. Wrap chicken with heavy aluminum foil twice, side to side and then from bottom to top. Make sure the foil closing point is on the top of the chicken.
Once the charcoal has turned white, place the foil-wrapped chicken into the can with the legs facing the top. It’s perfectly fine if the chicken sticks out of the can. Let the can and chicken sit (or hang) for 3 hours.
After 3 hours, remove the chicken from the can. Take care opening the foil, steam burns hurt like heck. If the chicken is falling off the bone tender, juicy and smelling delicious, it’s done.
Once the shock passed, the locals and those who traveled from out of town to attend the event embraced the insanity and ran with it. The show opened Friday evening to a huge crowd, with many, many more folks to visit over the weekend. We saw tons of creative costumes, homemade fan shirts, and beautiful artwork. The massive crowds inside and out of the convention center attracted a herd of zombies—well over a hundred in the pack—leading Wizard World to call in the God of Thunder himself, Chris Hemsworth, who helped in the good fight to save mankind.
