I know we’re talking a lot about the Zombie Survival CrewTM Anthology Undead Is Not An Option lately, but it is soooo freakin’ exciting. I’m honored to be the one to put together this post, because this time I get to do a little more than tease…well, it’ll still be a tease, but I can share a little more… like the who!! and a little of the what.
Your command has come through big time and this volume has been a joint command effort. I thought I’d have to peel Juliette off the ceiling when she told me who she got to co-write the forward with her… our own IronE Singleton and while I’m not going to share what IronE wrote, I can tell you it is thought provoking and tugs at the heartstrings. And yes, he did take the time away from his busy schedule to put his own words into this very special collection of Zombie fiction and guide information. And on top of IronE’s contribution, Anthony Guajardo came through with some photos about things he would miss in a Zombiepocalypse. We have some tips on what to stow in your Go Bag from 1st Lieutenant, Neil Brown, Jr. and let me tell you, this guy knows what he’s talking about! And we have some knowledge-building articles from our beloved RC Murphy.
So cut to the chase already? What are the stories in the book? Kelene Toups starts us off with a Classified Message warning of the deteriorating situation as well as the involvement by the Unnamed Government Agency (UGA) and their recruitment of the ZSC. This is followed by a tale by Jim Bronyaur: 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? Find out in The Changing.
Crunch Time by Maria Kelly brings you into the world of RPG and twitter, something near and dear to the Zombie Survival Crew’s heart, and takes you through the chilling choices which have to be made during a zombie attack. And we’re especially pleased to have the talent’s of Chris Philbrook the author of webisode Adrian’s Undead Diary. Adrian Ring is our intrepid hero here, having just barely survived a world consuming apocalypse of the undead. Adrian’s Diary chronicles his battles with the zombie hordes and his ongoing struggle with survival. Bitten by Austin Wulf follows the final moments in the life of a woman, Emily, after she is bitten by a zombie. Her husband, Zach, pulls her into an alley, attempting to hide from the horde of zombies out on the street.
There’s more… and I’ll share the rest with you tomorrow. There’s so much packed into this book, I just can’t fit it into one post!!! Make sure you stop by our store and pre-order your copy of Undead Is Not An Option NOW!!
We’re really excited about the upcoming release of the Zombie Survival CrewTM Anthology: Undead Is Not An Option (which is available for pre-order from our Merchandise page – just sayin), so much so that we decided to put together a teaser for the book trailer which is currently in the works. Now the actual trailer will be coming out soon, but since we’ve revealed the cover, putting it to music seemed like a good idea, along with the command who have been working to make this a unique collection. So without any further ado:
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So hop on over to the Merchandise page and pre-order your copy now! at our special introductory price of $10.
This is a HUGE moment for those of us who have been working on the Zombie Survival CrewTM Anthology: Undead Is Not An Option for months. I know that Juliette chewed through a roll of duct tape in her excitement… no wait… that’s right, we duct taped her in her chair in the command center to keep her from leaking the news before its time. Boy was she mad when she finally chewed through the last of the tape. I had to whip out the flux capacitor and disappear for a day or so.
Anyway, back to our announcement…
PRE-ORDERS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR UNDEAD IS NOT AN OPTION!!
Okay – you’ll just have to imagine the champagne cork popping and the confetti flying because it is in virtual land… you just can’t see it. AND not only can you pre-order Undead Is Not An Option we have a special introductory price of $10 for pre-orders and orders through May 20, 2011. This is our way of thanking you the members of the Zombie Survival Crew for being so fantastic. After May 20, 2011, the price will be $11.95. The orders will ship out on May 8th for the pre-ordered copies. Next week we’ll have more news about what the anthology contains, but I can tell you this… it had our fearless leader sleeping with a night light on for weeks after the first read through.
How do you pre-order your copy? Either click here or go the the Merchandise page and place your order now.
This past week was certainly… interesting. Some of my fellow Commanders decided it was necessary to duct tape me to a chair in command to keep me from publicly releasing the contents of the Zombie Survival Crew Anthology: Undead Is Not An Option.
I was more than a little peeved. I mean, come on, I managed to keep the exciting news private for months what made them think I couldn’t keep my yap shut for a few more days?
To make it worse, while I was busy gnawing through three layers of industrial strength duct tape so I could put out this little missive, Purple Brigade Commander LK went ahead and revealed the cover art!
Well now it’s finally my turn and I am honored to announce some of the talented contributors to Undead is Not an Option.
The following authors and artists have crafted some truly haunting material examining the many terrifying facets of a zombiepocalypse and what survival will ask of all of us:
Tasmin Bowerman, Jim Bronyaur, EC, Jessica Capelle, Natalie Cutrufello, Andrew Jack, Gary James, Maria Kelly, Samantha Lahue, Sonya May, RC Murphy, Chris Philbrook, Wendy Sparrow, Kelene Toups and Austin Wulf.
We are also absolutely thrilled to announce that cast members from AMC’s hit television show The Walking Dead have graciously agreed to increase Undead Is Not An Option’s creep factor with contributions of their own!! Huge thanks to IronE Singleton, Neil Brown Jr., Anthony Guajardo, and everyone else for their participation.
Make sure you leave space for Undead Is Not An Option in your go bags – because this is one guide you won’t want to be without!
This is a day we’ve been waiting for since the beginning of the year. We FINALLY get to show off the cover for the upcoming release of Undead Is Not An Option, the Zombie Survival CrewTM Anthology. We’re very excited about this project and the range and quality of the work between the pages will BLOW – YOUR – MIND!!!
Our fearless leader, Juliette, has been so amped up over this reveal, we had to duct tape her to a chair (using industrial strength tape) in the command center to keep her from spilling the news early. And let me tell you, she’s been getting pret-ty cranky about the lack of mobility (and yes she made us duct tape her crossbow to her so no one would steal it.)
So without further ado…
**drum roll, please**
The cover for Undead Is Not An Option
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And NO ONE better touch that duct tape!! There’s more news to come and we can’t trust our fearless leader not to spill it before time!
Your command takes great pleasure in finding sources of information about walkers to add to our knowledge base. The more we know, the better we’ll be equipped to fight come the zombieapocalypse. This feature is brought to us by writer Heather McCorkle and though a work of fiction, it provides an interesting insight to the zombie psyche. Important stuff for us to know.
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Welcome to the hive. I’d say it’s a pleasure to have you but competition for food isn’t exactly a good thing. As long as you contribute meat as often as you can you’ll be allowed to stay. We run in packs not because there are so many of us, but because it makes it easier to hunt. Bet you didn’t know that. Everyone thinks there are an insurmountable number of us because that’s what we want them to think. Frightened prey are easier to run down.
I’m not what you expected I know. Newcomers are always surprised. Everyone paints us to be these mindless creatures that do nothing but eat. We aren’t like that at all. We’ve evolved. Now we’re one of the most dangerous predators on the planet, dangerous enough even to challenge humans.
If you eat enough fresh meat your body won’t decay as much so feed as often as you can. The more you eat the stronger and faster you’ll be. Brains have the most regenerative power but be sure to save a portion of those for the hive queen. It is all she eats and we must keep her well fed. Come then, let’s go hunting. All this talk of meat has made me hungry.
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A big Thank You!! to Heather for allowing us to cross post her piece. Stop by her blog, Heather’s Odyssey or catch her on Twitter (@HeatherMcCorkle).
Chief’s Note: We here at ZSC Command take all possible Zombiepocalypse strategies into consideration, even those that defy official established protocol. It’s immensely helpful to weigh the varying viewpoints (especially when it comes to making the “who we’re going to trip first” list… #justsayin)
Today author Mark Allen Gunnells provides insight into his survival plan.
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Only the Lonely Survive
Having recently released my first zombie novella Asylum and plotting out my second, it got me to thinking, how would I react in a zombie apocalypse? What would I do to ensure my survival? So I studied up on my zombie fiction and zombie films and think I’ve come up with a fool-proof plan.
I’d avoid the living like the plague.
If you look at the popular zombie tales, they usually involve a bunch of people banding together to form a group, looking for someplace to act as a fortress where they can hunker down and ride out the undead invasion. My own novella follows said format. The majority of these stories do not have happy endings, and how do the hordes of flesh-hungry zombies finally get the upper hand? Do they outsmart the living? No. Are they stronger than the living? Not necessarily. Do their sheer numbers overwhelm the living? Seems the most likely scenario, but that isn’t typically the case either.
What usually serves as the undoing of our band of survivors is one or more members of their own group. Prejudices arise, friction develops, power struggles, sometimes even good old fashioned madness. These issues usually weaken the group and allow the zombies to sneak in when everyone is distracted.
So to me the answer is clear. If the dead arise and start feasting on the populace, don’t expect to find me seeking out my friends or family so that we can weather the storm together. In fact, if I see survivors out on the street, I’ll likely hide until they pass. I may even work on perfecting my “zombie walk” so that any survivors who spot me may mistake me for one of the undead. Won’t actually fool other zombies, but it will ensure no one living wants to get to close to me.
I consider myself a fairly sociable person, outgoing and friendly. Compassionate also. But when the zombies attack, I’m going to be one self-isolating hermit. On my own, I won’t have to find a shelter big enough for a group. As a matter of fact, the smaller the better. Zombies seem drawn to large places, but I can certainly make due with something as tiny as one of those self-storage cubicles. With its lack of windows, might just be perfect for a single man hiding out. There will only be myself to feed, so I can stock up and cut down on trips out for supplies.
As long as I’m on my own, there will be no one to question who should call the shots, no one to keep it a secret if he or she gets bitten, no one to harbor resentments or prejudices against me that will eventually come to the surface at the most inconvenient time, no one to lose his or her grip on reality and threaten my continued existence. There will be only me to worry about, and at least I know I can trust myself.
Also, without any attachments I will never be put in the situation of having to save someone who has been grabbed by zombies. If I see you and the zombies are pulling your entrails out and chewing on them like sausages…so sorry, but you’re nothing to me but a liability. Gives me more time to run. May sound harsh, but we’re talking survival here people. Not the kind you’re used to from Survivor, but real life-or-death survival.
So if I were to offer any advice on the best course of action to survive the zombie apocalypse, it would be to stick to yourself, avoid forming attachments or groups. You stand a better chance on your own.
Plus you won’t have to share your supplies.
~ Mark Allan Gunnells
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Gunnells is the author of Asylum (The Zombie Feed/Apex Publications, Dec. 2010) the story of Curtis, a young college student dragged to his first gay club by his best friend when the dead start to rise and attack the club. Trapped inside the Asylum are a small band of survivors, including a drag queen, a male stripper, a Vietnam vet bartender, a pretentious gay couple, and an unstable DJ. In addition to Asylum, Gunnells, a South Carolina-based horror writer has Tales from the Midnight Shift, Volume 1 (Sideshow Press) and Whisonant (Sideshow Press) due out in 2011. You can purchase Asylumhere, if you dare.
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And if you’d like a sneak preview of what Asylum is about, here is the book trailer.
One of the Zombie Survival CrewTM special operatives has stumbled upon a valuable guide to help us through the coming Zombiepocalypse. With the increase in undead sightings and the suspect involvement of the Unnamed Government Agency (UGA) it is only a matter of time before full scale zombie invasion occurs. We need to use every bit of intel we can to prepare ourselves and the crew.
So when our operative obtained the diary of Adrian Ring, we knew there were lessons to be learned. To give you an idea of what information the diary stores and how it can help us in our preparation for the battle to come, watch the below video.
The command of the Zombie Survival CrewTM is dedicated to preparing its members on what to do should the Zombiepocalypse break out. To that end we have joined up with Joseph Tremblay and the 2011 Halloween Zombie Event. This event is designed to play out how you would handle a zombie outbreak in your town, with some people playing zombies, others as survivors, it’s your call. The below video is a teaser about the event to come, giving a little explanation. And of course, your command at the Zombie Survival Crew is going to put the ZSC spin on the event – so stay tuned for future updates on how YOU can participate along with the Zombie Survival Crew. Behind the scenes we are getting some things ready – two forums specifically for Zombie Survival Crew members:
Zombie Survival Crew
ZSC Zombie Event Headquarters
You can register with either Facebook or Twitter for the forums. Each brigade has a check in thread under the Zombie Survival Crew forum, so stop by and give us a shout out with where you represent and what weapon you’re bringing to the party. So start honing your zombie fighting skills or embracing your inner zombie as you prepare for:
The ZSC command met Billy Tackett Zombification SpecialistTM through his Zombie Sam pic. At the time, we didn’t know who created the wonderfully decrepit looking Sam, but we knew good Zombie art when we saw it. Since then, we had a chance to check out Billy’s site and impressed is an understatement for how we feel about his wicked talent. We interviewed Billy to learn more about him and to share him with the crew – ’cause he is someone worth getting to know.
ZSC: A lot of your artwork is centered around the undead. Would you consider yourself a zombie sympathizer?
BT: I don’t like the term “sympathizer”. I have been creating zombies and other undead creatures since the mid 70s. The oldest drawing I have is of a vampire from around ’77 or ’78 which would have put me around 7 years old so zombie sympathizer would be an understatement! I mean my career is based on these guys. I wouldn’t dare think of biting the hand that feeds me regardless of how rotten and decrepit it is. The “World’s Foremost Zombification SpecialistTM” has to be pro-zombie.
BT: That’s an idea that just kind of evolved and is still evolving. I did the black & white Zombie Sam for a publication back in ’04 or ’05. A year or so later I created the color version. The response from those two pieces were pretty over-whelming so I added Fannie the Flesheater (Rosie the Riveter). And then Sgt. Rot. At some point while working on these pieces I got the idea to zombify other images and since I was already working on American icons I thought that would be a nice series. Combining my patriotism with zombies was perfect.
Keep in mind that I was doing all this four or five years ago which was way before the “zombie mash-up craze” that’s going on now. People were a little unsure how to take what I was doing at first glance. And now it has evolved to include the graphic novel which will be out later this year and possibly some other cool projects that I won’t mention because I don’t want to jinx myself.
ZSC: You’ve tackled some pretty famous faces and turned them into zombies. Who do you think made the most ideal zombie?
BT: That’s tough. I think the best ones are the most unexpected ones. My Breakfast Is Tiffany is probably the best example of that. Several people have done their own versions now so it’s pretty common but when I first did it people were taken aback a little. The imagery coupled with the title is a great combo.
ZSC: Monsters seem to have a large part in your life. Which monster do you feel you have the most in common with?
BT: When I was younger I connected with vampires but as I get older I seem to gravitate towards Frankenstein’s Monster more and more. I grew up in rural Kentucky and I was always into horror and heavy metal music. You know, with the long hair and the black t-shirts and such. So I had always been stereotyped by those that didn’t really know me as being scary. And now I find that when people find out I’m a horror artist the same stereotypes are applied. “Anyone that can imagine such bloody and scary images ain’t right in the head!” But as most of us in the horror industry know that’s not always the case.
Even with all the strangeness that goes along with my chosen career path we lead a pretty normal life. It’s probably more normal than the lives of most “normal” people! So the parallels between myself and Frankenstein’s misunderstood creation can be pretty close. Except for the torches and pitchforks…
ZSC: Who do you think will be Zombiefied next by your pencil (or brush)?
BT: Right now I’m finishing up a zombified Tyler-Davidson Fountain which is a Cincinnati landmark. I have a list that’s as long as my arm and I don’t think too far ahead but my very next piece will be Happy Days’ Fonzie. After that, who knows?
ZSC: A loved one has been made into a monster (ravenous vampire, zombie, werewolf…) would you be able to “put them down” in order to ensure they do not harm others?
BT: I’m not sure “putting them down” would be an option. What if ‘monsterism’ is the next stage in natural evolution? Do we have the right to interfere with mother nature? Wouldn’t the killing off of werewolves, vampires or zombies be akin to genocide? Or at least the extermination of a species? Conservation should be the keyword. We live in a world filled with endangered species lists. I’m not sure we can justify killing off a creature just because it wants to eat us.
ZSC: You have a wide ranger of products for your work in addition to your comic books: T-Shirt designs, logos, book and magazine layouts and design, tattoo’s, ads, web sites, signage, movie poster, murals, and photo restoration. Which is your favorite type of project to work on and why?
BT: I prefer just plain old oil painting regardless of subject matter. Everything else is a nice change but oil painting is a medium that if I’m away from it too long I start to miss it. And then I start to think about it a lot. It’s an addiction.
ZSC: In the event of a zombiepocalypse what weapon would you choose to fight off the undead?
BT: Who said anything about fighting them off?
Be sure to check out Billy’s site, although in his Bio he issues the following warning: Avoid visiting www.BillyTackett.com if you suffer from heart problems, weak stomach,fear of the dark or a shortness of a sense of humor.
I know we’re talking a lot about the Zombie Survival CrewTM Anthology Undead Is Not An Option lately, but it is soooo freakin’ exciting. I’m honored to be the one to put together this post, because this time I get to do a little more than tease…well, it’ll still be a tease, but I can share a little more… like the who!! and a little of the what.
