Season two of AMC’s “The Walking Dead” kicked off with a groan, lurch, and the bang that made viewers jump off their couches. For a show that went through more than a few growing pains during filming of the current season, TWD creators are proving that despite the changes, they are still striving to deliver one of the best-made programs on television. And the proof isn’t in backroom antics; the numbers for the season premiere alone are amazing–7.3 million viewers tuned in to catch the flesh-munching goodness, shattering previous records for a basic cable TV show.
The first episode was light on the bloodshed, but heavy on character focus. We got a serious look at the women who provide the backbone of the survivors. You’ve got the widow finally finding her footing in life after the death of her abusive husband. There’s the woman who has lost everything and everyone she loves and wants nothing more than a way out. And, of course, we have the once-thought widow who is reunited with her husband, but not until after sleeping with his best friend.
There’s a saying, “Behind every great man, there’s a great woman.” We were shown in season one that the women handle more than their share of the work in camp. Since leaving the camp, that work has translated to emotional support, and basically the three have become a collective “mommy”–a mommy with a gun and short temper, apparently. The best thing the creators did with that first episode was hit the women where it hurt–their children. One child goes missing in the middle of a zombie attack, and the other…well, remember that bang mentioned before? It wasn’t a happy moment for our survivors.
Episode two carried on with the deep look at the women in camp. Almost instantly, Laurie knew something was wrong. It’s always been a little creepy when a mother does that; how despite distance, she knows her family is in danger. Too many times it has happened in real life to be simply a story mechanism. This story line is really putting the focus on Laurie and when she tells Rick his place is by her side with their son, you knew he’d sit, stay, and do what she wanted.
We’re also introduced to a new group of survivors out on the farm. You don’t take notice of their women until after the men have all taken off to do what men do, risk their necks without a solid plan. But when Maggie decides to make her presence felt, it is a solid blow that snags your attention. As we put it while discussing the episode, Maggie is the face of girl power in The Walking Dead, no doubt.
On this show, the women are a symbol of hope, while the men try to be realists…to a fault. Survivors of any disaster need hope in order to keep putting one foot in front of another. Without it, they’d be like the corpses in the cars on the freeway, laying there waiting for a slow death. Now we just have to wait and see if that hope can survive the horrific situations thrown their way by fate.
Need something spooky to get you in the mood for Halloween? The Zombie Survival Crew recommends, Undead Is Not An Option. It will give you chills and have you checking the locks and closets before going to bed.
The first entry in the anthology was a piece from one of our loyalists summarizing the situation in which we’d found ourselves, and helps us to understand how the Zombie Survival Crew came into being and some of the forces we are up against.
Classified Warning Order
by Kelene Toups
.
CLASSIFIED MESSAGE
.
.
TASK ORGANIZATION: Zombie Survival Crew (ZSC)
SITUATION: Several weeks ago, your organization was called upon to build a force and recruit for the imminent zombie apocalypse. Your orders are to serve as a front line force to protect the living, and annihilate the undead.
Enemy Forces
Recent reports indicate attacks and sightings in major cities in the United States and other countries around the globe. International recruiting has ensured our allies are well prepared for the attack. And these allies have pledged their full support to the ZSC. Intelligence obtained from our most recent reconnaissance mission suggests a large-scale attack is approaching. The Zombie Survival Crew is now, officially, on full alert. THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
The enemy, easily identified by their pale grey skin, unhealed wounds, shuffling gait and colorless eyes, travels in packs and is extremely dangerous. Use maximum caution when approaching large numbers; strive to isolate the enemy or reduce to small groups for ease of dispatch. Our research subject has shown the enemy possesses an excellent sense of smell and hearing, poor vision, nonexistent thought process and an insatiable appetite for human flesh. These vital bits of intelligence will aid you in combat against the enemy; use these weaknesses to your full advantage to neutralize the strength of the enemy and diminish the chance of increase in numbers. The most effective means of destruction is to discontinue the neurotransmission process, accomplished by destruction of the brain. I.e. axe blow, bullet, pick axe, crossbow etc…
Recent intelligence reports indicate enemy forces are increasing faster than originally anticipated, with the potential to reach epidemic proportions. The lethal virus is introduced to the host from the saliva of an infected enemy by means of a bite during an attack.
Predictions of the pending troubles state that at the height of the zombie uprising, the undead will overrun major cities. They will run us out of our houses and, in effect, take over our lives as we know it. Staying in the city would be impossible. Heck, some would say it would be suicidal. Your only chance to ensure your family’s safety is to get out.
The ZSC has escape routes being mapped, along with bases for crew members to gather in safety. However, it is essential that you know how to live in the wilderness should you be unable to reach a secure building or ZSC stronghold. These skills will also come in handy should you find yourself ousted from your home after a natural disaster. Shelters fill up quickly, its best to be prepared.
First thing’s first, you’ll need to scout possible camping sites outside of your city. Find one or two choices in each direction, preferably on the same route you will have to take to reach the nearest Safe Haven provided by the ZSC, or Rescue Agencies. An ideal campsite will be near to water and with plenty of trees around it to provide shelter and firewood. Pick a place a distance from the road. This will not only give you privacy, but also warning if someone or something unwanted approaches your camp. Zombies aren’t exactly quiet tromping through a forest.
Below we’ve included a list of supplies you should consider in addition to what you have in your Go Bags, which should include things like toilet paper, matches, medications, toiletries, clothing, etc…
Tent: tent fly, poles, stakes and ropes. Take a practice run in your back yard after purchasing the tent so you know how to set it up. This will be useful if you are forced to make camp in the dark. Tents are sized by the number of average-sized adults that can lie down across the bottom of the tent. Like sardines. Pick a tent that is one or two people larger than the number you plan to have sleep in there. Make that number even bigger if you plan to put your luggage in the tent with you.
Hammer/Hatchet: To drive tent stakes. We suggest a sturdy hatchet, which will do double duty to cut wood into kindling for fires.
Sleeping Bags: Bags are rated by the highest and lowest temperatures sleepers inside can withstand. Look for a temperature range that fits in the area you live in. Make sure that the lowest temperature rating of the sleeping bag coincides with the lowest average temperature of where you will be camping or lower, just to be safe.
Pillows: Comfort is key. If you have a sore neck/back you can’t run from the undead. A small travel pillow will roll up in your sleeping bag to reduce packing space.
Tarp: A billion and one uses. They can keep your supplies dry. Be fashioned into a privacy shade for bathing and changing. A tarp can even be used to set up an emergency tent should yours meet with an accident. We really like multipurpose items such as these.
Light Sources: For the first couple of weeks, flashlights that run on batteries will suffice. However, if you are forced to camp for long periods of time you will need either a lantern that runs on fuel, or to find a flashlight that doesn’t run on batteries.
Ice Chest: Obviously, carrying perishable food for too long is not an option. An ice chest is good for storing your food if you have a large group to feed. (Please note that it will not keep an animal from breaking into your food stores. Food will need to be raised off the ground to prevent bears and the like from stealing it. Also, keep your camp free of food smells. Pack everything, even garbage, away after meals.)
Water Jugs: At some point in the preparation process, you all will tire of us harping about water. The fact is, without water you’re going to die and then come back, forcing one of us to put your zombie self down. We don’t want that. Pack a few gallons of water in your camping kit and save the bottles. They can be refilled with purified/boiled water.
A Grill: You don’t need to pack an entire barbecue or gas stove in order to be able to cook. Grab just the grill off your barbecue. When you set up camp, make a pit of rocks with a diameter roughly the size of the grill (the grill should rest on top of the pit without falling into the flames). Ta-da! You can cook, purify water, and stay warm without having to figure out just how you’re going to carry that bulky camp stove.
Pots and Pans: Yes, we are aware that these items are heavy. Consider the long run, though. It is impossible to tell when, if ever, you will be able to reenter the city again if it is lost to the undead. Look at Atlanta in “The Walking Dead”. So make room for at least one good, large cooking pot and a cast-iron skillet. If you pack carefully, both should fit in the ice chest with your food, limiting what you have to carry.
Cooking Utensils: You should already have a knife in your Go Bag, but in addition, pack tongs, a spatula, a large spoon, and a can opener. Go for the heavy-duty, can handle an elephant standing on them type of utensils. Being on the run is hell on equipment. Plus, a sturdy spoon could end up a weapon in a pinch.
Aluminum Foil: Oh how we love thee, foil. Let me count the ways… Sounds weird to write poetry for the silver stuff, but it will make cooking in the outdoors so much easier. Got hard vegetables (squash, potatoes, etc…), wrap them in foil and put them down on the hot coals while you cook what meat you have on the grill. Fish is impossible to cook on a grill without losing some. Solution? Foil! You get the point? Foil has other uses. Rumor is one of the commanders has made cannon charges with foil… we do not suggest trying this at home without expert assistance.
Eating Utensils: This includes plates, cups, and silverware (spork!). Make sure everything is, again, heavy duty and easy to sanitize.
Soap: Lets face it, you need soap. Without it you risk courting a number of nasty diseases that could be killed by a simple scrub and rinse (of your cooking materials as well as yourself).
Zip-loc bags: These multipurpose items not only help you organize the items in your Go Bag, but they also allow you to portion foods before storing them. This way you can stash next week’s dried fruit rations somewhere safe without worry.
Towels: A stack of towels should keep you for a while. They can be used for personal hygiene, cleaning, heck even as a pillow or a blanket if need be. Cut a large towel into smaller squares to make dishrags and potholders.
These are just the basics to keep you going for a little while. It is better to be prepared for the worst than to be caught with your pants down, right?
The first time your Commander-in-Chief encountered Sam Trammell in person, I really wasn’t sure how much a man known for battling with vampires, witches and werewolves would know about battling the shambling hordes. I found myself immediately and deeply impressed not only by Sam’s kind nature but his razor-sharp strategy instincts.
During subsequent meetings, Sam turned the tables on my attempts to assess his command credentials and instead, I found myself searching for answers to some pretty tough questions about disaster preparedness, response plans and the kind of survival tactics we in ZSC Command advocate.
Sam’s experience with supernatural forces and the vampires of the True Blood universe is already being put to use within ZSC Command to enhance our collective preparations for the onset of the zombieapocalpyse or any other global cataclysmic event.
Zombie Survival Crew – please raise your weapons and welcome our newest commander SAM TRAMMELL!!!!
Don’t let the boyish charm fool you. Purple Brigade Second Lieutenant Michael Kenworthy is no slouch when it comes to fighting back the horde. With his finely-honed evasion and clandestine operations skills Michael knows exactly when to make a stand, and when to retire from the field of battle.
A little note of warning though, Michael’s enthusiasm for the disaster preparation efforts of Zombie Survival Crew command might just be contagious.
The Zombie Survival Crew issued a press release about their 2011 Halloween Zombie Apocaplypse virtual event on Twitter, coming October 29-31, 2011. From the press release:
If you’re wracking your brain trying to figure out a unique way to celebrate Halloween this year, but don’t want to leave the house, the Zombie Survival Crew has the answer for you. A 3-day, online Zombiepalooza.
Okay, I will admit that the first time I met Ernie Hudson, I almost had to cash in all of my street cred. I spent my teens watching Ghostbusters. And we won’t even go into how much I love The Crow. (It’s kinda embarrassing how haunted I am by that movie. Just… wow.)
So with all of that running through my head, you’ll know just how much I freaked when Ernie and I began discussing the Zombie Survival Crew. Right away he began to strategize escape plans and fighting techniques, going so far as to say his work on Ghostbusters would come in handy during the Zombiepocalypse. I knew right away that he’d be a great fit and extended an invitation to join our command crew.
Ernie has a presence about him that makes everyone feel safe. With him on our side, I’ve got no doubt that we’ll succeed.
Zombie Survival Crew, please raise your weapons and join us in welcoming your newest commander ERNIE HUDSON.
We’ve been talking about the three day zombie extravaganza called the 2011 Halloween Zombie Event and how you can participate in person. If you missed the video teaser about it, check it out here. We have also posted the live event instructional videos here and here. But what happens if you are unable to participate in the live event? Will you be left out in the cold wondering when YOU will have a chance to kill zombies? Not on this Commander’s watch. I tossed the problem to Commander RC Murphy, and she came up with the way to participate online via Twitter. If you haven’t read her brilliant plan, the click here an then come back to read the rules and guidelines.
In the previous post we mentioned the use of Twibbons, but found that they would be a little cumbersome for everyone to use, so thought we’d give everyone the graphic to copy and you can either use it to REPLACE your Twitter avatar, or you can MODIFY your Twitter avatar — whichever you like. The avatars will all be the same, but the color signifies what type they are: survivor (green), zombie (red), or idle (yellow). Click the images below and then save the file to your machine. We recommend saving all three up front, so you don’t have to scramble to get one you need during the event.
Survivor
Zombie
Idle
Rules and Guidelines: The Basics
In order to participate in the Halloween Zombie Apocalypse Role-Play you must:
Use the HZA hashtag- #HZA11 or a coordinating map sector hashtag such as- #HZA11S3 #HZA11S6, etc…
Apply the image to your Twitter avatar that designates you as a Survivor or Zombie in the Role-Play scenario.
Please refrain from using curse words or engaging in sexual scenes during the 3 days of the HZA event.
Be sure to clarify what is an “action” and what is “dialog” in your tweets. This can be accomplished by putting asterisks (*), dashes (-), or double colons (::) on either side of your action sequence.
Example: @UserName77: Friggen zombies! ::RC grabs her sword & charges into the fight:: Eat steel, suckers! #HZA11
To sign in to the event use an action such as: walking outside, waking up, etc. This will establish your presence in the Role-Play scenario.
To sign out of the event while you are away from Twitter do the opposite: lock yourself inside a secure building, fall asleep, etc.
In conjunction, players must change their avatar image to the “Idle” image.Fellow players — respect the fact that your comrades aren’t available to play and do not attack when they are not present to defend themselves.
Rules of Combat:
Do not attack “sleeping” or “idle” participants. Players with the “Idle” image are “safe” within the HZA on Twitter event in order to give a fair playing ground to those that cannot participate on all 3 days of the event.
Each attack that is attempted cannot be completed until your opponent has an opportunity to retaliate.
Example:
@UserName77: @ZombieLuv42 Back off, Bub. ::swings her sword at the zombie’s neck with what little strength she’s got left:: #HZA11S2
@ZombieLuv42: @UserName77 – snarls, sweeping an arm out to block the sword and suffers a deep gash in his forearm – #HZA11S2
The victim of the attack will be the one to determine a “kill” or “bite”. Please be fair about how you fight. If an opponent attempts what should be a mortal blow, accept defeat. This Role-Play scenario is for fun, not ego.
If a Survivor is bitten during play, they must replace their avatar image with the one for Zombies and then continue playing the event as a member of the undead.
If a Zombie is destroyed during play, they have the option to drop out of the HZA event to sit back and watch, or they may change their avatar image to Survivor and take a turn as one of the living.
Keep your actions within fight scenes realistic. Play injuries as though “real”. Meaning, if your hand has been injured in a fight, you cannot hold a gun properly for the next round of fighting. Humans are weaker than the undead, play that as well. (This all gives “depth” to the scenario and lends for more entertaining play.)
The Zombie Survival Crew considers the Halloween Zombie Apocalypse on Twitter a perfect chance to test your mettle against the potential of what is to come. Crew members are encouraged to give it a try. Hey, any excuse to take a sword to an undead menace, right? We’ve posted the map again for your reference below: (Click the map to make it larger.)
We stayed in touch with Zombification Specialist Billy Tackett after our interview with him earlier this year, and now Billy is one of our Special Forces operatives. Back in February he hinted that there were some fun projects in his future, but didn’t want to jinx himself. Now we’re finally getting a sneak peek at what’s kept him up to his eyeballs in rotting flesh for the last few months.
Billy has taken his iconic Zombie Sam image and turned it on it’s head, creating Dead, White, & Blue Comics, a graphic novel centered around Zombie Sam and his Fightin’ Yanks. The artwork harkens back to older comic book styles while delivering on the grotesque and twisted humor. Hope y’all have a strong stomach for this one.
From billytackett.com, “During World War 2 Sam & His Fightin’ Yanks were a comic book sensation. Every red-blooded American kid followed their monthly adventures in Red White & Blue Comics, never knowing that their favorite Star-Spangled heroes were actually based on real live super powered beings! During the final days of the Great War something began to go terribly wrong. Sam and his partners Fannie and the Sarge began to turn into horrific, cannibalistic monsters! They were taken out of service and put into suspended animation.
Fast forward to the day after tomorrow: The evil that Sam & His Fightin’ Yanks battled decades before has returned with a vengeance! Every man, woman and child on Earth are in danger. Our only hope lies in the monsters we once called heroes…”
The creative plot and use of existing zombie pop culture references has us really looking forward to Dead, White, & Blue Comic’s release. Billy has a 14-page teaser up on his website right now. Crawl on over and get a taste of what is to come from this amazing artist.
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.
