On a recent foray out of ZSC Command to secure resupply of vital commodities for the zombiepocalypse, I stopped off at Monster Mania in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on a quick reconnaissance mission for new recruits. You can check out the visual evidence of the ZSC mission here.
I encountered zombies and ghosts, and spent a significant amount of time being chased by a masked man with a knife I later learned goes by the name Michael Myers. I will shortly share more details of the Monster Mania mission but wanted to relay the results of one meeting in particular right away.
Actor Jon Bernthal opted to take the opportunity to express his concerns as a citizen for a possible impending zombie invasion and deliver a message of support for the Zombie Survival Crew.
There are three things captured on film that frighten yours truly; Samara from The Ring, Pennywise the clown from It, and the kid from Pet Sematary. (Notice how two of those are from Stephen King? He’s terrifying.) So know this, ZSC faithful, your commanders will suffer unspeakable horrors to bring you information about the pending Zombiepocalypse.
Today we’re looking at the film Pet Sematary to learn more about how zombies are created, controlled, and dispatched. Genre purists are probably rolling their eyes as they read, but even we admit that it is a zombie movie. The dead come back to life and exhibit all of the signs we watch for in order to identify the first wave of zombie attacks.
A note before continuing, we’ve noticed a lot of the “predictions” put on film about the Zombiepocalypse have wonderful rural settings. Sure, in this film there’s a major flaw with truck traffic, but for the most part it is an ideal place to raise a family. Cute, serene, quiet… and totally without secure buildings to hide in when the dead rise. The ZSC would like to issue a warning to members living in rural areas; please be sure to have your escape routes planned and planned well.
In the film there are a couple false starts to the pending zombie problem. A jogger is brought in, brains leaking everywhere, and yet is still able to talk after dying. Put your weapons down, he is the resident ghost, not a walker. But don’t get too comfortable; the ghost knows way too much about whatever it is that creates the zombies.
The kindly old man, Judd, also knows about the potential for zombies. “Do you know what a graveyard is? … A place where the dead speak.” Only, in their neck of the woods the dead tend to forget they’re actually dead. One saving grace; the trek to the stretch of land that spits out zombies like a baseball player spits sunflower seeds is extremely dangerous. The downside; most of the locals know about the burial ground and the strange power it possesses. If an epidemic hit the area, how many would risk the danger to bring back their family?
That’s the truly dangerous part of the cursed Indian burial ground. It isn’t so much the power within the ground, but the potential for mass armies of the undead to be created by people who think they are doing the right thing. When dealing with grief, one simply does not stop to think of the repercussions. It certainly didn’t stop Louis after the family cat came back acting not quite right. The thing was half mad and smelled like a corpse. Zombie Cat, dude.
The land encompassing the Indian burial ground is said to have “gone sour”. Some religions believe that in order for the dead to rest peacefully the ground has to be blessed. Consecrated graveyards are not immune from zombies, but they aren’t pitching them out like this place. Other forces are at play, possibly connected to the beliefs of the dead originally buried in that place. We never learn exactly why the dead simply get up and walk after being buried there, though.
Pet Sematary reminds us, yet again, that zombies are not the people they were when they died. These are not our friends, children, significant others, or pets. They are abominations. Walking corpses with one thing in mind, to destroy the living. We do not know why they come back this way. In the movie, it could be some sort of magic gone wrong. These undead are highly intelligent and utilize weapons like a living person. Luckily they can be easily dispatched, but that may not be enough to save the living if the magic in the burial ground is abused and an army is raised. We need to be prepared on the off chance places like this exist, guys. Check your go bags.
Outtakes (R.C. took notes while watching the film. Here are some highlights):
– Ooo, a kitty! Sorry, where was I?
– Dude, it took you 6 hours to dig a hole. Not Worth It.
– “Church smells bad.” Duh? Zombies stink!
– I love my crew. I love my crew… they must not hear me scream because of a zombie child.
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.
The following letter was received from a crew member over the weekend. We can confirm that while attempting to aid commander R.C. Murphy, Grae Wolffe (@grae42) was targeted by the UGA. While we are unsure of how they knew of his involvement, the photo evidence is proof enough. Someone is watching every move we make. Commanders and crew members alike must remain vigilant.
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The truth is out there…
At least that’s what they keep telling us on television. But I think it is reverse psychology at work; “They” don’t really want us to know the truth, but prefer us to stay in a semi-ignorant state, stupefied by reality tv and celebrity gossip. There are some shows out there that try to keep us prepared, but very few people seem to take those seriously.
I was recently introduced to a small group of proactive thinkers, planning ahead for the inevitable apocalypse They don’t want us to know is coming. This crew is dispersed throughout the world, in small pockets, and in a short time have gotten organized and prepared to handle the reality behind this veil of secrecy They are keeping from us.
Who they are is as much of a question as what they have planned. Is it some mega-corporate conglomerate, or some Unknown Government Agency pulling the strings in clandestine fashion until such time as They feel empowered enough to announce Their presence to the masses? We who have been duped all this time need to wake up to the reality behind that veil They try to keep in place.
The envelope pictured is proof that someone out there is monitoring the correspondence of the Crew. I am a relative unknown in this arena, only recently becoming involved online. But in my first attempt to provide assistance to one of the leaders that envelope was the result.. and it didn’t even make it out of the town I live in. This is the measure of Their influence already.
If They are this aware already, have infiltrated to such depths as to affect things on the local level at the town level, we must all prepare. The belief is this UGA Conglomerate has something nasty prepared, and indications are it will be some kind of pandemic leading to mass chaos – a Zombie Apocalypse.
So prepare now. Reach out and investigate for yourself.. Don’t get caught, be one of the survivors.
The Zombie Survival Crew is all about supporting our fellow members. First Lieutenant Neil Brown Jr. has been waving the ZSC flag with pride since being brought on to the crew. And wouldn’t you know it, our katana-wielding friend has a new movie coming out on 3-11-2011.
From Sony Pictures:
For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world – Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world’s great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It’s up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they’ve ever encountered before.
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To celebrate the release of Battle: Los Angeles,
we’re offering ZSC members a way to not only show support for one of ours, but win a little swag as well.
Requirements:
A picture of yourself with a Battle: Los Angeles ticket stub in hand at your local movie theater.
Entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM PST on 3-25-2011.
Images containing nudity, obscene gestures, or illegal activity will be disqualified.
When submitting entries, you give the Zombie Survival Crew permission to post your image on zombiesurvivalcrew.com and it’s associated social media outlets.
Winners will be notified via the email address given with entry photo.
To whet your appetite for the movie, take a look at the trailer below:
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 zombies have risen. Your friends, your family, everyone has been turned or is on the run to find a safe haven. Madness reigns on the streets. Death is on every corner. Miss Manners is probably chomping on little Billy from next door… Nevertheless, just because the world has gone to hell in a hand basket, that doesn’t mean you have to be rude. We’ve compiled a list of things you can do in order to not become “That guy (or gal)” during the Zombiepocalypse.
Hygiene – Soap will likely be in very short supply after the zombies rise. However, a dirty human and a dirty zombie start to look and smell the same after a couple of weeks without indoor plumbing and running water. A quick rinse-off and clothes wash might save your life. (See below)
Communication – There’ll be occasions when you run into someone who has not bathed, washed their clothing, or for some reason is covered in blood. We suggest trying to talk to anyone you might think may actually be a human. Killing the living is frowned upon in the Zombie Survival Crew, so please; communicate with others to avoid any unfortunate mishaps.
Call Your Shots – Ammunition in the Zombiepocalypse will be sparse. If you find yourself in a hunting group, call out which zombie you are aiming at. This way other members of your party can focus on the remaining undead shambling your way and no unnecessary shots are taken. Calling your shots ensures quick dispatch of the undead as well. You don’t want to linger too long in an infested area.
Sharing is Key – No; you haven’t been transported back to grade school. We believe that cooperation between the living will ensure that they remain healthy and without an uncontrollable desire to devour the flesh of their friends. So if you find yourself in possession of extra supplies, please do not hoard them. Share with your fellow man and in return they may give you something you are in need of. You never know when that extra bullet you gave away will be used to save your life.
Privacy – In most of the predictions we have witnessed of the coming zombie uprising, the living have been forced to live together in small communities. Sometimes several families find themselves sharing a house. Other times, as with The Walking Dead, the living are on the run and residing in tent cities. Nylon fabric doesn’t offer any privacy. It is up to you to turn an eye and allow your fellow human the idea of privacy when they are without. The Zombiepocalypse will expose us for what we really are, sometimes a moment without prying eyes is needed to regroup and maintain sanity.
Humor – A well-developed sense of humor will make the end of days easier to bear. We totally get that here at the ZSC. However, jokes need to be tempered to the situation. If your best friend was forced to put down his infected dog, that is not the moment to make an Old Yeller joke.
Don’t Toy With the Zombies – Remember, these creatures used to be your friends, neighbors, milkman, etc. Living people you knew and cared for before the undead rose. Please kill them humanely. Shooting off their arms and legs to watch them flail around is cruel! With most breeds of undead, a single shot to the head will suffice. Though, feel free to have a little fun should your mother-in-law join the shambling hordes. We’ll turn a blind eye just that once.
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.
Chief’s Note: Newly promoted Special Agent, Premier Protection Enforcement Division (SAPPED) officer @Wulfie_ has observed the following recent activity within Zombie Survival Crew Command.
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SAPPED UPDATE:
At 9:32 PM on Feb 9th a group of ZSC members were gathered together in the Compound Mess Hall when something sped past us. Not everyone noticed, but a couple of us sensed that…something had moved through the room with such speed and stealth that it had to have been supernatural.
While inspecting the room Crew members discovered this message sent out via twitter by Sean Patrick Flanery:
“David Cameron sings it out…!!!!!!! …Amen, brother.”
Gibberish? Not if Command knows Sean. Drunk? We think not. It is far more likely one of two things. Sean was showing off his stealth abilities and decided to rub our noses in it by taking the time to leave us a note so we’d know it had been him. Or he has been captured by the same Unknown Government Agency that kidnapped Juliette and Anthony and left us a coded message informing us of the situation.
Personally, I hope Sean was just showing off and, at the same time, teaching us that we need to be on guard AT ALL TIMES. But if this isn’t the case, my guess is that LK Gardner-Griffie‘s Flux Capacitor is now in the hands of the Unknown Government Agency (UGA). LK may or may not be aware of the theft. She may or may not be working with UGA. Further investigation will be required before we’ll know.
A Flux Capacitor is the ONLY thing that explains the way Sean was able to move, undetected, in and out of a room filled with people. Because he has proven himself to be a highly regarded and trusted member of the ZSC I don’t believe he has betrayed us, or that he’s acting against us. It is far more likely that he has been kidnapped by UGA.
Sean is more than capable of avoiding capture by defending himself – as noted in my earlier report. However, being a loyalist to the ZSC, he is perfectly capable of allowing himself to be captured in an effort to locate Juliette and Anthony. It is my belief that Sean has been kidnapped by UGA and that he somehow managed to find and use LK’s Capacitor long enough to get a message to us, informing us of his abduction without being detected by the UGA. Clearly, he would not abandon Juliette and Anthony to UGA which is, probably, why he returned to wherever it is they’re all being held.
I recommend that a Red Alert be issued at once and that a full investigation begin including the following steps:
Find out if LK and/or her Flux Capacitor are missing. Stealing only the Capacitor would have been the smartest thing for UGA to do because we’d have no reason to suspect anything was wrong or that it was missing, especially if LK is all right.
Establish if Sean has been kidnapped and…who is taking care of Donut in his absence.
Decrypt the coded message Sean left us.
Ascertain if any of these events were the result of the ZSC having been infiltrated with spies and, if so, locate them.
It may be that there are no spies and that the ZSC Headquarters has been bugged.* If that’s the case we need to run a thorough sweep for all devices and remove them. It would be smart to leave several of these devices in place thus allowing UGA to believe we have no idea what’s going on. We may be able to reverse the spyware so that we can track the signal back to its origin. This may lead us to where the three victims are being held or it may only lead us to an UGA agent or two. If it leads to agents then I highly recommend allowing Neil Brown Jr., RC Murphy, and Norman Reedus to interview them in whatever manner they see fit.
Once everyone is cleared, assign protection details around the other Commanding Officers and First Lieutenants in order to protect them from being kidnapped as well.
Locate where Juliette, Anthony and Sean are, whether they’re being held together, and rescue them. It’s unlikely they’re being held together. At the very least Sean will be separated from them and, perhaps, kept unconscious because of his fighting abilities.
Find, retrieve, or destroy, the Flux Capacitor so that it cannot be used against us again. Perhaps LK, if she isn’t a victim of kidnapping/mind control, or a spy, can help with this plan. Surely she and Jim Burleson can put together a plan to enable us to do this. (If Jim Burleson hasn’t fallen victim and isn’t a spy.)
We need to kick the UGA’s ass once and for all.
*Be sure to check and get rid of the secret #zombiebunneh hidden in the main operations room – what better place for a bug than in the belly of a fuzzy wuzzy zombie bunneh? Whoever gets this job should be prepared to deal with RCMurphy by distracting her with chocolate, striped knee socks, or new blankets for her personal cave.
On a recent foray out of ZSC Command to secure resupply of vital commodities for the zombiepocalypse, I stopped off at Monster Mania in Cherry Hill, New Jersey on a quick reconnaissance mission for new recruits. You can check out the visual evidence of the ZSC mission here.
