Zombie Friendship Necklace Set

Matt Boiselle Promise rings, engagement rings, wedding rings. They all have their own certain meaning to the ones that we hold so dear to us. Whether it's meant to express " I Love You", or " I promise to marry you"........or " I don't care about the fact that you are a diseased, contagious out of control undead stark-raving lunatic that will probably hunt me down and chew off my face", these are the heart-tugging sentiments that make jewelry like the above pictured SO special.

Available now from thinkgeek.com for a low price of $29.99, you can pick up this friendship-necklace set that consists of two-24 inch rhodium-plated chains that each feature 1/2 of a brain with the word" brains" split in two. So regardless if you and your BFF are both zombies, or one of you has a deep desire to let the world know that your dearly departed friend to the end will always hold the left ( or right) side of your gray matter, than this bling is your thing.

Zombies vs. Cheerleaders Vol. 1

Matt Boiselle The unholy union has finally come to light in a comic book format that is sure to entertain everyone from the casual to the most hardcore of zombie fans. What better to see than a group of flesh-craving undead freaks stalking a bevy of bodacious, perky, scantily-clad cheerleaders ?

In Zombies vs. Cheerleaders Vol.1, created by Steven l. Frank, we are treated to lots of skin and gore that will not only portray some of these curvy pep-squadders as innocent victims, but will turn the perceived notion of the dainty, helpless women upside down as they kick ass and never look back in an endless blitz of in-your-face zombie slaughter.

Volume 1 is not one lone story, but a collection of shorts that will rival any B-movie that any of us have ever seen before. The colors seemingly jump off of the pages into your lap, the artwork is second to none, and the short story lines are exceptional to dive into without getting hung up in length. A small word of caution however; this comic, with its graphic nature and suggestive sense of humor, might not necessarily be aimed towards the younger crowd. Well, now that the morality disclaimer has been presented in its short version, get yourself online and search out this comic !! If you love zombies and those buxom beauties that have managed to entertain ( and sometimes annoy) us all to no end, I can say that you will not be disappointed with this series.

How Probable is a Zombie Virus Outbreak?

Terry Swademer

There is a very interesting article posted by Michelle Ealey on sciencefiction.com entitled “How Probable is a Zombie Virus Outbreak?” In this day and age, everything has some type of connection to zombies whether it is books, video games, movies, etc. All this overload of zombies leads one to wonder can it happen? Can a zombie outbreak actually occur? According to this article the answer to a zombie virus outbreak is highly improbable. Michelle Ealey does state this does not mean a zombie outbreak caused by bacteria or fungi is improbable. This is a very fun and informative article written by a true fan of zombies. You do not have to be well versed in science to understand the conclusions the author comes to. Looking at multiple factors such as, how it is spread and how many people can be infected, Michelle shows there is very minimal possibility that a zombie outbreak can be caused by a virus to the scale depicted in zombie fiction. To read the article follow this link: http://sciencefiction.com/2012/01/23/how-probable-is-a-zombie-virus-outbreak/

Matt Peppler’s Graphic Art

Dorothy Emry

Want to satisfy that need to express your overriding desire for post-apocalyptic survival? Hang an I heart killing zombies print on your wall. Need a handy way to save time warning others that the zombie hoard is on your tail? Buy yourself a Hurry! The zombies are coming! t-shirt.

Both of these items and many more are brought to you through the artistry of Matt Peppler, a Michigan-based graphic artist with talent to spare. Peppler says his work has been influenced by Andy Worhol, Frank Miller and Shepard Fairey and those influences are easy to see even at first glance. As an artist, Peppler certainly has wicked skills, but it’s the quirky sense of humor incorporated into his designs that will hook you on his work.

Zombies aren’t the only subject matter in Peppler draws upon for inspiration. Head over to Peppler’s website and you’ll find graphic art referencing Nightmare on Elm Street, Conan O’Brien, James Bond and the US Civil War. As fan of both zombies and Star Trek, I gotta love his Zombie Live Long and Prosper graphic print, but it was Rosie the Riveting Zombie and the Zombie Che Guevara – Revolution is Dead designs that first caught my eye. A visit to his Skreened store had me falling for his Zombie Rules tote bags—handy for shopping or carrying your laptop now, even handier for pillaging supplies after the walking dead rise.

Head over to Peppler’s website to check out all the designs and get more on his background as a graphic designer. You’ll find handy links there to his Skeened and Etsy shops. Prices are very reasonable for such high caliber art. Buy a tote bag, fill it up and as Peppler says, “help an artist starve a little less.”

(Images provided by the artist.)

Choice Zombie Shirt for $10

Our friends over at TeeMinus 24 are bringing us another great zombie shirt!  For a mere $10, you can grab yourself the below shirt in your choice of black or pink.  Girls and childrens sizes available, too!

Maya’s Journal

Todd Jepperson

“A little girl’s Spring Break turns into her worst nightmare”

Maya’s Journal is a short film by writer, creator, and producer Nadine L’Esperance which tells the story of a little girl named Maya. Maya’s dad apparently fell apart after her mother died and turned into a full-blown alcoholic. Early in the film, we learn that he’s pretty much a deadbeat as he makes empty apologies for missing a daddy-daughter movie date, and then shotguns a few beers to make himself feel better about the whole deal. Luckily for Maya, she gets to go to her grandpa’s for spring break.

Unluckily for her, a flock of dead birds turns loose a zombie pathogen and things get a little less than ideal from then on. It seems like everybody gets sick but poor little Maya, and she’s forced to grow up and handle the situation on her own.

You can tell that this is a “no-budget” film, but it’s worth the twelve minutes you’ll spend on it. Transitions from scene to scene are sometimes really rough and the music at times wants for more; but there are the only two complaints I have about the film. Makeup and special effects are top rate for a film of this type, and the acting is very decent. You can tell it was filmed using a small handheld camera, but the angles and shot set-ups are very well done.

If you’d like to go have a watch, take a ride on this link and leave a comment to let Nadine know what you think.

Take Action

https://www.google.com/landing/takeaction/

King of the Undead - Arthur Sudyam

We here at Zombies & Toys had the great honor of interviewing the Zombie King of Undead art, Mr. Arthur Sudyam himself. If the name isn't familiar, the work is. How do these names sound? Heavy Metal, Batman, Tarzan, Conan, Predator, Aliens, and of course, Marvel Zombies.

Zombies&Toys (ZT): Arthur Sudyam, welcome! First things first, where did the zombie legend grow up?

Arthur Sudyam (AS): The Family is a New York family that goes all the way back to the 16 00’s when the Suydams came over and fought the Indian Wars on the Hudson to establish a trading post on the Hudson , which eventually became first , New Amsterdam, then later New York. The family owned much of what is Yonkers and Brooklyn and eventually spread out a bit locally. http://www.arthursuydam.com/about/legacy/

ZT: Your art is loved especially by zombie fans. What is your artistic background?

AS: Well, I discovered the drawings of Michael Angelo and Leonardo Da Vinci early on and there was a quality in those works that really impressed and attracted me. I wanted that quality in my work. Following graduation I was offered scholarships anywhere in Jersey however I could not find a school that specialized in what I as interested in so though I was offered work at Warren Publishing ) Creepy, Eerie, VAMPIRELLA) I went right to work for their art director, Joe Orlando at DC comics and Heavy Metal in the seventies and eighties. I struggled for year on my own and am mostly self taught in most areas . Then in nineties I discovered the school I was looking for a few blocks form my apartment in the East Village ( NYC), The New York Academy of Figurative Art . The NYAFA specialized in teaching the lessons of the great Renaissance masters in an atelier setting. There I met an instructor named Randy Mellick . I shared with him my artistic goals and he recommend that I study sculpture rather than drawing or painting , which is what I did. I worked on my drawing and painting from my Uncles old Norman Rockwell workbooks and unofficially from my mentor Frank Frazetta. Now I spend a fair deal of time with continued studies , right now I am working on my portraiture and beginning landscape studies . I consider myself a lifelong student. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zbUO42Nu0xM&feature=related

ZT: Great artistic footsteps to follow in! With classic inspiration, what got you started in zombies and art?

AS: I guess that would be a love of the Horror subject matter and of anatomy. I spent a fair deal of time working with cadavers at the Hunter medical University with my anatomical studies. I still draw anatomy for further study and for relaxation.


ZT: How did Marvel approach you about Marvel Zombies?

AS: In a way the concept kind of came from the fans. I had just done some spooky covers for Marvel and one of the true great talent and managers up there up Chris Allo worked with editor John Barber , two of the great minds behind Marvel Zombies. They put me together with Kirkman to work on the series.

ZT: Besides the undead premise, Marvel Zombies was known for its unique take on classic covers. What was your overall experience zombiefing some of history's great heroes?

AS: Those were all my favorite Marvel covers . I owned all those books , that is until my girlfriend's little brother stole them out of the attic and sold them for drug money. It was my real pleasure to reinvent and straighten them out in a more sophisticated realistic painted style .

ZT: Why do you feel that zombies literally refuse to die and are popular in movies, books, etc everyday?

AS: I believe because Zombies have always been with us, in religion and elsewhere, something that in a way makes them kind of safe to dabble with...The fact that they move so slow makes them less of a threat and more fun – the fact that they can be reincarnated family or friends is what provide irony and familiarity .

ZT: What's your approach when beginning to apply horror to a movie poster or comic cover?

AS: My personal contribution I believe are introducing painted comic works to the comic field and I recreating iconic visuals in a zombie universe. I ve just expanded what I did with the Marvel Zombies old covers and applied the same concept to my favorite films and historical paintings and other POP CULTURE iconic visuals . No one is safe, ( laughs).

ZT: What are your current projects?

AS: I am usually working on about 3 or four projects at a time . Right now I am working on two of my own Zombies series that I am writing and doing the interiors as well painted work , something I started long ago and have been working on for about 10 years . Also I just finished a cover for a film noir book and am working on a large ERB style trilogy project for a company out of Texas and a few other things.

ZT: What is your most favorite zombified painting so far?

AS: I don’t know that I have any one favorite. I am very fond of some of the pop icon zombie reinventions I've done, the Clint , Baby Nirvana, Lady M and Zombie Deep covers . They are all old friends and special to me .

ZT: Are you a horror fan? If so, what's your favorite zombie movie?

AS: I am a huge old school horror fan . By that I mean horror with monsters rather than slice-em -n’ -dice movies which I have no taste for at all. I don’t find human cruelty entertaining, however I do love it when a zombie gets his just deserts , as in THE Walking DEAD TVseries. I rate zombie movies in two categories , comedy like the Return of the Dead by Dan O’bannon which is my favorite funny horror movie and the Walking Dead which is my favorite serious zombie flick. I regard the series as a movie because of its sophisticated direction writing and cast.

I was planning on putting the TV set out on the curb and not watching any TV until Walking Dead came on . The only thing I watch on TV is Walking Dead and the UFC fights. No time to waste on corporate propaganda and the rest of the fodder n' filler. Too much to work to do. Too much study to get done.

ZT: Well said, Arthur. Thank you for a great opportunity. For more of your favorite heroes returned from the dead, go to www.arthursuydam.com!

Some? Most? No, All! All Zombies Must Die review

All Zombies Must Die review

Developer: Doublesix
Publisher: Doublesix
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date: January 4, 2011

When the inevitable zombie apocalypse hits, what will you do? Will you run and cry like the doomed souls in the movies we watch? Or will you nut up, grab a weapon and lay down some righteous fury? These are the options before All Zombies Must Die (AZMD) and its hero, Jack.

Story
Welcome to Deadhill, a small sleepy suburbia that is suddenly overrun by the shambling dead. Jack is a gamer and slowly begins to wonder if he is in a video game himself. This fact is fine by him as he puts his skills against the endless horde of undead. Along the way, Jack runs into his ex-girlfriend who would just as soon spend time with the zombies. Jack must deal with his ex while running missions to gain weapons, supplies, etc. Along the way, Jack will meet fellow corpse-fighters in his adventure. Using the appropriate bathroom, you’ll be able to switch characters.

Graphics
The cartoony look and feel of AZMD works well with the setting and tone. While cartoonish, there is a sense of creepiness to the lonesome streets, creeping and running zombies and you’re scavenging for weapons. The different types of undead do look good as everything from SWAT zombies to Workout zombies hunt you down. Spraying your enemies with gunfire, torches and sonic weapons looks fitting but the backgrounds, over time, start to look the same.

Sound
Hearing AZMD is okay. Your characters don’t talk except for word bubbles when interacting. The zombies do moan as they should and your weapons have the appropriate crack of a shotgun and roar of fire. However, beyond some funky background music, the sound in All Zombies is nothing special.

Controls
AZMD is a dual stick controlled game. Anyone remember Robotron? Well if you do, you will adapt to All Zombies Must Die quickly. You can also use the regular buttons to cycle through weapons, items and supplies. The controls offer a standard configuration to load ammunition, locate map items and check your location. There were times when it was difficult to aim, shoot and not walk into a mob of monsters.

Zombie factor?
All Zombies Must Die has an off-the-wall, off-the –chart zombie factor. It is literally full of the undead and an endless amount of them will track you all over. While you search boxes, garbage containers and busted furniture for ammo and items, you’re racing against the creeping cadaver behind you. When you’re trying to leave an area and the little robot guardian won’t let you through, you get a slight sense of survival horror.

Conclusion
Is it the best type of zombie game crawling around out there? No. AZMD eventually feels repetitive in its layout, controls and mission. Even with the inclusion of new characters and new zombie types, AZMD doesn’t stand out in one’s memory. However, is All Zombies Must Die worth playing? Yes. It’s fun. It’s simple and it offers some challenges here and there. Several in-game jokes will gain a chuckle to gamers (the Left 4 Dead reference was pretty quick-witted.) So grab your controller, load your shotgun and fill your bug-out bag. You have one mission: All Zombies Must Die.

Could Zombification be real ?

Matt Boiselle We as fans of the undead revel in the fiction and storylines that entertain us not only in books, but movies & videogames as well. There is a certain sense of satisfaction that comes over zombie enthusiasts when we witness the images of the infected wreaking havoc on the unsuspecting and overwhelmed victims that are soon to become a human buffet for the living dead.

But what if the things that have entertained us for so long had come true ? Would we as a collective group be excited or terrified to know that zombies may have genuinely been around ? According to a British medical journal, The Lancet, back in 1997 there were 3 documented cases of real " zombification" in Haiti. Now these aren't the zombies which alot of us have come to know over the years like what we've seen on TV and in the movies, but real people that were stricken, or cursed by voodoo practices. While no exact names were given in the report, the patients names were only revealed as initials, and each case described in detail the actions and effects of their particular "affliction".

Zombification is such a serious problem with Haitian lawmakers, that according to penal code article 246 - turning another person into a zombie is considered murder. Although the exact causes of the three cases continues to be debated, many have dismissed the patients situations as people suffering from mental illnesses and other disabilities. All in all the article is a very interesting read and sheds a lot of light on the voodoo practice of zombifying a human ( not that it should be attempted ! ) The story is available as a pdf file download and can be accessed by clicking on the picture above the story. Read it and decide for yourself, could it be real, and if so, would we as a society want it to be real ?

Devil's Crossing - Review

Matt Boiselle As I sat down to watch Devil's Crossing, the main concern that kept streaking across my mind was, "How long will it take before I have to shut this movie off ?" Well, to my pleasant surprise, I watched the entire thing and was genuinely entertained at what I had seen.

Welcome to the dusty, rustic styled town of Celestial, where at first glance someone would swear they had been dropped straight into the heart of the Wild west. The only problem is, present times are upon the townsfolk - and the once foreboding zombie apocalypse has come full forward and swallowed this town whole. Not to be derailed, the remaining survivors press on amongst the gloom and doom of the outside world, almost impervious to the dangers that surround themselves.

You see this town is fully functional with all of the amenities and staples that a gold rush settlement could possibly offer. There are surly tough guys drinking at the bar, solemn bartenders pouring stale beer and outdated whiskey, and upstairs you can find the most sultry of prostitutes gladly waiting to assist any man with......... well you get it. This begged the question to myself - " In the midst of an apocalypse, why would a town's remaining survivors decide to rebuild and reorganize their shattered lives via the ways of the old west?" Well I'm fairly sure that I may never get an answer to that, but nonetheless it does provide a nice backdrop to the in-your-face storyline. Hey, if you fancy westerns AND horror movies, than this is a cinematic gift just for you.

The plot will not confuse you by any means, that is a certainty, as we follow our main characters in the saloon in what can be described as "time-consuming" - but it doesn't drag to the point where you need to shotgun a couple of Red Bulls. As we come to familiarize ourselves with the people passing their time in the bar, we get introduced to Shadrach, a steely-eyed outlaw who some 235 years ago made a deal with the devil after he was ruthlessly slaughtered himself. The deal entitled him to rise from the dead and live out the rest of his afterlife as a "soul collector", becoming a slave for the devil.

Shadrach comes to the town of Celestial in one final, ( and EXTREMELY bloody) battle vs. the denizens of the dead in the hopes of regaining his own soul, all the while protecting the townspeople that have now looked to him as some kind of savior.

If you can get through the first hour or so of plot formation, then get ready to to reap the benefits of a great last 20-25 minutes. This is where zombie enthusiasts can really get their slaughter fix - lots of blood, gore and serious barroom brawling action will fill up your TV screen. The movie is well-acted out with some interesting characters in the mix, and the zombies, while not top-notch in appearance, get the job done quite nicely. I just wish that whomever taught the zombie extras how to move, hadn't had them watch Michael Jackson's Thriller video. ( Watch some of their group scenes and you will know what I'm talking about.)

The crew at Left Films did a nice job of giving the town that kind of sleazy, squalid, grubby atmosphere that you see in a lot of the old western films from days gone by. Overall, I did enjoy this film and saw past its few shortcomings and found myself getting immersed in the story, and would gladly rack this on the shelf of movies to watch late-night with the lights off.

2.5 out of 4 stars

AMY releases for PSN and XBOX Live

Todd Jepperson



Amy, the newest progeny of French game developer Vector Cell, will be released to the masses next week; specifically Tuesday, January 10 on PSN for $12.99 and Wednesday, January 11 on XBOX Live Arcade for $10.00. From what I’m seeing, the game has all of the qualities of a full-fledged production horror/survival title. The premise goes somewhat akin to Silent Hill where the player will take control of “Lana” which may or may not be the mother of eight year old, autistic “Amy” and your job is to protect the little girl from the plague ridden hordes of enemies. If you still have that ten dollar bill grandma gave you burning a hole in your wallet from Christmas, I think I know how you could spend it.

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

Andy Ross

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you survived a zombie-filled apocalypse? What would your role be in the rebuilding of the human race? Zone One by Colson Whitehead tells the story of a man known as Mark Spitz, who survived the initial onslaught of the living dead. We meet Mark Spitz as he is working with his team to take down the remaining “skels”, referred to as stragglers. Sweeper teams roam the walled-in Manhattan, the titular Zone One, clearing out the small groups of living dead that remain in the city. Most of the skels sweeper teams encounter aren’t the violent, brain devouring zombies that most people immediately think of at the mention of the word. The stragglers are frequently stuck in a frozen state, damned to forever look out a window, make copies at the copy machine or stare blankly at the powerless computer monitor.

The rebuilding of civilization has already begun, and the “American Phoenix” hopes to rise from the ashes of the plague. Under government orders and with gear provided by corporate sponsors, Mark Spitz and his comrades clear high-rises, bodegas and basements all while wondering what the future will hold for the human race. The story is told in the present and fills-in the back stories of how everyone came to be where they are using flashbacks. As the civilian volunteers and soldiers work together to rebuild we learn about what happened to them on “Last Night” and their journey that brought them to the Zone.

Zone One is a great book if you love stories with zombies or near-future apocalypse settings. The book would also make a good introduction to zombie fiction for people who aren’t familiar with the genre. I did feel that the book was a little slow in the beginning, but the second half of the book makes the effort spent to get there entirely worth it. Whitehead’s witty spin on the zombie apocalypse is an enjoyable read and is highly recommended.

I would like to thank Harvill Secker for providing the review copy of this novel.

The Vegan Zombie

Dorothy Emry

Drop that hamburger and eat your veggies! The zombie apocalypse will start with an infection passed to humans through consumption of animal products. So warns the trailer for The Vegan Zombie movie...

The latest news from Chris and Jon at TVZ is that the film will be finished sometime this year. Until then you can watch webisodes of “Cooking with the Vegan Zombie” along with occasional webisode adventures away from the cook’s safe house kitchen on VeganZombie.com or on ZombieGate’s Channel on YouTube. In the cooking episodes, Jon, your friendly host and cook , shares vegan recipes such as “Post Apocalyptic Pot Pie” and updates us on his exploits surviving the zombie infested world. Believe me, once you watch a couple of these webisodes, you’ll be hooked by the combo of tasty food, light comedy and sawed-off shotgun homestead defense.

In the Vegan Zombie website’s store you’ll find t-shirts, stickers and totes, but perhaps the handiest item to add to your post-apocalypse shopping cart is the zombie crew apron—in red, of course, so it’s “great for disposing of zombies without ruining your clothes.”

Stag Night Of The Dead : Movie Review

Matt Boiselle For any discerning zombie-movie aficionado, I'm pretty sure that (most) of us can agree that in order to make a halfway decent zombie film, just add some hordes of the undead into virtually any situation and watch the fun begin. Well after watching Stag Night Of The Dead, I can certainly concur with that statement.
If you are looking for a good-time, laugh out loud, beer swilling, hoot and holler at your TV kind of movie, this is it. Director Neil " Napoleon" Jones has put together quite the male bonding film and ratcheted up the entertainment factor with this 85-minute zom-com.
Dean ( played by Sebastian Street), comes off as kind of a hen-pecked groom to be that has been taken out for his bachelor party by 4 of his good friends, Marky - the best man, DJ Ronnie - a homeboy wannabe, T.C - the psycho, expletive spewing Tourette's Syndrome sufferer, and Sanjay, the smart and savvy businessman with a heart full of love for his daughter. Added to the guest list is Gordon, Dean's soon to be father in law ( played heroically by Doug Grant), and Candy, a PVC clad stripper/ dominatrix that most certainly can hold her own in either a gun or street fight.
Marky the best man has quite the party planned for his soon to be married friend, and after a short time all of the pals and the stripper head off in a limo to a top-secret military base to play a little game of " Zomball". Sound interesting ?? You haven't seen anything yet. It turns out that the military has been stockpiling scores of the recently deceased and renting out the military base for the fun and games. But is that the ONLY reason ?
Back to the story and the rules of the game. Each player is equipped with an electronic pulse assault rifle, which sends out a surge reminiscent of the proton packs in Ghostbusters. These bursts of electricity are used to put down the zombies when they are released into the playing field ( select areas of the military base.) When a zombie is put down, they are merely stunned and will return to attack mode in a short 5 minute span. Multiple charging stations are scattered around the base and MUST be used to juice up your weapon, a simple task that some of the fellas seem to keep forgetting. I mean who wouldn't want this kind of fun at their bachelor party ?? So many zombies to put down with NO rules and.........oh wait.... yeah, there is one MAJOR rule that must be adhered to and that is " Never humiliate a zombie, or the game is over" - well, it's not too long before the guys have broken this one too.
The story doesn't slow down too much and does have some pretty intriguing twists and turns to it, like why is Dean's father in law so good at killing these creatures of the undead, and what is the secret that Marky is keeping from his friend that could potentially scrub his upcoming vows ? The zombies are varied but effective as victims of a nationwide pandemic gone uncured, with plenty of rotted flesh and gore to spare. Now I've been positive for a while now, so NOW its time to be a tad negative...... so here we go. Some of the characters in this film are so god-awful and annoying that I found myself pleading for them to get wasted ( DJ Ronnie) - who's storyline descends into the WTF ? category after an attempt at love with a zombie redhead.
But I won't linger on the down side, as there isn't too much of one here, simply due to the fact that if you want a fun, no frills, zombie shoot em up flick, than this is for you. I have to say that I was honestly entertained with this one from start to finish, and recommend it to the die-hard fan that refuses to take the genre too seriously.
2.5 out of 4 stars