My Pretty Zombie - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Does it get any better than zombifying a Barbie doll? We're not the only ones who think so. Andrea of My Pretty Zombie has been crafting zombies from Barbies since 2008. While the pretty zombies are the show stealer, you can also find jewelry, accessories, and cross stitching. Yes... cross stitching. And, yes... there is zombie cross stitching!

My Pretty Zombie is offering Zombies & Toys readers 15% off on any purchases through June! Just enter the code "zombiestoys" at the checkout. Head over to the My Pretty Zombie store to take advantage. You can also like MPZ on facebook, follow MPZ on Twitter, and check out the MPZ blog.


I get the impression that there is an underlying meaning to the zombification of the Barbie dolls; Is it just me?
"I get that question a lot. Some people think of it as a statement against Barbie and the unattainable female form that she represents. It's simply not true. I grew up with suitcases full of Barbies and loved them to death. I never felt that I had to be thin and blonde with huge boobs to be pretty.
I guess I chose Barbie to Zombify for the same reason I played with them as a kid. She's like a blank canvas you can do anything with. That and she's got great outfits and tons of accessories."

Is there more to your creations than simply making zombies?
"I’m a huge fan of all thing horror related. When I’m not crafting, I’m watching horror movies. I’m really influenced by the slasher movies of the eighties. I think that’s why all my dioramas end up having zombies in their underwear. I love taxidermy and animals in general and that’s where my “Broken Animals”
Cross Stitch patterns come from. I also make evil hair accessories which came from not being able to find enough weird and creepy hair clips to suit me.
As for the zombie dolls, I get super attached to them. I spend a lot of time staring at them and talking to them. They’re almost like family!"

What do you prefer more: making zombie dolls or making zombie cross stitches?
"Cross stitch was my first crafting love. I learned when I was six. That was pretty much my main art form until I started getting recurring bouts of tendinitis from my day job. It really hindered my ability to sew anything without a great deal of pain. I needed to find a new outlet. I woke up one morning and thought "I wonder if I could paint a Barbie to look like a zombie?" I went out and bought one the next day. I hadn't done any painting at all since high school, but I just jumped right in!
Cross Stitch is very soothing but also very time consuming. With the dolls I can have a new one done in a day, so that’s more like instant gratification."


What is your attraction to zombies?
"What’s not to love about zombies? They're us, yet not us. I love the shambling slow zombies. That's what I grew up on. The campier the better! The first zombie movie that I remember as having a huge impact on me was Return of the Living Dead part 2. I'll watch any movie that’s even slightly zombie- esque."

Have you done any custom requests and if so what was the story behind them?
"I love doing custom work! My two favorite requests have been from my good friend Jenny of agonysdecay.etsy.com.
I made her a custom Carrie at the Prom doll and a Regan from the Exorcist doll.
I really agonize over the custom work because I want it to be so perfect! Its very rewarding though when I can recreate such classic scenes and people are happy with the end result."

What is a defining or memorable zombie moment in your life?
"The one that sticks out the most in my mind was seeing 28 Days Later in the movie theater. I was so scared when we left even though it was broad daylight. My heart was totally pounding and I complained to my husband that I was going to die of a heart attack on the spot. Fast zombies...holy crap! It added a whole new dimension of zombie terror for me!"

If we were to make a toy of you, would you be a zombie or a survivor?
"Oh, I would be a zombie for sure!"

What accessories would you come with?
"Well, the most important thing would be detachable arm devices.
1. A wheel (I've always wanted one. A wheel for an arm that is, so I could roll it around on things)
2. Some kind of weapon...a chainsaw, an AK-47, or a drill...

I would need a lab coat (I work in a lab in real life)
Also some hot secretary glasses and fabulous shoes."

If you were to become bitten by a zombie, would you want to change or would you rather be shot?
"I asked my husband what he thought and he totally scoffed at me... "Are you kidding me?! Like you would pass up the chance to be a zombie even for a little while!"
It's true...I like to think that in case of a zombie uprising that I would be the chick that was holding it all together until the very end when I got bit through some avoidable circumstance. And then I would get my arm chopped off to avoid the infection spreading. THEN I would get my wheel/chainsaw/drill arm attachment. But it would be no use.
Is it weird that I have this all planned out?"

...And for the record... it's not weird at all!