Daph's Dark Little Corner - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Daphne from Daph's Dark Little Corner is well-rounded fan of horror movies. In fact, she is even a moderator at a horror forum. You can find thedeadshallrule over at Horror-movies.ca and she invites everyone to stop by and say "hi". While she enjoys all horror movies, the zombie genre is her favorite. "I grew up watching late night chiller theatre with Bill Cardille (he was in NOLD original). Night Of The Living Dead will always be my all time fave Horror movie." Daphne can be reached at earthdancedaph@yahoo.com by anyone interested in obtaining some of her work.



Tell us about some of your creations?
"I make soft cloth Horror dolls in a primitive style. From Jason to Dead ghost brides, zombies and Evil gypsies. I get an idea of what I want and make them by hand."

What types of materials do you use?
"I usually use muslin for the body and either hand paint or stitch the faces, some I leave faceless. I use poly-stuffing for the insides."


Any bizarre or interesting custom requests?
"I made a Beetlejuice doll custom request. I made a Living Corpse Doll and he now tours the comic cons with Ken Haeser and Buz Hasson creators of The Living Corpse Comic."

If you were bitten by a zombie, would you want me to let you change or put you out of your misery?
"Oh let me change, I want to shamble after people and make them scream like wee girls."

If we were going to create a toy of you, would you be a zombie or a survivor? What accessories would you come with?
"ZOMBIE!!! It would be fun to be a 50's zombie pinup girl, with a lovely brain on a plate."

Any favorite zombie movies, books, or games?
"I love all the zombie movies, Indies are my faves though. Automation Transfusion, Stink Of Flesh, Zombie Night. Books...Brian Keene allll the way, he owns! The Rising, City Of The Dead. Richard Laymon has my Horror heart also.
Games...Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Parasite Eve, Nightmare Creatures II"

Daph's Dark Little Zombie contest - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Daphne from Daph's Dark Little Corner is offering readers the opportunity to bring home her worm-eyed, undead creation. I find this guy particularly entertaining as my son loves the worm hanging out of the eye socket and I find the eyeball disturbing.

If you have some stuffed animals you need to scare or younger family members that need freaked out, email your name and address to daphne@zombiesandtoys.com. One lucky winner will be selected July 21st. We will have more pics posted soon.

Timothy Carr - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Zombies & Toys has put me in a unique position in regards to our next, and final, feature of The Undead Bazaar. Readers that have been around and especially those who take part in the fun at Facebook will most likely recognize Timothy Carr as the guy who makes the great digital images and spoof ads. I feel honored that Tim has made so many featuring Zombies & Toys and priveledged to have witnessed his work expand and evolve.

While digital imagery began as a hobby, Tim is available for comissioned work and plans on expanding the type of work that he does. For personal enquires, you can email Tim directly at timcarr@cox.net or through Facebook using the same email.

What is your earliest exposure to zombies?

"Haha great question. In 1985 I sat on the roof of a station wagon at a drive in and watched Dan O’Bannon’s Return Of The Living Dead. I was just blown away. Tarman and Trash are still two of my favorite zombies and to this day I still get an uneasy feeling when I walk by a cemetery. It also cemented in my mind the fact that the zombie apocalypse will be caused by the government. Hell I even created a techno song using clips from the film called Macabre! "

Any favorite zombie books, movies, or games?

"Kirkman’s The Walking Dead is insane. Z.A. Recht's Morningstar Saga is an awesome trilogy. J.L. Bournes Day By Day Armageddon is a great read. Love the free We’re Alive Podcasts on Itunes. Way too many movies to name but the last two I saw were Dead Snow and Zombieland. I think my favorite Zombie thing is Left 4 Dead and Left 4 Dead 2. There is nothing like getting together with 3 of your friends and fighting zombies in a hurricane or running through a mall Dawn of the Dead style."

When did you first begin creating computer images and what inspires you?
"I have always been an artist but have been working in digital media for the last 4 years or so. Great music, movies, tv shows can help get my creative juices flowing. Other artists like the amazing Billy Tackett, H.R. Giger or the late great Zdzislaw Beksinski are true inspirations."


If you were bitten, would you want me to let you change or put you out of your misery?
"I would want to stay with the group and do my fair share until it looked like I was going to turn. Then I am going out guns blazing while the rest of the survivors make their escape. I actually posed this same question and other moral dilemmas in the Zombie Survival Test App I made on Facebook so I have given it some thought."

If we were making a toy of you, would it be a zombie or survivor? What accessories would you come with?
"Survivor no question! I would come with a metal baseball bat, Springfield Armory XDM .40 handgun, Remington Model 70 .300 Bolt action rifle, Benelli M4 12 gauge semi-automatic shotgun, Pig Sticker Bowie Knife, gloves and goggles so blood spatter doesn’t infect my character!"

Zombify Contest - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Here's the perfect contest for anyone who has wanted to see themselves as a zombie! Timothy has been kind enough to donate his time and energy to not one, but two lucky winners. Email a pic of yourself to tim@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win. Include your address and I'll make sure to send you some Zombies & Toys swag, too. All entries must be received by July 21st.

D. Ryan Allen - presented by The Undead Bazaar

D. Ryan Allen first created his zombie coloring book, Shades of Decay, about three years ago for a zombie arts and crafts show. It only seems fitting that his books found their way into the hands of Zombies & Toys in time for The Undead Bazaar.

Ryan creates a limited edition sketchbook for each solo art show he hosts. He explains that “A few years ago I made a Halloween activity book and a super hero activity book.” With a feature in a zombie showing, it only seemed logical to make the zombie sketch book. This book is the beginning of what became Shades of Decay. Besides his zombie books, Ryan will soon be sculpting and casting limited edition zombie busts.

With any luck, we’ll see more of Ryan's zombies here in the future. If nothing else, you can expect to see Volume 2 of Ryan’s zombie book. Yes, volume 2! “There's still plenty of fun zombies to color, but I added a few activities and a zombie mask to cut out and wear on the back cover.” Finally, a coloring book I can enjoy with my kids!


What was your first exposure to zombies?
"When I was a little kid I caught Night of the Living Dead on late night TV. I came across it after it started and not knowing exactly what I was watching. I was scared and hooked all at the same time. By the end of the movie I was wondering where my dad kept the hammer, nails and lumber... you know, just in case."

Favorite zombie movie, book, or game?
"Movie: Dawn of the Dead, both the original and the remake. I have to say I was a bit pissed when I heard they were going to remake it. How could they dare mess with a classic. I eventually broke down, watched it and loved it. I have to say I didn't miss the pie fight scene."


If you were bitten, would you want to change or ask to be shot?
"Shot, please... out of a catapult, while wearing a vest of explosives, into the middle of the zombie horde. Take some them with me and leave a funny and memorable death for the survivors to talk about. "Hey do you remember that guy we shot out of a catapult into that army of rotters?""

We are making a toy of you; would you be a zombie or a survivor? What accessories would you come with?
"I'd like a survivor figure, with all the gear a zombie fighter needs. Kind of like the old G.I. Joe figures... They came with a ton of weapons and equipment. Plus, fuzzy hair on the figure would be cool too. I wonder if that fuzz would make my bald spot stand out? Maybe, there could be a zombie version as a chase figure."


Ryan does not currently have a website available. However, his book can be purchased at The Zombie Toy Store.

Shades of Decay contest - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Who doesn't want a zombie coloring book? If you answered "not me", you have serious problems. Take advantage of zombie artist Ryan Allen's kindness and win one! Email your name and address to decay@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win a very special copy of Ryan's book.

The version you will receive will feature a limited blood splatter cover, original hand-drawn zombie sketch, and 10 additional pages not featured in the regular version!

Dusty Zombies

Zombie puppets? Not only is this a great idea, but Matt Ficner truly has some talent bringing these guys to life. You can learn more about Matt by visiting his site, Matt Ficner Productions. Make sure to check out the "dark" areas. There is some great stuff to be found. Before you do, check out this awesome:

Phil's Custom Sculpts Contest Winners!

We have a winner of the Zombie Santa! I would first like to ensure readers that the contests are completely random. This contest winner is actually a featured artist here on The Undead Bazaar. At least, he's one of the final few to be featured this week. So, congratulations to Timothy C. from Crestview, FL!

There is still hope for those who long to have a Zombie Santa displayed in their home. We will have a few resin casts of this sculpt available. Speaking of sculpts...

Congratulations to Steve U. for winning the custom sculpt of his zombie likeness! For your viewing pleasure, here are some of the other submissions and Phil's amazing work. Zombies & Toys is teaming up with Phil to offer custom zombie sculpts! More info to come.

Sleepy Robot 13 - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Lisa of Sleepy Robot 13 has been selling on Etsy since October 2009. Even though it hasn't been a full year, she is making huge waves. In addition to the Sleepy Robot 13 Etsy store, there is also a blog, flickr page, and informative home page. Lisa offers tips to other artists and sellers and has had her work featured on several other websites. Some places where you may have caught Sleepy Robot 13 include Business Exchange, Robot Snob, Nerd Approved, Canadian Family, Yo Kiddo, Street Level, and Plastic & Plush.

"Sleepy Robot 13's goal is to spread the idea that clay figures can be just as detailed and collectible as vinyl designer toys. Clay figures are sculpted, painted and glazed by hand and are often one of a kind making them the ultimate collectors item. Many sites now have sections for resin and even paper toys, why not clay?"

What were the first creations you made?
"Action figures of my friends. My first detailed creation was an action figure of my best friend Vanessa called the "Napkin Ninja"."

Which do you prefer, toast or robots?
"Hmm, that's actually really tough to answer. They are both items that should really not have personalities due to the havoc they could wreak upon the earth... I think that's why I like making them so much! It's definitely a tie."

How did you first get the idea to create zombie toast?
"A friend of mine has toast every morning for breakfast. Wanting to try something different one day, she put a piece of dark rye bread in her toaster. When it came out, the 1st thing that came to mind is that it looked like zombified toast. After that, whenever she made toast I'd ask her if she was making "Zombie Toast". A few weeks later I made my first zombie toast figure and gave it to her as a birthday gift. He still sits in her kitchen to this day."


Most influential zombie moment?
"Dead Alive! Not much beats killing zombies with a lawnmower!"

Favorite zombie book, movie, game?
"Zombie Book: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Movie: Shaun of the dead (I love comedy and I love zombies)
Game: I really like the Resident Evil games up until the rail shooter..."


If you were bitten, would you want shot or left to change?
"I would change but then I would want to be shot just so I can see what it feels like."

If we were making a toy of you, would you be a zombie or survivor and what accessories would you come with?
"I would be a zombie and my accessories would include a turkey baster, licorice intestines and a clown with no head."

Sleepy Robot 13 contest - presented by The Undead Bazaar

Lisa from Sleepy Robot 13 is graciously giving you a chance to take home one of her zombie robots! I'll leave it up to you to determine if robots can be zombies. I'm not quite sure if they would eat you, but there are many other similarities. Regardless of what you may think, this little guy is awesome!

This poor, little zombie robot is left holding his wire intestines. Every one of Lisa's robot characters deserve attention but, of course, we all love the zombie one most! Please check out the other robots at the Sleepy Robot 13 store.

To enter, email your name and address to sleepyrobot13@zombiesandtoys.com. All entries must be received by July 23.

Zombie Maid Cafe

Brief, yet entertaining and worth a mention is Schatz Kiste maid cafe in Japan. What is a "maid cafe"? I'm not entirely sure but I think it may be a cafe where the employees dress as maids. Where it gets interesting, however, is their incorporation of the event Maid of the Dead: RETURN. On June 12 and 13, employees dressed as zombie maids and served dishes such as eyeball soup and finger sandwiches. A cool idea for sure but I can't imagine having much of an appetite.

New 'The Walking Dead' Pics

Maybe I should change the name of this blog to "The Walking Dead Television Series and Maybe Some News About Toys With Additional Zombie News If Time Permits". It does kinda have a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Again, if you're sick of hearing news about AMC's The Walking Dead series it's only because you haven't read it. And TWD news is still pouring in!

First, Jeff has finally decided to read the comics! Check us out on FaceBook to see what he has to say. Possibly even more exciting, however, is Ain't It Cool News has posted an on-the-set feature! Check out part one and part two. These features include two brand-spankin' new pics!

They have NAILED the zombies! These things are spot-on! The makeup, the costume, the vibe... I can't get enough. If any readers stumble upon some news I haven't found, please drop me an email at zombiesandtoys@gmail.com so that we can share it.