Custom Magnets and Busts

Congratulations to Scott J. from Decatur, TX!

Thank you to everyone who entered!


We are starting our November celebration with a bang!  As you know, Zombies & Toys has partnered with Philip Hynes to bring you the opportunity to have your likeness custom-sculpted as a zombie magnet.  This service has been available in our Zombie Toy Store for $24.99.  The process is simple:

*  You add the magnet to your shopping cart and pay as usual
*  After, email pics of yourself and a description of your zombie details to magnet@zombiesandtoys.com
*  You will be contacted by Phil shortly after to verify any specific details
*  4-6 weeks later, your magnet and any other items you ordered arrive

All through the process, you are emailed images of the sculpt as it is being made.  This gives you the opportunity to request any adjustments before the final product is made.  These would make the perfect gift for the zombie lover in your life.  In order to guarantee arrival by Christmas, all orders must be received by November 26th.

I am excited to announce that we will now also be offering this same service only as custom made zombie busts!  The process is the same as with the magnet only a few more photographs are required of the specimen.  Since this will be a fully detailed bust, a posed picture of the front, side, and rear is needed.  Price of a full bust is $99.99.  Like the magnets, in order to guarantee delivery by Christmas, all orders must be received by November 26th.

Now for the really good news... to celebrate our ability to offer custom busts, we are giving one lucky reader the chance to receive one for free!  If you would like the opportunity to win a custom bust of you as a zombie, email your name and address to custombustcontest@zombiesandtoys.com.  One very lucky winner will be selected November 25th.

See more of Phil's work and become a believer by visiting his blog.

November at Zombies & Toys

This weekend, we will launch what will be a fun-filled November for readers of Zombies & Toys!  This month will mark our second year of providing you with as much zombie news as I can dig up and find the time to post.  I would like to thank everyone reading now and those who have been around since the beginning.  I honestly never thought ZT would turn into what it has become.  While it is ZT's birthday, I want to give gifts to you!

All month, we will be launching various contests.  Some of the great items we have to give away include some new products, books, toys, movies, CDs, and much, much more.  Items will be given away by having our normal contests here on the blog but also through our Facebook page and Twitter feeds.  Some contests will be exclusive to Facebook and Twitter while others will give you extra entries.

We will also be featuring some reviews to help you begin choosing gifts for the zombie fans in your life.  So make sure to keep checking in with us throughout the month!  Here's some pics of what's in store...

Zombified Celebrities

Kala Hewitt

Is it possible for Russel Brand to be better looking when turned into a zombie? I don't have some kind of weird necro thing, but when MTV zombified 9 stars, they managed to somehow make the zombie-Brand and Perry newlyweds more "beautiful".

Yes, I'm a bit twisted. But who doesn't love seeing stars like Justin Beiber, Britney Spears and Ke$ha as zombies while imagining an amazing star-filled zombie hunt?

Nicole James, blogger for MTV, gave us a pre-Halloween zombie-love blog this week that warmed my undead obsessed heart. A selection from the blog:

"Did you guys know that zombies are the new vampires? It's true. Well, at least at the moment. Maybe it's because Halloween's almost here, and because we're psyched for that zombie show on AMC, or because we've been listening to a lot of Fela Kuti (it happens), but we're way into zombies taking the place of the Cullens.

"Sci-fi aficionados will be sure to tell you that zombies and vampires are apples and oranges, but I have to say I'm definitely pro-zombies. There's something a little extra cool about eating brains instead of blood. Also, you don't have to wear a cape, and you can eat all the garlic you want!"

Ahem - Excuse me Mr. Lambert - there's blood on your glitter and sequins. 

Loveable Zombie

Todd Jepperson



Alright, kids. Crank up the Generator, dust off the ol’ Nintendo DS and get it charging. Chunsoft has set a release date for their own little piece of heaven.

These cute little guys were apparently farmers once, before a mysterious gas turned them into… You guessed it: Zombies! With solo real-time strategy and multiplayer deadsal (like soccer, only with dead farmers) , it looks like they’ve covered all of your bases for you.


Loveable Zombie supports download play, too! With just one copy of the game, up to four players can download and join in on the action. If you’re in Japan, can read Japanese, or just plain don’t need instructions, Chunsoft has set a January, 2011 release date for the Japanese version. There’s no news of a North American launch yet, but, let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Plants Vs. Zombies Sprouting for the Nintendo DS

Todd Jepperson


Heads up! There’s a trailer that just popped up over on Nintendolife.com to get us all restless about the upcoming Plants Vs. Zombies for Nintendo DS. The game’s set to hit shelves in January of next year, just in time to take back all of the crap that you got for Christmas that you didn’t want anyway.

“With new achievements, a two-player versus mode and four brand new minigames, the trailer should allay fears that the game wouldn’t justify its full retail price tag. It also contains footage of a unicorn with a zombie face, nearly beating the zombie bobsled team seen in the iPhone trailer.”

Zombie Shirts to “Flip” For

Travis D. Roderick

“Flip shirts” are nothing new. The premise is simple: on the inside of the shirt is an image that, when “flipped” inside out, fits over the wearer's head like an impromptu mask. They're becoming increasingly popular with sports fans, where a simple wardrobe maneuver can allow one to don the visage of one's college mascot, or even the face of a favorite player. In fact, recently spotted flip shirts have run the gamut from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to The Muppets to “It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia” themes.

Capcom was perhaps the first to use the conceit with a zombie bent, with their Resident Evil: Darkside Chronicles promotional t-shirt at SDCC last year. Of course, being that that shirt is over a year old and was a highly sought-after exclusive, chances of netting one for yourself are relatively slim. And with Halloween less than a week away, what's a notoriously cheap, unpaid zombie blogger...err, regular Joe or Jane, to do for a costume? Fear not, for a couple sources are coming to the rescue just in the nick of time.

Deez Teez offers both male and female zombie faces on the inside of a shirt that, externally, prompts passersby to “Ask Me About My Zombie Shirt.” While I personally find the faces to be a little small, the designs are striking and easy to read in their black-and-white-and-red color scheme.

Surely coincidentally, Etsy seller, "amberequinox" is offering similar fare, though of only male visages. (Though he/she does also offer Vampire and Monster takes on the concept, as well.) These faces are a little larger and full color (looking almost like paintings), though the shirts lack the witty message on the outside. Some may prefer that simplicity, though.

So if you're days away from a rocking Hallow's Eve party and have yet to figure out your alter ego for the event, there are worse ways to go than a “surprise” zombie for the evening. (But ladies, don't forget that the shirts are single layer; meaning, should you choose to demonstrate the tee's virtues with nothing else on underneath, you have only yourself to blame if the resulting flash has guys begging for repeat performances for the rest of the night.)

“Evenings In Quarantine: The Zombie Opera” Has Got Bite!

Dan Barkasi

When awareness of “Evenings In Quarantine: The Zombie Opera” hit at the most recent Horror Realm convention, the concept itself was quite intriguing - an opera, with a story centering on a zombie apocalypse.  Now, this writer is a huge fan of “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” which was a stunning masterpiece of creativity.  My first thought was that this could be quite similar to “Repo! The Genetic Opera” in style, to which is a welcome notion.  However, it was unknown how well it would be pulled off.

The plot revolved around three friends trying to survive the zombification of their world, with each having a particular motive.  One – Ronnie – was hoping to get to her father, who was located at a safe zone in the Oakland area of Pittsburgh, PA.  Another – Izzie – was desperately trying to get to and save her younger brother.  The third – Charles – was hopelessly in love with Ronnie, and would stop at nothing to save her.  That’s all that will be revealed here, as to not go further in depth and spoil what happens in the show.

What can be said, however, is that this production was an enjoyable and unique look at the zombie universe.  No zombie-related undertaking has ever been quite like “Evenings In Quarantine: The Zombie Opera,” with its combination of filmed and live pieces, all of them performed in an operatic fashion.  Throughout the entire production, a full-length film served as a background, of which the stage performers would react to throughout the entire show.  For example, while at a house party, trying to save a friend, there are people in the background, and the actors react to them as such – especially when there’s an invasion of the undead persuasion.  This interactivity was pulled off without a hitch, and thankfully so, as any mistiming could have been disastrous.  Good preparation and skill shown off, for sure.  Zombie extras are also used extensively, with numerous undead appearing from many areas of the theater to hunt down our protagonists.

The story itself worked on every level, boasting effective plot twists, a few scares, and even with some well-placed doses of humor.  Most notable being the reports of a local newscaster, describing the most current events relating to the crisis, with each subsequent update being more grim than the last.

Of course, one of the most important bits of an opera is the singing.  Low-quality songs and vocal performances will send any opera crashing in a blaze of ineptitude awfully quick.  However, we are graced with spot-on singing and songs that are crafted to a tee.  To those fans of the aforementioned “Repo! The Genetic Opera,” the songs here aren’t towards the industrial end of sound.  Instead, they are much more traditional opera, which fit the production well and were performed faultlessly.

“Evenings In Quarantine: The Zombie Opera” receives my utmost recommendation.  It’s a clever, one-of-a-kind show that rounds out to be a wonderful experience.  Here is where I’d say if you get the chance, go and see this.  However, every performance is now sold out.  If you’re one of the lucky ones that have tickets, enjoy, as it is truly a wonderful show that any open-minded zombie aficionado should enjoy.  If not, then hope for more dates in the future.  With the show quickly selling out – and considering the quality of the opera – future performances would not come as a surprise.

Three Zombie Comedies and “The Day Lufberry won it all”

David Brown

If you are going to be in the Bemidji area around 7:30 p.m. on Saturday October 30^th, be sure to get to the Chief Theatre. For only $10 ($7 for seniors) you will be able to top off an event filled day by watching three award winning plays, “How to Make a Brain Soufflé”, “Tenure”, and “Three Zombies and a Demon” by Roy C. Booth as well as “Marriage…After Death” by Booth and Abbey Ferrier.  This is particularly of note as “Tenure” will enjoy its world premiere at this event.

Following these plays will be a showing of “The Day Lufberry won it all”, a short film based on the dark science fiction story “The Monster from Idea” from R. Thomas Riley’s acclaimed collection. This film is directed by Booth, who also co-wrote with John F. Mollard.  The film stars Andor Lofthus, Andrew Browers, and Kevin Cease, and is notable for being shot entirely on location in Bemidji. Also if you feel like staying after the screening you will be treated to a question-and-answer panel.

If you need tickets to this event they can be picked up at Roy’s Comic & Games, or at the door starting at 6:30 p.m. If you are looking for things earlier in the day there is also a horror book signing that will take place from 1-3pm at Roy’s Comics and Games, where you can meet Booth, Riley, R. Scott McCoy, and Nathaniel Lambert. If you are a fan of zombies, who wants to have a fun afternoon/evening, look no further if you are in Bemidji, Minnesota. 

Zombie Lecture at Centralia College

Todd Jepperson




Anyone still alive in Centralia, Washington? Grab $5 bucks, ($3 for students) and head over to Centralia College’s Wickstrom Theater Wednesday night at 7 PM to hear all about what’s going on around here. Matt Mogk, founder of the Zombie Research Society (zombieresearch.org) will be giving a lecture called “Zombies, Run!” Where he tries to explain, scientifically, medically, and biologically how the Zombie plague is not only possible, but eminent.

“… Researchers apply scientific knowledge based on newly discovered viruses and animals - like the malformed proteins that cause mad cow disease or a jellyfish-like species found to live on the bed of Mediterranean Sea without oxygen, the Loriciferans ó to determine if a zombie were to show up at your front door, "how would it function, what would it look like, how would it smell?"
source:  The News Tribune

National Geographic – The Truth Behind Zombies

Todd Jepperson

If you’ve still got a T.V. and electricity, you’ll want to tune it to National Geographic Channel Saturday night. Pull up a chair and listen as Max Brooks (author of the best-selling Zombie Survival Guide) and his team explore the Haitian Voodoo roots of Zombies, as they try to explain how they came to be and if they’re more Hollywood myth or reality. Also, meet some people who are apparently more prepared than the rest of us for when the restless dead take over. Grab a pen and paper, take notes, and be ready!

Think Globally, Shamble Locally

Travis D. Roderick


If you happened to be in one of 26 major metropolitan cities around the world today, you may have witnessed the outbreak of a global pandemic and not even known the extent of the contagion. No, we're not talking about the Solanum virus; rather, viral marketing at its best. In a wonderfully coordinated worldwide promotion for next Sunday's debut of The Walking Dead, AMC staged zombie walks in cities as far flung as New York, Los Angeles, London, Hong Kong, even Guatemala City and Istanbul, Turkey. Calling it Worldwide Zombie Commuter Day, the “infection” was scheduled to spread in and around internationally-recognized landmarks, such as Big Ben, the Lincoln Memorial, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Acropolis, and more. No word on official numbers yet, but if early photos are any indication, worldwide turnout looks to be in the thousands. If you were in any of these cities today and witnessed the outbreak firsthand, make sure to tell us about it in the comments!


The full list of cities plagued by hordes of the undead today is as follows:


New York City, USA
Washington DC, USA
Boston, USA
Chicago, USA
San Francisco, USA
Los Angeles, USA
Taipei, Taiwan
Hong Kong
Istanbul, Turkey
Athens, Greece
Sofia, Bulgaria
Estonia, Tallinn
Belgrade, Serbia
Munich, Germany
Madrid, Spain
Rome, Italy
Johannesburg, S. Africa
London, UK – Westminster
Lisbon, Portugal
Sao Paolo, Brazil
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Santiago, Chile
Caracas, Venezuela
Bogota, Colombia
Mexico City, Mexico
Guatemala City, Guatemala


(If you're on FaceBook, make sure to check out The Walking Dead's official page for tons more photos and videos!)

Celebrity Zombie Organs?

Sharon Seng

Two horribly fun gift ideas just in time for the zombie fanatic’s holiday shopping season!!


First, feast your brains, I mean eyes, on Zombiewood Weekly: The Celebrity Undead Exposed now out in paperback form!! This hysterical take on the rich and famous and their exploits as the undead will be a treasure!!

Second, there’s an entertaining new iPad app called the Zombie Organ HD app by Applesauce, now this bit of fun is probably best suited for use at your Halloween party or as a holiday treat for your ‘tween! Scroll down for a quick glimpse of game play.  Then, if you want to really check out the app, it is only 99 cents through iTunes. 

The Hamilton House of the Dead

If you live near Hamilton, Ohio, there's a haunted house you'll want to check out.  The Hamilton House of the Dead is located at 1046 Noyes Ave (Hamilton 45015).  The haunt is available for your visit on October 30 and 31 from 8:00 PM to 11:00.  With free admission, how can you go wrong?

This is being partly sponsored by Zombies & Toys!  Make sure to stop by for your chance to take home some free Zombies & Toys goodies!

Holy Shit… Zombies! Brings the Laughs and the Undead

Dan Barkasi

If you like zombie comedies, then you have a good selection of flicks to dive in to.  However, a sparsely known gem known as “Holy Shit… Zombies!” may not have crossed your path.  This low-budget film is probably one of the most outrageous and laugh-out-loud ridiculous movies this writer has yet to see.

My awareness of this film first arose at the 2009 edition of the Horror Realm convention in Pittsburgh.  While looking over the film festival program, this one really caught the eye.  It seemed like it could be a fun, low-budget zombie movie.  A note was made to be sure to not miss this screening.  Was it ever worth it!

I’ll never forget when the creator of the film – Rick Fusselman – introduced the film.  He warned that if you were easily offended, you probably wouldn’t enjoy this movie.  And true enough, to the utterly annoying “everything must be PC” crowd, this movie is definitely not for you.  However, if you have a sense of humor that borders along crude and ridiculous, along with a love of brilliant and clever dialogue, you absolutely must see this movie.

This is actually a sequel to the equally fun “Toxic Shock Zombies,” which followed a zombie outbreak due to tampons released by a new company named Zampon are giving women “toxic shock syndrome,’ hence turning them into flesh eating zombies.  “Holy Shit… Zombies!” picks up with that theme, following a cast of characters who equal the hilarity of the movie’s premise.

The film centers around two unemployed slackers, one of which buys a massive flat screen TV that they cannot afford.  So, what do they do to pay it off?  Naturally, they become Avon salesmen!  As they go about trying to earn some cash, the zombie outbreak is happening all around them.

Also, two redneck guys are also followed, with the duo going out on a deer-hunting trip.  They also are initially unaware of the zombie outbreak, but soon are inundated with the living dead, thinking that they are “cannibal deer.”  I kid you not!

Both twosomes meet up several times during the film, including the insane ending where they must depend on each other to survive.

The best way to describe this movie is Clerks, with zombies.  The long-running conversations that these guys have are undoubtedly some of the funniest, most off-the-wall material I’ve ever seen in a movie, including some redneck humor that is out of this world great.  You really need to see this movie to believe it, as it’s difficult to describe just how funny this movie is.  Not going to delve into comedic details, as to not spoil the freshness of the humor.

There’s some fun gore as well, including a zombie dragging a fetus by its umbilical cord being one example.  The special effects are cheesy in a very good way, which is what you’d want and expect from a movie such as this.

If you have a twisted sense of humor and love insane low-budget horror movies that don’t take themselves too seriously, then “Holy Shit… Zombies!” is most definitely for you.  I left the initial screening of this movie in literal tears from laughing so hard, and numerous other viewings have had the same effect.  The highest of recommendations!

You can grab yourself a copy of "Holy Shit… Zombies!" at the official DSK Productions website.

Sears Caters to Zombies

Quick!  Before it, ahem... dies!  Type in sears.com/zombies and enjoy the crazy.  Can someone please remind me what company did this a few months back?  It's around here somewhere...

More updates and pics shortly:

Jesus Hates Zombies Featuring Lincoln Hates Werewolves Vol.1

 Kala

OK. BAD ASS title. That's what caught my attention. Now actually reading the comic book with killer illustration... That was an amazing experience. I found myself laughing at the fact that the son of God was sent back to earth to save the human race from the undead with a baseball bat and a zombie sidekick. The dialogue is witty and comical and so far, all the characters introduced keep me very interested. I was a little sad that it "To Be Continued" on me at a really good part, but all in all, I'm hunting down the rest of the volumes so I can see what Jesus will do next.


As far as for the feature of Lincoln Hates Werewolves. It's not as comedic, but it's action packed and cool as hell also. A young Abraham has his first encounter with the creature of the night while chopping wood on his family's farm. Being victorious, he vows to rid the creatures from the planet and secretly hunts them down, even after being elected President.


Both story lines are very interesting and I can't wait to get my hands on more. This was a pretty fantastic book to come across and something I look forward to getting more familiar as I continue reading it.

3 Pound Gummy Brain

Sometimes, the title of a post pretty much says it all.  Yup, a 3 pound gummy brain can be yours for $24.95.  For this Pink Fruity Bubblegum flavor monstrosity, head over to World's Larges Gummy Bears.

An Early Review of The Walking Dead Series

David Brown

I was overjoyed to receive an advanced copy of the new series the Walking Dead from AMC and Director Frank Darabont. I have to be up front when I say this; this series is set to redefine the way that zombies interact with television. I will describe my happiness by retelling the first few minutes. In the beginning, we see the main character Rick walking amongst the burnt out and crashed remains of many cars as he happens upon an abandoned gas station. He is alone, or so he thinks until he hears shuffling footsteps. It is then that he gets on the ground and looks beneath cars to see the shambling legs as they approach a teddy bear. Hands reach down and pick up the bear to clutch it close. He then gets up to venture around the car to see a young girl in a robe shambling away. He calls to her checking to see if she needs help to which she turns around and we get the first glimpse of a zombie from The Walking Dead. I will go no further as what happens must be seen to believe.

Keep in mind the above description is the first few minutes. It is this sense of urgency and the fact that everything is told from the views of regular people. There are no super cops here, only a real man thrust into a situation that he has no comprehension of, or control over. As characters are introduced we see that there is much potential for the series. The casting here is spot on and really seems to get the right actors to portray the characters. Rick is thrust into the world of the zombie apocalypse after awakening from a coma as a result of injuries in a shootout. The story moves along at such a brisk pace that you cannot help but be glued to the screen as the introduction to everything plays out. I can give nothing but praise to this series.

The costumes and sets truly mirror those of the graphic novel and truly bring in not only fans of the series but zombie lovers, and drama lovers alike. This is a zombie series, but also includes enough drama as the human condition is examined. The makeup and zombie effects are in the spotlight here and truly bring so much here. Never before on television have zombies been given so much life. The makeup is discomforting as you see the ravaging effects of a virus such as this one. There are also many instances where you truly feel as scared, tense, and claustrophobic as the characters in the drama themselves. I don’t want to go into too many details of the show or its makeup and creature designs, but from the images we have already been shown, rest assured that this is one series that doesn’t disappoint.

Even though I have only had the chance to see one episode, I am happy to say that this is going to be a much needed revival for zombies in the mainstream. This will be the must watch show of the season on AMC. The actual premiere of the show will be Sunday October 31st at 10:00PM and the pilot is slated to run around 90 minutes on television. It will be interesting to see how the show plays out and where it goes from here. The pilot is so full of potential that one can only look on with anticipation as the series progresses. There will be action, there will be drama, there will be moments of sadness, and there will be Zombies. Make sure you do not miss this event as it is a great show that everyone will love.