ZAP: Halloween Special

Todd Jepperson


Halloween is finally here, which means we have officially come to the end to Mikie Graham's month long Zombie Art Project. To celebrate the end of an eventful month of custom horror goodness, Mikie has created a special surprise to make sure October goes out with a bloody SPLAT! Seen here for the first time in its entirety is the one and only Playmobil Playset, entitled "Mort's Fine Meats"

"Mort has been providing fine cuts of meat and hand ground sausages for over 50 years. Priding himself on using only the freshest ingredients, Mort personally inspects each cut of meat he buys, selecting only the choicest carcasses to chop up and serve to his ravenous customers. When visiting Mort’s Fine Meats make sure to sample his world famous “Frank-furters” made fresh daily out of Frank himself!"

This special Halloween playset comes complete with four custom zombies along with a whole meat market full of fun accessories. From the stocked deli case (and slowly turning rotisserie child) to the bloody message scribbled on the back walls, this playset is truly a ghoulish treat for all zombie fans out there! "Mort's Fine Meats" will be available on Zombiemonkie.com starting today, so grab this truly unique piece of one of a kind zombie art before it, like the month of October disappears!

Random Zombie Monday: Another Chuck and Beans Edition

Todd Jepperson

When you start selling Christmas stuff in October...

Online colleges offer art
classes when you want to hone your illustration skills.

for more Chuck and Beansieness, check out shoeboxblog.com

Happy Halloween from Zombies & Toys

We at Zombies & Toys have prepared a treat for all of our readers this Halloween!  Our own Chad Hunter compiled a downloadable ebook containing some of our favorite holiday recipes, amusing anecdotes, and interviews with some of the Zombies & Toys gang. 

The Zombies & Toys Halloween 2011 Treat is available as a free download.  We hope everyone enjoys what we have put together and we thank you all for your continued support.  There is a "donate" button available on the download page and all contributions are appreciated.  If you enjoy our treat and the content we provide you every day, please make a donation. 

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

Magic Forest Weekly Comic

Terry Swadener


There is a wonderfully demented weekly zombie comic over at http://www.ansis.tv/magicforest/mf/?page_id=830. Its called Magic Forest and it is created by Ansis Purins. This is a fun zombie comic with enough disturbing imagery to satisfy the hardcore zombie fans as well as enough friendly content to appeal to the general public. Magic Forest is an interesting, likeable story which makes you anticipate week after week. Go over to ansis.tv and check it out.

<For more information check
out online universities that have art classes if you want to become a
comic illustrator.

Plants vs. Zombies - 50% off sale

Matt Boiselle
Attention all zombie killers and lovers of gardening, now through November 1st, you can head on over to PopCap games website and purchase the download for the wildly popular Plants vs. Zombies for 1/2 price !! This highly addictive game has just been updated with 20 new achievements, and the new " Zombatar" where you can create your own zombie and watch it come to life in the game. Even without the latest additions this game is packed full of undead goodness. Check it out - battle 26 kinds of zombies using 49 different species of plants duking it out in 50 ascending levels, different game modes such as adventure, survival, puzzle and the zombie-free Zen gardens, perfect for when you need to take a break from all the killing. If that isn't enough for you, there are 20 different mini- games weaved throughout this stacked set-up, all for the low price of only $ 9.95. This deal won't be offered for too much longer so give yourself another treat this Halloween and pick this one up..

Book Review and Contest: Dead of Night by Jonathan Maberry

Todd Jepperson




How does the world end?

On the eve of the destruction of one of the most abysmal human monsters to ever live, Dr. Herman Volkner is finally able to put the skeletons in his closet to bed. He’s the physician in charge of administering the lethal injection to the despicable Homer Gibbon, who’s responsible for the deaths of so many men, women, and children it’s easy to lose count.

Instead of administering the triple phase cocktail of sodium thiopental, pancuronium bromide, and potassium chloride, Volkner instead introduces Gibbon to a top secret CIA bioweapon; codename Lucifer. The drug is a mix of the Coupe poudre, Toxoplasma gondii, Dicrocoelium dendrictum, and Euhaplorchis californiensis all swirling through the eggs and larvae of a hypermetabolic version of our old friend, the Emerald Cocroach wasp.

The bad news is, a little too late we find out that the bad guy actually had someone who cared step forward and claim the body. Instead of being sealed into a cheap box and dropped in a hole out behind the prison, Gibbons is instead transferred to a mortuary in rural Pennsylvania where the alarm clock goes off and he is once again free to go about his business. His morning snack is quickly followed by the second course cleaning lady, and then it’s off for a little walk to meet-up with Aunt Selma.

Desdemona Fox and JT Hammond of Stebbins PD are called in to investigate a break-in and they instead find breakfast and lunch pointing them to a bloody trail of footprints which lead out the back door. JT goes to check out the trail while Dez takes up the gloves and fills in for round two with Gibbons’ lunch and we get front row tickets to the end of the world.

Remember when I told you that Maberry was good? Well, let me clarify that. After taking home the 2006 Bram Stoker award for Best First Novel (Ghost Road Blues, Pinnacle Books) and 2007 Bram Stoker for Nonfiction (The Cryptopedia, Citadel Press), He thought he’d add a New York Times Bestselling Author credit to his list (The Wolfman, TOR.) His Joe Ledger books have been optioned for production by various big players and he’s firing from both barrels for Marvel Comics (you’ll have to click each word separately for complete awesomeness.)


Debuting at ZomBcon in Seattle, The first thing I have to say about this novel is that it’s probably the most uncompromising piece Mayberry has released to date. The sober realities of the end of all things are pretty clear in this book. I can’t really get into specifics without spoiling the un-characteristic twist at the end, but what I can say is that things are not pretty in Stebbins, folks. Dead of Night is no roller-coaster; it’s a pedal-to-the-metal journey through the genre like you’ve never experienced. Expect language, gritty violence, sexual themes, and horror. The book will drive your mind and heart through the gauntlet and then leave you shaken.

Available in hardback, TPB, and Ebook formats everywhere October 25th, 2011. Pre-order today from Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or your favorite local bookseller. And one lucky Zombies & Toys reader will win a first edition copy signed by Jonathan Maberry himself. Entering is just as easy as you’ve always had it, just send an email to maberry@zombiesandtoys.com with your name and address. We’ll draw the winner in two weeks.

This is how the world ends. Not with a bang, but with a bite…

Jonathan Maberry NY Times Bestseller and Multiple Bram Stoker Award winner
ROT & RUIN -available from Simon & Schuster
THE KING OF PLAGUES -March 29 from St Martins Griffin
WANTED UNDEAD OR ALIVE -available from Citadel Press
MARVEL UNIVERSE VS THE PUNISHER -available from Marvel Comics
Website & Blog: www.jonathanmaberry.com
www.facebook.com/jonathanmaberry www.twitter.com/jonathanmaberry
PROUD Member of The Liars Club, http://liarsclubphilly.com

Review: Zombie Ninja Pirates Card Game

Andy & Sara Ross

Zombie Ninja Pirates is a card game for 2 – 6 players ages 13 and up released by Gozer Games. The objective of the game is to accrue more points than your opponents by taking on different roles (zombie, ninja, pirate and mad scientist) and collecting objects. It is quick to pick up and learn and the games do not take long to complete.

Each round has a limited number of phases in which a player can play action cards to help themselves or hinder an opponent as well as collect objects that increase (or decrease) their points, depending on which roles they currently have. A player can be all of the roles at once, so the points can fluctuate as roles are added (or removed by opponents). Well-timed card plays can allow a player to swing the points in their direction, but the game has a way of keeping everyone in until the very end.

The games we played only involved 2 players, but I can imagine that games played with a full 6 players would be just as fun. Additionally, the game can be combined with Vampire Werewolf Faeries to increase the maximum number of players to 10.

The quality of the cards is quite high with vibrant artwork and witty quotes. The cards feel like they would last a long time and the game’s box is just big enough to fit the cards, so it is small enough to toss in a backpack or purse when heading out to a game night with friends.

The game lists the appropriate age for play at 13+, but I would think that children closer to the age of 10 could most likely play the game without issue. The mechanics of the game are easy to understand and there is nothing graphically scary in the artwork, so families with younger children shouldn’t necessarily shy away from this one.

Special thank you to Matthew Duhan for providing a review copy of this game! Pick it up, give it a try and have fun becoming zombies, ninjas, pirates and mad scientists!

The Walking Dead Introduces a New Board Game

Matt Boiselle

With internet and platform consoles dominating the gaming industry today, some purists long for the days of the good old time-consuming board games to occupy our family bonding moments. Well look no further, because the developers of the wildly popular World of Warcraft trading card game have just released The Walking Dead board game which is based on the hit TV series airing on the AMC channel.

The game is designed for anywhere from 1- 4 players, ages 15 and up, and lets you jump into the story as either Sheriff Rick Grimes, his best friend and partner Shane Walsh, Andrea, or a number of other survivors in a race against time to gather weapons and supplies while dodging zombies in an attempt to reach the holy grail that is the CDC. In addition to the possibility that players may need to turn on each other in the event that supplies run low, a twist has been thrown into the gameplay.

If your character starts to lag behind and becomes head course at the zombie feast, you can turn around as a newly inducted member of the undead and chase after the remaining survivors ! This can be done by springing surprise attacks and contaminating supplies, or even putting the bite on a former teammate and having them join you in pursuit of the living. This game forces you to strap on your thinking caps and rely on your most primitive survival skills, so for at least one night, shut off the computer and give the consoles a well- needed break, then crack open this game and prepare to see if you can survive The Walking Dead.

The Walking Dead Board Game is available now at most hobby stores and online at either Cryptozoic Entertainments or AMC's online shop.

"The Funny Man" Brings the Funny to Terror

David Brown

As zombie fans we all appreciate a good horror series now and then.  Movies like "Psycho" or "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" have been staples of the horror genre for decades because they draw us in with a great story and great characters.  Our friends over at Dailymotion.com are set to add "The Funny Man" to that list of memorable series.

For those of you who aren't familiar with the story behind "The Funny Man" here is a short synopsis of the series made by Right-Hook-Films.

The Funny Man is a psychological horror thriller in the vein of PSYCHO, about an attractive young woman named RACHEL who offers a struggling bipolar comedian a ride home. Unfortunately, Rachel simple act of kindness is rewarded with more than just a few harmless jokes. Before the evening ends, RACHEL finds out that the comedian may have a psychotic and extremely dangerous "twin brother" who derives pleasure from wearing a creepy sponge-like mask and video-taping his victims.

They just released the first episode of this web series, entitled "Say Something Funny" on the site today, but we have the privilege of being able to show it right here.  If you would like to see it just click below and you can watch the first episode now. We will be adding new videos as they are released over at Dailymotion.com, so please stay tuned and keep watch over what I would like to consider the next great horror series.

Powered by Dailymotion

Zombie Art Project

Terry Swadener

Are you looking for something unique and fun to pick up this Halloween? Well look no further than zombiemonkie.com. Zombiemonkie.com is a website of the zombie art of Mikie Graham. For the month of October, Mickie Graham has been creating the Zombie Art Project (Z.A.P.). Z.A.P. consists of “Zombiefied” Playmobil figures. Recently the final 7 figures were released. This recent release includes a magician and his unfortunate assistant, a bloodied traffic cop, zombie kids and their victims, as well as others. Mickie has a special set unveiling on Halloween. The figures run from $30-$60. All figures come shipped in their own wooden coffin. If you are interested head on over to zombiemonkie.com and pick up your Zombie Art Project figures today.

Spaztastic Zombies: Humor for the Living and the Undead Review

Matt Boiselle

As most of us hardcore zombie-loving fans know you can never be too prepared, and in this mode of preparation, we at some point or another have either purchased or borrowed some sort of manual for our own entertainment or reference enjoyment. It is paramount that we not take ourselves too seriously in the quest to be fully ready in the event of an absolute apocalypse, and for that necessity, I present to you "Spaztastic Zombies: Humor for the Living and the Undead" by Tammy Lee Morris.

In this short, well versed guide you are not only given the vital information necessary on how to deal with a zombie infestation in your area, but practical advice on such topics as how to beautify your captured flesh-eater via the correct use of makeup and fashion tips, reasons as to why a zombie could make a good husband (for those who are lost at the game of love), and most importantly (or unimportant depending on your level of priority), party tricks and games that you can play with your zombie. Now I know you are thinking " how could this possibly help me ?" Well there is a lot of very useful information in this book as well along the guidelines of the best weapons for defense, knowing how to identify your enemy, and the proper stocking up items for the immediate future (DON'T forget the toilet paper !!)

All in all Tammy Lee Morris tries not to take herself too seriously with this book, and that is a good thing. You can tell that she enjoys her writing and that in this day and age is becoming somewhat of a lost art. If you want a good pocket guide and don't want to break your bank ( and are looking for some entertaining material), I recommend picking this one up as copies are available at www.createspace.com/3494029

ZOMBCON: Day 2

Todd Jepperson

Day two down, and we're having a blast! The day started off with a good half hour Zombie hunt on the beautiful beaches of Dead Island (on the courtesy plasma screen and Xbox 360 setup in the lobby) before climbing in and holding down the fort.

The lights went down in the whole place four times during the day. It might not sound like a big deal, but when you're at the world's largest congregation of shambling masses of the undead, the lights going out is like wholesale creepy-mood ambience.

For our Facebook fans among you, you'll recognize names like Zilyon Publishing and Zombie Tools, but let me introduce you all to our next-booth neighbors Night Zero. All con long, we've been hanging out with these guys and watching them work their magic. We've spoken at length with Ian about the crazy cool HDR photography these guys use in their Photographic novel: Night Zero.



I also had a chance to witness the infection spread as our friend Jana got her hands dirty and turned con-goer Jason from this...



to this...



and eventually to this...



If anyone in the neighborhood hasn't come down yet, do it. We're having a whole lot of fun here and we'd hate to have it all without you. Tomorrow is the last day and our trip just won't be quite right if we don't see you here.

Welcome to ZOMBCON 2011

Todd Jepperson

We’ve got our feet on the ground and now Zombies and Toys is officially coast to coast. From sunny Orlando, FL to the rain-soaked streets of beautiful Seattle, Washington we’re bringing our own special flavor of Collectibles, Media, and the Walking Dead all across America.

If you’re in the area between now and Sunday, come on down to booth #309 in the Emerald conference room and say hi. If you happen to catch one of the amazing white-shirted volunteers, take a minute to tell them what you think of the event. Tell them we like what they’re doing and if you see Amy, tell her she ROCKS!

So far, we've shaken hands with some old friends and made some new ones; including Tom Savini, Judith O'dea, Brad Voytek, Jonathan Maberry, Matt Busch, and others.

We’ll post live photos to our Facebook page, and occasional "tweets" to our Twitter, but keep your eyes out for our exclusive ZOMBCON surprise contest sometime before it's all over. We’ll be bringing you updates all weekend, so drag yourself back at least once a day to see what’s going on at the world’s first and largest Zombie culture convention.

Mid-Ohio Con This Weekend!

The folks at Wizard World are behind this weekend's Mid-Ohio Con.  Wizard World Chicago was one of the best conventions I have had the pleasure of attending and I doubt MOC will not disappoint.  For starters, this one will be a family trip with the kids already excited to meet Lando Calrissian (Billie Dee Williams).  But, hey, this is coming from a Star Wars family.  Also in attendance is Adam West, Burt Ward, James Marsters, and more!

For those attending on Sunday, I will be handing out swag to anyone I see wearing a zombie-themed shirt.  Or, if you spot me wearing the Zombies & Toys shirt, say "hello" and ask for some.  We will be bringing you a post-convention review but why miss the show and regret it?  FYI, you can save $10 by purchasing your tickets in advance.  In addition to celebrities, expect fan groups, artists, cosplayers, comics, toys, and zombies!  There's even a limited edition zombie print exclusive to this show.

Night of the Living Dead'ish Free for 48 Hours

Todd Jepperson

For the next forty-something hours, you can head on over to the Jib Jab website and cast yourself in their one minute rendering of Romero's classic Night of the Living Dead. This offer is only available to newsletter subscribers, but by following this link Zombies and Toys readers can get in on the action! Click this link to get started.

Random Zombie Monday

Todd Jepperson

In light of Season two of THE WALKING DEAD on AMC, here's today's Random Zombie:

One episode down, twelve more to go. Check out the forum and sound off about what you liked, or didn't like about the first episode of the new season.

ZAP: the Zombie Art Project

Todd Jepperson

Halloween is creeping up on us quickly and our friend Mikie Graham over at Zombiemonkie has been hard at work. Every day throughout the month of October Mikie is releasing pieces of his necrotic Playmobil collection for purchase in his store.

"The Zombie Art Project has been in the works for a very long time now. I started working on custom Playmobil zombies over 3 years ago when after buying a friend's toy collection I found myself with a bag of extra Playmobil people.
They were so cute and family friendly that I just had to turn them into something horrific! After zombiefying my first pair I realized how fun and cathartic they were to make and I began to produce these mini horrors for fun as a distraction while working on larger more detailed toys. As the years past my army grew.... until this year when I found that I had about 20 complete. I realized that with a little extra work I could have enough for every day of October and Z.A.P. was born."

This set contains a total of sixty-five figures complete with “suprises” like outbreak survivors, celebrity zombies, an entire playset, and “enough humorous gore to make even the most jaded Horror fan smile.”

Each of these custom Zombies are hand-painted and in most cases have required hand-sculpted extras to make their zombification complete. These figures are being released in pairs which range in price from thirty to sixty dollars depending on the cost of the original figure and amount of work involved. Additionally, each pair of Z.A.P. figures also comes housed in its own six inch wooden coffin, hand-stained and painted with a bloody red Z.A.P. logo!

To see all of Mikie’s fetid creations, crawl on over to www.zombiemonkie.com. He will be revealing seven to eight new zombies each week leading up the grand finale on Halloween day, so stop in often to get the jump on things. These guys are already selling out quickly, so don’t wait too long to check it out.

Zombie Ammo Contests, Sales and a Giveaway

We all love nothing more as zombie fans than to support each other and show our love with the occasional bit of zombie-related swag. Our friends over at Zombie Ammo are running a great contest over at their facebook page located here. They are promising some pretty cool prizes for those that enter and win. This is a fun chance to learn more about this amazing company and win something for yourself.

Furthermore, Zombie Ammo is running quite a few sales on their ZA targets. Just in time for Halloween they are featuring a sale where you can get 36 Zombie Ammo Targets for just $29.95. If you would like to learn more about the sale you can see the items here. Also if you head over to their site now, you will find that all of the Zombie Ammo, SciFi Ammo and Monster Ammo gun range targets/posters are all on sale until Halloween.

With this being said, we have teamed up with them, and are able to give away a complete set of Zombie Assault Targets and well as their up-coming Monster Ammo Targets. If you are interested, please send your name and address to ammo@zombiesandtoys.com, and we will contact the winner at the end of the month.

3 Weeks till Zombie Opera

You only have 3 short weeks till the third and final run of the zombie opera! Yes, I said zombie opera. Evenings in Quarantine is a zombie opera performed at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater in Pittsburgh, PA. The performances will be Oct. 27-29 at 8 PM and Oct. 30 at 2 PM. For tickets click the link below. Evenings in Quarantine is a mixture of classical theater, motion pictures, horror, and opera that is sure to be an entertaining evening.
“As the Zombie Epidemic ravages through the streets of Pittsburgh, we follow three college friends in this contemporary classical horror opera. Ronnie Tomaston has been asked by her father, Sergeant Tomaston, to escort as many civilians to safety as possible. Izzie Bower wants nothing more strongly than the safety of her little brother, Aidan. Charles McKeelis struggles with his secret affections for Ronnie and his desire to protect her at any cost. While traveling together, our three heroes encounter friends and foes in the form of the ambitious Professor Thalamus, the reckless party girl, Angela, and the kindly Commander Fletcher. Guiding us through this adventure is the ever-attentive Newscaster, with the latest updates and survival tips.”-http://www.thezombieopera.com/

Zombie Terrors: Asylum Press Number One

Todd Jepperson

Over the course of the next several weeks, we’ll be featuring some of the products available from Los Angeles publisher, Asylum Press. Founded in 2009, Asylum press specializes comic books and graphic novels within the action, horror, and science fiction genres. The thing that makes them different from other serious players in this game is that they choose to work closely with the people that support them; frequently employing social media and other familiar platforms like movies, television, and video games to spread their news.



Their business model is fresh and bold and the quality of their publications is absolutely second to none. They’ve spent years amassing a legion of professional screenwriters and some of the best artists in the business to create “original, character-driven stories and cinematic artwork… that will appeal not only to comic book fans, but also mainstream fiction readers who don’t normally buy comics.”

During the Halloween season last year, Asylum Press released a graphic novel anthology of the living dead entitled Zombie Terrors. Obviously, this caught my attention. If you’ve been with us long, you’ll remember that I have a sweet tooth for anthologies. However, this was the first graphic novel anthology I ever read. The transition was an easy one, and I’m now addicted. The difference between these and traditional fiction is that you can enjoy them to whatever level you prefer. Either race your way through the text or enjoy a scenic jaunt through hell; taking in each detailed frame and savoring the flavor.

Featuring artwork from notables such as Szymon Kudranski (Spawn) and stories from master craftsmen like Tim Vigil, Zombie Terrors is a chef-d'oeuvre. A masterpiece with more than fifteen original tales, over a dozen stunning images of the cannibalistic undead, and a twenty-four page preview of the upcoming Undead Evil; Zombie Terrors is 172 full-color pages of the best work from all over the world.



"We're calling it Zombie Terrors, an Anthology of the Undead," says Publisher/Creator Frank Forte, "it's a collection of horrific and fantastic stories featuring everyone's favorite brain eaters." Szymon Kudranski (SPAWN) brings us The Barber, a tale of the undead and the Mob. In Creature Converts, by Canadian storyboard and comic artist Craig Wilson, a cat lady's feline friends develop a taste for the flesh. In Feast ( written by Royal McGraw (Batman:Battle for the Cowl, Commissioner Gordon), Illustrated by Adauto Silva ) a gangster's taste for a delicacy becomes his end. In Hate by Doug Williams, a zombie must confront what he's become. Billy George brings us The Undead Templars a tale of the blind dead. Allison written by Myself and illustrated by horror master Tim Vigil, colored by Joe Vigil, a lovesick man tries to ressurect his dead lover with horrifying results. Bond follows a lone survivor in a zombie holocaust (by Euro guys Bartosz Sztybor and Macie Wodz). Grmbghraaaaagh! (by Bartosz Sztybor and Pawel Wojiechowicz) is a tale of zombies trying to escape what they are. Dead of Night by Joie Simmons is a great B&W tale. David Paleo brings Rot Clowns, which is rendered in a great old school brush style. Bunker Buster (Illustrated by Steve Mannion) is a tale of Nazi Scientists trying to engineer zombie super-soldiers. Aaron Rintoul brings When we Disappear, a esoteric tale of zombie armageddon where we track two lovers trying to survive. Other tales by Robert S. Rhine (Girls and Corpses) , Nenad Gucunja, JC Wong, myself and others. Also includes a special preview of the upcoming voodoo/zombie series Undead Evil illustrated by Nenad Gucunja."

Now that you know what it is, it’s time to get your hands on it. Although I’m sure there are many ways to bring the dead home, there are two ways we’re going to recommend. First, send your name and address to zterrors@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win one of five signed copies from Zombies and Toys. We’ll wrap this one up in just two weeks, so make sure you get the word out quickly. Secondly, for the rest of you, crawl over to the Asylum Press store and grab your copy (in stock as of the time of this writing.)



Check back next week for part two of our Asylum Press feature only here on Zombiesandtoys.com!

5K Zombie Apocalypse Run Invades Oregon

Matt Boiselle 

If you are a person that likes to run for exercise, then you already know that the biggest roadblock can be the lack of motivation. Well if you happen to live in the Portland, Oregon area ( Tualitin, Oregon to be exact), than look no further that the ultimate form of fitness training. On Saturday, October 29th at the Lee Farms, you will be forced to flee for your life in the 5K Zombie Apocalypse Run. There are basically two ways to participate in this marathon of the undead.

Runners that enter can either choose to be a survivor or a zombie. If you choose to be one of the recently diseased and deceased, you will be attempting to catch up to the survivors that have been given a 2 minute head start and will be looking to strip them of the flags that they will be wearing on their belts. Simple as this, the zombie with the most flags at the end of the run will be crowned King/ Queen of the living dead. Runners are encouraged to show up in costume if they so choose to, and will be automatically entered in the costume contest ( a contest for best outfit and a shorter run will be held for the kids too). In addition, the farm will be enhanced with fog machines and creepy music to set the mood for the night.

The festivities start at 2:30 pm with the 1.5 mile run slated to start around 5:00pm so good luck to all, and try not to fall down.

The Walking Dead: Rise of The Governor Review

David Brown

Many of you have read The Walking Dead graphic novels and watched the AMC television series.  Many know of The Governor.  He is the man who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury.  He has his own sick sense of justice, whether it’s forcing prisoners to battle zombie in an arena for the enjoyment of the town or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him.  The Governor has even been voted “Villain of the Year” by Wizard magazine in the year that he debuted.  Many consider his story arc to be the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic Series.

The story of the Rise of The Governor takes us back to the beginning of the end of everything to share with us the story of Philip Blake, his daughter Penny, his brother Brian and two of Philip’s friends.  We see their beginnings as they make their way through familiar locations such as the doomed Wilshire Estates to Atlanta in hopes of finding a safe zone or at least some semblance of one.  We see a struggle to survive in Atlanta and places that follow as their journey takes them ultimately to Woodbury. All the while we are riveted to see the next turn that the story takes.

This is a story that succeeds in part due to the writing of Robert Kirkman and Jay Bonansinga. Their writing style is one of vivid imagery and gritty realism.  Many times during the story you find yourself feeling for the characters and being able to visual the scenarios they are in as real life products and places such as Dora the Explorer or Walmart are thrown in.  The connection that you are drawn into with the characters helps to truly pull on your fears and tensions.  You feel like you are always traveling right along with the group. You want them to succeed and ultimately you want them to find safety.

 

I also had the pleasure of listening to the audio book version of the story from Thomas Dunne Books in conjunction with Macmillan.  Fred Berman brings his talents to the audio book and truly helps pull out emotions form the characters. At times you forget you are listening to one man and get lost in the story and struggles for survival.  The audio book is spread across 9 CD's that take up a total time of around 11 hours.  This is a fun book to listen to on a drive to or from work (even if it got me a few looks from angry parents, when I saw their kids listening to some of the more gory scenes). The pacing keeps you interested in the story and begs you to listen to another track.

The gore abounds in the book and there is much blood spilled and many head splattered.  Brains are eaten and limbs chewed.  The whole time the gritty realism discussed earlier holds true allowing times where you are winching in anticipation of the gore that will occur. Characters are all very easy to get attached to as they are all human.  In that sense they all have their inner strengths and are trying to deal with their inner demons, the pain of losing loved ones and the need to survive the apocalypse lying before them.

The book and audio book release today at all media outlets.  Head on over to our other article found here to find out how you can enter to win your own copy of the book.  This is a book not to be missed as it is an important piece of the back story behind The Walking Dead.  This is the first of three books planned and I for one cannot wait to hear the other back stories.  Shamble out and pick this up today.

Boxhead:Zombie Wars Invades IOS

Matt Boiselle

Tired of all of the numerous amounts of mind-numbingly boring games and apps for your iPhone ?? Well look no further, aficionados of the undead, because available for download right now on iTunes is one of the most popular flash games ever to appear online. In Boxhead: Zombie Wars, players assume the role of Jon Bambo, a mercenary dressed in black that you will control as he carves
his way through endless swarms of zombies and demons from hell. The game's creator, Sean T Cooper, saw this as no better time to add a new chapter to the Boxhead gaming story and here are just some of the gameplay details for this addictive shooter.

Players have the ability to either pick up some firearms, C4, or even exploding barrels to battle the flesh eaters. Offense not your game ? Fear not, as defense is another option to choose as well, head out on the run as you can set up barricade and turret mazes, then sit back and watch the zombies try and figure them out. Also with the latest 4.0 update, you can add 3 new maps of gameplay ( Welcome to Hell, Lucifer's Den & The Inner Circle) On top of that you can also add a complete graphics overhaul that will make the newest vampires, mummies, and running zombies look clearer than ever. The latest version is now ready to be played on the iPod Touch & iPhone.

Spooky Empire Raffle Winners Announced

Natalie Leath


For those of you who came out for the raffle we held at this past weekend's Spooky Empire in Orlando, FL we have selected the winners!

Third place prize (Zombie Mez-itz figure, finger puppets, Z.O.M.B.I.E.S.) goes to "Bethany"

Second place prize (Dawn of the Ted, Feasting Zombie Plush, and Zombie Crossing sign) goes to John Opplinger

and the First place winner of the three pack of Skateboard Zombies from P Creations LTD. is
Jamie Johnson!

Winners will be notified by email in the next day or so. Thanks to everyone who participated. See you next time!

Some Things are Just Handy to Know

Todd Jepperson

Today's Random Zombie Monday is brought to you by the folks over at Pleated Jeans and may just save a life one day.

The Walking Dead and A Contest

Tuesday marks the release of the new book, The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor.  We are hard at work to bring you a review that should be up after this weekend.  We are proud to announce that along with our review we are pleased to be able to give away a copy of the audio book made by Macmillan Audiobook from Thomas Dunne Books. For those whom haven't heard about it, here is a brief plot synopsis:

In the Walking Dead universe, there is no greater villain than The Governor. The despot who runs the walled-off town of Woodbury, he has his own sick sense of justice: whether it’s forcing prisoners to battle zombies in an arena for the townspeople’s amusement, or chopping off the appendages of those who cross him. The Governor was voted “Villain of the Year” byWizard magazine the year he debuted, and his story arc was the most controversial in the history of the Walking Dead comic book series.

Now, for the first time, fans of The Walking Dead will discover how The Governor became the man he is, and what drove him to such extremes.

This is the story of Philip Blake, his daughter Penny, and his brother Brian. Along with two of Philip's friends, the ragtag group of survivors attempts to make it to Atlanta as the zombie apocalyspe rages around them. But as their journey becomes more and more dangerous, Philip will realize that he must do whatever it takes to save his friends and family...and his own soul in the process.

Per our standard contest rules, you are able to enter any or all of the contests but can only enter each contest once. It is possible to win several contests.

To enter the contests, please email your name and address to governor@zombiesandtoys.com.

Zombies Saving Lives?

Todd Jepperson

October fifteenth will be the date and Utah's State Fair park will be the venue for Utah's second annual Night of the Running Dead. If you're anywhere near the area, come on down and help raise $15,000 for the Huntsman Cancer foundation; and hey, why not try to break a Guinness World Record while you're there?

Everyone who attends will have to fill out the appropriate paperwork and register as either Undead, or Human. When the race kicks off, the Humans will have a two minue "run for your lives" head start and then the Zombies will be released to chase them for the full five Km. Of course, props are discouraged and safety is in high regard during the event.

Head on over to http://undeadrace.com/ for full details.