Logo Versions

My opinion is going to be biased when it comes to the Zombies & Toys logo. I've grown quite attached to the image of my favorite dead guy. The original image, and the one you see most often, was designed by Vince Rinaldo while we discussed what I had in mind over a few beers.

Now, one of my favorite things is to see how the logo can be re-imagined by creative minds. Reader, Timothy, sent me his digital interpretation of the version painted by Drew Falchetta. I thought I'd share it along with some of the other versions that have been done (be ready for a huge surprise to be announced later this month).

Timothy Carr:

Krystal Osborne from ZombieHead:

Armagardt Richter Rose from Abomination Nursery:

Drew Falchetta:

Jason Nagy:

Featured Artist: Jaden Nagy

This is our last featured artist this month. I'd like to thank Billy Tackett, Drew Falchetta, and Colby Blair for taking the time and participating. Special thanks to Billy for donating this month's prize of an autographed Zombie Sam print. Special thanks also to Drew for using his talents to paint the Zombies & Toys logo (more on that later). And, finally, congratulations to Colby for tying the knot this month.

I had intended to feature more zombie Etsy shops and the talents of other zombie fans this month but my ambitions are greater then my free time, I'm afraid. I haven't abandoned those ideas, though. So expect to see some home-grown zombie goodies in the future.

Anyway, on to this weeks featured artist. Jaden Nagy is a 4 1/2 year-old zombie fan. He's been drawing zombies for about a year and enjoys playing with zombie toys. So, yeah, Jaden is my son if you haven't figured that out yet. I asked Jaden some zombie related questions, mostly softened up a bit. I'll write his responses as a simple Q & A as even that way some of his answers a bit difficult to understand. I had fun all month with those who have participated but especially with this one. I hope you get a chuckle reading!

Why do you like zombies? Because I watch zombie movies. (he doesn't; I won't let him... yet)

Whats your favorite zombie movie? The Halo one. (he doesn't play Halo, either)

Would you like to be a zombie? Maybe.

Do you think it would be fun? No no, I’m going to be a space guy astronaut for Halloween.

What would you eat if you were a zombie? Zombies like pink goo. (he's not too far off with that one)

Why do you like to draw zombies? Because I draw each picture of zombies because I color them and put them on the xbox and take pictures. (no clue? but he does play some games on the 360)

Whats your favorite zombie? I like the blue, purple, red, with black eyes. (I think he's referring to October Toys' Z.O.M.B.I.E. toys)

Do you like to play with zombie toys? Yeah, cause I buy them in the store.

What store? At the clear man store. You have to take an airplane and turn there, and turn there, and turn there. That’s how you get there.

What’s your favorite zombie game? First Zombie, like, because you blast them. That’s how you blast the zombie. Lookie how I blast the zombie (flings rubber band). That’s how you shoot the zombies.

What’s the name of that game? Third Zombies.

Is there anything else you would like to tell me about zombies? Zombie come out in the dark and in the day and they are silly and they are crazy.

There you have it, folks. The thoughts of a four-year-old whose father is a zombie nut and shares his passion with his son. Below are some of Jaden's zombie works with titles when available.

"Zombies"

"Zombie With One Arm and One Ear"

Drew Falchetta - Featured Artist

Drew Falchetta is one of my favorite artists. The first painting of his I stumbled upon had nothing to do with zombies but fortunately for us he does paint them! Drew is from New Jersey but now lives in the state that gave birth to the modern zombie, Pennsylvania. Drew works with watercolors on 300lb Arches watercolor paper using a Rapidograph pen and ink for the outline.

Drew’s first introduction to zombies was the SNES/SEGA game, Zombies Ate My Neighbors. “In fact, I just did a painting of this game for a group show I was in with the Autumn Society of Philadelphia that was video game themed.” The impact of this first exposure to zombies hit him later, however. “As I got older, I could pick up on the social commentary in the zombie movies.”

So why paint zombies? “It’s fun. Simple as that. To draw the undead is sometimes more fun than the living. Plus I get to draw them getting their heads blown off and it’s acceptable and not crude or disrespectful.” Makes sense to me!

For inspiration, Drew remains open to anything around him. “Usually my ideas come from my imagination. But I tend to look at other paintings for ideas about composition and colors.” Artist inspiration comes from Gris Grimly, Edward Gorey, Shel Silverstein, Dr. Seuss, Alfons Mucha, and Ralph Steadman to name a few. “I try to ‘borrow’ ideas and small details, but never take or copy. I think some artists fail to do that.”

Another one of my favorite painting by Drew is Nuns vs Zombies. So what was the thought process and meaning behind that creation? “Haha. Well, I was asked to be a part of a group show in San Francisco run by Creep Machine. The theme was B horror movies. We were to do a painting of a favorite B horror movie or make one up; So I made my own. I knew I wanted to do zombies, but I wanted to make it really ridiculous.” After researching grindhouse movies and looking for common themes he found one…nuns. “And then I knew… nuns killing zombies. Because the painting was a success, I am going to turn it into a picture book called The Second Coming. Stay tuned for that.”

What’s your favorite zombie films/books and why? “Shaun of the Dead. I know it’s a comedy, but it’s got everything: blood, gore, panic, isolation, death, and mixes it all with humor. It’s really paying homage to the zombie/horror genre. A really great book series about zombies is an American manga called I Love Halloween. The artwork is done by Benjamin Roman. Great work!”

Drew! You’ve been bitten! Do you want me to walk away or shoot you? “Believe it or not, I have often thought of this. I’d love to live as a zombie, but I’m not sure youd be able to experience it. I mean, they are dead. Would you even notice that you were a zombie? However, I would not want to hurt anyone, so I guess just shoot me. But maybe let me walk around first to get a feel for it.”

Drew is currently illustrating a book his brother wrote. The book is a type of picture book for young adults, teens, and adults. He will also be featured as part of a group show in Philadelphia whose theme will be Dia de los Muertos. So, if you’re in the area, keep an eye open and try to attend. You can also look forward to a solo show of all of Drew’s miniature paintings. More info about Drew can be found on his website and MySpace pages.