Horror Realm Spring Break Massacre & Zombie Gras

Matt Boiselle

Attention all Pittsburgh residents, and zombie fans in all surrounding areas.......are you looking for something to snap you out of this Winter's funk ?? Do you need something to help you scratch that undead itch ??? Coming this March 10th at the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South, your desire for all things non-living will be fulfilled at the Horror Realm's Spring Break and Zombie Gras, a one-day convention & costume party. Drag your bones out of the darkness and join Horror Realm as they will be putting on a party that could potentially rival Mardi Gras itself !!

This Mardi Gras style bash will only cost you $ 7.00 admission ( convention only), or $10.00 ( convention & Zombie Gras). But if your only desire is to party, drink, and dance like one of the undead, it will simply cost you $ 5.00 (Zombie Gras only.) Then again, just get a look at what is in store for you if you decide to partake in ALL of the festivities : a celebrity autograph session with Mike Christopher ( Hari Krishna Zombie - Dawn of the Dead 1978) - John Amplas ( Dawn of the Dead 1978) - Kyra Schon ( Karen Cooper - Night of the Living Dead 1968) - Lawrence C. Connolly - (Author of the book Voices: Tales of Horror) - Mike Watt ( Writer/Filmmaker) & Amy Lynn Best ( Actress/ Director - Happy Cloud Pictures)

If those names don't make you want to bite into someone's flesh, there also will be a VHS room & swap meet for all things horror, a makeup/FX panel, many guest panels & Q&A sessions and a special announcement of who will be attending this September's ( 21st-23rd) Horror Realm Convention. Lest we forget those souls who truly are coming to party.... the Zombie Gras will commence at 9p.m. that evening, complete with a DJ spinning tunes, a cash bar, and headlined by a Zombie King & Queen Pageant. As an extra incentive, if you have little zombies that want to tag along, if they are under the age of 12 and are accompanied by a guardian, they can get in for free. So dust up your best funeral clothes, sweep some cobwebs in your hair, and drag your dead selves to this convention and killer after party......don't pass it up...because NO ONE likes a dead party pooper.

Horror Realm Expands With A One-Day March Spectacular

Dan Barkasi

Horror Realm, which is Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s premier horror convention, will be adding a special one-day show on March 5.


The given title for the show is “Spring Break Massacre,” which will feature many of the same elements from other Horror Realm conventions – including celebrity appearances and a film festival. Also expect a wide array of dealers, as well as some special events that include trivia contests, a horror haiku poetry slam, a special game for horror-loving couples, and even a zombie survival course! There will also be a panel whose subject is the work of George A. Romero, and the religious social commentary within his many works.


On the guest front, Tiffany Shepis has thus far been confirmed, with others on the horizon.


To top the event off, there will be a “Zombie Gras” party for those aged 18 and over. This event will feature a charity raffle, dancing, giveaways and more. The theme will be New Orleans and the history of voodoo engrained in the bayou city’s culture.


We will have in-depth coverage of this event, so stay tuned to catch all of the gritty details right here. Of course, you should check out the convention yourself, if means allow you to do so. It should be a great time, so do your best to make an appearance!

Another Great Zombie Short

The most recent Horror Realm show was another blast and it was great meeting some Zombies & Toys readers.  I hope everyone there had the opportunity to take in all that the convention had to offer.  Per usual, my head is left spinning trying to recap all of the people, conversations, and sites I took in.  One of the events that I do want to share was the screening of Chuck Skibo's zombie short film, Dead Air.

I used to be one who wouldn't pay any attention to short films but I have seen several recently that have nearly made me like them more.  It all began when I watched I Love Sarah Jane.  Dead Air doesn't top Sarah Jane, but then again, no short film has.  Dead Air is a fun, suspenseful tale that follows a news crew and their battle with the undead. 

The film is short at around twenty minutes so I really can't get into any details without ruing the movie.  I thought the zombie effects were great and Skibo did a great job putting the viewer into the world of our heroes.  Some of the acting faltered but it didn't distract you from the world you were placed in.  The story carries you through the film and while I do feel it is above average, it's the ending that makes me think otherwise.  The film's climax moved it up a few spots in my book leaving a lasting impression and making it a movie I would recommend to any zombie lover.

If you can't make it to a convention for a screening, Dead Air will be available on Garay Ugarek's Deadlands 2 Blu-Ray release.

It's Okay to be a Zombie

As many of you already know, I returned from Horror Realm a few weeks ago.  While I am behind (per usual) with reporting on all of the events that weekend, I am finally starting by sharing news of a great new book.  While it seems like we have had several reviews and announcements about zombie books recently, this one really stands out.  It's Okay to be a Zombie is a children's book written by Nathaniel Lambert and illustrated by Danny Evarts.

While at Horror Realm, I had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with Danny.  In addition to snagging a copy of the book and a t-shirt, I was also lucky enough to learn a little bit about the beginning of the book.  Surprisingly, the idea behind it was a sort of joke!  I have yet to give it to my kids so I cannot comment on their reactions yet.  My plan is to give it to them as a Halloween gift and I wanted to spread the news about the book now in case you parents out there would like to do the same.  I will report back after I read it to them.

My son is 5 1/2 and my daughter is 2 1/2.  They both know about zombies to some degree.  Maya really only knows enough that she is able to recognize them.  Jaden, however, surprises me with what he has picked up.  As eager as I am to share the fun with him, my parental instincts keep me from displaying the really good toys and showing him any movies.  So aside from playing Plants vs Zombies and having some of the more light-hearted toys, he isn't subjected to much.  The contents of the book will not be much of a surprise to them.

The writing and illustrations are what you would expect for a children's book.  While some of the content may be a bit gruesome, the artistic style makes it tolerable.  The characters don't look "dead", even when the zombie is munching on a victim's brains.  The verbiage used may be more entertaining to adult readers, but still work for its intended audience.  Because neither of my children can read yet, I will most likely change a bit of the story.  Speaking of... it is basically about acceptance.  Acceptance of zombies and acceptance of yourself as you become one.  There are no "run and shoot the zombie" moments.  It light-heartedly explains how your limbs will fall off and you will eat brains.

There is one reference of a child shooting a zombie.  The image of the kid aiming the gun is done as if you are looking straight at the child so it really isn't overly recognizable as a gun.  Again, my oldest is 5 so I try to eliminate as much guns as I can.

The story is fun and the illustrations are colorful and great for kids.  I will have a more thorough report after Halloween when I read it to my kids and let you know what they thought.  I will also be speaking with Danny and Nathaniel and will let you know what they have to say.  In the meantime, check out their official website, Unchildren's Zone.  You can also find them on Facebook and through their publisher, Shroud Magazine.

Horror Realm This Weekend

Horror Realm is this weekend at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsburgh, PA.  Of course, there will be plenty of familiar faces from both Night of the Living Dead and Dawn of the Dead including Ken Foree, Russell Streiner, Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, and more!  There will literally be dozens of horror movie stars and authors in attendance. 

There will also be a horror-themed tattoo contest, film and book panels, movie showings, a zombie dance, and other great events.  I encourage everyone to head over to the Horror Realm site and view the events schedule.  Last year, we had the opportunity to meet with Breathers author, SG Browne, Billy Tackett, Frank Serraro, and had a great time!

Swing by our booth and mention the Zombies & Toys blog and I'll give you some free swag!

Horror Realm - Part Two

So I'm back to wrap up my report on Horror Realm. Read the first part to hear about Frank Serrao, Robert Cordray, S.G. Browne, and Billy Tackett.

During my visit, I had the honor of meeting Kim Paffenroth. Kim is the author of several zombie novels including one of my personal favorites, Dying to Live. He has also written Gospel of the Living Dead: George Romero's Visions of Hell on Earth, The World Is Dead, History Is Dead: A Zombie Anthology, Dying to Live: Life Sentence, as well as many others. Kim's Amazon page can be found here and you can check out Kim's blog here. Kim not only took the time to the book I brought and ones I purchased, he was also kind enough to offer a book for one of our contests and answer some fun zombie questions! Here's what Kim had to say:

If we were in the midst of a zombie fight and you were bitten, would you want me shoot you or leave you be? I don’t think being a zombie is going to be that bad so I’m going to say I’ll go sit under a tree.

If you were a zombie and had the opportunity to eat anyone's brain in the world, who's brain would you eat? That’s a tough one. On one end you should say a smart person, but on the other it would be nice to get someone who’s really bad. So you know, I think the world would be better off without Dick Cheney’s brain functioning. Its not doing us any good at the moment. I don’t know if I want that on the internet. I’ll have the secret service after me. (note to secret service reading: we were both laughing over this answer so please don't bust down Kim's door)

If we were going to make a Kim Paffenroth toy, would you be a zombie or a hero? I don’t know about hero... Okay, zombie slayer... I'd be the guy behind the scenes trying to organize the community.

What accessories would you come with? A Book and Binoculars.

Thanks to Kim Paffenroth for his time and kindness. I will probably be offering up all of the books and swag I obtained early next year. So don't wait around to check out some of his books!

I also had the opportunity to speak to Travis Adkins. Travis is responsible for several zombie novels including another one of my favorites, Twilight of the Dead. Travis was kind enough to offer his follow-up to Twilight, After Twilight: Walking with the Dead, for review. So (hopefully) I'll have that posted soon!

Also in attendance at Horror Realm was Ken Foree from Romero's Dawn of the Dead. Meeting Ken was really the only thing I found disappointing at Horror Realm. He declined to offer any comments to the few brief questions I had and didn't seem too thrilled to even sign a photo. I was able to catch him early on for a photo, though.

There were a hand full of vendors available in addition to all of the great guests in attendance. My personal favorite was the display provided by Sourpuss clothing and accessories. There was a large selection of genre shirts and even a large selection of children's sizes and onesies for the baby. Here are some pics of my son modeling his new zombie shirt. Actually, it's a young Frankenstein-type but I'm not going to tell him that. He's been wanting a zombie shirt for awhile.

Here are some pics of the other displays at the show:

Oh! I almost forgot... Here are the answers to the questions I asked of Frank Serrao.

If we were together when you were bitten by a zombie, would you want me to shoot you? Yes, blow my head off my shoulders!

If you were a zombie and could eat anyone's brain in the world, who would it be? Osama Bin Laden's to make sure he is payed back for all the destruction he caused.

If we were making you into a toy, would you be a zombie or a hero? A Zombie with sharp teeth.

When the zombie apocalypse happens, where do you want to be? Anywhere in a large military tank with plenty of food and fuel.

Frank was also kind enough to share the latest painting of The Grey Suit Zombie!

Horror Realm Report

As many of you know, I had the opportunity to attend Horror Realm this past weekend in Pittsburgh, PA. It was the first horror specific convention I have attended. I know, I know… I hope you don’t think less of me. I do attend regular geek …er, comic and toy conventions on a regular basis.

Overall I had a great time. I was able to put faces to some familiar names, have some conversations with interesting people, and bring back some swag for the fine readers of Zombies & Toys! You can expect a “part 2” to my Horror Realm report as I have more pics, notes, and information to go through yet.

The first person I had the pleasure of meeting was Frank Serrao who is better known as The Gray Suit Zombie from George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead. Frank was one of the genuinely nicest people I have met. If you ever have the opportunity to meet him, make sure to stop by and say “Hi”. Besides, it’ll give you the opportunity to see first hand the Gray Suit Zombie sculpture that has been featured on Zombies & Toys. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, please check out this month’s feature on Colby Blair.


Frank introduced me to an author I was unfamiliar with and whose books I purchased, Robert Cordray. His books, Memoirs of a Haunted Man: A Zombie Trilogy and Zombies 101: Knowledge Is Survival are in my possession and on my very long list of books to read. Even better is Robert took the time to answer some fun questions I had prepared in addition to donating an autographed copy of one of his books to be given away to one of you! Here’s what Robert had to say and I’ll apologize if my transcribing is not 100% correct; it was extremely noisy at the con:

Okay, Robert, so we’re fighting off some zombies and you’re bitten. Should I shoot you and put you out of your misery or just walk away? No, let me walk around because I’m still valuable for a short while. Anywhere between (pauses) you know 10 and 12 hrs before I start getting really sick. Then it’s seizure, coma, death, and reanimation..

But what about once you reanimate? Put me out of my misery. Three in the head and I’ll stay dead.

Alright. So we’re going to make a toy of you. Would you be a zombie or a hero? Oh, I’d be the hero.

What accessories would you come with? I’d bring 2 pistols. One’s called a ZKA . It’s an 8mm ultra round. About 32 caliber about 1650 ft per second has a 22 round magazine capacity plus one in the pipe. Then I’d bring the Jury. It’s a 12 round magazine plus one in the pipe. That means it’s your judge, your jury, and the person who’s wielding the gun is your executioner.

You know a bit too much about those guns. Actually, that’s the book. Those are the weapons that our hero uses in the book.

Finally, when the apocalypse happens…

The Zombpocalypse, yeah.

When it happens, where do you want to be?

Anywhere. I’m prepared at all times.

Thanks to Robert for taking the time and sponsoring an upcoming contest. A super-friendly guy who takes his zombies seriously, make sure to spend some time with him if you have the opportunity.


I was also able to meet Travis Adkins whose book, Twilight of the Dead, is another one of my favorites. It’s one of those books that I read a while ago and have been meaning to post a review of. I’ll try to get that posted more sooner than later as I obtained his follow-up book, After Twilight: Walking with the Dead and plan on reading that one ASAP.

S.G. Browne was also present at Horror Realm. I didn’t bother him with my questions since he was kind enough to take the time a few months ago. Instead, I learned that the ending we are familiar with in his book, Breathers, is not the original. I also discovered that it took over 80 agents before someone finally decided to move forward with his book. For those who didn’t already know, it was this agent who had ties with Diablo Cody and is the reason we can now look forward to a Breathers movie! Browne was also kind enough to give me some pins and stickers that I will be giving to a few lucky readers.

Across from S.G. Browne was another featured artist this month, Billy Tackett. Again, I didn’t bother Billy with any printable questions since he we already have him featured. Instead, I learned more about some of his upcoming projects. Sorry, folks, top secret stuff but rest assured Zombies & Toys will have more news as I’m able to report it. I also picked up the amazing Zombie Sam print Billy was kind enough to sign and donate for this month’s contest.

Check back later for part two of my report where I’ll share my experience with Kim Paffenroth, Ken Foree, some of the artists and vendors present, as well as report on more goodies guests donated to give to you!

Horror Realm This Weekend!

If you're in the Pittsburgh area, the Horror Realm convention is this weekend. Horror Realm (previously Zombie Fest) is a three-day convention geared toward fans of zombies and the horror genre.

This looks to be a lot of fun with dealer tables, movie screenings, artists, authors, and celebrities. I'll be making the rounds on Sunday and will update everyone here with some pics and a report. Among the guests attending this year are two familiar name here on Zombies & Toys.

One of this month's featured artists, Billy Tackett, will be there. Dress as one of Billy's Dead, White, and Blue characters for your chance to win one of his prints.

Also in attendance will be S.G. Browne, author of Breahters: A Zombie's Lament. Mr. Browne was kind enough to donate an autographed copy of his book for us to give away to a lucky reader a few months ago. If you haven't read it yet, it's a must. A great book with a very unique and entertaining look at our favorite subject.

Other guests include Ken "When There's No More Room In Hell..." Foree, Bill Moseley, Leslie Easterbrook, J.L. Bourne, Kim Paffenroth, and many, many others.

Click here for more information!