Ghastly Crud Zombies: The Final Days!

Todd Jepperson


The Ghastlycrud Zombies - when you mix a little bit of Edward Gorey with some extra chunky George Romero, you end up with a children's alphabet book that you probably shouldn't read to children.

Martin Whitmore has created a beautifully (if disturbingly) illustrated alphabet book featuring everyone's favorite undead monstrosities. The Kickstarter is over two-thirds of the way funded, and there are 5 days left for you to join in on the campaign. The rewards for contributing include signed copies of the book with doodles drawn inside by the artist, original Ghastlycrud artwork, custom illustrations, and even decommissioned grenades, painted by the artist with cartoon zombie faces! If that isn't tempting, then maybe you're in the wrong place... And as an added bonus, if the campaign hits $5000, everyone at the $44 level and above will get a decapitated Ghastlycrud zombie head magnet. ...for sticking those target practice bullseyes to the refrigerator.

So, get on over to the Kickstarter campaign, and join us in getting this project backed so we can bring this book to horrible, horrible un-life!

Zombie Chow

A friend of Zombies & Toys, Zook, was kind enough to share a picture of his most recent zombie tattoo. Funny thing is, the image is from another friend of Zombies & Toys, Martin Whitmore.

"Zombie Chow" is an image from Marty's online comic, Tasty Flesh. To see more of Zook, head over to DoodleZook.

If you have any zombie images, stories, or news you would like to share, email us at zombiesandtoys@gmail.com.

Dead Ringers - Custom Zombie Sculptures

It is finally time for my review of the appropriately named Dead Ringers I wrote about a few months back. Being a collector of statues and busts, I could not resist the opportunity to have a statue of myself as a zombie. They are not exactly cheap, but in my opinion are worth every penny. Is the final product worth your hard-earned change? Sit back as I discuss with you the pros and cons as well as offer some pointers in case you decide to take the plunge.

I will first start by admitting that my review may be overly-enthusiastic. Again, being a collector of statues and busts and an obvious fan of zombies, I was eager to have a Dead Ringer made. The process is simple: You email several pictures of yourself from different angles to the sculptor, Philip Hynes. Make sure to include any specific details you are looking to have done. What type of injuries do you have? Were you simply bitten or have you had an arm ripped off and half your face eaten? What skin color do you want? Bloodless and pale or Romero Dawn of the Dead blue? Maybe classic green? What about a pose? Would you be a shambling zombie with a blank stare or a fierce one lunging to attack?

My request was to be a freshly turned zombie. I wanted one eye removed and my cheek torn exposing my teeth. I included a picture of a zombie from Land of the Dead as my inspiration. I asked to have one arm out stretched slightly and the other dangling freely. In my mind, I envisioned the care-free dead from Romero's Dawn who just wandered around aimlessly, lazily, and effortlessly.

Now for the actual product... The good? Detail is aplenty and the sculptor is truly talented. You can view muscle fibers beneath the torn skin. There are tiny teeth visible where my cheek is missing. There is texture in the hair. Clothing has a natural flow. And while the statue as a whole is somewhat (and intentionally) caricature-ish, everything is proportioned well. More good? The painter, Martin Whitmore, is talented also. Skin tones look great. Colors are natural. And creative applications with a steady hand are apparent. The areas where skin is missing have a gloss finish making the wounds look realistic and wet. The shirt I wore had a white and gray coi fish that Marty was able to reproduce perfectly. He was even able to paint the tattoo that peaks out from under my shirt. As a whole, I received a statue that I am thoroughly impressed with.

So what about the bad? There's not much, really. The few things I will point out are really not all that important but I want to be thorough in case anyone reading decides to buy one. There are a few areas where it is apparent that this is hand made. The rare and slight "imperfections" are really not worth basing a decision on, though. It's no different than buying a hand-made vase or piece of glassware. It's art and it should be expected. I only mention it for anyone who would want to compare their sculpture to something produced by the likes of Gentle Giant or Bowen Designs. But then we're talking about companies who fine-tune items for editions of hundreds and even thousands so a completely flawless item is a bit more expected.

Pointers before contacting Marty to start your Dead Ringer? Think about what kind of zombie you want to be. Grab some inspiration from your favorite films, paintings, or zombie-walk participants. As goofy as you may feel, don't be afraid to be expressive in the pictures you send. I imagine it would make for a more fluid and believable pose to have a more animated facial expression. Choose to wear clothes that you don't mind looking at for a long, long time. Clothing is a small, yet obvious, detail that I did not consider when sending in my pictures. Another obvious one is to make sure you are having a good hair day and are wearing jewelry you don't mind having immortalized. Finally, make sure to send me some pictures so that I can feature you and your Ringer on ZT!

Thanks to Marty and Phil for an excellent addition to my toy collection and for providing me with what is now one of my favorite pieces. You can pick up your Dead Ringer 'Groaner' bust or 'Shambler' statue by visiting Marty's site. Prices range from $150 to $250 depending on what you want. As a zombie fan and toy collector I think it is money well-spent. In fact, after seeing mine, my son wants one! So who knows... you may see a second review in the future!

Marty and his Dead Ringer:

One Of The Coolest Things Ever... EVER!

Alright, so I'm a geek. I wear that badge like a medal of honor. I like science fiction, Star Wars, toys, and (of course) zombies. Something I've been wanting to do but have yet to get around to is having a family portrait zombified. I mean, what can be better than having a photograph of you and the ones you love turned into zombies?

Any lover of zombies and toys (the things, not the website) should be able to appreciate this one... Who reading this would like to have a sculpture of themselves looking like a zombie? Okay, okay, put your hands down. Well, I'm here to tell you that this dream can now become a reality. Bring in Dead Ringers. Heck, even the name is catchy. So keeping with this month's "zombie art" theme, let's talk about Dead Ringers.

So what is Dead Ringers? It's a joint effort of Martin Whitmore and Phil Hynes. It's a simple concept with great execution. You email Phil some photographs of yourself. You tell him what kind of zombie damage you would like to have. Missing an eye? Bite marks on your face? Blue skin? Green skin? Phil will sculpt you in all of your undead glory. Shortly after, your zombified self will end up in the hands of Martin where you will be painted.

For complete details and ordering information click here. You can turn your image or the image of someone you love into a zombified bust for around $100 or made into a statue called a "shambler" for around $175. Not exactly cheap, but look at what you're getting for your money. A personal hand sculpted and hand painted zombified version of yourself that could last a lifetime. I'll admit that my opinion and excitement is somewhat biased. I personally have a collection of busts and statues and the idea of having myself immortalized as a zombie is thrilling.

So here's what I'm doing... I am currently in the process of having a zombified version of myself made. Once this process is complete, I will post a review of the finished product as well as pictures of both myself and the sculpture in addition to some words from the creators. The reason behind my mentioning this prior to the finished product is two-fold. First, it keeps with this month theme of zombies in art. Second, it's news and I wanted to give everyone reading heads-up. We're approaching the end of September and it's prime time to get prepared for Halloween or start some holiday shopping. As a fan of zombies and toys, I would go absolutely nuts if someone were to give me a zombified sculpture of myself for Christmas.

So, you can wait for my review before ordering your own or make your decision sooner by checking out the links above. I expect Phil and Marty to be busy closer to the holidays so don't waste too much time. Expect some hands-on opinions very soon...

More pics can be found here.