Necessary Evil? Will Capcom’s latest survival horror entry survive?

Chad Hunter

Developer: Capcom

Publisher: Capcom

Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows

Release date: October 2, 2012

Intro

Nearly twenty years ago, Capcom took us by the hand, led us into a scary mansion and never let us go.  Since then, the Resident Evil franchise has spawned games, movies, books and more.  But since its inception, horror fans have felt that the series has lost its terror (and zombies.)  With a new game and new directions, is Resident Evil 6 worth the buy or has the undead series finally died?

Story

RE6 picks up where the series left off – Umbrella is gone (sort of) and our heroes have moved on into high ranking positions to protect the world from viral monsters (e.g. zombies.)  Leon Kennedy from RE2 and RE4 fame, is a government agent set to expose Umbrella to the world at the behest of his friend, the President.  However, a virus breaks out and the dead rise.  The next mission features Chris Redfield, down and out but serving as a soldier in a foreign country.  Redfield leads a battalion in battle with mutated mercenaries.  Finally, Jake Mueller is also abroad dealing with a combination of the two previous missions’ enemies.  Mueller himself must contend with the bioweapons while being something more than human himself.  

Graphics

Visually, RE6 is a good looking game.  Specifically focusing on Kennedy’s mission (the most zombie filled and horror-like), the city falls apart in flame and clawing, rotted flesh.  The zombie models are very distinct and unique allowing for realistic feel.  Cars swerve out of nowhere, blood spatters and rain looks like your very screen is wet.

Sounds

Any Resident Evil fan is used to B-movie dialogue.  RE6 is not as bad in the wording department as its predecessors.  The other aspect of sound is well done.  Moaning of the shuffling undead echo in the background.  Footsteps resound against cement and the hoarse hiss of corpses sounds right in your ear.  The true survival horror level, the first one, moves fast but when you can catch a breath – you feel the fear and you hear it.

Controls

Leon, Chris and Jake all move well.  The stilted controls of previous games have been replaced by the more fluid motions from RE4 and 5.  You will find yourself running into walls and stumbling around.  The controls are not perfect by any means.  But they are not terrible enough to detract from the game.  

There are three gripes about Resident Evil 6 – One: The whole game should be survival horror against the monsters and undead rather than just one of its episodes.  Two: The lack of a true pause screen is a pain in the ass and finally – Three: the save points are annoyingly far from where you could potentially die, causing you to restart much farther than you had hoped.

Zombie Factor / Conclusion

Your standard zombies are everywhere, especially during Leon’s campaign.  Redfield and Jake will see their own variation on the shambling creatures but Kennedy’s is the best and most effective feel of walking dead.  The first episode feels like a true zombie horror film complete with doomed survivors, apocalyptic decisions and hell on earth with carnivorous cadavers abound.  Resident Evil 6 is ambitious and while it may slip up here and there, it is worth the trip.  Let the undead rain, we have an Umbrella.

Some? Most? No, All! All Zombies Must Die review

All Zombies Must Die review

Developer: Doublesix
Publisher: Doublesix
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows
Release date: January 4, 2011

When the inevitable zombie apocalypse hits, what will you do? Will you run and cry like the doomed souls in the movies we watch? Or will you nut up, grab a weapon and lay down some righteous fury? These are the options before All Zombies Must Die (AZMD) and its hero, Jack.

Story
Welcome to Deadhill, a small sleepy suburbia that is suddenly overrun by the shambling dead. Jack is a gamer and slowly begins to wonder if he is in a video game himself. This fact is fine by him as he puts his skills against the endless horde of undead. Along the way, Jack runs into his ex-girlfriend who would just as soon spend time with the zombies. Jack must deal with his ex while running missions to gain weapons, supplies, etc. Along the way, Jack will meet fellow corpse-fighters in his adventure. Using the appropriate bathroom, you’ll be able to switch characters.

Graphics
The cartoony look and feel of AZMD works well with the setting and tone. While cartoonish, there is a sense of creepiness to the lonesome streets, creeping and running zombies and you’re scavenging for weapons. The different types of undead do look good as everything from SWAT zombies to Workout zombies hunt you down. Spraying your enemies with gunfire, torches and sonic weapons looks fitting but the backgrounds, over time, start to look the same.

Sound
Hearing AZMD is okay. Your characters don’t talk except for word bubbles when interacting. The zombies do moan as they should and your weapons have the appropriate crack of a shotgun and roar of fire. However, beyond some funky background music, the sound in All Zombies is nothing special.

Controls
AZMD is a dual stick controlled game. Anyone remember Robotron? Well if you do, you will adapt to All Zombies Must Die quickly. You can also use the regular buttons to cycle through weapons, items and supplies. The controls offer a standard configuration to load ammunition, locate map items and check your location. There were times when it was difficult to aim, shoot and not walk into a mob of monsters.

Zombie factor?
All Zombies Must Die has an off-the-wall, off-the –chart zombie factor. It is literally full of the undead and an endless amount of them will track you all over. While you search boxes, garbage containers and busted furniture for ammo and items, you’re racing against the creeping cadaver behind you. When you’re trying to leave an area and the little robot guardian won’t let you through, you get a slight sense of survival horror.

Conclusion
Is it the best type of zombie game crawling around out there? No. AZMD eventually feels repetitive in its layout, controls and mission. Even with the inclusion of new characters and new zombie types, AZMD doesn’t stand out in one’s memory. However, is All Zombies Must Die worth playing? Yes. It’s fun. It’s simple and it offers some challenges here and there. Several in-game jokes will gain a chuckle to gamers (the Left 4 Dead reference was pretty quick-witted.) So grab your controller, load your shotgun and fill your bug-out bag. You have one mission: All Zombies Must Die.

Review: HUMAgeddon from Knightwatch Press

Todd Jepperson


We all know what will happen when the Z-virus finally rears its necrotic head; there’s the end of civilization, massive population extinctions, and bands of survivors joining together to make humanity’s last stand . . . but then what? What happens after the end of everything? Robert Butt and Scott Twells via Knightwatch Comic Books introduce HUMAgeddon, where the Zombies have colonized and the humans are the ones invading.

There are things that I both like and dislike about this comic. Firstly, I like the fresh take on the genre. In my world, people always win. I love zombies, but, that doesn’t mean I have to like them. In HUMAgeddon, the time has come for us to take our lives back and send the monsters running for their . . . undeaths? However, the Zombies in the comic talk, think, and feel. They live in family units where the kids look to Mom and Dad for safety and direction and humans have no regard for them whatsoever. The art is very rough and dark with a healthy heap of splattery violence. Dialogue is lacking and cliché. All of that said, the story line intrigues me enough that I’m interested in what comes next.

For me, I can do without children huddling behind their mothers being slaughtered. I could use a little more character development, and a deeper story line. However, if you’re interested in a gritty, dark twist on the genre that’s easy to read and visually engaging, HUMAgeddon just may be the thing you’re looking for. Drag yourself over to the Knightwatch Press main site by clicking the link and grab a copy for yourself.

DEAD BEAT - book review

Bryan Scott


Set in the fictional English seaside town of Haven, Dead Beat is the debut novel of British author, Remy Porter. The hero of the novel is Police Constable Johnny Silverman, a character whom we learn is not without his flaws. The story opens with Johnny on patrol during a night shift that becomes ever more frantic and chaotic. To have to deal with one murder would be unusual, but multiple murders in such a short span of time is unheard of in this idyllic part of the country. It is not long before he realises that the recently dead are returning to life with just one over-riding goal – to consume the flesh of the living.

From there we enter familiar zombie territory with an ever dwindling group of folk trying to survive the apocalypse. Inevitably, there are differences of opinion as to the best way to go about this task. Local farmer, Jack Nation, clashes with Johnny the instant they meet and you just know he’s going to be trouble. Jack convinces almost all of the townsfolk that their best chance of survival is to stay at his farm.  However, in truth, they are swapping one form of hell for another. Johnny, along with a young female police constable and an aged, alcoholic prisoner, spend most of the novel holed up in the town’s police station.

The zombies are a constant threat throughout the novel. Each day, their numbers grow stronger. Johnny and Jack clash repeatedly as the bad blood between them festers out of control. The greatest threat in this novel is not the zombies but other humans, especially Jack and his two psychotic sons, who sink to unspeakable depths of depravity once they realise that law and order no longer exists.

This is an exciting, fast-paced novel. Johnny is a well-rounded character who struggles with his inner demons throughout the story. Jack Nation and his sons are the very personification of evil as they rule their land with a rod of iron. Writer, Iain McKinnon, provides a foreword that whets the appetite for the main course. Despite a few minor quibbles, like poor proofreading, this is a worthy debut novel. I can highly recommend it to all fans of zombie literature.

Dreadfully Ever After

Quirk Books is back this month offering Zombies & Toys' readers the opportunity to win some free books!  Pride and Prejudice and Zombies has spawned a sequel and a prequal and you have the opportunity to win them both!  Below, you can read our review of Dredfully Ever After and follow the directions to win a copy. 
A little over two years ago Seth Grahame-Smith took a piece of literary history and put his own spin on it by taking the common themes of the original and the story and adding a healthy dose of ninjas, guns and of course zombies. It was a smash hit, to put it lightly, with releases worldwide. Grahame-Smith did Pride and Prejudice proper justice with the inclusion of the things listed above. It was a great book that only had the downfall of conserving a lot of the old English that is sometimes off-putting to the casual reader.

A year later Steve Hockensmith took over the reins with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, a prequel to the smash hit that looked at the upbringing of the sisters and the origins of many events and characters. Hockensmith has a bigger sense of freedom, but was still confined by the story arcs that he had to write into for the proper story arcs to be maintained. Now one year later, Hockensmith is back with a sequel to the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in the form of Dreadfully Ever After.

Dreadfully Ever After picks once again with our main characters Elizabeth Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth is markedly reserved and quite docile in married life as she is no longer allowed to carry a weapon openly or fight zombies. With a marriage that seems to have fallen into a state of settling, Darcy asks Elizabeth to take a stroll so they can reclaim the old feelings they once shared. On the stroll however, Darcy is bitten by a dreadful and infected. This is where our story begins.

From here the story reintroduces Darcy’s Aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who holds a serum that will help slow the infection slowly spreading within Darcy. The serum will give Elizabeth valuable time to find a rumored cure in London as per Lady Catherine’s instructions. On her journey, Elizabeth is joined by her father and sister Kitty, along with another sister Mary Bennet.

Our story revolves around the concept of stories within stories as we switch between the views of Darcy as he struggles to survive at his Aunt’s estate and Elizabeth as she makes her journey into and through London. The backdrop of Regency England continues to preserve an interesting backdrop for a surprising quick read. The book as stated earlier switches between two views that are seemingly different in their style. The Darcy scenes seem a bit slow paced while the Elizabeth scenes in London seem much livelier. The best part about a lot of this, especially in the London scenes is that we don’t just focus on one character. In many parts we are also focusing on Darcy’s cousin Anne and Elizabeth’s sisters Kitty and Mary.

The book maintains a great deal of humor and romance along with a nice touch of action to help move the story along. Along with all of this, there are some interesting new characters that you will find being introduced. As stated before, nothing ever feels too slow as the pacing in this book is surprising fact. There are even some loose ends that are wrapped up from the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series. If you are a fan of the original books then by all means pick this book up, as it is an interesting swan song for the series. If you are looking for a fun read and haven’t read the other books I would still recommend this as Hockensmith does a great job helping this story stand out on its own by providing enough back information.

If you are still on the fence then Quirk Books has created a great trailer for the book.  Do yourself a favor and make sure you go to the Dreadfully Ever After Facebook page as well for more information and some very special contests and giveaways that are open to you if you like the page. Speaking of... email your name and address to dea@zombiesandtoys.com for your chance to win a copy.  Winners will be selected May 31st.
 

 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After - Review

David Brown


A little over two years ago Seth Grahame-Smith took a piece of literary history and put his own spin on it by taking the common themes of the original and the story and adding a healthy dose of ninjas, guns and of course zombies. It was a smash hit, to put it lightly, with releases worldwide. Grahame-Smith did Pride and Prejudice proper justice with the inclusion of the things listed above. It was a great book that only had the downfall of conserving a lot of the old English that is sometimes off-putting to the casual reader.

A year later Steve Hockensmith took over the reins with Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls, a prequel to the smash hit that looked at the upbringing of the sisters and the origins of many events and characters. Hockensmith has a bigger sense of freedom, but was still confined by the story arcs that he had to write into for the proper story arcs to be maintained. Now one year later, Hockensmith is back with a sequel to the original Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in the form of Dreadfully Ever After.

Dreadfully Ever After picks once again with our main characters Elizabeth Darcy and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Elizabeth is markedly reserved and quite docile in married life as she is no longer allowed to carry a weapon openly or fight zombies. With a marriage that seems to have fallen into a state of settling, Darcy asks Elizabeth to take a stroll so they can reclaim the old feelings they once shared. On the stroll however, Darcy is bitten by a dreadful and infected. This is where our story begins.

From here the story reintroduces Darcy’s Aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who holds a serum that will help slow the infection slowly spreading within Darcy. The serum will give Elizabeth valuable time to find a rumored cure in London as per Lady Catherine’s instructions. On her journey, Elizabeth is joined by her father and sister Kitty, along with another sister Mary Bennet.

Our story revolves around the concept of stories within stories as we switch between the views of Darcy as he struggles to survive at his Aunt’s estate and Elizabeth as she makes her journey into and through London. The backdrop of Regency England continues to preserve an interesting backdrop for a surprising quick read. The book as stated earlier switches between two views that are seemingly different in their style. The Darcy scenes seem a bit slow paced while the Elizabeth scenes in London seem much livelier. The best part about a lot of this, especially in the London scenes is that we don’t just focus on one character. In many parts we are also focusing on Darcy’s cousin Anne and Elizabeth’s sisters Kitty and Mary.

The book maintains a great deal of humor and romance along with a nice touch of action to help move the story along. Along with all of this, there are some interesting new characters that you will find being introduced. As stated before, nothing ever feels too slow as the pacing in this book is surprising fact. There are even some loose ends that are wrapped up from the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series. If you are a fan of the original books then by all means pick this book up, as it is an interesting swan song for the series. If you are looking for a fun read and haven’t read the other books I would still recommend this as Hockensmith does a great job helping this story stand out on its own by providing enough back information.

If you are still on the fence then Quirk Books has created a great trailer for the book.  Do yourself a favor and make sure you go to the Dreadfully Ever After Facebook page as well for more information and some very special contests and giveaways that are open to you if you like the page.
 

 

Zombie Farm - Movie Review

David Brown

If you are any fan of zombie movies or the zombie subculture in general, you will know that there are multiple types of zombies. We have the traditional zombies, in the sense that they are born of a virus or some other bacteria spread through fluidic contact. You also have the voodoo zombie that is born of black magic and usually controlled by a master or mystical item. Zombie Farm goes with the latter type of zombies.

The story is that of a woman looking for a way to stop the abuse from her husband with the help of a voodoo priestess, producing some unforeseen results when she awakens to find her husband zombified. The main story arc is intersected with that of an independent filmmaker who sets out to expose a fraudulent faith healer after her piece on domestic violence is rejected by the studio. In the process she herself becomes involved in a struggle to survive the surrounding undead.

The film itself is one that turns into a hit or miss depending on your preference for your zombie movies. In this instance, the zombie film is used as a platform for the profound social issues of abuse and the loss of Mexican-American culture through Americanization. There is also the fact that this is not a movie for those who enjoy gore alone. The gore here is lite at best with very few blood soaked sets. There is also the problem that this movie totally ignores the time honored tradition of the headshot. This can be excused due to the presence of mysticism, but is still a change that some will have to get used to.

A big problem for me in the whole movie is that it is very slow to start and hard to get into due to some sound issues on the DVD that I watched. There are many scenes that feel very stale at the get go, utilizing characters that don’t feel very real themselves. There are also some plot points, however minor they may be, that are underutilized (think an old lady who is bitten, but never reappears as a zombie later on).

Despite the sometimes stale acting, mild scares and low blood supply, there is still a decent movie experience to be had if you can get past the slow start. My experience showed that setting through this movie will yield a profound discussion on Latino culture and the subject of abuse. At the end of the day however you will need to realize one thing; if you are a fan of the gory zombie movies in the vein of Zombieland or Dawn of the Dead then this is not a movie for you. Fans of movies like Zombie Honeymoon or Attack of the Vegan Zombies though should find something to enjoy.

Zombie Farm runs around 90 minutes and is released by Maya Studios. It stars Khotan, Adriana Catano, Roberto Montesinos and Monica Munoz.

Bowling Zombies

Those of you paying attention to our updates on Facebook are most likely aware that we are selling Bowling Zombie sets in the Zombie Toy Store.  What you don't know, however, is we are stocking these because of a long overdue reveiw of these guys.

Made by Front Porch Classics, I received a set of Bowling Zombies to review.  After opening them, I quickly decided that they definitely needed to be a part of our store.  They are packaged in a sturdy tube that is worthy of being displayed in a zombie fan's collection.  This is a "table top" bowling game, so the included zombies are about 5" tall.  They are wooden and hand-painted with adequate and fun details.  There is one survivor, a screeming woman, that is most likely meant to be the front pin.  The bowling ball is a bomb with a painted wick. 

After passing my test of displayability (is that even a word?), I moved the Bowling Zombies through the gauntlet.  Next stop?  Work.  I often bring new toys to work in order to gauge responses of collegues.  To no surprise, they were a hit.  In fact, I have already sold several sets to co-workers with uses ranging from a portable vacation game for the family to a fun drinking game for a college student. 

The next test was with my children.  Their ages at the time were 5 and 3.  Play began with the two taking turns rolling the bomb at the zombies while your's truely set up pins after turns.  This continued for about an hour after which I became tired of constantly setting up the pins.  Even after I left the game, they continued to play for an additional hour.  Not only is this a testament as to the play-ability, but also to their durability.  The game started on the table with zombies being pounded by a ball and both being knocked onto the floor.  Later, the kids decided to take the game onto the floor where they could roll the ball with more momentum.  While they did miss the majority of the time, the set held up to their abuse.  The kids still grab my set from the zombie toy display and roll a few rounds.  While my set is still holding up, remember that they are wooden with paint.  So a few dents, dings, and scratches should be expected if they are used for play.

The final test is you, our readers.  If you want to buy a set, I encourage you to pick them up from us at the Zombie Toy Store.  They can also be found at various other retailers including Target online and Amazon.  But, you don't get free Zombies & Toys swag from other vendors.  You can also check out other offerings by Front Porch Classics with a visit to their home page.

Best New Zombie Tales (Volumes 1 and 2)

Todd Jepperson

Before you read any further, my Fanboy Disclaimer: I dig anthologies. The reason I love them is simple; I have a problem. Every book I open, I finish. Most days, I’ve got so much to do I just don’t have time to take a big enough bite to satisfy the hunger. That can get really frustrating; especially if it’s not that great a book. The solution, for me, has been copious amounts of Anthologies. My Scientific Wild-Assed Guess—or SWAG, if you will—is that, in general, most anthology stories are open and shut in an average twenty-five pages. Have an hour? BAM! Two books down. Half that time? Not a problem; you’ll be done and cleaned up way before curfew.

Now, to the books. Each of these books contains twenty (nineteen if you don’t count the author’s introduction) short stories and no two authors hold down the same fort. You have everything here from techno-Zombies to Voodoo body snatchers even to stranger than fiction morphological freaks. Not only that, but even when you do have two similar types of animates, the arc that they follow is absolutely unique. To fully paint the picture of exactly what these books are and are not, I’d need to write forty full-color posts up and down. That’s something I can’t do, and you may not survive.

My review, then, is this: I haven’t come across an anthology I regretted buying, but I’ve never landed one without the here-and-there oddball either. These two stand toward the front of the horde as being definitely worth your time (Vol.One being my favorite of the two). Both contain strong language, graphic content, and sexual themes. These are not for the kids. Keep your eye out for gems, such as: Pegleg and Paddy Save the World, Paradise Denied, and Dredging Up the Dead. If you have a young son, skip past Connections; that’s a tear jerker.

Pick them up on Smashwords, Amazon , or your favorite book store, depending on how you like your meat served; eBook or Paperback.

Z-SAT Review and Scores

David Brown


Many of you who have profiles on Facebook have no doubt come across those quizzes that ask you to answer some questions that will determine how long you would survive during the zombie apocalypse. My biggest problem with many of these quizzes is they tend to have a lot of unimportant questions. For example, how is the color I chose for my shorts going to affect my survival chances when zombies aren’t attracted to one color over another (as far as we know)?  Now, along comes the Z-SAT to correct this issue.

Anyone who has or will be taking the SAT for acceptance into college will find this to be a familiar test. Rather than questions about math, reading, and writing we are given questions about the deadliness of different zombie body types, ammo choice, and even travel choices. This is a real test. Most of the staff here at Zombies & Toys took at least three or four hours to complete the test. Do not be fooled by the cover, you will be tested and you will be forced to make some decisions that aren’t easy.

There is a lot of fun to be had in taking this test.  You truly have to think about answers to questions that have never been asked before. You feel a sense of accomplishment as you check answers to see if you are, in fact, as smart as you thought. Our biggest complaint about this book is that it seems a few of the questions could be just a matter of the author’s opinions. We all agreed that a few answers didn’t make sense based off of scenarios we had seen before in books, movies, and other media. It could be that there wasn't enough time or manpower available to research and gather facts or statistics which could be cited.  While the test was fun, it would have been nice to have answers that were validated.

The Z-SAT may have little flaws, but like any test it should not be taken as an exact measure.  This test is a way to measure base preparedness levels in the event that a real zombie apocalypse has begun. As stated earlier, our crew formed many opinions after taking this test. We have posted our scores for you to laugh at but encourage you to take the test yourself.  Pick up a copy of the Z-SAT and see how you stack up to the crew of Zobmies & Toys!

Dave - 82.76%
Sara - 59.67%
Todd - 73.98%
Jason - 63.58%
Gnat - 74.63%
Kala - 69.76%

Average - 70.73%


We are eager to hear how you score on the Z-SAT so make sure to let us know.  At the very least, look for a comment left here with the scores of our three contest winners!

Ronyo F. from Australia
Kimberly R. from Phoenix, AZ
Billy B. from Lynnwood, WA

Pat the Zombie - book review

It is no mystery that I like zombies.  So, when I tell you that I received a zombie item that excited me, it's only natural to take my opinion with a grain of salt.  Pat the Zombie, however, is a book I enjoyed that definitely deserves your attention.

Written by Aaron Ximm, the book is an adult spoof of the children's classic, Pat the Bunny.  Using "adult" here does not imply anything dirty.  It is simply a reminder that you want to keep this one away from the kiddies.  Pat the Zombie is the same tiny, cute size as the original and features the same hands-on additions.  You have the "peek-a-boo" towel you lift, the furry rabbit to touch, holes, mirrors, rough textures, and so on.  All of this with a fun, made for adult fans of zombies vibe.

I chuckled as I viewed every page.  The same gimmicks that entertained us as children amused me as an adult.  I did touch the bunny.  I did look into the mirror.  I felt the gritty bones, smelled the scratch-n-sniff rotting flesh, and played peek-a-boo!  I had fun.

Often times, I will bring new products to work in order to gauge the interest of my co-workers.  I work in an office environment with 30 to 50 year-olds.  Yes, I am old.  Everyone enjoyed this book.  It sparked memories, caused groans of shock and laughter, and demanded attention.  At the very least, walk into your local book store and read it; It'll take five minutes.  But, I highly doubt you will regret owning this palm-sized gem and I am certain you will entertain entertain enough friends to get your money's worth.

A New Twist On Zombie Music

Dan Barkasi



Perspective can be everything. Especially considering a genre such as the one we cover here, an interesting viewpoint can be a difference maker in quality.

Enter Aaron Stoquert. This musician has made an EP titled “Run For Your Life,” which is five songs that tackle – you guessed it – zombies. However, the theme comes with a twist. All of the tracks tackle the idea of how a zombie may be feeling in certain situations, running a gamut of situations.

Lyrically, this is quite inspired work. It’s obvious that a great deal of time and care was put into putting these songs together. Here’s an excerpt of a lyrical passage from the song “Bunker Hill,” which is the opening song:

The wind won't blow and the fire is out
Arms of the dead have no comfort to give
Rock-a-bye baby--stay in one place
The world is coming to an end...

The music itself is deeply rooted in folk, and is very somber in it’s approach. Heavily dominated by acoustic guitars, and soothing – yet haunting – vocals, this EP is full of emotion that portrays a wide array of strong feelings. It’s very downtrodden, thought-provoking and masterfully crafted.

As I’m sure most of you have heard, a good deal of songs involving zombies can be quite silly in nature. Which isn’t a bad thing – a great deal of these songs are a blast to listen to. The fact that there is something like this that takes an introspective look into what a zombie may be experiencing, however, is a road that hasn’t been traveled until now.

Music that is full of thought and intriguing ideas is always welcome to this writer’s ears. “Run For Your Life” is a perfect example of that. Mr. Stoquert has done a brilliant job with this EP, which is a fantastic showcase of his talents. It’s well-written and performed, interesting, and has an approach that is beyond refreshing.

Be sure to check this out, as it’s easily worth the time. You can listen to all of the songs online – as well as download the EP for free – via this link (http://aaronstoquert.bandcamp.com/). There is the option to make a monetary donation of your choosing when completing your download, and I highly recommend you do so.

The Zombie Code - book review

Sara Ross

The Zombie Code: Keys to Unlocking Your Undead Destiny is a practical guide for anyone needing a hand with understanding zombies in the human world. Written by Mark Raby and currently available through Marion Street Press, The Zombie Code is a concise yet informative guide that will let the reader in on many well-kept, elusive tricks of the zombie trade. Through his years of extensive and innovative research, and time spent in close proximity to zombies, Raby gained a rare expertise on all things undead, as well as a finesse for making friends with zombies. Willing to share his knowledge for the first time in this book, Raby will let the reader into his world and will provide little known facts as to zombie life, habits and more. Basically, it comes down to this: if you aren’t going to join the undead, it is best to learn about them, help them, and most importantly, make a buck or two in the process.


Raby’s experience with zombies began young, on a family vacation that went awry. The unusual circumstances made it so that seven-year-old Mark was never to see his (human) family again and instead would spend years secretly (then not-so-secretly) observing zombies. One thing led to another, and Raby was eventually doing top secret government work with the zombies all around us. I hear you saying, “Wait! What?” Yes, pick up the book, and you will see how zombies are everywhere. The Zombie Code will teach you the ways in which zombies have successfully managed to blend in all around us, without causing suspicion or alarm. Another well-kept secret that Raby reveals is a zombie’s favorite singer…and I would never spoil that surprise for you!

The Zombie Code will introduce many of Raby’s brilliant ideas for incorporating zombies into human society. This includes many inventions to make zombie life easier, such as brain cola, zombie translators, and zombie wigs. He explains his courses to increase zombies’ abilities to hold down jobs and defend themselves-as well as how to market and teach these classes. There are also a number of pursuits Raby has pioneered to help zombies have more of a culture, if you will, such as a cookbook, zombie magazines, and even zombie poetry (with several lovely examples included for your reading pleasure).

Raby also provides case studies of several zombies he has worked closely with, including Kenni and Marjorie. Kenni is a teenage zombie who, with the aid of Raby, was able to return to a human high school. Marjorie was one of Raby’s more extensive rehabilitation projects, but she now works undetected in a government post in Canada. Along these lines, Raby presents a section on the careers most suited for zombies, and the results may or may surprise you.


You may be wondering how Raby deals with the fact that zombies need to consume human brains, and that is covered in The Zombie Code as well. With vast sums of government funds and some sneaky crafting, Raby is able to help zombies appease these needs. His BLOODS network also plays a major role in this endeavor as well.


As for zombie dating and love? You can read that part on your own. Just one tip I learned: remember to count a female zombie’s fingers before you get too involved.

Also included are a number of tools to assist the reader in making the most of the book. There is a comprehensive dictionary of words zombies commonly use, as well as their correct zombie pronunciations. The Zombie Code of Conduct is included so the human reader can better understand what rules govern zombie behavior. Don’t miss the list of hints for tuning up your zombiedar; it is a skill that may serve you well one day. Lastly, if all of this information has made you curious as to what you would be like as a zomie, Raby has you covered there, too. You can take his Zombie Personality Test to imagine how you would fit in with a crowd of the undead.

If this has you intrigued, and realizing you need to brush up on your zombie knowledge, you are in luck. Marion Street Press has provided several copies of The Zombie Code for a few lucky readers of Zombies and Toys! To enter, send an email to code@zombiesandtoys.com . The winners will be selected at the end of March. If you can’t wait, you can pick up this essential handbook now…and get your brain in shape for a zombie-er, your undead destiny.
 

Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse?

Chad Hunter




Any child of the 1980’s will remember the ominous free-will-challenging Choose Your Own Adventure books. The paperback young adult series would pose readers with daring options and decisions such as “Will you head down the dark stairs?” or “Will you follow the spirit through the woods?” With a selection made, the book would then give direction as to where the decision would take the reader and, on a specified page, they would either continue the story or meet certain doom. In today’s rush of the undead, we are once again faced with choices that may lead to death and even worse.

Author Max Brallier’s Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? is an engaging and enjoyable addition to the literary world’s shambling corpses and starving cadavers. In the storyline’s beginning, you begin as an average twenty-something that discovers that the world he knew is gone and replaced by mass hysteria and the growing awareness that people are not eating each other but zombies are. Within several pages, you must begin making choices as how to best survive the world as it is pulled down around you by rotted hands and snapping jaws. You meet other survivors, some of whom will lead you to one of many pages where your end is quickly spelled out. You can freeze to death. You can be shot. You can fall to your death. You can wait without any hope of survival. You can tragically find yourself one of the undead and, of course, you can be devoured by hordes of zombies. But only if you make the wrong choice and there are 100 paths and 50 endings to choose from.

Brallier does a good job of keeping a pace to a book where the reader truly sets the tempo. You will feel a rush to make a decision and even more urgency to find out where you option has taken you. Readers will doubt new allies and worry about what is behind the door they have selected to open. Some choices lead to obvious consequences while others are fairly surprising. Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse will also make you want to read it repeatedly to see how far your choices can take you. Fans of the zombie genre will feel even more challenged to use their know-how and their “I would never do that” and see how well they would survive. The writing is tight and the descriptions of the undead clawing for your flesh are graphic and well done.

As the book cover states “The Choice is yours…” Getting your hands on a copy of Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse is not only an easy decision but one that should be made quickly.

To win a copy of "Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse" and see if you would, email your name and address to survive@zombiesandtoys.com.  Winners will be selected at the end of the month!

Memento Mori

Todd Jepperson



Recently, Z&T came into possession of a book. At first glance, it seems to be nothing more than a few random scribbles; but, read on and you’ll see that there’s actually a funny story to how this thing came to be. Hang in long enough, and you may even learn a little something.

I was lucky enough to end up with a physical copy of the 34 page paperback and a short conversation with the artist, William Lebeda. During our brief chat, he told me the story behind the illustrations:

“Years ago, I was working with Marvel on The Punisher remake… The art department hadn't started on the film yet, and they needed a design for a new skull logo for the front of his Kevlar body armor. So, I started drawing Punisher-style skulls on everything. At one point during the project, I started to draw really different skulls... probably as a reaction to drawing dozens of versions of the punisher one. I noticed that I was drawing skulls on everything; scraps of paper, napkins, post-its with phone numbers… all over.”

The scattered sketches were eventually collected and sorted through, which took significantly longer than he had planned. The movie was released in 2004 and the book was released in 2010. I would have to agree, that’s a long time spent organizing, digitizing, and getting ready for print; which makes the title very fitting.

Memento Mori is a Latin phrase for ‘remember to die”; or, be mindful that you will die. Artists have been incorporating the idea of eminent death into their work since the time of ancient Rome. The idea is that life is short. What we do here has got to be enough to make sure that we’re remembered long after we’re gone.

So, who wants to help Mr. Lebeda live forever? New in the Zombie Toy Store, you can pick up your very own copy of Memento Mori: a collection of drawings by William Lebeda for the low, low price of $4.99. Also, when you support Z&T, there’s always a good chance you could land some free “thank you” swag. That’s just how we do things around here. Click the link to shuffle over and snag yourself a copy. You’ll be glad you did.

William has also been kind enough to offer a few copies to our readers!  If you would like the chance to win a free copy of Memento Mori, email your name, address, and picture of a skull to skull@zombiesandtoys.com.  We are going to make this one easy.  To enter, you can submit any picture of a skull that you find interesting.  For a better chance of winning, submit your own skull creation.  William will hand pick his favorites to win a copy of his book!  Winners will be announced at the end of March.  If you purchase a book and are later selected as a contest winner, we will refund your purchase price or send you the additional book. For inspiration, here is a skull I drew:

Memento vivere

Marvel vs. Capcom 3: The Fate of Two Worlds Review

“In this corner, from Raccoon City…” Resident Evil’s favorite sons face off with comic book spandex

Chad Hamilton

Fireballs? Check. Razor claws? Check. Shotgun and Desert Eagle? Double-check. Fans of the tried and tested fighting series, Marvel vs. Capcom, can now rejoice. The ultimate in pixel pounding, two-dimensional take downs is back! With newly defined graphics, over-the-top super moves and fan boys’ dream of characters, is Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (MvC3) going to rock the two worlds? Or will it doom them and the series once and for all?

With a thinly veiled storyline involving Marvel Comics’ supervillain Doctor Doom and Resident Evil’s antagonist Albert Wesker, MvC3 brings superheroes, supervillains, succubi and giant robots together in battle. While zombie fans will recall the surprisingly formidable Jill Valentine in previous incarnations, they will initially only find Chris Redfield and Wesker himself as options to play. Valentine is reported to be available later via downloadable content. Comic fans will enjoy playing as Spiderman, the Hulk, Wolverine or Captain America to name a few. Capcom players can get into the armor of Arthur from Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Ryu from Street Fighter and an ensemble of other characters from the company’s repertoire.


The graphics are beautiful. From Redfield’s ginormous biceps to Wesker’s sleek leather uniform, the look and style of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is worth pausing the game just to enjoy the look. Resident Evil fans will quickly notice the background for the level where your team of three characters must battle their opponents in the laboratory of TriCell, Resident Evil 5’s evil corporation. When combos are chained, they literally shatter the glass holding areas of Lickers crawling in the background. For that extra touch of zombie, the level of Ghosts ‘n Goblins features sharply generated undead that old school Nintendo players will recognize. The sounds are full of enough crashes, clashes and splash page effects to put players in the panels of their favorite comic book. However, many of the glib and enjoyable sound bites are lost amidst the roar of repulsor rays and flamethrowers.


Gameplay is well done. While previous versions in the series featured complicated maneuvers, MvC3 allows for some simple and quickly performed attacks. Wesker’s hyperspeed assault is good but watching Redfield unload nearly every weapon from the RE arsenal is worth saving up the combo meter. He hits the unsuspecting foe with the shotgun, several handguns and the crowd-pleasing, undead clearing rocket launcher.

Zombie factor?

MvC3 has a low zombie factor. There was initial discussion by the game’s developers to include Tyrant and Nemesis from Resident Evil’s first and third entries. However, there was concern that the nature of the monstrosities would have led to a more mature rating for the game. Hopefully, with the inclusion of Jill Valentine, the developers will also bring back her ability to summon a shambling or flaming T-virus corpse. With that having been said, MvC3 is still a worthwhile go regardless if you’re looking for brains, adamantium or a fight to the finish.

Developer: Capcom
Publisher: Capcom
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release date: February 15, 2011

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - book review

David Brown

What do you get when you take a literary classic and add a spattering of zombies?  What if we add a dash of ninjas and ancient martial arts? You get a re-imagining of the classic, Pride and Prejudice, written by Seth Grahame-Smith.  Only now we have zombies, or “unmentionables” as they are very frequently called, take over the quaint countrysides of Regency-era England. For anybody who has read the original, you will find many similarities between this re-imaging and Jane Austin’s original.


This is a novel that essentially follows the four Bennet sisters, now trained in the ancient martial arts, and their trials and tribulations. Essentially the story begins with the sisters’ mother searching for wealthy suitors to marry her daughters. Mr. Bennet, on the other hand, spends his days training the girls to be a fearsome zombie-fighting army proficient in martial arts as well as a weapons use.


The girls are by no means tomboys either.  They are civilized ladies who maintain their proper social standing who happened to be trained in zombie fighting techniques. In fact, there are even parts where the girls debate carrying a musket for defense because even though it brings safety, it is considered unladylike. This is definitely a novel where civility versus defense is a common debate.


With everything being said thus far, it is important to note that this novel's biggest downfall is that is not lite reading.  PPZ still maintains the classic reading of the original and demands a lot of patience to get through. Not that this is a bad thing, but definitely worth mentioning. Grahame-Smith is definitely doing justice to the source material here and there are few disappointments. There are also some wonderfully morbid illustrations scattered throughout this great novel.


If you have the time and an interest in Victorian zombie stories that include ninjas and martial arts, then you are definitely in for a treat. There is enough presented here that truly sets this as a novel of its own and not just a rewrite of the original with the word "zombie" thrown in where necessary. This is a book that begs to be read, especially with the announcements that casting for the movie adaptation has begun. Quirk Books and Grahame-Smith have truly captured lightning in a bottle with a novel that is so well-written that many English teachers are even introducing this story into their materials. Find this book and read it when you get the chance, you will not regret it.

Patient Zero Review

Todd Jepperson

What does it feel like to kill the same guy twice in one week? Joe Ledger knows. His swat team hits a terrorist juncture in a warehouse where all hell breaks loose. He ends up putting four men down in the sting and still manages to drag his shredded buddy, Jerry, back outside after his shield gets torn up by a Chinese QBZ-95. The strange thing about the ordeal isn’t that he had to shoot somebody. He’s Baltimore P.D. He’s used to that. It’s that there were only twelve dudes in the room when they kicked it down; but, there were thirteen when it was all over. That last guy is the only one which caught him off guard; the sicko actually tried to bite him. When thirteen makes a move for one of his partners, Ledger puts two rounds from his .45 into the guys back.

Fast forward a few days and Joe gets nabbed by three goons in suits and shades. They throw him in a car and drive him about 100 miles down the road to a building he’s never seen before. They leave him in a windowless room to wait a couple of hours and then send in the boss. Mr. Church, they call him. He’s hard as a hammer and pulls no punches. After a few minutes of interesting dialogue, and a few cookies, he gives Ledger his “audition”.

In a room similar to his interrogation room, sits a man at a table. Joe simply has to go in, subdue the guy, and walk out. Simple, yeah? Not by a long shot. The moment Ledger gets close, the man springs on him; number thirteen. The guy should be in a box buried under a nice field of fresh cut grass right now; but, he’s snappy as a spring chicken. After one of Maberry’s marque throw downs, Ledger finds out exactly what Mr. Church wants with him. There’s a new face behind global terrorism, and they’re looking to release a Prion disease, which they call Seif al Din; or, Sword of the Faithful, at a conference in D.C. The disease is a combination of fatal familial insomnia and some naturally occurring aggressive parasites which cause the dead to rise… hungry. They plan to set the world on fire and dance in the shadows of its destruction.

This book is what got me into reading Maberry. The reason I picked it up, back in ’09, is because I was in the market for a new zombie book after The Zombie Survival Guide and I’d started to hear buzz about this Jonathan Maberry dude. He’d won multiple awards, including the Bram Stoker award for best first novel, and he was an 8th degree black belt in Jujitsu. I figured I’d give him a try; It was a great decision.

Patient Zero is the first book of real-world fiction novels about Detective Joe Ledger (followed in 2010 by The Dragon Factory and in 2011 by King of Plagues). The things in the book aren’t real; but, the situations are too close to science fact to ignore. There’s even a flyleaf disclaimer at the beginning of the book to which lets readers know no matter how real it sounds, it’s not… yet. Expect violence, picturesque brutality, sexual themes, language, and everything that goes with it. Definitely not for the kids.

Sadly, Zombies are only the theme of the first book; the second dealing with Genetic Splicing and Eugenics and the third to deal with a remix of the Biblical plagues. Still, you’re gonna wanna pick these up. You won’t regret it.

Don't forget to read our review of Rot & Ruin and enter to win a copy!

“They’re coming to get you, Isaac…” Dead Space 2 Review

Chad Hunter

The undead have haunted us in Pennsylvanian farmhouses; Midwest cities under corporate control and with EA’s Dead Space, the shambling reanimated had found their way into space. Now, with the latest installment in the Dead Space universe, we found ourselves pitted against the resurrected clawing at airlocks and craving our flesh. With Visceral Games and EA’s newest survival horror entry available everywhere today, the question is posed: is Dead Space 2 (DS2) worth the wait or a greater loss than the crew of the Ishimura?


Set your worries for the growing hordes of Necromorphs coming for you. There is no need to ponder the wonder that is Dead Space 2. It is a worthy successor to the Dead Space universe. You will once again find yourself in the role of Isaac Clarke, engineer and unfortunate hero battling the insane, the corrupt, the zealot and the Necromorphs: a race of twisted and savage horrors born from hijacked human flesh and enigmatic alien influence. Dead Space 2 begins with Isaac defenseless and only able to run. Blood pressure will rise. Tensions will grow. DS2 starts off with a pounding pulse and never lets go.

The graphics of Dead Space 2 are beautiful. When you’re not running and gunning for your life, take the time to look around. The scenery of the Sprawl, the colony where the terror begins, is marvelous. While it may be hard to witness the work that goes into the threats attacking Clarke, the detail in the Necromorphs is masterful. Dead Space 2 has to be one of the most visually acclaimed games in a very young 2011.

Dead Space 2’s sounds match its sights. When the plasma cutter fires or the Puker launches a storm of acidic vomit at Clarke, it sounds like it. Every shock of laser or splat of blood and intestine is resounding and clear. The only issue with the sounds in Dead Space 2 is a subjective one. Isaac, who was previously silent in the first game, now speaks. While there is nothing wrong with the voice acting, there was something unique and personifying to the silent protagonist. Beyond that gripe, hearing DS2 is almost as good as seeing it.

The plot is driven by the action and vice versa. You are notified through the game by various personnel of the Sprawl. Fans of the series will be familiar with the theme of Unitology, the mysterious Necromorphs and the ominous Marker. While it is still at times unclear why all Hell breaks loose, it is enough to know and hear the directions and objectives for Clarke. A very nice touch is that the game literally starts right at the end of the downloadable Dead Space: Ignition.


Dead Space 2 controls like a charm. It is well-oiled and moves smoothly and the challenge is never about how to move or guide your character. The single player mission is worth playing repeatedly and the multiplayer does offer unique perspectives. Players can either be human’s moving about various maps or Necromorphs themselves, out to thwart their human counterparts.



Zombie factor?

Dead Space 2 is a great game but how high is its zombie factor? High. Dead Space 2’s application of corpses being brought back for alien purposes in mass hordes gives players the feel of fear. You are put in situations where running is the only sane choice and you can’t. The appeal of the zombie is its mindless, unending pursuit of horrific goals and the nightmare that it was once like us. The necrotic walking abattoirs remind us of just that: we are all potential monsters. Several times in the game, other characters come apart as they realize the nightmare of killing those that were once family and friends. These monsters do not rise from cemeteries or morgues but they crawl from space suits and ships, nonetheless terrifying.


In the end, Dead Space 2 is a gratifying run and a necessary addition to any gaming library. The Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are beautiful and the PS3 Limited Edition offers a download of Dead Space: Extraction for the PS3 Move. The game is fun, frightening and does everything it is supposed to do. Dive into the universe of the Marker, hold on to your sanity and remember that aiming for the head is pointless; dismember, hope and pray.

Support Zombies & Toys with your Amazon.com purchase of Dead Space 2!


Developer: Visceral Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Microsoft Window
Release date: January 25, 2011

Rot & Ruin Book Review and Contest

Todd Jepperson

Remember that first summer job? The one that was the greatest job on earth until you showed up and actually had to work? Benny Imura does. In the town of Mountainside, where Benny is growing up, when you turn 15 you get a job; or you try to get by on half of what you need to survive. The community is trying to rebuild after the Zombie Apocalypse, and every able-bodied member of society must contribute.

Benny and his buddy, Chong do what I would’ve done at 15 if I had to find a job; they open the newspaper and cut out want ads. They order them from highest “cool factor” to lowest, and get to work. Along the way, they try their hands at just about everything you can imagine; locksmith, fence tester, fence technician, carpet coat salesman, pit thrower, crank generator repair… the list goes on. In Mountainside, there are a lot of jobs which need doing, and a lot of them could get you killed or infected; so it takes time to find the right one

Benny’s stepbrother Tom is the envy of Mountainside. He’s a bounty hunter. Neighbors pay him to risk his life out in the vast spaces of what used to be the United States to “quiet” their loved ones. Benny doesn’t understand what the big deal is about Tom. He thinks Tom’s a coward. His earliest memory in life is of Tom running away while his parents are chewed on like peppered jerky in the house he used to live in, before everything went to hell. Of course, he wasn’t quite two years old then; but still he remembers. To him, the real heroes are guys like Charlie Matthias and the Motor City hammer. Those dudes are rough and ready with stories to tell about their adventures outside the fences. They’re all about dirt, scars and money. They’re the cool ones; not Tom. When he’s all out of options; though, it’s take over the family business, or starve. He begrudgingly resigns himself do whatever Tom does out in the great Rot and Ruin; he’ll smash a zombie and take home some cash.

Once there, Benny gets a taste of what the world is really like. He finds that there are people who would rather live with the undead than the living; because they feel safer that way. He finds out about a special little piece of hell called Gameland where horrible people take kidnapped children from the scattered remnants of society and make them fight to the death against zombies for fun. He learns about the savage “Lost Girl” who’s lived outside civilization her whole life, and he learns who Tom really is; and why he is the town hero.

Benny Imura is a believable kid who I found myself growing attached to. He just can’t bring himself to admit that since his friend Phoenix, (“Nix”) has grown up a little; He’s really started to like her. He tells himself dating her would be like dating Chong just to keep a cool head. He wants only to collect zombie cards, and daydream with his buddies, Chong and Morgie, about adventuring together outside the city gates. When Nix gets into trouble; however, all of that goes out the window. Benny and Tom set out to fight monsters, real monsters, and do a lot of that coming of age stuff along the way. It’s not about the end of our world, it’s about the beginning of theirs.

Before I tell you what made me like this book, I have to come clean. This is the eighth piece I’ve read by Maberry. If I had a favorite author, it would be this dude. It’s gonna get all fan-girl gushy, and you’re gonna have to read his work on your own to find out if I’m right. That being said, I don’t get paid to make it sound good. It just is.

My favorite thing about his writing is the way Maberry makes you feel what it’s like to get into a struggle for your life. He has black belts and years of martial arts training he can’t help but to put on paper. I’ll try to stop oozing after this; but, Jonathan Maberry’s fight scenes are the best I’ve ever read. You won’t find any flying, sparkling, pretty boys in a dance battle here. There are no fireballs, no smoke and mirrors, and no fluff. You have monsters being shredded, and people being shot, stabbed and sliced into a bloody mess. Main characters can take a hit just like anybody else. If they get cut, they bleed. If they bleed too much, they die.

Another thing that I love is how it feels like Jonathan Maberry is really in the business of telling stories. He doesn’t fill pages and pages with wordy explanations or descriptions of simple things. A blue sky is a blue sky. We’ve all seen it, and we don’t have to be told exactly what each cloud looks like. His stories are direct, fast paced, and plot driven. There is a setting, conflict, rising action, climax, and resolution; and he gets it done in less than 500 pages.

As A zombie nut, I loved the new insight he’s given me on my favorite monster. The reason he can write so clearly is this guy knows what he’s talking about. He’s done his homework and studied this stuff more than I care to imagine. You can tell from his writing that he has considered every possible angle he could come from, and chosen the best one. I like my zombies single-minded. I don’t like zombies that talk, think, or create. Zombies are a base instinct driven natural disaster with no mind for self-preservation or purpose. Maberry’s zombies are exactly what I want to see. They’re a plague. They don’t act; they react. They are the ultimate freakin’ horror machine.

That brings me to my disclaimers: Although this is a YA novel, I happen to know from the author, that this wasn’t written specifically to target the genre. The original story was written in a darker short form and called Family Business. That being said, this book has realistic violence and gore. It also has a little bit of language laced in here and there, and there is the occasional suggestive theme. I’d say this is probably a mid-teen level book. I plan to read it to my son way before then, but I’ll have to do some on the fly editing when I do.

So, who wants a free book? Just as you’ve come to expect, entering the contest is easy. Send an email, with your name and address, to rot@zombiesandtoys.com. We’re gonna leave this contest open through the end of next month. If your number comes up, we’ll let you know via email and glittery contest update here on Z&T.

If you’ve read this far, and can spare three more minutes, check out the Simon & Schuster promo featuring the author himself below, enjoy!