US Opens Its First Ever Zombie Survival Camp

Chainsaw ... bloodied actor wealds weapon

AMERICAN holidaymakers can now sign up to an apocalypse training camp — in case there is a zombie invasion.

At the camp, the first of its kind in the world, in Portland, Oregon, actors simulate a real-life zombie plague while attendees learn the best way to dispatch them.

Inspired by US hit shows like the Walking Dead, the Trackers Earth Zombie First Responder survival training camp aims to combine fun with serious skills.

Groups of up to ten participants have to “survive” a variety of horror movie-inspired zombie scenarios over the two-day course to achieve zombie first responder status.

Undead ... zombies attack

Instructors teach students combat skills such as how to throw an axe, cut with a samurai sword and run away from zombies as well outdoor fire building and finding shelter.

One of the students, Nathan Smith, 24, described what it was like to take part in the zombie survival course.

He said:”The first day was incredibly practical — we learned a lot of useful skills.

“The second day had more fun and games. The way we were taught the sword fight was incredible and very smart.

Bloody ... actors are hired to attack tourists

“We had an excellent makeup artist for the zombies and they did a very good job not being human.

“If a zombie apocalypse did happen, I would be able to take care of myself a lot better now.”

Trackers Earth instructor Jamie Espinosa explained how people would be impacted by a zombie plague — if one erupted in real life.

Arghhhhhh ... actors are convincing

He said:”It’s difficult for people to talk about what will happen to their loved ones during a real disaster.

“People tend to get very emotional about their kids or the elderly.”

~thesun.co.uk

WORLD WAR II ZOMBIES UNLEASHED IN NEW 'OUTPOST II: BLACK SUN' DOMESTIC TRAILER

The Undead Reich rise once more in the new US trailer for zombie Nazi prequel 'Outpost II: Black Sun'. IGN revealed the new English language trailer which helps provide more background to the story than the previous international version we had a look at earlier in the year. Steve Barker directs once again from a script he co-penned with Rae Brunton and the new English language trailer. The flick stars 'Grabbers' and 'Coupling' star Richard Coyle along with Catherine Steadman ('The Tudors'), Ali Craig, Nick Nevern, Daniel Caltagirone, Gary McDonald and Domenic Pontone. The new follow-up to Barker's 2008 British horror 'Outpost' has its UK premiere on 25 August at this years Film4 FrightFest in Leicester Square, London. Head below to check out the new trailer.

"The year is 1945, the closing stages of WW2, and a German scientist by the name of Klausener is working on frightening new technology with the power to create an immortal Nazi army. Flash-forward to the present day, and a NATO task force is hurriedly deployed to Eastern Europe, where a sinister enemy appears to be mercilessly killing everything in its path. But this is no ordinary foe. Only Helena (Steadman), a gutsy investigator on the trail of notorious war-criminal Klausener, accepts the reality of what they are facing, a battalion of Nazi Storm-Troopers, a veritable zombie army on the march. With the help of Wallace (Coyle), a man who’s been chasing Nazi secrets for years, the two team up with a Special Forces Unit to venture deep behind enemy lines. Their mission: to fight their way back to the source of this evil army and prevent the seemingly inevitable rise of the 4th Reich."

~horror-asylum.com

'JUAN OF THE DEAD' AVAILABLE 08/14!

Press Release
When Havana begins to fill up with zombies, two friends hatch a plan to launch a zombie extermination service after their picturesque island is overrun by the living dead in this satirical horror film from director Alejandro Brugués (Personal Belongings). Fast, fun and hilarious, JUAN OF THE DEAD, gives a decidedly latin touch to the zombie genre, along with a winking nod to the zom-com hit, Shaun of the Dead.

It's the anniversary of the Cuban Revolution, and as the hungry undead make an unwelcomed appearance, best friends Juan (Alexis Días de Villegas) and Lázardo (Jorge Molina) decide to parlay their skills for dispatching zombies into a professional career. "Juan of the dead killed their loved ones" is their slogan, and their mission is to help people get rid of those infected around them ... for a price. As the government attempts to maintain public order by blaming the fracas on Americans who they claim are attempting to topple the current regime, Juan and Lazardo rally the troops, gather their weapons, and prepare to make a killing by ridding Cuba of zombies one shambling, flesh-eating corpse at a time!

Blending comedy, horror and the walking dead into a smooth, politically acute satire, JUAN OF THE DEAD -- the first to be shot in post-revolution Cuba without the financial support of the Cuban government -- is Presented in Spanish with English subtitles.

Look for it on August 14th, 2012!

Special Features

Behind-the-scenes featurette

Deleted scenes

Interviews

NIKE AD WITH ZOMBIES

8 Tips For Surviving A Zombie Apocalypse

Here at What Culture we consider ourselves to be experts in many different things. Sure we have massive brains filled with the latest gaming news, movie tidbits and comic book geekery but did you know that we’re also the leading experts on surviving a zombie apocalypse? Darn tooting we are! In fact, if the Government called upon us to protect you lovely people from having your brains eaten by your dead grandma we’d know exactly what to do. So it seems only fair that we share this information with you – our dear readers – just in case we’re a bit busy helping the Governments of the world sort out their living dead problems.

So let’s begin with the basics.

1. How Likely is A Zombie Outbreak

According to the BBC, researchers in Canada concluded that unless a Zombie outbreak was dealt with quickly and aggressively it would in fact lead to the downfall of civilisation. You see, people have actually been funded to look into this kind of ‘eventuallity’ under the pretence that the idea of an outbreak of Zombieism works in much the same way as any other alien infection and thus the research can help prepare for such a real life scenario. Personally we think this is all part of the Government’s attempts to keep Joe Public in the dark. Research is being undertaken to prepare for Zombies, like it or not.

If you’re still unsure about the reality of Zombies then just take a look at nature and you’ll see that such infections already exist within the animal world. Take Toxoplasmosa Gondii for example. It lives inside the body of the common Rat, but the only place it can bread is inside the intestines of a Cat so it takes over the brain of Mr Rat and makes him get himself eaten. The parasite actually programmes the Rat, much like a similar parasite could programme the human brain. In fact over half the world’s population is infected by this little bugger already. What if it were to evolve? Scary thought, hu?

Need more examples? How about Haiti, home of the term Zombie. People there were infected with an acute neurotoxin that actually wiped the memories of the victims, left them in a barely conscious state and caused them to shuffle around performing basic daily tasks such as eating. There are books and documentaries on this – and we don’t mean ones called Zombie Flesheaters. And if you’re STILL not convinced then have a look at the symptoms of Mad Cow’s Disease – muscle spasms, dementia, rage, changes in gait – it’s all there in black and white for the sceptics out there. All that’s keeping us safe at the moment is the fact that none of the aforementioned causes have taken hold … yet.

2. Know Your Zombies

Like with most things there are different types of Zombie. As we haven’t been face to face with any as of yet it’s safe to assume that any of the weird shit you’ve seen on TV or in a video game could actually be true. However, tradition dictates a certain type of Zombie – at least in the first instance. Who knows if they can evolve or adapt over time?

Here’s what we do know:

1. Zombies can be both the reanimated corpses of the already dead OR any living thing that has been bitten and thus transformed.

2. Zombies are slow. Any notion that they may be able to run should be disregarded. Sure, if you’ve just been turned then you may have use of your full leg muscles a while but rigor mortis reaches maximum stiffness after 12 hours, so beyond that we should assume the creature cannot run.

3. The brain of a Zombie is not entirely dead. It continues to operate at 0.5%. No Zombie will ever win a pub quiz then – but they are brighter than most of the people who go on Jeremy Kyle’s TV show.

4. The primary weapons of a Zombie are it’s hands/claws and it’s teeth. You’re not likely to change sides if you get scratched but a bite will damn sure bring about a sudden case of death. Well, more like a slow agonising case actually.

5. The original cause of a Zombie plague grossly affects how us humans can be turned. For example, if the cause is airborne then you might become a Zombie just by breathing. Likewise the original Zombies may just be reanimated corpses and you could be turned by a bite – the transference of saliva which carries a parasite etc. Or in some cases you may already be carrying whatever it is that turns you (like in The Walking Dead) and when you die you will become a member of the undead without ever coming into contact with one. Let’s just hope that if/when Zombies walk the Earth the only way for you to be turned is by a bite. At least that gives you more of a fighting chance at survival.

3. How Do You Kill A Zombie?

Killing a member of the walking dead is easier than you think. Sure they may already be dead but they can die a second time, and if you do it correctly they will actually stay dead.

The official line (because there IS an official line) is to remove the head or destroy the brain. You can do this by any means you so chose but the best way would be to shoot the creature in it’s low functioning brain. Easy enough to do if you’re a dab hand with a firearm but what if you’re not? You’d have to get pretty close to Mr Undead Stinky Pants to prevent wasting ammunition and being up close to a Zombie is not somewhere you want to find yourself.

Should you find you’re stuck in a situation where you don’t have access to a gun (that’s most of non criminal Britain) then you really need to learn how to improvise and quickly. Look for something heavy you can bludgeon a head with. How about sports equipment? Do you own a baseball bat or cricket bat, a la Shaun of the Dead? Are you in your car? Run the bastard over. If you’re not sure it’s dead then reverse and do it again. And again. If you’re not a resourceful person and often struggle to improvise with even the most menial every day task then it’s safe to say you’re not going to survive for very long.

Another way you could survive is by waiting the plague out. With so many people inevitably being turned and Zombies distaste for their own kind’s flesh they will eventually run out of food. Couple this with the fact that they never stop decomposing even though they’re ‘alive’ again means you could realistically survive without having to kill any. What Culture does not recommend this tactic however as it is long and boring.

Remember, Zombies are a bit stupid. They can be easily confused or distracted when they’re in shuffle mode. The same cannot be said if they’re eating you. They have one track minds for stuff like that.

4. Location, Location, Location

OK, so you’ve learned the basic essentials. Next you need to think long and hard about where you’re going to set up your base camp.  By ensuring you set yourself up somewhere nice and safe you’re already half way to surviving. Now, if you’re thinking to yourself “I’ll just find a nice cosy house to hide in” then you’re an idiot. What if somebody is already inside and they don’t intend on having any housemates? You could find yourself staring down the barrel of a gun quicker than you can say “Boomstick”! And what if the people inside have already been infected? Do you fancy becoming their latest snack? Basically what we’re saying is pick your pad carefully. If you’re own home is safe enough then we’d advise sticking it out there. Remember though, you may find other survivors trying to gain entry to your fortress so be prepared to protect that which is yours against the living as much as the dead.

5. Ensure That Which Is Outside Stays Outside

Once you’ve decided on your base of operations you’ll need to ensure that all windows and doors are up to standard. Zombies are hardly the strongest buggers on their own but en masse they can do some serious damage. Single glazing wont be much help, nor will it keep your gas bill down in the winter. You need strong windows (or reinforced ones) and ideally UPVC doors with barrel locks. No Zombie will be able to bash it’s ay through one of those – unless it’s Nemesis from Resident Evil. If you have curtains or blinds keep them closed. You can keep yourself safe by not drawing attention to yourself. You could also board windows and doors up for extra protection but remember you also may have to get out in a hurry so don’t build your own tomb.

Upstairs windows aren’t such a big deal. Zombies have not yet learned to fly so they won’t be coming in through bedroom windows just yet. We would suggest keeping a large stock of heavy items (rocks, ornaments etc) upstairs so that you can drop them onto the head of any passing ‘Walkers’. Then, when the coast is clear you can retrieve the item for reuse. This is another great way to minimise close contact.

6. I’m Hungry. Should I Eat A Zombie?

One should never eat a Zombie. It’s a good way to get infected. It’s probably a good idea to avoid fresh meat as a whole. You can never be too sure. Personally this writer would just raid his parents pantry as it has enough food in there to last several lifetimes after his parents stocked up for the Y2K crisis that never happened. It’s a safe assumption that they’ve probably prepared for a nuclear war, Zombie apocalypse and the second coming of Jesus too. You get the idea, right? Lots of food is a good thing. The last thing you want to do is find yourself having to go out and about to find something to stop the rumble in your tumble.

Think to yourself: Where is my nearest Co-Op, Spa or Tesco? How safe is it? Is it likely to have been raided yet? Are my neighbours smart enough to have not been eaten yet? If you don’t have access to a car then you better prey food is nearby. How about stealing a shopping trolley and turning it into a battering ram? You could do your weekly shop and smash any brain eaters out of the way before they get their cold, dead hands on any of the bargains. Don’t forget you may also be shot by other living folk while you’re out so be prepared for absolutely anything as soon as you step out of your front door – or back door if you’re one of those annoying people that never unlock the front door and insist on all mail and visitors to come round the back.

Another idea would be to grow your own vegetables. It’s a great skill to learn and Zombies make awesome fertilizer.

7. What Should I Do If I Get Bit?

Pray? Chop off the infected limb? Do a double somersault into a backflip? Any of these are as good as the other because if you’ve allowed a Zombie into your home or have been foolishly tricked into letting one bite you then you’re going to die. And let’s face it, you probably deserve to be turned into a smelly rotting corpse too. The only thing left to do is offer yourself up to another survivor as target practice.

8. What Do I Do When The Apocalypse Has Ended?

Well, the obvious thing to do once the threat has been removed or minimised is to begin the repopulation of the Earth. This is no easy task – are you up to it? We don’t need to instruct you on how this process works but if you’re really that dumb then just remember the talk you had with your parents back in the day – “When a man and a woman love each other very much they give each other a special cuddle …”

Understandably this part is more enjoyable for the male survivors. Women, you’ll have to pop out a few dozen kids each minimum. You can handle that right?

I think we’ve covered the basics. Just remember safety first. Don’t make any stupid decisions and keep sudden movements to a minimum. Oh, and one last thing. WhatCulture! HQ is off limits in the event of a Zombie apocalypse. If you so much as look at our hideout we’ll catch you in a net and use you as bait while a few of us make a run for the nearest GT News for supplies.

That’s right. We’re survival experts but we’re the kind that have gone a bit crazy and you just can’t figure out if we can be trusted.

When there’s no more room in Hell stay the Hell out of our way!

Class dismissed.

~http://whatculture.com/

Deadlight Review: Fun Platforming Action Meets Intense Zombie Outbreak

Just when you think we’ve seen everything the zombie genre has to offer, another worthwhile adventure lurches forth. Deadlight mixes Shadow Complex’s impressive 2.5D visuals, Limbo’s rewarding platforming puzzles, and The Walking Dead’s grim atmosphere. The resulting cocktail is potent. Deadlight’s side-scrolling action lets players dispatch and evade zombies in new, interesting ways. The game struggles with storytelling issues along the way, but emerges as a fresh take on the staling zombie concept.

Deadlight’s storytelling is its biggest flaw. Randall Wayne is searching for his family after a zombie outbreak hits Seattle. Players explore Randall’s fragile psyche through a few flashbacks and some heavy-handed monologues. Cheap-looking graphic novel cutscenes attempt to stitch the narrative together with flimsy characters and voice acting, but fail. The predictable twist and whimpering conclusion are complete let-downs. Not even the scattered pages of Randall’s long-winded, meandering diary are enough to give this zombie infestation deeper context.

Despite Randall’s tenuous motivations, working through a ravaged Seattle and its suburbs in a 2.5D space is a fascinating experience. Deadlight’s bleak art style and detailed visuals increase suspense. The foreground is heavily shadowed at times, giving Randall and his surroundings a dreary, Limbo-like silhouetted look. Rooms behind locked doors are covered in an obscuring blackness, keeping their contents a mystery.

Randall can do the basics like sprint, leap from ledges, and push boxes to progress between areas on his linear quest. He can also whistle to attract zombies. Standing on the opposite side of a pit from a pack of zombies, taunting them, then watching them fall to their doom is a sadistic joy. Other improvisational highlights include pushing a precariously parked car off a ledge onto a pack of undead, and hanging off a third story window while zombies fling themselves outside like lemmings. I enjoy seeing zombies wander the ruined streets in the background, then shamble towards the foreground. Juking zombies and navigating the basic environmental puzzles is the core of the game, and never gets old. 

Zombies aren’t always the main obstacles. Sometimes they simply harass you while you deduce a route through the simple puzzles. These puzzles rarely require you to do more than flip a switch or push a box to reach a ledge, but occasionally you have more interesting tasks, like knocking down a water reserve to put out a raging fire. The path to your goal is rarely challenging and the lack of a death penalty takes the sting out of failure. It may be a cakewalk at times, but enduring a side-scrolling zombie apocalypse is fresh and fun.

Most of the game is spent leaping across ledges and studying the surroundings to progress, but sometimes you just get cornered. Zombies are physical barriers, and you can’t simply run through them on the 2D plane. No matter how proficient I became wielding Randall’s axe, two or three zombies could routinely take me down if I tried attacking them all at once. Randall’s limited stamina meter holds players back from relentlessly wailing on the undead. I had less trouble once I started maiming zombies and leaving them behind. A select number of firearms allow you to take out small packs by aiming with the right analog stick, but ammo is scarce. Sections late in the game toss players extra ammunition for some brief empowerment, but this is the exception to the rule.

Creating a compelling zombie game in a generation with too many of them is a hard task. Tequila Works manages to do this while successfully merging it with the unlikely action-platforming genre. The lame narrative and lack of consistent challenge can’t overshadow the fun I had with Deadlight. I’m crossing my fingers for a sequel.

~gameinformer.com

Zombie Foot Dog Toy


Prep your pooch for the zombie apocalypse! 

This is a squishy vinyl dog chew toy that looks remarkably like the detached foot of a small zombie. Includes squeaker. 

Order here!

'SHAUN OF THE DEAD'

ZOMBIE PLUMBERS?

CHECK OUT THIS SWEET 'WALKING DEAD' RICK'S UNIFORM T-SHIRT!

Coming this October for a retail price of only $18 bucks!!

ZOMBIE HORROR FRIGHT FEST COMING SOON TO DVD!!

Zombie Horror Fright Fest! includes four gut-muching zombie flicks straight from the depths of Hell! 


Horror fans have never enjoyed so much zombie carnage and gore on one DVD. Be warned - these award-winning zombie masterpieces contain explicit gore and will give you nightmares for years to come.


Includes The Defiled: We Are All Meat, Melvin, Fast Zombies With Guns, and Woods of Terror.

Zombies Run Amok in NYC to Protest AMC Drop from Dish Network 

To protest the Dish Network’s recent move to drop AMC and its popular The Walking Dead series, the network unleashed crew of Hollywood-caliber zombies onto the streets of New York, disguising themselves as police officers, hot dog vendors and pedestrians.

The public reaction? Lots and lots of screaming.

The move is a part of a bigger effort from AMC to spread awareness that the Dish Network is no longer carrying the network. The network was removed by Dish due to a lawsuit over carriage fews, along with IFC, Sundance Channel and WEtv cable networks.

“We know Dish has been urging AMC fans to pay additional monies to see their favorite shows online,” AMC said in a statement via the campaign’s site PutZombiesBack.com. “It seems unusual to us for a television provider to ask their subscribers to pay extra money to see the same shows that they are already paying for, and that their neighbors are getting, as part of their basic TV subscriptions.”

It notes that other cable, phone and satellite companies show AMC in its basic package, and encourages fans to consider a new service provider. Some providers have even offered special incentives for people to switch and not miss The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, Hell on Wheels and other popular shows.

The video above shows actors undergoing extensive make-up and costume before making the rounds around Manhattan: “Could zombies live among us?” the video asks. “We transformed a few New Yorkers to find out.”

The video concludes with a message from the network: “Zombies don’t belong here,” the video says, as a zombie drags a Dish Network satellite along the street. “Put them back on TV.”

INTERVIEW WITH 'THE WALKING DEAD'S' Special FX Makeup Artist and Co-Executive Producer Greg Nicotero

The Walking Dead's makeup master Greg Nicotero describes zombie torso decomposition, his own plans to play an undead terror this year and what Season 3 has in common with Jaws.

Q: From Day 1, everyone has been excited to get to the prison. Now that you're there, does it live up to its expectations?

A: The prison is certainly the beacon for things to come. When you reach that milestone, we know we've turned a corner and now we know that different and bigger things are coming. It's like watching Jaws and seeing the little yellow barrel and saying, "OK, that's the yellow barrel, so I know the shark is somewhere around here." It's just a question of when he's going to surface.

Q: You're now directing your second The Walking Dead episode after last season's"Judge, Jury, Executioner." What can you tell us about it?

A: I tend to get these really good dramatic bits in my episodes... I got the script and I read it and it's huge. Every single character in the show has something to do, something to say and there are great dramatic moments. I also had several key moments from the graphic novel that fans will recognize that I had to establish and set up in Episode 5 that will play out through the rest of the season. And then there's a lot more zombie action in my episode. Actually there's a lot more zombie action in every episode this season.

Q: Tell us about the zombie decomposition that's happening in Season 3. How are you changing the ways the zombies are portrayed from season to season?

A: Well one thing I always think about and the rest of the crew can attest to is just how grueling the weather is in Georgia. The sun literally will bake you if you stand out in the sun too long. And one day I'm thinking about it and I'm like, "OK, what would happen to these creatures that have no actual ability to protect themselves from the elements?" So you can only imagine how horrible the smell would be, and what we felt it was important to play up is the idea that these things are becoming dried up and disintegrated and leathery.

Q: We heard there's an animatronic zombie in Season 3. Can you tell us anything about it?

A: The way that they work is the eyes and the jaw are operated via radio control and the neck mechanism is operated by a little handle that comes out of the bottom of the puppet so you can get side to side and up and down neck movements via puppeteering it below frame. So the beauty of that is that you can have it standing there amongst people in makeup and you'll probably pan across it and say, "Wait a minute. How is that thing moving?"

Q: What new tricks have you come up with for the zombie makeups this year?

A: We've been able to do a lot more full-body prosthetics. One thing that I wanted to allow for in Season 3 was, you know, rotted chests and rotted backs. So we sculpted male and female rotted torsos that get glued directly to the performers. And one of the ideas we like playing up was that the walkers, because they are rotting and decomposed, is that they're sort of putrefying -- so if you come in contact with any of them and you slash at them, parts of them might sort of liquefy and come off.

Q: What can you tell us about Michonne's pets? What's unique about them?

A: They're missing their arms, their jaws and their teeth... We actually sculpted the front of the walkers' faces out about an inch and a half, so when you see the walkers on camera, those are not their real eyes -- those are glass eyes that are built into the prosthetic. But by building the prosthetic piece out, we were able to deemphasize their real chin, which was covered under the foam latex piece, so you could stand on set and look at their faces and not see their chin, as if their entire jawbone was torn out. It was a really good marriage of a practical prosthetic face, prosthetics on the body and then the visual effects that erased the arms. It's pretty amazing

Q: In Season 1 you played several zombies, whereas in Season 2 you played not a one. Will you be playing any zombies this Season?

A: I had a prosthetic all set for me for Season 2 -- I was going to be the zombie that bit Patricia (Jane McNeill) in the last episode. But that was our last of shooting and it just got to the point where I literally couldn't afford the two hours to reset, go to the makeup trailer, get made up and come back. But I have plans for Season 3. I've just got to find the right one.

~amc.com

5 NEW 'PARANORMAN' MOVIE POSTERS

A small town comes under siege by zombies. Who can it call? Only misunderstood local boy Norman (voiced by Kodi Smit-McPhee), who is able to speak with the dead. In addition to the zombies, he’ll have to take on ghosts, witches, and worst of all, moronic grown-ups to save his town from a centuries-old curse. But this young ghoul whisperer may find his paranormal activities pushed to their otherworldly limits.

The voice cast includes Academy Award nominee Casey Affleck (The Killer Inside Me), Tempestt Bledsoe (“The Cosby Show”), Jeff Garlin (Toy Story 3), John Goodman (Red State, Matinee, Monsters, Inc.), Bernard Hill (Titanic), Academy Award nominee Anna Kendrick (Up in the Air), Leslie Mann (Rio), Christopher Mintz-Plasse (Fright Night 3D, How to Train Your Dragon), Kodi Smit-McPhee (Let Me In), Tony and Emmy Award winner Elaine Stritch (“30 Rock”), Tucker Albrizzi (Good Luck Charlie), Alex Borstein (“Family Guy”), and Jodelle Ferland (Case 39, Silent Hill, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse).

YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE...

Westboro Baptist Church Military Protest Countered By Zombies

News

A Westboro Baptist Church protest was overshadowed Friday when demonstrators dressed as zombies gathered at a DuPont, Wash. military base to counter the radical group's efforts.

After members of the controversial Kansas-based church announced plans to picket Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a military base south of Seattle, 27-year-old Melissa Neace decided to organize a counter-protest, launching a Facebook group titled "Zombie'ing Westboro Baptist Church AWAY from Fort Lewis!"

"We wanted to turn something negative around, into something people could laugh at and poke fun at," Neace told the News Tribune. "It was the easiest way to divert attention from something so hateful."

About 300 counter-protesters showed up in varying degrees of zombie garb, far outnumbering the picketers from Westboro. According to KIRO in Seattle, just eight protesters from the controversial group showed up.

"I think that their message is very hateful, and Jesus was not a hateful person. He loved everybody," one of the counter-protesters told KIRO.

While it is unclear why Westboro Baptist Church targeted the DuPont military base for its latest effort, the group frequently pickets military funerals. The group believes that deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq are God's punishment for the United States' tolerance of homosexuality. Last year, the group announced it would "quadruple" protest efforts after the Supreme Court ruled that such demonstrations are protected by the First Amendment.

~huffingtonpost.com