Always watch your back in a cemetery

Can't be too careful...

Dave Stewart’s ‘Zombie Broadway’ Graphic Novel Heads to Big Screen

Eurythmics member and record producer Dave Stewart will begin production on a film adaptation of his Virgin Comics graphic novel Zombie Broadway, Deadline reports.

Described as a “horror musical,” Zombie Broadway lives up to the promise of its eye-catching title: usical theater actors fight off waves of the undead with the power of song. The 2008 graphic novel was created by Stewart along with David Harris and co-writer Christine Schenley.

The film has already found a screenwriter and director in Cole Haddon (NBC’s Dracula) and acclaimed music video director Jonas Akerlund, respectively.

“I’ve always been obsessed with the idea of film married with a story and music,” Stewart said. “Jonas [Akerlund] has shot loads of music videos, but one of the first ones that caught my attention was ‘Smack My Bitch Up.’ I was not let down when I met him, not only with his wild imagination but his ability to execute his ideas under massive duress of time and budget.”

The Butler producers Pam Williams and David Jacobson are set to produce. The film’s music will come courtesy of Dave Stewart and Michael Bradford; Stewart will also executive produce.

Zombie Broadway is expected to begin filming in 2015.

~comicbookresources.com

Kickstarter Project: Zombie Boy Comics Volume 1: Some Kind of Horrible

Zombie Boy Comics: Some Kind of Horrible 
collects the first 200 Zombie Boy comic strips by award-winning cartoonist Mark Stokes.

Zombie Boy Comics follows the afterlife and times of "living challenged" Morgan McCorkindale, a.k.a. Zombie Boy, and his pals Duncan, Beatrice, Claustria, Boog and Solstice. It posts three times a week at zombieboycomics.com. The strip has been posting online since August, 2010. The purpose of this Kickstarter is to collect the first 200 Zombie Boy comic strips into a softcover book for the first time ever!

Zombie Boy Comics Volume 1: Some Kind of Horrible 
will be a 9.5 x 6" 124 page full-color softcover collection of the first 200 Zombie Boy strips, plus exclusive never-before-seen material!

KICKSTARTER EXCLUSIVES include a custom bookmark, a custom postcard, a custom made vinyl Zombie Boy sticker, an ORIGINAL ZOMBIE BOY COMIC BOOK, original sketches and illustrations, ORIGINAL ZOMBIE BOY COMIC STRIP ART and GUEST APPEARANCES IN A ZOMBIE BOY COMIC STRIP, with optional animated versions!

Zombie Boy Vinyl Sticker 5" x 5"

An example of an animated Zombie Boy comic strip.

Risks and challengesr

I've successfully published three comic books and have done pre-production on numerous print projects over the years. All the interior book art is completed, so it is mostly going to be prepping this work for print. Risks could occur either in printing delays or in the custom art involved with the Rewards. Should any delay occur at any point, you will be promptly informed.

For questions or to make a pledge, click here!

The Walking Dead spin-off we wanna see!

Rock Zombie Is Bringing Hard Rock And Side-Scrolling Combat Action To The Wii U

EnjoyUp Games has announced that it will be publishing Quaternion Studio's Rock Zombie on the Wii U eShop.

Billed as a tribute to classic arcade combat titles like Final Fight and Golden Axe, Rock Zombie features three playable characters — all members of a female rock group — who have to brawl their way through hordes of the undead. It would appear that it also has driving sections which include a car and motorobike.

Here's the full and gory press release:

What would happen if a concert of a female rock band was invaded by a horde of zombies? The answer to that question can be found in this videogame which combines both, classic gameplay from the Arcade Golden Age with modern 3D graphics.

Features

20 levels filled with addictive action where you will fight all kinds of enemies, ride motorbikes, drive cars and much more.

• A terrifying story told through 300 comic strips inserted between the action sections of the game.
• Three awesome characters to choose from: Zoe, Sasha, and Crystal.
• A wide range of weapons, costumes and concept art, and loads of unlockable collectible material at the Zombie Museum.
• An OST that combines Hard Rock, Nu Metal and Alt Rock that will immerse you into a really dark and rainy urban atmosphere.

EnjoyUp Games aim at releasing Rock Zombie in time for Halloween in North America.

~nintendolife.com

The Virtual Stage to Present On Death's Door: Plague of the Zombie Syndrome - Oct. 7 to Nov. 2, 2014

The Virtual Stage presents Andy Thompson's all-new immersive and harrowing theatrical adventure with On Death's Door: Plague of the Zombie Syndrome - Oct. 7 to Nov. 2, 2014 at a top-secret location in Vancouver. The production marks the third year of the company's smash-hit Zombie Syndrome series, which has previously seen teams of audience members work together to save the world and elude the undead in downtown Vancouver and on Granville Island.

Last year, winning teams captured the crooked Sgt. William Sullivan and found the only cure for the deadly virus. Unfortunately, despite the groups' success in their mission, the Centre for Disease Control has discovered the Zombie Syndrome virus is somehow being laced in a highly potent street drug known as "Death's Door." Officials from the Department of National Defence, desperate for reinforcements, are once again calling audience members to duty. In this brand new interactive, smartphone-enabled, and clue-breaking adventure, thrill-seeking audiences must infiltrate and take down the shady criminal network behind Death's Door, stem the pandemic, and save the world.

"We are really excited to situate this new piece, On Death's Door: Plague of the Zombie Syndrome, within an urban jungle," says Andy Thompson, The Virtual Stage's award-winning Artistic Director and creator of The Zombie Syndrome. "This third installment of our annual event follows a completely new story line: The military is now working with the Centre for Disease Control to hunt down a mysterious and dangerous villain. Everything that was 'cool' about the last two years' shows returns in this original adventure - from smartphone challenges to alternate endings to a unique role for each audience member."

Last year's production of The Zombie Syndrome: On Death Island enjoyed sold out shows, and was nominated for a 'Critics' Choice Innovation' Jessie Award. The 2012 inaugural production of The Zombie Syndrome also garnered that award nomination, as well as a 'Significant Artistic Achievement' Jessie Award nomination for 'Logistical and Technical Innovation.'

The exact starting point of On Death's Door: Plague of the Zombie Syndrome will remain undisclosed until the day before the mission, when audiences will be contacted with instructions for a top-secret rendezvous point somewhere in Vancouver. Once the audience has gathered, they are assigned various roles as a team of specialists and embark on an exciting high-stakes adventure to preserve the human race.

"The unique Zombie Syndrome experience continues to evolve, taking into account information gathered from previous years," adds Thompson. "On Death's Door: Plague of the Zombie Syndrome is an all-new story, so it can be thoroughly enjoyed by newcomers and returning audiences alike. The sites in the circuit this year are fun, dynamic, theatrical, and spooky."

This highly interactive theatrical scavenger-hunt features technical elements requiring audiences to use smartphones (only one per group required) to navigate through the show and crack clues in their epic quest.

Participants are encouraged to wear walking shoes, dress for the weather, and be prepared to move. As the stars of the show, the audience travels from site-to-site, gathers clues from sudden allies, and faces challenges they must overcome in order to proceed to the next scene. While racing against the clock, teams must maintain constant vigilance - as they never know what's coming next or lurking around the corner on this exhilarating zombie tour!

Additional information about the production, and what to expect, can be found at The Virtual Stage's FAQ.

Shows run Tuesdays through Sundays with performances starting at 6:30pm, 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm, and 8:30pm. Tickets start at $12.50 (plus tax and service charges) for?"Two-for-One Tuesday Shows" on October 7, 14,?and 21. Regular tickets range from $25 to $35. Special Halloween shows with prizes are $40 to $50. Tickets can be purchased online only at thevirtualstage.org/tickets.




~broadwayworld.com

The Walking Dead TV Series 7 Action Figures Are Announced

AMC’s The Walking Dead is now the most watched drama in basic cable history! As it continues to shatter records with the release of each new season, McFarlane Toys keeps announcing new waves of figures. McFarlane Toys has just announced The Walking Dead TV Series 7 Action Figures, featuring all new versions of Michonne and Carl, with Gareth and Mud Walker making their official debut into action figure form!

Each highly articulated human figure features the likeness of the actor and come with multiple accessories. And each zombie included features an amazing attention to detail and unique play-action for maximum fun!

MICHONNE 
In season 4, Michonne has lowered her guard a bit and formed an unlikely friendship with Rick’s son Carl. Michonne reveals her traumatic past to Carl and the events that lead to her surviving the apocalypse alone. Traveling along the train tracks on the road to Terminus, Michonne enjoys a can of cheese, proving that sometimes even the most deadly warrior needs to enjoy the little things in life. This figure comes with approximately 22 points of articulation, katana sword with sheath, Terminus memorial candle and a can of cheese. This figure is currently available for pre-order here.

CARL GRIMES 
Carl Grimes, who started out as a shy little boy is season 1, has now become battle hardened by the dramatic events of the most recent seasons. In season 4, Carl’s abilities to protect himself and other survivors have greatly improved. His youth still shows at times, losing one of his shoes during a preventable walker encounter and indulging in a scrumptious can of pudding. This figure comes with approximately 22 points of articulation, removable sheriff’s hat, knife, flashlight, Terminus memorial candle and a can of pudding. This figure is currently available for pre-order here.

GARETH 
Introduced during the season 4 finale, Gareth is the smooth talking leader of the Terminus encampment. Based on the events of that final episode, in which he captures Rick and his group of survivors, Gareth clearly has an alternate agenda to help his people outlive this zombie apocalypse by any means necessary. This figure comes with approximately 22 points of articulation, pistol and Terminus memorial candles. Also included is a rotting human carcass, stripped of its meat and hinting at Gareth’s true intentions for Rick’s Group. This figure is currently available for pre-order here.

MUD WALKER 
The only thing worse than having a walker coming at you is having one sneak up on you…the Mud Walker embodies this most terrifying scenario. During season 4 episode “Too Far Gone,” an unsupervised girl accidently unearths a walker buried in the dirt beside her. The Mud Walker figure exemplifies this gruesome character, complete with decomposing body and a worm coming out of his nose. You can also split this undead figure in half and mount his upper body on his mud-covered base with flash flood sign to recreate this iconic scene. This figure is currently available for pre-order here.

~actionfigurefury.com

Almost there!

You know you want it! The Walking Dead Fish Tank LED Paperweight!

Coming early December 2014 for around $20!

Check out the characters of 'TWD' spin-off!

Press Release:

“There are many corners of ‘The Walking Dead’ universe that remain unseen in the shadows. Being given the opportunity to shine a light into those corners and see what lurks out there is an absolute thrill. I know the fans are anxious to hear what Dave and I have been cooking up for this new universe of ‘The Walking Dead,’ and I’m happy to be one step closer to sharing it with them.” 

SEAN CABRERA | A Latino male in his early 40s, Sean is a good man trying to do right by everyone in his life.

CODY CABRERA | Sean’s whip-smart and rebellious teenage son. Known as the angriest kid in town.

NANCY TOMPKINS | A thirtysomething single mom to two kids, Nancy looks like the girl next door, but there’s an edge to her.

NICK TOMPKINS | Nancy’s screwed up teenage son. He’s too old to stay home, too scared to flee.

ASHLEY TOMPKINS | Nancy’s mostly level-headed teenage daughter. Her ambition is in direct proportion to her older brother’s failures. She loves her mom but it’s time to get out of Dodge.

ANDREA CHAPMAN | A somewhat wilted flower child, fortysomething Andrea — yep, another Andrea! — has retreated to the outskirts of the city to recover after a horrible marriage.

Just how accurate are the undead in 'The Walking Dead?'

AMC

Considering The Walking Dead is a show about a bunch of people being pursued across the smashed landscape of post-apocalyptic America by hopeless swarms of reanimated corpses, you'd probably assume that "technical accuracy" wouldn't be high up on the producers' list of priorities. 

However, practicalities of zombie-ism aside, the show's executive producer, Greg Nicotero, has resorted to some terrifying methods to ensure that all of the shambling ghouls decompose in a realistic way.

Nicotero, who claims to have done extensive research into the various stages of corpse decomposition (presumably in his basement), has the show's makeup team pay special attention to how the zombies' skin has been affected by heat and dehydration, considering that unlike the show's target audience, the undead hordes spend most of their time outside.

Thanks to The Walking Dead's crazy devotion to nightmarish details, the show's prosthetics are also constantly evolving to reflect the gradual decomposition of the zombies as the series progresses. For instance, in the first season, the zombies were relatively fresh-faced (for undead monsters):

As the episodes go on, however, those faces steadily become more disfigured, with the zombies' eyes sinking in and their skin pulling back to tighten around their horrible skulls:

AMC
Season 2

AMC
Season 3

AMC
Season 4

Additionally, compare these zombie kills in the first two seasons to the ones in season three and four. Notice how later in the series, eliminated zombies fall apart as if they were made out of mashed potatoes and soggy toilet paper, because that's what would happen to six-month-old dead bodies that had been baking out in the humid Georgia heat. 

So the next time you hear somebody criticizing The Walking Dead for having characters that don't evolve, feel free to correct them. The zombies totally evolve. It's just the humans that don't develop in any meaningful way.

~cracked.com

Why zombies shouldn't play baseball

Check out this 'Last of Us/Resident Evil' mash-up!

Naughty Dog’s 2013 Game of the Year The Last of Us is something of a spin on the zombie sub-genre, with people being turned viciously aggressive by a mutated strain of the Cordyceps parasite. But how would the game’s two main characters, Joel and Ellie, do in another hit video game with zombie-like enemies, Resident Evil 4?

One modder decided to extract Joel and Ellie from the hell that is the world inThe Last of Us and drop them right into the hell that is the world in Resident Evil 4 so we can see for ourselves.

~geeksofdoom.com

Zombie Fest 10/18 Fairview, OR

Energy Events has teamed up with the Dead for one of the coolest and scariest events this Halloween! It will be a battle - Survivors vs. Zombies! Afterwards, join us for the party at the “Zombie Fest” featuring Kraken Rum, Cuervo Cinge Tequila, and local microbrews available to everyone over 21 years of age.

Zombie Prom 10/4 Connellsville, PA to benefit animal group

Animal SnipPets is a spay/neuter organization that focuses on the trapping, neutering and returning of stray/feral cat colonies in the Fayette County area.

Its purpose is to decrease the feline population through spaying/neutering. Organizers say the decrease will reduce the number of cats being euthanized by animal control facilities.

“We have spay/neutered nearly 350 cats and kittens so far this year, but could do so many more if we had more volunteers.

“We so appreciate all of the volunteers that help with fundraising, but we really need people who would be willing to trap and transport,” said Animal SnipPets President Kellie Rohaley.

In order to help with costs, a unique fundraiser is being planned for Oct. 4.

Animal SnipPets will hold its first Zombie Prom starting at 7 p.m. at Murphy Hall in Connellsville.

Those who want to be a part of the fun must buy tickets by Tuesday. There will be no tickets sold at the door.

Call 724-366-4455 or 412-691-2164 for tickets. Only 150 tickets will be sold. For more information, visit Animal SnipPets' Facebook page.

The event will end at midnight.

There will be a dance contest to the music of “Thriller.” Prizes will be awarded for the best dressed and most original zombie costumes. A king and queen zombie will be crowned and will be awarded prizes along with a prize for the dance contest winner.

Haunted prom décor will include tables decorated with black table cloths accessorized by bloody overlays accented with blood-dripped candles. Horror d'oeuvres will be served, including brain dip, cheese head and crackers and zombie eyeballs. Desserts will include brain cupcakes, dirt, zombie trifles and a chocolate fountain. Soda and coffee are included. A cash bar will be available.

Nancy Shultz, Animal SnipPets volunteer and an organizer of the event, said sponsors for the evening include Dr. Lillian Ronzio School of Holistic Health, state Rep. Deberah L. Kula, Martucci Funeral Home, Health Insurance Store, West Apple Tours, Mayor Greg Lincoln, Tzan Insurance, Rich Fright Farm, Living Treasures Animal Park in Donegal, Haunted Hills Estate and CB Printz.

Tickets for the Zombie Prom are $15 or $25 per couple. Only those 18 and older are permitted to attend, must be 21 to purchase alcohol. Photo identification must be shown at the door. Costumes are encouraged but not required.

Animal SnipPets come into a community or private property, wherever there's a need. Members set humane traps. The cats are not hurt. They are spayed or neutered, given shots, and if needed, ear mite medicine, sometimes flea treatments. They are then brought back and released where they were trapped — all at no charge.

Animals Friends in Pittsburgh performs the treatments on the felines, Rohaley said.

To donate, mail checks payable to Animal SnipPets Inc., 341 Adelaide Road, Connellsville, PA 15425.

~triblive.com/

Zombie short film contest

The dead will walk again at MAC TV studio. 

Bloody organs, open wounds and an unquenchable thirst for brains will be on hand at the studio's first-ever zombie fashion show. 

Eleanor Etienne, a member of the production staff at MAC TV, got the idea for a film contest from a librarian at Pere Marquette District Library, where their Claire office is located. She said the contest was timed to coincide with Halloween at the end of October. 

“I had done the zombie run in Mt. Pleasant last year and it’s getting closer to Halloween," she said. "I was like what if we did a zombie film contest?"

Etienne said she didn't have trouble getting her boss and co-workers on board with the idea. Trista Casasant,  a Central Michigan University senior and a production staff member at MAC TV, said it encourages the holiday. 

“I thought it would be a good way for all of us to get in the spirit of Halloween," she said.  

There are minimal requirements for the contest. Dana Kuntzler, a production staff member at MAC TV, said each film must be 10 minutes or less and be appropriate for a PG 13 rating. 

Participation in the contest is open to all age groups, so nominations are not limited to CMU students.

Entries can vary from romantic comedies, horror or any other  genre as long as zombies are involved. MAC TV will also be holding an equipment training class on Sep. 30, in case participants need to use their supplies.  

“We have a few high school students that want to do it. It’s for anybody in the Mid-Michigan area," Kuntzler  said. 

Kuntzler and Etienne said that they hope this will become an annual event at MAC TV, and that it will give people a greater idea of what MAC TV is.

“I’m excited to see more people find out more about MAC TV and realize they can make their own content to go on the channel," Etienne  said.

Casasanta said she is excited to see a vast array of submissions. 

“I think the thing I’m most excited about seeing is so many people participating and seeing how many adaptations we get of zombie films," she  said. 

Those interested in participating in the film contest can call MAC TV at 989-773-9730. 

~cm-life.com