Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Halloween. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 31 - The Last Zombie

The Last Zombie
I thought it would only be fitting if we extinguished the Zombie Infestation with the aptly named comic book, "The Last Zombie."

The comic book explores an interesting concept. Often times in zombie literature the focus is on the breakout event. When the zombies hit, what happens? 28 Days Later took a little spin on that and accelerated the clock by 28 days to where the zombies had pretty much overrun everything. The Last Zombie takes the concept one step further in exploring a world where a zombie outbreak occurred and the was repelled. The disease is still out there, waiting to explode again, but it did its damage to the world in the meantime, leaving society in complete disorder.

All of that is just backdrop and backstory for a personal story of overcoming obstacles to survive and perhaps make some human connections as well.

Zombie fans should definitely check this one out.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 30 - Radioactive Zombie Containment Unit Drums

Zombie Containment Unit Drums
So, if you can't kill a zombie because they're already dead what do you do with them? I guess you've got to build some kind of containment unit. Luckily, you can already purchase one and only for $2.99!

The ad says it all. The zombies glow! The drums glow! The slime glows!

So apparently, not only is this an undead abomination but it's also RADIOACTIVE! The sick minds behind this product actually found a way to make zombies even deadlier. I don't think I've ever heard of radioactive zombies before.

There are five different zombies inside so you can collect... er... contain them all!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 28 - Zombies Prep Emergency Responders

A zombie receives emergency attention
in Shippensburg, PA
On October 27 the Zombie Apocalypse started in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania and it was initiated by the Franklin County Department of Emergency Services.

Why would they unleash a Zombie Apocalypse upon the rest of us? Aren't they here to help us respond to emergencies?

The event was organized as a test of the department's response in the event of a real emergency. The department set up POD's - Points of Distribution - to respond to those impacted by the Zombie Apocalypse.

1LR applauds this creative use of zombies and those men and women who provide critical response services in an emergency. A zombie apocalypse merely represents any large-scale negative event that can impact a community from a disease outbreak to wildfires to tornadoes to flooding. With Hurricane Sandy bearing down on the entire northeast the practice is sure to come in handy.




Saturday, October 27, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 27 - Zombie Costumes

Zombie Disney Costumes
With Halloween right around the corner this one seems like a no-brainer (joke!).


Zombie costumes are so great for trick-or-treating.

First, they're simple and cheap. A zombie costume could be nothing more than throwing on some "normal" clothes and then putting some fake blood around your mouth. Act zombie-ish and you'll be instantly recognized.

But if you wanted to go the extra mile, you apply the zombie template to a preexisting character. This can be done with almost anything. Zombie Mario and Luigi. Zombie pirates. Zombie princesses. Zombie nurses. Zombie Buzz Lightyear. Zombie Obama and Romney. The possibilities are endless!

So you see, zombie costumes range from ultra-easy to as involved as you wanted it to be. But 1LR awards points to those who go for originality in the concept of the costume, like the clever folks in the picture above with nine zombie Disney characters. How awesome is that! But where are the seven zombie dwarves?

Friday, October 26, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 26 - Zombie Humor

◕ ‿ ◕ ~ LMZombies can be funny, right?

Sure they can! What's not funny about the walking dead? Isn't Dawn of the Dead a comedy? Add a laugh track and you'd see the entire film as one gigantic slapstick gag!

As we've noted previously, zombies allow us to take a step back and make observations about ourselves that we may not have otherwise made.

That this little comic sent in by 1LR reader, Bill. We've all been where that guy is. You can see his little heart breaking. He's obviously earnest - he even killed a flower in a vain attempt to please his love. But her body language (hands locked behind her back) says it all - I'm not interested in you.

By zombify-ing a common break-up phrase we realize how lame it actually is.

I think that somebody should create a zombie therapist. Running for your life from the undead would make the fact that he leaves the toilet seat up every once in awhile a little less significant, wouldn't it?

Thursday, October 25, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 25 - Zombies in the Bible

Now, some of you still might be skeptical. Sure, even the Red Cross believes in a zombie apocalypse but you think you know better.

But do you know better than God? That's right. Zombies are in the Bible.

Don't believe me? Check out these verses!

Ezekiel 37:1-10

1 The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. 2 He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. 3 He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?”
I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”
4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones and say to them, ‘Dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! 5 This is what the Sovereign Lord says to these bones: I will make breath[a] enter you, and you will come to life. 6 I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lordsays: Come, breath, from the four winds and breathe into these slain, that they may live.’” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.

Zechariah 14:12
12 This is the plague with which the Lord will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.

Matthew 27:51-53
51 At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and[e] went into the holy city and appeared to many people.

1 Thessalonians 4:15-16
15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep.16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.

Revelation 9:6
6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.

Revelation 20:12-14
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 24 - Red Cross Prepares for Zombies

The Red Cross Prepares for the coming zombie apocalypse.
That's right. This isn't a prank. The REAL Red Cross is actually preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Not a joke!


They've even launched a website fully dedicated to preparing for the zombie apocalypse. Check it out - www.savingzombies.com.

The site features a clock counting down to the end of the world as it is predicted by the Mayan calendar - December 21, 2012!

Listen, it doesn't get any more serious than this and 1LR has been warning you for 24 straight days now. Prepare. The Red Cross doesn't want you to end up becoming one of the shambling undead. Unless you want to be, and then it's okay.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 23 - Zombies VS. Zombie Hunters Plastic Figure Bag

Zombies VS. Zombie Hunters
This one is a guaranteed winner. Remember all of those little plastic army men, cowboys, and indians you used to play with as a kid? Well, now you can have them all join forces to fight off ravenous hordes of flesh eating zombies! Yay!

This bag contains 35 figures including zombies (of course) but also SWAT teams and HAZMAT units.

Notice theat the zombies are green while the humans are blue. That's so you can actually tell them apart.

I could see this bag being a great roleplaying aide for that time when you just can't resist throwing dozens of zombies at your intrepid adventurers. Time to roll up new characters!

Monday, October 22, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 22 - Zombies for Charity

The Littlestown High School senior class will be holding a zombie run this weekend.
zombie run for charity
That's right. When they're not too busy feasting on human flesh, zombies organize themselves for charity. It's about time zombies did something to improve their public image. Have you ever seen the approval numbers of zombies? Let's say they make Obama's numbers look good by comparison.

In the small town of Littlestown, PA (get it - SMALL town), the high school held a zombie run. Half of the money went to the 9/11 first-responders fund, the rest went toward the senior class trip.

For a small entry fee, participants got to run through a woods filled with zombies. Each runner was given three flags (you were able to purchase additional flags). If they reached the other side of the woods with all of their flags they were a survivor.

Apparently those zombies were able to use strategy because they used terrain such as a pond and a bridge to trap their prey.

This seems like a brilliant fundraiser to me. Everyone involved had fun - way more than, say, a car wash where kids scratch your paint job because they're using a sponge that's filled with little pebbles because they dropped it on the ground. Not that that happened to me or anything. Just saying that the zombie run sounds like a much better fundraiser, that's all.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 20 - Zombie Food Truck

Zombie's Food Truck... truly twisted.
Alright, we've seen some pretty sick stuff in the last twenty days but today's entry in Zombie Infestation is by far the sickest. I mean, whoever thought up this idea is truly twisted.

Everyone knows that zombies feast on human flesh (and pretty much any other type of flesh they can get their hands on). So if you were going to open, let's say, a food truck or a restaurant that was zombie themed what foods would you serve? Meat, meat, meat, right? And if you could serve it literally dripping with blood all the better! Maybe you could even work monkey brains onto the menu as a appetizer.

Not so with Zombie's Food Truck. The owners of this ghastly establishment started a zombie themed food service (which is questionable in and of itself) complete with a zombie logo. What do they serve? Only vegan food. That's right - absolutely no meat! Not even eggs!

Now tell me that's not the absolute scariest thing you've heard in a long time. Frightening!

Friday, October 19, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 19 - Zombie Car Window Stickers

I'm sure you're like me and you love those stickers people put in their car windows that represent each member of the family. They reveal so much about the strangers in the car. So today when I was driving I laughed out loud when I saw a van with zombie family stickers in the window. Obviously, this family rocks.
Zombie Family Car Window Stickers

Thursday, October 18, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 18 - Zombie Weddings

At most weddings they say, "'Til death do us part." I wonder what they saying at a zombie wedding? If you're making a vow that goes into the next life now that's REAL commitment! But, hey, if you can find a little lady that'll go along with this I'm pretty sure you've got yourself a winner.
Zombie Bride and Zombie Groom
Zombie wedding cake

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 17 - Night of the Zombie Goldfish


Night of the Zombie Goldfish
At first, zombies and goldfish may seem like an unusual fit. But, in fact, the easy-reader book "Night of the Zombie Goldfish" for kids is brilliant. After all, a goldfish represents innocence and youth and is completely harmless in every way... exactly the opposite of a zombie. AND goldfish are known for going belly-up without warning. What if those goldfish rose from their watery graves...?

Here's the plot: Two ordinary boys own some very ordinary goldfish. But when a science experiment accidentally gets mixed in with their food, these regular pets start becoming a lot more interesting. With a series of bubbles and pops, the slimy fish start growing and changing. Then they step right out of their tank -- and begin marching towards town.

Now, sure, this is suppose to be a funny book. But with that simple premise the author transforms the very symbol of childhood innocence into an undead threat. Additionally, it begins to introduce little kids to the ideas of zombies. Some of the other picture books we've featured for "Zombie Infestation" have actually been intended for adult audiences but this one is actually intended for kids around the first grade. For many kids this might be the first time there's exposed to zombies. And the sooner they learn about the coming zombie apocalypse, the better.

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

31 Day of Zombie Infestation - Day 16 - Zombies!!! Board Game

Zombies!!! Board Game
Zombies!!! is clearly the most popular Zombie themed board game ever. This thing has over a dozen expansions that add all sorts of new elements into gameplay!

I think the simple joy of the game is being able to send scores of little plastic zombies shambling across a simple map. In the game, not only do you move your own piece but you're also able to control the zombies to a degree. You win by reaching the helipad or killing 25 zombies first. Because we all know how the movie ends - every dies eventually... but the winner is simply the one that is best at delaying that inevitable end for as long as possible.

Zombies!!! is just good old fun. Players can't resist moaning like a zombie when it's their turn to move the hungering masses across the map.

Monday, October 15, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 15 - Zombie Cookie Jar

Zombie Cookie Jar
After all of that shuffling around on the 13th (World Zombie Day), I'm sure you were quite famished. Chances are, like most zombies, you failed to find any brains. That's okay. 1LR has the solution! Cookies kept inside a zombie head cookie jar!

Look how practical this jar is. You never have to squeeze your hand into a narrow opening every again! The top of the jar is much wider than the base. Plus, this thing is head-sized and will hold a ton of cookies. Score!

Stylistically, I love the eyes. One is sagging while the other is listing to the side. That really says it all, doesn't it? And the fact that the base cuts off the lower jaw of the zombie actually makes it look like the zombie is rising up from your kitchen counter. Spooky, funny, and cool!

Sunday, October 14, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 14 - Shaun of the Dead

Shaun of the Dead... zombies? Or not?
Zombie comedy. What an odd concept. Yet Shaun of the Dead made it work brilliantly.

Frankly, if you've never seen this film you have got to. No, it's certainly not the best zombie film every made. Nor is it the best comedy ever made. It can barely make up its mind on what it wants to be. In the end, it ends up being a bit of everything. It's a action horror comedy spoof parody wrapped around sharp social commentary.

Shaun of the Dead points out that we all live our lives like zombies. We shuffle through our days with bleary eyes, killing time at meaningless jobs, turning off our brains to stare at the television, and grunting greetings at one another. Maybe that's why so many can identify with zombies. Because in many ways, the zombie infestation has already hit. And we're all already infected.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 13 - World Zombie Day!

Zombiewalkers!
That's right! Today, October 13th, is World Zombie Day! What do you do on World Zombie Day? Well, dress up like a zombie and go on a zombiewalk, of course! The only gift you could possibly give your fellow zombies on this auspicious occasion is brains! Now, where can you get some brains...

Isn't she just darling?
Another question I have is when wishing someone well on World Zombie Day should you say "Happy" World Zombie Day or "Merry" World Zombie Day? Or are positive terms even appropriate to the theme of the holiday? Or would the intent of the holiday be better suited by simply starring vacantly and shambling around groaning random words such as, "Baaacccooonnn ffferrtttiiilllizzzeerrrr ssssaaaannnndddwwwwiiicccchhh..."

If you're curious about World Zombie Day you can check out the website at http://www.worldzombieday.net/!

Either way, to celebrate this, the first day when zombies use the "surge" tactic to take over our world 1LR presents zombie pictures! Enjoy!

Friday, October 12, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 12: Zombie Survival Energy Drink

Zombie Survival Energy Drink
Now, of course, if you pound this bad boy you're going to be able to run faster than any zombie. When I'm running from zombies I don't have to run fast. I just have to run faster than you! To that end, I have three cases of Zombie Survival Energy Drink stashed away in strategic locations. One at home, one in my car, and one in my desk at work.


But this can is useful for many additional purposes other than just consuming its contents for an energy burst. These supplemental uses for the can are described on the can itself.

You can use the can by filling it with rocks and throwing it at a zombie. You can use it as a make-shift gas mask. You can collect rain water with it. I'm sure there are more... the possibilities are endless! Perhaps you could roll it toward the zombies and they'd slip on it and fall in comical fashion!

I hope you're prepared for the coming zombie infestation... tomorrow they're using the "surge" technique. And, no, I'm not kidding.

Thursday, October 11, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 11 - Marvel Zombies

Marvel Zombies
For a long time, Marvel fans were called "Marvel Zombies" by people who didn't like Marvel. Marvel fans were just so dedicated and outsiders just didn't see the attraction.


Much to Marvel's credit, it took this title and pinned it to it's chest like a prized ribbon. Taking the name literally, they launched an entire new universe that featured zombie versions of all of their most popular characters. The results were frightening. Normal zombies can destroy an entire world... but what about zombies with superpowers? They literally can eat all flesh in an entire universe!

The first few Marvel Zombies series featured classic covers reimagined with Zombies. The idea seemed to be played out to its logical conclusion when literally all life in the zombie Marvel Universe was extinguished. But, as we know, zombies will do anything to satiate the hunger. So, the... er... "heroes" starting jumping to other parallel universes. Things got really interesting when Marvel Zombies showed up in the Marvel Universe 616!

Marvel Zombies is the #2 best thing to happen to zombies in the last ten years. #1 is The Walking Dead, of course. But Marvel Zombies boldly went where no other universe has dared to go and literally turned all of its major characters into zombies, thus breaking new ground for zombie fans everywhere.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

31 Days of Zombie Infestation: Day 10 - Pat the Zombie

Front Cover
Pat the Zombie
Zombies invade everything. If not in the real world than certainly in the realm of pop culture. It just seems so easy to apply a zombie template to anything in the world. I'm sure a quick Google search for "zombie Strawberry Shortcake" would turn up some spectacular results. Let's see... yep. Here you go:

Zombie Strawberry Shortcake

So, anyway, that's all a lead up to Pat the Zombie, a spoof of Pat the Bunny. I don't think I can say it better than the publisher so let me just pull exactly what they say about the book:

"In the hemorrhagic vein of other zombie parodies,Pat the Zombie presents trusting toddler Judy playing peek-a-boo with a putrefying Paul. Grownup fans of Pat the Bunny (seven million of them) will find their favorite touch-and-feel features disturbingly re-created: Judy reaches for Zombie’s decaying jaw instead of daddy’s cheek; Paul caresses Mummy’s empty eye socket instead of her wedding ring. Ximm’s twisted wit, Soofi’s sick artistic sensibility, and clever packaging that mimics the original book will bring the undead lurchingly to life in this camp popculture romp."

Sounds like fun to me!