Zombie Cliche Lookout: It’s Good to Have Friends
As I’ve mentioned countless times before, a zombie on its own really isn’t much of a threat (assuming slow zombies, of course), which is why you don’t tend to see zombie stories about a single zombie. The zombie’s strength lies in numbers, and when you see one, you might as well assume there are six more either just out of view, or on their way. That’s just how zombies work.
But of course characters in zombie stories are rarely aware of the rules, and thus frequently underestimate their undead opponents, often to their doom. When a character sees that there’s only a single zombie in their path, they might start feeling a tab over-confident, and press the attack without making sure that no others will show up before the first one can be dispatched.
About this Episode:
I don’t know why, but I really struggle with the concept of showing something – generally a zombie – shambling in from off screen. Maybe it’s just the comic format, but whenever I script a zombie suddenly appearing, it always comes out looking like they’ve just sort of been there and the characters somehow didn’t notice them before. It’s frustrating.
On the other hand, I’m quite happy with how the douchey, blond spikey-haired zombie came out. So at least I have that going for me.
Shameless Self Promotion:
In completely self-serving news, I recently got a short story published in an anthology. The anthology is called Zombies Gone Wild and is out now for Kindle, and I believe will be released soon in paperback as well.
My story is called “The Horrors of Trench Warfare”, and features a zombie attack during the Battle of the Somme in World War I. I haven’t had a chance to read all the other stories yet, but what I have gotten to has been pretty damn interesting.
If you’re into zombies, and I certainly hope you are in you’re hanging out here, then I really hope you check this out. It’s my first time being published in a real book that’s actually being sold to real people, so I’m pretty excited about it.
Discussion Question: Zombie Survival Theme Song
We talk about a lot about surviving the apocalypse and killing zombies, but what’s the point of all that not-getting-eaten-by-undead-cannibals if you can’t do it in style? There is no point.
So, in order to assure that you survive the zombie apocalypse with some class, what’s your zombie-killin’, end-of-the-world survivin’ theme song going to be? And none of this “It’s the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” nonsense.
The two newcomers might have been a bit more worrying if the other two left from the group of four he was dealing with sounded like they were catching up to him. Perhaps more distant sounding zombie noises coming from behind?
Yes indeed, two behind and two in front; Clark should probably stop screwing around.
He certainly needs a reality check, that’s for sure, but in his case I suspect there’s a high probability that it would bounce!
Hmmmm… I’m sure I can come up with better, but off the top of my head: Against the Ionized Odds.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrjECcaUZUo
That brings up something I never thought of but should have: Selling ya’ll on the S.T.AL.K.E.R games…
The S.T.AL.K.E.R games, Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and Call of Pripyat take place in the Zone, a place around Chernobyl that spawned mutants, anomalies, artifacts, and all manner of weird stuff. Fun, though I should warn you Clear Sky has been difficult with scripting issues thus far for me.
Trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUaBRHHU5Ic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7bsD-AnCzw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK07KbfS2nA (this one is best if you want to see some monsters, anomalies and gameplay)
The game is in many ways more realistic (not counting mutants, anomalies, artifacts, etc) than many other FPS like Call of Duty, Halo, etc. Guns can often be wildly inaccurate, you can only sprint and jump so long, carry so much (though more than you should to be fair), etc. The games are old enough to be played on my crappy laptop, though I have to play on the lowest graphics settings and frame rates can get bad at times.
One other thing: I first started playing Build 1935, a demo version the makers released early on, and this led to some disappointment. The demo featured a vast landscape, with a lonely desolate feel, with humans few and far between, monsters outnumbering them. The games have bandits shooting at you every ten feet in the early levels and humans are everywhere, frequently outnumbering the monsters. Annoying in Clear Sky, where you have to constantly respond to help and run clear across the map only to get somebody else screaming for aid from the other end even as you get to the first place five minutes too late.
I never played Stalker, but that sounds kind of badass right there.
Ha, good question Dave… in a post apoc world what would remain of music as we know it? Lately I’m listening a lot to the new album from Muse… the song “Unsustainable” definitely has a post apoc vibe, I recommend you check the videoclip… there are no zombies in it (although that is debatable as one could wonder what do these people run from) but even without zeds it is 3:48 min that you won’t regret spending watching it.
Pretty sweet video, Greg. I’m not familiar with Muse, do they often mix classical instruments in like that? Because I kind of dig that.
Muse can be hard to define, they have done very different stuff and I can’t say I like them all. Their latest album is excellent though. They have certainly mixed rock and classical instruments many times before. This particular “unsustainable” song is quite controversial amongst fans of the band because they use some dubstep… and you tend to find dubstep everywhere these days. But none of these sounds have been “deejayed”, it’s all made using regular instruments which is quite a feat actually.
Since you’re a fan of westerns… what do you think of this one?
Post-apocalyptics kung fu laser cowboys? There is nothing I don’t like about this video. The song is better good too.
hehe, Serenity’s crew would probably fit in the picture too!
I was thinking the same thing, especially with the hologram band.
A last one for today… with zombies teddy bears!
Hah!
Heh. I love that video too. So ridiculous it’s awesome.
I am referring to the Knights of Cydonia, not the zombie teddy bears unfortunately. They don’t really float my boat.
Bruce Springsteen’s “The Rising” would have some irony value (and is a great song), but I think my theme song might be from the Mirror’s Edge soundtrack… “Still Alive”, Lisa Miskovsky. Upbeat and defiant, terribly catchy.
I’ve heard that game has a pretty outstanding soundtrack
Are we talking what we imagine are apocalyptic theme songs, or what we’d be listening to in that apocalypse?
I don’t know how ling the power would last; but I’d probably be listening to a lot of the same stuff I do now, like The Who and Pink Floyd.
For an apocalyptic theme song, anything by Johnny Cash is fine by me.
What we’d listen to during the apocalypse, and you absolutely, positively cannot got wrong with The Who.
I feel like Ride of the Valkyries really would be perfect for an epic zombie showdown. (Of course, it may have been done already and I’m just not remembering).
For general theme music, Pompeii by E.S. Posthumus… the first time I heard it it was the background music in a totally unrelated game (plasma pong), but it really builds up tension and drama just listening to it.
Wagner! Nice!
I found Pompeii by looking up Courage Wolf videos on Youtube. Amazing the kinds of things that you find doing stuff like that. ;D
Eye of the Tiger came to mind….
There’s some stuff from Abney Park, especially their Off the Grid album. They’re mostly Steam Punk, but this album is a good one for what you’re asking about.
I love the zombies in this one. I’m cool with understanding how difficult it is to show zombies wandering in off screen.
And yes, if Clark doesn’t “get it together” soon, we’re gonna have a zombie Clark joining the hordes of zeds.
I’m glad another comicer is weighing in on the difficulty of getting something to appear from the distance in this medium. It’s tough.
Oh, duh. A couple of zombie related songs I happen to like: Elena Siegman 115 and Elena Siegman The One.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bty4-TgBV9I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFEZuQYOoj0&feature=relmfu
Don’t have the Shi No Numa map, but I like setting off 115 in the theater. It usually gets me all pumped up and I start blasting away at warp speed. I frequently die in a pile of bodies because I get caught up in the slaughter, but it is exciting.
What’s Shi No Numa?
One of the Call of Duty World at War Zombie maps: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYWHgixZA7k
And here’s the trailer for Kino Der Toten, my favorite map: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt_aQ85IWUc&feature=player_detailpage#t=49s
I realize it isn’t much to look at for a skilled player, but I’ve pulled round 24 solo, and routinely play into the high teens. (This morning I made it to round 22 in a single try.) I cannot say the same for the other maps, though I do have the excuse that I never play them and haven’t explored more than half the map or so.
Swamp of the Dead
nice shirt man
Yeah, it’s pretty damn cool isn’t it?
A zombie club kid! Who’ll know the difference?
Oh, and “Kid A” is spikey and relax-y enough to keep me going, I think. “How to Disappear Completely” would be a nice, ironic soundtrack to some decapitatin’.
(I’m not here/This isn’t happening…)
And congrats on getting published! Wow!
Thank you, sir!
Bartholomew by Silent comedy.
That or.. Oh my there’s so many.. I’mma have to say, Archies Remixes Love’s In bloom.
That one sounds really familiar, but I can’t recall it. Off to YouTube I guess.
Nah for me I’ll take Metallica “For Whom The Bell Tolls” and I’ll run rough shod over those undead bastards.
That’s a fine song for running rough shod over an army of zombies.
Your comic’s great! One question, what is the shirt on the spiky zed from?
That’s from the Collectible Minifigure DJ.
And thank you for your kind words.
See Clark? You should have killed those two at camp when you had the chance, but noooo, you had to run away and now there’s four of them again. And you’re out of breath from running. And hitting the ground like that.