Zombie Cliche Lookout: Little Things
I’ve mentioned it a few times here, but one thing that really bugs me in stories are messy, convoluted situations that could have been easily avoided had people just sat down for a second and talked. A lot of people call them Threes Company Problems, which seems fitting to me. If all the problems between people could be fixed by a two minute conversation, and those character have no reason not to talk, then there’s a problem with the writing.
For a recent example, look no farther than AMC’s The Walking Dead (or don’t, if you aren’t caught up and don’t want to be spoiled). Michonne is a character that seems to be defined as much by her silence as by her sword. In fact, her inability to simply say “Hey, the governor tried to have me killed and also keeps a bunch of aquariums filled with zombie heads” looks to have ended her relationship with Andrea. Instead she simply scowled for a while, then walked away. Not healthy, Michonne.
About this Episode:
Before anyone asks why this kitchen has a refrigerator when the place likely has no power, I have one word for you: generator. I know a few people with rustic cabins, and a lot of them have fridges that simply remain off until people show up for vacation. There are also propane-powered refrigerators for those that don’t want to lug a bunch of gasoline with them.
The fridge, by the way, is inspired by a brilliant design created by Nolnet.
Other News:
I would like to extend a huge thank you to Nicholas for his generous donation to the Bricks of the Dead LEGO® Fund. You rock, Nick!
Discussion Question: Getting to Know People
If you were to meet another survivor in the zombie apocalypse, but could only ask them one question (don’t ask me why, just roll with it) to determine if they were safe or not, what would it be? This is less of a realistic question than a thought exercise, so things like the person’s appearance and how much gear they may or may not be carrying do no factor in.
That’s a brilliant cabin interior, you’ll have to come up with an external generator design now, for when they venture outside again! 😀
Regarding the names thing, I reckon Stew will say something stupid like “But Cheryl, you already know my name’s Stewart!” 😀 That’d be a typical teenager response! 😉
Thanks BrickVoid; I kind of cheated on the walls (completely out of the textured brick and I didn’t want to take apart the other rooms that I’ll likely be using again). The outside should indeed be fun.
question:why the f$&# do you make comics every friday instead of every day?
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, to be fair.
If I could, I’d update five days a week, but I simply don’t have the time to do that. Maybe some day.
If you want a comic with new episodes five days a week, you are welcome to make your own, I guess.
I quite agree. I like your kitchen build there.
And augh! It’s bright! Must be morning.
As to the question….I really don’t know… I suppose a “Can I trust you?” It’s loaded. Can go wrong so many ways… but I suppose I’d be looking for what my gut instincts tell me with how they respond and any inflections in their voice. I suppose the old cliche of what’s your name would work too.
If they’d want to talk, that’d tell me something of if they’re living or not, coherent or not… much as I’d love to be humanitarian, with survival at stake, if I had someone rabbiting and in a panic or state of shock and there’s zombies coming, I may not be able to spare the time to help or be able to help if they’re not responsive.
Of course you can trust me *insert shit-eating grin*
Totally off the cuff and without much thought here: “Yo, you hungry?”
If they’re a zombie they should response with a non-verbal yes, at which point you know to fight, flee, whatever. If they are still living, then you’ve gone and posed a question that suggests friendly intent on your part. A shouted “WHO ARE YOU AND WHAT DO YOU WANT?” (Two questions, I know) might be interpeted as defensive or threatening. Obviously if they react badly by freaking out at your presence or demanding your food at gunpoint you need to reassess your new relationship.
“If they’re a zombie…” this made my laugh. Nicely done, Bob.
Since you already referenced The Walking Dead, let me do the same.
My question would be, “How many people have you killed?”
Assuming they tell the truth, how high or low the number is would say a lot about their character. A higher number would indicate several things: they’ve become so desensitized to death and/or killing people that they don’t have much trouble doing so; they’re a sociopath who just kills people because they enjoy it; they’ve seen a lot more action – and possibly betrayal – than any one person could deal with which now (to me) makes them unstable and possibly unpredictable due to paranoia, schizophreny or any number of other mental conditions that would make them a liability to my survival.
On the other hand, too low of a number would indicate that either they’re way too new to the new world order to be trusted if things turned ugly with other survivors, or they’re some kind of pacifist or coward who runs from confrontations, which would still make them a liability in a hairy situation.
A mid-to-low number would indicate that, while they’re not afraid to do what’s needed to survive, they’re not going to kill me in my sleep and take my stuff – at least, so long as I prove myself to be trustworthy.
Of course, what constitutes “high”, “mid” and “low” numbers would rely completely on how long into the zed apocalypse we are. If it’s only a few weeks in and they claim to have killed 20 or more people, then that’d be a tad high. On the other hand, if it’s several years in, and they haven’t killed anyone or just a small handful of people, that would definitely fall into the second category.
“On the other hand, too low of a number would indicate that either they’re way too new to the new world order to be trusted if things turned ugly with other survivors, or they’re some kind of pacifist or coward who runs from confrontations, which would still make them a liability in a hairy situation.”
This could also indicate that they are lying, which seems quite likely.
That’s an easy to reply to question.. Well for me but I’m actually rather good at answering questions.
I love this idea. It is really asking so many other questions, too. Even just *how* they answer can tell you so much. Are they proud? Weary? Upset talking about it? Do they answer with one word or tell it as a “story” to build camaraderie?
I can see a whole short story blossoming from this idea, Kim.
i’ve got a question dave, would a Hybrid make a good car in teh aopcalypse?
Possibly. The gas savings would be nice, but it wonder how well the battery would hold up. I remember reading a while back that the lifetime of those things was something like a decade, which isn’t too long.
well i do make pretty good grades, but im not sure how long a decade is. and hybrids and smart cars are for small people like bilbo baggins, and will smith.
A decade is ten years.
And not all hybrids are small (although the smaller ones are much more efficient). There are hybrid SUVs and full sized trucks.
what i need for an apocalypse, is a nice barred up, 2 story RV or trailer, and i live clsoe to a trailer park, so that couldn’t be a problem for personal space.
Up-armored British double-decker bus?
A hybrid car sounds nice an all; but how will you handle the electromagnetic pulse that’s sure to accompany a nuclear detonation?
I’d be more apt to go with something made in the late Sixties or early Seventies, with points and condensers instead of computers and microchips.
Something to think about.
Damn good points. Even absent an EMP, mechanical parts will likely be much easier to repair or replace than electronic.
Remember that the earliest cars were designed to be repaired by a blacksmith. That’s the way to go. Not terribly efficient, but reliable and easy to repair.
I think the gas would run out very quickly. Look to Hurricane Sandy as your example here. How long did the gasoline last? About a day? We rely upon just-in-time delivery for all of our goods in the US, and fuel especially so. When the refineries go down and delivery stops, we’re hosed. Gasoline only stores for about a year with a hearty dose of Sta-Bil. Diesel lasts a little longer; but newer supercharged Diesel motors are more fragile than their earlier examples.
There’s no easy answer to this question. The safe bet is to have enough fuel on hand to get to your retreat. If you have to cache it along the route do it. Then plan on bot having a vehicle until you’re on the other side of the Crunch.
I figured you would get hassled more about the sink/faucet than the fridge. Although I do know guys with rustic cabins that have some degree of running water but no commode or septic system.
Good call there, Damage. I’ve been to a few cabins that had a well for the kitchen sink, but an outhouse rather than an indoor bathroom.
my uncle has one, he says that it takes like 30 pounds worth of mustle to pull the string up, i tried it, and only pulled it up half-way, i hate corssbow’s.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t a 30 lb draw quite light? Can you even hunt with it?
im not sure if its legal or not, i htink that it is
I’m not sure. I’m looking for Michigan laws, and everything I’m reading states there isn’t a minimum draw weight. I was thinking it was 40 or 45 lbs for some reason.
it was something like that, i still hate crossbow’s though.
I’ve always thought they were kind of cool, but never really had much desire to use one.
I always though that the legal minimum was 45lbs for a compound bow also. I have known guys who hunted with compounds as light as 55lbs and took deer with them. But no way thats penetrating a skull unless you get lucky and hit they eye socket.
From what I was reading, the limit is state by state (no clue how they do it in the rest of the world), with quite a few states not having a limit. That really surprised me.
yeah you want a 55lb+ draw.
Anyway, Dave, speaking of your faucet…do you remember the faucet pcs they used to make? Oh an I love your fridge man! haha
55 lbs and up sounds a lot better.
You know, I don’t have any of those old faucets, but I see them in MOCs every now and then and want one. Might be time for a BrickLink order.
On my first collection (as a kid) I had a few of them….but that collection is long gone now. Wish I still had that collection to add to my current one. 🙁
I still have all (or at least most) of my childhood collection. It’s kind of awesome.
Even 55lbs is pretty light, most commercial crossbows are well over 100lbs draw weight. Typically they are cocked by placing the front of it on the ground and putting your foot though the stirrup on the end, Then you bend at the waist and pull back the string as you rise. I have never seen anyone grasp the string directly in their hands because its a good way to loose a lot of skin. Typically there is a yoke/pulley accessory to give you some mechanical advantage. You also not supposed to leave them cocked for more then a few hours at a time and the string needs to be replaced every couple of hundred shots. They are also a lot louder then you would think. If I were Daryl I would have hung mine up a long time ago in favor of one of those silenced handguns.
Oh oops! I didnt realize we were talking about crossbows haha….I was thinking compound bows!
i hate all kinds for bow’s
Nothing wrong with bows. I’ve been wanting to try out some archery for a few years now. I just need time and money… anyone holding their breath?
I would hold my breath, but I am in the same boat as you, want to try it, just no money or time.
I love bows…better talent to hunt with a bow than a slug thrower. Dave, I am in the same boat. My dad gave me a bear to fix up….still going to cost me $200 to fix it up haha!
Have 2 bows here.. Did a little bow fishing last year, so no I’m not really holding my breath. Though I’m starting to have a heavy distaste for compound bows.
Meh. 30 pounds is still weak for a bow of any kind. Not something I’d trust to go through a zombie noggin. I’d want 80 pound plus. I’d also want loads of practice time, since I haven’t shot a bow in years and the highest strength I ever drew was a 60 pounder in a traditional style.
Admittedly I was about 20 pounds lighter back then and the guy laughed when I asked to pull it, but I not only pulled it but held it back, shocking the hell out of him. Thusly I imagine an 80 pounder is within my abilities, though I wouldn’t want to be firing massive numbers of shots in a brief period of time.
hey dave, they have a little survival kit at wallmart that comes with a bow and a target, but if you really wanted to go to archery, you could’ve gone to scout camp. dave
I don’t know about a Wal Mart survival kit. Seems to me if I’m going to buy a bow, I might as well buy a decent one. Buy once, cry once and al that.
I haven’t seen any of The Walking Dead after the first abbreviated season, so I can’t speak to the loudness of their weapons. I will say though, that a suppressed handgun is still loud. The advantage of a can is that it is quiet enough that it doesn’t require ear pro. The zombies sure would hear it.
My one question to ask is “How many are in your party?” I tend not to trust loners is general, and lone wolf survivalists in particular. My concern is that a lone wolf will try to kill me and steal my gear, or at best can’t play nicely with others. A family man is more likely to cooperate to get what he needs. Knowing how many also lets me how to adjust my own plans, and whether I am willing to join up, part amicably, or fight it out. I don’t go in for large groups that think that democracy is the order of the day. I don’t run a democratic outfit; and if they think that utilitarianism “greatest good for the greatest number” flies in my group, they can keep on walking. This is not a game of Lifeboat. This is me looking out for my family; and my family of four is not giving its supplies to fifty starved-out scarecrows just because they outnumber us.
I love your notions on loner survivalists. If they’re alone, there’s probably a reason, and odds are that reason isn’t good.
Well I have a question for you Bo if you don’t mind that is.
What are your requirements for a new member of a survival society?
1.) Have something to live for. A man with nothing to lose doesn’t do me any good. Having a family you can care for is a plus.
2.) Have a sense of what’s mine and what’s yours. I won’t take your goods, and I won’t give you mine.
3.) Bring something to the table besides your own gear. Know how to plant a garden, work on engines, raise chickens, or anything else besides loot and pillage. Unless you have experience as a trainer, military or civilian, knowing how to shoot alone just won’t cut it.
4.) Be able to get along with a group. Even though I don’t run a pure democracy, diplomacy is still important.
That’s actually a rather good deal you got going on there then. Love the criteria over all, especially with the bring something to the table.
Hey Bo… Can I join your group? 🙂
1) I have a family. Daughter just turned two 🙂
2) We are going to get along just fine. You have obviously worked hard to keep and procure your items and set up… who am I to take advantage?
3) Have turned the existing “ornamental” gardens into food producing gardens at my house. Can build to a good solid standard. And a few other skills I can bring to the group.
4) Been playing team sports and working with other people in customer facing roles for years… so can tow the group party line or lead as required etc.
Yeah, I am actually pretty easygoing. Sometimes writing about the ZPAW amps me up a little.
Hmmmm, one question?
“Tell me a bit about yourself.”
A big open question, generally people like to talk about themselves, and what is important to them etc etc… they can give as much or as little information as they are comfortable with during the answer too.
And if they flat out refuse and say No… then that says something as well.
I reckon anyone that wants to survive in a apoc world should at least do some reading and stuff on personality types and that sort of jazz. I’m a manager in my office, and learning about how different personality types think and tick makes me better able to work with them, and them with others.
“I reckon anyone that wants to survive in a apoc world should at least do some reading and stuff on personality types and that sort of jazz. I’m a manager in my office, and learning about how different personality types think and tick makes me better able to work with them, and them with others.”
This is a fantastic point, Mad. Well said!
I think you should add a few more characters to this comic 🙂 like for instance a stripper or like a wrestler or something
A stripper or a wrestler? Interesting ideas, but I don’t know how well they’d fit in.