Zombie Cliche Lookout: Drop ‘Em
When something bad happens in a zombie story, it’s often immediately compounded by something even worse. Gene gets shot, and before Barb can even try to assess the wound, the man that shot him (presumably, anyway) is holding everyone up and gunpoint. Things are not going well for them.
As an example, let’s roll out my favorite old chestnut, Night of the Living Dead. The survivors have a plan: fill up the pickup with the gas pump out back, and make a quick escape. At first, everything goes well. They get the truck off to the gas pump, while the survivors in the house fend of zombies with Molotov cocktails. And then, everything goes to hell. The key doesn’t open the tank lock, and in a moment of frustration and desperation, they manage to blow up it, the truck, and two survivors. Just like that, any hope of escape is squashed. The situation doesn’t really improve from there.
About this Episode:
While you really can’t see it in any of these panels, poor Gene is lying in one of those cool “pools of blood” pieces from BrickForge. I’ve had a few of them for probably a year and a half now, and this is my first opportunity to actually use one. Hopefully I’ll be able to show it off a bit more in a future episode, because I think it looks super cool.
Discussion Question: Risking It All
Not counting loved ones, what is one thing you could see yourself potentially risking everything for during the zombie apocalypse? I’m not counting loved ones here because presumably all of us would risk everything for our kids/wives/husbands/boyfriends/girlfriends.
For me, it’d be any sort of kid in danger. I’m a big slobbery baby about stuff like that, and I’m fairly certain I would do lots of stupid things to try to help, most of which would likely get me eaten by zombies.
Damn this is hard to answer, because I usually don’t take any risky actions with out some careful consideration; even on the fly.
Really if I was to risk my life? It would probably in the defense of some one being attacked by another person. I wouldn’t go out of my way to possibly get myself hurt. I’d probably be as smart as possible about it and the person I saved would probably only see my face if I needed something.
I think this is going to be the most common answer here: I doubt many of us would be able to stand seeing someone getting hurt and not doing anything about it.
And that is why Zombie virus spreads so fast. I’ll help you! Oh, wait whats this?! (CHOMP). Now let’s define what a “kid” is, 20-15-10? younger? I could see myself helping those of to young to help themselves (in my mind that’s 10 or younger) unless of course there is a horde moving in that direction. In that case to bad for you kid, I’m outa here. Still alive for my family and that is priority.
That’s certainly more pragmatic.
This reminds me of your little BOTD game remember when your leave the kid the narrarator said ” Your survive, but good lord your an ass” lolz
That’s the only way to win too 🙂
Holy shit, he’s gonna kill the prisoner using the classic “zombie comes back to life” method!
Discussion: In reality? I’d only put myself on the line if the other guy seemed to know what he/she knew what they were doing. Or, say have been part of the group for sometime and I’ve grown some tie with them. Also kids and elders. Doubt they’d make it far into the apoc, but I would definitely try to save them. Of course, if I see that I can’t help them because eits apparent they’ll die, then there is no point in me trying, now is there?
Nice answer here, Phantom. I really like “if the other guy seemed to know what he/she was doing”. I think that’s true of most of us, but we never really think about it.
I think this discussion topic really depends on the situation. For instance, I wouldn’t be willing to risk my life for much in the beginning, but 3 years in, with no human contact/companionship, I’d be will to risk my ass for the simplest of things just to feel some normality; like a bottle of beer!
I completely agree with you on this one! Who knows where I’d risk my life for after three or for years of experience and deprivation of everything we think of as normal.
On a side-note: three years in, if you risk your life for a bottle of beer…. well presumably this bottle has been bottled more than three years ago. Sadly I had a sip of over-date beer one or two times… that is not an experience I’d like to repeat, it didn’t even taste like beer anymore.
How about we make it a bottle of Bourbon instead? Or, you know, whatever your poison.
Bourbon? at 3 weeks in…
Yeah, it’d probably be hard to come by.
Excellent, excellent point Mark.
Bourbon, red wine hell maybe a nice cigar. When all hope is post I’d end up doing something stupid for sure. Think Zombieland and twinkies
Excellent example, Mark. I’ve never been a wine guy though.
Cheers!
Hey Dave, you said on your Twitter a while ago you’d be be giving away ‘review swag’ in a couple of weeks. What does that mean? Will there be a competition?
Indeed I did.
I’m doing a review for a book that’s coming out on May 22nd. I can’t say anything about it until I post a review, but I’ve got two autographed copies of the book, plus a couple other kind of cool items that go with it.
I’m not 100% on how I’ll pick who gets them yet. I’m thinking some sort of easy contest, perhaps done entirely in the comments or forum.
I’ll do up a proper announcement next Wednesday, along with the review and photos of the swag.
Is it odd that, in my head, the convict has a really bad NY accent? Just checking…
I think it’s kind of awesome, actually.
“While you really can’t see it in any of these panels, poor Gene is lying in one of those cool “pools of blood” pieces from BrickForge.”
The accent was my first thought but the blood was my second. I was wondering where you got that. Way cool!
What’s really cool about them is that they’re shaped to fit in between all the studs. It’s really clever.
All we need now is for Gene to rise up as a zombie and attack the crook.
Helping other people… because I just couldn’t be true to myself if I started getting selfish and looking after me and my family.
It’s nice to see what a helpful bunch we have here.
Very nice radio criminal Bob. Who’s on the other end?
And those liquid elements from Brickforge are great (especially since no worries on the sliding around). Who will get the loose pistol?!
Assuming we’re also leaving out other members of the group, I’d probably be most drawn to helping a dog. Ultimately, I’d probably leave it, depending on the circumstances, but it’d be a definite gut-wrencher for me.