Kickstarter has become an integral part of many independent projects; I’ve contributed to a few myself, and the ZRC endorsed the Detroit Needs Robocop Kickstarter campaign as a thoroughly Zombie Friendly project, so it’s with some sadness I have to report that it can be used for nefarious, plushy evil as well:

It’s coming… the ZOM horde!!! And it’s going to be the cutest zombie apocalypse ever.

Until now, ZOMs have all been hand-sewn and only available for sale at conventions, art galleries, and on Etsy. But the demand for these plushy little brain-eaters is starting to turn epidemic.

“What can I do?” you ask.

Pre-order here to support the first commercial run of ZOMs and get one (or more) of the first edition, most highly collectible ZOMs ever!

Once we’ve reached the first-level goal of $5000, we’re ready to start production on a batch of “Horace” dolls, the first ZOM I ever created. So pre-order one or ten or more, or make it personal and order a custom ZOM. You’re account will be debited only when the kickstarter ends and we have reached the goal. Then when your ZOM arrives, you can report your precious little bundle of horror on the ZOM Outbreak tracking map at zoms.com, and watch the epidemic spread from the relative safety of your home.

ZOMs are, if you follow the link or watch the above video, a line of adorable, plushy Zombie stereotypes. Dripping with blood, mouths agape, they’re cuddly but incredibly regressive, and the plush toy line seems engendered to, much like Plants vs. Zombies, push the incredibly harmful Zombie Apocalypse myth via another ‘family friendly’ product. Sure, people will find these particular Zombie-like creations adorable, but that adorable-ness only serves to get a foot in the door, the foot of hatred and prejudice.

Yes. A foot of hatred and prejudice.

At any rate, the secretive and nefarious cabal behind ZOMs is now looking to have batches professionally made, and have started a Kickstarter campaign in order to raise money. Thus is the power of working together, of Solidarity if you will, turned against the Zombie Community. We here at the ZRC cannot condemn this sad turn of events enough. If adorable Anti-Zombiism makes it out of the beachhead already established by ZOMs, where will it end? This could be the next major breakthrough in the ever-evolving media campaign against the Differently Animated.

So please, don’t donate to the campaign. I know the temptation, how attractive it might seem to have your very own cuddly plush Zombie. I realize that such products, even imperfect, are few and far between. But hold fast, please, and save your money for more Zombie Friendly products! Resist the siren call of huggable, fuzzy, yet still Anti-Zombie toys.

The ZRC is compelled to award ZOMs, based on their marketing and furtherance of the ‘Outbreak’ mythology, our lowest rating, that of Living Supremacist.

Thanks to BuyZombie for bringing this campaign to our attention.

Tags: Anti-Zombie Products

This entry was posted by John Sears on Monday, March 14th, 2011 at 2:42 pm and is filed under Zombie Media. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.