Posted By John Sears on June 21, 2012

We posted our tentative public schedule a bit earlier this summer, but it’s good to confirm things as they shape up (or not) so the ZRC is happy to announce it will be attending Flashback Weekend this year in Chicago (August 10th-12th).

However, we’re only attending this show, not vending, so there won’t be any ZRC booth per se to purchase Zombie Friendly swag at and/or argue with us about Zombies and their status as people (sorry).

It should be a good event with lots of outreach opportunities. Tony Todd, Jeffrey Combs and Barbara Crampton will be in attendance, all of whom could stand to treat Zombies a bit better in their professional careers. Flashback will also be screening ‘The Zombie Factor’ (previously covered on the blog here) and a variety of Chicago-area Undead celebrities will be there, including Kitty Zombie.

Should be a good time. If you see us (we’ll be the ones with picket signs and pamphlets) make sure to say ‘Hi’ and feel free to take the time to learn a little more about Zombie Rights.

Category: ZRC News | No Comments »
Tags: Public Appearance

Posted By John Sears on June 19, 2012

I like this trend of Zombie-themed restaurants for two reasons: 1) If restaurants start catering to the Zombie subculture, they may start marketing specifically toward Zombies/Zombie discretionary income and 2) It gives me an excuse to eat out for the ZRC.

So I was pleased to see Laughing Squid’s piece on a Zombie themed, and from the photos provided, relatively Zombie Tolerant eatery:

I was surprised to find out that Zoomies had closed and another burger joint had been “resurrected” in its place, a restaurant called Zombiez. Yes, Zoomies is now Zombiez and it’s lightly zombie-themed (nothing gory). The service is stellar, the fast food is really “slow food” and the new menu has a ZLT, Zombie burgers and more. Most importantly (to me), I was still able to get my fried clams.

Zombiez claims its food caters to your ‘inner Zombie’. I can only presume that means they’re happy to serve to your Outer Zombie too, if one happens to be Undead.

Neat!

It’s a bit further than the Zombie burger place in Des Moines, but those of you in the Northwest should check out Zombiez and support Zombie Tolerant public spaces.

Category: Zombie Media | No Comments »
Tags: Zombie Products

Posted By John Sears on June 17, 2012

We, your humble staffers from The Zombie Rights Campaign, embarked on a bold adventure yesterday into the very heart of Chicago to witness a stirring outing and show of solidarity amongst the Chicago-area Undead community and their allies.

You know, by going to the Chicago Zombie March.

It was a great event, and I have to hand it to the organizers for arranging a perfect route to peacefully, but insistently, demonstrate both the existence and number of the peaceful Undead demanding their personal autonomy. The march took us past buildings for WGN, the Chicago Tribune, NBC and numerous other media entities, who could all see, if they merely looked out their windows, that Zombies are here to stay.

There were many diverse Zombie individuals, with agendas and personalities all their own, and while the ZRC may not support all their ideas we are so proud that they can come out and freely associate and demonstrate for their respective beliefs in the Windy City.

And of course, there was just plain fun to be had as well.

A special treat for the ZRC was meeting with some other Zombie Rights activists!

For more pictures of this great day forward in the Undead Equality movement, you can see our Flickr set here.

We’ll definitely be back for next year’s march.

Category: Zombie Media, ZRC News | No Comments »
Tags: Mainstream Media, Public Appearance, Social Justice, Zombie Public Event

Posted By John Sears on June 15, 2012

I know we’ve been skeptical about the upcoming ‘World War Z’ film, but this article makes it sound like the real Apocalypse has been behind the cameras:

It now seems that everything was upside-down on “World War Z.” “A nightmare from top to bottom,” describes one source with ties to the production, which appears to have been hampered from the outset by a lack of clear creative direction.

…

At this point, the movie, with a price tag now said to be north of $170 million, needs as many as five weeks of complex reshoots, which are not expected to get underway until at least September. Paramount has taken the unusual step of hiring “Prometheus” scriptwriter Damon Lindelof to rework the film’s third act. The studio announced in March that it was moving the film release from December 2012 to June 2013.

Basically everything that could go wrong, no one’s in charge, everything was rushed and is a mess and now they want to change the ending.

Riiight.

Plus it seems like they may have hired some actual nutjob Anti-Zombie survivalists to work on the film. Well, it’d explain the weapons anyway:

Then, in October, proceedings were disrupted when a Hungarian anti-terrorism unit raided an airport warehouse and confiscated 85 fully functional automatic assault rifles that were to be used on the shoot. (The guns were not supposed to be operational, and it is illegal to transport such weapons into the country.) With the movie already behind schedule and over budget, Pitt was said to be livid at the mistake — and perhaps wearying of a project that was showing no sign of ending.

Mistake? Shippng 85 fully functional automatic weapons across international borders is less of a ‘mistake’ and more of an INVASION. Good grief!

But hey, at least if it’s not delayed again, it will be in the heart of good, warm picketing weather. That’s something.

Category: Zombie Media | No Comments »
Tags: Mainstream Media, Max Brooks is a Jerk, Movies

Posted By John Sears on June 14, 2012

Having seen some wonderful Zombie material on the stage here in Madison with ‘Z-Town: The Zombie Musical‘ I was interested to hear that Montreal is experiencing something of a Zombie theatre renaissance.. though it doesn’t sound very Zombie Friendly up there:

And then perhaps it is all a sign of the apocalypse. This year’s Fringe has undergone a zombification of sorts. In addition to Zombie Apocalypse: A Love Song, there are two other Montreal companies paying tribute to the critters: Apocalypse Solo, focusing on one man’s struggle to survive in a world eaten by zombies, kicks off Friday at 11:45 p.m. and keeps going until June 23 at the Mainline Theatre; and Zombie Island!, the riveting tale of a badass heroine who hooks up with a fellow to battle bloodthirsty zombies, was launched Wednesday and continues until June 24 at Montreal Improv.

Oh yeah, and Fringe festivities got under way last Sunday on a particularly macabre note as the Grindhouse Crew re-enacted the 1968 cult flick Night of the Living Dead, a full-on zombie experience.

Yeah. None of those other premises sound very ZF at all. What about ‘Zombie Apocalypse: A Love Song’?

Well, it doesn’t sound like ‘Rigamortis: A Zombie Love Story‘, that’s for sure.

Art would appear to be imitating life here when the action begins. Four friends are drinking apprehensively on a rooftop while the world below them is being devoured by zombies with a penchant for punk and hip hop. As they await their fate – to be noshed on by the musical zombies – they reflect on life’s big issues: love and their favourite TV shows. One of their members, Faye (Holly) soon departs for the dark side. Her warbling beau Victor (Dane Stewart) is unsure if he should try to save her or merely get blitzed with his buddies Ben (Matt Lacass) and Liz (Shannon McNally), who seek to rekindle their romance.

Once again, why is it all about the Living people? So many stories set in the ‘Zombie Apocalypse’, you’d think there would be a high Zombie-to-Living character ratio, right? Well. I would, anyway.

Hmm. Maybe the ZRC needs to take a trip up North, spread the good word about Undead Equality in Canada.

Just so long as I don’t have to eat poutine. *shudder*

Category: Zombie Media, ZRC News | 2 Comments »
Tags: Zombie Theatre

Posted By John Sears on June 13, 2012

We backed the first season of Fallout: Nuka Break and were rewarded with a Zombie Friendly good time (at some point the ZRC is going to do an in-depth analysis – it’s that good).

Well, the second season of Nuka Break is wrapping up a Kickstarter and you should totally consider chipping in. It’s already fully funded, but more money may well equate to more Zombie Friendly goodness on-screen, and besides, the rewards are awesome (and you’re sure to get them, what with the funded part and all).

We highly recommend showing them some Zombie Solidarity.

Category: Zombie Media | No Comments »
Tags: Social Justice, The Internet, Videogames

Posted By John Sears on June 11, 2012

Well, our brief agreement with the Zombie Research Society has to come to a crashing end with their endorsement, once again, of a siege mentality when it comes to dealing with the inevitable emergence of the Undead as a large-scale demographic phenomenon.

A literal siege mentality, actually:

Now, after a slew of gory news reports detailing what some have characterized as “zombie-like” behavior, internet searches and postings—often laced with humor and sarcasm—are blooming across the Internet, advising Americans on how to stay safe in case of a zombie apocalypse.

That includes “doomsday shelters,” says Matt Mogk, head of the Zombie Research Society, structures built to withstand various natural—and supernatural—disasters.

“These things are totally selling like hotcakes,” he says. “Zombies are synonymous with the end of the world. That’s why they’re so popular right now, because we’re all worried about them. We’re seeing them in the news every day.”

I don’t know what element of the post is saddest, actually. The fact that there’s a burgeoning market for high-end ‘doomsday’ condos? The part where Mr. Mogk questions why you’d want to spend the post-apocalypse of the world with ‘a bunch of strangers’ (a basically nihilistic way of looking at society, which is of course made up of large numbers of strangers)?

Or the fact that, still, in this day and age, we see the mainstream press present, without rebuttal, such a negative and harmful view of the Differently Animated. We really need a more progressive press when it comes to Zombie Rights.

Category: Zombie Media | No Comments »
Tags: Journamalism, Mainstream Media, Social Justice

Posted By John Sears on June 9, 2012

A disturbing development from one of the web’s largest retailers, and from Cliver Barker as well, a man who I thought treated the Undead with more nuance than this:

Clive Barker will rewrite the action-horror film “Zombies vs. Gladiators” for Amazon Studios.

Set in ancient Rome, the film follows the aftermath of a shaman’s spell during a Coliseum event that unleashes the world’s first zombies. Consequently, a gladiator is forced to stop the spread of the zombie horde and save the city.

…

Since its launch in November 2010, Amazon Studios — the content development division of Amazon.com — has received more than 9,000 movie scripts and 1,000 series pilot scripts. Sixteen film projects are currently in development.

And none of them were Zombie Friendly? Seriously?

I’m aghast. Appalled. Annoyed. As a long-time Amazon Prime subscriber it saddens me that Amazon feels the need to sink into rank Undead fearmongering for a quick buck. Sigh.

At least with Clive Barker it’ll be weird enough not to be *boring* Undead-fearmongering.

Category: Zombie Media | No Comments »
Tags: Movies, Social Justice

Posted By John Sears on June 9, 2012

Not a lot to say about it now, though I suspect we’ll pick up a copy to review soon.

Though it sounds.. err.. original:

With questions about its true satire unanswered, Lollipop Chainsaw still has the makings of a perfectly enjoyable action game. Juliet isn’t limited to chainsawing enemies apart with perky abandon; she’s also able to pull off cheerleader-styled grappling moves, drive several destructive vehicles, run through obstacle courses, play such mini-games as “zombie basketball,” and temporarily put Nick’s head on decapitated foes. The stage of battle expands beyond a conventional high school, and the game even breaks out neon-hued tributes to old arcade titles.

Next week though, we’re not sure if there will be time to give it proper consideration in the lead-up to the Chicago Zombie March.

You remember that, right? Come out with the ZRC and countless other Undead citizens, activists and allies, march around Chicago? I’d suggest attending if you’re in the Upper Midwest.

We hope to see you there. Especially if you’re a Zombie, because after all, this March is for you.

Category: Zombie Media, ZRC News | No Comments »
Tags: Public Appearance, Social Justice, Videogames, Zombie Public Event

Posted By John Sears on June 7, 2012

Remember last year when, with much fanfare, the CDC decided to try and scare America with Zombies, in the name of disaster preparedness?

We sure do. We also remember when they had to start walking back their scare campaign in the face of.. people believing them, essentially.

Well, now it’s come full circle, and the CDC has decided the best way to clean the egg off their collective faces is to deny their victims even exist:

I’d bet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention never imaged that they would be issuing a statement to allay public concerns about a zombie apocalypse. “CDC does not know of a virus or condition that would reanimate the dead (or one that would present zombie-like symptoms),” an agency official told the Huffington Post last week.

…

But did the campaign actually get people to prepare for public health emergencies? Or did it just provide federally endorsed fodder for “the end is near” theories circulating on the web? I think the latter.

Yes, they really did issue such a denial:

The horrific face-eating arrest in Miami and several other seemingly subhuman acts has many people wondering what’s behind this flesh-munching wave of terror.

A zombie apocalypse, however, is not what we should be worried about, at least according to the federal government.

Over the years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released a couple of tongue-in-cheek “zombie warnings,” which really are just disaster-preparedness stunts. But on Thursday, the agency made it official: Zombies don’t exist.

Excuse us? Zombies don’t exist? The Zombie Rights Campaign begs to differ!

A good question about now would be why the CDC is inventing first slurs against the peaceful and law-abiding Zombie population, then retracting their advice, and finally, denying the existence of the Undead entirely.

Seems like a great big waste of time and tax dollars to the ZRC.

Category: Zombie Media, ZRC News | No Comments »
Tags: Journamalism, Social Justice