Tonight is the night!
I speak of course of the season premiere of AMC's brilliant The Walking Dead, which begins again tonight.
As a writer, I'm supposed to hold television and all things related to television in high disdain. And I do, in some instances. But The Walking Dead is one instance where television gets it right.
For anyone unacquainted with the show, The Walking Dead is set in the aftermath of a global catastrophe brought on by the sudden and inexplicable rise of dead bodies as flesh-eating monsters. Civilization has fallen. Most of the population has died, only to rise again as one of the billions of hungry undead.
That's the backdrop. The real drama takes place among the living, as they fight to live through another merciless day in the absence of the rule of law. The walkers, as the dead are called, are often the least of our heroes' problems.
Zombies have eclipsed vampires, werewolves, and ghosts as the go-to monster in popular media. I wondered -- how has all this success and attention changed the un-life of the average walker? Has fame gone to their empty, rotting heads?
To find out, I arranged to interview a real live (so to speak) zombie.
I started my search on the Web, and quickly found a thriving community of outspoken undead (I'd been wondering just who still used MySpace). A few emails later, I actually sat down with Mr. Uurgh<gurgle>jawsnap, who appeared as an extra in the first three episodes of The Walking Dead and acted as technical adviser on a number of Hollywood zombie films.
The audio interview is only about 3 minutes long. Please give it a listen. Safe for work, or for play in an isolated farmhouse.
It's nearly time for The Walking Dead, so I'm off to pop some Orville Redenrotten popcorn (with 25% less rigor mortis!) and get settled in for the evening.
And remember, if you don't watch, you may see shadowy figures shambling about in the fog, later on...
BWAHAHAHAHA...
I speak of course of the season premiere of AMC's brilliant The Walking Dead, which begins again tonight.
As a writer, I'm supposed to hold television and all things related to television in high disdain. And I do, in some instances. But The Walking Dead is one instance where television gets it right.
For anyone unacquainted with the show, The Walking Dead is set in the aftermath of a global catastrophe brought on by the sudden and inexplicable rise of dead bodies as flesh-eating monsters. Civilization has fallen. Most of the population has died, only to rise again as one of the billions of hungry undead.
That's the backdrop. The real drama takes place among the living, as they fight to live through another merciless day in the absence of the rule of law. The walkers, as the dead are called, are often the least of our heroes' problems.
Zombies have eclipsed vampires, werewolves, and ghosts as the go-to monster in popular media. I wondered -- how has all this success and attention changed the un-life of the average walker? Has fame gone to their empty, rotting heads?
To find out, I arranged to interview a real live (so to speak) zombie.
I started my search on the Web, and quickly found a thriving community of outspoken undead (I'd been wondering just who still used MySpace). A few emails later, I actually sat down with Mr. Uurgh<gurgle>jawsnap, who appeared as an extra in the first three episodes of The Walking Dead and acted as technical adviser on a number of Hollywood zombie films.
The audio interview is only about 3 minutes long. Please give it a listen. Safe for work, or for play in an isolated farmhouse.
The same video on YouTube for my Apple friends!
And remember, if you don't watch, you may see shadowy figures shambling about in the fog, later on...
BWAHAHAHAHA...