Zombie Preparation Never Ends… but this blog will.

Well my friends, it’s been awesome. My college career is coming to an end… therefore this blog will be also coming to end. But don’t for one second think that just because there won’t be any more updates and posts about the foreboding zombie apocalypse that means the threat is gone. It’s not. It never will be. Remember that always.

When it all goes down… remember all that you’ve learned. And even if you’re not the planning type, start planning your escape now. KNOW YOUR WAY OUT.

Stay smart.

Q&A With the Zombie Expert Himself: Max Brooks

Okay, so this post here is going to be an all out Q & A session with the author of the New York Times bestsellers "The Zombie Survival Guide" and "World War Z", Max Brooks.

*Applause*

I know! I know! I was pretty much in a state of shock myself when I received an email back saying that this interview was a go. Who knew Max Brooks would be that awesome??? Well, I did. ;)

For all of those zombie nerds out there who are just like me, I had so many questions that I had almost exploding out of my head when I thought about this, but can I just be honest and say that as soon as the interview was a definite I completely had a mind blank? Oh man, did I ever. I saw on my comfy little bed, in my comfy little dorm room and thought to myself, "what the heck kind of question could I, just some normal college girl, possibly ask that would be worthy of answering from the zombie expert?" I had this chronic fear that I would ask some stupid question like "could zombies get married??" (I really hope everyone realizes the idiocy of that question...)

I asked around, talked to some friends, put up a Facebook status requesting some sample questions, and VOILA!, I had my questions ready to be answered. Even then, I didn't know what to expect. But let me tell you... the answers give you a good look into the reclusive life of this author and his preparation for the before mentioned "impending doom".

So without any further rambling...

Q&A with Max Brooks

Q: What first got you into the world of zombies?

A: When I was 13 I accidentally stayed up too late and saw an Italian zombie movie on HBO. That was my initial terror. In High School I saw "Night Of the Living Dead" which really sucked me in. I was so scared of seeing "Dawn of the Dead" that I had to wait until Grad School to get up the courage to watch it. I bought it on VHS, locked myself in my basement apartment, and watched it over and over again over the course of an entire weekend.

Q: Why can’t zombies run? (Even if their ankles break from lack of coordination, wouldn’t they just keep running?)

A: I think its a combination of brain function (seriously impaired) and necrotic flesh that has lost most of its elasticity.

Q: Given the average household, what are 5 things that a survivor should grab from their home in the event of a zombie apocalypse?

A: If you have NOTHING else, get a portable water filter. Dehydration will kill you faster than any zombie.

Q: What made you switch from Saturday Night Live to zombies?

A: I was into zombies way before my stint at SNL. Live TV was a job. The living dead are an obsession.

Q: Do you personally believe that a zombie apocalypse is really possible or is it just an entertaining idea?

A: God, I hope it isn't possible!

Q: In your book, The Zombie Survival Guide, you mention that the only way destroy a zombie is to destroy the brain. If a zombie is decapitated, could the zombie head survive without the body attached?

A: A severed zombie head is still alive, and if the jaw is intact it'll still be snapping.

Q: In many movies of the Zombie genre the zombies involved always have some sort of super strength power. If zombies were to happen, wouldn't the rotting muscles of the zombies become weak instead of super strong?

A: Zombies shouldn't be any stronger than humans, in fact, they should be weaker. Zombie have many advantages over us, but physical strength is not one of them.

Q: What is your favorite and least favorite zombie movie and why?

A: Favorite zombie movie has to be the original "Dawn of the Dead". George Romero has some truly unique insights into American, specifically Baby Boomer culture. My least favorite film has to be "Return of the Living Dead". In their own words "They're back from the grave, and ready to party." Enough said.

Q: What is your favorite and least favorite zombie video game and why?

A: My favorite zombie game is "Land of the Dead", a small, indie-produced game to tie in with the Romero Movie. It's main attraction is it's reality. You run into a room, and have to waste minutes going through empty drawers, just like they would be in real life. My least favorite has to be the one about a guy in shopping mall. Really? Zombies in a shopping mall and Romero doesn't get a dime from that? That game, and its creators, can go to hell.

Q: Are there any zombie/post-apocalyptic novels that you would recommend?

A: "Earth Abides" by George R. Stewart. Probably the most realistic account of what a plague would do the our species. And then there is "Life as we knew it" by Susan Beth Pfeffer. Amazing book. The journal of a teen girl during a near-apocalyptic crisis. Again, as realistic as it would probably get.

Q: In The Zombie Survival Guide, you mentioned that if the survivor is in a boat and decides to drop anchor and rest that they should be weary of zombies walking on the bottom of the riverbed, for the zombie could find the anchor and climb up to the boat. How is it possible for a zombie with no brain activity tocomprehend the simple hand-over-hand task of climbing an anchor?

A: Zombies do have brain activity, just not advanced. The reason they can climb in water, as opposed to on land, is that water counteracts gravity, especially if gas pockets have begun to form in the zombie's body cavity.

Q: What would be your best advice to give to those in a college/dorm setting in the event of a zombie apocalypse?

A: Know your dorm mates, have a plan, organize, and figure out far in advance, if your RA is worth saving.

Q: What is your personal “survival” plan for when it happens?

A: I live near the ocean, so I always have the short term option of heading to sea. In addition, my home is defensible enough to determine if the threat is a class 1, 2, or 3.

Q: You’ve mentioned the best weapon out of each category in your books (melee, range weapons, incendiary, etc.), but what is your weapon of choice?

A: A machete is always good; light and strong and useful in many instances. Pluss, I can store it in my trunk with other gardening gear so it appears as legal as spade. In the opening stages of an outbreak, obeying the law is a MUST.

Q: Traveling alone has its perks, but so does travelling in groups. Which is your preference?

A: Groups are always better. In this country we pray to the alter of the super individual; the loner, the Rambo. However, the only reason our species has survived was because of our ability to cooperate. I know its tough for most people to accept, especially for an anti-social hermit like me, but sometimes we have to set aside personal preferences for the hard facts of survival.

Q: Which do you think is more frightening, rage-filled charging zombies (seen in 28 Days/Weeks Later) or slow moving, moaning zombies (mentioned in your book)?

A: For me, slower is always scarrier. Fast zombies are all about adrenaline. There's no time to think, no time to fear. With slow zombies, all you have is time. For me, nothing is more terrifying than pondering your own death.

Q: It’s been proven that the voodoo zombie (seen in the film The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wes Craven) is real, but is there ever a possibility that they could suddenly turn into flesh feeding maniacs?

A: The Voodoo zombie is essentially slave labor. They do what they're creator tells them to do and if their creator told them to start eating human flesh, maybe they would.

Q: Each terrain and shelter has been discussed in your books, where would you choose to hide out and why?

A: One word: Svalbard.

Q: Obviously ammo, water, and food are important when it comes to stocking up for the post-apocalyptic world, but what is the best choice of food (canned, dried, frozen, etc,)?

A: Depends. If you're on the run, frozen is obviously out, and dried is lighter and easier to carry than canned. The best solution, however, is to learn to live off the land. Learn about edible plants and animals and be prepared to jettison a plethora of cultural taboos.

Q: If ever a zombie apocalypse occurs, do you think that we could domesticate the zombies, as seen in Shaun of the Dead?

A: I don't know if its possible, but I'm pretty sure someone will try.

Q: In a zombie apocalypse should we burn the bodies, use weapons shown in games like Nazi Zombies, or detonate an A-bomb and destroy the earth to prevent this from ever happening again?

A: Using nukes is a little like burning down a house to make sure the roof never leaks again. Weapons is video games should be left to video games. Burning is your best solution, but for God's sake, be careful. Fire has no loyalty!

Q: Except for Resident Evil, you don't see zombie animals... why is this?

A: The animals in Resident Evil are put there for entertainment, and that's one of the reason they're such entertaining games. However, and this is good news for pet lovers. If you have a favorite dog or cat that's bitten by the living dead, don't worry about them turning into zombies. They'll just die.

Well, there ya have it folks. I'm hoping you learned something new and useful... or maybe you were just reminded of something you already knew. Either way, now you have a better view of what could be coming... and that's definitely a good thing.

A HUGE THANK YOU TO MAX BROOKS FOR BEING SO WILLING TO HELP OUT THE LITTLE PEOPLE ;) It's not every day that that happens.

Zombie Apocalypse? Seriously.

Welcome back... I'm glad I got your attention!

Now that you've taken the leap to give this a shot, its time to understand why it could happen one day. Even considering that their could be a zombie apocalypse somewhere down the road requires a certain amount of... outside-the-box thinking. Saying it out loud might have people think your nuts (hey, take it from me!). But the honest to God truth is, wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry?

Good, me too.

When people think of zombies and their impending apocalypse that they always seem to bring with their presence, there are a few cliches: the pale & overdone powder makeup, the koolaid running down the mouth (oops! sorry, maybe its ketchup!), arms stretched out like Frankenstein and weird mumbles. Now see, these things don't exactly strike "fear" into my heart when I think about it... its more like laughter. And those? I'm not even sure they'd count as mummies much less zombies.

But honestly now. Back to the reasons why you should start watching the news and why stocking up on guns, ammo, and food might seem like a great idea pretty soon.

Brain-Controlling Parasites (YES, THEY'RE REAL!)
So get this. There is a parasite called Toxoplasma Gondii. Basically, this parasite weasels its way into a host (in this case, a rats body) and takes over the brain, forcing it to do whatever it wants. I know, I know... this is friggin nuts. So in the example of the rat, this parasite can only breed inside the intestines of cat. So here is where it gets sick and disgusting: the parasite leads the rat to the belly of the cat without the rat even knowing it. And in case you've ever seen any of the Resident Evil movies... this is pretty much what creatures controlled by Brain infected parasites would look like. Similar to this parasite, there are also others that infect insects, slugs, and even fish.

Oh and by the way, did you know that half of the human population is infected with Toxoplasma Gondii? I bet no one ever shared that little tidbit of fun info with ya, huh? Since this parasite is so small, it doesn't affect most humans. It would take this parasite to mutate just a bit more before it could start to take over. Is it already? Guess we'll find out.. (insert crazy laughter)

Neurotoxins (FOR ANYONE WHO'S SEEN THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW BY WES CRAVEN)

So for anyone who has seen some type of action or horror movie, we should all be familiar with the fact that there are poisons/toxins that can slow every function in the human body down to the point of illustrating death. For example, poison from fugu (Japanese blowfish)? Yep, that'll do it. With said poison slowing down the body, the "victim" could then be brought back under another drug or chemical (such as datura stramonium and alkaloids) and leaving them in a trance-like state. The thing about these drugs/poisons is that the victim will be able to complete simple tasks like eating, sleeping, the zombie moan and the ever-cliche walking around with arms out move. Great.

In case you're wondering WHERE this is taking place in the real world... a giant red arrow should be pointing at Haiti. This type of work is used in the Voodoo religion, but it doesn't stop there. That movie that I mentioned earlier? The Serpent and the Rainbow by Wes Craven was actually based on a book by Dr. Wade Davis, which is actually based on the true experiences of Clairvius Narcisse. So about this Clairvius guy real quick. He was a Haitian man was declared dead by two (NOT JUST ONE) doctors and buried in a local cemetery. He was found wandering the village nearly 18 years later! Turns out, priests were using chemicals on these "dead bodies" so that they would zombify and return to them... then they would be put to work on their plantations. Seriously.

The good thing is that even though this has already happened out there in the big wide world... there is no way that some crazy mastermind who plans to take over the world could get these zombified humans to become aggressive or cannablistic, which is the necessary for the apocalypse part. Whammy.

Rage Virus (SEEN IN 28 DAYS/WEEKS LATER)
So, this one might be one of the most famous cases of zombies in movie history. Who doesn't recognize the movie cover decorated with a pair of creepy hazard symbol eyes?? Even the sequel (28 Weeks Later) had a same thing red cover with identical eyes. Hmmm...

Well, movie history or not... it doesn't beat real history. Especially the kind that says we have mental diseases/disorders that did just that: turning humans into mindless killing machines. The good thing? It's not contagious... oh wait, that was until Mad Cow Disease veered its ugly little head onto the societal scene. Think about this for a second, Mad Cow Disease attacks the spinal cord and brain of the cow, which converts a once peaceful herbivore into a mindless attack cow! What!?

And then there's that little thing about humans loving to eat meat (with all do respect to vegetarians of course!). Hmm... basic math would tell us that Mad Cow infected cow + meat eating human = a rapidly mentally degenerating, body twitching, uncoordinated and aggressive human. Well, how about that? The official term for humans with Mad Cow Disease is Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease.
These, my friend, are the symptoms:

· Chainges in gait (walking)

· Hallucinations

· Lack of coordination (stumbling and falling)

· Muscle twitching

· Myoclonic jerks or seizures

· Rapidly developing delirium or dementia

How's it feel to know that you are actually just one brain chemical away from turning into a stumbling zombie? Serotonin helps prevent this, but all it would take is the right virus (or an already existing virus that has continued to mutate) to start the mindless aggression. For now this disease is maintained and fairly rare, as far as we know. The only thing would make this a real life 28 Days Later scene is blood on blood disease transfer or saliva on blood. Enter zombieworld.

Neurogenesis (IN LABORATORIES NOW)
You know all that conversy out there about stem cell research? Well, the whole thing with stem cells is that they can basically be used to re-generate dead cells. In case you weren't listening, REGENERATION of brain cells = zombies. Yeah... I'm sure you're starting to get the picture now.

In the big world of science, they have a study known as "Reanimation Research"... yeah, seriously. In theory, this all sounds well and good when it comes down to saving an innocent person from brain death. BUT any of you zombie-enthusiasts out there can tell you that this has the major potential for ending very, very badly.

So basically, reanimation causes the brain to die off from the outside in. The outside being the cortex, the nice part of you that makes humans human. That just leaves the part that controls basic motor function and primitive instincts behind. Without the cortex, the human body can survive, but you'd pretty much only able to eat and walk around. This explains how chickens run around with their heads cut off! There's even one case of chicken that was still running around headless after 18 months! Let's add this up for a bit... brain dead patient + technology to regrow brain cells = mindless, shambling body void of any emotion and humanity. All that's left is basic instinct and impulse. All we're waiting for at this point is for someone with the resources to give this a try... especially since all rights are ceased after "death". Hitting home yet?

Nanobots (IN THE BOOK PREY; IN THE GAME NANO BREAKER)

" Nanobots are microscopic, self-replicating robots that can invisbily build--or destroy--anything. Vast sums of money are being poured into nanotechnology." -- Cracked.com

Scientists have already created something called a Nano-Cyborg, which is a fusion of a tiny silicone chip and a virus. These cyborgs have the capability of operating even after it's host has been deceased for over a month. According to studies, within a decade there will be nanobots that are able to recreate braincells and may even rewire the brain itself.

These nanobots will be programmed to keep regenerating until the human body decays and falls apart, but the scary part (and the part that brings us back to this whole zombie conversation!) is that the nanobots will know it needs a new host... therefore it will need to bite a hole and fill it in with more nanobots! In case no one is getting this picture: a long (or short) dead body with decaying parts (remember they won't even have human thoughts anymore!) comes at you, bites you, and then BAM! You join the army of the undead... only to continue the morbid cycle.

" Now, it should be more than clear by this point that our goal is to be responsible researchers. We don't want to create a panic here. All we're saying is that on an actual day on the actual calendar in the future, runaway microscopic nanobots will end civilization by flooding the planet with the cannabalistic undead. Science has proven it." -- Cracked.com


So there you have it! Don't be scared... be warned. Be prepared. Hopefully now you don't think this is all so crazy. Or at least hopefully you don't think I'm crazy! ;) But doesn't it at least feel better to feel informed? Yeah... I figured.

(ALL RESEARCH WAS DONE THROUGH MEDICAL SITES, MAX BROOKS' THE ZOMBIE SURVIVAL GUIDE, AND CRACKED.COM)