In Zombie Apocalypse, Part 1: The Lamentable History of Zombies we examined the backstory of zombies and how Haitian voodoo and African mythology contributed to their embedding in religious and cultural beliefs. Today we are exploring how the zombie became a pop culture phenomenon. Continue reading
Tag Archives: The Walking Dead
Zombie Apocalypse, Part 2: Zombies and Pop Culture
Posted in Anatomy and Physiology, Biology, Blog, Celebrities, Culture, Literature, Public Life, Science and Technology, Science Fiction
Tagged ancient history, ancient zombies, AntiquityNOW, George A. Romero, jiang shi, kyonshi, Martin Luther King, Night of the Living Dead, ro-langs, The Walking Dead, vetala, zombie, zombie apocalypse
Zombie Apocalypse, Part 1: The Lamentable History of Zombies
What is it about zombies that is so fascinating? The Walking Dead, a TV program now in its sixth season and the “world’s #1 show”[1], delivers a dystopic picture of a society beset by a virus that turns people into zombies. Its spinoff, Fear the Walking Dead, was a ratings winner upon its debut in summer 2015. Putting a new spin on an age-old plague story, these two shows build upon the premise that everyone somehow became infected, and that the virus lies dormant until death, when the corpse is reanimated unless a catastrophic brain injury is sustained. Drawing from this concept, the writers have crafted some intriguing twists and turns. Both shows have strong storylines and character development. Fans are rabid about the plot unfoldings, even when they diverge from the original comic books. Marketers have had a great run with all things zombie and rumor is some people are even reading again. So maybe it’s a lot of comic books but a range of zombie tomes has also joined the enviable list of beloved vampire and werewolf tales. Continue reading