In the Flesh

When it comes to zombies on TV or on the silver screen, we are mostly accustomed to American produced fare.  It’s always on my mind to bring our BZF fans a diverse cross-section of walkers, after all, no two zombies are the same – and this is certainly the case with the UK produced ‘In the Flesh’.

Despite producing great TV, it is sadly sometimes the case that shows heralding from England do not enjoy similar success in global markets.  However, that’s all about to change as In the Flesh is about to debut in the USA (Australia got on board earlier this year).

So here’s the lowdown, the show follows Kieran who along with thousands more have literally returned from the dead.  This is where things play out a little bit different to what you might expect for a zombie TV series, these zombies go through rehabilitation via some pioneering medication with the intention to integrate them back into society!

Now before you all get overly excited and cover yourselves in raspberry rippled ice cream (over share!) season 1 is only 3 episodes in total, but due to a few well deserved awards and a very warm response from fans, In the Flesh has debuted its second season with a full suite of 6 episodes!

We still have a while to wait for season 5 of The Walking Dead and it’s yet to be named companion series, so in the meantime, reanimate yourself with In the Flesh!

 

 

Bite you later

 

Mr Vitamin G

Apocalypse Hal - Behind the Scenes

Woo Hoo! Issue 60. Who would have thought I'd make it this far.
 
So for a special treat (and cause I needed to whip up something quickly) this one is about the creative process. It will answer all those questions I never get on how I create an issue of Apocalypse Hal.

Getting ideas doesn't seem to be a problem. I just look at everyday things and think "how would that relate to a zombie apocalypse?" Go pass a pet shop and it's like "mmm what pets would be handy in an apocalypse?" Bingo! Apocalyptic Pets (coming soon).

Half the trouble is trying not to take it seriously and making it fun.

Then the hard work. Drawing an issue and creating a million layers in Photoshop. I use two main colours as that stops me spending half an hour dithering what colour to pick.

I don't know how long it takes to make an issue. I am too scared to time it. A good 2-4 night's work depending on the complexity of the art. Plus time for the research and ideas.


Bite off more than you can chew.

Mr Rimsky

Apocalypse Hal - Poacher's Map

This is more about urban foraging. We at BZF (or more importantly our lawyers) don't condone looting. Unless there is a plague of zombies involved. 

In the middle ages having the right to use common land, like pannage, was important. However these days the government may object to you letting pigs loose on the bike tracks. Still I collect lots of stuff around the place. Branches for firewood, leaves for composting, wild plants etc.

So start mapping your neighourhood.


Bite off more than you can chew

Mr Rimsky

Apocalypse Hal - Cannonball Run

A very lame attempt at the comic book guy from the Simpsons. Like him, I was in a rush. Hope everyone enjoyed Free Comic Book Day yesterday and May the 4th be with you.

Bite off more than you can chew.

Mr Rimsky

Play With The Walking Dead!

I know it’s only been a couple of weeks since the finale of season 4 but I’m already having withdrawal symptoms from The Walking Dead.  I miss Carol and her cunning nature, I miss Daryl and his crossbow, hell I even miss Carl and his bad hair.

The other day I was checking through the Google Play apps store and I nearly had a meltdown of Britney proportions.  All you Android users out there now have the ability to play The Walking Dead – Episode 1 ‘A New Day’ for free!! I know, I nearly shaved my head with excitement too, but instead I launched right into the game.

Straight off the bat they say to use headphones to fully appreciate the creepy sound effects of the environment and moaning hungry zombies – I second this idea as it really does help you to get involved in the story.  You take on the character of Lee Everett, who is struggling to understand the events of the apocalypse and who to trust as he comes across an array of survivors.

This game is definitely not like Angry Birds or Scramble which are perfect little time fillers, no, The Walking Dead is a game that will find you connecting with the characters and occasionally jumping off your chair mainly thanks to the excellent voice acting, cool comic like graphics and of course navigating the eerie familiar universe that we have come to love from the TV series.

Even if you are somebody who is not overly into gaming, I encourage you to give this a go as it’s more of a ‘chose your own adventure’ style rather than just solving puzzles and advancing through levels.   The focus here is on storytelling and character development, but beware, the choices you make directly affect your future interactions with other characters and of course your encounters with walkers.

With a total of 6 episodes to play (and a second season of the game on its way), this is truly a great way to satisfy any Walking Dead cravings you may have until season 5 premiers in October later this year.

Bite you later

Mr Vitamin G

Apocalypse Hal - Grand Theft Auto

Be kind to your senior citizens. Cause everyday I am getting closer to being one.

Now for a bit of trivia. The background is based on a still from the 1968 movie Bullitt starring Steve McQueen. The 10 minute car chase through the hilly streets of San Fransisco is considered a classic and a cinematographic breakthrough at the time.



Bite off more than you can chew.

Mr Rimsky

Sea of Myriad Rivers Merging

Sea of Myriad Rivers Merging is another book on my reading list. Sounds a bit like a poetry book - well there is some poetry. Ninja poetry!

The Bansenshukai (which translates as Sea of Myriad Rivers Merging) is one of three classic texts on ninja.  It was penned in 1676 by a ninja known as Fujibayashi and has never been available in English. Until now.

In November 2013 Antony Cummins and Yoshie Minami published a full English translation of the 22 volumes of the Bansenshukai. Yes 22 volumes (544 pages).

And it is a fascinating and also frustrating read. For a start it is a translation of the authentic text and so measurements are in tradition units like momme and bu. And while the book discloses many secrets of the ninja, there are many secrets withheld. Throughout the book are references to "details to be orally transmitted". These are the secrets that were handed down by word of mouth only and so were not included in the original text.

Never the less, with this book you can now learn:

• yo-nin and in-nin infiltration techniques
• how to make a flying ladder
• tanuki-gakure (raccoon dog hiding)
• the truth about the water spider floating seat
• seven ways to use a sageo sword cord
• the fire recipe for Cherry blossoms at dawn.

An essential read for any survivalist or history buff. And available on Kindle.

Bite off more than you can chew

Mr Rimsky