Lets talk zombies, writing and zombies with Joshua Cook

Today we have a very special guest folks author and "zombie know it all" Josh Cook of "ZOMBIE A.C.R.E.S" fame!

1. Introduce us to the Zen of being Joshua Cook. What makes you tick?

That is such a loaded question. I would have to say chaos. While I try to keep things calm in my life, my need to always be working on something leads to a somewhat hectic life. I complain a lot about how I pull myself in so many different directions, but deep down, it is this chaos that I thrive off. To be honest, I look forward to being able to work constantly on different projects with a variety of different artists.

2. Tell us about Alice in Zombieland?

AiZ: Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga) is a tale of family, love and zombies. A greedy businessman named Richard Roslun will stop at nothing to hold on to the power he loves so much, even if it means doing twisted experiments on innocent children.

When Richard Roslun kidnaps sixteen year old Alice, her older sister must transform from college student to zombie hunter if she is going to save Alice. Georgia Marie was just going to visit her father when she is thrust into the heart of a horrific nightmare.

This nightmare has also affected Sam Ashe and his fiancee Heather Young. Sam has spent his whole life preparing for the apocalypse, but when the undead are knocking at his door, will he be able to man up and take care of his family?

3. What is AiZ? What inspired your vision?

My writing is inspired by my real life. When I began writing Zombie A.C.R.E.S., my personal life was in a very dark place. This darkness poured into those early stories. There was no magical moment when AiZ just came to me. It was a series of events and the organic flow of the story that brought Alice to where she is today.

4. What gives your Zombies bite? How do they stand out from the horde?

My Zombie A.C.R.E.S. series has two different types of undead. The first type is the normal, run of the mill Romero zombies. I strongly believe that there is no way a zombie would turn into an Olympic sprinter after death. It just doesn’t make any sense.

On the other hand, Zombie A.C.R.E.S. is a breeding ground for Roslun Global’s medicated zombies. These zombies have been injected with the Second Birth Serum and have the ability to walk and talk. Unfortunately curing death is not easy, and the Second Birth Serum isn’t perfected yet, so things never go according to plan with any type of infected.

5. On a scale of 1 to 10. One being not at all and 10 being spot on. Where do the zombies of AiZ fall when compared with "Romero Styled" flesh eaters?

Those individuals infected by the bite of any kind of zombie will become the mindless shamblers I was talking about. These zombies are a 10 all the way on the Romero scale.

Roslun’s medicated zombies are a completely different story. Since the Second Birth Serum gives them the ability to think, walk and somewhat act like the living, these zombies would be a 1 on the Romero scale.

6. When you're not plotting the Zombie Apocalypse what are you doing to prepare the uneducated masses?

I am part of the American Zombie Summit (along with the Madore brothers from Necropology.com and the Zombie Response Team) which is a podcast held on Timothy Dean’s Pirate Radio. We take calls from zombie fans and skeptics, as well as discuss current topics in the zombie world. I am always looking for the next project or awareness convention to be part of to help spread education, though.

7. What's next on the agenda for AiZ?

Right now I have a pre-order happening for the paperback versions of AiZ: Alice in Zombieland (Complete Saga) at ZombieACRES.com. There are two versions available – a regular version and a limited edition version. The limited version will only have 99 copies ever printed and features new artwork, a larger size and the first appearance of the comic Bruce Campbell vs The ACRES. Every pre-order also comes with a free digital copy as well.

Soon I will be starting up the free stories at ZombieACRES.com again. These stories will pick up where AiZ: Alice in Zombieland leaves off and will lead into the new AiZ comic series due out later this year. I have teamed up with artist Donovan Scherer of Ratatat Graphics for this nine issue sequel to Alice in Zombieland.

8. Any other projects we should know about from Zombie A.C.R.E.S?

Other than the limited edition AiZ paperback, the free stories, and the comic series, I really don’t have much else on the Zombie A.C.R.E.S. plate. That is not to say something won’t come up, though. I am always on the hunt for a new and interesting project to get my hands dirty with – either my own or someone else’s. I want to be the guy that always has his hands in ten new projects at once. Staying busy is a sign of success in my book.

9. How many places around the internet can we catch up with you Josh?

Infinite number of places. Since the moment I first started Zombie A.C.R.E.S., social media has always been an important part of my marketing strategy. I am on so many different social sites that it would be so hard to list them all here. If you are on Pinterest, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and many other sites, you can easily find me by searching for Zombie ACRES. If you are serious about a project that you think I would be interested in working on, or if you are just a fan and want to shoot the shit, my email is always open to everyone at josh@zombieacres.com.

10. Favorite Walking Dead character and why? Who are you betting won't survive Season 3 of The Walking Dead?

I have always loved Glen. From the moment he first enters the show, he is funny and real. I am hoping that Laurie bites it during season three, though if she did it would probably mess up the show. I am really just sick of watching her do stupid things.

NOW FOLKS CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO ENTER A DRAWING FOR A FREE DIGITAL COPY OF Alice in Zombieland by Josh Cook!

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Coming soon..

A guest post and a contest open to followers of "Flesh From The Morgue!"

A little name dropping at the 3:00 min mark!

Dark Discussions podcast

Target practice!

How my older brother spends his down time!

The Union: Chapter Thirteen: Sensory Depravation

Chapter Thirteen: Sensory Deprivation

In the claustrophobic confines of the bed chamber within the wreckage of a once grand motor coach Valerie Couts sits legs drawn up to her chest trying desperately not to make a sound. The living dead sensing the meal inside the room begin to seek a way into the damaged bed chamber. The vampire could feel the door buckling under the weight of his foes. They sought Valerie’s tender flesh but it was his to have not these abominations. Behind him she sat terrified the whole room looked as if it had been placed in a blender and pureed. Trevor scanned the room nervously checking for any faint signs of sunlight. Finding several pinpricks of light which he took great care to avoid told him two things. One than he was not safe from the wretched yellow ones light and that Valerie was not safe from the undead. He leaned his deceptive weight against the door of the cabin. Trevor has sworn to protect her in exchange for her submission to his thirst for human blood. Protect her from the undead who now roamed the earth in search of live human flesh on which to fest. For Trevor the blood of the walking dead is as lethal to him as their bite is to her. It was only a matter of time before the door gave way then he’d meet met the Sun and she a horde of zombies. Calling to her over his shoulder just above a whisper “Valerie please come to me.” She turns her head to him in a daze unsure of what he was asking. “Valerie…” reaching a hand for the disheveled woman “… if we are to survive. We must seek shelter in the restroom.” Motioning to his left a small dark restroom sat its doorway open sunless and soothing to the young vampire. The inner cabin is sound proof and completely dark devoid of any light. The occasional thump reminding them that the dead crawled all about the crashed bus in which they were trapped. She by the ravenous corpses, and he by the searing sunlight both their foes were relentless. Two very different forms of agonizing death awaited two very different beings less than twelve inches away. That just happened to be the thickness of the door the vampire held shut. Unconsciously she stood coming helplessly to the man thing who silently guides her into the damp restroom. Instantly Trevor appeared before her in the tight confines sealing the door shut leaving the two survivors hold up in a space truly no bigger than a coffin.

In Val's mind she felt all alone hearing the vampire breathe and shuffle readjusting himself in the darkness. It was like being in the same darkened room as a convicted rapist with no where to go. The silence was immovable, but yet she almost desired it to conversing with the creature who was indeed her savior. For as the bus careened out of control he protected her, but she had her doubts as to his motives. Were they true or just self serving? Robert and the others she longed for the humans of her clan feeling powerless against the will of the beautiful physical specimen of male hood. All she was aware of was the fact that they had left her fleeing in advance of the mass of zombies that over took the bus after the accident. Mulling over her options she knew she had to stay with the prince of the damned. What was worse he knew it too! Val's heart broke as she couldn't even hazard a guess as to where to find Robert and if he'd even survived long enough to find shelter. "They went to the restaurant!" was all she held onto "he made it he had to!" she prayed.

"Valerie my sweet..." Trevor calls as she swallows a knot in her throat. "I'll protect you M' Lady fear not!" he spoke at a whisper for the less attention focused on them the better. Did the dead know she was here and full of life of course they did they always knew. Even Trevor couldn't hold an entire army at bay. She remembered back to when the first met, and the dead en mass had proved their sheer numbers more than made up for Trevor's super human strength. "Fine.....Trevor …...I" it should have been obvious to anyone or anything that she was uncomfortable to say the least. Trevor released a frustrated sigh in the darkness "You still refuse to trust me dear Valerie it wounds me to know this." Even in the dark she turned from him and even in the ink blackness he could see it. "Well Trevor put yourself in my place just for a minute!" whispering in a hushed tone.


Vampires were known for many thing chief among them was the inability to empathize with humans. They of course were above that above them. "Madame you forget tis there anything from a human that I desire, I simply take it.” even in the void which they sat trapped his self righteous indignation lit up the tiny space. "No shit Trevor thank you for constantly reminding us of your superiority over us pathetic mortals!" She spat in a huff. Lucky for her the dark obscured the vicious smile across the bloodsuckers face. She wanted him and he knew it, he didn't require the ability to sniff out her excitement to relay this message, but he was getting no where so he decided to flank her emotional barricade. In his many years he has taken numerous women and even some men to his bed. The latter in vampire culture a magnificent display of male dominance as the concept of homosexuality was lost on those who lived for centuries not decades. "I am sorry perhaps you will understand me better if I share a bit with you" he told his quarry with no true intent upon revealing himself.

Have a better "Plan B!"

I see and here a lot if folks talking about their prep for the Zombie Apocalypse. I hear grand plans of fortifications and weapons stockpiling. A word of advice to you all from Commander Luckett here. Drive to the edge of your town, city or whatever. Look at the sign that says "Population (insert number here)." Can you build a fort to hold off that many Zombies? Can you stockpile enough guns and ammo to put down that many zombies? Didn't think so! The moral of the story is this "You'd better have a plan B that involves moving out to a less populated area." The alternative is your agonizing death!

Have a nice day!

Commander Luckett

Web Comic Old World 50 part 4. Words by Me art By Martin Dunn!

» Part 4 Old World 50