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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