Interview with the creators of the Day of the Dead the Rising of Bub comic

By Geoff Bough

We here at Revenant recently had the chance to talk to the creators of the upcoming comic 'Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub'. The story follows the popular character "Bub" from George A. Romero's 'Day of the Dead'. The uber-cool Dead Dog Entertainment is the company that is publishing the book. They are responsible for such works as, 'Curse of the Blood Clan', Tom Sullivan's 'Books of the Dead', 'Night of the Living Dead: Barbara's Zombie Chronicles' and the all new 'Cryptic Magazine'. We chatted with author Mark Kidwell, who lends his imagination to continue the story of Bub as well as industry veteran colorist Joe Allard who must have run out of red ink on this project. Bub artist Jeff Zornow, who provides the amazing zombie renderings talks to us about what horror is really all about. A very special thanks to Chazz Demoss and Nick Kauffman for orchestrating the interviews and providing the images! Thanks guys.

Mark Kidwell - Author of 'Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub'

REV: Mark, you worked on Night of the Living Dead Barbara's Zombie chronicles and now you return for The Rising of Bub. When writing in a world from these classic films, do you approach the source material cautiously?

Mark: Nah, only things I approach cautiously are spiders. On "Night", I kinda picked up where Mojo (Joel Moen of Dead Dog) left off. He wrote the first 14 pages of issue #1 and he and Chazz had a definite direction they wanted to go. They already had the "militant Barb" thing and the "Alien/Area 51" thing, so I just took what they wanted and twisted it. By the end of issue 1, I had killed off most of Mojo's characters and had Barb on the road. From there on, most of it was mine. My biggest contributions to the series were the "Zombie barge" scene and Charlie showin' up at the end. As far as re-tracing Romero's steps from the film, I figured "Who wants to read the same story?", so Barb "Toughs up" and fights to stay alive. I figured she'd be dead already if she was still the frail, nearly comatose chick from the movie.

On "Day", I tried to do my own original thing while still maintaining the grim, dark feel of the film. It's pretty faithful to the source material and I think fans will "feel" the connection.

REV: Can you tell us a little about Day of the Dead: Rising of Bub?

Mark: Yeah, maybe a little...The story starts up right where the film started, in that "Dead Infested" Florida town. We can hear the bullhorn from the chopper crew beltin' out "HELLLOOO!?" Biggest difference this time is that someone is actually still alive in town to hear it. Someone who will follow the chopper's flight path back to a played out underground silver mine where a zombie named "Bub" and his shambling bretheren wait....

REV: So, how did The Rising of Bub get started? How did you all come to work together on this project?

Mark: Super Businessman Chazz DeMoss of Dead Dog struck a deal with Taurus Entertainment for the rights, I wrote 3 issues worth of script, it got green lighted and VOILA! a horror comics milestone was born. I think Chazz tapped me to script, knowing that I'm a junky for the film. An artist was brought on board, he didn't work out (dunno why) and then Chazz met Jeff. Jeff's stuff kicked ass and he's a huge zombie nut, so we had our artist. Undead kizmet, that's what it was.

REV: Have you had any feedback or comments from George Romero on* your
projects?

Mark: Personally, no. I have heard "stories" of how Mr. Romero groans a bit about all the public handling of his properties. That's understandable, seeing as how most of the rights to his stuff are either public domain or held by others. It's gotta be frustrating. Still, I would like to hear from him after the "Day" series is out and get his critique. I love alot of his films and have great respect for all his hard work and independant spirit.

REV: It seems that you have an incredibly active imagination, are you always watching movies and filling in little sub-plots in your head or going beyond "the end" of a movie in your mind?

Mark: Oh yeah. I particularly enjoy imagining tons of gore and nudity in the the "Lord of the Rings" films. Those flicks are nearly perfect, but they lack naked elven chix.

Seriously, I tend to imagine different endings for most horror movies. The endings they shoot seem "tacked on" most of the time and it's a shame. All movies should have endings like "7even". Paltro's noggin in a box. That kicked my ass! That's how you end a horror film.

REV: Who/what are some of your influences?

Mark: Oh man, where to start? Artistically, Bernie Wrightson, Barry Windsor Smith, Richard Corben and Tim Vigil. Those guys are gods, the best of the best.

As far as writers go, I read alot of novels, so there's a veritable army of influences. My favorites are Joe R. Lansdale, Ray Garton, Richard Laymon, Stephen King, Simon Clark, Preston and Child, etc. etc., but as far as all time biggest influence, I'd have to credit Robert E. Howard. Guy's my hero.

REV: To what do you attribute your love of horror?

Mark: Couple things...Cool, understanding parents with no censorship rules, especially my mom. They let me watch, read and listen to just about anything I wanted to. I finished reading "The Hobbit" when I was 9 years old and the next book I picked up was "Salem's Lot". After that, there was no lookin' back.

Secondly, my babysitter, a lady named Lily. She and I would stay up late on Saturday nites when my folks were out and watch "Chiller" theater and eat tons of popcorn. She also took my sister and I to the drive in when I was 5 to see Hammer's "Vampire Circus". Lemme tellya, stage blood and cleavage changed my life. God bless her.

REV: In preparing for this project, how many times did you watch Day of the Dead?

Mark: Actually, I didn't screen the film once while writing the scripts. I've seen that movie about 200 times now and can recite it (much to my wife's dismay). I did check out some of the DVD booklet's info for timeline stuff. I wrote the first script in about 5 hours, sent it to Chazz, got it approved, then banged out issues 2 and 3 in a weekend. The whole process was so natural and fluid, it was over too soon.

REV: Besides Bub, who is your favorite character from Day of the Dead?

Mark: Definitely Captain Rhodes. His whole "I'm in charge!" and "Look at the little guy with the big silver guns!" shtick is one of my favorite things in the flick.

REV: There have been some hints that we will see some of the other noteworthy characters from the film, can you elaborate on that?

Mark: Oh, you'll see the aforementioned Captain Rhodes, or at least half of him, pop up for a cameo and old doc Frankenstein may just shuffle outta the shadows for a quick star turn. Other than that, you'll just have to read it...

REV: Dead Dog Entertainment has to be one of the best publishing houses to work for. How much do Chazz and Mojo kick ass?

Mark: Chazz and Mojo have been like long lost brothers to me. From the first time I met 'em at the Philly Wizard show, we've hit it off and worked easily together. I owe these dudes everything. They've gone way above and beyond the call in promoting me and my work and as far as I can remember, they've never said "NO" to any of the crazy shit I wanted to do with the books. I still remember Chazz's reply over the phone when I told him I wanted Charles Manson as the self proclaimed President of the US at the end of NOTLD. "Lemme check with legal on this man. If it's cool with them, you can do it. ...and by the way, you're nuts."

Thanx Chazz
Thanx Moj

REV: What was it like working with Jeff and Joe?

Mark: I haven't really communicated with Joe, but I love his work. With Jeff, it's been E-mails back and forth. He's a frothing zombie nut and has been nothing but excited and over the top positive about the script. His excitement shows in his pages, cause they kick serious ass. He sticks very close to my scripts (I'm a heavy handed, detail picky scripter) and seeing him bring my words to life in the panels is exciting as hell. This book has the perfect creative team and I think the fans of the film are gonna love it.

REV: What comics have you been reading lately?

Mark: My reading time is so limited right now, I've got this teetering pile of unread comix in my bedroom that should crash to the floor in a week or so. When I can steal a minute or two, I keep up with "Punisher", because I'll read anything Garth Ennis writes. I've also been reading "Desolation Jones" by Ellis, "Loveless" and "Exterminators" from Vertigo and this quirky, hilarious manga thing called "I LUV HALLOWEEN" from Tokyo Pop. It's hilarious, you should check it out if you haven't already.

The comic series I've dug most in the past couple of years was "WE3" by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely. That mini is unreal.

REV: What have you been listening to currently? (music)*

Mark: Same things I've been listening to forever. I'm a bit of a music snob. I listen to tons of punk, mostly Rancid, Dropkick Murphys, Bouncing Souls, Misfits, Michale Graves, Lars Frederickson and the Bastards, Clash...then my hard rock faves, Iron Maiden, MurderDolls, Wednsday 13, The Cult and Circus of Power just to name a few.

Michale Graves' "Punk Rock is Dead" disc has been livin' in my player for a while now. I've really gotta give it a rest or it's gonna melt.

REV: What's your favorite zombie movie?

Mark: "Day of the Dead", hands down. I really dig Bob Clark's "Death Dream" though. It's "kinda" a zombie movie...The guy is back from Vietnam after dying there and he's drinkin' blood to stay fresh. Man, I gotta go watch that again tonight.

REV: Do you have any other upcoming projects that we can salivate over?

Mark: Several things are in the works. I've finished the script and pencils for "Creature From the Depths" from Dead Dog. It's a "Creature From the Black Lagoon meets H.P. Lovecraft" riff. It's being colored and lettered right now, so look for it in a couple months.

I'm currently pencilling a 4 issue mini series with Dead Dog alum RD Hall (Frankenstein) for Arcana Studio called "American Wasteland". It's a vampire romp in the vein (excuse the pun) of Matheson's "I Am Legend" with truckers and rednex.

I'm editing "68", a book I scripted that's being drawn by the awesome Nat Jones and colored by his amazing partner in gore, Jay Fotos. That one will be out soon from Dead Dog.

Then, I'm finishing up a new mini for Dead Dog about ghosts. If you know me, you know I hate ghost stories, so this one has about 5 pages of "Ghostliness" and about 60 pages of pure violence and gore. It's the darkest thing I've written so far and will probably be embarrassingly loaded with exploitative splat.

Other than that, I'm gearing up to write my first horror novel. I'm budgeting about 3 months for that, so ya know it ain't gonna be "War and Peace". It's a dark cautionary tale about greed, war, love and the rabid dead.

That's about it for right now. If all this work and all these cigarettes...mmm, cigarettes don't kill me, I'll be back with some more ASAP. Oh and I just wanna state, for all you horror and Dead Dog fans out there, I'm a horror writer and artist. I'm not gonna walk away from the genre, afraid of being "typecast" or "pigeon-holed" as a one trick pony. I am a one-trick pony (with big, dripping, sharp teeth), I love and respect horror in all media and will endeavor to create nothing but the best splatterpunk stuff I can. So, if ya like what you're seeing, keep coming back, 'cause it's only gonna get worse.

Thanx for the interview op, Geoff and thanks for supporting and promoting me and Dead Dog!

Joe Allard - Colorist for 'Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub'

REV: Joe, your colors are incredible, they really bring the inks to life and give the book depth. It's always amazing to see an uncolored panel and then see the same panel colored by an expert. Kudos my man.

Joe: Thanks for the kind words, Geoff! A colorists main job is to emphasize the mood, energy and emotion in each panel to assist in the story telling. To be honest I was a bit rusty when I colored issue one of Day of the Dead. I have been working in the toy industry for a long time, and it's been quite a while since I colored comic books. I'm looking forward to working on Issue #2 and stepping the quality up even further.

REV: You have done a lot of work in coloring, have you ever had the opportunity to color this much…gore?

Joe: I'd have to say no. This is about the goriest stuff I had the pleasure to color. I did a lot of work for Verotik Comics many years ago and that stuff was violent, but not as gory or bloody as this. It was actually a bit complicated trying to decipher what was blood, guts, intestines, organs...I tried to color everything slightly different.

REV: About how long does it take to color a panel?

Joe: I'm not sure. I kind of work on the page as a whole...dropping in flat color to the entire page, then going into each panel and rendering it. If I have the time when I'm finished with all of the pages, I like to look at the book as a whole to see how it flows. I'll usually make some changes then too. I'm like the George Lucas of coloring, I never stop tinkering with it.

REV: What kind of materials do you use?

Joe: I'm on a Dell PC running Photoshop 7 and using a Wacom Intuos 2 Platinum Graphics Tablet. I use to love my Macintosh back when I worked for Malibu and Marvel comics, but working from home the PC seems to be the way to go.

REV: Did you have to reference the film at all during this project?

Joe: I did pop in the DVD just to refresh my memory on the look and feel of the movie. I also wanted to make sure I had Dr. Tongue's and Bub's color correct. I actually had to rush through Issue one a bit, so I'm looking forward to giving issue two even more of that 70's horror movie feel...a little over exposed and grainy.

REV: You've also done a lot in the area of toy design, do those skills help out on a project like this?

Joe: Other way around actually. I can say that my comic book experience has helped me in the toy design area, allowing me to color concept art quicker and a little nicer than a marker comp.

REV: How do you feel about the current market of zombie toys? There have been a few good licenses but we're in need of some generic badass looking zombie figures.

Joe: Yeah, Zombies are getting big now...almost on the verge of being trendy. I went to Toy Fair in February and I remember someone was actually coming out with a generic line of zombie figures...but I can't remember who it was.

REV: What was it like working with Mark and Jeff?

Joe: Technically, I haven't really worked with Mark yet. I received Jeff's pencils with no lettering on them, and I did not get a chance to read the script for this one...so I made it all up in my head as I colored. When it comes out, it will be the first time I actually read Mark's story.

It's great working on Jeff's stuff, it's a lot of fun to color. Very detailed, but plenty of room to embellish with colors. Chazz at Dead Dog knew Jeff and I would make a killer team right off. He had me color Jeff's Swamp Beast story for the first issue of Cryptic Magazine. That came out pretty sweet, so he asked me to color Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub miniseries, which Jeff is also penciling.

REV: Who/What are some of your influences?

Joe: Bernie Wrightson, Basil Gogos, Frank Miller, Frank Frazetta, Alex Ross, Neal Adams, Dave Stevens, Dario Argento, Stanley Kubrick, George Romero, Alex Proyas, Elvis, Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Tim Burton...and my wife Terri.

REV: What comics are you currently reading?

Joe: I started reading All Star Batman and Robin. I mean, Frank Miller and Jim Lee...how can you go wrong? I don't know either, but they did. I don't really care for it...it just doesn't float my boat. Other than that, I've been too busy to really get into anything recent.

REV: What is your favorite zombie movie?

Joe: Man, that's tough...just one...um... at this very moment, I'm gonna have to say "ZOMBI", Dario Argentos re-cut of George Romero's Dawn of the Dead. I just got it on DVD and it's sweet.

REV: What have you been listening to lately? (music)

Joe: Rob Zombies new album, Educated Horses...not my favorite Zombie album, but it's growing on me a bit. I like listening to the AIM XM radio while I am coloring on the computer, either the Metal, Classic Punk or Movie Soundtrack stations.

REV: Any upcoming projects that we can expect to see soon?

Joe: For comics, I have to finish up issue's two and three of the Day of the Dead miniseries. Then I believe I am coloring the comic book adaptation of a new horror film called "The Dread".

As for Toys, I am working on some Star Wars and Marvel stuff for Hasbro which will be out later this year.

Thanks for letting me, um...spill my guts, as the saying goes!

Jeff Zornow - Artist for 'Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub'

REV: Jeff, your zombies are amazing! Do you draw inspiration from other artists and if so, who or what inspires your work?

Jeff: Thanks for the kind words man...Just about everything that triggers my five senses inspires my work. The strongest inspiration is DISSATISFACTION! I mean, there are some GREAT horror comics out there, but the majority is really weak, or has REALLY weak art. To me, this is simply a crime. If an artist is going to try and travel the dark path, that artist should understand what they are getting themselves into. A horror comic/graphic novel, CANNOT be treated like any other form of visual storytelling , it requires a very VAST array of storytelling skills, unique to any other genre. Unfortunately there are many artists who naively come in, draw some uninspired story, and then the horror genre is once again shat upon. There are those things in the darkness and shadows who notice and are offended...I know because the bastard creatures TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT WHILE I SLEEP !!! So a word of warning to those artists and writers......BE CAREFUL WHERE YOU TREAD! HORROR DEMANDS KNOWLEDGE, SKILL, AND MOST OF ALL RESPECT!!!

Technically , my work is also inspired by those artists that traveled this path long before me, those that made this path possible. I am referring of course to the PIONEERS back in the golden age of comics, especially the EC comics run!!! First I have to name the GODFATHER Will Eisner, (all knowledge of what can be is contained within his panels.) Milton Caniff One of the greatest that has or will ever be. But the EC group of Mavericks especially! EVERYONE reading this will now take a few moments to reflect upon the grandmasters who risked SO MUCH to create something HORRID and BEAUTIFUL that will forever leave it's BLACK and BEAUTIFUL mark on ART HISTORY! My Favorite of the EC horror cannon would include JACK DAVIS (one of the greatest American artists EVER..... PERIOD!!! WALLACE WOOD (until better drawings are drawn...they will be drawn by WOOD!) "GHASTLY" Ghraham Ingels (possibly the most tragic of all artists), JOHNNY CRAIG!! (slow and steady wins EVERY race and you proved it over and over...... the proof is in all the re-prints!!!) And last but probably THE most important artist in my life ....JOE ORLANDO!!!! I knew this man as a mentor, and teacher. Joe Orlando was the FIRST to open my eyes and show me what was TRULY possible with this medium, and this genre. He showed me how to find the courage to do this with confidence! I love and am inspired by ALL the EC artists and writers, but these men are simply my favorites.

I cannot yet change this subject without mentioning my OTHER mentor...KLAUS JANSON, his art is simply storytelling GENIUS! I would understand little about art at all if it were not for this master artist/storyteller. I am also always amazed by the horror generation of the 70's and all the black and white horror comic magazines! Even the CRAPPY ones destroy the crap that we have today. That generation was doing amazing things with inking, I am still mystified as to how certain inking techniques were created and applied to art back then.
Artists still working today that have had a profound impact on how I execute my craft would have to be Junji Ito, Hideshi Hino, Guy Davis, Mike Mignola, and recently,PUTRID.

I must speak a moment though about Junji Ito and Hideshi Hino, Both Horror Manga artists from Japan. Both artists are those who are absolute MASTERS of not only graphic storytelling in itself but are obviously touched by that which dwells within the darkness. They both have conjured stories that are glimpses into the black beyond. Junji Ito's work showed me TRUE HORROR, and well, Hideshi Hino is the first artist to make me beleive I was going to die after reading one of his stories! Both artists are currently having their work re-printed in America, through Dark Horse...If you are a fan of Horror BUY THESE BOOKS! Junji Ito's work is being archived under the name MUSEUM OF TERRORS.

Movies have also had a PROFOUND influence in my work. I was a young kid when the grindhouse/slasher boom of the late 70's and early 80's hit. I was one of the many not spared by it's impact. I have been a splatterpunk since the 3rd grade. If it had not been for Romero's zombies, Tom Savini's magic, Hammer Films, the early Friday the 13th films, CHILDREN SHOULD'NT PLAY WITH DEAD THINGS, The Texas chainsaw massacre by Tobe Hooper and Kim Heinkel, as well as John Carpenter's Halloween, Sam Raimi's and Tom Sullivan's art making EVIL DEAD 1-2 (dead by Dawn). My world would have been much harder to deal with if it weren't for these aforementioned works.

MUSIC is ESSENTIAL to all of my inspirations and ideas. I love all kinds, but I am addicted to brutal Death metal, evil apocalyptic black metal, and horrifying Gore/Grind . I am also a complete soundtrack nerd!

I'm heavily influenced by my nightmares....both old and new. And most importantly I am inspired by the world around me......and how I sometimes wish for the terrors of absolute darkness to finally pierce the gate that separates us from it...and drown us all in eternal nightmare and horror. Once and for all teaching humankind that no matter what, our philosophies, our religions, our prejudices and opinions , are ultimately insignificant. We are still....just little monkeys...swinging through trees, and beating on each other with sticks...to them that watch us...under the shadows....behind our mirrors....and inside our nightmares. Few bother to notice these things, and their messages , but they have been SCREAMING at me since I was only a child. I simply try to deliver their messages through my craft , art and stories.

HAHA I realize I practically answered this first question with an essay, BUT it was a very broad question. At least one I figured I would answer FULLY, for I could DIE tomorrow! (you really never know).

REV: What can zombie fans expect from this book?

Jeff: What can fans expect? I'll tell you. FIRST they can expect ZOMBIES, hundreds...thousands...a LEGION of ZOMBIES! they can expect CRAZY ZOMBIE ACTION! Everything you usually expect to see in an old -school Romero-esque zombie storyline! A group of characters that are constantly at odds with one another in the most GRAVE of situations. One thing I will personally promise to ALL OF MY FELLOW GOREHOUNDS RIGHT NOW!!! YOU WILL GET A GIANT HEAPING BLOODPILE OF GORE IN EVERY ISSUE! I have a horrific addiction to GORE and will not skimp out in any way. In fact I even have added MORE GORE than what was originally in Mark Kidwell's wonderous scripts! He wrote some absolute horrific stuff, but I am here to ensure that this zombie book delivers some convincingly cool SPLATTER! Like the original film DAY OF THE DEAD, hardcore DAY fans can expect the atmosphere of the story to be just as GRIM and as TENSE as the original.

REV: What was it like working with Mark and Joe?

Jeff: Easy. Actually I didn't "work" with Mark on this project . the scripts were already done by the time Chazz Demoss discovered me that night in the graveyard. Basically I just drew the thing because it was near perfect as Mark had written it. All I did was make a few MINOR alterations as far as some visuals were concerned. Then I threw an extra helping of gore on everything, and Mark stepped in and said "KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING" so that was good. As far as working with the mighty Joe Allard, also it was easy. He is already a respected and brilliant colorist/designer, all I had to say was what type of feelings and subconcious emotions I wanted the audience to feel throughout the story and Joe turns that info into color design but on a scale that is always MUCH more GRAND than my horrified ramblings can express. Both of these guys are absolutely confident and strong in skill, so that makes this collaboration VERY easy.

REV: I know that just about every artist loves drawing zombies. How has this experience been for you?

Jeff: I literally grew up with Zombies...I have always drawn zombies, so this experience has been completely enjoyable yet still very challenging and tyring. With so many zombie books out there right now I knew that I had to make sure that my zombie legion were truly ready to do this dirty deed. My zombie brethren have also made sure that I stayed on top of my game for this project as well. The Zombies and I initially assumed that this would be "The one and only chance" to do this right by the fans, so we didn't hold back and just came ripping out of the grave with our hunger for human flesh at a ravenous high with our maggots and rotted guts plentiful!

REV: To what do you attribute your love of horror?

Jeff: I attribute my love of horror to mostly being terrified of everything when I was a child. Monsters and horror quickly became something that fascinated me. The period in which I grew up of course, the late 70's early 80's made many young impressionable children into splatterpunks, horror junkies and gorehounds. Although this is just a minor reason I am obsessed with horror, there is a much more IMPORTANT episode in my life that steers me toward the dark. I had suffered from chronic and reocurring nightmares since I was 2. Something horrid and utterly mysterious happened to me when I was 6 yrs old, Halloween night, 1980....

It was after I had finished trick-or-treating, and I was in bed trying to fall asleep. I was having trouble sleeping that night and I noticed the alarm clock next to my bed bathed my room in a very dim green light. Eventually I noticed the shadows around my room started to shift and move. I could hear laughing, giggling, echoed and distant like it was reverberating inside of a cave. I could then make out a ghostly transparent image of a creature near my closet door, it's skinny body and long rubbery arms all bobbing as it laughed at me! I couldn't believe my eyes! I rubbed them and peered into the dark...THE THING WAS STILL THERE!!!

I noticed all kinds of movement within the corners and shadows of my room. Then I saw ANOTHER creature!! At the foot of my bed. A wraith-like humanoid shaped thing, bald it appeared, and with a skull like face and long teeth and pointed ears. It was wearing all black and all I could really make out was it's face and hands. It was bent, crouched at the foot of my bed like it was going to jump on top of me! It looked to the left, it looked the the right, It looked up, and it looked down, then it looked right at me again! I covered my face underneath my blankets and cried. I waited until my face got hot, then I peeked out to see if the creatures were still in my room...THE FANGED ONE WAS RIGHT NEXT TO MY FACE!!! I was PARALYZED, then it whispered something to me. A message that was only meant for me to hear so I DARE NOT REPEAT IT IN THIS INTERVIEW!

After The fanged creature delivered its message, it faded into nothing, the laughing rubbery looking thing faded after a few more seconds of taunting me. People can say I was young and my imagination went wild, or that I was dreaming the whole thing but I was awake and I did SEE THESE THINGS as real as everything else in the world! After that night though, my nightmares changed. This is also the year I started drawing ALL THE TIME! Mostly animals or monsters, nothing human.

REV: About how long did it take you to complete each issue?

Jeff: Each issue has been different. I did the first in 28 days!!! because I was originally on a different schedule. The second I have had much more time on and the art is WAYYY better than the first. At the time of this interview, I have not started the third issue. Over all I would say to do an issue of DOTD real well I need about 2 and a half months.

REV: What have you been listening to lately? (music)

Jeff: I have been on a steady stream of music to invoke absolute horror, grim darkness, and GORE! FONDLE CORPSE , FRIGHTMARE, SPLATTERHOUSE, LORD GORE, MACHETAZO, MORTICIAN, DISGORGE (mex), GUTROT, DYSCRASIA, GHOUL, SACRIFICIAL BLOOD, SATAN'S ALMIGHTY PENIS, MALIGNANCY, BLOOD CULT, BLACK WITCHERY, TJOLGTJAR, INTERNAL SUFFERING, LEVIATHAN, XASTHUR, NECROPHAGIA, LIVIDITY, SAPROGENIC, CORPSE CARVING, REPULSION, BLOOD FREAK, DESTROY HUMANITY NOW, THINGS OUTSIDE THE SKIN, PROFANATICA, EXPLODING ZOMBIES, WINDS OF THE BLACK MOUNTAINS (R.I.P Tchort), FECAL CORPSE, EX- DEMENTIA, SAMHAIN, AUTOPSY, SUMMON, GOBLIN, GORGASM, MANGLED ATROCITYJust for starters.

REV: What is your favorite classic monster?

Jeff: The Wolf Man, Larry Talbot or Waldimar Daninsky! Werewolves in general. I have a deep and long bond with the Werewolves. In the End the one Classic monster that truly RULES ALL is GODZILLA!!!!

REV: How has it been working with Dead Dog? I know you have also done some work with them on CRYPTIC Magazine.

Jeff: Dead Dog has been supporting whatever I do 100% and I thank them from the bottom of my cold , blackened , maggot infested heart! Dead Dog and I have just begun to unleash the Horror Holocaust upon the world! In addition to penciling/inking Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub, I also write and illustrate my own short horror stories for CRYPTIC! The new magazine from Dead Dog that is part horror magazine and part Horror comic anthology! Just as if the 70's had returned but in GORE DRENCHED COLOR!! Cryptic #1 featured my story "Blood Swamp", Issue #2 will have my blasphemous comic "MEURGOTH", Issue#3 is underway now and I am planning to unleash Dr. GORE for this one. Dr Gore is a hideously disfigured mad doctor, who creates horrid, man-eating GORE MONSTERS! Working on Cryptic has been an absolute BLAST!

REV: What do you think of the current zombie phenomenon in film, fiction and comics? Do you think it will fizzle out?

Jeff: I don't think very much about the subject to tell you the truth. Most of the current zombie flicks have not been interesting to me. The Walking Dead and the FLESHROT anthology are still a cool read, but most of the others are weak. Overall, I think the state of horror entertainment is still in need of MAJOR help . I think zombies and other monsters/ creatures have been getting the shaft for quite some time. I feel their pain and I intend to use all of my skill to help them return to their rightful former glory. ON TOP OF THE HUMAN FOOD CHAIN!!
Even if it means my own destruction at the tentacles of ancient monstrous beings, I will do what I can to make sure their reign of blood is assured!

REV: What is your favorite zombie film?

Jeff: City of the Living Dead. (FULCI LIVES),Evil Dead (although sometimes I don't consider this to be a zombie flick), The Beyond, Zombie, Night of the Living Dead, Day of the Dead.

REV: Favorite horror film?

Jeff: City of the Living Dead, The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Original Ju-On series, Evil Dead, John Carpenter's THE THING, Friday the 13th 1-the FINAL chapter.

REV: Do you have any upcoming projects that we can expect?

Jeff: Lots of stuff upcoming! I have a full length story in the upcoming AGNES QUILL graphic novel anthology, album covers for Satan's Almighty Penis and a cover for the Sacrificial Blood Zombie Split cd. I also have some artwork for the HALLOWEEN: 25 years of terror, a documentary on the series of movies started by John Carpenter (July 25 from Anchor Bay). The Fourth issue of CRYPTIC magazine, which I am VERY excited about, for I will be teaming up again with writer Elizabeth Genco to bring you a short story about a true Urban legend From Michigan called 'THE DOG LADY". For Halloween release I will be doing all artwork and layouts for the 2nd full length album from the horror/grind band SPLATTERHOUSE (wich will RULE!!) After all of that is finished and DAY OF THE DEAD: The rising of Bub finally all comes out, my next project from Dead Dog will be a special one-shot adaptation of one of my favorite Lucio Fulci Films, HOUSE BY THE CEMETERY! I know that this is just the beginning and that things are going to get SO MUCH WORSE. BLOOD WILL SPILL, AND FLOOD THE CITIES OF MAN! And human lives will be laid to waste! EVIL, DARKNESS, AND UNHOLY TERRORS BROUGHT ABOUT BY MONSTER MAYHEM AND INHUMAN HORRORS WILL RETURN!!!

I'd like to thank Mark Kidwell, Joe Allard and Jeff Zornow for taking the time to answer our questions. These are 3 of the coolest dudes in comics. We wish them all the best and eagerly await the arrival of 'Day of the Dead: The Rising of Bub'. To find out more information on how to get a copy of the comic, head over to your local comic shop and ask them to order it for you. Thanks again to Chazz Demoss at Dead Dog for facilitating the interviews.

For further information, please check the following sites:

www.deaddogent.com
www.yourmidnightreader.com
www.designdevil.com