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ARE YOU SAFE WHEN ZOMBIES ATTACK
by Jennifer Contino (Pulse)
How do you kill a Zombie? What happens when Post Mortems invade your backyard cookout? Just who are the PMAC and Officer Frank? All those questions and more are answered by Chad Waters and Matt Rose, the masterminds behind the January debuting comic series, When Zombies Attack!!.
THE PULSE: We've seen a lot of zombie comics over the past few years. Some have become a hit with readers, while others should have remained in the ground. Tell us a little about your zombie series, When Zombies Attack, and what sets is part from some of the pack.
MATT ROSE: Our standard answer is it’s a cross between COPS and Night of the Living Dead shot on video, documentary style, following around the P.M.A.C. (Post Mortem Animation Control) officers as they take care of paranormal craziness in their real world – it’s inspired by the old home video stuff of somebody finding a bear in their backyard and approaching it with a real aspect instead of a dramatic one. But, it’s meant to be real in a slightly alternate universe, bizarro world.
CHAD WATERS: It started out as a way to blow off steam from the long hours at work. We wanted to just shoot a short, get a camera out there and shoot some neat images. It turned out to be the When Zombies Attack!! prototype pilot, which has now extended into the comic book, toys, potential video game and novels. It's now become its own little franchise.
THE PULSE: What were some of the challenges to doing a zombie book when there seem to be a sea of zombie books around lately?
CHAD WATERS: Our intention wasn’t to do a zombie book. It was to just do a comic book version of our short that would help expand the world of P.M.A.C.. So, we didn’t consider or even look at those books to tell you the truth. We just knew we were doing a comic book version of our project based on our characters. We would just have to approach it a little differently because it was a comic and not a documentary. We probably didn't have to but we decided to include the documentary crew into the comic (as background) as more of an homage to our short. The comic book gave us more freedom to tell a story because we could use multiple points of view instead of just relying on the camera's one.
MATT ROSE: And it’s just a different format, with a comic artists take on our idea.
THE PULSE: So just how did you come up with the idea for When Zombies Attack? Was it originally intended to be a comics project?
CHAD WATERS: We originally wanted to shoot something on film. We wanted to shoot something quick, and knew that film would be more expensive and potentially more problematic for us so we decided on high 8 (this was just before digital became readily available).We figured if we did it in a kind of documentary reality show or COPS type thing, we could get away with video look. Because home video is so accepted as real life, we thought that adding realistic zombies into the formula could really get a reaction and be a lot of fun. That was the driving idea behind that. What could we shoot on video that people would actually accept?
The comic came years later.
MATT ROSE: The original idea that Chad and I came up with is very serious. We’re very interested in the whole zombie idea and the scariness of it. But, the idea of processing and investing in film wasn’t really worth doing the short. By shooting on video and approaching it as a documentary, we put in the idea of the seriousness of stumbling upon something scary. Yet, the funny part about it is that it’s so damn absurd like some of our favorite movies can be scary and funny at the same time, not meaning to be silly. But, the situation going on is so absurd that it’s ridiculous yet you accept it in a scary way. You get scared even watching a vampire or werewolf movie. If you really break it down its pretty ridiculous, but you get pulled into it and you really get scared if it’s done well.
THE PULSE: I think I remember a short grade B or C film with the same title, is the comic at all related to that?
CHAD WATERS: The short is neither a “B” nor a “C” film; it’s more of an experimental short that ended up spawning into a comic book later. But, we don’t consider it a “B” or “C” film.
THE PULSE: OK. You have this set in Burke County USA. What's that place like?
CHAD WATERS: It’s like any small town in the USA where people have problems with crime, except this town also has to cope with the annoyances of the undead, ghosts, werewolves, and any other kind of monsters or supernatural phenomena.
MATT ROSE: But, they deal with it like everyday situations. Just like police have to deal with transients, prostitutes, burglars, thieves, or whatever they’re dealing with, only it’s their real world.
CHAD WATERS: But in this town they'd probably be more depressed about the fact that their local football team lost the playoff game than their mailman getting mutilated by a werewolf.
THE PULSE: Why are zombies, vampires, and other creatures of the night roaming the world freely? Why is it the "norm" there?
MATT ROSE: Because they always have. That’s the idea. They’ve always been around. That’s our interpretation of it. It’s just whether or not people take notice of it anymore. A concentration of that has always been around. You just get used to it, ignore it, or you put a different label on it. In our world it’s just very concentrated. That’s kind of our point. If you had a dinosaur in your backyard, you’d probably go, “Holy Shit!” Yet, all over the world you still have elephants walking the earth which are essentially giant dinosaurs that you take for granted. But, these are amazing things. So it’s the same idea, you just take something for granted even though there’s something truly amazing in front of you. And only until it affects you do you react to it. So, that’s the idea. They’ve always been here they always will be here and it’s just how you deal with them and how they conduct themselves.
CHAD WATERS: That’s the question we're always asked. To us, that’s what makes it funny. They just are and how people are reacting to them is funny to us. It’s like Matt was saying, they’ve just been pushed away for so long. But over time, the world just got bigger and the monsters got smaller and now they’ve come back. No chemical viruses. They just exist.
MATT ROSE: No meteors. It’s all earthly. They’re just there, right in front of you.
THE PULSE: You mentioned them in passing, but just who are the Post Mortem Animation Control (PMAC)? How did you come up with that group?
CHAD WATERS: It’s the agency that was created to control the paranormal supernatural influx into Burke County. We didn't want Officer Frank to just be part of the regular police force. So we gave him the Post Mortem Animation Control.
MATT ROSE: It’s a special corps. They’re just another specialized task force such as police handling crime, paramedics handling emergency calls, and fireman handling fires. PMAC is formed to handle just paranormal craziness.
CHAD WATERS: But, they’re more like a Sheriff's dept versus the FBI. They’re more low tech, less money.
MATT ROSE: Less formal. They’re like animal control, when you have a specific problem you call them.
CHAD WATERS: And they’re always having some issue with not having enough money. So fighting the undead and having a reality show about it helps to make some money and also acts as a public service announcement to inform people of this problem.
THE PULSE: How does one learn the exact “how to’s” of killing the dead?
CHAD WATERS: From Officer Frank.
MATT ROSE: Anytime you have a question, just ask him and he’ll tell you straight out.
CHAD WATERS: But, everyone should go to the shooting range to improve their aim.
MATT ROSE: Destroy the brain, you kill the undead.
CHAD WATERS: Frank would also tell you not to have barbecues close to a cemetery. The smell of meat will definitely attract the dead. It’s mostly common sense and that is part of Officer Frank’s frustrations. People don’t always follow the obvious rules. The town will continue to have houses next to cemeteries because the property is less money and people always flock to what's cheap. These are the same people calling P.M.A.C. on a nightly basis for help.
MATT ROSE: It’s like people blowing their hands off with fireworks. It’ll always happen.
THE PULSE: Besides Officer Frank, you told me a little about his rookie partner, Chet. How'd those two come to be paired up against the Post Mortems?
CHAD WATERS: Chet is Frank’s rookie partner who, to the disappointment of the other P.M.A.C. officers, was chosen by Frank because of psychic/ telekinesis type ability. Frank is hoping to nurture Chet’s abilities and use it to battle the supernatural. He was actually going to be a priest before being brought into the P.M.A.C. His mother sent him in that direction. She is very religious and very pushy.
MATT ROSE: He also shows a lot of promise instead of people joining the P.M.A.C. just for kicks or the excitement of killing things for nothing. He’s a very dedicated officer.
CHAD WATERS: Officers Dooley and Leary are jealous that Frank picked Chet so they’re always pulling pranks on him. Things like putting severed zombie heads in Chet's locker.
THE PULSE: Ah, reminds me of high school all over again. So just what is a "Waker"? Why does Officer Frank call them that?
MATT ROSE: It’s slang.
CHAD WATERS: The P.M.A.C. don't call the walking dead "Zombies".
MATT ROSE: Technically “zombies” aren’t exactly what these guys are. “Zombies” in the voodoo sense are like humans controlled by chemicals or psychological control. These are actually the awakened dead. “Zombies” can be used as slang, but Frank’s term is more accurate.
THE PULSE: Out of everything you could have possibly done in and out of comics, why did you want to tell this kind of story?
CHAD WATERS: Because it’s subject matter that we’ve enjoyed growing up. All the movies, books and comics thrown into one idea.
MATT ROSE: It’s growing up with stuff that scared the crap out of you and also wanting to make something that we would love to see growing up. Just like the original Kolchak The Night Stalker series - fun and frightening. It’s a variation in a different format. Something like the Art Adams Dracula, Werewolf, Frankenstein, all in one comic with a record - it was still so cool. It’s not that it was particularly scary, but it was fun. It was three monsters that you just love drawn so well. Actual panels of Dracula jumping across screen turning into a bat as he jumps, looking at it as a kid just grabs you.
THE PULSE: What are the challenges of being kind of spoofy but also having something that’s taken seriously as well?
CHAD WATERS: That’s the trick. In the T V show, that’s all coming from the actors playing it as straight as possible.
MATT ROSE: No spoof.
CHAD WATERS: So, whatever absurd situation they’re in, as long as they play it completely straight and dry, you’ll get the idea. But, if the actors are in on the joke it doesn’t work. Comics are a little different and you can be broader, because it’s not actors.
MATT ROSE: Again, we don’t consider it a spoof. We’re not trying to spoof COPS or any home videos. It is presented as a documentary. There is no spoof. The idea is that this is their world. The humor again is only in its absurdity. That’s really what it’s about and we’re playing it totally straight. What else can you do but laugh at certain circumstances that are just insane if you’re not scared at the same time.
THE PULSE: How did Jim Mahfood get involved in this project?
CHAD WATERS: Mahfood was recommended to us by Joe Venegas who is also publishing and editing the comic book series. I really enjoyed Mahfood’s take on Clerks and was excited to have him interested in our project.
THE PULSE: You said you were a fan of his work on Clerks, just how well is he realizing your vision of the comic?
MATT ROSE: He made it his own, but he stayed true to our story and words. That’s part of what we had in mind when we asked him to draw it. He takes his impression of what our show is and we didn’t want to art direct him.
CHAD WATERS: That would take away his passion for it. We just wanted to let him go and do what he does best. We’re very happy with what Jim did with it.
MATT ROSE: Chad and I came up with the story and wrote the script and asked Mahfood to do the actual drawings based on that.
THE PULSE: Sounds like a keen plan. So, for interested readers, how many issues are planned for When Zombies Attack!! And how many are in stores now?
MATT ROSE: Four issues.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: (From Publisher Joe Venegas): The first issue was picked up by Diamond Comics for release in January, and the response already has been overwhelming. Plans are to commit to finishing this particular storyline over four issues and to follow through with additional issues as WZA fans demand more.]
THE PULSE: What zombie movies in particular have influenced you?
MATT ROSE: Easily, Night of the Living Dead. Especially growing up, that was something that I saw in pieces every time they showed it on the local TV station. I’d see it in fragments because I couldn’t take it until I finally saw it as a re-release in the '70s on the big screen. It’s still one of the most solid zombie movies even after 35 years.
CHAD WATERS: Certainly another big influence was playing the game, Resident Evil. We were really into that game at the time. But then that game was probably influenced to some degree by Night of the Living Dead. Fulci's take on zombie's is great too.
THE PULSE: How has your background in special effects helped you with “When Zombies Attack!!”?
CHAD WATERS: Our background made it possible to create the makeup effects on our own without having to pay someone else.
MATT ROSE: That was a big deal. Because Chad and I have been doing this stuff for so long, we knew what we wanted. Plus, we had a very specific vision of what our zombies would be like so we didn’t have to explain it to somebody else.
THE PULSE: How difficult was it to find the right leading man for this?
CHAD WATERS: Actually, it wasn’t hard at all. We were very fortunate with our first choice. We just asked a friend at work, “Hey Frank (Rydberg), do you want to play a zombie killing cop?". His response was," Oh yeah sure.” We had no idea if he could act or not. It turned out that he was a natural. And if it wasn’t for Frank, we wouldn’t have got anywhere passed the first Jacuzzi scene that we shot.
MATT ROSE: In fact, if that night had not gone so well, we would have just packed it up. There would have been no reason to go on.
CHAD WATERS: Frank IS that character. If everything else had gone well, and Frank was just mediocre, the magic would not have been there and it wouldn’t have given us a reason to go any further. Our script was very loose; we didn't want to tie the actors down with specific dialogue because we felt the delivery might be too artificial. We would basically tell Frank the gist of a situation with some key points and then let him run with it. That kept everything feeling more spontaneous and real.
MATT ROSE: It paid off every time we shot something else. He only improved and made it more solid
THE PULSE: What are the challenges of selling “When Zombies Attack!!” and getting it noticed when there are just so many things out there now-a-days that attract the potential audience?
MATT ROSE: I don’t know if there is so much a challenge when I think about it. When people watch it they generally get it. They get a kick out of it.
CHAD WATERS: It’s getting passed the red tape of the movie business. It’s just getting it across to the executives that there’s something there. They seem to only want a carbon copy of what has already been made.
MATT ROSE: Plus, Chad and I also know that our short we made so long ago is just scratching the surface of the potential we have in mind. We have a lot more interesting ideas going on with the same characters and expanding on that. We still think the original is cool and fun, but it’s still only a sketch version, like a model, there’s just so much more.
CHAD WATERS: It’s a total prototype.
MATT ROSE: Plus, fans like it as it is.
THE PULSE: What other projects - comics or otherwise - are you working on?
CHAD WATERS: We have the When Zombies Attack!! Comic, TV series/ movie, video game, and we just recently entered into a situation where we’re going to have novels based on the prequels of PMAC.
MATT ROSE: Along with other personal projects we’d like to see get made that are currently in the works.
The first part of When Zombies Attack!! is due in stores this month. You can learn more about the series here:
http://www.grimmgrottogoods.com
And at the TV pilot link:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2402880?htv=12
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