Z is for Zombie: What You Need to Know Before World War Z

zombieZombie, zombie, zombie.

Yes, Yes everyone loves to say how FAKE zombies are and how very unrealistic it really is that a zombie apocolypse (zompocalypse?) could actually take place. But let me tell you: zombies ARE real. It may not be in the exact way you think. Even if you don’t beleive me, I’m going to give you one tip that just might save your life.

To release a zombie from its bondage, give it salted water or salted food, and it will drag itself back to its grave.

Okay that’s it. That’s my sage advice. Now enjoy some freaky facts, zombie-style. And send me your pictures of your zombie drag when you head out to see World War Z!!

  • In Night of the Living Dead (1968), the actors playing zombies were paid only one dollar for their work, but each also received a t-shirt that boasted, “I was a zombie in Night of the Living Dead.”
  • One of the investors for Night of the Living Dead was a butcher who paid the director in blood and intestines from his shop.
  • In Texas, the fire ant, one of the South’s biggest pests, is facing a new predator of its own. Researchers at Texas A&M University have introduced a tiny phorid fly, originally native to South America, to lay their eggs onto fire ants. These eggs hatch into maggots inside the ant and begin to eat away at the ants’ brains, essentially turning the fire ants into tiny little zombies. The ants wander around for up to two weeks while the maggots eat away at their brains, until the ants’ heads fall off. Then the maggot turns into a fly and is ready to start the cycle over again.
  • The origin of the tombstone lies in the fear of the dead, it seems. Lest the restless spirit, zombie, or other ghastly incarnation of the formerly living try to escape from its well-nailed coffin and six feet of earthly barrier, a large heavy stone was added to the grave to ensure it was sealed. Later, the tombstone was used more formally as a place on which to engrave epitaphs and depict angels, doves, and similar symbols of heavenly ascension.
  • Do you like to walk with the dead? Prefer the moans of animated corpses to conversations with mortals? Well, you should probably join or organize a Zombie Walk. A Zombie Walk or Zombie March is an organized public gathering of two or more people who dress as zombies and wander around, limping their way in an organized route to a public center or cemetery. What a stress reliever!
  • Narcolepsy, an uncommon sleep disorder, is a state of perpetual exhaustion. Contrary to common belief, a narcoleptic is not going to fall asleep randomly or in mid sentence while speaking. However, if someone else dominates the conversation and bores them for long enough, narcoleptics may very well fall asleep. Side effects of narcolepsy include cataplexy (complete loss of muscle tone), hallucinations, and caffeine resistance.
  • In an act that makes The Texas Chainsaw Massacre look mild, a homeless man in Florida was attacked by another man on a freeway onramp. The crazed man began tearing away at the victim’s face, biting with his mouth, and then eating the chunks of flesh he tore off. Though the police and hospital are not confirming, the attacker is believed to be under the influence of bath salts–and not the kind that soak your cares away. Bath Salts are an amphetamine, and this is not the first time the drug has led to zombie-like behavior.Users snort, smoke, or inject the amphetamine, which can lead to extreme reactions including severe hallucinations. Reports of bizarre and extreme crimes while under the influence continue to flood the news. A man slayed a goat while wearing women’s underwear, a couple repeatedly called 911 to report a non-existent intruder, and more than one person has exhibited the urge to eat another persons flesh!

I don’t think this is quite what Vincent Price was expecting as The Last Man on Earth. But then, who ever said the apocalypse would be predictable? (Oh wait…)

 

1 thought on “Z is for Zombie: What You Need to Know Before World War Z”

  1. Awesome post! Fun ZOMBiE facts. I knew some, but you know, I actually did think narcoleptics fell asleep out of the blue–mid-sentence…Now, I know the truth. My goal is to one day, see/participate in a ZOMBiE WALK!!!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *