The Zombies That Ate the World

Last time I read Crime Does Not Pay, which was an excellent collection of Golden Age stories. While I enjoyed that book, this week I wanted to read something completely different. I decided to read the best zombie humor book I could think of, which was THE ZOMBIES THAT ATE THE WORLD, written by Jerry Frissen, art by Guy Davis, published by Humanoids.

Set in Los Angeles in the year 2064, the dead have risen and in order to maintain peace the government has declared them the "living impaired" with limited rights. They’re alive enough that you can’t shoot them but they can’t vote! Since you can’t legally get rid of zombies and many people aren’t thrilled that Grandpa returned from the dead and is now living with them, a black market "removal service" has emerged. Karl, our hero, helps people dispose of unwanted loved ones who have returned from the grave. Karl is assisted in his job by his sister and his buddy Freddie, who occasionally thinks he’s a superhero. To say that their jobs never go according to plan is an understatement.

The book is a series of shorts that build off of each other with ever increasing levels of silliness. I can’t say enough good things but I can provide an example of some of the insanity. In a continuing subplot, Karl, who is bad with girls, finally gets a girlfriend of sorts. When presented the opportunity to dispose of a good looking woman… well… he just takes her home instead. And keeps her under his bed (much like a nudie magazine) until he… well… well… his sister implies that he does things with her. You can imagine how upset he is later in the book when his long dead father returns and starts making moves on his "girlfriend." That doesn’t sound funny but it’s handled with such a straight face that you can’t help but laugh at the insanity of it.

Jerry Frissen of Lucha Libre has written one of the funniest black comedy books about zombies I think I have ever read. He manages to use each short to develop each character while at the same time getting crazier and crazier. While the stories focus on Karl, the supporting cast is just as well developed. You are quickly sucked in and can’t help enjoy the friendship that the characters feel for each other. You can’t help but feel sad for Freddie’s incredibly awkward attempts to win Karl’s sisters affections. It’s these little moments that keep you from thinking to much about the fact that people are sleeping with dead people.

I need to mention the art by Guy Davis. It’s Guy Davis having a ton of fun with some silly material. It’s great!

This is a laugh out loud, twisted take on zombies. I try to stay away from movie references but this is a deeper, darker, even blacker comedy in the same vein as Shaun of the Dead. So, if you’re looking for something different then this is the book for you.

- David Lee