The Zombie Marge Comix Blog

Boy! Compared to last week, was this strip ever hard work. But loads of fun. I don’t think there’s been a Zombie Marge episode with as many different characters on one page.

From the beginning, I’ve dropped hints that Purgatory Park, and Tanglefoot Cenetery in particular, were special locations that just invited the paranormal to come on in and make itself at home. Strange things are always happening there. That’s why Marge is so comfortable in the town. Suddenly all that paranormal activity has taken the form of unusual lights in the sky and all the related phenomenon. The locals have gathered at the pub to swap stories of the latest odd events, in this case, the UFO sightings and extraterrestrial visitations. Everybody is trying to one-up the others. It seems like the whole town has had some sort of unexplainable experience or another. But Zombie Marge has them all beat. With a little luck, this story will try to get around to answering all of these various mysteries. Except maybe how to make a proper Manhattan. The truth is out there!

Episode 25

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Oh boy! This new format is liberating. I'm moving at such speeds that I'm seven strips ahead already. At this rate I should be able to post once a week, at least until I slow down.

So join us next time as the town is buzzing about all the strange events. Even Marge has a story to tell.

Episode 24

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Buckle up! Here we go! The first thing you’ll notice is that I redesigned the format of the strip. While I liked the looks of the Sunday comic page-style I was using, it was a great deal of extra work to restack it for a comic book page. It was also very restrictive to write and draw as well. This opens up new possibilities of layout and storytelling. Look for more innovative narrative as this tale goes on.

A couple of weeks ago, I admitted to not having an ending for the Hawking story when I began posting it. That is not the case this time out. I’ve plotted this little epic completely from start to finish. Which is not to say that there isn’t some room to improvise in the middle. We will see.

The story will last most of this year. I intend to give it the space it deserves to play out. Everything will change by the end. Enjoy the ride!

Happy Ides of Marge!

As if Zombie Marge wasn't paranormal enough by herself, suddenly, Tanglefoot Cemetery becomes a hot spot for UFO activity. Marge finds herself caught up in unfathomable events, too big for her to handle. Join her for a joyride of alien abduction, lost time, cattle mutilation, crop circles, cryptids, snallygasters, grays and Men In Black, all led by the mysterious Mothman. Is he here to help Marge, or…?

Join us next week for the first episode as Marge Madness continues.

Episode 23

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And here we are, at last, at the final episode of this storyline, as we quickly approach the one-year anniversary of the strip. I want to thank my faithful readers who've stuck it out. It's been a fun year, full of ups and downs. I have big plans for the next series of stories, but with this episode, I wanted to bring everything back to the status quo. Valuable lessons are learned and the after life returns to what Zombie Marge calls normal. But her version of normal won't last for long.

Stop by on March 15th to celebrate the Ides of Marge and get a little peek at the new adventure.

Episode 22

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It seems like the strip is settling back into a regular schedule as my arm continues to heal. This story line is winding down and a new adventure begins on March 15th.

For those of you who like to see behind the curtain (you know who you are), I will admit that I had no idea how this story was going to end when I started it. It's a terribly unfocused way to work, but it produces some surprising results often. But back in September I attended an Ad Club luncheon where we viewed award-winning work from around the world. Included in the commercials and campaigns was a documentary on the making of the Tupac hologram at the Coachella festival. It was a tailor-made solution to my Hawking problem. Marge wouldn't have to actually eat Stephen's brain after all.

Episode 21

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WHAT?! Confused? Don't worry. Someone much smarter then me will be on hand next episode to explain it all. I'm working hard to get the strip back on some kind of regular schedule. This story is nearly finished as we approach the one year anniversary of Zombie Marge Comix. A new story line takes Marge in an unexpected direction beginning March 15th. Join us for the Ides of Marge. And in the meantime, watch the skies!

Happy New Year!

Poor Marge! She really had her heart set on the world coming to an end in 2012, right up to the last minute. Have a happy and safe New Year!

Sneak peek 2013

Normally, I work throughout the year on various projects with the goal of finishing them by December and publishing them for the new convention season. So, what's in store for 2013?

First up is Midnite Matinee Comics #1. I've been working on this project off and on for the last couple of years and it's finally finished. The idea was to recreate the Saturday afternoon movie experience of yesterday. The book takes films from the public domain and rewrites them for satire in a photo funnies style. It begins with a super violent Rickey Rodent cartoon, a government propaganda film, "Hemp For Victory," and a chapter of a movie serial, "Bolt Uprite & The Crossdressers from Space." The feature presentation is "Island of Lost Gorillas," a bromantic comedy/action/horror/ musical adventure starring the comedy duo Wanker & Goombah as a pair of familiar looking lounge singers stranded on a mysterious LOST island with danger at every turn. I will be posting links for ordering and preview pages soon.

SHAM Comics #3 is nearing final edits and should go to press within a couple of weeks. This time out, it's an anthology issue featuring "Skunky McGee" the smelliest private eye ever. Several short horror and sci-fi tales are included, such as "The Girl of my Screams," "Hilda Hogthrottle's Haunted Honeymoon," and "The Planet of the Pooches." The issue also features the epic story of "Conad the Aryan Barbarian" as he goosesteps across the ancient world. Rounding out the issue are some new ads for old products, like the Gahoon, government surplus Body Bags, the Buck Wilde Bully-in-a-Minute Method and live animals through the mail. Watch the blog for more news on this one.

Finally, production is nearly complete on "Zombie Marge Comix & Stories." All the strips from the past year have been reformatted into a comic book with other new features like zombie-related ads, pin-ups, interviews and behind-the -scenes stuff. I will be posting more on this comic as it nears publication.

This looks like a pretty good year!

Episode 20

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Zombie Marge and her friends move ever closer to their meeting with Stephen Hawking.

Episode 19

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It’s been over a month since the last Zombie Marge comic went up, so I guess I owe her loyal readers an explanation. I’ve tried to stick to a bi-weekly schedule for the strip, and for the most part have managed that. But a month or so ago the arthritis in my shoulders, that I had learned to tolerate, moved suddenly and dramatically down into my right arm. This made drawing painful, if not impossible. But I worked on this episode in little bits and pieces when I could, while I sought some help. I’m on the mend, not quite back to normal, but having longer and longer periods of drawing time each day. I'm nearly back up to speed and should have the next one up within two weeks. I've missed posting. It's good to have this one finished at last.

How To Go To The Doctor-part 3

There you have it! Mary and Dr. Futternutz hope that you learned something and that you will use these simple steps the next time you have to go to the doctor.

How To Go To The Doctor-part 2

Here's more good advice from Mary Generic and Dr. Futternutz. We hope this is of help to anyone who is having trouble going to the doctor. You're welcome!

How To Go To The Doctor–part 1

Thank goodness Mary Generic is a smart girl who knows how to go to the doctor the proper way. Or does she? Pay attention, maybe we can all learn something.

I'm completely fascinated by these bland filler stories they used to run in the backs of old comics. My take on this story is not too far off from the original; "Between You & Your Doctor" that appeared in Young Doctors #5, September 1963. Tune in again tomorrow for more words of wisdom from Mary and Dr. Futternutz.

Doctor, it hurts when I do this.

This was supposed to be a Zombie Marge weekend. I was all prepared to go full steam into the next episode. But, when the inspiration to write hits, I’ve learned to just get out of the way and go with it. So instead of Marge, my time has been spent on my side project, SHAM Comics. I’ve posted some here before. In a nutshell, I take old comics and rewrite them as cynical, satirical, post-modern tales of angst and heartbreak. The fun never stops.

While I was researching pre-code romance comics for SHAM #2, I came across an interesting sub-genre of medical comics. For a couple of years in the early 60s, medical drama was all the rage. Ben Casey and Dr. Killdare were on TV and General Hospital was a daytime hit. Charlton was one of the few comic companies to capitalize on this trend. They published a series of titles depicting the lives of young doctors and nurses (all white) in the exciting world of modern medicine. However, as this was an outgrowth of their romance comics, the books focused on the love lives of the main characters. The results are highly entertaining. When the doctors are not busy giving cigarettes to their patients, they are in some broom closet making out with the nurses. The nurses are strong, independent types, except when they are mooning over the doctors. There is also had a very high percentage of people bringing guns into the hospital and patients trying to jump out high windows. As I said, they are highly entertaining.

A bit more research revealed that these comics are in public domain and therefore a prime target for the SHAM treatment. For the past few months, I’ve been collecting these comics wherever I could find them. I’ve amassed a nice little pile of them. That’s a few of them above. The Young Doctors cover on the far right was the one that convinced me this was comic gold. So SHAM Comics #4 will be the all-medical issue, titled “Calling DR. SHAM.” In addition to Dr. Studley Sham, it will feature “Niki Nookie, Night Nurse,” “Dr. Fingerman-Two-Fisted Proctologist” and “Dr. Lance Girth-Hardboiled Plastic Surgeon.”

With no new Marge strip this week, I thought I’d share one of the first completed medical stories. So tune in tomorrow when Ms. Mary Generic teaches us all “How To Go To the Doctor.”

Episode 18

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Good things come to those who wait. Or in this case another installment of Zombie Marge, this one with a bit of exposition. At last, a freakin' explanation as to why Marge seems a bit sharper than your average, run-of-the-mill zombie.

Hey, where's my Zombie Marge comic?

Today is an all-Zombie Marge day. I'm running behind on Episode 18. I should be posting it, but I just starting to draw. Life gets in the way of the undead sometimes. So I've locked myself in the bunker to get caught up. But the truth is, it will be a few days before the next installment will be ready. For now, enjoy this ad from one of Marge's lucrative endorsement deals. If you're looking for a fun place to spend what seems to be an eternity, Marge recommends visiting Purgatory, voted the Crappiest Abusemant Park in America.

Tales from the Dealers Table!

We're back, safe & sound, inside the zombie-proof bunker, after a weekend at the Third Annual Cincinnati Comics Expo. And what a show it was! Andrew Satterfield, Matt Bredestege and their crack staff put together a great convention every year, while raising the bar each time. This year was no exception, with great events spread out over two days, plus Friday night's VIP events, if you want to get technical. The attendance was very good and our sales were strong. There's Daryll and myself, above, in the new booth, pushing Zombie Marge on an unsuspecting public. And, what do you know? She was a hit! That's Proofreadin' Dale Trush, below, making an impassioned sales pitch to a pink haired girl.

We had a choice spot in the first row of Artist's Alley, which was front and center on the convention floor, with the larger comic and toy dealers along the right and left sides. It worked for us, as we have very little down time when we we not talking to interested and curious customers. Daryll did get a moment to catch up on his life drawing, below.

And I spotted some great t-shirts and some interesting costumes. "Hey, Mr. Scarecrow! That comic is upside down!"

Now, indulge me while I name drop for a minute. We got to see some of our comic pals, Craig Boldman and Dustin Carson of No Gods. We made some new friends, like Rodney Fyke of Peanut, Puddin' & Jelly, Todd Goodman and Danial Frazier, and Mike Norton of Battlepug. And we had a blast hanging with Jon Lennon and Leo Perez of Cheese Lord Comics from Chicago. Great creators, one and all!

And a big "Thank you!" to David Leighton, the official Zombie Marge photographer, for some inspired photo journalism.

Episode 17

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This was a fun installment to work on, both the writing and the art. The location offered so many funny tangents. I like to start the first panel with a large establishing shot. In this case, the color rendering looked so good, I erased all my line work. This current series of strips begins to open up Marge’s back-story a bit and explain why she doesn’t quite act like your typical mindless, shambling, inarticulate zombie. We will even touch on her “mission” coming back to the land of the living.

And who’s this smart-mouth kid with the zombie fixation? It’s none other than Skip Wingus! That’s cute little Skip peddling his papers on the cover of Twelve-Way with Cheese at the left of this column. He’s grown into a pasty, sullen, emo tween who listens to The Cure and reads too much of The Walking Dead. And is he ever happy to make the acquaintance of a real zombie! But how will Marge take to having an actual fan? Stop by in two weeks to see. As usual, to read all the strips, go to the archive in the right column.

SWAG!

We are just one short week away for the Cincinnati Comic Expo and expectations are running high here in the bunker. Zombie Marge will be well represented at the show. Table assignments just came out and we are very prominently positioned in the first row, center to greet the fans as they come through the door. Our new booth graphics will mirror the look of this blog with Marge’s lovely rotting face. I will be in attendance from the Friday night VIP reception, until closing time on Sunday. Joining me at various times during the weekend will be cartoonist extraordinaire Daryll Collins and our own Proofreadin’ Dale Trush, selling our usual array of goodies, Twelve-Way, Little Olden Books and SHAM Comics.

We will also be premiering several brand, spankin’ new Zombie Marge items this time. To tie into the blog, we have a mini-comic that collects the first batch of strips in a great little package. Signed art prints have been popular in the past and this time out we have a new Zombie Marge poster, suitable for framing. Just by stopping by the booth and saying hello, you can walk away with a cool little Zombie Marge pinback button for your lapel. And pick up a trading card while you’re there, both are free.

See you at the show!