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'Zombie Date Night' with Special Guest Steve Urena | Zombie Book Club Ep 89
What happens when a disastrous blind date collides with a zombie apocalypse—and the zombies themselves are looking for love? Steve Urena, creator of the indie comic Zombie Date Night, joins us to discuss his hilariously twisted take on romance and horror. We dive into his unique zombie mythology (where undead couples hunt in pairs), the mall-set chaos of Jack and Ginger’s doomed date, and unforgettable characters like a chainsaw-legged prepper and a nail-studded-chancleta-wielding Abuelita. Plus, Steve shares insights on indie comic creation, Kickstarter survival, and why sloths might be deadlier than zombies.
Don’t miss this flesh-filled conversation—and learn how to back Zombie Date Night Issue 2 before the Kickstarter ends!
Guest Contact & Relevant Links:
Steve Urena
- Instagram: @TheSteveUrena
- Kickstarter (Zombie Date Night Issue 2): Fund Here
- Steve Urena's Website: https://www.steveurena.com
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Welcome to the Zombie Book Club, the only book club where the book is a date and you're blowing it. I'm Dan, and when I'm not committing heinous faux pas on dates with Leah, I'm writing a book that has been described by one person as highly anticipated.
Speaker 2:And that person is me. I'm Leah, and today we are chatting with Steve Urena, an indie comic writer since 2020, who is best known for his fast killer sloths, santa fighting robots, zombies interrupting a blind date and a demon-possessed superhero who gets her powers from cursing. I would love to have powers from cursing, and we are talking with so powerful. We're talking with Steve today about his latest comic series, Zombie Date Night. Welcome to the show, Steve.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having me. I appreciate it. I mean this. You know, zombie Date Night. I have to go on a zombie date with both of you. Yeah, appropriate.
Speaker 2:Are we a thruple for this next 90s?
Speaker 3:Oh yeah, zombie thruple night, zombie tra.
Speaker 2:I think we need your fiance here just to balance this out.
Speaker 3:Yes, yes, we might bring her on. She's the editor actually of both zombie date nights. That's amazing. She's. She's the editor actually of of of both zombie date nights. That's amazing. And they talk as well.
Speaker 1:I've got some rapid fire questions for you. Let's do it, but just be known that you will be judged.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's fine and it's all part of a broader science experiment working on. We're going to collate all of the data one day.
Speaker 1:You know, I didn't know that we were going to do that, but it sounds good when we say it.
Speaker 2:I have a spreadsheet.
Speaker 1:All right. Do you prefer fast or slow zombies?
Speaker 3:I like the slower zombies. I think they're more traditional from what I'm used to growing up and I just feel like, as a big fan of Resident Evil, like you know, getting around those zombies are tougher because if there's more of them then that becomes more of a problem.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're suspenseful.
Speaker 2:Yes, they're also more disturbing, I think, in a way, having your death slowly walk towards you.
Speaker 3:But not too slow. If you're focusing on one zombie, you're like, oh, it's a slow zombie, then the other one could get you from behind. Yeah, because they're quiet, yeah, exactly.
Speaker 2:Next rapid fire. Question 40-hour work week or zombie apocalypse which would you choose?
Speaker 3:I like my 40-hour work week, so I'll go with that. Why, what's that?
Speaker 1:like.
Speaker 3:Zombie apocalypse would be tough. I feel like you. I feel like that is the equivalent of a 24 7 job, because you're always because, unless you're in a community of people, um, and if you're on your own, you always have to watch your back. And if you know, if that is the equivalent of getting emails at 10 30 at night, I think a 40-hour work week, at least for me, um, is a little bit easier to manage.
Speaker 1:Yeah you bring up a good point, though, um you know, without, without community, the zombie apocalypse is a very daunting thing I mean without community.
Speaker 2:A 40-hour work week and capitalism is also very daunting. So I think there's like a common thread there you need people to get there, you need people.
Speaker 3:You need people to get through.
Speaker 1:Uh, so you don't feel dead I guess, which is why you need to date them and when you go to work you have a community at work that and everybody does the work together yes, hopefully if it's functional.
Speaker 2:Sometimes work can feel like the Hunger Games or a zombie apocalypse.
Speaker 3:Yes, absolutely the Hunger Games.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you've got your slow zombies. Unfortunately, the 40-hour work week, this didn't work out and it is the zombie apocalypse. What are you going to be grabbing for your weapon?
Speaker 3:of choice. I mean, you can't go wrong with a nice baseball bat I would use in honor of my grandmother which is part of the first zombie date night chancleta with nails in it which you could use both hands and quick draw on these zombies. But yeah, I think baseball bat and melee weapons 100%, jess. I feel like I feel like the feel of that is better than you know gun great. But like you know, I feel like beating zombies heads in would probably feel real good.
Speaker 1:I've definitely been leaning more in that direction lately. You know, as a kid you know I love these movies because it was just kind of like a a free-for-all shoot them up kind of situation. But now I'm yeah, I I kind of appreciate when they go full melee, because it does it does. It amps up a lot of that suspense, because you can't just blast your way out of it.
Speaker 2:You gotta, you gotta, start swinging and fighting also, you're surprised sometimes by who the badass is like, abuelita.
Speaker 3:Yes, 100%. Don't fuck with her. Don't fuck with Abuelita, that's right. I do think you guys have a nice business idea going, because there's a lot of axe throwing and things like that. There's also break rooms where you can break things with a bat. I feel like if there's a zombie room or a zombie type of escape room or something like that where you can bash zombies heads in, maybe you could fill them up with. You know, fill mannequins up or something. I don't know, but I feel like there's something there.
Speaker 1:I feel like there's a big business opportunity I've always wanted to make one of those like ballistic dummy uh, ballistic, ballistic gel dummies that have like 3d printed bones and organs and stuff and just like go, that would be beat the shit out of it. But they're also really expensive yeah, that would.
Speaker 3:I don't know what your overhead would be. Yeah, it wouldn't be good, it would be expensive. I I went to a uh, a halloween thing once and it was you could shoot zombies, quote unquote with, with, uh, paintballs and and that was fun for like two seconds and then it's like all right, well, what, what now? I mean they just, they just come at you and they, but they don't go down, you just keep shooting at them oh, that's right, there was a rule. Yeah, they're breaking the rules.
Speaker 1:They can't do that. No, they cannot. I, uh, I I actually, um a long time ago, knew somebody that worked at one of those places. Yeah, she was. She was a writer. She didn't write zombie fiction, it was just like that's. That was the job that was available where she lived so that was her 40-hour work week yeah, being, as I don't want to take work home last last official question yeah, and nero, our dog, has a lot of opinions about this one.
Speaker 1:So, okay, we'll compare. We'll compare notes. Uh it's, it is the zombie apocalypse, um, and you've, you've found a warehouse that is filled with some type of shelf stable food item, um, for somehow, some magic happens and you're able to choose what that food item is. Uh it's, I guess he found a genie.
Speaker 2:Maybe I don't know the demon is a superhero. Yeah, she swore a bunch and created your favorite shelf stable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so what? What is your? What do you choose to be the the thing that you eat for the rest of your life?
Speaker 3:um, I mean, I would love fried chicken, but I but if it was more of a zombie thing, that makes you know, makes more sense, because frying your fried chicken would be very tough in a warehouse. I would say eggo waffles, I love it. Wow, I think that's a good doomsday food. It's portable, you could put stuff on it, you could make sandwiches with you, put peanut butter on it.
Speaker 1:It's the best, yeah that is true when I discovered that you could put peanut butter on waffles it changed my world.
Speaker 2:You can do that all I know is, as you were saying, your answer our dog nero, was like choking, so I don't think he's a fan of the echoes, but we'll have to find out yeah, we'll, we'll, we'll see.
Speaker 2:We'll get some egos and see if nero's into it so I was gonna ask this question later because technically, I typically like to have like one rapid fire question that's related to your, your story, but this one will require some explanation. So it's not totally rapid fire, but I feel like it has to happen right now. Okay, let's do it. So you have a demon possessed superhero who gets her powers from cursing and a sloth that kills a lightning speed If those characters met your zombies, who's walking away? And please explain what a zombie is.
Speaker 3:So, first off, a zombie in my book are my. Zombies are reliant on their partners, so they need they need a mate to survive, basically, um, so that's that's why I wanted to make zombie date night a little bit different. So it is about an awkward blind date, but then the twist is that the zombies are also working together to, uh, get to their food. Because you want to, you want to share your food, of course, um, but you know, in terms of who wins between all three, I mean, I think the slow pokes win. I feel like the zombies would work together, but I feel like the zombies are too quick to go.
Speaker 3:But then, um, foul mouth, the demon possessed superhero, gets her powers from cursing. Um, I could literally drop an f-bomb on them, but I would say that I would say the slowpokes. I think the slowpokes are a little bit more clever and foul mouth, and in the last issue she just got her power. So she's still fairly new to the game, but the slowpokes, I feel like, have been killing a little bit longer. And because there's three of them, there's more of a, you know, the unified front against the other two.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and for those who don't know, the unified front against the other two, yeah, and for those who don't know, the slowpokes are the sloths that kill at lightning speed.
Speaker 2:That's killer sloths. Yes, that is what brought me to the dance. Well, thank you for answering that very difficult question.
Speaker 3:There's a thing right happening right now, called march mammal madness. Have you heard of it? Yes, where I, where they? They vote in what? What the best animal mammal is, right? Well, it, it's like.
Speaker 2:It's like fantasy football, except for it's every year. Some I don't even know what these people are, biologists, whatever. They pair up a whole bunch of different animals. This year includes mycelium, so there's like mushrooms, there's a ginkgo biloba tree, and then they make them face off in these fictional scenarios. So there's one ultimate winner, and I'm banking on the polar bear this year. So this that was sort of inspired by this question.
Speaker 3:That's awesome. Yeah, maybe, maybe one day my slots will be there. The fast slots, I mean. I always thought in my mind, uh, that if sauce became fast, that they become killing machines and that just the gravity from earth keeps them slow I mean, those claws are terrifying I feel like the gravity of earth keeps me slow let's have that too.
Speaker 1:That could have that works for gravity, I'd be so fast. Um, so you're, uh, you've already got issue one out. Issue two is coming via your Kickstarter. What can you tell us about the Zombie Date Night series? For anybody who hasn't heard of this, Sure.
Speaker 3:So you know what makes a blind date more awkward, and that's zombies, of course. So if you go on a blind date with somebody a Tinder date, you know, hinge date, whatever and you meet somebody you know on this, on this thing, and of course that's awkward. Meeting somebody in person, then I feel like now it's, it's even more introverted than it used to be. Um, you know, I know some people do video calls, but I know some people are very timid when it comes to the dating scene and just they're, they're, they prefer texting and talking like that.
Speaker 3:Um, so if you meet somebody in real life and whether, if the vibe is good, great, but if the vibe is bad and a zombie invasion happens, like what do you do? Like, do you get out of? You know, do you go and leave or do you stay? Do you stick around and see where the date goes? Does the date get better now that there's zombies, something that united front? So that's kind of where zombie day night comes from. And it's basically a relationship that takes place during a zombie apocalypse or a, um, you know, according, if you will, of a zombie apocalypse. Um, so, and then you know, put on top of that, that the zombies are. They can't survive without a mate. Then you got for some good, old-fashioned zombie form yeah, zombie love.
Speaker 2:Zombies need love, zombie love all around. I get it. Um. I was reading some of your interviews from the past one with Paige Lyman and you shared in that interview that an inspiration for this story is that you used to gauge dates. You went on by a zombie rule. Can?
Speaker 3:you share more about that and?
Speaker 2:how that inspired this story.
Speaker 3:Sure. So back in my dating days, I kind of had that in my mind. I was like, if this date sucks, or if this date sucks, or if this date is going well and zombies came, what would I do? Do I stay or do I go?
Speaker 3:And I always thought that was a good idea for a story, because I feel like you're vulnerable when you're on a date and then if there's zombies too, you're even more vulnerable. But at the same time, you can create a bond with somebody just from this zombie invasion, because you have to survive, um, so I, I always thought that was interesting and I always thought in terms of, like, horror and comedy, the beats line up together because you're creating tension, um, and you're, um, you're whether it's comedy or horror, you're trying to get a reaction out of somebody, and those reactions are fairly similar. So, um, that's where zombie day night came from. So he have to. If I, if a zombie, if zombies came, whether I would stay or go, that's, that's, that's where it came from. And now I'm going to get married. So she, she, uh, she passed the test congratulations.
Speaker 2:That's actually our next question yeah, um what?
Speaker 1:when did you know that your, that your fiance uh, passed the zombie rule test?
Speaker 3:um, I knew she passed the zombie rule test because there's there's two types of people when you date people those, those are that are here for a reason, those that are here for a season and, uh, she was here for a reason and and there are those who will meet your mom. And she passed the test and she's looking at me with loving eyes at the moment. And also, you know, she's just easy to deal with, she's fun and if there was a zombie invasion, watch out zombies.
Speaker 2:Really. So she's like Ginger, she can kick some ass potentially.
Speaker 3:Yeah, she can definitely kick some ass. She's a fighter. She will not let zombies eat me.
Speaker 2:That's very useful to have around. So when did you pass the zombie test for her?
Speaker 3:That you might have to ask her. Do you want to answer that?
Speaker 1:No, no, she doesn't want to answer. Okay, I don't think.
Speaker 3:I passed the zombie test you're still working on it.
Speaker 1:She's just accepting that she'll be caring for you and making sure you don't die in the apocalypse yeah that's very loving. You mentioned zombies and she's like halfway out the front door. She's like good luck.
Speaker 3:Well, you know, funny, funny enough, I don't think I passed the zombie test because when we first met, we met on a of all things. I never went out with anybody on a dating app. I always had it but I would delete it because I was kind of scared of it. I was like, oh, I don't know who you're going to meet on these things. So then we matched and we started talking. I was like, oh, this girl is really cool. You know what. I'm going to meet up with her, I'll see what happens.
Speaker 3:But in my back of my mind I'm like what if I get robbed? What if something happens? Who knows? So we met up. We went for hot chocolate and somebody pulled up next to me in the car and was like, hey, I got to talk to you. I was like, oh, I'm getting robbed. I was like something's happening, something's going on. And it was just this guy. I don't know if he was on drugs or something like that, but he was telling he was talking about how he needed 17 so he can get a hotel room, because he didn't have that much. So I was like I'll just give you 20 goodbye. And then he left. But she was going like this in the car, in the passenger seat, because she thought I was going to get shot and she didn't want to get shot.
Speaker 3:She wasn't. She wasn't willing to to to help me. You know what I mean. So we always have that. We always have that story because I thought that she was going to rob me, but she just she stole my heart instead.
Speaker 2:That's a. I love that love story. That's very sweet.
Speaker 3:I don't know if it is a love story, but that is what happened.
Speaker 2:Well, I mean, I think it's also reasonable, because she wasn't sure if you were she wanted you to be in her zombie crew.
Speaker 3:Yet you know, I know, but it, but if, if you put a gun up, I I feel like I would have been like hey, like you know, I mean to protect, but she, she wasn't gonna protect me at all she's like I don't want to get hit with the splatter yeah, exactly that's what she did. She went like this she was. She was far back in the chair, but luckily nothing happened, so it was fine.
Speaker 2:And now you're getting married. Are you going to reenact that as part of your wedding?
Speaker 3:I keep saying, because we had our date at Donut Delight and so with our wedding we're looking at venues. I was like, if you want, we could just do it where we met, the parking lot, of Donut Delight. It's very romantic. She doesn't find that as romantic as I do you know?
Speaker 1:I mean, it sounds like a really romantic place and I think we should go.
Speaker 2:Donut Delight. Yeah, I would be delighted to eat some donuts, so I'm a fan.
Speaker 3:Who doesn't like donuts? Donuts are great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, I'm still waiting for somebody to say that their food item is donuts.
Speaker 2:Yeah, nobody said donuts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I guess it's not really shelf stable.
Speaker 2:I think some donuts would be shelf stable, but that's a debate for another time.
Speaker 3:So if you guys are talking donuts, which donut would you want? Because it's not just a dozen donuts, would you have a specific donut in mind and it's not just a dozen donuts Like? Would you have, like, a specific donut in mind?
Speaker 2:So, as a Canadian, I have to say that I have a special place in my heart for the sour cream glazed donuts from Tim Hortons.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's, that's a good one. Yeah, you know I might be the weird one. I mean I love all donuts equally. However I I have, I have a weird. I have a weird thing for like the, the base, you know, like whatever it is, I want like the most basic version of it and that's how I'm going to determine whether or not it's good. I like a plain donut and if I eat a plain donut and I'm like this is a good plain donut, then I'm willing to expand and try some other things.
Speaker 2:It's the gateway donut.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Back to zombie type. Wait, we have to ask you your favorite donut, then we can move on.
Speaker 3:Crawlers. I love crawlers. I mean, I love all donuts as well, but I think crawlers. I don't eat them as much. So whenever you get one, it's like oh man, this is a nice treat.
Speaker 2:whenever you get one, it's like oh, man, this is a nice treat, a special treat, yeah, uh, okay, so you told us what the zombies as part of your zombie type, which definitely is a new one I've never heard about like paired off zombies. How else would you describe your zombie type versus others?
Speaker 3:Um, besides, probably more medium, uh, speed. You know what I mean. Like they, they move around like, I guess, like normal people do, but because they rely on the other zombie, there's more things that could be done. Like they can work together, kind of like two animals and pairs, to get what they need, to get the food that they need, and I think that's more dangerous than just one zombie, just you know, coming at you. And especially, there's also a kind of like a horde mentality. So there's a main king and queen and then they a kind of like a horde mentality, so there's a main king and queen and then they all kind of like come around. Um, I always thought in zombies like that would be like. I feel like that makes it more scary, because at first you're like, all right, just a couple, like well, we can mess. It's like, oh wait, this is basically a giant, um, you know, a giant couple relationship of zombies. And also in in zombie date night two, the single zombies are the weakest zombies which you know sorry single folks.
Speaker 3:Yeah, sorry, you know, even, even, even in zombie world, you're getting, you're getting the shaft, I guess.
Speaker 1:So these zombies are codependent.
Speaker 3:Yes, they are codependent. That is their power, which can make for a bad relationship too, but yes, they are codependent on each other.
Speaker 2:And they must have some level of intelligence because they're coordinating. But like do they have to date to find their pair? Like what's their process?
Speaker 3:It's basically the first, I guess like pheromone type of thing, but like the first person that comes around. That is, that is their, their preference, whether you know, gay, lesbian, whatever you know there's. There's lesbian zombies, there's gay zombies, there's regular couple zombies. But if they meet somebody, that is basically what they want, they're looking for, they'll connect, they'll hook up.
Speaker 2:I love that. I'm actually kind of rooting you a little bit more for the zombies.
Speaker 3:Love, love wins, love, love always wins, yeah.
Speaker 1:So let's take. Let's take place in a mall.
Speaker 3:Do you have any like real life inspiration from the mall or so so for me, zombie date night takes place in a mall, because that's my second comic and as a somebody that's a big fan of Kevin Smith, um, and like I'm from, I'm from New Jersey. Um, so, clerks, you know, slow pokes was my clerks, zombie date night is my ball rats, um, and just zombie. So that that's how I always thought of it. Um, I do have experience in the mall, living in New Jersey and and going to the movies and and hanging out with my friends there, and you know, by going to FYE, by DVDs, or you know things like that, going to Auntie Annie's pretzels to get to get a nice, you know, and we know what Auntie Annie's pretzels might be good instead of the waffles, too Cause too, because, like, it was really good and they're definitely shelf stable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do they have an instagram?
Speaker 2:we can tag them. Maybe you can get some free.
Speaker 3:Auntie annie's but, but the auntie annie's during a zombie apocalypse though it's too dusty, you know, I mean like all the cinnamon, like, would leave a trail, oh, so that's that's the only thing that could be a problem, um, but but yeah, the, the mall, um, it's more contained there, but it's contained, but you could still do so much in a mall because there's so many different spaces you can go to. That, you know. You can go to, like, a hunting store, you can go to a food court, um, you can go to the movies there. So I always I felt like a mall is is such a perfect place for a zombie, um invasion also.
Speaker 2:Um, because I love dawn of the dead as well we're actually going to living dead, and now that I know that you live in New Jersey, I'm like you should come.
Speaker 3:Funny enough, I was looking at possibly doing it. I just have another Comic-Con that weekend. No, but I know they're moving away from the mall. Possibly, so hopefully, if they find a good place to do it next year, I might look into that. I'll have Zombie Date Night 2 by then, too. Amazing. Find a good place to do it next year?
Speaker 2:I might look into that. I'll have zombie date night too by then too Amazing, yeah, damn Walmart buying them all. Yeah, I know.
Speaker 3:Yeah, but, but. But yeah, like I think Tom Savini is going to be there Right, and a lot of the cast from from Dawn of the Dead and other zombie movies, so it definitely looks like a fun event. I oh, absolutely.
Speaker 2:You wrote this in 2020. So I'm wondering if, like any of the mall aspects of it, were some nostalgia in that moment for being able to go to things like the mall.
Speaker 3:Yep, absolutely. You know, it was definitely pandemic brain at the time and I was like I, you know, I, you know the people were getting the vaccine and everything like that. And I'm not anti vaccine by any stretch of the imagination, but I was like you, like you know what, like how crazy would it be if they did this vaccine? And you know they put all these things in here and then everybody you know turned into people who took it, turned into zombies, and I thought that was a good idea like you're getting the vaccine dan you're like please make me a zombie.
Speaker 3:Yeah please be the zombie virus yeah, but the only thing with that is like I don't, you know, I don't. I don't want people to not get vaccines. I don't want my characters to be like, oh, they're dumb, they didn't get the you know. But it's more like, um, that you know the vaccine just came out and they're about to get it, but they didn't, so they didn't, and then they all they all you know are are part of this thing well, I have to say, as somebody who lives in the middle of nowhere and has not set foot in a mall and solidly five years, you made me feel a little nostalgic.
Speaker 2:I was like maybe I do want to go to the mall. I guess we will be. We go to living dead weekend I was like I give me good memories.
Speaker 3:They're doing adult summer camps. I don't know why they don't do adult go to the mall, whether they do a special day of it. Hey, you can go shopping, you do this, you go eat and you go hang out with your friends at the mall like it used to be.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think that they should take all of the run down malls that are condemned and turn them into retirement homes For millennials. Yeah, for millennials.
Speaker 3:And Gen Xers. That sounds right. That sounds like something.
Speaker 1:Imagine, like going to your retirement home and like you're, you're, you're shuffling with your, with your old people pals, uh, speed walking, that's what you do in the mall, and you and you head to the food court, because that's where you go to eat now.
Speaker 3:So what? What stores would you have in your retirement mall?
Speaker 2:Oh man, I'd need a Michael's or some kind of local art shop so I could keep doing all my fun crafts.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there has to be a crafts shop for sure. Spencer's Gifts of course.
Speaker 3:Oh, hell, yeah, yeah, spencer's Gifts. I feel like that just comes with the mall when you build it. It's just already in there.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, how else are you going to get a shirt that says over the hill?
Speaker 3:Exactly yeah.
Speaker 2:That's exactly right, and the whole food court, but it particularly needs to have, like a greasy, americanized Chinese option.
Speaker 3:Oh yes, my favorite, Like Bamboo Express right.
Speaker 2:I think that's what it is called, because I really didn't spend a lot of time in malls since I've lived in the united states.
Speaker 3:How odd, I'm just thinking yeah you move, you move to the most, into the most malls, and then you're like you know what?
Speaker 2:I'm not gonna do it no malls for me, yeah, but speaking of retirees, uh, we've got to talk about abuelita. Yes, first of all, do you have an abuelita who has as badass as Jack's Abuelita in the story?
Speaker 3:Yes, so yes, my, my grandmother on my mom's side is definitely. She's the character basis for Abuelita in the in the zombie date night series. One because she's badass and two because she could beat my ass with a nice chancleta.
Speaker 2:And does she make fun?
Speaker 3:of you. Well, she passed a few years ago. I'm so sorry, but she did not make fun of me. I made fun of her more than she was probably one of the sweetest people ever, unless I got lost. So one time I went again to a mall and I was younger and I decided to go off on my own and they thought that we were kidnapped or that they, you know, something happened. And then when we came back, you know, my other friend got a big hug from his mom and I got a nice uh ear pull from my grandmother I feel like the relationship between abuelita and jack, one of your main characters, is actually the first love story in zombie day night 100, because, if, because, if, if it's good for Abuelita, it's good, it's good for the grandmother, it's good for everything else.
Speaker 3:Like I said, uh, you know, introduced to your family or introduced to your mom is a big one. Um, cause there's, I'm sure, and you know, people listening. Um, you guys might have the similar story before you guys met each other, that when you date people, there are people you're going to introduce to your family and there are people who are like I'm dating this person but they're not coming home. I'll be honest.
Speaker 2:I'm a serial long-term relationship person and the last person I dated online was Dan, and that was in 2000.
Speaker 1:Okay, when we were teenagers. Yeah, we texted for like 20 years yeah.
Speaker 2:And then we like texted. I'm just saying I'm absolutely clueless, like I don't know which way to swipe, because I'm just like I'm a u-hauler, um so I just like a different type of dating.
Speaker 3:You are you, holler is good. It's like you know they put all the stuff in there. Yeah, all that they'll move in. Move in with somebody already you know yeah, but like tell us what?
Speaker 2:what inspired you to make abuelita at the center of the first issue?
Speaker 3:um, I just, I just think having a grandmother fight zombies is not something you see every day. And um, just going off of things that that I that I've experienced myself. Um, like the protective parents or protective grandmother, Um, one time I went on a date. It was, it was the first day that ever went on. Um, I used to keep that stuff to myself and I finally was like you know what I'm going to tell my, my parents, and like, hey, I'm going on this date. And my dad's like you know what, here's the, here's money for a movie, go use the car, enjoy yourself. And I was like, okay, great, Like you know, this is great, we're having a rapport here. You know, me and this girl, we went to go see a movie.
Speaker 3:This was at the time where I was very a little bit more nerdier than I am now. I had asthma, so I went to go to my car because I it was spring, I needed to use the puffer, and then I you know day went, fine, everything. I came home, my dad's like, oh, how was it? I was like great, you know it was, it was a good time. And then he goes oh, why did you go outside? I was like wait what.
Speaker 2:They went to the movie that they didn't go to your date, yeah.
Speaker 3:They didn't go to the exact movie, but they went to the movies while I went, and I went literally a town, two towns over.
Speaker 2:Did you make out at the mall, at the in the movies?
Speaker 3:Uh, yes.
Speaker 2:I'm glad they were in a different movie.
Speaker 3:They didn't see that, but it just was like that was the that broke the trust, and I never told them anything again until until my future wife showed up and I was like, hey, I'm dating this girl. She's really cool, you know they're like we know.
Speaker 1:Please don't. We were at the movies. Please don't follow me.
Speaker 3:Yeah, we saw you at Donut Delay. Why did that person ask you for $17?
Speaker 2:So my other follow-up question to this is when you took this girl on this date, did you buy her popcorn or did you pull a jack and um, only buy yourself?
Speaker 3:popcorn. I'm a little bit more giving than my characters, but uh, jack is cheap, I am uh. At least on a date I will, I will, I will cover it as at the time tell us more about jack and ginger, because jack is a choice to make as a writer.
Speaker 2:You could have had like a really lovely date and had rapport happen right away, but instead you picked this guy, jack, who's cheap, also possibly broke um and only buys himself popcorn. Why, why did you choose jack?
Speaker 3:because I think a smooth date is too easy and when you're writing a zombie date night, it has to go in the worst way possible and then it gets even worse. And then obviously there's ebbs and flows to the story of like okay, here's where things start getting better, because people have been and just hearing other dates that I've heard from other people um, in my life, uh, the meet cute is fine, but when you're in the date, that's where the the hard part is and it's keeping people's attention, and especially during the pandemic, where I feel like a lot more people became less social. Um, so when people are less social and they're not used to making eye contact and they're not used to talking to somebody, I feel like it gets even more awkward. So these characters just came out of a pandemic type event that they needed a vaccine, so of course they're both a little bit rusty.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I didn't know what they were doing, although I felt like Ginger was fair in her strikes against Jack. Every single one.
Speaker 1:And the date turns around.
Speaker 3:The date only turns around because ginger's a badass dynamic switches, which, which again ginger, like I love having strong female characters in my, in my books, um, and I think ginger, you know, kicks ass and you know, and and jack is lucky to have her, especially during a zombie apocalypse.
Speaker 2:Sounds like some parallels between you and your zombie.
Speaker 3:Yes, and no Minus the cheapness she would throw me if necessary.
Speaker 1:Do you see a lot of Jack in yourself, or do you see yourself as other characters in in your uh, in your story?
Speaker 3:I don't, I don't see myself as jack because he's kind of like he, he's kind of the opposite of what I would do. Um, but I would say I'm more like blake, the best friend, I think, I think, because he's just very like positive and and very like, yeah, let's do like. You know, I'm more like that. That then, um, then I, I would say Jack, but I, I just think bad dates are. That makes me laugh, like that, that makes me laugh and like I think everybody's related related to bad dates, um, and and, and you know, you always hear good stories too about people who meet, who met for the first time. Two great things that I've heard um, heard people meet over a date was my old roommate. His parents met during a prison riot. Wow, they were both prison guards and there was a riot that happened and so they were on lockdown and they met that way. And I was like that is amazing.
Speaker 2:That's a trauma bond.
Speaker 3:I know it's a trauma bond, which again zombie date night is kind of like that. And then the second is a friend of mine at work said she knows a couple that somebody called the wrong number and was like oh hey, I'm looking for so-and-so. They're. Like oh, you know, they're not, I think you've got the wrong number. And the person on the phone just said you sound cute. And he's like oh, you sound cute too. And they met up and they ended up getting married.
Speaker 2:That's very adorable. I also will say you made me laugh pretty much the whole way throughout because of the foibles of Jack. I read the comic first and so, Dan, I don't know what you were doing while I was reading it, but I just was like laughing and Dan's like what I'm like. I can't explain this to you.
Speaker 3:Also, there's a zombie with a popcorn bucket on his head that was a highlight for me.
Speaker 3:Well, thank you, I appreciate you for reading and luckily I've been able to get good reactions about Zombie Date Night, which is awesome, From the horror community, the comic community. It's usually when I go to these cons I went to a con this weekend it's usually a neck and neck between the sloths or the zombies, so so on the. But the zombies do really really well when it comes and and people always see the title makes it because they're like zombie date night. I gotta, I know exactly what that is yeah, yeah, and the art's really, really excellent.
Speaker 2:Who is the the artist? Who's the team behind zombie date night?
Speaker 3:sure, uh, the artist is, uh, sergey domenic. He's excellent. He's breaking through in comics. He's definitely going to be getting more work from bigger publishers in the future. Um, just an awesome artist.
Speaker 3:Um, lettering by anthony rella. Uh, editing by, uh, allegra calderaro, soon to be allegra urina. Um, but yeah, just um, I, I've been very lucky that, so I, so I get my comics done through. There's a company called comics experience, so they do for anybody who wants to write comics, who can't draw, like me. You could take these online courses and and and get your comic made, basically. So I took a course. I got the sloths done in there. I got it done. The Kickstarter went really well. I used the money from that kickstarter put into zombie date night, um, and then they just find me, these very talented artists who are looking for work, who need the you know, need the reps, need the, um, you know, get more, uh, you know, get more practice doing what they're doing, so then they can become masters of their craft. Um, and these people are masters of their craft, so I can only imagine how much better they're going to be, you know, as we, as as the years go by and more issues come out.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I can only imagine. I mean the art style is. I don't think I've seen an art style quite like theirs. Actually, yeah, it's really unique.
Speaker 3:It's incredible, and the coloring is great too. Like everything. Just, comics are a team sport. If one thing goes wrong, the whole thing can just be derailed, so I'm very lucky to find the team that I have for this.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's what blows my mind about comic creators is how you're able to translate your vision, and then somehow meet in the middle, into something maybe possibly greater than maybe even you imagined.
Speaker 3:So for me, in terms of the artists, um, I'll write my script, but I want, I want the. You know, the artist is the creator too, so I want them to go at full tilt as possible. Let me pull you back later, like do what you want to do. Let's figure this out. Here's my descriptions go, you're a professional, do what you got to do so who's responsible for the zombie Santa and zombie elves?
Speaker 3:That's me, because. So the comic after I did zombie date night was ex-Mashina, which is, you know, santa fighting robots in the future. So I always try to leave little Easter eggs of like what's coming and what things are, and then people look back and like, oh man, he predicted this, you know there. But also because the this, this story, takes place during the winter, and if I was like, well, if they're going Christmas shopping or if they're going, you know, during the winter, then there's got to be Santa people there and it's just fun to see a Santa zombie. I don't think I've ever seen that anywhere else. I'm sure it exists, but I just never seen a Santa zombie.
Speaker 1:I also love zombie stories that are told during wintertime. I feel like so many of the stories are summertime or fall and adding snow to yeah it just makes it worse.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it just makes zombies even more crazy. Sphere, because I always when, whenever there's like a little blanket of snow, that like that's, that's like there's a feeling about that snow which is just kind of like comforting and yes, yeah, and then like you have a zombie apocalypse, which is like the opposite I'm pretty sure that for the folks who listen to this, who hate winter and I know a couple of them they are just going to shut off this episode.
Speaker 2:Right now they're like there's nothing comforting unsubscribe but in this you're in a mall in the wintertime and they're staying in the mall. In the next issue they have survived in the mall, probably because of the mall.
Speaker 3:Yes, definitely. I feel like just the mall is a great setting for a story like that, just because they're taking away people because of the zombie invasion. But I feel like the mall gives because there's food and there's weapons and there's all this stuff in there, um, and and it definitely, I think, works within a zombie invasion yeah, especially when you have a proper character.
Speaker 1:Who I think is leah's favorite character? Absolutely Rosie. Adore her yes, um it took it took me a while to realize, uh, where, where the chainsaw went, I was, it was. I remember just seeing. At one point I'm like did she, did she put the chainsaw on her leg? Does?
Speaker 3:she have a leg chainsaw.
Speaker 3:That, that is my, that is my homage to Planet Terror, the Quentin Tarantino movie, and that was also a zombie invasion one, and I just am like chainsaw leg is the best, and always in these zombies movies there's always somebody who is like a doomsday prepper that's always ready to go. So of course I put that back in there. And just since the weapons are wild anyway, uh, with the chancleta and and a katana, uh, and all different things I felt you know, his uh, chainsaw leg makes makes sense for this what's the backstory between rosie deciding to keep her own pee, though this is a choice?
Speaker 3:well, because doomsday preppers, or some doomsday preppers, they'll drink their pee if, uh, if there's no water. Um so, just because you know it, just yeah.
Speaker 1:I I thought about this so she decided to save her pee.
Speaker 2:Yes, in case she needs it even though she could have just gone to the water fountain at the movie theater she owns.
Speaker 1:She could have had jars of water.
Speaker 3:Well, there were some jars of water also, I believe, and also because in the bunker, yes, saving the pee for water and things like that, but also because it's just like, well, I'm just hanging out in the bunker, I'm just going to pee here. But yeah, she definitely drinks her own pee 100%, just for the taste.
Speaker 2:Are we going?
Speaker 3:gonna see more of her in issue two. Uh, I think I. Uh, we'll see what happens. She falls uh into into a zombie hole at some point maybe she'll find her mate and have you zombie maybe too, maybe, um, but yeah, you'll have to find out. And then issue number two okay, I'll wait.
Speaker 2:Everybody back this kickstarter. I need to know if rosie comes back as a zombie uh, you know what we should.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about the kickstarter.
Speaker 3:Yeah, sure, um, my understanding is that kickstarters are hard yeah, uh, this is, this is number six, uh, which is crazy, um, but right now. So you know, I'm taking everything as it comes. The lettering is done, um, I'm trying to just get the money is going towards, like the printing and things like that and shipping, um, but you know it's, it's been a tough time and I'm I'm laughing because I'm like, oh, you know, february is probably a good time to do zombie date night too. You know it's it's Valentine's day. I can do Valentine's time to do zombie date night too. You know it's valentine's day, I can do valentine's um, but everybody, and their mother, is running a kickstarter at the moment.
Speaker 3:I think there are 300 live projects, somebody told me, so there's a lot of. You know there's a lot to fight for and things like that, and there's a lot of very talented people that are running great kickstarters right now. Um, so for me it's it's doing these podcasts going to, which has been a new thing, um, and and just trying to figure it all out and and hopefully we'll get to the finish line. We're at 66% funded as of the last time I checked, um, there's still like 23 days, 24 days left. So I think I think there's time and also people wait till the end. Sometimes I'll wait until the like the last week or so to just jump in on it. So hey, slow and steady wins the race. Any amount of money that goes to me goes to the next project and then just making comics. So if you like my stuff, or if you are discovering me for the first time, check it out. Check out Zombie Date Night.
Speaker 1:Yeah, help us get to the goal, because issue one is hilarious.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I want to see more and I also, like I said, just go and look at the t-shirts. If you don't like comics which I used to do with that person and now I love them so maybe you should give them a try. But if that's not your thing, but you're listening to this, that means you probably like zombies, which means you probably need a really rad zombie date night t-shirt. So help everybody out, get the comic, get the shirt.
Speaker 3:I've been lucky to work with very talented artists. The person who does my shirts his name is. His first tag name is Vertebrae33. He's done stuff for Hot Topic, he's done stuff for with Rick and Morty, he's done Star Wars cards and I'm very lucky that he's a friend of mine that I'm like, hey, do you want to do these crazy shirts? And he's like, yeah, let's do it.
Speaker 3:And the zombies on a date I feel like it's such a good At the end of the day, even if the comics don't work out. A merch line of just zombies on a date is amazing. Yeah, there's so much you can do with that. And then another artist, Jason Thomas. He's brand new to this comic Kickstarter scene. He's another friend of mine who's just a talented artist that I'm like you know what I want? To pay my friends to do these cool designs and at the end of the day, it adds to their portfolio. And then they can do comic cons, they can do horror cons and have all this stuff there with them. But he did my zombie valentines, which are absolutely wonderful. Um, you can, you could get these valentines. One says eat bay love. One says you'll always have my heart.
Speaker 1:and the other one says even death won't do us part are these valentines kind of like when, um, when you're in like elementary school and you buy like a whole bunch of he-man valentines to give to everybody in your class?
Speaker 3:Absolutely.
Speaker 1:Because I've been looking for things like that as an adult.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, I'm definitely inspired by like Garbage Pail Kids, definitely inspired by Valentines. Every year for Valentine's Day I will do handmade cards for anybody who wants them, my girlfriend especially. There's a story where one of our I guess it was a date or one of our hangouts I asked her to. I was like, hey, I need your help with the air conditioner and we were putting the air conditioner together and we lost it and it fell out the window.
Speaker 2:Oh no.
Speaker 3:Luckily it didn't hurt anybody. It just hurt a tree, unfortunately. But so I drew her an air conditioner that said I'm falling for you, so I'll do these like punny Valentines for people. I drew an otter and it said you're an otter in space and it's like you're otter this world, Stuff like that. But actually just to go off of your question, um, that is actually one of the tiers. Uh, if you do the highest tier, which is the shirt, the poster, the valentine's, everything I got, I will make you a handmade valentine, uh, like that wow, I think I need to go increase my tier.
Speaker 2:Yeah, because I need a, because I need a valent. Yeah, a friend of mine from the first place I lived in the States, which is Georgia I lived there for a decade Every year with Ophiel sends me a Valentine. So I think this is the year I can send her one back, and it will be one of yours.
Speaker 3:Yes, my drawing is not great, but I can do. I will do my best to make it wonderful.
Speaker 2:That's what makes it sweet Bad art is its own sort of special thing. So do you have a dream of where zombie date night could go Like? Do you have a certain number of issues in your mind.
Speaker 3:Yeah, I think I think four or five might work. I think, if, if people keep liking it, I'll keep doing it. But I have a set story kind of in mind of where it goes. Like it's not like the slow pokes, the slow pokes, I feel like could go on forever because it's it's just, you know, a different horror genre with each issue, uh, but I think zombie date night, I feel like there is, there will be a definitive end and um, and these characters are, are awesome and I love writing them. And just to go back to the well of hey, like you know, jack and Ginger, like what's going to happen in this? I feel like people that have read the first one are interested and want to see where this goes. So I need I need to finish it.
Speaker 2:I agree. I have a vested interest in Jack and Ginger getting together, even though Jack I have like faith that because he's starting at a low point yes, he's one of those characters that will like really become.
Speaker 1:He's already lovable, even though he's I also would not date him he's only got room to improve exactly ginger's amazing, so uh and that's what writing is, this journey of change.
Speaker 3:So you know it's, it's, it's taking, but I but I feel like a relationship during a zombie apocalypse is not something you see all the time, like it's more about the zombies or it's more about here's, this community, but the fact that a relationship and now that I'm getting married, a lot of these stories can go into this type of book.
Speaker 2:Yeah, they could get married.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they can get married. They could have arguments. They can work together or be broken up.
Speaker 2:There's so much that can be done, uh, with this that's always the test we say this all the time like the test of a good zombie story is if you can take the zombies out. And it's still interesting and I think that's exactly what you've done is you have this really hilarious backdrop, but everything else feels very real, um, including rosie with her p jars, because we all know that person I'm that person.
Speaker 1:Dance that person. Do you have p jars? I'm not gonna tell you where my p jars are um, but, but yeah, I mean, but that's also.
Speaker 3:That's a relationship like um, you never know what the world around you might add pressure to it. Um, I mean the pandemic definitely. I feel like it was a challenge in my relationship with my future wife. At first we were together and then we were separated because of the lockdown. My mother had cancer, so I had to stay with Not at the time but she had to compromise the immune system because of of this. So I was with them and she was. She was a teacher, she's a teacher still, um, and she was forced to go in so I couldn't see her because of this.
Speaker 3:But it added pressure to things and, you know, I thought we might have broken up. I thought something could have happened or you know, and it was out of my there's nothing I could do about a pandemic, and then I didn't want anything to happen, but luckily things persevered and we talked it out and we communicated with each other, which is 100% how to make a relationship successful. And now I have two cats, so I have an apartment and two cats. So things have changed. But again in this changed, but it's it's again, you know, in in this book, if there's a zombie apocalypse. You know whether it's it's going well or not going well. There's more zombies, less zombies. It's gonna. There's gonna be ebbs and flows of a of a relationship.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I mean that's part of, I think, what it is to be human is to have those ebbs and flows, and kudos to you two for making that through a very difficult time. I hope your mom's okay yeah, she's fine.
Speaker 3:Uh, she's pain in the ass as usual. No, I'm kidding, she had it twice before, but it just that was during a time where nobody knew what was happening, and it just I just didn't want to and and we we had known people that passed on from covid, um, you know, and and just we didn't know anything about it. So it was, it was a very weird time, but I mean, things happen for a reason, so it's it's. Luckily, everybody came out better at the end of it.
Speaker 2:And now you have two cats, an apartment and a wonderful fiance Two cats an apartment, and now I am forever tied to this woman.
Speaker 3:Who will? Who will? Uh, now we are. We are creators of the zombie thing.
Speaker 2:Well, that's what I was going to ask you is what is it like to create together?
Speaker 3:Um, it's, it's fun, but it so. At first I was like, right, I'll, she's a, she's a great editor, because whenever I do scripts, um, I'll read it with her. Um, she'll give me deadlines. Um, she'll be like scripts, I'll read it with her. She'll give me deadlines. She'll be like, oh, I don't think this makes sense because of X, y and Z.
Speaker 3:And if you're writing especially other zombie authors that are on your podcast or that want to write more stuff, it definitely helps to have a partner to read your stuff Because, especially if it's somebody like her, she is completely unedited and oh, I think this sucks because of X, y and Z, somebody like her. She is completely unedited and oh, and I think this sucks because of X, y and Z. Luckily, she's sweeter than that, but but you know, but it's, it's good to have she. She's been great, she's pretty much been the thought. You know she's. She's helped me figure out all my comics.
Speaker 3:You know what works, what doesn't, and she's a great editor, editor and for somebody who's never edited before in me, she's she's been great, very good notes, just like oh, try this. Or you know, very giving. There's no, there's no, like there's arguments, but I feel like it's debates more than arguments. It's more like I think. But again, at the end of the day, you know I have control over what I'm doing, but I trust her 100%. And you know I have control over what I'm doing, but I trust her 100% and I couldn't have done all this stuff without her.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I think when you're in the writing process, you can sometimes get to a point where you think all of your ideas are the best ideas and nobody's had better ideas than these, and it really helps to have somebody that'll just like tear you apart and just point out all the ways that, uh, that you need, that you need to improve something.
Speaker 3:Um it can be painful, but it's.
Speaker 1:It's very helpful though I.
Speaker 3:I'm very open, um, because create, creating for me is a vacation, like in my full-time job. I love to create, but that's not my baby, you know what I mean. Like it's whatever the company wants me to do, and sometimes I'm happy with it, sometimes I'm like, oh you know, it is what it is, but these are my babies. And to have her give me that feedback to make it better, that's what I want. I don't want just regular stories, I want something a little bit different. I want people to be entertained. I might not be the best of all time, at least at this moment, but as long as I get better with each comic, I'm completely cool with that.
Speaker 2:I love that. That reminds me of so. I used to ride horses competitively when I was young and I had a riding instructor who said to me it's not about what like place you get, it's about whether or not you've improved from the last time you showed your horse.
Speaker 2:And so like if I won, that was great. But it was always back to like, what was your goal for this Um show and like, did you meet that? Because the ribbon is like the secondary thing. So I think that's really cool that you're building your skill over time and that you have a partner that can support you. I think it says a lot about the two of you, too that you can communicate in that way and receive feedback and have those conversations. I think it's something that I really appreciate about this guy over here across from me, dan. Co-creating something with your partner is really special, so I always love hearing about it when other people are doing that.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's, it's been, it's just awesome, Like she's. I mean I have crazy ideas and she's not like, oh, that's, why would you do that? Or whatever. Um, my, my thing is I always say that if it gives my parents something embarrassing to talk about, that it's probably the right way to go.
Speaker 2:When was the first time you told your parents about like your comics? Did they always? Know about it, or did you also keep it?
Speaker 3:yeah, my parents my parents, I think are supportive of me as a person, but my parents are not supportive of my ideas because they can't wrap their heads around it. Sometimes, um, which is funny because my mom is a fashion designer and I'm like you, you have to be a little crazy to get your ideas through. And then my dad is is more straight laced, as like a businessman, um, he's, he's, he works for xerox, um, but when I first told them about the slots oh man, that was that made me laugh so hard. Because my dad's, like you're spending money on this, like what are you doing? I was like, hey, I made, I wrote this in class, like I'll see what, where it goes. But I, I want to do it. It sounds fun, it's already done, might as well get it done and the risk is low and if anything, you know, I lose some money, that's okay. Like it's, it's not, I'm not, it's not, you know, I'm not going into debt over it, it's just. You know, just something I want to try.
Speaker 3:And he, they I don't know how my mom really felt, but my dad was not really into it at all. He was just like what is this? And then now they I feel like they support when they see it's finished with the, see the finished thing. So when they saw the comic, like the, what it looks like, now they talk to their friends about it and then you know everything is like oh, I need that shirt. Oh, can I have this? Okay, it's like all right, like you didn't support it first, um, but now they, they will. They support the finished product that makes sense.
Speaker 2:It's just that you're the one who's the visionary.
Speaker 3:Um yeah but the fast killer sloths yes, during and during the, during the, the kicks the first kickstarter for slowpokes I told my I adopted baby sloths. Uh, as part of like, the, as part of the campaign. So I did, I the there's a sloth conservation project. So I donated money and because you donated money, you're technically adopting a sloth. So I told my mom that she was going to be a grandmother and she was like what, what are you talking about? I was like to these beautiful baby sloths and she was very pissed off.
Speaker 2:Oh, that's wonderful.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:I think my mom had a similar moment, but not to baby's loss. I think she just realized the two dogs is what she's getting from me. It was a moment for her too and I I can relate because, like, my family knows about the podcast, but I have not told them the name of it because I really don't want them to listen. Um, but I have shown her some of my art that's related to it. So currently I'm making like a, a zombie crown for our annual game show, zombie ween for sylvester barzi, who won in 2024. It's really rad. Um, it has a butthole on it and my mom is like asking me for update painting pictures of all the time.
Speaker 3:And then she told me she's showing her friends hell yeah, and I'm like show it go and your mom is showing your butthole work yeah, yeah, basically that's where we're at, but apparently, um.
Speaker 2:So my last marriage was with a woman and she's told me that people react more weirdly when she tells them that I make zombie crowns and she shows them the picture than when she told them that I make zombie crowns and she shows them the picture when she told them that I was with a woman, which brings me a lot of joy.
Speaker 3:I mean, that's what it's for. I was afraid when I was younger, but then I think with the comics it's like I can literally do whatever I want and if you can form a story out of something that's absolutely batshit crazy, like demon superheroes or zombies on a date, and also, just for me, the killer sloths I get sloth everything now Sloth gifts, sloth pictures, sloth whatever and I could have just stayed in that realm. But I was like you know what? I got to spread my wings and I love being known as a slot guy, but I want to make sure that people know that I have more to give and I can try new things and self-publish stuff and figure it all out and not have to worry about anybody getting in my way of like, oh you can't do that. If I pitched fast killer slots to like Marvel, I think they would kick me out of the because I don't know what they're talking about.
Speaker 2:I'm also going to be getting um slow pokes after this. It sounds so entertaining. Also, I love slots. Did you have a natural affinity for slots or how did that come about?
Speaker 3:I just think slots look scary, like if they. If you take a look at them, they have crazy claws, they're like they look horrifying and then you've ever seen a wet sloth like that's not, uh, yeah, just lots like in the in the water. Um, I just thought that, like climbing in the trees, if sloths were fast, they have the it's. It's ripe for a horror movie because they have the claws, they can, they can swim in the water, they can jump in the trees, and then you're screwed sorry, my brain just started picturing a movie no worries I was like this has to be a movie like a sharknado kind of situation where funny.
Speaker 3:You do say that, um, there is an imitator, um, I will not say the name of it, but there is an imitator that took my logo and they took the idea, um, and it's been very bizarre because mine came out in 2020 and theirs came out in like 2024.
Speaker 2:What's that like? What's that experience like as a creator, to see something like that happen?
Speaker 3:It's cool because at the same time, it's like all right, I made enough of a dent that people want to do their own, I guess. But at the same time, it's like I might have it Like, let's say, I wanted to make a slowpoke movie or something like that. I feel like it's tougher now that that exists, um, but I don't know, I I'm not sure, I'm still. It's still very weird, it's still very fresh, because we found out about this last year. Wow, uh, and it just, you know, I just don't know what the deal is.
Speaker 3:Maybe it's a coincidence, maybe it's not, but I, I just, I'm like, I, I just, I, it's too, it's too, um, everything is too similar for me to think that it was just the coincidence. Yeah, um, so I, I will, we could talk offline, I'll show you the deal, um, but it is very uh, it's a very bizarre thing, but at the same time, it's not the same as slowpokes. And somebody, somebody saw that and read my comic and said that the comic was better. So I'm like, all right, well, that's fine, but also I created a new genre, so I think that that's.
Speaker 2:Wow, that's a cool way to think it. You've created the sloth killer genre.
Speaker 3:As far as I know, and again I haven't I'm sure I'll run into them at a horror con one of these days and and and I'm sure there'll be talking through Cause like I don't know, like maybe it was just somebody had a similar idea or whatever, but again, the logo is is too similar to mine. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, that's I think. I think that kind of tells the story. I'm I already. Yeah, steve is the original sloth killer. Yeah, or the original sloth horror comedy. But yeah, it's kind of like if, if you didn't, if you invented uh sharknado, this is the, the, the uh natural disaster, plus um scary animal combo that's following you and trying to copy that, that uh but just imagine there's somebody who made Shark Hurricane first. And they're like hurricanes are too big. How about a tornado?
Speaker 3:Yeah, Like oh man.
Speaker 2:There could be a fun beef out of this where, like somehow you're, two slightly different versions of sloths are duking it out.
Speaker 3:Maybe, I don't know, there could have been a legal thing, possibly Also that kind of beef legal thing possibly also that kind of beef, yeah yeah, that kind of beef. But listen, I, I the fact that there's two of these things is crazy, um, but I just, I just want to keep creating and I just want to keep doing things a little bit different.
Speaker 2:Um, and I, I like the horror genre because anything can, anything is possible yeah, I was gonna ask you because people like you I always find um fascinating if that's not too weird to say, like dan is also like this, a lot of folks that we I get the privilege.
Speaker 3:I said I don't think my girlfriend agrees with that, but you're fascinating.
Speaker 2:I just mean, like, how does your? What I don't understand about people who are storytellers is like there's, it feels like there's a compulsion to create and these ideas are coming from somewhere and I just want to know, like where? How does this? I'm asking you the most impossible question, which is how does your brain work, Steve? How do you come up with things like demon possessed people who can make things happen by swearing people?
Speaker 3:who can make things happen by swearing. So there's a lot of good books for that too, like Stephen King's book on writing is really good David Flinch's book about catching ideas and it's funny because I always had ideas like imagination, of like, oh, what if they did this, what if they did this? And I just never had the outlet for it and I never knew what the outlet could be until comics came into my life, because I'm like, oh, maybe a movie, but I'm like movies cost a ton, you need to find actors. I'm not an actor, but comics I feel like I can do that. I can make my movie, I can make my story and it's visually interesting Because even if I suck as a writer, the artists that I pick are awesome and they can make it all pop and make it all come together. But luckily, the writing I've been okay at what I've been doing. But ideas just come from living life and just doing whatever you can do to go out of your comfort zone, because you don't know how comfortable you are until you're uncomfortable. And that's why I feel like I think I have a little bit of an edge on other comic creators because if I go to cons and things like that. They're not. They're a little bit timid to talk to people. They're a little bit timid to talk about their ideas. Um, and for me, I love talking about my ideas, I love talking about, and even if people don't buy comics, I'm okay with that. That Cause it's like hey, you came, you took five minutes out of your day, talk to me, be like, oh, what is this? And I told you and it will stay with you. Fast killer slots will stay with you for the rest of your life, regardless of if you bought the comic or read the comic. You'll always remember that. But yeah, just ideas. It's weird how it'll just come to you Like it'll just if you're, if you have, if you try to force it, it's not going to come. But if you're just like, all right, here's this brief idea. You know I want to pursue it Like fast killer Schloss came because I love horror movies and I love, I loved going to blockbuster as a kid and you would see, you'd see the art of the of the videos and you, your imagination would run wild and the videos would never, ever live up to what your imagination was. So I always wanted to say in my horror comedies or my horror movie or my horror books, that if you see the cover and it's awesome, and then you open it and there's something even more awesome inside. So like the slots came from that and also like the sci-fi movies. So I was like, oh, what if slots became fast and became killing machines? And I was like that'd be a fun thing to write. And then when I took the class that you could have written anything and I was like I'm going to write that because I think it stands out. And that brought me to comics and I and I it's crazy. And then zombie date night same thing, just living life and the zombie things as we talked earlier. Uh, ex-machina was was.
Speaker 3:I wanted to work with a partner for the first time about um. She had an idea where it was kind of like um, the twilight zone, where there would be like a google search engine, except you would get whatever you search for would come true in the worst way possible. And then I had an idea for like evil elves and then we put it together and I was like, oh, this we can combine these ideas and make it where, like, santa loses his matter, santa is sour because he's getting older, he retires and his wife left him for the abominable snowman um. Santa gives his likeness to like a mark zuckerberg who uses his his magic to make like these make a robot Santa and robot elves. And because his magic is sour, now Santa has to fight his sour self to redeem for Christmas. So there's that. And then the demon-possessed superhero. I always thought I was like what's something that I could do in comics that nobody can do, and I was like, well, if there's something with cursing, that would be great.
Speaker 3:But I can't just have a cursing comic that does that. That's no fun. So I'm a big fan of Green Lantern, big fan of Venom, so I always thought I was like, okay, so if there's a demon and possesses this girl, she becomes a superhero, and the more animated her curse words are, the more they animate. If she calls somebody an asshat, the asshat will appear, or things like that. I felt like that's my version of Green Lantern and Venom together and I'm like there it is. So it's just melding ideas and seeing what works. I mean, the best part of if you're a writer is think about your two favorite things, mix them together. What do you got? You got something completely brand new.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but there's something special about you all who do this, because I want to ask you a question that I've never asked anybody before, which is would you be happy if you couldn't do this?
Speaker 3:No, probably not. I feel like it's a release. Doing this is a release of creativity, and I don't. For me, as long as people react to it, whether it's positive or negative, is what I want. If people don't react, then I haven't done anything. Then I, then I need to go back to the drawing board and figure this out. Um, because it's, it's such a positive thing to create and you're, you're literally like creating worlds, you're bringing people together. Um, you're, you're, it's, it's like a virus I guess You're talking about, I'm sure, because you read this or other people that read it.
Speaker 3:It's like you got to see this and it becomes this word of mouth, and then they read it, they react to it, they have their own opinions on it, and then it makes them want. It makes some people want to do their own thing. That's why I love doing the Kickstarter. I love doing this independently, because there's no rules. It's literally whatever I want it to be. There was a masterclass with Joyce Carol Oates and she said when you write in a diary, that's the most real that you'll ever write, because you're not thinking about anything other than yourself. You're not thinking about anything other than this is my diary, this is how I write, or whatever, and this is how I I write my comics yeah, I had a moment like that when I had a couple edibles and there's a.
Speaker 1:There's a certain point where I was like, am I even writing this book anymore? Am I a book? Just going some some diatribe about something and I'm like, oh right, I was supposed to be writing my book.
Speaker 3:But it's funny Cause it's funny? You say that? Cause most people think that my things are drug induced, which they are actually not, of all things. That's like I would love to write something where I am, you know if I'm on an edible or something, and see if that alters my thinking or changes my perspective on things.
Speaker 2:Maybe we need to create like a horror slash, zombie writers or creators retreat where we all get high.
Speaker 3:Hell yeah, that'd be great. And do zombie activities.
Speaker 2:Yes, okay, this is what I want. This is what I want for my birthday next year is I want a gathering of zombie creators and we do mushrooms together, and then see what happens.
Speaker 2:This could be a total disaster or really wonderful yeah, or or we just become the zombies yeah, I will say that like people like people like you and dan and others we've talked to do really inspire me, because now in my own head, I'll probably never write this. This is the difference between me and you all but in my head I now have like a fan fiction version where rosie, as a zombie, finds her zombie and it's somebody that she catfished, but like it works you know like I, and that just that will live rent free in my head now.
Speaker 2:So thank you, steve, you're welcome. Yeah, that's where it starts with fanfic maybe because that's usually like, if I really love a story, then I and I love a character and I don't know where it's gonna go. My brain starts to make stuff up for me.
Speaker 3:I mean that I, I, you could do it too. That's, that's what my advice is to everybody. If I can do it and I'm a clown like you know what I mean like you guys have have, you guys have read zombie books, you guys are researchers, you guys are experts on the topic there's no reason why you guys can't write a zombie thing, whether together or separately. Um, so I believe in you, you could do it too. Um, here's my process.
Speaker 3:Uh, you come up with an idea, um, and then I just brained up of, like, what could happen in this world, whatever that you do a character sheet of of each character, what are their traits, what is happening, what is going on? Um, what are their traits, what is happening, what is going on, what are their facial features, what is it? Basically, if you play D&D, it's your character sheet for your character. You take that, like I said, you brain dump and then, once you brain dump, you start pruning like a tree of like, okay, what works, what works here? How does it flow into each other? And then, once that happens, whether you're making a comic or a book, you start making it. You, you follow your outline as your, as your map and then, when you're writing, this is where you, this is how you, you follow it and sometimes things will change and sometimes you'll have better ideas, but at least you're you're making a map for your own creativity and your own story.
Speaker 2:Wow, I feel like you just gave us a masterclass lesson. That was very helpful. I think all the pantsers will be offended, though, by the outline. I would be. If I was doing this, I would also be an outliner. I sketch my art first before I make it.
Speaker 3:Well, it works, at least within comics. But whatever your process is, I think just brain dumping within this universe you created is a healthy thing because, listen, you could, it's yours, you, you're not showing anybody this stuff until it's finished, um, and of course there's they. It's it's like, um, you know, it's like, uh, a stream. Right, you're gonna go up up the stream, um, or you know, sorry, you're gonna go down the stream, um, if it works. And if it doesn't work, you'll kind of get blocked. You go back to where it started working and and start pruning away and then you'll get back to where you need to go yeah, I'm.
Speaker 1:I'm back to the pruning part. That's where I'm at, yeah I went I went back downstream and now I got my clippers.
Speaker 3:You could also do. You could also do several maps, like if you, if you have an issue let's say there's writer's block of like all right, where do I want the story to go? All right, what's? What are the two options, what are the three options, and then go from there and see what works best I like to roll dice, I roll. Dice is good.
Speaker 2:Yeah, roll a 10 yeah I think what's cool about creating whatever the venue is, is uh, or like vehicle is. For me it's um my weird zombie crowns right now is realizing you really can do whatever you want, like what you said earlier you can do whatever you want, like when I realized like I really can put a butthole on this crown, like I can do that.
Speaker 3:Absolutely make it the very best butthole I know how to make yeah, I, I think, you know, I think growing up, everybody's so vulnerable to to share what they really feel on the inside because they don't know what it's. You know what, how people will react to it. But I think if you read, learn or re-teach kids as long as people react to it, then you got something yeah, I that's.
Speaker 1:That's always like. The biggest fear is, like what if I spend like a decade writing a book and then, uh, then I don't really hear from anybody, just like I didn't, I didn't get any opinions about about it I guess you guys already built audience for your thing, and you guys love zombies.
Speaker 3:I guarantee you you will have an audience. You're ready, you already built it. It's already here, yeah, so I think I think you have it. Just you, just you know, you just gotta be able to look inside yourself and realize like, hey, I'm putting this thing out there, this is a piece of me and it's for you guys.
Speaker 1:I didn't expect this to become so motivational. I was just thinking do you have another?
Speaker 2:like side gig as a motivational speaker for creators, because maybe we should hire you for this zombie retreat we're going to do.
Speaker 3:So a lot of people have brought me in to talk to students. My old school used to it does that, um, and they've done it a few times. I just did my first Q a at this con that I was at. I was at a horror con in Pennsylvania. It's called Delco horror Haven and they did a really good show, um, and, and I got to do a Q a and you know it's, it's it again, putting yourself in situations where you're a little bit uncomfortable. Where will people be there? Is it just going to be chairs at the end of the day? But again, what's on the other side of fear? It's nothing. Once you're up there, once you're getting past the fear zone and you're doing what you need to do, it's like there's nothing can stop you.
Speaker 2:Who motivates you? Do you have an internal motor who's helped you get this level of insight?
Speaker 3:I I read a book called the tools of Titans and um, it's based they've interviewed a lot of successful people about not, it's not like a, it's not like they're telling you what to do. It's more of like this was what works for other people, um, um, maybe you could apply it into your life. Um, and just, you know living. I used to be very negative as a kid, like I'd be like, oh, that's stupid, why would we do that? And then I became I was like I, I left.
Speaker 3:I think my parents were very negative and how they reacted to certain things. And then I kind of adopted that mentality and then when I went to college on my own, I I was like I can do whatever I want, there's no rules here and it's better to be polite and it's better to be positive and it's better to be like you know what. I'm just going to do the best that I can. And then I just started reading more about more positive thinking, more motivational type things.
Speaker 3:John Wooden's book is really good. He's a basketball coach and I'm not even a basketball type of person, but he said like make, make your, make today your masterpiece, do or you can. Um, and then you just find things from other things like um, like there's a Ricky Gervais show like, uh, the one where, where he, uh, uh, he, he has a friend, carl Pilkington. That's just like an absolute, like an idiot, but he still has all these nuggets. He's like you know, you're dead longer than you're alive and I was like, so you might as well do whatever you want to do, and that fits in with the zombie theme.
Speaker 2:I love that I might make that a sign for our bunker. You're dead longer than you're alive.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So you might as well do exactly what you want to do, because who's stopping you? You're in your own way. You can do whatever you want to do and have crazy goals, because, at the end of the day, the more you do something, the better you'll get at it and you're one step closer to doing what you want to do, rather than if you didn't do it.
Speaker 2:Wow, I feel like people are going to leave this episode feeling really inspired.
Speaker 1:Yeah, or they're going to go this episode feeling really inspired, so yeah, or they're gonna do it like burn down a tesla dealership or something yeah, you can do whatever you want to do, yeah you're dead longer than you're alive, all right it just but that.
Speaker 3:But that I also thought would be a good story too, where what if you made something that ended up being something negative? And I think that's horrifying, and I would love to to kind of pursue that idea at some point. Because, like what if you made a machine that is supposed to be for something good but then it ended up being something like oh my god, this is the downfall of humanity. Or like this is the downfall of of you know whatever? Um, that that's the hard part, because, like you know, what if I made a, a comic like that, and somebody read it and then, like you know, killed somebody or something like that's like okay, well, that you know that would mess you up I'm hopeful that your comics will not do that it's not like you made the atom bomb.
Speaker 3:Luckily they're funny and I think the funny you know will be like oh, that's a, that's a screwed up idea, but hey, here's a slot I think the real issues of slots.
Speaker 2:Learn to read, they might get some ideas.
Speaker 1:That would be a trouble. The slots will be like if we learn how to swear.
Speaker 3:And it became a superpower. Yeah, but also the best thing too for authors out there. You know, when you go to these cons and it is timid because you know you have your book and then and then people, you know whether they take a chance on you or don't. That's the very daunting. But if you have cool merch, people will just want to come talk to you. You know, if you have a cool shirt, cool stickers, um related, you know, I feel like it's more of a gateway into people like oh, I love, I'm not sure about the book, but like I love that shirt. Or like, oh, I love the shirt, I want to check out the book.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a good point.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this is actually really good tips for us, as we're getting ready for Living Dead weekend so selfishly. Thank you.
Speaker 3:Steve. Well, I hope you guys are making merch for Zombie Book Club. We are. They did bookmarks. T-shirts, hats, stickers People love all that stuff. Stickers with QR codes on them they go directly to your site. It's a lot easier to make stuff these days.
Speaker 2:Yeah, speaking of that, where can people find you and find your Kickstarter?
Speaker 1:Well, they can find your Kickstarter on Kickstarter and also the link that's in the description.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it's over there. Yes, for anybody who wants to follow my comic journey, you can follow me on instagram at the steve urana. I'm also on every other platform under that name t-h-e-s-t-e-v-e-u-r-e-n-a. Um, that that's where I am. It's a little bit of a weird space at the moment because, um, I feel like social media is not social anymore and it's getting harder and harder to reach people, and I think that's by design, which is awful. Um, but I mean, there's always something new and there's. And even if I have to go door to door or go to cons or go to, you know, zombie retreats, um, I will do whatever I need to do to to get my comics into your hands.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we got to start those zombie retreats. I think that's what's coming next. Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:But yeah, go follow Steve everywhere that you can follow him, and on Instagram. I love to use the little bell thing, so I've made a point of following folks like you where I just get your posts because otherwise they would just disappear. Because you're right, like even when even follower people we've known for a long time, sometimes I won't see their stuff if I don't have that little special. You know the bell I'm talking about.
Speaker 1:You got to ring the bell.
Speaker 2:You got to ring the bell so that you get notified all the time. So that's my call to action Ring the bell, go, support this Kickstarter, because we need the next issue no-transcript.
Speaker 3:Thank you so much for coming to talk to us, no problem, thank you for having me. I appreciate it, love your show. You guys run a good show. You guys have great chemistry and very positive, so it's awesome to see.
Speaker 1:I try, trying to keep that positivity. I try, try to keep that positivity.
Speaker 3:It's hard. It is hard in the way the world is, but you know life short, do what you got to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah, we got to enjoy what we have Every minute we have it.
Speaker 1:I don't know if you know this, but I heard recently that you're dead longer than you're alive, and that is somehow motivating.
Speaker 3:It is because we all die, everybody dies, but again, everybody dies, but not everybody lives.
Speaker 2:That's true. Another good saying for the zombie bunker.
Speaker 1:That sounds like it came directly from like some hair metal band from the 80s.
Speaker 3:That came from a Nicki Minaj song. Oh really, yes, everybody dies, but not everybody lives. Thanks, thanks everybody. Nicki Minaj song yes, everybody dies, but not everybody lives.
Speaker 1:Thanks. Thanks, everybody for joining the Zombie Book Club. If you would like to support us, you can leave a rating or review. Reviews are great. Reviews help us reach more people. Love those. You can also send us a voicemail.
Speaker 2:If you have words?
Speaker 1:maybe you have words. Send us your words. 614-699-00006. I don those um. You can also send us a voicemail if you have words. Maybe you have words. Send us your words um six, uh, six, one, four, six, nine, nine, zero zero six.
Speaker 2:I don't know how many zeros, there's just three zeros, three zeros.
Speaker 1:it's in the description, you can go look at it. You can make sure that number is right. But you can leave us a message up to three minutes. If, uh, you know, maybe you're a creator of some kind of I don't't know zombie book, you could also send us an elevator pitch right there from that number that I just said. With the correct number of zeros, you can also join the Brain Muncher Zombie Discord. It's down in the description, just go get it, just click it. Also, new thing We've got a thing, a thing, a newsletter a newsletter, one of those.
Speaker 2:We have not made any news yet not yet.
Speaker 1:I haven't look. I'm not gonna bombard you with newsletters, but you know we're building a list. Get on that list so that we can contact you via your email. We want to contact you in every possible way. I'm going to take out a billboard ad in your hometown.
Speaker 2:But you know what I've got to say. I'm going to interrupt you, Dan. What you've got to do before you do any of those things is go to Steve Uranus Kickstarter for Zombie Date Night so we can get issue two and everybody can wear the really cool Zombie Date Night t-shirts when we all meet each other at our zombie creators retreat yeah, that's.
Speaker 1:That's gonna be the uniform. Everybody has to have a zombie date night, yeah you have to have a zombie.
Speaker 2:Sorry, single folks, you gotta bring somebody with you. My sound crazy, but the end is night. Baby, bye, bye, bye, don't die. Thank you, steve. Thank you, that was awesome.
