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Revamping the Zombie Origin, Evolution, and Revolution of the Zombie Wynter D. Kiger University of North Carolina Charlotte

Spring 2014

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Introduction (Making Zombies Alive Again) Sunday night. A night my friends and I look forward toone always full of emotion. We have our Ben and Jerry individual pints in front of us waiting for 10pm to hit. We watch our twitter timelines seeing the countdown go from five minutes to one. Finally the intro begins and our mouths are already hanging open in anticipation. For true zombie fans, like me, The Walking Dead never seems to disappoint. The AMC TV series even beat the 2014 Super Bowl in ratings. Why is this though? How is a beloved American sport pushed aside for flesh eating monsters? It seems like no matter where we turn our heads nowadays, there is some new zombie thing being advertised. Whether it is for an upcoming episode of The Walking Dead or a zombie themed 5K run. Zombies are everywhere. Even on college campuses there is an interactive event that takes place for zombie fans, called Human v. Zombies. This is a game of moderated tag. One group, the survivors, uses Nerf guns to defend themselves from ever growing second group, the zombies. So, is it only me or does it seems like our culture is infected? Especially fans, like me, we can never get enough zombie. Like Fredsti, I second that, People like me have been waiting a long time for enough zombie fodder to satisfy our appetites. So thank God for Romero, a well-known horror movie director, the one who started it all. Inspired by the Haitian voodoo gave zombie a whole new meaning. A new beloved monster, the zombie. The question is, how does all this fit into my figure world and what do I add new to all this research? Well, The Walking Dead, screams zombies. While diving in and observing this figure world, I figured out I was highly intrigued by zombies themselves. Like, where do zombies come from? How have they revolutionized? And why are zombies so popular today?

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The Walking Dead has definitely contributed to the popularity and saturation. With the comics to the AMC TV series, and all the merchandise that goes into it. This series has somehow managed to stay true to evolution of zombies while finding new ways to add to the zombie phenomenon. But what is another way to revamp the zombie? Literature Review Terms to Define: Figure World: Figure worlds are based on cultural and social interpretations. They have their own set up rules and conventions to live by. In figure worlds, there are actors and artifacts that signify and exemplify the figure worlds. Zombie: There are actually a considerable amount of definitions for the word zombie. But the definition I will be using and exploring the most is a corpse said to be revived by witchcraft, especially in certain African and Caribbean religions (Oxford Dictionary). It is key to know that the word originated in African and Caribbean regions. This reveals that is significant to these cultures and reveals origin. Zombification/Zombifying: The act of turning someone into a zombie. This was done by a Bokor (a voodoo priest); they would use coup poudre aka a magic powder. The main ingredient of the coupe poudre was tetrodotoxin, ingestion of which usually causes death by paralysis. In sub-lethal doses, however, it causes a significant reduction in heart rate and metabolic activity, and puts one into a state in which they are completely paralyzed but fully conscious. (Ulysses, 1) Therefore the victims would appear and be claimed dead. Than be buried alive, this explains stories of dead coming back alive.

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Voodoo- a religion practiced in the Caribbean and the southern US, combining elements of Roman Catholic ritual with traditional African magical and religious rites (Coombs 2), and described by sorcery and spirit possession. Haiti is especially involved Voodoo and though most Voodoo has little to do with sorcery and black magic (Coombs 2), the idea of zombies is different. Zombi actually means spirit of a dead person. Voodoo is related to the zombification process. Modern Day Zombie- Whether the origin is from an unknown virus or governmental experiments; it is where a person is scientifically dead but somehow has become an infected, living monster. These zombies are ones that wish to eat human brains and roam peacefully in ignorance to what they are or who they once were. The Walking Dead- The figure world I observed is one in which most of its inhabitants are dead rather than living. I spent my time studying the figure world of the AMC TV series, The Walking Dead. In this series the figure world consists of two main types of actors; the non-living, brain eating monsters and the humans fighting for humanitys survival. Ultimately what was once unacceptable is completely acceptable in the name of survival. In this figure world if your loved one becomes infected, you are expected to put a gun to their head and pull the trigger. In The Walking Dead, there is group of survivors that the show focuses on and although it is an every man for himself kind of world, this group risks their lives for one another. This observation report will help me discover what the definition of zombies has transitioned to and what makes a zombie show relevant.

The Original Walking Dead

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Coombs, Gilmore, Barber, Keegan and Twohy all have a common theme. The origin of zombies. Where did the idea come from and how? Keegan, Barber, and Twohy focus more on the Haitian culture and both speak about the Bokors and the magic powder coup poudre. Keegan and Twohy both describe an actual zombi as a victim of the magic powder. Family members of these victims would hire the Voodoo Priest (Bokors) to turn the unwanted, burdening family members into zombies. Though Twohy does add the origins of zombies she goes on in her research to describe the evolution where Keegan does not. Barber goes on to state before all the mainstream popularity that, zombies were sorcerers slaves in Haitian Voodoo folklore but like I have state further on, Romero is the one who brought the zombie to America. He also codified a new set of undead rules. His zombies had an insatiable hunger for human flesh and, just as importantly, they were a metaphor for everything that bothered Romero about the modern world (Barber 1). Romero is the one who inspired other and directors to pursue the zombie theme and keep the horror fascination alive. Now Coombs differs from Keegan and Twohy because she says that the origins came from Africa, there (zombies) led rich lives being worshipped as Congolese snake gods (nzambi). Then voudon or Obeah cults, the nzmabi migrated to the meaning to spirits of the dead. So in her research she states that nzambi were originally snake gods and later the term nzambi meant dead spirits. Then the origin continues with Haiti. Gilmore, unlike the rest, takes a whole different approach. He offers a new perspective, introducing the Bible as an origin and how there are verses and books that speak of the undead and spirits of the dead. He even questions whether Jesus Christ could be technically considered a zombie. His reasoning is that Jesus Christ was dead but rose again from the grave, so by technical definition he would be a zombie. Though it Jesus Christ being a zombie may seem crazy, he has solid reasoning by definition. Nevertheless the origin of the zombie is

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important, because my thesis traces the evolution of zombies. With evolution there is always a beginning.

Zombification When I say zombification, I refer to the evolution of the zombie. Which Barber, Coombs, Twohy, Ulysses all touch base on. Barber speaks of why zombies are so popular in our culture today. He reminds us about the film 28 Days Later and how the film brought zombies back to the big screen. Barber traces some mainstream films, comics and novels. From Dawn of the Dead, The Walking Dead and World War Z then claims 2013 as the year of the zombie. He also brings up well-known director, Romero. He describes the influence and the impact Romero made with his films such as, White Zombie. Coombs, on the other hand, credits todays zombie to the 1920s, when Jazz Age hipsters turned their fever attentions to the West Indies. And because of the growing popularity with Obeah rituals, Hollywood was inspired to take part of the epidemic. Coomb then speaks of a 1932 film entitled White Zombie which aided with the newfound obsession with the dead. She then concludes by talking about how in todays culture there have been many zombie films and shows which further reveals the popularity of zombies. The purpose of Twohys thesis is similar to mine. Just like me, Twohy explores the evolutionary path the zombie has followed in current popular culture. She also spoke of Romero bringing life in the zombie idea. But she goes more in depth, analyzing movies like 28 Days Later and Resident Evil. She talks about in both, the zombiism occurred because a virus that was released. She then describes how the zombies are different from movie to movie. From animalistic, non-human eating monsters to dormant, brain eating ones, she breaks down multiple

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movies. Her research is significant to this paper because she reveals why each zombie was successful, each adding something new to the zombie evolution. Ulysses, unlike the others, takes a whole different approach. In this article it is important to understand what Ethnobiology and though there is not a direct definition, it is implied that it is the scientific study of the way plants and animals are treated or used by various cultures. In this article it describes the research done by Wade Davis. Wade Daviss study of Haitian zombification in the 1980s was a landmark in ethnobiological research. In his research he attempted to find the origin of zombies. Apparently the zombie powder are not unique to Haiti and are used as remedies in traditional medicine worldwide. It is necessary to understand that although zombification is part of black magic, it also holds another power of healing. This reveals what the origins of zombies have led to in scientific research used today. Zombie evolution is not purely entertainment; it seems as if it also can hold medical significance today. Zombie for Zombies Barber, Fredsti, Twohy and I also have a similar theme. The theme being, how zombies play a role in our everyday life Fredsti, like Barber, her article traces the reasons why zombies saturate pop culture. Fredsti claims, the concept of a zombie apocalypse is not new. There are references to the flesh eating dead in the Epic of Gilgamesh, perhaps the oldest surviving work of literature. And one has only to take a peek at a few choice passages in the bible to see that the dead returning to life is not a new theme. She also concludes with modern day examples and refers to herself briefly as a fan. Twohy focuses more on the actual evolution, diving into origin and zombie horror films. Giving us a step by step evolution process. Well I decide to focus on one of the biggest television shows since 2010, the hit AMC TV series The Walking Dead.

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Because I did in depth observations and am a fan myself, I am able to tell what the zombie is popular for today. Which is brain-eating, flesh loving, dead monsters.

Entering the Conversation When we think of wars, what do we think of exactly? Weapons, machinery of mass destruction, tanks and so on of course. Well, picture this. It is 2030 and War World 3 has begun. Because of ongoing conflict with the Middle East, ever since the desert storm and even before then with our alliance with Israel, we finally go into war. But instead America fighting with weapons and soldiers, we are fighting with biochemical warfare. But our enemies do not know this. Nor does the average American. But it happens, and before we know it we are seeing new species of human in the Middle East. They seem vengeful, animalistic but most importantly dead. Soon American civilians realize that our country is the cause and there is an uprising. The government goes into hiding and threatens the American people with the virus. Meanwhile the East is rapidly becoming infected and is looking for American brains as revenge How does that sound? And how does plot add something new while staying true to evolution of zombie? Well lets begin with what makes a zombie new. Like Twohy discusses in her research, what makes zombie films, video games, comics and so on different from one another is the way the zombie apocalypse happens. Whether the virus outbreak is unknown, governmental experimentation, or as simple as a flu vaccination gone wrong; the origin is always important. It is what makes the zombie a zombie. The origin contributes to the factors how the zombies act, what do they look like and what is their motive.

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Most zombies do not really have a motive; it is usually wandering around looking for flesh. The only movie that stands out that is different from the rest is, Warm Bodies. A chick flick essentially with zombies, but what made it unique is that the zombies could think. They had human thoughts, and one zombie actually falls in love with a human. But what if their motive was vengeance; is this something new and exciting? Also a way to make the concept of zombies new is by giving them a different look with different characteristics. Instead of a walking sack of deteriorating skin and bones, with a blood stained mouth, what about an upright standing zombie with composure. Does not sound like a zombie, I know. But we are talking about a new type of zombie; a zombie that has animalistic qualities and a thirst for flesh but also one that inhibits knowledge and plot against survivors. That is scary in itself. We are used to mindless ones, but what if it actually had thoughts, plans and skill. I think possibly that this could be a new zombie. The fictional plot I described would contain these kinds of zombies, a plot that would leave viewers scared at the actual possibility. Conclusion So what? Who cares about a possible new zombie emersion and what makes me an expert at what makes a zombie new but stay true to the evolution? Well like I mentioned earlier, zombies are all around us. The culture is obsessed with the idea. People live and breathe zombie. And although you may not be a personal fan, you are exposed to the culture. So might as well know what an upcoming zombie might look like. Your childrens, children will know about zombies. It is inevitable, so why not understand the fascination and the origin, that way you can respect the culture phenomena. And what makes me an expert? Well lets say it is difficult to name a zombie film I have not seen. I am the fan who awaits every Sunday night for The Walking Dead, I am the fan that enjoys reading books like Zombie Survival Guide and I am the

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fan who will collect as many comics and merchandise that my shelves can hold. With the research I have conducted, I have learned that zombies will be around for quite some time, I mean they have been around for almost a century and since I am a fan, I know what it takes to make a zombie an original.

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Work Cited Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino, et al. "Natural Products From Ethnodirected Studies: Revisiting The Ethnobiology Of The Zombie Poison." Evidence-Based Barber, Nicholas. "Why Are Zombies Still so Popular?" Bbc.com. BBC Culture, 25 Oct. 2013. Web. 2 Feb. 2014. <http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20131025-zombie-nation>. Coombs, Marian. "Unraveling The Undead." American Conservative 11.2 (2012): 40-42. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Feb. 2014. Keegan, William. "Zombi." Caribbean Archaeology. Florida Museum of Natural History, 2013. Web. 22 Feb. 2014. <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/caribarch/zombi.htm>. Kiger, Wynter. Assignment One. Rep. 2014. Print. Fredsti, Dana. "The Evolution Of Zombies In Pop Culture." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dana-fredsti/zombie-culture_b_1375167.html>. Gilmore, Michael J, and Cory Rushton. Zombies Are Us: Essays on the Humanity of the Walking Dead. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland, 2011. Print. Oxforddictionaries.com. Oxford Dictionary, 2014.Web. 21 February 2014. Platts, Todd. "Locating Zombies in the Sociology of Popular Culture." Locating Zombies in the Sociology of Popular Culture. Academia, 2013. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. <http://www.academia.edu/2076353/Locating_Zombies_in_the_Sociology_of_Popular_ Culture.

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Twohy, Margaret. From Voodoo to Viruses: The Evolution of the. Moshspace, Oct. 2008. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. <http://www.moshspace.com/theses/zombie_thesis.pdf>. "Voodoo." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Academic Search Complete. Web. 21 Feb. 2014.

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