Zombie Comics

The semester is coming to an end.This week we were assigned to find a design that caught our eye. I wanted to find something that covered the integration of WORDS & IMAGES. For the past couple of years I have been obsessed with zombie media. Zombies have played a major role in entertainment, especially cult films, since the 1930s. Over the decades they have branched out to other forms of media such as television and comic books.

One of the most popular zombie comics is Robert Kirkman's  The Walking Dead.  The comic was created in 2003 by writer Robert Kirkman and artist Tony Moore. It comes in trade paperbacks as well as hardcovers.

In comic books the artist must tackle the task of bringing simple quotes to life through illustration. I am sure this process includes a lot of talk and shared vision between the artist and the writer. Comics are made of storyboards. In The Walking Dead comics there are usually up to 7-8 storyboards on one page. The writer and artist must find a way to fit all the text and the illustrations on the page in a way that the reader can easily follow.

I love that this comic occasionally puts one scene on an entire page. It really pulls the reader into the setting and is a good visual break between the other crowded pages.

The cover on each of the hardcover books shows a group of zombies in black and white. In a bright color, among the zombies, is the main character. This is a very good use of color and contrast. The entire comic is black and white so this splash of color is memorable and eye-catching.

Another zombie comic written by Robert Kirkman is Marvel Zombies. This comic takes your favorite Marvel super heroes and turns them into flesh-eating monsters. It is a bit disturbing and has definitely received some backlash, but overall I think it was a very creative concept. Artist, Sean Phillips, had the challenge of making these beloved super heroes disgusting, decaying, and hot headed villains.