News: Kirkman Announces Michonne, Spoilers for Season 3?

In tonight's episode of Talking Dead, Robert Kirkman made some announcements and threw out a little information to tease us fans.

First, he revealed that Michonne, the caped crusader who made a cameo appearance in tonight's episode, will be played in season three by Danai Gurira. The American actress was in the HBO series Treme, which I've heard wonderful things about. Michonne is one of my favorite characters from the show, so I have pretty high hopes for Gurira's performance. This announcement runs somewhat in contrast to earlier spoilers which suggested that True Blood's Rutina Wesley would be playing the samurai heroine. Regardless of who plays her, I'm just glad she's decided to show up. Read further about the announcement here.

Kirkman also took his time on Talking Dead to hint at the reappearance of at least one character from seasons past. When asked if we would see Merle Dixon, Morgan or Duane in season three, he responded that he could "100% guarantee seeing 33% of those people in season three", suggesting that one of those characters is already written in to the season. I think smart money is on Merle, but Morgan and Duane do come back up in the comics although not until much later. Seems like Michael Rooker may have spoiled Kirkman's spoiler about 24 hours early though, when he announced he would appear in season three during a convention panel. Check it out here.

Can't wait until next season? I'll keep you posted with news and updates as I come across them.

Events: Walking Dead Finale Party

I'll (hopefully) be attending the Chicago Horror Society theatrical screening of the finale at Muvico, but are you thinking of throwing your own party for the Walking Dead season 2 finale this Sunday? If so, the internet has some fun party ideas for you and your attendees.

My personal favorite comes to you from The Huffington Post. They've put together a rather entertaining Walking Dead drinking game. Even if you're not a drinker, the list of things for which "you should drink" is pretty entertaining. Check it out along with their own suggestions for a Walking Dead themed drink here.

Want the glass in the picture? It comes in a pack of four different styles and can be purchased here.

News: Michonne the New Centerfold?

Image Credit: Playboy

I'm not a prude, but I'm also not an avid reader of Playboy, but now I might have to head to my local...7-11? Is that where one goes to buy such things?

Why? Why would I be picking up the infamous rag? Because the April issue of Playboy will feature an appearance by Michonne from The Walking Dead. No, I'm not talking about an appearance by the actress playing her in the TV show; I'm talking about a comic. Yes, Hugh Hefner will be putting pictures of naked, silicone-infused women next to Charlie Adlard's sketches. Why? I have no idea, but I don't question a good thing.

The issue will feature the origin story for the fan-favorite character, finally explaining who Michonne was before she became a samurai-sword wheeling BAMF. I expect to see her stealing those swords from her neighbor's house, chopping off her boyfriend's zombified arms, etc. All these details were explained in the comics but never actually seen. After reading the first Walking Dead novel which chronicled the origin story of the governor, I'm totally down for another Kirkman-created back story. So this liberated woman might be picking up a Playboy next month. But I swear, I only read it for the comics. lol.

Event: Walking Dead Finale on the Big Screen

If you're over 21 and you live in the Chicagoland area, you may want to head over to the Rosemont Muvico this Sunday night. Why? Because they will be screening the season final of The Walking Dead on the big screen! And it gets better...it's FREE! As in zero dollars and zero cents!

The event is sponsored by Chicago Fear Fest, Flashback Weekend, Zombie Army Productions, Horror Society & Sinister Visions. Look to see plenty of zombie fanatics, zombie makeup, and zombie themed treats, drinks and prizes. It should be a fun and exciting crowd of fans!

The event is first-come, first-serve however, so you'll want to show up as soon as possible. Only 200 seats are available. They will begin distributing wristbands to the first 200 people at 6pm in Bogart's restaurant on the first floor, and prize giveaways and food/drinks will be available between 6pm and 8pm.

Personally, I haven't decided whether I'll be going or not. There's something pretty nice about watching it at home and on DVR. I like the silence of my living room and the ability to pause and rewind, but then again I could always rewatch it later. Seeing it on the big screen with a bunch of fellow fans sounds like an awesome way to spend a Sunday night.

Check out the Facebook invite here.

News: Juan of the Dead hits the Windy City

Chicago's Fear Fest finally has my attention. I'd been flirting with the idea of attending the annual horror film festival in Chicago this year, but now I'll definitely be in attendance. Yesterday the fest announced a very important addition to its lineup...Juan of the Dead. I've been looking forward to this flick for months and months, and it's finally going to be in Chicago! Check out the announcement here.

Chicago's Fear Fest will also be showing a variety of other horror flicks including A Cadaver Christmas which looks like a semi-palatable holiday zomcom. They haven't announced when they'll be screening Juan of the Dead specifically, but the festival runs at Muvico in Rosemont, IL on April 13th and 14th, so it will be one of those nights at least. Check out more information here.

For those who want to see the film in a more chilled out setting, I've just received insider information that Wilmette Theater on the north shore will be taking the lead on the film's Chicago theatrical release. They will be premiering the flick on April 27th, and as a former employee of said establishment, I know that the manager is a huge, geeky horror fan and will certainly dream up something inventive for the premiere. Or at least he will now, since he reads this blog. I'll keep you posted on details.

Don't know about Juan of the Dead? Check out my original post on it here and watch a preview.

Swag & Review: Las Vegas's Zombie Apocalypse Store

Back in January I took a trip to Las Vegas with a few friends. While walking around the seedy back streets, we came across a fairly odd little store: The Zombie Apocalypse Store.

Stuck about a mile off the strip, this storefront seems too good to be true (who loves zombies and apocalypses more than me?). In retrospect, it's certainly not what it boasts. It's small and it offers a very limited stock of items. Many of these items are offered at a pretty high markup, and those that are reasonably priced don't seem to be worth too much more than you're paying for them. Still, it was a fun place to stop in for a few moments, and it might be worth a little walk on a lazy Vegas afternoon.

The shop is a clear product of the new uptick in zombie fascination; it looks to reap profit out of a new market rather than actually running on genuine fandom. But whatever. I'm not picky. I was a huge pirate fanatic before Pirates of the Carribean came out, and when the whole world went pirate crazy, I looked at the plus side--more pirate merchandise for me. You have to look at the zombie craze the same way. But I digress.

The store is small and clearly put together quickly and haphazardly. They've tried their best to make it creative, and it certainly doesn't need a whole lot of flash to be filled with people. Painting "zombie apocalypse store" on the side was pretty much a dinner bell, as the place was teeming with customers when we went. The best part about the store, however, was the sheer comedy created by the fact that the store shares a building (and actually a sales floor) with an artificial grass company. I was particularly entertained by the fake patio setup on the back that looked up at a projection screen playing the zombie flick Fido. Hilarious.

As far as merch, the place is a start up. They have what they advertise on their sign out front, but that's really it. They had a few cool t-shirts, but they were a little pricey. They had some food rations that looked relatively cool, but again they were a little pricey. They had some cool zombie targets, but we never got a chance to try our hand at the gun range. Where I spent my money was on a freaking sweet knife. Now, to be clear, when I say "freaking sweet", what I really mean is that it was super cheap (like $15) and it looks cool. Is it of good quality? Heck no. I'm sure some sweat shop overlord is counting those fifteen singles and saying "Stupid American" as we speak. Still, it looks cool hanging on a hook next to my sword, so that's all I ask.

Overall, I had a good time, but it wasn't anything worth going out of your way for. If you're in the area and looking to kill time, check it out. If not, skip it. You can get better deals online, and the decor isn't really worth seeing at all...unless you like a sarcastic chuckle...which I do. I will say that it looked like they had just opened when we went, so maybe they'll be better stocked by now. You can check them out online here. Enjoy!

Review: The Walking Dead, Episode 2.12

Sorry it took me so long to post, but what an episode, right?!?! I knew, given all the internet buzz and the comics, that Shane was likely to kick the bucket in the next two episode, but I was getting pretty certain that they were going to hold all their cards until the finale. I, for one, am really, really glad that they didn't. A finale filled with too many "wow" moments would have really made me mad, especially considering that it's only the regular 44 minutes long.

I will say though, as an angry comic book reader, I really wish it had been Carl to pull the initial trigger on Shane. They did throw us comic readers the proverbial bone by having Carl put down zombie Shane, but in the comic it's the other way around. It doesn't really matter that much; I'm just happy he's gone. Not that I don't like you, Jon Bernthal, but it was time. I will say that the show did a good job of throwing in a plethora of red herrings to suggest that it would be Carl to pull the trigger. You can trace moments of foreshadowing on that front all the way back to the first season, but the moment of Shane giving Carl the gun at the beginning of last Sunday's episode were pretty creepy. Very "why do I have a feeling that you're going to be the death of me?"

Some great zombie kills in this episode, too. My personal favorite was Andrea's pitchfork-to-the-face move at the beginning of the episode. Think Dale's death got her a little riled up? Maybe just a bit. But I bet that one will be nothing compared to what's coming in the finale. I'm not one who watches the show entirely for the guts and gore, but hey...it's not a bad side dish. With the zombie horde fast approaching the farm house, I'm assuming we'll see plenty of skull-bashing, brain-splattering delight. In addition, I'm assuming we're about to say goodbye to a few more characters (I'd place bets on at least one or two from Herschel's crew), and as I've stated before, rumors say we're about to see the first appearance of the samurai lawyer, Michonne. I can't wait. I'm hoping we get a first glimpse at the prison as well, but that might be a stretch.

What were your thoughts and reactions to this episode? Hopes for next Sunday? Let me know! While you wait for the episode, check out the very brief preview of next week below...