Analysing the zombie culture, past to present

CG Arts & Animation Time Machine Symposium (2012) UCA Rochester

David John Vandepeer (Stitch)

Figure 1

Introduction
This essay is an analysis of the zombie culture to establish its origin & how that projection has changed from past to present. This study will particularly focus on George A. Romeros Night of the living dead (1968) & Frank Darabonts The Walking Dead (2010), two forms of media which contrast the era of their cultures clearly showing their potency in historical & contemporary media.

Key Ideas
Prometheus who stole fire from Zeus & gave it to mortals - As a god whose name means forethought, Prometheus signals mortals repeated attempts to overcome the limitations of their knowledge about the future... (Dougherty, 2006: 02) A Motherless Birth (i.e. Frankenstein) - Initially Frankenstein succeeds in usurping the female gift of procreation, but his audacity unleashes a new Reign of Terror across the earth when he unclasps Pandoras Box of evil consequences. (Knellwolf, 2008: 28) Night of the living dead & Racism (Capitalism & Civil rights) Despite Ben being brave and intelligent, he is ultimately subdued and killed by the living white that we see represents not only rigidity but death' and against whom Ben stands no chance of survival. (Russell: 1991) The Walking Dead & Depression (Morality & Dehumanization) - For the dearly departed, becoming a zombie is dehumanization in the most literal sense of the word. But The Walking Dead's subtler; more insidious dehumanization is what's happening to the still-human survivors. (Meslow: 2012)

Religion in a Crisis (Apocalyptic/Sin/Forgiveness) - They appealed to their religious establishment and the religious fringe was widely varied. Some said that God was appalled by the wickedness of the people of Lisbon and was punishing them for everything from materialism to idolatry. (Nur & Burgess, 2008: 253)

Cultural Context
The theme of the living dead is originated with the want of feminism. (Equal rights) Mary Shelley believed that society needed women. Shelley chose to portray a motherless son, a monster devoid of humanity (Frankensteins Monster).

Figure 2

Key Individuals
Mary Wollstonecraft (1759 - 1797)
Figure 5

Mary Shelley (1797 - 1851)

Figure 3

James Whale (1889 - 1957)

Figure 4

George A. Romero (1940 - present)

Figure 6

Frank Darabont (1959 - present)

Figure 7

Historical Examples of Zombie Culture

GREEK MYTHOLOGY (8CBC)

FEMINISM (1818)

CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT (1968)

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Contemporary Examples of Zombie Culture

EXPERIMENTAL CONTAGION (1996) EPIDEMIC CONTAGIONS (2002) HUMAN RIGHTS (2010)

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Historical and Contemporary Comparison

Zombies are a continuum of human reform & a cultural metaphor for when a man is no longer considered to be human but a monster. Time has been a mirror for this culture, only now the mirror is facing us as individuals to look deep inside ourselves for that true personification of humanity.

Figure 14

Conclusion
The origin of the zombie culture was the story of Prometheus who was tortured for his attempt to play god. Feminism inspired Mary Shelleys motherless son Frankenstein to be the undoing of dominant man to promote an equal society. Romeros Night of the living dead illustrates the civil rights act seeking the same ideal as Shelley but for race, man would once again reform to promote an equal society.

Resident Evils experimental contagions identify the inhumane conflict as races & countries would wage wars in an attempt to find common ground.
Epidemic contagions would be the fallout from the conflicts affecting many innocent lives. Man & woman are now forced to look at themselves devoid of racial identity, religion & country to find morality the rights of man. Men are forced to look at themselves after a history of sin & pray not to see a monster looking back. Man will return to god & beg for forgiveness the answer of which remains different to each person.

Bibliography
Carol, Dougherty. (2006) Prometheus, Taylor & Francis Group, 1st Edition (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Christa, Knellwolf. (2008) Frankenstein's science: experimentation and discovery in Romantic culture, 1780-1830, Ashgate Publishing Limited, 3rd Edition (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Russell, Steven. (1991) the Development of Racism within Night of the Living Dead and Jackie Brown. At: http://www.talkingpix.co.uk/ArticleNightoflivingdead.html (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Meslow, Scott. (2012) The Post-Apocalyptic Morality of 'The Walking Dead'. At: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/03/the-postapocalyptic-morality-of-the-walking-dead/253986/ (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Nur, Amos & Burgess, Dawn (2008) Apocalypse: earthquakes, archaeology, and the wrath of God, Princeton University Press, 3rd Edition (Accessed on: 13/03/12)

Illustration List
Figure 1. Zombie Charcoal by Jordan Gyoury. (com) [Online image]. At: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_Tiv9ASGXQ8/TLhBeZnSUOI/AAAAAAAAAUo/ncykJ_CCEYM/s1600/zombie2.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 2. The Monster created by Frankenstein. (com) [Online image]. At: http://www.frankensteinshop.com/images/Frankenstein%201831%20edition.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 3. Author Mary Shelley. (com) [Online image]. At: http://www.english-e-corner.com/britishliterature/contents/workshop1/Shelley.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 4. Director James Whale. (com) [Online image]. At: http://theronneel.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/James-Whale.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 5. Mary Wollstonecraft. (com) [Online image]. At: http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/PRwoolstonecraft.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 6. George A Romero. (com) [Online image]. At: http://www.thatfilmguy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/George-A.-Romero.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 7. Frank Darabont. (com) [Online image]. At: http://theflickcast.com/wp-content/uploads//Frank_Darabont_1.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 8. Greek Mythology Prometheus. (com) [Online image]. At: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Koeln_wrm_1044.jpg/200pxKoeln_wrm_1044.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 9. Feminism. (com) [Online image]. At: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-W_gKrUYdz8I/TpDej0sBfwI/AAAAAAAAOl0/JEcILONE3OM/s1600/feminism.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 10. Civil Rights Movement. (com) [Online image]. At: http://congresslink.org/civilrights/images/bg_left_index1.gif (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 11. Biological Weapons Program. (com) [Online image]. At: http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/courses/ww2/projects/chemical-biologicalwarfare/index_files/image002.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 12. Epidemic SARS Outbreak. (com) [Online image]. At: http://www.wired.com/news/images/full/sars_2_f.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 13. Human Rights. (com) [Online image]. At: http://adam1cor.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/human_rights_for_all.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12) Figure 14. The Walking Dead Mob Attack. (com) [Online image]. At: http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Media/Pix/pictures/2010/11/5/1288984210314/TheWalking-Dead-episode--006.jpg (Accessed on: 13/03/12)