Zombies Calling
Encyclopedia
Zombies Calling is a 2007
graphic novel
written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks
and published by Slave Labor Graphics
.
It concerns the adventures of a young college girl named Joss, who has an obsession with England
and zombie movies. She and her two dorm-mates are the only three survivors of a campus-wide zombie
plague, but Joss has a strong understanding of the "Rules" of zombie movies. Using the rules, they will survive. Zombies Calling is a more humorous
take on zombie stories, similar to the zombie film Shaun of the Dead
.
in southern Ontario
. Joss is studying for exams, but while on a snack run, she's nearly overrun by zombies. Initially afraid, the "First Rule of Zombie Movies" kicks in for Joss: confronted with zombies, ordinary people will transform into tough, adept and ruthless fighters. Joss survives the attack and runs back to her dorm in a panic, but Sonnet and Robyn don't believe her. The zombies have since dispersed, and are nowhere to be seen.
Later, during the exam, the zombies return. Joss gets Sonnet and Robyn, and they barricade themselves in their dorm, since the nearest mall is too far away (another Zombie Rule: "Never leave the mall"). The phones are out, according to another Rule, so they remain in the dorm room. Meanwhile, the Canadian Army
are figuring out what to do about the zombies. A high-ranking officer mentions that his son, Robyn, can "turn the tide of a Zombie invasion".
The next morning, the zombie epidemic is just as bad. Joss wants to stay in the dorm and await rescue, but Sonnet and Robyn know another Rule: no one ever rescues the survivors. They make a break for it, armed only with a spork
. Soon, however, they're surrounded. As the Zombies close in, Joss' English professor emerges, and explains that he created the zombie epidemic by poisoning the coffee at the campus coffeehouse
as a statement about the cheapening of higher education: few university students care any more about education, and would rather just pay for a degree. They are figurative zombies, so the professor has turned them into literal zombies.
Just then, the Army launches air strikes to purge the zombies. Joss, Sonnet and Robyn still need to get away, however, so Joss follows another Zombie Rule: sacrifice yourself to lead the zombies away. The zombies corner her in the university library, which is then bombed.
Joss survives the collapse, and wakes up a few weeks later in the hospital. The university is in ruins after a large portion of its student and faculty population became zombies and were purged. Mortified to hear this, Joss decides to vacation in England.
The Canadian government has paid for Joss' trip to England. There she meets a boy wearing a Canada t-shirt, and they go walking along the Thames together.
. She's energetic and bizarre, and also courageous and quick-witted. She's constantly worried about her student loan
and has a perpetual obsession with England
, always wearing a Union Jack
tank top, and peppering her vocabulary with British slang. She has strong knowledge about zombie movies, which proves invaluable to their survival. She also has a strong emotional side later in the story.
Sonnet - Joss' friend. She's mildly Goth
, having black-dyed hair and an interest in writing macabre poetry, but is very sly and chipper. She's the most confused and horrified by the zombie plague.
Robyn - Joss' roommate. He's a slacker
, overly excitable, and is blissfully unaware of the danger around him. He's also somewhat of a pervert; Joss suspects that Robyn likes to root through her underwear drawer, and he has a dream of making love to Belinda Stronach
. His parents have a mysterious position of authority in the Canadian Army, and they organize an offensive against the zombies.
The Professor - Although never named, the Professor is Joss' teacher, and he's the one that has created the zombie plague. He is also able to control the zombies, since they view him as their leader. He's very smarmy, and usually refers to his students as "children". The other characters think he's completely insane
for having created a zombie infestation to "make a point".
s that play an important role in Zombies Calling. These are the ones mentioned in the story:
The remaining Rules are not numbered:
Interestingly, much of the referenced material originates from England, probably reflecting Joss' (and the author's) obsession with England.
2007 in comics
-January:*January 10: Superman & Batman vs. Aliens & Predator released.*January 24: The Boys is canceled with issue #6.-February:*February 2: Newsarama reports that The Boys has been picked up by Dynamite Entertainment....
graphic novel
Graphic novel
A graphic novel is a narrative work in which the story is conveyed to the reader using sequential art in either an experimental design or in a traditional comics format...
written and illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks
Faith Erin Hicks
Faith Erin Hicks is a Canadian webcomic and comic artist and writer and animator living in Halifax, Nova Scotia.She is best known for her webcomic Demonology 101.-Biography:...
and published by Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics
Slave Labor Graphics is an independent American comic book publisher, well-known for publishing darkly humorous, offbeat comics.-Company history:...
.
It concerns the adventures of a young college girl named Joss, who has an obsession with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and zombie movies. She and her two dorm-mates are the only three survivors of a campus-wide zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
plague, but Joss has a strong understanding of the "Rules" of zombie movies. Using the rules, they will survive. Zombies Calling is a more humorous
Humour
Humour or humor is the tendency of particular cognitive experiences to provoke laughter and provide amusement...
take on zombie stories, similar to the zombie film Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead
Shaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
.
Plot
Joss, Sonnet and Robyn are all dorm-mates at London University, a universityUniversity
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
in southern Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. Joss is studying for exams, but while on a snack run, she's nearly overrun by zombies. Initially afraid, the "First Rule of Zombie Movies" kicks in for Joss: confronted with zombies, ordinary people will transform into tough, adept and ruthless fighters. Joss survives the attack and runs back to her dorm in a panic, but Sonnet and Robyn don't believe her. The zombies have since dispersed, and are nowhere to be seen.
Later, during the exam, the zombies return. Joss gets Sonnet and Robyn, and they barricade themselves in their dorm, since the nearest mall is too far away (another Zombie Rule: "Never leave the mall"). The phones are out, according to another Rule, so they remain in the dorm room. Meanwhile, the Canadian Army
Canadian Forces Land Force Command
The Canadian Army , previously called Land Force Command, is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Forces. The current size of the Army is 19,500 regular soldiers and 16,000 reserve soldiers, for a total of around 35,500 soldiers...
are figuring out what to do about the zombies. A high-ranking officer mentions that his son, Robyn, can "turn the tide of a Zombie invasion".
The next morning, the zombie epidemic is just as bad. Joss wants to stay in the dorm and await rescue, but Sonnet and Robyn know another Rule: no one ever rescues the survivors. They make a break for it, armed only with a spork
Spork
A spork or a foon is a hybrid form of cutlery taking the form of a spoon-like shallow scoop with three or four fork tines. Spork-like utensils, such as the terrapin fork or ice cream fork, have been manufactured since the late 19th century; patents for spork-like designs date back to at least 1874,...
. Soon, however, they're surrounded. As the Zombies close in, Joss' English professor emerges, and explains that he created the zombie epidemic by poisoning the coffee at the campus coffeehouse
Coffeehouse
A coffeehouse or coffee shop is an establishment which primarily serves prepared coffee or other hot beverages. It shares some of the characteristics of a bar, and some of the characteristics of a restaurant, but it is different from a cafeteria. As the name suggests, coffeehouses focus on...
as a statement about the cheapening of higher education: few university students care any more about education, and would rather just pay for a degree. They are figurative zombies, so the professor has turned them into literal zombies.
Just then, the Army launches air strikes to purge the zombies. Joss, Sonnet and Robyn still need to get away, however, so Joss follows another Zombie Rule: sacrifice yourself to lead the zombies away. The zombies corner her in the university library, which is then bombed.
Joss survives the collapse, and wakes up a few weeks later in the hospital. The university is in ruins after a large portion of its student and faculty population became zombies and were purged. Mortified to hear this, Joss decides to vacation in England.
The Canadian government has paid for Joss' trip to England. There she meets a boy wearing a Canada t-shirt, and they go walking along the Thames together.
Characters
Joss - Short for Jocelyn, she is the story's protagonistProtagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. She's energetic and bizarre, and also courageous and quick-witted. She's constantly worried about her student loan
Student loans in Canada
Student loans in Canada help post-secondary students pay for their education in Canada. The federal government funds the Canada Student Loan Program and the provinces may fund their own programs or run in parallel with the CSLP...
and has a perpetual obsession with England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, always wearing a Union Jack
Union Flag
The Union Flag, also known as the Union Jack, is the flag of the United Kingdom. It retains an official or semi-official status in some Commonwealth Realms; for example, it is known as the Royal Union Flag in Canada. It is also used as an official flag in some of the smaller British overseas...
tank top, and peppering her vocabulary with British slang. She has strong knowledge about zombie movies, which proves invaluable to their survival. She also has a strong emotional side later in the story.
Sonnet - Joss' friend. She's mildly Goth
Goth subculture
The goth subculture is a contemporary subculture found in many countries. It began in England during the early 1980s in the gothic rock scene, an offshoot of the post-punk genre. The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era, and has continued to diversify...
, having black-dyed hair and an interest in writing macabre poetry, but is very sly and chipper. She's the most confused and horrified by the zombie plague.
Robyn - Joss' roommate. He's a slacker
Slacker
The term "slacker" is used to refer to a person who habitually avoids work. Slackers may be regarded as belonging to an antimaterialistic counterculture, though in some cases their behavior may be due to other causes ....
, overly excitable, and is blissfully unaware of the danger around him. He's also somewhat of a pervert; Joss suspects that Robyn likes to root through her underwear drawer, and he has a dream of making love to Belinda Stronach
Belinda Stronach
Belinda Caroline Stronach, PC is a Canadian businessperson, philanthropist and former politician. She was a Member of Parliament in the Canadian House of Commons from 2004 to 2008. Originally elected as a Conservative, she later crossed the floor to join the Liberals...
. His parents have a mysterious position of authority in the Canadian Army, and they organize an offensive against the zombies.
The Professor - Although never named, the Professor is Joss' teacher, and he's the one that has created the zombie plague. He is also able to control the zombies, since they view him as their leader. He's very smarmy, and usually refers to his students as "children". The other characters think he's completely insane
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
for having created a zombie infestation to "make a point".
The Rules
"The Rules" are a list of zombie movie clichéCliché
A cliché or cliche is an expression, idea, or element of an artistic work which has been overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, especially when at some earlier time it was considered meaningful or novel. In phraseology, the term has taken on a more technical meaning,...
s that play an important role in Zombies Calling. These are the ones mentioned in the story:
- Rule One - When confronted with zombies, an ordinary person will transform into a strong and wild fighter, regardless of occupation, personality, or athletic ability.
- Rule Two - One of the survivors will sacrifice him or herself to distract the zombies, so that the other survivors can escape. Usually, it's the story's protagonist.
The remaining Rules are not numbered:
- The best way to wait out a zombie plague is to barricade yourself inside a mallShopping mallA shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
(however, in this story it's a college dormitoryDormitoryA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
), and you should never leave. - The survivors always fight the zombies.
- Guns will suddenly become readily available (however, they never do in this story).
- No one ever refers to the zombies as "zombies". The main characters, however, do it frequently, since they're aware of the Rules.
- The phone lines will always be dead.
- No one ever rescues the survivors.
Background references
A number of background items reference real-life films and other things. They include:- A poster for the 2002 zombie film 28 Days Later28 Days Later28 Days Later is an acclaimed 2002 British horror film directed by Danny Boyle. The screenplay was written by Alex Garland, and the film stars Cillian Murphy, Naomie Harris, Brendan Gleeson, Megan Burns, and Christopher Eccleston...
. For some reason, it's in German. - A poster for the 2006 film Children of MenChildren of MenChildren of Men is a 2006 science fiction film loosely adapted from P. D. James's 1992 novel The Children of Men, directed by Alfonso Cuarón. In 2027, two decades of human infertility have left society on the brink of collapse. Illegal immigrants seek sanctuary in England, where the last...
. - A poster for the 2007 action film Hot FuzzHot FuzzHot Fuzz is a 2007 British action dark comedy film written by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright, and starring Pegg and Nick Frost. The three had previously worked together on the 2004 film Shaun of the Dead as well as the television series Spaced...
. An earlier film by the makers of Hot Fuzz was the popular zombie comedy Shaun of the DeadShaun of the DeadShaun of the Dead is a 2004 British zombie comedy directed by Edgar Wright, starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, and written by Pegg and Wright. Pegg plays Shaun, a man attempting to get some kind of focus in his life as he deals with his girlfriend, his mother and stepfather...
. - A poster of the famous "thumbs-up" logo from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the GalaxyThe Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a science fiction comedy series created by Douglas Adams. Originally a radio comedy broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 1978, it was later adapted to other formats, and over several years it gradually became an international multi-media phenomenon...
. - A poster with the Copernicus Studios logo on it. Copernicus is a Halifax-based animation studio, where the author worked as an animator while making Zombies Calling.
- The title of the comic is a reference to London CallingLondon CallingLondon Calling is the third studio album by the English punk rock band The Clash. It was released in the United Kingdom on 14 December 1979 through CBS Records, and in the United States in January 1980 through Epic Records...
, an album and song by the British punk rock band The ClashThe ClashThe Clash were an English punk rock band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk. Along with punk, their music incorporated elements of reggae, ska, dub, funk, rap, dance, and rockabilly...
.
Interestingly, much of the referenced material originates from England, probably reflecting Joss' (and the author's) obsession with England.