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I've become too spoiled by the immediate gratification of Netflix and my DVR. Waiting an entire week between episodes of my favorite television shows has turned into an excruciating first-world problem, particularly when it comes to The Walking Dead.
Each week I look forward to that special, shared time with my two teenaged sons where, huddled close, we shriek at the blood, the brains, the hastily-amputated limbs – mocking each other mercilessly all the while. Bonding-wise, it is really the best night of the week for us.
After that, we enter the dark rat warren of the work week, becoming rough beasts slouching toward Sunday when our hour comes at last. If your family is like mine – if you struggle with waiting patiently – here are some books and activities your family might also enjoy.
ZOMBIE TAROT
Mondays are hardest. We've come down from our The Walking Dead/Talking Dead post-show adrenaline high and now there is nothing to do with the endless hours until next Sunday but complain about the stock plot and cookie-cutter characterizations of NBC's Revolution.
Alternatively, though: One could break out their hyper-realistic Zombie Tarot deck (brought to you by our friends at Quirk Publishers) and dabble in a little armchair prognostication. If you've never used a tarot before: No worries! Inside your groovy, bullet-bestrewn box and alongside your 78-card deck, you'll find an extremely helpful 96-page guide to laying out your cards and interpreting the message inside each spread.
This deck is beautifully realized; the imagery a campy combo of Mad Men and Night of the Living Dead with "wands becoming limbs, pentacles becoming bio-hazard symbols, and a Major Arcana that is full of shambling corpses."
Created by Stacey Graham and illustrated by Paul Kepple, The Zombie Tarot was cited by the L.A. Times as a 2012 "Odd but Interesting Summertime Reading" pick and is gorgeous fun for the strong-stomached aspiring occultist in every family.
FREE PLANTS VS. ZOMBIES GAME CODES
[youtube]http://youtu.be/PakDzaJZR8o[/youtube]
Next on our activity list is Plants vs. Zombies – because who doesn't love a family-friendly zombie-themed video game? And just in time for Halloween, here's a chance to pick up the game for free, courtesy of PopCap Games and the American Dental Association, as mentioned earlier today:
As long as your kids aren't frightened by cartoon zombie imagery or the occasional over-the-top bloodcurdling yell, Plants vs. Zombies is appropriate for gamers of all ages (I have been known to de-stress into the wee hours by playing this game myself), so grab some codes, set your cob cannons to "fun-dead," and enjoy!
BUILD THE PERFECT BUG-OUT BAG
Let's not mince words here. If a zombie apocalypse were to actually occur, my middle-aged odds would not be great...but when you're a The Walking Dead fan you try to prepare anyway. That's why I've read Build the Perfect Bug-Out Bag (Your 72-Hour Disaster Survival Kit) by Creek Stewart from cover to cover.
Stewart is the lead instructor at Willow Haven Outdoor, a survivalist training camp/vacation destination in Anderson, Indiana that offers courses ranging from a 3-day primitive hunting clinic to the more family-friendly Unofficial Hunger Games Survival class. This is a man who pens blog posts with titles like "The Take Down Survival Bow and Arrow: 6 Reasons Why You Should Consider Owning One" and inscribed my book with the words "Remember: It's not IF but When!" He is serious about survival.
Build the Perfect Bug-Out Bag is a clearly-written, sensibly-organized accompaniment to Stewart's website and work. Its goal is to provide insight into the materials and strategies required for 72 hours of disaster survival, starting with suggestions for the bag that you'll use to carry your gear and moving from there to what to pack, how to stay hydrated, and what to look for in clothing and shelter options, tools, and personal defense. The book also includes instructions and check-lists for "bugging out" with children, the elderly, the physically disabled, and pets, and illustrates each point with lots of explanatory photographs and "survival quick tips."
In short, whether you're wondering if your pepper spray should shoot in a stream or fog pattern, debating the benefits of packing a shemagh vs. a trash bag (hint: pack both), or questioning what level of water-purification redundancy is optimal when disaster strikes, I can unreservedly say this book will answer all your questions, and then some.
ZOMBIE MOVIES: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
If you're like my family, prognostication, gaming, and survival readiness are only going to distract you for so long. Then, you're going to want to explore the zombie genre further, and frankly, that's where things could get tricky because there are an awful lot of zombie movies out there that are awful. For every 28 Days Later, there is a The Isle of the Snake People (which I actually adored when I was a kid), for every The Thing that Could Not Die, there is a Onechanbara: Bikini Samurai Squad...
That's why you'll need reviewer and film buff Glenn Kay's Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide.
This guide is an exhaustive list of almost 400 zombie movies, from the 1930s through to present-day, all placed in historical and cultural context and then rated using Kay's self-created illustrated ranking system ("Highly Recommended," "Recommended," "At Your Own Risk," "Avoid at all Costs," and (my personal favorite) "So Bad it's Good"). There's also a thoughtfully-conceived "Greatest Zombie Films Ever Made" top-25 list that will provide genre aficionados with hours of debate fodder, as well as in-depth interviews with industry legends like makeup man turned actor Tom Savini and special effects company Gaslight Studio.
Finally, if none of these zombie extension activities appeal to your family, might I suggest some zombie origami?
The author received copies of these products for review.
