Add A Pinch Of Zombies To A Dash Of Aliens, And You Get Digital Webbing Presents #27

Posted: Thursday, November 3, 2005
Posted By: Jason Brice

It wasn’t planned this way, but it seems that zombies, aliens, and other supernatural creatures dominate the most recent issue of the acclaimed anthology DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS! (Perhaps we’re under their control and don’t even know it!)

The feature story, “Zombie Highway,” is written by Jason Pell. The story begins with art from the talented crew of Roberto Viacava, Eduardo Bazan, and Robert Snyder, and then shifts to a more exaggerated style with Derek Laufman, Stacie Ponder, and Kieran Oats.

“’Zombie Highway, despite the name, has never been about zombies for me,” explains Pell. I'm much more interested in the people that live in that nutty world.”

“This installment features Mr. Maple, an undertaker before the zombies occupied the world. Little has changed in his mind, except perhaps the dead need a little more aggressive persuasion to stay in the ground. And if lives are lost, then that's just more business. Maple is not evil, but lives completely, uncompromisingly in the gray.”

Chris Eliopoulos, well-known to Marvel fans as one of their primary letterers, brings “Sherman’s Room” to this issue of DWP.

The tale is about a creative young boy under family pressure -- his mother pushes him to grow up, his dad thinks he just needs to work, his sister beats the daylights out of him. But in his room, he hides two aliens that help him cope with life and do things he never imagined.

Eliopoulos is excited about going beyond peoples’ preconceptions about his talents. “ I always need to write and draw, even if it’s just for myself,” he says. “This story is based on my childhood, and I’m coming out with a full comic soon!”

Writer Aaron Nelson and artist Dario Carrasco contribute the Bob Zombie story, “Dance, iZombies, Dance!”

As Australia's most famous zombie hunter, Bob Zombie hosts a reality television show called "Undead Zone" that documents his exploits as a zombie hunter and warns the public about the dangers of zombiedom. “Bob’s basically a mixture of Steve Irwin and Duke Nukem,” chuckles Nelson. In this story, Bob squares off with some fancy-footworkin’ zombies who try to snack on a helpless toddler.

“Dario and I were attracted to DWP because we really like the comic book and felt it was a great venue to showcase our creation,” says Nelson. “We found inspiration in Dario's love of pulp adventure, and my desire to rip out my eyeballs from watching too many “Crocodile Hunter” episodes!”

Finally, writer Kevin Melrose, artist Brian Churilla and colorist Eric Erbes bring “Sack-'em-Up Gentleman” to the creepy DWP party.

In Great Britain of the early 19th century, medical schools had to compete for a limited number of executed criminals to dissect. As the number of medical students climbed, so did the demand for cadavers -- to the point that schools and individuals sometimes paid body snatchers to procure corpses. Occasionally, desperate students would even find their own cadavers.

“In the story, two students stake out a village cemetery, waiting for the right corpse, to further their education, of course. Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with a keen interest in the recently departed,” explains Melrose. “’Sack-'em-Up Gentleman’ combines 19th century history and elements of Cornish and Breton folklore, two of my geekish hobbies.”

The issue is wrapped in a deliciously demented cover by Nick Bradshaw -- current DANGER GIRL and former ARMY OF DARKNESS artist.

DIGITAL WEBBING PRESENTS #27 (40 pages, full color cover and interiors, $3.99) will be released in December.

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