20 Questions with Sean T. Page

Sean Page is a zombie survival expert and has provided consultancy to private industry and governments around the world on what to do in the event of a zombie apocalypse. Admittedly, few of them actually asked for the advice in the first place.

Sean founded the Ministry of Zombies in 2009 to raise awareness of the zombie threat and stop the uninformed becoming cheap meat snacks and published The Official Zombie Handbook UK, War Against the Walking Dead and The Haynes Zombie Survival Owners Apocalypse Manual. He is banned from most government buildings and some people think he's a bit weird.

Here at Zombie Shop, on the other hand, we think of Sean as the unrecognised guardian angel savior of mankind and all round badass.

We've battled the undead horde by Mr Page's side in the deep park depths of military bunkers, and witnesses him fight back against the walking dead on more than one occasion and can attest to his skills, knowledge... and maybe just a little bit of that weirdness.

So when we recently had a chance to get inside the head of UK's leading zombie expert, we'd be brain-dead to refuse.

Sean Page with his most recent bestseller.

1 Why Zombies and how did you become the expert you are?

Zombies are the best monsters for writing. They’re a blank canvas & you can pretty much do anything with them. My time hanging around morgues & cemeteries has made me an expert at all things ‘undead’. I wouldn’t say it’s done me much favours in other areas as I am a bit weird now. But, zombies I know about.

2 Do you mostly write in the morning, daytime or the witching hour?

Evenings mostly. I like to be quiet & locked down. Also, during the day I’m grafting so the any writing needs to be done in the evening & at night. I probably don’t produce as much work as other authors.

3 Which author has had a major influence on your work and why?

David Moody & Max Brooks for sure. Both cool dudes. Different kinds of writer but both kings of entertaining readers. That’s what I like. I think most folks to be entertained. They work hard & they want something to relax or scare them!

4 Which book do you think everyone should read?

I like 1984. I mean it’s not a laugh a minute read but it’s one of those stories that will stay with you. One day I’d like to try a mash up & ruin it with some teenage vampires or zombies.

5 Do you think non-fiction is finally getting the recognition it deserves?

Not really. I read Pippa Middleton’s party book & it was shit. However, the SAS survival handbook was good. It’s a strange world like that. I’d like to have of combination of Pippa Middleton & the SAS handbook – now that would be a good read.

There is no combination of Pippa Middleton's party book and the SAS Survival Manual, so here's the next best thing.

6 Zombies – slow or fast and can some really fly?

Must be slow for me. I loved 28 DaysLater but for me in books & movies, I like em slow & menacing. I love the build of thousand of walking corpses – that really helps build the tension.

7 Blunt instrument, firearm or blade?

Blunt instrument every time – unless you are trained in the use of firearms, they’re more of a danger than a help. I say a trusty cricket or baseball bat is best. Blade wise, a cleaving sword might do as well.

8 If you could save just one luxury, what would it be?

Coffee for me. I need it to live. I know I have a problem & I’m dealing with it. But, that’s what I’d save. Coffee for sure.

9 What do you think is most likely to cause a zombie outbreak?

Mutated virus for sure. We’ve had a few close misses but it’ll be a virus which causes the big one.

10 What is your number one piece of advice for surviving a zombie apocalypse?

Preparation. With just a few hours of zombie training per week, you can drastically increase your chances of survival. So, get organising your 90 day survival plan with rations & stores now.

11 If you were a character in someone’s work of fiction, what would be your opening line?

Mmmm....good question. My last words, just as I’m dying, would be “It must’ve been the pate” I’d then keel over in a comic death scene.

"It must've been the pate!"

12 How much does music play a part in your creativity?

Not much. I like STEPS & they’re crap. I don’t get much done to music.

13 If you had to live in a clichéd alternate reality would you choose medieval fantasy or futuristic sci-fi?

Futuristic sci-fi. I’d love a hover car. I’ve always wanted one. I tried to make one out of an old Toyota Prius. It didn’t end well & a lot of people got hurt. I can’t say too much as there’s still legal action pending.

14 If you had a super power, what would it be?

Invisibility – but not the kind where you have to run round starkers. I want to be fully-clothed when I go snooping.I’d also like to be able to cause mischief when invisible. Nothing serious, just dropping an orange on people’s heads – that kind of thing.

15 Star Wars, Star Trek or Sci-Fi curious?

I came out as Sci-Fi curious a few years ago. Up to then I was all Star Wars. Now I’m out & proud I can say that I like both, with a bit of Babylon 5 mixed in. You used to get put in prison for that kind of stuff.

"You used to get put in prison for that kind of stuff."

16 Do you think roleplaying and video games are good practice for the impending zombie apocalypse?

The ones where you have to gather resources & fortify are best. The ones where you are constantly battling with a team with an average age of 9 & more ammunition than a regiment is not so good. You gotta get out there & learn some real survival skills.

17 Do you see the influx in zombies in entertainment as good thing or will it simply dilute the serious message you need to get across?

I gotta admit I love it. I try to write to entertain people. Many of my readers are young & they don’t want preaching. If there is a message in my books it’s bloody well hidden. Nah, joking aside – it’s brilliant to have so many books, movies & games out there.

18 Dead Island, Dead Rising, Left 4 Dead, Call of Duty Zombies or ‘They just haven’t made one quite right yet’?

For me, Dead Island came as close as you can. What a game – I love it & the expansion Riptide. I just liked the whole scenario, the missions & how the level of difficulty increased. The range of weapons was great as well. Ideally, I’d like a more open, free-play world but this game was brilliant.

19 Do you have a guilty pleasure you are willing to share? An interest completely unrelated to zombies?

I love trekking & travel. It’s a great chance to try out those survival skills. I’ve been all over the world climbing things but I love the desert the best. Zombies would just crumble & die there...it would be a great place to hide out.

20 What’s next for Sean Page?

The last six months have all been about aliens. I am preparing an Alien Invasion Manual for Haynes (the car people). I now wear a tin foil hat everywhere & am always on the lookout for clones or implants. David Icke was right – it’s a scary world.

The Truth is out there... somewhere.

Sean isn't kidding when he says he loves trekking and travelling. He's just spent 7 days surviving in the Sinai desert, exploring haunted ruins and dancing... mentally as a continuation of his Omega Man adventures!

You can see Sean's video blogs of this and his previous Omega Men escapades over at the Ministry of Zombies website.

When the apocalypse goes down. We want Sean T. Page on our Zombie Survival team!

zombieshop.co.uk

It's the apocalypse... let's play!

Deep Silver Raids Piggy Bank for Dead Island Launch

Deep Silver have well and truly raided the coffers in a bid to ensure Dead Island gets stamped into the very fabric of zombie culture and becomes a household name.

Dead Island - Trouble in paradise.

So, can their zombie themed rpg-first-person-shooter-basher compete with the likes of this year's mammoth releases?

The holy console trinity of 2011: Modern Warfare 3, Gears of War 3 and Battlefield 3 (what is it with the 3's at the moment?) are going be challenging hulks to go toe to toe with.

Dead Island - Katana vs Asylum freak!

Deep Silver say the Dead Island campaign is 'The biggest global marketing spend in the history of Deep Silver'. Something tells us their investment will be secure, as long as they deliver on the goods.

Expect to see TV slots hitting prime time starting this week and all the way through September and, with the profile expected to be sky-high, next time you tell one of your Mum's mates you like zombies, don't be surprised if they reply 'You mean like those things in Dead Island?'

Dead Island - zombies just want hugs.

A huge range of exciting Dead Island 'stuff' should also be hitting the streets any second now, including the Dead Island Book by Mark Morris.
So... time to book an all expenses paid luxury break in paradise? Not sure about that but we'll first in the queue when the game comes out on September 9th 2011.

Get Yer Zomb On

zombieshop.co.uk

Dead Island: The Book by Mark Morris

Deep Silver are pulling out all the stops for their much awaited first person zombie survival game Dead Island.

Scheduled for simultaneous release with the video Game, Dead Island: The Book comes from the pen of British Fantasy Award winning author Mark Morris. Mark is known for his Doctor Who and Torchwood tie-ins, as well as a string of horror releases and is sure to attract a big following, even outside the realms of the electronic gamer.

Dead Island: The Book, by Mark Morris

A once-in-a-lifetime dream holiday turns into an apocalyptic nightmare for guests of the five-star Royal Palms Resort on the island of Banoi. What begins as an escape to a tropical paradise becomes a fight for survival as a mystery outbreak suddenly and unexpectedly turns holiday makers into the flesh-hungry undead. Four very different individuals are somehow unaffected by the virus and must use anything and everything at their disposal to take out the undead and survive the outbreak.

Dead Island: The Book is be released by Bantam Books on 8th September 2011.

Get Yer Zomb On!

zombieshop.co.uk

Dead Island Release Date - 9th September

Dead Island gets European release on September 9th

Imagery we have come to know so well.

Deep Silver has confirmed that zombie outing Dead Island will be released in Europe on September 9th.

It will arrive slightly earlier on September 6th in North America.

The game features a lot of melee combat.

The publisher has also announced a special pre-order edition of the game. The Special Edition will include the Bloodbath Arena DLC, which offers four new single and multiplayer challenges tasking players with surviving waves of zombie attacks.

Those who don't pre-order the game will have the option of buying the DLC.

Holiday booked for September?

Dead Island Cover Art Revealed

The jury is out on the cover art for Techland's First Person Zombie-Thwacker due out later this year.

Not up to the rest of the marketing?

At least we know what we're looking for when we go shopping eh!

Dead Island - GamePlay Footage

After a number of 'gameplay' videos with little or no gameplay here is a fabulously in-depth look into Silver's eagerly anticipated first person shooter scheduled for release later this year - and this time there really is gameplay footage.

You'll take someone's eye out with that!

Dead Island is almost guaranteed to be a hit with players of franchises such as: Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising and Call of Duty: Zombies.

We'll certainly be playing it. In fact, we'll probably be calling in sick to play through the four player co-op as soon as it is released.

Batter up!