I was very happy to have the opportunity to speak with Roger Ma, a dedicated enemy to zombies everywhere, about his book, “The Zombie Combat Manual.” Ma called me from his office in New York City.
Slacker Solutions: What gave you the idea to write the book?
Roger Ma: “Everybody’s told if a zombie apocalypse occurs, you shoot them in the head. I thought, ‘Well, I don’t have a gun, so what the hell do I do? If zombies attack I probably won’t be able to get a gun, so what am I going to use?’”
SS: If a dozen zombies were to beat on your office door right now, what would you use?
RM: “You have to look for things that are sturdy … like table legs or chair legs. I’m a big proponent of the blunt object. I’m not much of a proponent of blades; it’s actually a lot more difficult to cut off a head than most people think.”
SS: How will “The Zombie Combat Manual” prepare its readers for the zombie apocalypse?
RM: “I wrote it to show that [slow zombies] are not easy to dispatch. When they’re up close, they won’t just grab your arm lightly and slowly take a bite — it’s going to be more like a dog attack, or a rabid chimpanzee. It’s really vicious and not easy to contend with.”
SS: So you chose to concentrate on the classic, shuffling zombie over the fast zombies we’ve seen in recent films in the past few years? Why?
RM: “I can understand why people would get enamored with the new, fast zombie. What people are essentially feeling is that there’s no threat to slow zombies; you can get around them … but if somebody’s sprinting at you, that’s really something tough to contend with. I didn’t want [“The Zombie Combat Manual”] to go in that direction.”
SS: How have zombies stayed in popular culture for so long?
RM: “The zombie is one of those creations that is really malleable. You can put whatever face you want on it and that’s why it’s evolved over the times. I think why they’re so popular now is because they’ve always represented the fundamental fears: Fear of disease, fear of infection, fear of aging, fear of chaos, fear of societal breakdown. All of that is stuff we’re experiencing to a certain degree nowadays. It’s happening in our backyard. This kind of fear doesn’t feel very far off base from something that could actually happen. It’s always been popular because there’s always something you can adapt to the zombie genre.”
SS: Many fans of zombie films enjoy discussing how they plan to survive a zombie apocalypse. What do you think that says about us?
RM: “[Planning for a zombie apocalypse] is the same thing as fantasizing quitting your job and selling trinkets on the beach.”
SS: Why has there been such a strong surge in zombie-related media lately?
RM: “There are parallels to what was happening within our society to the popularity of zombies. There was a curve that matches up with the emotions and feelings of the country. As people are feeling more depressed and disillusioned, the popularity will go up.”
SS: Do you think most people will give up on the zombie craze?
RM: “For real fans, there is no craze. We are continuously looking for quality work.”
It’s safe to say I’ve found quality work in Ma’s book, “The Zombie Combat Manual.” Published by Penguin, check out the Web site at www.zombiecombatclub.com.
Stay vigilant, stay protected and stay alive.
