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Creepy Cocktails and a Haunted Interview with Jonathan Maberry
Halloween is the best time to hold a huge bash. I mean the kids get their fun by dressing up and Trick-or-Treating, so why can’t the adults have fun too? For those of you who are planning an ADULT Halloween party this year, we thought it would be fun to give you some zombie inspired cocktail ideas. And for those who are holding a horror book themed party, there’s no better author to pair these with than Jonathan Maberry (click on links for recipe and website information).
Zombie Slime Shooters
Bloody Brain Shot
Zombie Brain Hemorrage
The Bloody Eyeball
Jonathan Maberry is a NY Times bestselling author, four-time Bram Stoker Award winner, and comic book writer. His novels include PREDATOR ONE, CODE ZERO, ROT & RUIN, FALL OF NIGHT, GHOST ROAD BLUES, PATIENT ZERO, and many others. Several of Jonathan’s novels are in development for movies or TV including V-WARS, EXTINCTION MACHINE, and ROT & RUIN. He’s the editor/co‐author of V‐WARS, a vampire‐themed anthology; and is editor for a series of all original X-FILES anthologies, ane the dark fantasy anthology OUT OF TUNE. Since 1978 he’s sold more than 1200 magazine feature articles, 3000 columns, two plays, greeting cards, song lyrics, and poetry. His comics include V-WARS, ROT & RUIN, CAPTAIN AMERICA: HAIL HYDRA, BAD BLOOD, MARVEL ZOMBIES RETURN and MARVEL UNIVERSE VS THE AVENGERS. He lives in Del Mar, California with his wife, Sara Jo and their dog, Rosie. www.jonathanmaberry.com
Interview with the Zombie Master Himself–Jonathan Maberry!
AMY: We all know kids love to dress up and see who can get the most candy when they go out Trick or Treating. As adults, we either pick out of our kid’s haul or we dip our greedy hands in the candy we “bought” to hand out to the little goblins who ring our doorbell. So tell me, what is your favorite Halloween candy?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I was always partial to pumpkin peeps. Especially when they get stale and chewy. The key is to tear the plastic and let them sit for a couple of days. They you get to tear into them and by then they’ve gotten tough enough to make you work for that sugar rush.
AMY: Do you have any fun Halloween experiences you can tell us? Or pictures you can share?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I have been a Halloween freak since I was a kid. Often I’d have two complete costumes and do the rounds in one, run home, change, and then repeat as a different monster. And we’re talking decent costumes, too. No cheap K-Mart plastic masks held on with thin rubber bands. Sadly, all of my childhood photos are long gone, lost in a fire.
AMY: We can talk all day about Horror movies around here, and we all have our favorites. What is yours?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I’m too much of a connoisseur to have one single favorite horror flick. I have favorites in each of the major categories.
· Vampire: HORROR OF DRACULA. Peter Cushing as Van Helsing. Enough said.
· Werewolf: DOG SOLDIERS. Smart, lots of action, great characters.
· Ghost: THE HAUNTING (the original…don’t even talk to me about the remake)
· Giant Monster: GORGO. The monster wins.
· Slasher: PSYCHO. I mean…please!
· Demon: EVIL DEAD. Original version scared the bejeezus out of me.
· Zombie: Unrated director’s cut of the 2004 remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD. Great actors,
great production values, fast zombies, and a killer of a soundtrack.
· SF Horror: ALIENS. Two words: chest burster.
AMY: So many movies are being remade to be modern and to draw in a younger audience. Many times I find myself wondering just what’s wrong with watching the original. Do you like to see horror movies remade or a fan of the originals?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I rarely admire the remakes and often don’t see the need. The remakes of THE HAUNTING and PSYCHO were embarrassing. That said, the remake of DAWN OF THE DEAD was every bit as good as the original and in some ways better. Overall, though, I prefer new stories. There are a lot of fantastic horror stories and novels out there. Let’s try adapting some of them instead of driving on retreads.
AMY: Can you remember the first horror book you read? Is this what drew you to writing horror?
JONATHAN MABERRY: My grandmother got me involved in all things spooky. She believed in the ‘larger world’, and she went at it hammer and tongs. Imagine Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter as a ninety-year-old. That’s her. So I learned about vampires, banshees, redcaps, and other monsters from an early age.
The first horror novel I read was THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson. The same week I read I AM LEGEND by Richard Matheson. I started in the fast lane and never looked back.
AMY: Fear is something everyone feels, whether it’s because we watched a scary movie or we read something terrifying in the news. Sometimes, it’s something we can overcome—like my fear of clowns and moving dolls. What scares you?
JONATHAN MABERRY: The things that scare me have changed over the years. When I was a kid I was afraid of zombies and the werewolf I was sure lived in the second floor of our old house. Now I’m a very big, very tough guy with fifty-one years of martial arts experience. I’m not scared of much. However things like the mishandling/misuse of military technologies and the poor safety protocols at biological research labs scare the piss out of me.
AMY: As writers, we all fear rejection. It’s absolutely terrifying to share yourself via writing, but at the same time without taking that risk books don’t get published. As a writer, what has your scariest moment been?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I don’t let fear govern my creativity or my career. When I used to get rejections I responded by sending it back out right away. That usually worked. It was proactive rather than merely reactive. Also, the more I learned about how the publishing world works the less I took things personally.
AMY: How would you survive a zombie apocalypse?
JONATHAN MABERRY: I’d gather as many people as possible, get everyone outfitted with heavy coats and leather jackets, and then convoy out to a food distribution warehouse. Clear it, occupy it, and then get as many other survivors as possible to help defend it and to form the core of a resistance of the living. I’m not fool enough to believe that solo survival or turning savage would work. We survive in a practical cooperative.
And…if there were any of the whiny loudmouths you see in zombie movies…? Yeah, they’d get covered in steak sauce and kicked the hell out. I’m practical, not sentimental.
Either Or: A Quick Horror Quiz
AMY: zombies or unicorns
JONATHAN MABERRY: Zombies. There are more stories to tell, which pleases the write in me as well as the fan of the genre.
AMY: Spike or Angel
JONATHAN MABERRY: Spike, clearly. Angel is good because he was cursed with the return of his soul. Spike went out and fought to reclaim his soul. That’s nobility. And he sacrificed himself to save the world.
AMY: Freddy or Jason
JONATHAN MABERRY: Jason. Despite what happens in the movies, he’s killable. Or at least stoppable if people used a little common sense. Freddy is a supernatural dream lord. Can’t beat that.
AMY: Dracula or Frankenstein
JONATHAN MABERRY: Frankenstein’s monster was misunderstood, and he was a victim. He could be reasoned with, and I’d have tried to do just that.
AMY: Michael or Leatherface
JONATHAN MABERRY: Michael is apparently a supernatural entity. Harder to kill. Leatherface is a redneck with a chainsaw. I’m a former bodyguard and an 8th degree black belt. His ass is MINE.
AMY: The woods or a cornfield
JONATHAN MABERRY: Woods. Lots of resources to use for concealment and defense.
AMY: Cujo or Christine
JONATHAN MABERRY: Cujo’s a big dog. He could be stopped. I’m six-four and I can outfight a dog. Harder to beat a demonic car.
AMY: vampire or werewolf
JONATHAN MABERRY: Depends on whether you’re talking Hollywood version or pop culture. The Hollywood vampire is easy to kill. They seem to be able to trip and fall on any sharp piece of would in the vicinity. Werewolves have been made into super-powerful monsters. If you’re talking folklore, then vampires are much more powerful and werewolves are only as tough as ordinary wolves. They would be easier to stop.
AMY: Dean or Sam
JONATHAN MABERRY: I could have coffee and talk shop with either of them.
AMY: Chucky or Annabelle
JONATHAN MABERRY: Chucky. I’d introduce him to Mr. Woodchipper.