What started as an outwardly mocked pitch by Mark Millar in the break room at Marvel, turned into the best selling trade paper back of all time and a monumental franchise: Marvel Zombies. In this episode, Jake shows off just how deeply rooted his nerdism goes, rifling off trivia no one, not even the artists and creators who made this stuff, actually care about. 
You might know Millar's name from pioneering The Ultimate Universe with Brian Michael Bendis, which was integral in creating the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Also, remember that whole Civil War thing? Yeah, that's Millar. 
Moreover, his independent work has spawned very successful franchises as well: Kickass, Kingsmen, Wanted, Nemesis, Starlight, and The Magic Order. 
The marketing for the initial story arc "Crossover," teased a melding of the Ultimate Universe and the traditional Marvel Universe, but in actuality, it was something much more nefarious. A young Reed Richards is duped by his machiavellian zombie dopplegangar to open up their dimension for a feast of the undead. It is up to Magneto, The Thing, The Human Torch, and Sue Storm to stop The Hunger Virus from spreading. After his initial three-issue story arch in Ultimate Fantastic Four, Millar gave over the reigns to Robert Kirkman of Walking Dead and Invincible fame. 
Kirkman teamed with Sean Phillips (Judge Dredd, Hellblazer, Sleeper, Criminal, Incognito, Fatale) to create the first two installments of the Marvel Zombies runs. Their story takes place over countless lightyears, with a cast of characters including: Colonel (Captain) America, Spider-Man, Iron Man, Hawkeye, Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch, Powerman, Iron Fist, Daredevil, Giant Man, Wasp, Black Panther, Thanos, Silver Surfer, Galactus, and so, so many more. At the time, some of these heroes were relatively obscure, but now after the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, these are household names. 
In another very ambitious crossover, Marvel negotiated a deal with Dynamite Comics for a story arc wherein The Evil Dead squared off with the Marvel Dead. This story sets forth how Ash Williams and The Sentry entered the Marvel Zombies dimension at the same time, detailing much more of the unspoken substance from the other installments. 
The "Hidden Track" for this week is The Rhythm Coffin: https://therhythmcoffin.bandcamp.com/
Be sure to check out their upcoming album. Devices, which will release in October. If you ever have feedback or recommendations on future episodes, please let us know at slasherspod@gmail.com. You can always find us on our social media: Instagram, Twitter, Slasher App: @slasherspod Facebook: /slasherspod Reddit: u/slasherspod https://www.youtube.com/c/slasherspodcast
zombies, monsters, horror, Avengers, X-Men, X-Force, Heroes for Hire, The Defenders,  Dead Days, Shaun of the Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Night of the Living Dead, Return of the Living Dead, Little Monsters, S.H.I.E.L.D.

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