Fantasm Presents #6: George A. Romero's Living Dead

We know what you are thinking... "Another Romero issue?" Yep. Our publisher Brian Steward went to Pittsburgh last year to work on some of the documentaries included in the new Dawn of the Dead box set from UK distributor Second Sight. With that amazing release, it seemed like a perfect time to do a special one-off issue all about Dawn. But as we began the project, like you, knee deep in a pandemic, it occurred to us that George's voice was louder than ever. In this issue we take a look at his films through the lens of the current political climate and pandemic. A world where politics are the daily news drug and your neighbor, like a zombie, could kill you if you are exposed. In new interviews with John Russo, co-writer of Night of the Living Dead; Lori Cardille, Day of the Dead's Sara; Eugene Clark, "Big Daddy" from Land of the Dead; Lynn Lowry, The Crazies' Kathy and Suzanne Desrocher Romero, president of G.A.R.F., The George A. Romero Foundation, we look at George's legacy and his voice against today's landscape. We've also gone deep into the Fantasm Media Vault and pulled out two UNPUBLISHED feature-length interviews with Scott Reiniger and David Emge, Dawn of the Dead's Roger and Stephen respectively.

Other features in this issue include Dawn of the Dead Zombie, Ralph Langer's photos, a look at the cultural impact of Dawn against 1979's cinematic landscape, an examination of Land of the Dead's class system and how it was so prophetic and telling of today's pandemic. We also look at Romero's lesser-known masterpiece, The Crazies, his film literally about a viral pandemic and quarantine! All this and more to be revealed! Additionally, this issue includes something very SPECIAL. An exclusive song download! "The Zombie Stomp," an original Romero Zombie themed song by Mark Cooper, one of the Zombies from Dawn of the Dead! It's a classic rock track in the vein of Buckner and Garcia or early Alice Cooper.