The document discusses zombie apocalypse survival guides (ZASGs) and how they manifest in different media. It analyzes discussion threads about ZASGs from a zombie fan YouTube channel and a parenting website forum. The YouTube comments focused more on describing the video and giving instructions, while lacking a sense of community. In contrast, the forum discussion showed a definite online community, with participants addressing each other by name and providing support. The document concludes that texts about zombie survival serve as a non-threatening way to discuss real-world anxieties around disaster preparedness.

1. Dr Marcus Leaning
Presented at the University of Winchester Zombosium.
28th October 2011

2.  Texts that replicate
authentic ephemera.
 Diaries, found
footage, reports
compiled into a
collection – mosaic -
that tells a story.
 Strong and very
popular theme in
horror literature.

3.  In zombie texts the
idea has manifested
itself in films such as
Romero‟s Diary of
the Dead (2007) and
books such as
Zombie Apocalypse
(Jones, 2010).

4.  ZAPGs a further
variation adding
another layer of irony.
 Instruction manuals
concerned with how to
survive in a post-
apocalyptic world.
 Play with the genre of
instructional guides.
 A further twist is the
style of these guides
then being used in
game guides.

5.  The ZASG genre is also
manifest in fan-culture
artefacts disseminated via
social media:
◦ Fan websites
◦ Wikkis;
◦ Video media dissemination sites
youtube and Vimeo.
 As well as dissemination, social
media also allow for peer-
discussion of topics.
◦ Illustrating the blurring and
expansion of the text (Jenkins,
2006).
 ZAPGs also considered in non-
zombie virt communities –
◦ Virtual communities that aren‟t
explicitly concerned with zombies.

6.  Examining ZASGs within
two discussion threads
from different virtual
communities:
◦ A „zombie-fan‟ community
youtube channel – Zombie Go
Boom –thread following the
posting of a video survival
guide.
◦ A non (explicit) zombie fan
community - Mumsnet –
thread on surviving the
Zombie Apocalypse.

7.  Youtube channel hosting episodes
exploring how to kill zombies.
 Study looks at comments following the
posting of video about using a screwdriver
to kill a zombie.
 Uploaded 9 Jul 2011
 189 posts after 9 weeks - when I did the
analysis.
 Posts still being added.
 http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v
=fSPE0xTVj5k

8.  Parenting website.
 A discussion on how
to survive the
zombie apocalypse.
 Took place between:
◦ Thu 01-Sep-11
◦ Sun -4-Sep-11.
 156 posts

9.  ZGB had 189 posts from 180 separate
accounts.
◦ Highest contributor made 3 separate posts.
 Mumsnet had 156 posts from 38 participants.
◦ Highest contributor 25 posts and a gradual declining
tail.
30
25
20
15
10
5
0

10.  Text as whole, type of communication.
 The discussions were examined through the
NETLYTIC text analyser.
 “Modes” of communication „moment‟.
◦ „Self‟ centric (I, my, me)
 45.7% Mumsnet comments
 62.3% ZGB comments
◦ „We‟ centric (us, we, our)
 14.08% Mumsnet
 0.52% ZGB
◦ Affirming, positive (agree, YANBU)
 21.3% Mumsnet
 1.4 % ZGB
◦ Negative, challenging (you are wrong, YABU)
 7.05% Mumsnet
 29.07 % ZGB

11.  ZGB - Rolling discussion –
„the monster drawing game‟
no continuity of
discussants, each
contributor adds then
leaves.
 Little sense of
communication, more of
proclamation.
 The discussion (?) is self-
centric (I would…) directive
(I want you to..), descriptive
(look at that…), combative
(no, you‟d die...)

12.  Core discussion between interlocutors, bits
added by others.
 Use each other‟s names frequently and direct
addresses to each other.
 Supportive and affirming of each other.
 Challenges are qualified – use rhetorical
devices to „pull the punch‟ or make it
obviously ironic.

13.  ZGB - a large amount of description of the
video (look at that!), a lot of instruction and
proclamation, a significant amount of
criticism and disagreement.
 Doesn‟t move beyond this.
 Mumsnet far more sustained discussion…

14. Comment Type % of
Am I being unreasonable? to think it's perfecty Question 6
acceptable to have a zombie apocalypse survival plan?
no its very reasonable etc Affirmation 24
I still do a nuclear bomb/flu pandemic/dirty bomb 'run Rationale / 14
through' in my mind. Always have done, since I was a substitution
teenager growing up in the late seventies/early
eighties.
Daily Fail had an article the other day about bird flu
mutating
I bought up some face masks ready for my rucksack. Information 30
We have an allotment opposite our block of flats. Mechanics 22
We've considered the possibility of some sort or
system of pulleys and ropes to get into it. It's securely
fenced off so we could have access to fresh food.
Oops sorry typo Other 4

15.  ZGB community not really community - a
monster drawing game discussion – but vast
majority of comments were text related
 Mumsnet a definite sense of community.
 Conclusion 1: The centrality of the text to the
discussion seems to result in less actual
community.

16.  A proportion was about general survival in a
post apocalyptic world.
 Discussion shifted very quickly from zombies
to other menaces.
 Conclusion: Zombies serve as a good „cover
story‟ for these difficult discussions.
 There is anxiety there… zombies serve as a
way we can think about the problems in a
non-scary manner.