Emails and Ponies!

Did you know Zombie outbreak has an email address?

Its true, you can find it at

outbreakofzombies@gmail.com.

Well, since I've set that email address up, I've had a grand total of... 3 emails...

You should all change that by sending me emails, I read them all, and if you want to email a specific Zombie Outbreak author I'll forward the emails to them.

BUT I've decided to answer all the emails I've gotten so far here, in this post. (names and details removed for privacy reasons)

Hey there,

I read on your Myspace that you own zombieoutbreak.com and I was wondering if you were interested in selling it for a reasonable price.

I plan to use the domain name for a PHP/2D based zombie game I'm making and 'Zombie Outbreak'
sounds like a cool name for it. (Mind you this is for a personal use and not for professional/business use)

I understand that you are doing something with the name, but I believe that I can put the domain to a much better use.

Before I talk about this, full disclosure, I replied and asked what a “reasonable price” for www.zombieoutbreak.com was, (hey, if he had offered me a million quid I might have taken the money and run) this is the reply I got.

Heh, now that I think about it reasonable can be interpreted in many ways...

I don't know how much you want for it, But I was thinking $50 is a reasonable amount, why don't you consider it, and reply with a counter offer.

Ok, I've considered it.

Get stuffed.

First off, if I was to take your offer, $50 is about £30, that's about £4.30 for each of the 7 authors of Zombieoutbreak. Now I don't want to talk for them, but I don't think they would be happy about all the hard work they have put into the site being reduced to £4.30.

Note, This is actually more money that we would each get from the sale of the site.

BUT by far the most important question here, is who on earth still uses Myspace? Where exactly on myspace is this email listed along with the details that it belongs to the owner of zombieoutbreak.com? If anyone knows, take a screen shot and email it to me, I'll do you some kind of drawing as a reward.

The second email I got was a question I've been asked a bunch in real life also, so its worth answering here.

Hey

I like the site, but why is it called Zombie Outbreak? You hardly ever talk about zombies, why not change the name to something more fitting?

Well, the simple answer is, The name is fun and easy to remember, true we don't write about zombies on a daily basis, but the site does have an overall “zombie” theme to it. We like to think, that without us, you would become a Zombie from the dullness of everyday life, and in our own way our posts help to combat that.

Picture blantantly stolen from www.worth1000.com

But to waylay that question in future, I'm working on a “Monday Richard's Guide to surviving the Zombie Outbreak” page to be put up on the site, so the visitors we get looking for help in the upcoming Zombie apocalypse won't leave the site disappointed.

And so, onto the last email I got, (and the only one directed to me Monday Richard, Directed)

Dear Monday Richard

The site is so cool, I found the site when searching for information about Harold Camping's predictions that the world is going to end, but I stuck around thanks to your mini reviews and rhyming posts! You should do more rhyming posts maybe get the Sunday guy to sing them lol!

Anyway, the question I wanted to ask, is how do you do the drawings on the site? Like the site logo and the cool drawings on the end of some of your posts?!?

They remind me of the new My little Pony cartoon! (you should so draw a zombie outbreak pony lol)

Well, I have to say that this email really brightened my day! no one ever comments on the art style I picked for Zombie Outbreak, not even my fellow authors (unless I bug Tuesday Shanice into telling me what she thinks of them) so to have it noticed and liked really made my day, I spend a bunch of time on every picture and now I know at least one person likes them!

I draw pretty much all the art for the site In vector format, normally using Macromedia Flash (A really old version of what is now Adobe Flash), its really an animation tool, but I find it really works with my style of drawing, then when an image is completed, I export it into photo shop for final touch up and saving into a format the web can handle.

If enough people are interested I can do a step by step post in the future showing exactly how a Monday Richard drawing goes together, leave a comment or email me if that's something your interested in.

Also, I went ahead and took your suggestion, here I give you the first official Zombie Outbreak My little Pony,

I call her “Tasty brains”

Drawing this pony had an unexpected side effect, up to this point I had never watched an episode of My little pony friendship is magic, I know all about the “Bronies” (The men in my age bracket that have fallen in love with My Little pony) but I have never counted myself among them.

My only real exposure to my little Ponys was Staying in Friday Voni's spare room and having her collection watch me while I sleep...

But as research for that picture I went ahead and watched the first two episodes. Then after finishing the picture, I went ahead and watched the rest of the first season...

I have to say I was surprised at myself. I don't know if its the animation style, the sense of humour or the nice little lessons about friendship behind each episode but I enjoyed every moment of it. If that makes me a Brony, then a Brony I'm proud to be!

Friendship is magic! Don't believe me? Go watch it for yourself.

Then email me I might do another “mailbag” type episode in the future, and if you send me ideas for things you want me to draw, I'll do my best to acquiesce to your request.