[INTERVIEW] WOULD YOU LET A ZOMBIE INVASION RUIN DATE NIGHT? AN INTERVIEW WITH STEVE URENA

If you want some over-the-top gore, comedy and fun, then Zombie Date Night will quench your thirst. I am a bit more vulnerable in this one, but it also has a grandma fighting off hordes with a chancleta.

Last year we interviewed Steve Urena about his amazing comic book creation Slow Pokes, a brilliantly funny and violent comic about killer psychotic Sloths.  Yes you read that right.  Today we are excited to bring you an interview with  Steve's  about his latest project which if Slow Pokes is anything to go by will be a must read for horror fans.  

Zombie Date Night: A Zombie Romance Horror Comedy
What makes a first date even more awkward? Zombies of course!

Hey Steve, great to chat with you again.  It's been a while since Slow Pokes was released; how successful was the comic?

I am very lucky to say that Slow Pokes was a hit. I am still getting orders for it around the world. I am so thankful to those who took a chance on me. I surpassed my goal of 2,000 dollars on Kickstarter and used the money I made on the project to help fund Zombie Date Night.

What was Sloke Pokes about for the readers who may have missed it, and where is the best place for them to pick it up?

For those who missed it, Slow Pokes is my fast, killer sloth horror comedy. If you want to see cute and cuddly sloths take out a bunch of teenager in over-the top gory fun, you can still get a digital copy at gumroad.com/steveurena.

Are there any plans for more issues?

SU: Yes! I will get back to Slow Pokes eventually and Ginger Nuts of Horror will be the first to know. People who backed the highest tier during the Slow Pokes campaign pledged to be murdered by these fast, killer sloths, so I can’t wait to murder them.

Zombie Date Night is your latest project; what prompted the move from killer psychotic sloths to zombies?

For me, I always had this idea in my head of a blind date gone wrong during a zombie invasion. It’s been in my mind for awhile now, so when Slow Pokes got its backing and more, I knew that would be my next project. Dating is scary enough and if you add zombies to it, I think it makes for a fun combination in the horror genre. I wanted to challenge myself and bring another story to life.

Can we expect the same mix of irreverent humour and horror?

Absolutely! If you want some over-the-top gore, comedy and fun, then Zombie Date Night will quench your thirst. I am a bit more vulnerable in this one, but it also has a grandma fighting off hordes with a chancleta.

It's been a bit of a hellish year. Has the current world health situation had any effect on you?

The pandemic hit me hard. I went to be with my family during the early stages of it, so I was reminded of what it’s like to be grounded for not doing the dishes. It was insane and unpredictable and maddening, but I’m glad to see that we’re coming out of this thing little by little. It was definitely a hard time, but I made sure to focus on the positive and put my all in my projects in my down time.

Does Zombie Date Night make any nods to current events?

Yes. I think anybody writing during last year was influenced heavily by the pandemic. I definitely borrowed from some things that happened last year.

Zombies, probably more than any other monster, have been the most enduring; why do you think this is?

I think zombies are the most relatable monster. They can be anyone. Your friend, your teacher, your mom. That’s what makes it so terrifying. They can be anyone and they only have one thing in mind…eating you!

Run, walk, crawl, or shuffle, which is the correct form of zombie?

I am open to all zombies in the community, but I will say shuffling zombies from the Michael Jackson Thriller video. Their dance moves are legit!

What are your three favourite zombie media presentations, and which zombie film or TV show gets on your nerves?

I love Shawn of the Dead and George Romero’s Dawn of The Dead. Just two different executions that still work to this day. Evil Dead is also one of my favorites and I really enjoyed the British horror comedy Deadset.

In terms of getting on my nerves, I think zombies can appear in all forms. I heard about a zombie Disney show which sounds like it’s not my cup of tea, but I’m open to everything. Zombies can work in any medium.

One of my biggest bugbears about zombies is when some dodgy science explains their occurrence. Does Date Night explain why there are zombies, or do you go with the flow?

I do explain it in the comic, so keep your eyes peeled. Hopefully it works. If not you can send the horde after me ha.

What can the readers expect from Date Night? What's the story about?

Zombie Date Night tells the story of a first date gone wrong during a zombie invasion. What makes a date more awkward? Zombies of course. If you want to see over-the-top gore, chills, thrills and a grandma fighting off zombies with a chancleta, then swipe right for Zombie Date Night.

Zombie Date Night is drawn by Sergi Domènech, coloured by Josh Jensen and edited by Allegra Calderaro; how did you assemble this team of people to work with? What drew you to them?

I went through my school to find the artists and letterers. I used Comics Experience Creative Services program to find the talent and they did not disappoint. I get to work with their stable of talent and the process is seamless. I just gave them my script, they found the artists and here we are.

Now, Allegra Calderaro is my girlfriend in real life and I thought she would be a perfect editor for this. She is very talented and has the editing skills to back it up. It also gave us some great debates about the characters and the story.

We have all had terrible Date Nights. Can you tell us about your worst?

Haha, I was such a chud in my younger years so I’m sure I was the bad part of these dates. I went out with someone who believed mermaids were real, which was a head scratcher and I went on a date where I accidentally elbowed someone in the face. So I am very lucky to be with my current girlfriend who puts up with my clumsy ass.

And who would be your perfect choice for a date night?

SU: I would love to grab dinner with The Soska Sisters and just talk about horror. The stuff that they make is so different and terrifying. I think I could learn a ton from them and get some great stories about the horror genre.

The Kickstarter for Date Night is ending soon; why should the readers of Ginger Nuts back this (and folks, you absolutely should, I went for the T-Shirt perk with Slow Pokes, and I love the Tshirt, top quality and fits great) project.  What are some of the perks they can expect?

Zombie Date Night has a ton of perks for everyone to enjoy. I got T-Shirts and posters designed by Vertebrae 33, I have a podcast featuring myself and  my girlfriend/ editor Allegra Calderaro going in depth about the process of writing with a podcast, I can turn you into a zombie, I can have you eaten by a zombie and every Thursday night at 8:30 Eastern I am doing Zombie Date Night Thursdays on discord. All you need is this link (https://discord.gg/dXMRQd2N) and we watch a different zombie movie until the kickstarter is over. Come join the horde!

Thanks Steve, it has been a pleasure as always; what's on the cards for you next?

Likewise! I am just trying to have as much fun as possible so hopefully I’ll be able to make more projects in both the comic book and horror world. Thank you for all the support and you can follow me on Twitter and Instagram @TheSteveUrena. You can also follow @zombiedatenight and @slowpokescomic on there as well.

​Click the link and pre-order now!

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/steveurena/zombie-date-night-a-zombie-romance-horror-comedy

Follow us on this crazy comic journey on Instagram and Twitter for more updates and bonus content!
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@TheSteveUrena
@ZombieDatenight
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Or you can email us at Zombiedatenight@gmail.com

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