Undead Awakening: Why Zombies are a Growing Popularity

Why are zombies so popular all of a sudden? It's a question I've been asked a lot in interviews but that rarely seems to get the full attention it deserves.

My smart ass answer is "two words: Brad Pitt." Or, better yet, Norman Reedus, aka Daryl Dixon, whose popularity on AMC's The Walking Dead is so overwhelming (despite his character not existing in the original comic series), that he's spawned a legion of die-hard fans who threaten to literally riot if anything ever happens to him on the show. Considering the way the show has gone the last few seasons, it is plain to see why fans are so concerned. The Walking Dead loses more beloved main characters per season than any other show on television with the exception of the equally blood thirsty Game of Thrones.

But what's the real answer? When you take away the popularity of the television show or having one of the biggest celebrities on the planet make a special effects heavy, bloated-budget horror movie for a summer blockbuster, you still have legions of fans out there hungry to devour anything even remotely zombie related - including undead ice monsters and living cannibal freaks. Some of them even want to become zombies themselves! So what is the appeal, and where does it come from?

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