Behind the scenes on Vegan Revolution with zombies...the trailer!

Jeff Burk one of my editors over at Deadite (Eraserhead press's horror imprint) did a more extensive write up of the filming and has the final back cover text.

When there is no meat in hell the Vegans will walk the earth!

Read his full report here:
jeffburk.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/behind-the-scenes-of-the-the-vegan-revolution-with-zombies-book-trailer/

That's me and the cast!


I'll post it as soon as we have the post production done!

The Vegan Revolution with zombies Cover art!

There will still more blurbs and stuff to be added, so this is not absolute final, but yeah you get the idea. The book will be unleashed at the Portland Vegfest September 18th and 19th and available on amazon around the same time. As for the book...

After a long day of editing classic literature (with zombies) Portland editor Danielle Joanna hits the Portland hipster bar scene. She hates her zombie obsessed 9-5 day job, she hates the Portland hipsters with their fixie bikes and ironic mustaches. She is not happy and needs a change.

When an animal rights activist gives her a flyer promoting a vegan lifestyle, she embraces it and for once things look up.

But nothing is ever perfect for Danni, as her life at home gets better her days at the publishing house are getting worse. She is behind on Of Mice and Men with zombies, She already has The Zombie War and Peace and four more like it on her plate. Her boss is making them watch Italian zombie movies for team building exercises and she sees flesh eating hordes everywhere.

Dani hates irony so she has trouble accepting the walking dead. Huddled together in the world's only vegan mini-mall the survivors realize the only thing they have in common is what they didn't eat.

"Vegan Revolution..with Zombies is my kind of zombie apocalypse. A perfect blend of horror, humor and animal activism. Destined to become a favorite among zombie fans and vegans alike." - Gina Ranalli Author of House of Fallen Trees, and Chemical Gardens

"David Agranoff's satirical zombie novel presents hope for the future of humanity and animal life; it's a world where both handlebar mustaches and bacon are forgotten. This witty novel celebrates everything I love about vegan Portland and kills everything I hate!" Jess of Portland's Get Sconed vegan blog.

Details coming soon my debut novel Hunting the Moon Tribe which will be coming out soon...

Aug. 29th! Be a zombie for the Vegan Revolution!

The Vegan Revolution Adopt - a- Zombie and casting Call

Aug. 29th 4 PM at the vegan mini-mall SE 12th and Stark! Filming starts at 5 PM! You don't have to be a vegan to be zombie! all are welcome. Dress like a total zombie hipster and you will get lots of love from the camera. read all the details below about casting!

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In September 2010 I am releasing a novel with Eraserhead press called “The Vegan Revolution With Zombies.” It is a bizarro satire take place here in Portland. I'm not going to get to into the plot just yet, but we have some awesome plans for the book. It's really funny and I think everyone will enjoy it.

The book is about veganism...well it has a lot of zombies in it too. I wanted to do something to help give back to the vegan community with the book. So for the first four months the book is out I donating all my proceeds to to Try Vegan PDX. Try Vegan organizes events in portland like Vegan Iron chef, Vegan prom and of course our flagship event Try Vegan Week. We also run a year round vegan mentoring program here in Portland.

In late August we are planning on filming a trailer to promote the book, it will be filmed on zero budget but we intend to put some love into and make it look like a movie trailer. You can help us promote veganism and the book all while having fun.

Donate to our Adopt – A – Zombie program. For a $3 dollar donation to Try Vegan we will paint you up like zombies so you can join the zombie hordes trying to eat our vegan heroes during the trailer. This will be on the day of filming Exact date will be set soon. We will have vegan potluck on the set and a short preview reading from the novel. Plus you get to be a zombie in the book trailer! How awesome.

You can of course do it up yourself for Free.

The two best zombie voted on by a panel of experts will win prizes including Books, food, gift certificates and more.

We are still casting a few speaking roles:

Dani Joanna – the main character. Late twenties, early thirties woman. She is an editor by profession.
USDA food sampler – This character is giving away samples of “stress-free” label meats and might argue with the vegan a little.
Samantha – the abolitonist animal rights activist
A Prius – Yep the car, a Prius plays a major role in the book, Sun roof is super extra awesome. The provider of the prius gets door prizes.

The roles of Freegan, Hamburger eater, Mark, Magik, and Bru-Dawg have already been cast.

Most important:

ZOMBIES!!!!!!

We need tons, and tons of zombies, be a zombie!

New Skipp and Goodfellow in december, and new Cody reading up!

Check the extremely creepy cover to the new John Skipp and Cody Goodfellow Marvel Team-up. Here is what I know, it involves thanksgiving and zombies. and it's due to be released on amazon on Nov.23rd, So my suggestion is pre-order this book and Skipp the ritual slaughter of the innocent Turkey. Ok my worst pun ever.

I wasn't a picture fan of the cover art at first but once I pictured holding it on the bus and random people looking at it. I liked it more. Bottom line it's a good year for original zombie novels, between Spore,Praise the Dead by Gina Ranalli and my Vegan Revolution with Zombies things are coming to together for zombie Autumn. Each are trying to breath a fresh voices to the sub-genre.

http://www.amazon.com/Spore-John-Skipp/dp/0843963956

There is a new podcast of Cody reading his very strange gonzo sci-fi horror tale Atwater which also appeared in his collection Silent Weapons for Quiet wars.

Cody says:

Transmissions From Beyond features my reading of Atwater from Black Static #4. Thrill to new audio dimensions of shock ("what the hell is he sucking on?"), repulsion ("are there crickets in his pants?") and suspense ("when will that dog stop barking in the background?")

It's a great reading download and listen to it on commute to work.

http://transmissionsfrombeyond.com/2010/07/transmission31/

Classic novels revisted Part one: Logan's Run!

Logan's Run By William F. Nolan & George Clayton Johnson

I read Logan's Run many years ago and decided to revisit the classic for several reasons. Least of which has been getting to know Bill Nolan who lives across the river in Vancouver now. The main reason I wanted to re-read this classic and and comment on it is the looming re-boot. Every year or so a new Logan's Run movie is discussed. For awhile Bryan Singer(X-men, Superman Returns) talked about making it. For one reason or another it has not happened and it's too bad because a modern take on the classic Science fiction novel is overdue.

Recently Bluewater comics have been working with Bill and his editing partner Jason V. Brock to Logan's Run back into comics. They look great and have been selling well. So I am sure that doesn't hurt the movie happening. Nolan worked with the Bluewater artists to give an idea where the author thought the look of Logan could go. Certainly a more realistic and less psychedelic look than the 1976 movie would help.

Recently super producer Joel Silver (the Matrix, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon movies) took over the production. Akiva Goldsman is also producing, I have liked some of Goldsman work even though he often blamed for the worst batman movie ever(Batman and Robin) I think Goldsman's writing on I, Robot and Constantine were solid, the finished products suffered from casting problems not the script. Alex Garland, the screenwriter of the amazing Sunshine and 28 Days Later has been hired to write the script. He is a great character based writer who is also a novelist. Great choice, I hope that bodes well for the film.


Back to the novel...

The novel is tightly constructed minimalist science fiction adventure which is short in word count but long in ideas. It is amazing how much story is conveyed in 130 or so pages. You get your money's worth that is for sure. It has been suggested in many articles about the novel that Nolan did the bulk of the writing and the concepts were largely those of George Clayton Johnson who often remembered for Kick the Can twilight zone episode and being the original screenwriter of Ocean's 11.

I don't know how the division of labor went, I know that the novel is masterwork of science fiction. The story of future where population is controlled by the age 21 term limit. At the end of your twenty first year you have a last day to celebrate before going to “sleep.” Logan's job is to run down the people who will not accept there fate on last day. Of course as his Last day approaches Logan takes on the mission to find the elusive Sanctuary the runners seek. He tells himself that it is just a patriotic mission but is Logan questioning society?

Logan's Run as science fiction could not be more out of date. That is one of it's best charms. As statement about the times in which it was written Logan's run is genius. Released in 1967, during the times of flower power and protests. It was a time when the young said “never trust anyone over thirty,” and add to it the first real concerns about the population growth on earth. What would happen if the youth had there way?

What happens if a world evolves where no one grows older and wiser? If the novel lacks anything it is a deeper look into those issues. I am hoping the comics or the film really takes a look at that. Certainly if I were making the film I would cast actors who were really teenagers, young people, who look and feel young. The world should feel young, and if the actors don't look like kids some of the power of the concept for me is lost.

The 1976 movie is terrible in my opinion, it doesn't help that I re-watched it after re-reading the novel. The last act of the movie drags and that is sad because the novel is so amazingly paced. The scene with Carousel is plain weird and makes a statement about the utopia society having some kind roman like amphitheater that makes no sense with the utopia they were trying to envision.

The action scenes are goofy and hardly exciting, again that might be my disappointment after reading tightly written novel. Johnson and Nolan created an enduring classic that is treat for for Science fiction fans the the first time or being re-visted. Fans of the film will be surprised how different the book, it is not faithful adaptation so there is still a story to discover.



Up next part 1.5 a brand spanking new interview with author William F. Nolan.

The next novel in this series will be John Shirley's horror masterpiece Wetbones in honor of it's 20th anniversary re-issue.

Classic novels revisted Part 1.5 : William F. Nolan interview!

Part Two - interview

How much did the times of the late sixties influence the novel Logan's Run?

George Clayton Johnson and I were very concerned with overpopulation at that time, as were many people. There was also a big youth movement in which people didn’t trust anyone over the age of 30. Fortunately, the overpopulation crisis was somewhat averted by the Green Revolution. You see the themes that were prevalent in the late 60s and early 70s such as the sexual revolution and focus on the pleasures of the individual reflected in the novel and the movie. This was frightening as we felt that people would not reach a higher level of wisdom.



I think the 1976 movie made a mistake raising the age to thirty what about the last day being at age twenty-one is important to you?

MGM raised the age due to casting problems. They felt they didn’t have enough young actors to fill the parts in their opinions.
I think the age of death at 21 is extremely important, due to the fact that we are merging into maturity. It is a cusp year, and therefore carries much more impact.


The 1976 movie was not exactly the most faithful adaptation, I am hoping the new film will follow the novel more closely. Has the new producer asked your opinion? How would you like to see the story re-booted?

Obviously, I would like to see the film story follow the novel more closely. That’s what seems to be happening, but I have not talked to the producer. We can just keep our fingers crossed. I enjoy aspects of what Paul J. Salamoff and Jason V Brock have come up with for the Bluewater Comics adaptation, and would like to see some of that incorporated into the movie.  I really hope they hire good actors – in my opinion, that’s what saved the MGM movie.


The 1976 film seemed obsessed with this idea that they lived in a utopia, and that everything was care free. When I re-read the novel the idea that these people never get older or wiser seemed tragic. No matter how nice their lives are for twenty years isn't Logan really a dystopia?

MGM dropped the entire subtext of the novel. It was all Happyland until age 30. Certainly, Logan’s Run is an anti-Utopian novel, but the film dumbs it all down.
 

You wrote two sequels to Logan's Run, will the new Bluewater comics series follow that extended story line?
 
Who knows. I am reading it issue to issue as is everyone else. What Jason Brock and Paul Salamoff do with the plot will be a surprise. But I trust both of them.




Your name is often associated with this novel, but you have written so much else in so many genres. Do you feel Logan's Run is your masterpiece if not what out of the 2,000 things you have written are you most proud of?

The Marble Orchard is my best novel, followed by Logan’s Run. But Logan’s Run is certainly my iconic calling card.



Photos:
Middle: Jason V.Brock and William F. Nolan @ our last solstice party, Hey Logan fans that couch is now for sale!
Bottom: Myself and William F. Nolan at the 2009 HP Lovecraft film fest here in Portland

Looking for Vegans to be on panels during Try Vegan Week!

We need experienced Vegans to be on panels for
Sunday Aug.15th:
1: PM: Veganize your kitchen (panel discussion)
Confirmed so far: Cari Beltane of Rabbit advocates,

3pm: Replace and veganize your favorite foods (panel discussion) looking for vegan food bloggers
Confirmed so far: Carly Sitner of the Profound Hatred of Meat blog, Jess of Get sconed,

Aug 19th:
Thursday night 7:30 Washington high park across from the mini-mall.
7:30 PM Vegan parenting (panel discussion)
Confirmed so far:

8:30 PM: Get active panel (Would like organizers with NW veg/IDA/ Let live/ Radical cheerleaders/TVPDX)
Confirmed so far: NW Veg, Try Vegan,

Aug 21st
Noon: Veganism beyond diet (Panel dissucssion @ extending Vegan ethic beyond just food)
Confirmed so far: David Agranoff of Try Vegan PDX