Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Comics, depression, entertainment, kickstarter, undad

Undad – A Zombie Comic About Depression

Published Sun, 09 Nov 2014 12:00:21 -0600

Undad #1 and #2 by Shane W Smith, Andrea Lopez Mata, Diego Lopez Mata, Anthony Salinas, Joseph Canave. On Kickstarter until December 15, 2014. Undad is a meaningful character study with something to say. It's also a zombie comic, starring an zombie family man trying to lead a normal vegetarian life.

Shane Smith writes,

It's a well-established axiom that fictional characters reflect aspects of their author's psyche. Any writer will be familiar with this concept, though most will agree that most of the time, these reflections only come to light upon the completion of the work.

So it is with Undad. I had written and posted the entire first issue online before its meaning finally dawned on me.

Although it's a zombie comic, and a family drama, Undad is a book about depression.

____

Brett Buckley isn't doing so well relating to his family. In the space of a single morning, he manages to annoy both his children and his wife. He's deep in a rut, caught in the routines of life, lost in his own dramas. He is dead inside, a condition made a reality later that same day when he is assaulted (and turned) by a filthy hobo who tries to eat him.

And that's when the next stage of the depression-metaphor rears its ugly head: Brett discovers within himself a monster, a malignant force he can't control that makes him do things he would otherwise never do.

Although he is terrified and ashamed of it, he feels like he can't seek help. He feels alone in the world, for society will no doubt see him as a freak, a toxic creature to be despised, reviled and ostracised. And he fears that his family will flee from the monster he has become, that they will reject him because of his weakness.

His condition has created this rift between the man he is and the man he wants to be, and despite his best efforts to hold onto the status quo, it ends driving a deep wedge between himself and his family. He seeks solace and answers in medicine, psychiatry and religion, but they all lead to dead ends.

Deep down, he knows that losing his wife and kids will finish off the last shreds of his humanity, so Brett must do whatever it takes to win their love and respect back. He must become a better husband, a better father, and a better man. And, it seems, he must do it alone.

Becoming dead reminded him how to live.

This is Undad.

____

The Undad Kickstarter campaign aims to get Issues 1 and 2 of the Undad miniseries into print. Backers can get both issues (a total of 80 pages) for just $5, and can get Shane W Smith's entire back catalogue of graphic novels (over 1500 pages), for just $40 $32.

For the next seven days only: the $40 reward tier (1500 pages of Shane W Smith comics) will be offered to Bleeding Cool readers at a 20% discount.

Issue 1 of Undad is already complete, and can be read online for free for the duration of this Kickstarter campaign. The artwork for Issue 2 will be produced by the incredibly talented Diego and Andrea Lopez Mata.

The campaign has already achieved more than half of its funding goal, and Shane has started turning his attention towards potential stretch goals. Issues 3, 4 and 5 of Undad can be made if the campaign raises $6000, $8000, and $10000 respectively. Additional rewards and perks for backers will unlock at these higher levels as well.

You can invest in the Undad Kickstarter here.

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