The Other ‘Dead’ Series at Image Expo – Dead Ahead 2 Announced

Ryan King writes for Bleeding Cool from Image Comic Expo;

When it comes to zombies in comic books, there is no doubt Image Comics wears the crown of crowns in that department. Many fans of Robert Kirkman’s Walking Dead were present at the Image Expo in Oakland, California, eagerly waiting in line for autographs from the creator Kirkman himself, as well as television cast stars, Norman Reedus and Steven Yeun.

Right around the corner from this signing was another Image Comics series eager to entice fans of flesh-eaters—Dead Ahead. The series tells the tale of a world run amok by swarms of undead humans and a small band of survivors stranded at sea until happening upon a luxury cruise liner. Co-writers Clark Castillo and Mel Smith manned the booth, delivering a brand new trade paperback copy of Dead Ahead printed just in time for fans and new readers attending the Image Expo. The new trade features fourteen previously unpublished pages drawn by the original artist on the series, Alex Nino (Creepy, Eerie, Heavy Metal).

I chatted with Smith and Castillo about the continuation of the series and how their plans for a movie adaptation are moving along.

“Fuck Hollywood,” said Smith. Apparently a deal with their last Hollywood production team had gone south in their efforts to bring Dead Ahead to the big screen.

“We’re going in the direction that’s best for the book,” said Castillo. “For the readers, you know? For the fans. The people are who count. To hell with Hollywood!”

All is not lost, however. Currently the team found a new production studio and list Sam Rami (Spider Man 2, Evil Dead, Dark Man) as an interested director for the film adaptation.

Next on their agenda is a second story arc to the series, which is in the works now. “We’ve got the first nine pages in the first draft,” said Smith. “So [Nino] is working on it right now. I’d say by Comic-Con we’ll have stuff to show and it’ll come out through Image again.”

When asked about a quick synopsis for the new arc, Castillo said, “We’re going to tell the story from the perspective of the people inside the boat.”

Fans eager for more zombie horror in the world of Image Comics need not wait for the next issue of The Walking Dead or Dead Ahead 2. The new trade paperback of Dead Ahead (with supplemental material) is out now!

 Ryan King is the current editor-in-chief of Go Suck A Comic (www.gosuckacomic.com), where he can be contacted on all matters of insanity in sub-culture. One day, he intends to do his damnedest at writing the first official Big Trouble in Little China comic series.