Blog of the (Living) Dead

Every Thursday, I am covering a series from the Horror Crossover Encyclopedia related to television or film.  Today, I am covering two separate series that branched off of the same film:  Night of the Living Dead.  One is the Return of the Living Dead series, and the other is George Romero's Dead series.  I've also included some entries not directly a spin-off of Romero's Night of the Living Dead, but featuring zombies that are modeled after those originally from that film.

Since this chronology features multiple timelines, I have color coded the entries.  Black = TVCU/Horror Universe.  Red = Romero's Zombieland.  Blue = Other divergent timelines.

ANNO DRACULA (SERIES BY KIM NEWMAN)

Release Date: 1992 - 2013 (so far) [Setting is 1888 -1991 (so far)]

Series: Anno Dracula

Horror Crosses: Dracula (novel); Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Invisible Man (novel); The Island of Doctor Moreau; The Vampyre; Varney the Vampire; The Soft Whisper of the Dead; They Thirst; Hotel Transylvania; The Black Castle; The Vampire Tapestry; Stephen King Universe; Carmilla; Good Lady Ducayne; The Tomb of Sarah; Ken’s Mystery; The Mysterious Stranger (story); The True Story of a Vampire; Carnacki Ghost Finder; Black Sabbath; The Picture of Dorian Gray; Interview with a Vampire (Anne Rice Vampire Lestat series); The Werewolves of London (Brian Stableford); Count Yorga; The Fearless Vampire Killers; Brides of Dracula; Vampire Circus; Dracula (Universal); Dark Shadows; El Vampiro; Black Sunday; Martin (George A. Romero film); Kolchak the Night Stalker; Blacula; Nosferatu; Kiss of the Vampire; Mr. Vampire; Blood of the Vampire; Daughters of Darkness; Dracula (Hammer); Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Averoigne; Grave of the Vampire/Seed of Terror; Hellraiser; Alraune; The Black Cat (film); Lemora: A Child’s Tale of the Supernatural; The Vampire Thrills; Faustine; Near Dark; Forever Knight; Fright Night; The House of Dracula (novel by R. Chetwynd-Hayes); Anak Pontianak; Necroscope; Revelations in Black; The Dragon Waiting; The Bloody Pit of Horror/The Crimson Executioner; The Playgirls and the Vampire; The Niece of the Vampire/Fangs of the Vampire; The Phantom of the Opera; Incense for the Damned/Bloodsuckers; Addams Family (television); Frankenstein (Universal); The Monkey’s Paw; Three Mothers trilogy; Toby Dammit; The Exorcist; Cave of the Living Dead; The Golem (1920 film); The Old Dark House; Cat People; Black Magic (film); Spirits of the Dead; Les Vampires; The Awful Doctor Orloff; A Bucket of Blood; Those Who Hunt By Night/Immortal Blood/Traveling with the Dead; The Hunger; Fevre Dream; Empire of Fear; Dr. Blood’s Coffin; The Vampire’s Ghost; The Horrible Sexy Vampire; Mark of the Vampire; Vampire (1979); Vampyr - Der Traum des Allan Gray; El Hombre Lobo; Curse of the Undead; Circus of Horrors; The Horror Chamber of Dr. Faustus; Twice Bitten/Vampire Hookers; The Lost Boys; Deathmaster; Velvet Vampire; I, Vampire; Nancy Baker’s Vampire Stories; Sunglasses After Dark; Vamps (Vertigo Comics); Blade; Scooby-Doo; Hellboy; Nocturna; Rosemary’s Baby; American Psycho; Lost Souls; Elvira; Rosemary’s Baby; The Films of Tarantino and Rodriguez; Light at the End; Andy Warhol’s Dracula/Blood for Dracula; Geek Maggot Bingo; Daughter of Darkness; Nightmare in Blood; Madhouse; Vampire Junction/Vanitas; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; Shadowman; Werewolf of London; Little Shop of Horrors; Texas Chainsaw Massacre; The Howling; Gremlins; Suckers: Bleeding London Dry; Desire the Vampire/I Desire; The Creature Commandos; The Vampire (1957); The Vampire (Sydney Horler)

Non-Horror Crosses: Too numerous to list.

The Story: In 1888, during the events of Bram Stoker’s novel, events diverge and Dracula marries Queen Victoria, causing a major alteration in the socio-political world for the next 125 years and beyond.

Notes: This is a divergent timeline, but not a parallel universe. In my theory, a parallel universe is created at the dawn of time at the same time as the main universe and other parallel universes. They may evolve similarly, but they are separate. Meanwhile, each universe has a main timeline, and at each moment, there are an infinite number of divergent timelines created off of the main timeline. When thinking of divergent timelines, try picturing a fork in the road. Both paths lead in different directions, but they both start at the same point, and once were the same road. The Anno Dracula timeline has shown to be an alternate timeline of the main Horror Universe in several other entries in this reference guide. Because it’s a divergent timeline, the above horror crosses, though depicted in an alternate manner, should still count for inclusions in the Horror Universe. Some of the above crossed series are already in, and the others are brought in via this crossover series despite being an alternate timeline series. For the record, the complete Anno Dracula series (thus far) consists of Anno Dracula, the Bloody Red Baron: Anno Dracula 1918, Judgement of Tears: Anno Dracula 1959 (aka Dracula Cha Cha Cha), Coppola’s Dracula (from the Mammoth Book of Dracula), Castle in the Desert: Anno Dracula 1977, Andy Warhol’s Dracula: Anno Dracula 1978 - 1979 (from the Mammoth Book of Vampires), Who Dares Wins: Anno Dracula 1980, The Other Side of Midnight (from Vampire Sextette), You are the Wind Beneath My Wings: Anno Dracula 1984) and Johnny Alucard.

WHITE ZOMBIE (FILM)

Release Date; July 28, 1932 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: White Zombie

The Story: In Haiti, a plantation owner wants another man’s fiance to marry him, and so enlists the assistance of voodoo master Murder Legendre, who turns the girl into a zombie.

Notes: Many writers seem to love using Murder Legendre as the villain in their stories. I wonder what kind of mother names her child “Murder”, though. Note that the zombies in this story are the traditional voodoo type zombies. These are people placed into a drug induced trance who appear to have died and been resurrected to become obedient slaves. This shouldn’t be confused with the type of zombie made famous by George Romero in fiction in which a deceased person is resurrected by some means (comet, radiation, gas, etc.) to become a flesh or brain eating monster. This film is followed by the 1936 sequel Revolt of the Zombies. This film was remade in 2009. The film is referenced in non-crossover ways in films such as Bride of the Monster, Vampire Hunter D, and Ed Wood.

TALES OF THE SHADOWMEN VOLUME 6: GRAND GUIGNOL “THE CHILDREN OF HERACLES” (STORY BY ROMAN LEARY)

Release Date: 2010 (Setting is 1949)

Series: Tales of the Shadowmen

Horror Crosses: Behemoth the Sea Monster; the Magnetic Monster; Kolchak the Night Stalker; The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms; Night of the Living Dead; Phantoms; Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; “The Stephen King Universe” (the works of Stephen King)

Non-Horror Crosses: Nyctalope; Andromeda Strain; Quatermass; Doctor Who; Big Bad John; Six Million Dollar Man

The Story: The heroic Nyctalope is in California teaming with Professor Quatermass against the evil Agent Lord.

Notes: There are appearances of characters from Behemoth the Sea Monster, the Magnetic Monster, Kolchak the Night Stalker, Big Bad John, and the Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. Behemoth the Sea Monster is a 1959 monster film. The Magnetic Monster is a 1953 monster movie. Kolchak the Night Stalker is a 1970s television series about a reporter who investigates the unknown, particularly the supernatural. The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is another 1953 giant sea monster movie. Agent Lord is intended to be the time travelling Time Lord villain called the Master from the sci-fi series Doctor Who, using an alias. He refers to events from the future, from the Andromeda Strain, Night of the Living Dead, Phantoms, and Stephen King’s Desperation. He also refers to the Shoggoth from Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. The Nyctalope is of course the French vigilante from the early 20th century. Quatermass is the main character from the British television series of the same name. Big Bad John is the main character from the song of the same name from country singer Jimmy Dean. The OSI (Office of Scientific Investigation) is mentioned here, which is in the Magnetic Monster, but also from the novel Cyborg, which became the basis for the television series Six Million Dollar Man and the spin-off Bionic Woman. All of the above mentioned series, books, and films are all shown to co-exist in the Horror Universe, though of course only the horror crosses can be used to link and bring in further crossovers. And yes, once again, Doctor Who is in the Horror Universe!!! And see my notes elsewhere for how zombie movies fit into the Horror Universe.

COLLIERS MAGAZINE “THE BODY SNATCHERS” (NOVEL BY JACK FINNEY)

Release Date: 1954 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Body Snatchers (novel)

Horror Crosses: Halloween; Phantoms; Memoirs of an Invisible Man; Stephen King Universe; Scream of the Banshee; Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956 film); Return of the Living Dead; Boo; Sharknado

Non-Horror Crosses: Airwolf; A Friend to Die For; Ben 10; Doctor Who

The Story: In Santa Mira, California, people are starting to act different. It turns out aliens are invading by slowly replacing the inhabitants and taking their forms.

Notes: Unlike the film versions, in this story, there is a happy ending and the aliens are defeated. And in fact, in the Katrina Protocol (aka Voodoo Twilight), it’s revealed that the Shop (the secret government agency from Stephen King books) sent in Ohisver van Helsing to take care of the situation. The Body Snatchers will invade again, as other crossovers will bring in the 1970s remake. This novel marks the first appearance of Santa Mira, California, a fictional town that will reappear in Halloween III: The Season of the Witch, Phantoms, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, The Dark Tower, Scream of the Banshee, the first Invasion of the Body Snatchers film adaption, Airwolf, A Friend to Die For, Ben 10, Redux of the Living Dead, Boo, Sharknado and Doctor Who: The New Adventures. In separate stories, the Doctor, Nathaniel Cade, and one of the van Helsing family have all been said to have been involved in these events behind the scenes.

MONSTERS VS. ALIENS (ANIMATED SERIES)

SEASON 1 EPISODE 14 “IT CAME FROM LEVEL Z”

Release Date: October 19, 2013 (Setting is late 1960s)

Horror Crosses: Night of the Living Dead

The Story: When the monsters are forced to clean the rec room, they enlist a zombie to do the work for them.

Notes: The zombie, with other zombies, is kept in the same facility as the monsters, and are said to have been rounded up after the incident in Pennsylvania, a reference to Night of the Living Dead. For those who have been paying attention, the events of the Night of the Living Dead have been placed in the main Horror Universe timeline and a divergent timeline where there is a zombie apocalypse. It’s always easy to determine which timeline to place a Night crossover. On the main timeline, the film happened in the 1960s and was contained, leading to the Return of the Living Dead series. In the divergent timeline, the events happened around 2008, spread on a global scale, and led to the other Romero Dead films. Thus this crossover must take place in the main timeline since they aren’t living in a Zombieland and the series is set in the 1960s.

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER CHRONICLES “OPEN HOUSE” (SHORT STORY BY MAX ALLAN COLLINS)

Release Date: 2005 (Setting is 1976)

Series: Kolchak the Night Stalker

Horror Crosses: Return of the Living Dead; Night of the Living Dead

The Story: Kolchak is investigating a haunted house that kills real estate agents.

Notes: At one point in the story, Kolchak references a conspiracy theory about biological weapons causing a zombie outbreak in Pennsylvania. This is a reference to both Night of the Living Dead and the Return of the Dead series. That reference brings in those series of films. Return of the Dead was a sort of sequel to Night of the Living Dead, in that it states that Night of the Living Dead was a film based on true events, but in actuality, the outbreak was smaller and contained, which works better for the Horror Universe. Kolchak’s remarks towards it being a conspiracy that the government wants to hide from the government helps support a major premise of the Horror Universe regarding events depicted when cities are overrun by monsters or when alien invasions occur.

MARS ATTACKS THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS (IDW)

Release Date: January 16, 2013 (Setting is 1988, during the run of the Now Comics Real Ghostbusters series)

Series: Mars Attacks; Ghostbusters

Horror Crosses: Zombies vs. Robots; Chew; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; War of the Worlds (radio)

Non-Horror Crosses: Popeye; KISS; Transformers; Miss Fury; Opus; Judge Dredd; Star Slammers; Madman; Strangers in Paradise; Rog-2000; Cerebus; Rom

The Story: The Ghostbusters travel to Grover’s Mill, New Jersey to bust the ghosts of the Martians from the 1938 invasion, and encounter a different group of Martians.

Notes: The IDW Real Ghostbusters seems to be set in the late 1980s based on most evidence. This story was part of a major company wide crossover, but unlike DC or Marvel, IDW has mostly licensed properties. Rather than have them coexist, they have one story take place over a range of dimensions. Thus, the Ghostbusters and War of the Worlds links are both to the Horror Universe, but all the other above listed crosses come from alternate realities in the Horror Multiverse. The premise is that these Martians invaded a series of realities. Note that of the above, only Ghostbusters, Zombies vs. Robots, Popeye, Kiss and Transformers actually had comic stories published. The other crossovers come from extra covers that had no accompanying stories, but were still considered to be valid parts of the overall invasion. The Buffy cross comes from one of those covers, for Mars Attacks Spike. This is a cross with the divergent Season 8 timeline.

DIAL M FOR MONSTER “THE DEAD DON’T DIE” (IDW)

Release Date: September 24, 2004 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Criminal Macabre/Cal McDonald

Horror Crosses: Night of the Living Dead; Return of the Living Dead

The Story: Cal has to deal with zombies.

Notes: Cal mentions biowarfare testing in the 1960s that led to a zombie outbreak in Pennsylvania. Though this is a reference to Night of the Living Dead, for Horror Universe purposes, we must interpret this as a reference to Return of the Living Dead. The Return of the Living Dead series presumes that the film Night of the Living Dead was based on real events, but it keeps its zombie attacks contained. Meanwhile, in a divergent timeline, Night of the Living Dead happened as depicted, but it happened in the early 21st century and led to a global outbreak. Since Cal refers to the events happening in the 1960s and because Cal does not live in a world overrun by zombies, Cal must live in the same world as the Return of the Living Dead series, the main Horror Universe timeline.

PSYCHOPOMP HALLOWE’EN SPECIAL “REDUX OF THE LIVING DEAD” (SHORT STORY BY KEVIN T. HEIM)

Release Date: October 26, 2012 (Setting is May 2005)

Series: Frankenstein (Kevin Heim); Return of the Living Dead

Horror Crosses: Lost Boys; Body Snatchers; Kitty Norville

Non-Horror Crosses: Frasier; G.I. Joe

The Story: A Frankenstein Monster is living in Santa Mira, California, living a nice life when he finds himself fighting a zombie outbreak.

Notes: Author Kevin Heim has informed me that this monster is intentionally ambiguous as to whether it’s the original or any of the others created by Victor or another of his family. He had originally thought of his monster being the Steve Niles version, but found them not compatible, and was inspired by the image of the monster’s appearance with Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos, particularly with the monster riding the motorcycle. The zombies are turned by Trioxin from the Return of the Living Dead series. More specifically, there are cyborg zombies from Return of the Living Dead: Necropolis. The Monster finds himself aided by the Frog brothers from the Lost Boys. The setting is Santa Mira. Santa Mira first appeared in Body Snatchers. See my entry for that story to see a list of the many other appearances of Santa Mira. The Monster listens to talk radio hosted by Kitty Norville. Kitty comes from a series by Carrie Vaughn. That series exists in a world where the supernatural is publically known. It must be a divergent timeline. This must be her main Horror Universe timeline counterpart. The Monster also listens to a show hosted by psychiatrist Dr. Niles Crane, who is a character from the television series Frasier. The Monster rides a Silver Mirage motorcycle, which comes from the G.I. Joe toy line.

ARMY OF DARKNESS # 1 - 4 “ARMY OF DARKNESS VS. RE-ANIMATOR” (DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT)

Release Date: 2005 - 2006 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Evil Dead

Horror Crosses: Re-Animator (Dynamite Entertainment); Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Marvel Zombies

Non-Horror Crosses: Batman; Alice in Wonderland

The Story: Ash is locked up in Arkham Asylum, a mental hospital associated with Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts. His doctor is Herbert West!

Notes: These events follow the comic book series Army of Darkness: Shop Till You Drop. This crossover brings a version of Re-Animator that is different than the film version of Re-Animator and the Lovecraft story it was based upon. Horror expert Kevin Heim informs “This comic book version of Dr. Herbert West has a wildly different origin story than the one in the film series, revealed in RE-ANIMATOR #0 (2006). He is also much younger than the movie version, as opposed to the Herbert West that turns up in HACK SLASH, who IS the movie version.” The West from the Lovecraft tale, the West from the 80s films and the comic book version are not the same guy, but they could be related, perhaps even a direct family lineage. Other Lovecraftian elements in this tale include Miskatonic University in Arkham, Massachusetts and the invocation of Yog Sothoth. Note the uncanny coincidence in there being an Arkham Asylum, as that is a key setting in Batman’s Gotham City as well. Batman’s Arkham Asylum is also a home for the criminally insane, founded by the Arkham family, who seemed to be cursed with madness as well. It could be that the same family were the founders of Arkham, Massachusetts. The end of the tale leads into Marvel Zombies with a brief stopover in an alternate Wonderland infested with deadites.

HOUSE OF THE DEAD 2 (FILM)

Release Date: February 11, 2006 (Contemporary Setting, shortly after the prior film)

Series: House of the Dead (film)

Horror Crosses: Buffy the Vampire Slayer

The Story: Cuesta Verde University has a zombie, or “Hyper Sapien”, who was a survivor of the first film. They intend to study her to create a formula for immortality, but instead, there’s a zombie outbreak.

Notes: Cuesta Verde University is said to be just outside Sunnydale. Since at this point, Sunnydale is now a crater, it’s a good thing they were just outside of the town. This is of course a sequel to House of the Dead.

MARVEL ZOMBIES VS. ARMY OF DARKNESS # 1 - 5 (MARVEL COMICS AND DYNAMITE ENTERTAINMENT)

Release Date: May - September 2007 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Marvel Zombies; Evil Dead

Horror Crosses: Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos

The Story: After he is apparently killed, Ash finds himself instead transported to an alternate reality that was once filled with super-heroes and villains but has since been overrun by a zombie virus.

Notes: The Marvel Zombies series takes place in an alternate version of the Marvel Comics Universe where everyone has become zombies. This story makes it clear that Ash is from a separate alternate universe that is not filled with lots of super-heroes. Officially (according to Marvel Comics), the Marvel Universe is designated Earth-616 by the Watchers. Marvel Zombies is set on Earth-2149. Marvel also says that the world that Ash comes from (which is the setting of the Dynamite Entertainment comics and the Evil Dead/Army of Darkness films) is Earth-818793. So if we are to believe Marvel’s staff and the Watchers, then Earth-818793 is the Horror Universe, and in fact, the Horror Multiverse and Marvel Multiverse are one and the same. Also of interest, in the story, Ash and some non-zombie heroes wish to obtain Doctor Doom’s copy of the Necronomicon. The Evil Dead/Army of Darkness series usually uses the Necronomicon ex Mortis, but a Kolchak story listed elsewhere in this guide reveals that the two are merely variations of the same book.

GRINDHOUSE “PLANET TERROR” (FILM)

Release Date: 2007 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: The films of Tarantino and Rodriguez

The Story: A government bio-weapon is accidentally released, causing a zombie epidemic.

Notes: Though this story appears first, it comes chronologically after Death Proof due to the appearance of the same nurse in both. Because this film ends with a worldwide epidemic of zombie takeover, we must assume this veers off into a divergent timeline. Sheriff Earl McGraw appears, along with Red Apple Cigarettes. The recent death of Jungle Janice, a local DJ, is mentioned. This occurred in Death Proof. This film has been spoofed on the Simpsons.

HACKOWEEN (WEB COMIC)

Release Date: October 15, 2008 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Hack/Slash; Halloween Man

Horror Crosses: Marvel Zombies

The Story: Cassie is teleported the the strange alternate reality of Halloween Man.

Notes: This story brings the world of Halloween Man into the Horror Multiverse. The heroes also fight an alternate version of the Marvel Zombies.

THE LIVING CORPSE ANNUAL # 1 “THE LEGEND OF THE JERSEY DEVIL” (ZENESCOPE ENTERTAINMENT)

Release Date: April 1, 2009 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: The Living Corpse

Horror Crosses: Hack/Slash

The Story: After the obligatory hero fight, Cassie and John Romero team up to take on the Jersey Devil and Old Mother Leeds.

Notes: This story brings in the Living Corpse, a zombie who regained his intelligence and uses his cursed existence for heroic deeds.

IZOMBIE # 1 - 28 (DC COMICS’ VERTIGO)

Release Date: January 1, 2010 - August 1, 2012 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: iZombie

Horror Crosses: Frankenstein (novel); Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos

Non-Horror Crosses: Doc Savage; Solomon Kane; Book of Secrets; Sherlock Holmes; Madman

The Story: Gwen Price is a zombie teenager who can pass as human. She just has to eat a human brain once a month to keep her humanity, which she does by digging up the graves of the recently deceased. She and her best friend, a ghost, fight supernatural menaces in Eugene, Oregon.

Notes: The crossovers in this book bring iZombie into the Horror Universe. iZombie originally appeared in two stories in House of Mystery before gaining its own series. In the series, several Frankenstein monsters appear. Cthulhu is the behind the scenes villain of the overall story arc of the series. Doc Savage and Solomon Kane appear in flashbacks. Chris Roberson, the author of this series, throws in links to his novel Book of Secrets. Sherlock Holmes is mentioned as a real person. And there is a slight crossover with Image’s superhero Madman.

SUPERNATURAL (TELEVISION SERIES)

SEASON 5 EPISODE 19 “HAMMER OF THE GODS”

Release Date: April 22, 2010 (Contemporary Setting)

Non-Horror Crosses: Avatar

The Story: Sam and Dean get lured to a summit of gods who are meeting to try to stop the apocalypse.

Notes: There are a few things to mention here. First, the apocalypse that is going on during this season is mostly going on without the general public being aware, thus it still works in the Horror Universe main timeline. However, as this series reveals, had it not gone unstopped, it would have led to at least one divergent timeline resembling a zombie apocalypse. The Lucifer and other angels involved in this series are probably the real deals, as opposed to posers we often encounter in the Horror Universe. In this episode, Gabriel (who had previously been posing as a Trickster) is revealed to also be Loki. Perhaps that’s true, but more likely Gabriel had been posing as Loki while hiding from his Heavenly brethren. Finally, Gabriel/Loki suggests escaping from the apocalypse by running off to the planet Pandorum. This is the planet from Avatar, which also has strong connections to the Alien film series.

THE WALKING DEAD (TELEVISION SERIES)

Release Date: October 31, 2010 - Present at time of writing (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Walking Dead (Television)

The Story: A band of survivors try to exist in a world overrun with zombies.

Notes: The cross below brings in the television series. I have not found any crosses yet connecting the comic book version, which is slightly different. This series has been referenced as fictional and paid homage to numerous times in other series and in films. It has also been spoofed on Mad, Robot Chicken, and Saturday Night Live.

INFESTATION # 1 - 2 (IDW)

Release Date: January - April 2011 (multiple settings)

Series: Zombies vs. Robots

Horror Crosses: Ghostbusters; CVO: Covert Vampiric Operations

Non-Horror Crosses: G.I. Joe; Star Trek; Transformers; Pocket God

The Story: In INFESTATION, a vampire/zombie hybrid with the powers of a goddess traveled through space-time to seek particular ingredients for a spell and used different types of zombies in each 'zone' to achieve her goals or to distract the locals as she achieved them herself.

Notes: Infestation is the first IDW company wide crossover and in fact an intercompany crossover as well. IDW consists of mostly titles featuring licensed series. They have managed the brilliant way to still put out crossovers of all their titles by involving time and interdimensional travel. Zombies vs. Robots must be in an alternate reality within the Horror Multiverse. Ghostbusters is of course in the Horror Universe. See the entry for the IDW Ghostbusters series for more on continuity and placement. CVO is a secret government agency of vampires. It may exist in the Horror Universe, but because of the multiversal nature of this crossover story, it’s hard to tell. At the very least , it’s part of the same multiverse. G.I. Joe and Pocket God also can be placed in the Horror Multiverse, but not necessarily the Horror Universe. Incidentally, Pocket God is a comic from Ape Entertainment, thus making this not only a company wide crossover, but also an intercompany crossover. Though this cross can’t place Transformers in the Horror Universe, IDW’s later Conspiracy crossover does. My fellow researchers, who are more familiar with IDW, ensure me that this does not bring in all Transformers stories, but only certain IDW Transformers storylines. And Star Trek has already been established to exist in one of the alternate future timelines of the Horror Universe. Infestation # 1 -2 did not tell the whole story, but rather were simply the bookends. The entire story was told in the following: Infestation # 1, Star Trek: Infestation # 1 - 2, Transformers: Infestation # 1 - 2, Ghostbusters: Infestation # 1 - 2, G.I. Joe: Infestation # 1 - 2, Infestation # 2, Infestation: CVO 100-Page Spectacular, Pocket God: Infestation # 1, Zombies vs. Robots: UnderCity # 1 - 4, and Infestation: Outbreak # 1 - 4. This crossover is followed by a Cthulhu Mythos based Infestation 2 and then a Mars Attacks crossover.

HACK/SLASH MEETS ZOMBIES VS CHEERLEADERS # 1 (MOONSTONE)

Release Date: June 1, 2011 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Hack/Slash; Zombies vs Cheerleaders

The Story: Cassie goes undercover as a Washington State student to investigate the disappearances of several students.

Notes: The school is the setting of Zombies vs Cheerleaders, an anthology series where every self contained story takes place at the same high school that is suffering from a zombie problem, that oddly stays contained to the school.

ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE (FILM)

Release Date: October 29, 2011 (Setting is June - December 2011)

Series: Zombie Apocalypse

Horror Crosses: Evil Dead

The Story: In June 2011, a new virus turns into a zombie plague. Six months later, it has become a worldwide epidemic.

Notes: One of the characters had previously worked at an S-Mart, just as Ash Williams had. That links this film to the Horror Universe. But of course zombies on a global scale doesn’t conform to the main timeline, so this must be a divergent timeline. I wish I could place it in the Romero timeline, but the film is very clear about the start of the plague and the cause, both of which contradict the Romero timeline. So this is yet another alternate zombie timeline.

PAYDAY: THE HEIST (VIDEO GAME)

Release Date: October 18, 2011 (Contemporary Setting -- see notes)

Series: Payday

Horror Crosses: Left 4 Dead

The Story: You get to play a bad guy doing really bad things.

Notes: One of the heists, only available as downloadable content, is at Mercy Hospital, a location from Left 4 Dead. Depending on how you play, there is a chance for a cameo from Bill of Left 4 Dead. The “scene” or “level” provides the origin for the Green Flu. Some speculative theorizing based on some real connecting factors by myself and the “TVCU Crew”, particularly Matt Hickman and Kevin Heim, have been formed. Left 4 Dead it would seem may be part of the same Romero zombie timeline. If that’s the case, Cabin in the Woods’ real ending may have been the lead in to the zombie timeline.

CABIN IN THE WOODS (FILM)

Release Date: April 13, 2012 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Cabin in the Woods

Horror Crosses: Alien; Half-Life; Evil Dead; Poltergeist; Frankenstein (Universal); Child’s Play; Creature from the Black Lagoon; Corpse Bride; Killer Klowns from Outer Space; Stephen King Universe; Killjoy; Devil’s Rejects; Clownhouse; Drive Thru; Funhouse; Amusement; Circus of Fear; Clown Camp; Demonic Toys; Demons; Night of the Demons; Supernatural; Charmed; Gremlins; Ghoulies; Creeps; Troll; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; Frankenstein (novel); Dr. Giggles; The Human Centipede; House on Haunted Hill; The Dead Pit; Buffy the Vampire Slayer; The Strangers; Underworld; Attack of the 50 Foot Woman; Troll Hunter; Anaconda; Python; Mega Snake; Snakes on a Plane; Resident Evil; Hellraiser; Cannibal Holocaust; Creepshow; Legend of Sleepy Hollow; Attack of the Jack-O-Lanterns; Pumpkinhead; Frankenfish; The Mummy! Or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century; The Mummy (Universal); The Hills Have Eyes; Wrong Turn; Chernobyl Diaries; 28 Days Later; Signal; the Works of Quentin Tarantino; Left 4 Dead; Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos; Re-Animator (film); Siren; The Exorcist; The Exorcism of Emily Rose; Reptillicus; Jurassic Park; Abomidible Bigfoot; The Legend of Boggy Creek; Ape Canyon; Curse of Bigfoot; Night of the Bloody Apes; Wendigo; Night Beasts; Night of the Scarecrow; Scarecrows; Husk; Scarecrow Gone Wild; The Scarecrows Walk at Midnight; The Town that Dreaded Sundown; The Craft; Witches of Eastwick; Hocus Pocus; Jack Frost; Hellboy (film); Rumplestilskin; Lephrechaun; Hansel and Gretel Witch Hunters; Gingerbread Man; The Vampyre; Dracula (novel); Nosferatu; The Wolf Man; An American Werewolf in London; The Howling; Wolf; Texas Chainsaw Massacre; Friday the 13th; Night of the Living Dead; Return of the Living Dead; F.E.A.R.; The Blob; Feast; Horrors of the Wendigo; Frostbiter; Ghost; Bram Stoker’s Dracula (film); The Cyclops; Cyclops Giant; Nightbreed; Leeches!; Attack of the Giant Leeches; Rows of Teeth; The Birds; Killing Birds; Birdemic: Shock and Terror; Silent Hill; Attack of the Killer Lane Gnomes; Alligator; Lake Placid; Them!; Legion of Fire: Killer Ants!; Ants; Empire of the Ants; King Kong; Centipede Horror; The Giant Claw; The Ring; Attack of the Giant Gila Monster; The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms; Tarantula; Eight Legged Freaks; Jaws; Frogs; Lord of Darkness; House of the Dead; The Grudge; Chopping Mall; BlinkyTM; The Kraken; Kraken: Tentacles of the Deep; Octopus; The Beast; Deep Rising; It Came From Beneath the Sea; Tentacles; Eye of the Beast; Mega Shark; Giant Octopus; Castle Freak; Tokyo Gore Police; Septic; Mutants; Ogre; Blood Pool; Legend of the Ogre; Killing Floor; Little Shop of Horrors; The Breed; Hatchet; Phantasm; See No Evil; Thinner; Monster House; Attila; Dead Snow; Frankenstein’s Army; Manhunt; The Monster in the Closet; Killer Eyes; Demomata; CSP-682; Parasite Eve 2; Dead Space; Night of the Lepus; Creature from the Haunted Sea; Tremors; Hostel; The Collection; The Butcher; Dead Rising; My Bloody Valentine; The Exterminator; Willard; War of the Worlds; Signs; Lollipop Chainsaw; Ghost Ship; Curse of the Pirates; Jolly Roger; Lead Soldiers; Vampire Vikings; The Witch; Blair Witch Project; The Village; The Thing; Vampire Breath; Goosebumps; Angel; King Cobra

Non-Horror Crosses: Harry Potter; Wizard of Oz; Great Expectations; Batman; Labyrinth; Land of the Giants; The Wrath of Paul Bunyan; Dreamscape; Last of the Mohicans; Blood Meridian; Scalps; Savage Sam; Sin City; Kevin Spencer; We Need to Talk About Kevin; Jacob’s Ladder; Doctor Who; Black Swan; Pan’s Labyrinth; Nutcracker; Blade Hunter; The Chronicles of Narnia; Time Bandits; The Princess and the Frog; Pirates of the Caribbean; Futurama; The Incredible Shrinking Man; Pee-Wee’s Playhouse; Red Planet; Terminator; Zathura; Hardware; Robot Wars; Bacterial Contamination; Firefly; Clash of the Titans; Team Fortress; Man from Planet X; Starship Troopers; Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal; Twisted Metal

The Story: A group of teens head out for a weekend in a cabin in the woods, not knowing that they have been chosen as sacrifices to an ancient deity in order to save the world from his wrath.

Notes: This film exposes the secret truth behind modern horror. Behind it all is a secret organization, chosen to sacrifice youth to ancient gods. All of the above named crossovers have been linked in this film, and revealed to be part of this secret conspiracy. Most of the crossovers above come from the monsters and artifacts contained in the facility. While some of the monsters and artifacts are clearly from certain films above, many are based on certain types of horror films, in which case I included the more well-known of these film types. I recommend the well-researched Cabin in the Woods Wiki for a more detailed listing of the monsters and their inspirations. Note that I included in the above crossovers some monsters that only appeared in the official novelization and the official Universal Theme Park attraction tie-in. With this film, I break one of my major rules of crossover connecting. Though some of the crosses are direct crosses, like Evil Dead and Left 4 Dead, most of them are only connected because the films represent the more well-known films of the trope from which a certain monster comes. Normally, I would not count something that is “like something from”, but there is dialogue within the film that makes me break my rule. In one scene, referring to the monsters, security officer Daniel Truman says “They’re like something from a nightmare.” Lin, a head scientist, responds, “No, they’re something nightmares are from.” She goes on to explain that these monsters are the creations of the Ancient Ones, having been around since the beginning, and different cultures have told stories that interpret them in different ways. Thus, in the instance of this film, “like” is enough because of the author’s intent. And thus my love/hate relationship with Joss Whedon, for expanding the Horror Universe dramatically but making me do a lot of work to write this entry. Note that this film ends with the start of an apocalypse, so the end must veer into a divergent timeline. We must presume in the main Horror Universe, the virgin shot the fool. And if you haven’t seen the movie, that last sentence probably seems very bizarre. This film has been referenced as fictional in South Park, The Cinema Snob, Scary Movie 5, and Doc of the Dead. It is also paid homage to in Red Dawn when Chris Hemsworth and his friends once more wind up in a cabin in the woods. The film has also been spoofed in Robot Chicken and Scary Movie 5.

MONSTER BRAWL (FILM)

Release Date: September 22, 2012 (Contemporary Setting)

Series: Monster Brawl

Horror Crosses: Frankenstein; Dracula; Night of the Living Dead

The Story: A wrestling match is held that is telecast. The combatants are all monsters.

Notes: Though they are not all direct crosses, all the monsters are inspired by classic horror films. Three are more direct crosses. One of the wrestlers is another of the Frankenstein monsters. Another is a female vampire who resides in Dracula’s castle. And yet another is one of the zombies from Night of the Living Dead.

THE WALKING DEAD (TELEVISION SERIES)

SEASON 3 EPISODE 15 “THIS SORROWFUL LIFE”

Release Date: March 24, 2013 (Contemporary Setting)

Horror Crosses: Dawn of the Dead

The Story: It’s difficult to explain the plot of this one episode without explaining all that came before. This series is very much a soap opera (with zombies) so I’ll just say that at this point there are two groups dealing with their own issues.

Notes: A specific zombie appears which some refer to as the “plaid shirt zombie”. This is the same zombie seen in Dawn of the Dead. Though it would seem that can’t be based on dating, George Romero places Diary of the Dead, which has very modern technology, on the same night as Night of the Living Dead. Thus, Dawn of the Dead must take place in 2008 or later. George Romero’s zombie movies take place in a divergent timeline where the world was overrun by zombies. Though Romero himself considers his films all in the same reality (and thus I place them in the same Horror Universe divergent timeline), I refer to the specific films individually for crossover purposes. This is primarily because the films seem less like sequels and more as stand alone films. But rest assured, they still all fall within the same divergent timeline, along with the Walking Dead television series. Meanwhile, Return of the Living Dead and its sequels take place in a divergent timeline where the Night of the Living Dead occurred, but the situation was covered up and contained. It could be that the Return films take place in the main Horror Universe timeline. Though it’s not solid, it seems implied that the film Zombieland is part of the Romero timeline. In the series Supernatural, the apocalypse was triggered, which led to a divergent timeline with zombies. This timeline was prevented from occurring, but would still theoretically exist as a divergent timeline. It could be this was the Romero timeline.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEADPOOL # 1 - 4 (MARVEL COMICS)

Release Date: January 15 - March 5, 2014 (See notes regarding setting)

Series: Deadpool

Horror Crosses: Evil Dead; Night of the Living Dead; Shaun of the Dead; The Walking Dead

The Story: Deadpool awakens to find himself the only survivor in a zombie apocalypse.

Notes: Deadpool finds himself at the cabin from Evil Dead. The zombies are the Romero style and of course the title is an homage/parody of Night of the Living Dead. Army of Darkness vs. Marvel Zombies demonstrated that the Marvel Zombies universe had its own counterpart of Ash, so likely the cabin existed in the Marvel Zombies Universe as well. It does seem likely that with Deadpool being a Marvel character, this story should take place in the Marvel Zombies Universe at the start of the outbreak. However, this is actually a Horror Universe counterpart of Deadpool in the Romero Zombie divergent timeline at the start of the outbreak. At one point in the story, Deadpool ends up at Hershel Green’s farmhouse from the Walking Dead. The Walking Dead has crossovers with Dawn of the Dead and Day of the Dead, placing it in the Romero Zombie timeline. Deadpool also ends up at the Winchester Arms from Shaun of the Dead, confirming that film in the Romero Zombie timeline.