Terminal Lance #132 “Necropocalypse Part 1”

In every smoke pit, every circle of Marines in the field, every bored squad in the hooch; the subject of the zombie apocalypse comes up–or the “Necropocalypse” as I like to refer to it. The subject of zombie plans–from crowbars to escape routes–is discussed in full detail amongst each other, often for hours at a time. Heaven forbid discussing things that could actually happen; you won’t find Marines talking about nuclear attacks, chemical warfare, or natural disasters–the only apocalypse worth talking about is the Necropocalypse.

I’ve got a personal penchant for the undead. Ever since I can remember, the subject of zombies has fascinated me. I believe my first exposure to the idea was the 1986 film Return of the Living Dead. At around age 11 I discovered the Resident Evil videogame series for the original PlayStation. After I had convinced my mom to buy me a PlayStation for my birthday, I fell in love with Resident Evil 2, and the series as a whole. When I was about 15 I discovered George Romero’s Dead series–which to this day I regard as being the epitome of undead filmmaking.

Though, I will admit, the last two films Diary of the Dead and Survival of the Dead were less-than what I was expecting from the master. I believe he’s grown sour in his golden years. What used to be a kind of campy charm–excusable through low budgets and a kind of sick humor–have lost their charm. Compared to modern films the dated, preachy writing and low-budget glamour have become obsolete shadows of a filmmaking style that is no longer tenable in today’s box-office environment.

Anyway, enough about films of the walking dead sort–you may have noticed this strip is titled “Necropocalypse Part 1”. This, as you may have guessed, implies that there will be more than one! Stay tuned on Friday for the next part in the Necropocalypse series.

Also, don’t forget to check the Marine Corps Times every Monday for a new Terminal Lance strip. I might also recommend going to the Terminal Lance store and picking up some awesome swag with your paycheck this week.