The tension was palpable as we welcomed comic creators Laurie Calcaterra and Brandon Starocci to the Summerween Slamdown - a bare-knuckle brawl between frenemies that would determine the fate of Laurie's zombie crown and Brandon's prized mustache. What began as online beef culminated in this explosive showdown, judged by none other than 2024 Zombie-ween king and horror author Sylvester Barzey.

Contact & Social Links for Guests & Related Authors

Elevator Pitch

• R. Cuthbertson: @rcuthbertson.writes
  • Waves of Undead

Guests

• Laurie Calcaterra: @LaurieCalcaterra
  • Path of the Pale Rider
• Brandon Starocci: @brandonstarocci
  • Avalon Comic

Judge

• Sylvester Barzey: @sylvesterbarzey
  • SylvesterBarzey.com

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

In this provocative and poignant episode, we sit down with author KQ Watson to explore her short story Wheelchair Seating for the Apocalypse. Far from your average survival tale, this narrative focuses on a wheelchair user who chooses to opt out of enduring a zombie-infested world—prompting a powerful and compassionate exploration of autonomy, dignity, and the underrepresented voices in apocalyptic fiction.

We dive into the ethics of medical aid in dying, ableist tropes in horror, and what it means to grant agency to those who refuse to “survive.” Amid the weighty themes, KQ shares unlikely passions—from The Dark Crystal’s eerie magic to satanic death metal for sober listeners—and reveals what writing about a fallen angel, cookie dough, and last meals say about confronting the end of everything.

Contact & Social Media for KQ Watson

• Carrd: kqwatson.carrd.co
• Instagram: @kq_watson
• TikTok: @kq_watson

Music & Show Recommendations from KQ Watson

• The Gears by Dethklok
• To Tame the Temporal Shrew - Rishloo
• Memento Mori - Will Wood
• Baphomet - Zeal & Ardor
• Dead Set - Tv Show
• Threads - nuclear apocalypse (Full Movie)

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

In this special “get to know us” episode, Dan and Leah pull back the curtain on the Zombie Book Club. From meeting on ICQ in the internet’s dark ages to building a zombie-obsessed home in Vermont, they share their origin story, their love for all things undead, and why they use the apocalypse as a lens to talk about capitalism, climate collapse, and representation. You’ll hear about Dan’s zombie novel-in-progress, Leah’s creepy-cool zombie crowns, and the barking dogs that would absolutely blow their cover in a real outbreak.

They answer listener-submitted questions both thoughtful and ridiculous — from “Who’s the better cook?” to “Do zombies pick their noses?” — and feature an indie horror gem, Dead Awake: Collapse by Rob Ulitski. Whether you’re here for thoughtful apocalypse analysis or absurd competitions like the Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Cluck Challenge, you’re invited to join the found-family energy of the ZomBestie community. Grab a snack, your favorite blunt object, and hit play.

Elevator Pitch:

• Rob Ulitski: Dead Awake: Collapse:

Our Next Read:

• KQ Watson: Wheelchair Seating for the Apocalypse

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

When Rod becomes the only sentient zombie in a world overrun with mindless undead, he adopts a squirrel sidekick (Grim), starts naming zombies, and invents a lifestyle fueled by mealworms.

Things shift dramatically when he meets Bethany—a gritty survivor who doesn’t immediately try to destroy him. Together, they explore what it even means to be alive: grief, identity, free will, and the deep loneliness of being neither fully dead nor truly living.

Join us this week as we chat with author Kathryn Breen, a Syracuse-based teacher balancing motherhood and story‑crafting, about breathing heart and humor into horror. We dig into her magical spins on zombie origin stories, honor sibling bonds, and debate whether human cruelty or shambling flesh is scarier.

Guest Links:

• Author Website: kathrynbreen.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/klb.writes
• Pre-order Rod the Zombie: https://www.amazon.com/rod-zombie-kathryn-breen/dp/b0f49rpbtv

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

Death is broken—and in Path of the Pale Rider’s horrifying new issue #7, Laurie Calcaterra pushes the apocalypse boundary even further. From prophetic themes to theatrical horror, this is storytelling at its most disturbing and relevant.

Join us for an immersive chat with Laurie—creator, visionary, and hot sauce witch—as she breaks down the creative grind behind Issue 7 and teases collectible surprises like Sad Pancake figurines, “Reaper’s Regret” hot sauce, and scratch‑and‑sniff covers. Whether you're new to POTPR or a die‑hard fan, we dive deep into the moral quandaries, fan perks, and the gruesome fun behind her Western‑zombie opus.

📬 Guest Links

• Kickstarter
  • Issue 7: Issues 1–7 campaign Live July 18 → August 8, 2025
• Laurie Calcaterra
  • Instagram: @lauriecalcaterra
  • Facebook Group: PathofthePaleRider
  • Official site: www.pathofthepalerider.com

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

Brave the wasteland pantry with us as twelve zombie‑fiction creatives—competing under our B.I.T.E. rubric—turn shelf‑stable staples like peanut butter pretzels, Belgian beer, macaroni, donuts, and yes, human flesh into horrifyingly inventive three‑course feasts. From “cheese‑dusted long pork with peach hummus” to “scrotum balls in blood sauce,” this tongue‑in‑cheek culinary horror explores how desperation, and sheer imagination collide when civilization—and good taste—falls apart.

Warning: your appetite may not survive.

Recipe Submissions from:

• Jack Callaghan
• Z Martin Brown
• Jo Salazar
• R Cuthbertson
• Nora
• Sylvester Barzey
• Alice B. Sullivan
• Gerard Clarke
• The Scimsons
• Megan
• Ollie Eats Brains
• Brian from Zombpocalypse

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

Courtney Konstantin, author of the Sundown series and Babysitter of the Apocalypse, joins Dan and Leah to unpack the human drama behind her zombie narratives. From flawed heroes and makeshift families to cult leaders exploiting the end of the world, Courtney shares how she builds rich characters and real-world villains that outshine the undead.

Expect candid chatter about taking care of toddlers when the world’s ending, the unconventional charm of crowbars, and whether Vicky—an emotionally scarred alcoholic thrust into guardian duty—is someone you'd trust with your own kids. We’ll also explore faith, fear, and the surprising tenderness that emerges when civilization collapses.

📌 Contact & Links:

• Website: courtneykonstantin.com
• Instagram: @courtney.konstantin_author
• BabySitter of the Apocalypse - 'We Don't Sacrifice Kids to Zombies (Book #1)
• Sundown Series - Prepared (Book #1)

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com

In 2025, The Fourth of July hits different. In this episode, we host a funeral for America—mourning the death of democratic norms, health care access, and legal protections, while challenging the myths we’ve been fed about exceptionalism. With recent Supreme Court rulings dismantling nationwide injunctions, millions losing healthcare, and fundamental freedoms under attack, we confront the uncomfortable fact that the America we were promised may never have existed—and that the one we have might not survive.

In this critical episode, we look to an ancient model for renewal: the Haudenosaunee Confederacy. Formed in 1142 CE and deeply influential on the U.S. Constitution, this Indigenous democratic union embraced consensus governance, women’s leadership, and seven-generation thinking. Amid laughter, tears, and apocalypse-ready peanut butter riffs, we dig into its radical lessons and ask: what rises when America dies—and how do we channel the revolutionary spirit we desperately need now?

🏛 Relevent Links

• Official website: Haudenosaunee Confederacy
  haudenosauneeconfederacy.com
  
  

📚 Educational & Historical Context

• Great Law of Peace & Constitutional Influence: insights and detailed explanations on the clan system and governance can be found via the official site’s clan‑system and historical-life sections
  haudenosauneeconfederacy.com/clan-system

• Wikipedia overview: a useful primer on Haudenosaunee history and structure
  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iroquois

Zombie Book Club Links

Sign up for our Newsletter!!!! --- https://zombiebookclub.io/newsletter/

Join the Brain Muncher’s Zombie Collective: https://discord.gg/rn3nPDa4CB

ZBC Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombiebookclubpodcast/

ZBC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710957975263518/

Zombie Book Club Voicemail: (614) 699-0006‬

Zombie Book Club Email: ZombieBookClubPodcast@gmail.com

Our Secret Website That Isn't Finished: https://zombiebookclub.io

Our Merchandise Store (Where you can find our Evil Magic Chicken Zombie Shirts): https://zombie-book-club.myspreadshop.com