Here’s a rather interesting announcement that was sent over to me by dark fiction writer James Cheetham, announcing that the 2010 International Zombie Photo model search has begun in earnest. No, you did not misread that last sentence. Somewhere beyond your windows and down that road of yours, there is an international cookie contest seeking a zombie model.

The contest is sponsored by Eric Maciejkow (I challenge you to say that his name three times in one breath) who happens to MyPhotoCookie.com which seems pretty self explanatory. Evidently, after the success of last year’s cookie contest, both James and Eric are doing the contest again with celebrity judges ranging from the Hare Krishna zombie from Romero’s Dawn of the Dead to Jessica Cameron, a writer and on-again/off-again Fox Mulder heartthrob (aka UFOologist).

Here’s a little background information sent over to me from James:

After the release of James Cheetham’s Canadian zombie series Seasons of the Brittle Harvest was delayed, James found an innovative way to entertain his readers by offering them ‘Zombie Makeovers’. The makeovers consisted of sending James a photo he would then alter so the subject of the picture was no longer one of the living, but rather, one of the undead.

His work though amateur in the beginning, soon became a science, and James knew he was on to something when he could no longer keep up with the requests he found in his email. ‘Cheetham’s Zombie’s was soon born, and the images once primitive and simple, had evolved into stunning, creepy versions of otherwise normal people, seeking a way to encompass their own dark side.

“Everybody has a zombie alter-ego,” Cheetham insists, “that’s really the best part of this. Everybody is an original zombie. No two are alike.”

The original zombie alter-egos of his fans were available for order on everything from ‘Officially Infected’ one of a kind T-shirts, to actual portraits one could hang on the wall. It wasn’t long before Eric Maciejkow came onto the scene.

“James contacted me asking if I wanted to try a Halloween collaboration. I was preoccupied with weddings and birthdays—it was still summer when I received his email. I took some time to think about it because it sounded a little crazy, but when I saw his work I realized he was on to something.

Become the zombie on your Halloween Cookies. How cool would that be?”

Born of the ghoulish cookie creations, the 2009 International Cheetham’s Zombies Photo-Cookie Model Search began. Both Eric and James were stunned by the response…

“We had over 300 entries come in before we ever received any press. It was strictly through word of mouth on social networking sites like Myspace & Facebook.” James explained. “We were stumbling through the contest, making it up as we went along, never expecting it to be that popular that fast.”

With appearances at the Winnipeg Comicon and the Minneapolis Crypticon as well as media coverage on several levels, the Zombies didn’t take long to break out of the confines of All Hallows Eve and become a year long concept.

“We get requests for weddings now, zombie walks, birthday parties, you name it—the dead are alive and well (and delicious).”

Hopefully, we’ll see A World on Fire reader as the lucky zombie picked to grace the cookie. In any case, more to come as I have it.

Zombie Cookies (zombiecookies.com <- new window)
James Cheetham – Zombie Cookies (jamescheetham.ca <- new window)