‘I, Zombie’: The undead roam Eugene in a new comic series

The first words on the page in the new Vertigo comic I, Zombie are “Eugene, Oregon.” The setting is awfully familiar: Hello, Pioneer Cemetery! (To the best of my knowledge, until now, the only zombies roaming the cemetery have been those taking part in one of the zombie walks — or perhaps starring in a Henry Weintraub movie.)

I, Zombie takes its time getting to the messier part of its zombie heroine’s existence. Writer Chris Roberson and illustrator (and Oregonian) Mike Allred spend most of the issue setting the scene: Gwen, who’s slightly on the sarcastic and cranky side, works in an ecologically friendly graveyard and pals around with a ’60s ghost and a were-terrier. Elsewhere in town, a hot paintball ref has more than the game on her mind when she stops to chat up a lost fella in the woods, and a pair of detectives aren’t just keeping their eyes out for misbehaving punk kids downtown.

Gwen looks a little off. Her skin tone doesn’t match anyone else’s, as is most apparent under the brighter lights of Dixie’s Firehouse (another local landmark, renamed). The book’s Oregonian palette is appropriately muted and, yes, of course it rains. It’s the first issue. Precedent must be set. Allred’s art is clean and readable, almost a little spare, but like the issue as a whole, it builds satisfyingly; Gwen’s reveal (which isn’t much of a reveal, given the name of the book), with rain pouring down into an open grave and an unpleasant meal in our heroine’s hands, is set against a page that illustrates the divide in her life: Girl, zombie; self, other self; what she does and what it means.

I, Zombie is a speedy, easygoing intro to a new series; it’s light on plot and feels like it’s trying to be a little more quippily clever than it is. But the last few pages, as Roberson gets to the real crux of Gwen’s complicated existence, have quite a bit of promise. Gwen has to eat one brain each month to keep from going “all mindless and shambling,” as she explains — lack of brains is bad for a zombie lass’s complexion — but there’s a catch.

There’s always a catch.

I, Zombie #1 came out May 5. It’s a buck at your friendly local comics-purveying establishment.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!