Tom Presler, Founder & Director of the Zombie Club

Interview with Tom Presler, Founder & Director of the Zombie Club
Interviewed by Deanna Jaxine Stinson – HPI Journalist Assistant
HPI (Hegelianism Paranormal Intelligence) International
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Date of Interview: April 3, 2014, Thursday
Time of Interview: 1800 Hours
Location of Interview: Hampton Inn & Suites, 1337 Beckman Road, Lodi, CA – Starbucks 1139 E. Kettleman Lane, Lodi, CA
Present at Interview: Paul Dale Roberts

Lodi – Creedence Clearwater Revival
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0VDnQv-rLA

YOUTUBE VIDEO – Deanna interviews Tom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brT1T26C4RI&feature=youtu.be

Question: Tell us something personal about yourself. Hobbies, recreational activities? Family life? TV shows you like? Movies you like? Family life?

Answer:
My hobbies include writing, music and guitar, comedy and simply being a student of life. I like to watch anything on television that I can learn from, and love history and science. I’m a huge fan of the shows “Battlestar Galactica” and “The Walking Dead.” I exceptionally enjoy traveling to new places and meeting new people. I enjoy any movie that centers around a Great story. I’m single and haven’t any children that I know of.

Question: How did you come about creating the Zombie Club? What year did it start?

Answer: The origins of Zombie Club began in 2009 when I decided I wanted to plan a large scale Halloween event for my community. I was inspired to do a “Zombie Walk” in my hometown of Lodi, California and our first annual Lodi Zombie Walk event was born. It was a phenomenal success and has grown bigger every year since. It’s all about bringing people together for a fun and creative social gathering with a bit of a dark and twisted Zombie theme.

Question: How long have you been interested in zombies? What was the first zombie movie you ever saw?

Answer: When I was a kid… very young… I saw George A. Romero’s “Night of the Living Dead.” It had a huge impact on me. The movie is actually not so much about zombies as it is about fear, and how people deal with fear. It’s brilliant.

Question: Does the Zombie Club get involved in charity work? If so, can you tell us about it?

Answer: My dad was a veteran of WWII and I grew up with a deep respect for the sacrifice of those who serve. From the beginning, Zombie Club, in some way, has given to Veterans causes… from our local American Legion Hall to the Wounded Warrior Project.

Question: Where do you have your Zombie Walks? What other kind of Zombie activity are you involved in?

Answer: The Zombie Club is, at it’s core, an Entertainment Company that strives to bring people together for a sense of creativity and play. We do huge community Zombie Walk events in Lodi and Sacramento, as well as family and adult nightclub events like “Dead Hookers Ball.” In 2013, we launched our most ambitious effort to date: “Zombie Train.” I direct and produce a full-scale “Universal Studios” like attraction that is a 90 minute ride on an actual train, set during the Zombie Apocalypse.

Passengers are issued high powered laser rifles to shoot at Zombies who are attacking the train! Zombie Train has been so successful, that we’ve expand it into two cities now (Sacramento and Oakdale,) and we’re doing it all year round now. You can find more information about Zombie Train at www.zombietrain.com

Question: What is the idea of social breakdown:

Answer: Regarding the Zombie Apocalypse, I believe that the idea of a social breakdown is an attractive fantasy for a lot of people. I think there’s a deep seeded fantasy in many people to have a social breakdown.

Question: What are your thoughts of the Zombie Apocalypse?

Answer: There’s a sense of anxiety in so many people these days that the world just doesn’t seem to be working right. So many people look at government or corporations or religion… our social and financial structure… and have a sense that everything is going in the wrong direction. People want a Reset Button… to start over. I think the fantasy of “The Zombie Apocalypse” is an entertaining and fun way to deal with this fantasy. Who wouldn’t want to tear everything down, start over again, and shoot zombies?

Question: I heard the Zombie Club was involved in some ghost hunting, can you explain?

Answer: I personally have a lifelong interest in the paranormal. I’m fascinated about ghosts, death and the afterlife. I’m lucky enough to have a friend who’s an internationally known paranormal journalist and investigator… Paul Dale Roberts… whom I’ve worked with in the past. We have many of our Zombie Club Members who also have an interest in all things paranormal, and thankfully…Paul has been an amazing resource person to have among our membership.

Question: Where do you find your zombies?

Answer: Everywhere. When we do Zombie Walks, Theatrical events and Cosplay stuff all the time. There are so many people who love F/X makeup, getting into “Zombie” character and having a great time with a sense of play. Who doesn’t want to Play
Dead… or Living Dead, rather?

Question: What attracts you to horror and comedy movies?

Answer: I think horror films have always been a favorite genre of mine because they deal with fear, and I think ultimately…life is all about facing and dealing with fear. Plus, let’s face it, what other genre can get your adrenaline pumping in such a way? I also love comedy and have written and performed comedy. I try to implement comedy, in some aspect, in everything I do. There’s a certain level of campiness that Zombie movies have traditionally had that is able to combine horror and comedy. “The Return of the Living Dead” really set the standard for this, and is definitely a favorite of mine.

Question: What events do you have coming up?

I’m really excited to announce that Zombie Club has created it’s own members-only Social Network for Zombie Fans, Horror enthusiasts and Geeks and Freaks of all kinds. We have a full scale movie streaming service in our network that’s just like Netflix for the Zombie, Horror and Comic-Con audience. We have Zombie Club members from all over the world, from California to Perth, Australia. Anyone can join by simply going to www.thezombieclub.org

We’ve also got Zombie Train coming up for the 2014 season! This is an amazing theme ride attraction that you certainly don’t want to miss.

Question: Religious Ideas…and views…

There’s a line from a song I remember that goes “in living we may claim to be different, but dying makes us all the same.” We are all energy. We are all connected. We are all intertwined within the Universal Fabric of Love. No matter what you want to call it or how you choose to describe it… whether you go to a church, identify with any particular religion or theology… the Universe is the Same. I believe our jobs as human beings is to break down the walls that we have created which separate us, in order to become united in our Common Frequency. Love.

Question: Now to the fun questions. If you had 6 dinner guests, 3 historical, 3 fictional, who would they be?

Jesus Christ, Thomas Jefferson and any Extraterrestrial for the historical guests, and my fictional guests would include Superman, Fox Mulder and Ginger from Gilligan’s Island. My first childhood crush. Some fantasies never die.

Question: If you were stranded on a deserted island, what 3 things would you bring with you?

A quality beer, a huge juicy steak, and Green Lantern’s Ring.

Question: How can people contact you? How can they become one of your zombie minions?

I love connecting with and meeting new friends and of course, interacting with fans. I welcome you to find me on Facebook at facebook.com/tpresler. I’ll accept almost any friend request!

Question: Thank you for this wonderful interview Tom. Do you have any words of wisdom for your readers?

I do. Live your Life like a Zombie. Adopt Simple Goals, Relentlessly Pursue Your Goals, and Never Deviate from Your Goals. Your time on Earth is way too short to get sidetracked.

Deanna, I want to add one more thing…..

I have a brand new project we’re launching in April called “Zombie Town.” Zombie Club as teamed up with CQB City, a 60,000 square foot airsoft arena, to produce “Zombie Town.” A live-action, fantasy Zombie Apocalypse Experience! There’s nothing else like it! Connect with me for more details at facebook.com/tpresler

Paul Dale Roberts, HPI Esoteric Detective
aka The Demon Warrior
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