It almost goes without saying that modern zombie culture began with George Romero’s microbudget phenomenon, Night of the Living Dead, way back in 1968. All the movies, books, comics, TV series, podcasts, artwork, merch and on and on – it all began 55 years ago. The creation and production of Night of the Living Dead has been the subject of more books, articles, and trivia lists than we can count. And among the most fascinating aspects of this modest little film is its social/political context – especially in terms of racism. At the center of that is the male lead of the film, Duane Jones.
SlashFilm.com has just published a terrific article about Jones and his quiet and transformative relationship with George Romero and the cast, and how it transformed the film into something far more powerful and important than anyone expected.
If you have any interest in How This All Began, and the really remarkable man who had a huge role (in more ways than one) in creating the whole culture, take a look at the article here. And special thanks to entertainment writers and critic Debopriyaa Dutta, who put the piece together.