The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (2014) 20

Lining up for the 20^th issue of The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror are the shambling mob of dead returning for nibble on the brain – or maybe another succulent body part.

Headlining is Zombienado followed by The Walking Ned, Dusk of No-Brainers and Power Plants vs. Zombies.

Zombienado is, of course, a Matt Groening cover of 2013 low-budget Syfy disaster Sharknado.

The Simpsons’ Treehouse of Horror (2014) 20

The Asylum’s made-for-cable-television movie became an instant cult classic thanks to semi-celebrities and social media. The film premiered with a viewing audience of 1.37 million, actually a bit low for a Syfy original. A tornado of tweets led Syfy to repeat the film a week later. This time it was watched by 1.89 million viewers. It aired a third time garnering 2.1 million viewers, a record for the most-watched, original film encore on Syfy.

The success of Sharknado spawned six sequels.

Walking Ned is a parody of cable’s uber popular zombie series, The Walking Dead.

Robert Kirkman never envisioned the merchandising empire he would unleash when the first issue of The Walking Dead premiered in comic book shops in 2003. Neither did publisher Image Comics who only printed 7,200 copies.

Interest was immediate and by the 14^th issue, orders were hitting 15,000 and still climbing.

In 2010, AMC viewers woke with sheriff’s deputy Rick Grimes to discover the world had turned upside down. For 11 seasons fans have fought zombies, profiters and anyone who threatened life and limb to survive in the post-apocalyptic world.

Dawn of the Dead is played for laughs in Dusk of No-Brainers as the residents of Springfield scramble to the mall for safe haven.

Neither of the Dawn of the Dead films were played for laughs. George A. Romero’s second entry was a social commentary. He would go on to create six zombie horror films.

The 2004 remake was as fierce as the first allowing for a more jaded public and upgraded make up and practical effects. Rather than making a social comment, director Zack Snyder and writer James Gunn aimed for a body count.

Homer’s carelessness brings about the end of Springfield in Power Plants vs. Zombies, a play on Plants vs. Zombies.

Plants vs. Zombies is the PopCap Games May 5, 2009 release for Windows and OS X. It has since been ported to consoles, handhelds and mobile devices.

Within a year, Plants vs. Zombies had sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It’s first nine days available as an app, the game garnered over $1 million.

Zombies themselves have been a cash cow for pretty much every medium available. They began as a Haitian Creole legend and have blossomed into an entertainment industry all their own.