As if Barack Obama doesn't have enough on his plate worrying about al-Qaida and the economic recession, now a new threat has been put on his desk: the possibility of a zombie apocalypse.
Believe it or not, America's Center for Disease Control has posted a new report entitled "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse."
"There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for," writes Dr Ali S Khan, Assistant Surgeon General and Director of the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response.
"Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this."
It might sound balmy, yet it turns out that there's a serious point behind the CDC's blog: to prepare people for the upcoming hurricane season. Alongside its talk of a zombie apocalypse, the site also offers serious information on coping in disaster situations.
"Public health preparedness allows us to think about the unexpected and unpredictable events, said Dr Khan, as quoted by Austin News, "and I guess you can include zombies."
Of course, it might also help if you have some money tucked away to help you escape the zombie hordes. Yet all the banks will surely be overrun by the disgruntled un-dead...
So where else can you stash your cash? Well, a good alternative investment might just hold the key to your walking dead worries - particularly if that investment is in zombie memorabilia...
 An original Bride of Frankenstein one sheet 27" by 41" poster |
Do the 'zombie Moonwalk' with Michael Jackson
Jackson wasn't just the King of Pop, but also the king of zombies thanks to the iconic 1983 video to his hit single Thriller. The 14 minutes-long mini-movie features Jackson (pictured top right) leading a troupe of the dancing un-dead remains classic and also popular on the world's auction blocks.
This was demonstrated at Julien's Auctions' memorabilia sale at Planet Hollywood, Las Vegas, in June of last year. Among the sale's successful lots was Michael Jackson's fang mold from the Thriller video. It sold for $7,500.
Meanwhile, a signed "Thriller" photo by Jackson netted $4,480 in the same sale. And if you're wondering about the wisdom of spending nearly $5,000 on a signed photograph, the value of an average Michael Jackson autograph has increased by 328.6% over the past 10 years...
Choose your zombie investments wisely
Jackson is clearly a good zombie alternative investment. But if you're looking elsewhere, then Paul Fraser Collectibles recommends that you opt for classic zombies - and few can claim to be more classic than the Bride of Frankenstein (she is technically a zombie).
Aside from the film itself, 1935's Bride of Frankenstein - which starred Boris Karloff and Bride of the Profumo Scandal, Valerie Hobson - is also loved for its iconography. For this reason, collectors are willing to pay large sums at auction for Bride of Frankenstein posters...
This original Bride of Frankenstein one sheet 27" by 41" poster is a case in point. It sold for $334,600 at Heritage Auction Galleries in 2007, and could be worth even more today.
"Early Universal Horror movie posters are the blue chips of the collecting hobby," commented Grey Smith, Director of Movie poster Auctions at Heritage at the time, "and this incredible Universal Horror one sheet from The Bride is easily the most dramatic poster I've ever seen, from any genre."
So, you heard it here first: there are such things as zombie blue chip investments. And these and other collectibles are certainly worth your consideration if you want to be prepared for the zombie apocalypse.
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