Charlie Adlard, Stuart Conran, David Devereux, John McCrea, Robert Rankin
Charlie Adlard
Before we look at the blood fun that is Charlie’s work on the best Zombie comic currently available, we should consider the true credentials of this great comic Artist. Charlie started work with the Judge Dredd Megazine, when it was at its most popular, and had a stint on Armitage the Brit-Cit hardboiled detective judge written by Dave Stone. Another stint on the Nikolai Dante story in the pages of 2000AD and most recently with the Pat Mills written Savage books 1-3 over the last four years. This versatile artist has also had a number of gigs stateside including a run on Shadow man, Astronauts in Trouble and an ish of Hellblazer. He has even collaborated with Nobel Prize winner 
Doris Lessing back in 1995 with a graphic novel of Playing the Game.
But he is also the most revered and popular zombie comic artist currently in the business due to his continued fantastic mono work on the Robert Kirkman The Walking Dead.
What can we say about The Walking Dead, except that you should immediately go to a comic shop NOW and but the graphic novels, there are quite a few of them and this is one of the real secret successes of the story, it doesn’t finish just as soon as you get into it, this is a post apocalyptic zombie world and we are following survivors through a magnificently imagined reality that is truly what horror is all about as they encounter trauma and suffering and face the challenge of survival. Its amazing stuff.
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Adlard
Stuart Conran
Having been interested in special effects make-up since the age of 7 (beginning with an obsession with Hammer films, Star Wars & Dick Smith) Stuart began work on a student film before leaving senior school & with contacts from this he went into his first job with Bob Keen on “Hellraiser” in 1986 as runner, trainee & general dogsbody.
Much freelancing ensued, working on other Image Animation films (“Waxwork”, “Hellraiser II”, “The Unholy” & “Lair Of The White Worm”) “Batman” & various commercials, mainly specialising in mouldmaking, ending up at spitting image on a semi-permanent basis.
He went to New Zealand in 1991, working on Peter Jackson’s “Braindead”, Jane campion’s “The Piano” & in a complete change of tac, an architectural mouldmaking job for the New Zealand government’s parliament library, heading up master mouldmaking of architectural pieces.
Returning to the UK, he got back to freelancing for various companies & more independent work for commercials, promos & shorts. Over the past few years Stuart’s credits have included “The Madness Of King George”, “Saving private Ryan”, “From Hell”, “The Hours” (Bafta nominated- best make-up), “The Sin Eater”, “Shaun Of The Dead” & “Alexander”.
TV work includes “Men Behaving Badly”, “ultraviolet”, “The Tenth Kingdom”, “Strange” & “Messiah 3”. Promos for Edwyn Collins, Fatboy Slim, EMF & Squarepusher. Ad & corporate clients include Coke, Lloyds Bank, Levi’s, Royal Bank Of Scotland, Always, London Underground & Wrigley’s (runner up- best make-up & prosthetics, BTAA Craft Awards 2004)
David Devereux
David Devereux is one of those new writers who seem to manage to burst in upon the scene. Recently published by Gollancz his debut novel Hunters Moon has caused much scorn and massive praise among reviewers and has sold in vast quantities. The sequel Eagle Rising is eagerly awaited by many fans and billed as follows ‘this time Jack must stop a neo-Nazi occult group determined to bring the past back to life’ weirdness mixed with espionage and violence which sounds up our street!
This is due to be released in May 2008, just in time for Zombiecon and we will have a full review available.
Previously his non fiction "Memoirs of an Exorcist", based upon his experiences with the paranormal and occult, was published in 2006 by Andre Deutsch. David certainly has an interesting CV and has worked in a mortuary, written comedy, worked behind a bar and as a Senior Field Officer for the paranormal protection & consulting agency Athanor. ‘David has methodically confronted and expelled malevolent spirits and other psychic entities from numerous disturbed locations, and has cleansed houses of violent poltergeist activity.’
We welcome other viewpoints and experiences, the likes of which David has, and hope you will also enjoy hearing from this quite fascinating author.
http://www.david-devereux.com/
John McCrea
Belfast born and Birmingham living comic artist, John Mcrea has been in the business of drawing comics for over twenty years. Troubled Souls, which partnered him with Garth Ennis was one of the most poignant and honest stories about the Northern Ireland troubles to have been published anywhere, let alone in comics. This partnership was to work well and also gave us a two year run on the DC comic The Demon and subsequently onto a five year run on The Hitman. He admits himself that this bore one of his favourite creations; ‘SECTION 8, that misfit band of superheroes from Gotham: Sixpack, Dogwelder (created by Steve Dillon), Bueno Excellente, Shakes, the Defenestrator, Jean de Baton-Baton, Phlegm-gem, and Friendly Fire.’
Issue 34 of Hitman won the prestigious Eisner award.
McCrea has also worked on the likes of Judge Dredd, Judge Death and a variety of super heroes from Jenny Sparks to Superboy to Spiderman. Excitingly McCRea also drew Bart Simpson's Treehouse of Horror #7: "In Springfield, No-One Can Hear You Scream" with Garth Ennis.
Currently working on the THE 99 a comic about superheroes based on Islamic history, religion and mythology, its being published by Teshkeel Comics and well worth a look at.
Zombie Claim to Fame: Issues 13 and 14 of Hitman which have been reprinted in the Local Heroes Hitman graphic novel have a special place in all Zombie fans dead hearts. Titled ‘Zombie Night at the Gotham Aquarium’ it sees a bunch of our favourite hit men agreeing to kill a mad scientist who wants to re-animate dead sea creatures. Its hilarious fun as everything from cuddly penguin’s decide to turn into blood lusting zombies.
John’s website is at http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/way/xmi94/index.shtml
Robert Rankin
Robert is no stranger to the dead, or to us for that matter, we love him, like we love the dead, but its his writing skills which we are here to discuss, and whether its people coming back from the dead, or the dead making telephone calls to the living or an insurmountable plot to see w whole borough dead, the subject raises its ugly head in his fiction on a regular basis. 
His next book, Necrophenia is billed as follows ‘Private eyes, glamorous dames, ukulele maestros, a lost city of gold and millions and millions of zombies’ and doesn’t this just sound up our street, zombies can be hilarious and here we have the perfect match. This book is due for release in July and we hope to have a full review online.
Robert Rankin has a keen and sceptical interest in all things Fortean and occult. He is the raised eyebrow of inquisitiveness and invents quite preposterously wonderful literary worlds just slightly out of tune or kilter with the normality of modern life. His books vary in style and content, some decidedly science fiction, others set in fantasy toyland worlds, while others are just in a London borough.
The Now 'Official' Robert Rankin Fanclub and resource site http://www.sproutlore.com/