The clueless young celebrities that rule Hollywood have a new adversary in town - ravenous cannibal zombies!

Can self-absorbed, barely sentient celebutants dig down deep enough to emerge as heroes or will the zombies win out? Rick Copp (Teen Titans) has created a twisted, hilarious mash-up of MTV's The Hills meets 28 Days Later!

We caught up with Rick Copp to talk about Celebrity Zombie Killers.

The Big Bad Wolf: What influenced the making of Celebrity Zombie Killers?

Rick Copp: Celebrity culture has really taken over the media especially when you consider all the cable news outlets devoted countless hours to Paris Hilton going to jail instead of actual news stories. Our society has become obsessed with people with no discernible talent or any worthwhile contribution to society. So I began to wonder, what if these clueless people who have never had to take care of themselves were faced with a real threat? I love zombies, so I just thought, why not pair that thought with a really fun horror genre story?

The Big Bad Wolf: Can you tell us a bit about the main characters in Celebrity Zombie Killers?

Rick Copp: There is an obvious connection to the characters to real life celebrities, although very heightened and fictionalized. There is the pop superstar from the Beyonce and Britney Spears mold Baby Love, adorable twins Chablis and Merlot with a billion dollar franchise, Disney teen heartthrob Gavin, smooth R&B artist Jivin’, a soup heiress Paprika Winston, a trashy Thai reality star named Petite and a loaded Saudi prince who passes himself off as a concert promoter just to score chicks who goes by the name of Leather Bear, and finally, the only non celebrity in the bunch, Leather Bear’s bodyguard Julio, who starts out as the only one with any real survival skills.

The Big Bad Wolf: How did this zombie outbreak occur?

Rick Copp: I kept that deliberately vague because I wanted an air of mystery about how this happened, which I thought would keep the tension going. I make references to a virus sweeping through the city, but never really identify the exact cause.

The Big Bad Wolf: How was it writing a graphic novel knowing the general population are rooting for the main characters to die?

Rick Copp: I don’t necessarily believe that by the end of the novel people will be rooting for the characters to die. When the story begins, the characters are absolutely spoiled good for nothings and even to some degree reprehensible. But the whole point of the story is to see at least some of these characters transform, learn how to survive, and ultimately become heroes. Granted, not all the characters make it to the end, but those who do, I think the readers will be completely invested in their journey.

The Big Bad Wolf: What can we expect from this graphic novel in terms of blood and guts?

Rick Copp: As a fan of zombie stories, I absolutely did not skimp on the required amount of violence, and I tried to come up with different and interesting ways for some of the characters to die. I went to great lengths not to make the violence gratuitous but this is an action horror piece so I didn’t want to disappoint any readers. I don’t think anyone will read the book and say, “We’ve seen that so many times before.”

The Big Bad Wolf: How was it working with artist, Mikhail Drujic, on this book?

Rick Copp: I can’t say enough good things about Mikhail. His art literally took my breath away. It’s amazing to me that someone I've never met thousands of miles away can pick up a script I wrote and literally bring the characters and story alive more than I ever imagined. It was tricky to balance the humor and the action so that it didn’t become an outright parody. I wanted the tension to be real, and Mikhail accomplished that in spades. He is a truly remarkable artist and I hope we can do another book together.

The Big Bad Wolf: When is the release date and how much is the book?

Rick Copp: The book has a release date of March 29, 2010 and can be pre-ordered at Amazon for $12.95.

The Big Bad Wolf: Where can our readers find out more about Celebrity Zombie Killers?

Rick Copp: We’re all very proud of this book, and hope to get the word out through websites like yours and other media outlets. We want as much publicity as we can get. But I think the key to the book’s success will be word of mouth. And we’re hoping to get more than just fans of the zombie genre given the story’s unique premise.

The Big Bad Wolf: In closing, what would you like to say about Celebrity Zombie Killers?

Rick Copp: I’ve never had more fun with a project. Everyone has been so supportive and respectful of the creative vision we had for this book. I think people who think of it as a one joke premise will be surprised when they read it. It has something for everyone-- colorful characters, big action set pieces, blood and guts, and more than a healthy dose of humor.

The Big Bad Wolf: Thank you for your time, Rick. Best of luck with Celebrity Zombie Killers!

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