The world went to hell in a hand basket.  A highly infectious disease has turned every living thing into zombies. Your neighbors will rend your flesh with their bare teeth.  So will the rats.  And if the rats don't, the squirrels will.  Save yourself.  Stay in the woods.  Pray it hasn't reached the wolves...and keep your gun loaded.

We caught up with creator, Riley Rossmo, to talk about Rebel Blood.

Horror News Network:  Rebel Blood at first glance is a zombie comic.  Tell us about your take on the apocalypse? What was the inspiration for the story behind it?

Riley Rossmo: Rebel Blood is about being witness to the outbreak of a new and infectious disease. The victims are only Zombies in the sense that they bring death and look like it too. The inspiration came predominantly from film and literature, such as John Carpenter’s The Thing, 28 Days Later, Richard Matheson/Omega man, Creepy EC comics of the 1950’s, and the Twilight Zone.   

Horror News Network:  Describe Ranger Chuck Neville for us, and how he develops through his journey to find his family?

Riley Rossmo: Chuck has had a hard go of it lately. He wants to be a good father and husband but things never seem to quite work out for him.  Strangely, this outbreak causes him to rethink his place in the scheme of things, and it just might be the thing Chuck needs to show he cares and can make a difference—or to help him realize that, maybe, he doesn’t.

Horror News Network:  Can you give us any other insight to this disease?

Riley Rossmo: Think of it as a mix of Rabies and Ebola.  The Disease infects most living things, appears to be spread by contact with blood, saliva, or excrement.  The victim’s blood carries the infection throughout the infected person’s body and stimulates rapid cellular division and aggression.  The rapid growth of tumors and connective tissue might be the reason the infected seem to crave protein.  At this point in the outbreak, our characters are working largely with speculation.

Horror News Network:  Can you talk a bit about showing the infection of the animals with the disease?

Riley Rossmo: I’ve always wondered why animals seem immune to zombie plagues.  Humans share similar biological systems with lots of animals and we’ve seen recently things like west nile, and swine flu jumping species.  Visually the major inspiration is from a film blood of the beasts and a clip I saw from Bikini Atoll on pigs I think in which the pigs innards where leaking out.

Horror News Network: What can fans expect in terms of the artwork in the book and some of the more gory scenes?

Riley Rossmo: I was at the Zoo today and watched Condors and Magpies pulling apart a rabbit, and took some photos. That and my wife is a nurse so we have quite a few books around our house showing various wounds.

Horror News Network:  Rebel Blood is a mini series of four books.  I’m sure you don’t want to give anything away, but does the fourth issue wrap up the story, or is it open-ended in case you want to take this concept further?

Riley Rossmo: Rebel Blood is a complete story ,  I had planned a beginning middle and end as this was the first book I was going to plot. As the story developed I realized I was going to need help  with the script. I approached a friend about helping out. Alex helped tighten up the plot, and once we had a solid outline, he suggested a potential follow up which would also be a stand alone story but still connected in the same universe. So yes if it does well there is a potential sequel.

Horror News Network: What other projects are you currently working on?

Riley Rossmo: Lots of stuff: a Graphic Novella about violence among youths and the school system called Wildchildren, a science fantasy book about a dystopian future with giant monsters called Debris, and maybe something with serial killers depending how the year goes.

Horror News Network: Rebel Blood will be released on March 28, 2012. Where can our audience learn more about it?

Riley Rossmo: I post sketches on twitter @rileyrossmo1, Facebook and well as the image message boards.