Thread: 2010 Party Ideas & Plans

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EDIT: To see the comparison post that I refer to in this post - please check here.

So we settled on a theme. After a long time discussing the options including Insane Asylums, Classic Halloween (the majority of our existing decorations), and finally the Zombie Apocalypse. With each concept, we try to put together thoughts for how we can wrap it all together. What games, events, foods and drinks, party favors we could produce affordably and what would work.

We came up with several ideas for the insane asylum theme, and may do that next year because some of the decorations and such that we were thinking about would take some pretty intense planning and design.

We settled on Surviving the Zombie Apocalypse. So far here is what we have decided.

• Zombie Themed Save the Date
• Zombie Themed Invitation
• Changing up the winking murder game from last year to be a "Best Death by Zombie"
• Party favor "Survival Kit" including:
  • First aid kit (Found these for like $1 a piece)
  • Mini-flashlight (Still need a source for these)
  • Zombie identification cards (Looking for this to be donated by Fear Werx)
  • Zombie attack survival guide brochure (Looking for this to be donated by Fear Werx)
  • Zombie notebooks Max Brooks (Looking for this to be donated by Max Brooks' publishing house Random House along with the cards below!)
  • Zombie Survival Guide Deck of Cards Max Brooks
  • Survival Foods (Slim Jim's, etc..)
  • Zombie Disposal Tags (Looking for this to be donated by Fear Werx also.)
• Inoculations (Our Apple Pie drink)

Here are some of the graphics we have come up with so far. The background was found at Deviant Art, and I have a request in for the release: (click to enlarge)

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This is the three fold brochure, and the sheet with the cards. I am going to be buying a kit of them from Fear Werx, but then I plan on modifying them a bit.

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These will be cut up into a mini deck fastened together with a jump ring for the survival kit.

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My wife is getting a stamp made of the logo and we are going to stamp them on these awesomely affordable messenger bags.

Messenger Bags at Oriental Trading They are like 19.99 for 6 so for $3 each, it's not too bad for the impact.

The other option is a Drawstring Backpack they are $1.70 each, so that is MUCH better.

The last part is the trophies. Going with the same concept, gold Halloween trophies mounted on real bases and engraved. This year's special trophy is a "Best Zombie" award. I think I am going to simply affix a classic Dawn of the Dead figure on a base and call it good. No painting for me this year.

This is the figure I think we are going to go with. (If I can find him affordably)



Now that all of that is finished, I have some special effects I need to plan. I want a projection (from outside in) on my front windows of Z.E.R.O. crews patrolling the area, then about mid way into the party, I want them to get attacked by zombies and die. Then I have some crazy contraptions in mind to make it sound like things are hitting the windows and doors throughout the night afterward This coupled with my first animitronic project. A mechanical zombie head that will move with my words via remote microphone from Halloween2Go!

Anyone have any thoughts that could add to this? I am planning on having 50+ guests this year... it should be a blast, I want to make sure it is

Happy Haunting Everyone!

One of the changes this year is the game. Even though the game was amazing last year, a couple of logistical issues with it was the congestion at the front door as people were explained what was going on, and filled in the end of the toe tag. One way to handle it would be to just put it at the opposite end of the kitchen. We gave away the DVDs via random drawing from the receipt end of the toe tag, this year, only people that RSVP will be entered. The other change is that instead of random deaths, we are going to simplify it a bit by saying "Best death by zombie"

i love this! all of your ideas are brilliant! must store in my 'brains' for future use. i wish i had something to contribute at this time. will think on this one...i did a zombie jamborie for several years - but we weren't running from those guys. i have always wanted to have a high school drama group to come into my backyard zombie style. as my party is underway, some guest notice some crazed looking people shuffle by the window, wait they are bloody, oh my god, what is that.....screams! these zombies would 'infect' the party and frighten a few folks...and maybe do a little thriller dance. something over-the-top like that. i am just afraid that a few of my guests might have a concealed weapon on them and try to take one out.

love your ideas!

This is so cool keep us posted on everything.

Dude!
That is insane!
I Love all of it!
I am doing a Vampire theme for our party this year (nope, haven't read the books or seen the movies, just liked the idea of the ambience) but this has me planning ahead for next year!
Yeah, baby!

BTW, I have a Z.E.R.O. shirt that I got at Horrorfind Weekend a couple of years ago, I love wearing it. LOL

Really cool! Great start on 2010!
Now if you could just translate that all into dutch for my party, I can have a very relaxed summer

Peniwize, that is fantastic!! I'm doing the same theme this year. I'm currently planning out a video/audio invitation, kind of like a trailer. I want to include audio clips from Terminator Salvation "If you are hearing this, you are the resistance" and "We are outnumbered, but we are not alone". Work in quotes from other movies about zombies, the apocalypse, nuclear explosions, etc. Then the party will be like a last defense against the zombies, so all are invited "to take refuge". When I'm done with the video, I'll post...but it probably won't get done until August.

I hope you don't mind, but I'd like to use a few sheets from your brochure as blown up decorations for the walls of the party. They are awesome!!

Can't take credit for those, just modified it a bit to be in the brochure format vs. a poster. If you are interested in the source, it is http://www.fearwerx.com/.

That said, I have a special idea that I have been putting together in my head recently. In my original post I talked about having the projector of the the guys getting taken out near the end of the party.

Something that I think would work a heluva lot better will be that a local gaming store near my house every year has a zombie walk down a main street here. I am thinking about either asking (and offering to pay if necessary) for them to simply bring the zombie walk to my house.

I can't imagine enough how having 30-50 zombies marching up to, surrounding and then beating on the sides of my house will go over! I think that could be huge. If that doesn't go down as planned, I believe I might simply ask 5-10 of my guests to specifically be zombies, and fill in for that.

Thought you would like that idea though.

Thanks for the complements.

Very cool idea! Wish I could pull that off here. Thanks for the source link too.

Oh, I also wanted to share the game we'll be playing. I can't remember where I found the original, but it is basically a simple "high card" type of game. I'm going to use the 7 zombie cards you posted from that website. Then I'm going to create 6 or 7 weapon cards (e.g., running shoes, shotgun, baseball bat, machete, sacrifice a friend, etc).

Each weapon card will be able to kill certain zombies. "Running shoes" will only kill level 7. Baseball bat will kill levels 6 and 7. "Sacrifice a friend" will kill level 5 to 7, etc, etc, etc.

Basically, one of two people will start out with zombie cards. Throughout the night, they can challenge humans (who will each get a weapon card when they show up). If the weapon card is "running shoes" then the only zombie they will be able to beat is a level 7 (it will say it on the weapon card as well). If they win, the zombie is out of the game. If they lose, they turn into a zombie, taking the zombie card of the zombie who killed them. The original zombie then comes to me for a new zombie card. I usually only have about 40 people at the party, so it's relatively easy to do this. The rules for the game will be on the back of each card.

The zombie with the most kills gets a prize, and the last person alive gets a prize. I may or may not make one weapon card that can kill all zombies, therefore, we are sure to have 1 person left, but I haven't decided yet.

I'm sure the original version of this is somewhere on this forum, but I can't find it now.

Hey Peniwise,

I started a thread specific to Zombie Apocalypse theme. That way, when others start to post their other themes here, the Zombie stuff won't get lost. Also, I put up links on that thread to threads with great content, including this one. Anyhow, take a look.

I've also included my example newspaper/newsletter invitation that I plan to send out... after an initial CDC letter (save the date - teaser).

The following is a link to the thread.
Zombie Apocalypse Theme