The zombie tattoo is a staple of the tattoo enthusiast and horror movie enthusiast alike. These tattoos seem to go hand in hand with those that are fans of the bloody genre.
The definition of zombie is a fictional (or not) undead being revived from a human corpse. There can also be zombie animals though.
Zombies are mostly found in sci-fi and horror movies. These creatures are generally reanimated by magic in most tales of old. However, most shows now don’t really revolve around magic being the cause. In many cases a virus has infected a person which, in turn, makes them evolve into the zombie creature we all know today. The virus is generally spread via a zombie bite or being infected with their saliva and blood.
The Magic Island is a book by W.B. Seabrook where the term “zombie” was first uncovered to Western culture. In this book, the writer claims of voodoo cults in Haiti that used magic to resurrect the dead. In addition to this book, there are many mentions of zombies throughout the years.
In 1932, the movie White Zombie was created and was one of the earlier examples of zombies in film. In this film, zombies were characterized as being mindless, evil henchman under the spell of a magician. This also stemmed from Haitian folklore.
Today’s zombies tend to be vicious, flesh-eating monsters that have an unquenchable appetite. You’ll see examples of this in movies like I Am Legend, Night of the Living Dead, 28 Days Later and Day of the Dead.
Popular Zombie Tattoos
Classic Zombie
Zombies can be tattooed in many ways. There are many examples of recognizable zombie like characters and then there are zombies that could be anyone or anything. Any undead creature can be a zombie. This is a popular way to get a zombie tattoo. If you wanted to, you could choose to pick a friend of yours and have his image tattooed on your body in the form of a zombie. Characterized by cuts and skin that’s falling off, a generic zombie might be your choice if you’re a fan of all undead creatures.
Walking Dead
Walking Dead featured some memorable zombies over the years. This show has run since 2010 and is still going strong. Some of the zombies (or “walkers” as they called them) in this show are distinct which might lead fans of the show to get them memorialized on their skin in the form of a tattoo.
One memorable walker from the show is Bicycle Girl. Bicycle Girl first showed up in the Season 1, Episode 1. Another popular walker from the show was the Well Walker. This is one of the grosser walkers in the show. It looks like a bloated body that’s been in water too long and I’m sure it was. When they pull Well Walker out of the well, he totally falls apart. There are many other popular zombies in this show as well.
Bill Murray – Zombieland
Bill Murray is already a timeless fan favorite who seems to be memorialized for almost every movie he partakes in. One specific role that seems to be a favorite for tattoo glory is his role in Zombieland. In this story, Bill Murray plays himself. After dressing up like a zombie to play a prank on the main character (Jesse Eisenberg), Murray finds himself gunned down with a shotgun. Apparently, his prank was a little too realistic. Either way, the Bill Murray version of a zombie is a very popular zombie for fans of this creature.
Bub – Day of the Dead
Bub from Day of the Dead is also a well-known zombie for fans of the genre. Bub was a test subject of Dr. Logan and was proof that not only could zombies be trained to be passive, but they might also have memories of their living years and can express emotion. Bub is an interesting character as tries to relearn how to read a book, use a razor, use a toothbrush and how to handle a gun. We’re reminded that Bub is still a zombie when given the empty gun and he points and pulls the trigger. Zombie fans seem to be drawn to Bub and his human-like qualities.
Michael Jackson – Thriller
One of the most memorable zombies we can remember happens to be from the music video Thriller, by Michael Jackson. In this music video, the King of Pop plays a zombie with great dance moves. The love interest of the Michael was dreaming when this scene takes place, and it seems Jackson is going to eat her. She wakes up and Jackson offers to take her home. However, this iconic scene is burned into the minds of anyone who has ever seen this video along with others who haven’t. The dance scene from Zombie Michael will go down as history as one of the most replicated dance sequences ever.
Tar Man – Return of the Living Dead
In the movie, Return of the Living Dead, Tar Man is created when a bumbling security guard accidentally releases the 2-4-5 Trioxin gas. This release causes two dead men to be reanimated and one is the well-known, rotting zombie known as Tar Man. He’s a very quotable zombie with one of the best-known quotes being, “More brains”. This zombie stands the test of time and is also a fan favorite for the zombie tattoo.
As you can see, the zombie tattoo is a very versatile one and has many forms. From famous actor zombies to the unknown and disgusting zombies, these seem to have been tattooed on a person at some point or another. We hope that by you reading this post, you’ll have a better idea of the different variations of zombie tattoos that people have gotten and go to know some of our favorite zombies.
Take a look at some of the example zombie tattoos below. If you still have questions about what kind of tattoo you want or the shop you want to go to, please let us know. We would love to give you a recommendation to an artist or shop that will best fit your needs. We just recommend doing your research and a fine tattoo is sure to follow.