The fixation of zombies and vampires is on a rise, thanks to entertainment outlets such as TV and books.
On Saturday at Tower Road Branch Library, paranormal graphic novelist Andre Frattino did an in-depth discussion about the popularity of the paranormal as a topic of interest. Frattino will visit multiple branches of the Alachua County Library District this summer.
The allure of forbidden love, a morbid past and the curious appeal of the living dead are some of the reasons people love zombies and vampires, Frattino said.
He said the movement of vampires and zombies is the underlying fear that has evolved because the media has paid more attention to it in the past few years.
“I think people have always had this fear of vampires and zombies because in a way, zombies and vampires represent us in different aspects,” Frattino said.
People are intrigued with how people change and not so much the zombies, Frattino said.
“We like the idea of immortality, the underlying fact of internal love and the fear of never getting older,” he said.
Corey Berner, president of Gators Human vs. Zombies club at UF, said people love zombies and vampires because it peaks the imagination and is out of the ordinary.
“We tend to like unordinary things because it grasps us onto new inventions in our life and our society,” Berner said. “We like things that are dangerous and a little bit scary and on the edge — it’s what gets our adrenaline flowing.”
Nickie Kortus, marketing and public relations manager for the Alachua County Library District, said the appeal of zombies and vampires was created through folklore, legends and centuries of tales.
“Zombie and vampire novels are popular and many titles are frequently on hold for checkout at the libraries,” she said.
The Alachua County Library District has more than 369 vampire books in its collection. “Twilight,” by Stephenie Meyer, is one of the most popular titles, with 860 checkouts during its shelf life, Kortus said.
Terry Frederic, a 20-year-old UF business management junior, said zombies and vampires present opportunities to explore things beyond our imagination.
“The obsession over zombies and vampires has evolved from being a scare tactic into a thrill that movie and game enthusiasts crave,” he said.
