Did You Know Banjos Kill Zombies?

The Goodtime Zombie Killer 3 was launched just a few weeks ago, its blood splattered resonator catching the eyes of many a mortal at public events we have taken it to! And the first question we get is, 'Why?'... Let's find out! 

How did the Zombie Killer come to be?

Simply put, Greg Deering has a fantastic sense of humor. As an Eagle Scout Master for 30 years, Greg's ears were always close to the ground when it came to what was en vogue, as a direct result of listening to and engaging with the young men in his troop. 

While attending Rocket Camp in 2012, a scout, knowing Greg's love for all things banjo approached him, asking, "Mr. Deering, did you know that banjos kill Zombies?" Naturally, Greg asked questions. The scout, it turns out, was referring to a scene in the 2009 movie "Zombieland" starring Woody Harrelson and Jesse Eisenberg. At one point, Harrelson's character, "Talahasee", famously uses a banjo to fight off Zombies in a grocery store, as he seeks out the last remaining box of Twinkie bars.

Warning: The clip below contains adult language and violence.

The first Goodtime Zombie Killer banjo was a surprise project that only Greg knew about until he introduced it to us at the 2013 NAMM Show. With a "blood splatter" resonator finish and its iconic saw blade flange, adorned with a cut-out zombie-themed pattern to match the fingerboard inlays, the Zombie Killer captured the attention of the dealers, public and us staff without even strumming a note.

So why carry it on?

First and foremost, because it's one of our most requested products. But, more than that, we re-released it because it's fun and, much like Greg, it provides an opportunity for us to have a sense of humor in an otherwise crazy world!

It goes without saying that we love all things banjo, and we take our jobs very seriously. Occasionally, however, it's okay not to be so serious and have some fun, and unleash a little creativity. This was one of those times.

On the Zombie Killer III, we wanted to make it different from the first two. So several of us got together to work out what we wanted it to be and how we could do it. What colors would work best for the blood splatter? Could we spray it? Maybe use a water gun? Or maybe the old "flick the brush" technique would work best?

How can we give the hardware a rusted effect, as though it had been left, sitting, deserted in the apocalypse? How easy would that be to make a reality? 

What about if we had blood dripping from the Goodtime logo?

And that's just production. After that, we incorporated the sales, marketing, and e-commerce departments. We got to play with the descriptions, create some really fun videos, add some fun merch additions. And of course, we even persuaded Mr. Jens Kruger himself to create a piece of music that would go with the video. Even Jens, who was supposed to be working on something else, got into it to create something fun. 

As with everything we do at Deering, it was a real team effort that went through the hands of every department in one way or another. And we had a lot of fun doing it!

We hope that if nothing else, it at least puts a smile on your face.