the Casa Grande Dispatch Newspaper an article about Casa Grande Comic Con.
Melissa St. Aude Staff Writer & Valley Life Editor
Casa Grande Dispatch Newspaper Q & A UZA Founder Sydoney A.A. Banks.
Q. Tell me a little bit about United Zombies of America - what's it all
about and how did it start?
A. United Zombies of America (UZA) is a professional entertainment group that officially began in the spring of 2012. We are actors/performers, artists, educators, jacks of many trades, so to say. We are NOT just a monster/horror group, but we do many things and they may often involve monster-type characters and/or horror. We really do so many things: photography, makeup, videos, classes/panels/workshops, improvisation, security, volunteering, social media, advertising and even more. We support Anti-bulling and Paying It Forward. We are a family friendly (all ages) group and we believe that “Families that Scare together Stay together!” UZA began because Sydoney Banks, founder of UZA, fell in love with horror and zombies through performing at “The Haunting Haunted House” in 2009/2010 with her family, Jess Acridge, his family, Casey Corbin, Kristen Cline, her family and others. They all helped her find her passion and her purpose in life. UZA began so she could explore her dreams and to assist others with theirs and to provide entertainment and fun for all.
Q. Why are you participating in Casa Grande's Comic Con?
Did you take part last year as well?
Do you do other comic conventions as well?
A. This is our first time to participate in Casa Grande’s Comic Con. Sydoney found it on Facebook and jumped at the chance to be involved with it. UZA loves doing various types of cons, especially library comic cons. UZA loves giving back to the community. We have done the Tempe, Apache Junction, and Yuma Library Comic Cons as well as Amazing Arizona Con, Mad Monster, YumaCon and more.
Q. What can people expect when they see your organization at Casa Grande's Comic Con? I understand you'll be doing makeup demonstrations?
Will zombies wander around the event as well?
A. UZA will be doing a makeup and SFX class at 3:15pm called “Bruises, Blisters, and Gore!” This is a great beginner class for those interested in makeup for any kind of character or event. We even had someone from a group that does emergency drill events come to get more information on how to do makeup on accident participants.
UZA will have a booth with our information and some other UZA favorites as well. We will have UZA’s Ray Digger The Grave Digger wandering the comic con for free photos with any interested attendees. Sydoney will have her cameras ready to take the free photos/videos and she will put them on Facebook after the comic con is over and after she edits them, so this may take her a day or two. Be sure to get a flyer from Sydoney telling where you can retrieve your photo from and where you can share your own photos with us.
Q. What is it about zombies that people find so entertaining?
Can you tell me a little bit about why you are interested in zombies?
A. Some of the reasons people may be interested in zombies could be that of all the monsters there are, they might be the most realistic, because they tend to occur from diseases, viruses, toxic spills, mutations, science experiments, attempting to reanimate the dead, and more. So maybe we feel that it is more apt to happen futuristically to humans. Haitian voodoo zombies have even been reported and written about. There are books, comics, movies, games, video games, cartoons, toys, clothing, and television shows that portray zombies for our entertainment. Some people enjoy being frightened while others enjoy frightening them. This year on July 4, AMC with Greg Nicotero opened, “The Walking Dead Experience” at Universal Studios in California. They created it so people could feel what it is like to face zombies at specific places from the show. Sydoney really wants to go and experience this attraction for herself.
Sydoney never really felt anything for any monsters or horror growing up and she did not know much about any of them either, because she did not grow up watching them. She did love Halloween, the costumes and decorations, even more than the candy.
During her first haunted house acting role she began learning more about monsters, horror, haunted houses, and cons and she continues to keep learning more about the entire industry to this day. She was only 15 years old and assigned as the lead zombie, graveyard lead and trainer for the graveyard and all the zombies. She even won “Actress of the Season” for 2009/2010. She has done other haunted houses each year since then including, “Rob Zombies Great American Nightmare” in 2014. She now loves zombies and working in haunted houses. She hopes to run her own haunted attraction. She would love for it to be open throughout the entire year.
Horror is great, but UZA is so much more!
Please come by and see us at Casa Grande’s Comic Con
on Saturday, July 19, 2016.
Thank you for interviewing UZA! We would love to meet all of you and get a photo with you and Ray Digger at the Comic Con.
To see and learn more about us visit us at
www.united-zombies-of-america.com
Melissa St. Aude Staff Writer & Valley Life Editor
Casa Grande Dispatch Newspaper Q & A UZA Founder Sydoney A.A. Banks.
Q. Tell me a little bit about United Zombies of America - what's it all
about and how did it start?
A. United Zombies of America (UZA) is a professional entertainment group that officially began in the spring of 2012. We are actors/performers, artists, educators, jacks of many trades, so to say. We are NOT just a monster/horror group, but we do many things and they may often involve monster-type characters and/or horror. We really do so many things: photography, makeup, videos, classes/panels/workshops, improvisation, security, volunteering, social media, advertising and even more. We support Anti-bulling and Paying It Forward. We are a family friendly (all ages) group and we believe that “Families that Scare together Stay together!” UZA began because Sydoney Banks, founder of UZA, fell in love with horror and zombies through performing at “The Haunting Haunted House” in 2009/2010 with her family, Jess Acridge, his family, Casey Corbin, Kristen Cline, her family and others. They all helped her find her passion and her purpose in life. UZA began so she could explore her dreams and to assist others with theirs and to provide entertainment and fun for all.
Q. Why are you participating in Casa Grande's Comic Con?
Did you take part last year as well?
Do you do other comic conventions as well?
A. This is our first time to participate in Casa Grande’s Comic Con. Sydoney found it on Facebook and jumped at the chance to be involved with it. UZA loves doing various types of cons, especially library comic cons. UZA loves giving back to the community. We have done the Tempe, Apache Junction, and Yuma Library Comic Cons as well as Amazing Arizona Con, Mad Monster, YumaCon and more.
Q. What can people expect when they see your organization at Casa Grande's Comic Con? I understand you'll be doing makeup demonstrations?
Will zombies wander around the event as well?
A. UZA will be doing a makeup and SFX class at 3:15pm called “Bruises, Blisters, and Gore!” This is a great beginner class for those interested in makeup for any kind of character or event. We even had someone from a group that does emergency drill events come to get more information on how to do makeup on accident participants.
UZA will have a booth with our information and some other UZA favorites as well. We will have UZA’s Ray Digger The Grave Digger wandering the comic con for free photos with any interested attendees. Sydoney will have her cameras ready to take the free photos/videos and she will put them on Facebook after the comic con is over and after she edits them, so this may take her a day or two. Be sure to get a flyer from Sydoney telling where you can retrieve your photo from and where you can share your own photos with us.
Q. What is it about zombies that people find so entertaining?
Can you tell me a little bit about why you are interested in zombies?
A. Some of the reasons people may be interested in zombies could be that of all the monsters there are, they might be the most realistic, because they tend to occur from diseases, viruses, toxic spills, mutations, science experiments, attempting to reanimate the dead, and more. So maybe we feel that it is more apt to happen futuristically to humans. Haitian voodoo zombies have even been reported and written about. There are books, comics, movies, games, video games, cartoons, toys, clothing, and television shows that portray zombies for our entertainment. Some people enjoy being frightened while others enjoy frightening them. This year on July 4, AMC with Greg Nicotero opened, “The Walking Dead Experience” at Universal Studios in California. They created it so people could feel what it is like to face zombies at specific places from the show. Sydoney really wants to go and experience this attraction for herself.
Sydoney never really felt anything for any monsters or horror growing up and she did not know much about any of them either, because she did not grow up watching them. She did love Halloween, the costumes and decorations, even more than the candy.
During her first haunted house acting role she began learning more about monsters, horror, haunted houses, and cons and she continues to keep learning more about the entire industry to this day. She was only 15 years old and assigned as the lead zombie, graveyard lead and trainer for the graveyard and all the zombies. She even won “Actress of the Season” for 2009/2010. She has done other haunted houses each year since then including, “Rob Zombies Great American Nightmare” in 2014. She now loves zombies and working in haunted houses. She hopes to run her own haunted attraction. She would love for it to be open throughout the entire year.
Horror is great, but UZA is so much more!
Please come by and see us at Casa Grande’s Comic Con
on Saturday, July 19, 2016.
Thank you for interviewing UZA! We would love to meet all of you and get a photo with you and Ray Digger at the Comic Con.
To see and learn more about us visit us at
www.united-zombies-of-america.com
The madness of our 2nd Annual Comic-Con
just keeps getting BIGGER
and better! Mark your calendar's for Saturday, July 16th NOW
because you just can't miss this kinda of awesomeness!
Saturday, July 16 at 1 PM - 4 PM
Vista Grande Public Library
1556 N Arizola Rd, Casa Grande, Arizona 85122
UZA will be doing a makeup and SFX class at 3:15pm called “Bruises, Blisters, and Gore!” This is a great beginner class for those interested in makeup for any kind of character or event. We even had someone from a group that does emergency drill events come to get more information on how to do makeup on accident participants.
UZA will have a booth with our information and some other UZA favorites as well. We will have UZA’s Ray Digger The Grave Digger wandering the comic con for free photos with any interested attendees. Sydoney will have her cameras ready to take the free photos/videos and she will put them on Facebook after the comic con is over and after Syd edits them, so this may take her a day or two. Be sure to get a flyer from Sydoney telling where you can retrieve your photo from and where
you can share your own photos with us.
just keeps getting BIGGER
and better! Mark your calendar's for Saturday, July 16th NOW
because you just can't miss this kinda of awesomeness!
Saturday, July 16 at 1 PM - 4 PM
Vista Grande Public Library
1556 N Arizola Rd, Casa Grande, Arizona 85122
UZA will be doing a makeup and SFX class at 3:15pm called “Bruises, Blisters, and Gore!” This is a great beginner class for those interested in makeup for any kind of character or event. We even had someone from a group that does emergency drill events come to get more information on how to do makeup on accident participants.
UZA will have a booth with our information and some other UZA favorites as well. We will have UZA’s Ray Digger The Grave Digger wandering the comic con for free photos with any interested attendees. Sydoney will have her cameras ready to take the free photos/videos and she will put them on Facebook after the comic con is over and after Syd edits them, so this may take her a day or two. Be sure to get a flyer from Sydoney telling where you can retrieve your photo from and where
you can share your own photos with us.
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