Romero didn't invent zombies- they've been a prominent part of Voodoo for centuries. What he invented was the modern concept of the slow-witted, ambulatory, brain-eating zombie- before that zombies were merely reanimated bodies with no free will.
I remember the voodoo zombie from the 70s in shows like The Night Stalker - very different. What Romero did was rebrand them in a major way. They weren't even in the monster pantheon before him. By giving them basic rules and characteristics, he elevated them to the same status as vampires, which is a huge achievement. When people do zombies today, they're doing his zombies, not the zombies of Haitian lore.
I wouldn't say I'm inventing something new, but I believe I am doing something that is outside of the box. at least compared to the Hollywood norm.
Romero didn't invent zombies- they've been a prominent part of Voodoo for centuries. What he invented was the modern concept of the slow-witted, ambulatory, brain-eating zombie- before that zombies were merely reanimated bodies with no free will.
I remember the voodoo zombie from the 70s in shows like The Night Stalker - very different. What Romero did was rebrand them in a major way. They weren't even in the monster pantheon before him. By giving them basic rules and characteristics, he elevated them to the same status as vampires, which is a huge achievement. When people do zombies today, they're doing his zombies, not the zombies of Haitian lore.
Which illustrates nicely how invention works -- you alter in a compelling way something that already exists.
Wow, I didn't realize George Romero actually invented zombies with Dawn of the Dead. That's wild.
RIght!?