Line #32 Literature/HowToSurviveAZombieApocalypse


1	%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
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3	[[quoteright:275:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sin_ttulo_9406.png]]
4	[[caption-width-right:275: [-Zombies. When they're not trying to eat your brain, they can be really awesome.]]-]
5
6	->''"There are two types of people in this world: those who dream about happiness and those who fight for it. If I were to be put in one of those categories, I'd choose the third: those who don't give a shit."''
7	-->-- '''Duff Obama'''
8
9	[[http://www.quotev.com/story/7004826/How-To-Survive-A-Zombie-Apocalypse How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse]] is a comedic parody depicting the usual zombie apocalypse scenario that sets off the same day the main character, Duff, turns sixteen. After a series of events, she is not only forced to kill her already undead family, but is left to fend for herself through the chaos. That is, until she finds an odd group claiming they will put an end to an AfterTheEnd.
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11	Despite the rather dark beginning, the story quickly jumps to a much lighter note, often falling into the crack category. Started in 2012, it is still ongoing. Has a [[Characters/HowToSurviveAZombieApocalypse Character Sheet]] under construction.
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13	----
14	!! This story provides examples of:
15
16	* ABirthdayNotABreak: Duff becomes aware of the apocalypse the day she becomes sixteen.
17	%%* ACupAngst: Duff. And a lot.
18	* AerithAndBob: April, Lucas, Collin, Butch... Duff... and Kerberos.
19	* AntiHero: Duff, a non-lethal example, can be quite selfish, cowardly and somewhat of a SmugSnake, and she's decided to leave the Squad as soon as she finds a decent place to stay. It's not long before she starts questioning the idea, though.
20	%%* AnyoneCanDie
21	* AttackAttackRetreatRetreat: In chapter 6, Duff should have pondered for a moment if lunging mindlessly at a horde of zombies was a good idea.
22	%%* AwesomeButImpractical: Lucas's BB gun.
23	* BadassNormal: Every Squad member has moments of this. More prominently Lucas when he's not being a ButtMonkey. Special mention to Butch who was able to produce an ''expansive wave'' with a punch strong enough to send zombies flying.
24	%%* BerserkButton:
25	** Don't mess with Duff's hair. Or her chest. Or her pizza.
26	** Interrupting Lucas in the middle of his singing is not a good idea.
27	** April and her costume.
28	%%* BewareTheNiceOnes: A mad April is ''not'' a nice sight.
29	%%* BewareTheQuietOnes: A mad Collin isn't that much nicer.
30	* {{BFS}}: Subverted... or something. Duff has a giant pencil as a zombie-slaying weapon.
31	%%* BlackComedy
32	* BreakingTheFourthWall: Duff's narration shows instances of this.
33	-->'''Duff:''' Sometimes I think the author just wants to make me suffer.
34	* BrutalHonesty: Kerberos.
35	--> '''Duff:''' I know we are not exactly smart, but it's not like we're completely stupid right?
36	--> '''Kerberos:''' Wrong.
37	* BurnTheUndead: April's default way to kill zombies.
38	* CallingYourAttacks: Parodied.
39	--> '''Lucas:''' Super-angry-because-you-interrupted-my-singing-SMASH!
40	* CantLiveWithThemCantLiveWithoutThem: Duff grouped with the Anti-Zombie Squad mainly for interest and didn't give a damn about them. [[spoiler: However, after they got briefly separated and almost mauled to death, she came to the conclusion maybe she cared the least bit about them.]]
41	* CastOfSnowflakes: They all seem very different, looks or personality wise.
42	* CatchPhrase: Kerberos's "Dude." Butch's overuse of the word ''creepy'' in everything.
43	%%* CatScare: A literal example in Chapter 2.
44	* CerebusSyndrome: While not prominently, latter chapters take on a serious note more often than the first ones.
45	* ChekhovsGun: Duff wanted a giant pencil for some odd reason as a birthday present. That same thing saved her several times from having her head chopped off.
46	%%* ChewToy: Collin to the Zombie Squad, even more so that Lucas.
47	%%* ChildrenForcedToKill: Pretty much every underage survivor.
48	* CloudCuckooLander: Kerberos and April, to the point the former tries playing Monopoly with a zombie and the latter sets the Squad's HQ on fire while trying to light up a candle.
49	%%* CowardlyLion: Duff.
50	* CrapsackWorld: Played with. The usually cryptic zombie scenario, while maintaining a hint of darkness, is more of a parody and sometimes even PlayedForLaughs.
51	-->'''Duff:''' Zombies are excellent stylists, if you ask me. They dance the Moonwalk like professionals, make the best cotton candy and even rap faster than Eminem.
52	%%* CrazySurvivalist: [[spoiler: the religious sect at the mall.]]
53	%%* DangerousSixteenthBirthday
54	%%* DeadpanSnarker: Duff and Butch, which leads to a lot of bickering between the two.
55	%%* DefrostingIceQueen: Kerberos.
56	* DeusExMachina: PlayedForLaughs. They often get out of really difficult situations in the most unexpected, if not idiotic, ways. [[spoiler: Averted when they meet a DespairEventHorizon.]]
57	%%* EmoTeen: Collin.
58	%%* EmotionlessGirl: Kerberos.
59	%%* EndOfTheWorldAsWeKnowIt
60	* {{Expy}}: Duff looks suspiciously like [[Anime/DarkerThanBlack Suou Pavlichenko.]]
61	* FamilyOfChoice: Given the apocalyptic scenario, it was a given survivors would lose their families in the process, which means, in a way, that a close group could be some sort of substitue. April is the first to point out this, much to the group's disgust. [[spoiler: But they are internally happy.]]
62	%%* FourTemperamentEnsemble:
63	** April and Lucas are Sanguine.
64	** Butch and Duff are Choleric.
65	** Collin is Melancholic.
66	** Kerberos is Phlegmatic.
67	* FunnyBackgroundEvent: Duff and Lucas surrounded by zombies and fighting the hell out while April spills out a soliloquy about life.
68	%%* GagSeries
69	%%* GenkiGirl: April.
70	%%* GenkiGuy: Lucas.
71	* GilliganCut: When the Anti-Zombie Squad first tried to recruit Duff, she was openly hostile towards them and swore with all her might she wouldn't join. They offered her pizza. So she joined.
72	%%* GreenEyedRedhead: Duff.
73	%%* GroinAttack: Duff constantly threatens Lucas with one.
74	%%* IJustWantToBeBadass: Lucas.
75	%%* IdiotHero: Duff. Or, well, pretty much the whole Zombie Squad.
76	* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: They all reference a work of fiction in some way or another, of course, with a zombie-themed PunBasedTitle.
77	* InferioritySuperiorityComplex: While exhibiting plenty of narcissistic tendencies, Duff can get very insecure an thinks of herself as stupid. Just smarter than the rest.
78	* InsaneTrollLogic: It is extremely hard to get into a remotely serious conversation with Duff. Subverted when she tries... and fails. But she still tries. Also Kerberos, whose perception of this plane of existence seems to be too different for a mortal to comprehend.
79	%%* JerkassWithAHeartOfGold: Butch.
80	* KillItWithFire: April ''loves'' her flamethrower, loves burning things and hates zombies. What's to not to love? Except, well, that she can't use it.
81	* LampshadeHanging: Mostly done by Butch or Duff herself when the situation gets too abnormal.
82	%%* LeaningOnTheFourthWall
83	* MadeOfIron: Everyone in the Zombie Squad. Duff alone managed to survive a three-story high free fall and three zombie raids with only a giant pencil as weapon. Another notable example is Collin, the Squad's poor ChewToy.
84	* MomentKiller: Lucas loves doing this.
85	* NervesOfSteel: No matter how ridiculous the situation may be, Kerberos never seems remotely moved.
86	* NiceGirl: April, who along being TheHeart is the Squad's kindest member.
87	* NiceGuy: Collin, who deals with the constant harassing of everyone, sans Butch, and does not flip them off solely because he pities them.
88	* NoCelebritiesWereHarmed: Justin Bieber at the beginning of the outbreak. He is then seen occasionally killing things in the background. At one point, Creator/DonaldTrump makes an inexplicable cameo and fights against Justin Bieber. Nobody bats an eye at this, save for Duff, who [[HandWave handwaves]] it.
89	* NotSoStoic: Collin has severe social anxiety issues and Duff's... not subtle demeanor doesn't help one bit.
90	%%* ObliviousToLove: [[spoiler: Duff and Collin.]]
91	* OnlySaneMan: Collin and Butch often compete for this position, though it's more of a claim by the latter.
92	* OurZombiesAreDifferent: They still show unusually human characteristics such as riding bikes and even baking pizza.
93	* QuirkyTown: [[spoiler: the cannibals seemed like this at first.]]
94	%%* RedOniBlueOni:
95	** Duff is red to Collin's blue.
96	** Lucas is red to Kerberos's blue.
97	** April is red to Butch's blue.
98	* RuleOfFunny: Exaggerated at times. How can you take a zombie apocalypse seriously when the titular threat opens bakeries, goes to dance clubs and seems more interested in bird watching than actual cannibalism? There is also little to no tension about anyone dying due to survivors seeming MadeOfIron... at first.
99	* RunningGag:
100	** Duff's hope in finding a sexy boy. Her wishes don't come true.
101	** Lucas's annoying singing whenever a phrase alludes a song or artist.
102	** Butch's creepy thing with ponies.
103	** Kerberos trying to give plans and being ignored. Lampshaded when they finally hear her.
104	** Justin Bieber.
105	** Duff's obsession with pizza as well as her name.
106	-->'''Duff:''' My name is Duff Obama, and no, I don't know the freaking president.
107	* {{Satire}}
108	* ScreamsLikeALittleGirl: Lucas. Exaggerated when not even the girls yell as much as him.
109	* SeinfeldianConversation: Ranging from the hypothetical existence of giant green hamsters in space to whomever invented blue dye for hair, the squad is rather fond of these.
110	* ShoutOut: Too many to list. The chapter titles alone are based on works of fiction.
111	** Chapter 1 (Sweet Sixteen of the Dead): Manga/HighSchoolOfTheDead.
112	** Chapter 2 (The Walking Idiots): Series/TheWalkingDead.
113	** Chapter 3 (The Zombie Games): Literature/TheHungerGames.
114	** Chapter 4 (I, Zombie): ''Comicbook/IZombie''
115	** Chapter 5 (Breaking Duff): Literature/BreakingDawn.
116	** Other examples quoted here:
117	-->'''Duff:''' Kamehameha!
118	-->'''April:''' Imagine Taylor Lautner with a beard.
119	-->'''Butch:''' WICKED is good!
120	* ShrinkingViolet: Shy, introvert Collin, who has an OCD about people using proper ties and plays an air battery while headbanging when any song he likes is playing.
121	* SurroundedByIdiots: Butch feels this way, and it's not like he can be blamed.
122	* TalkingIsAFreeAction: Averted when April has a moment of enlightenment and starts philosophizing while Duff and Lucas yell at her to shut up and help them fight off the zombie horde.
123	* TeamChef: Collin, to the group's utter relief.
124	* TeethClenchedTeamwork: Duff shows instances of this at first. A more prominent example is Butch, who is actually more of a {{Tsundere}}.
125	* ThePowerOfFriendship: A central theme. The Zombie Squad grows inevitably closer throughout the series.
126	%%* TheStoic: Kerberos. Collin appears to be this at first.
127	%%* SugarAndIcePersonality: Collin.
128	* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Duff LOVES pizza.
129	* TooDumbToLive: It's a wonder how the Squad managed to say alive for so long.
130	* TookALevelInBadass: Subverted. Duff will fight, but it's not like she's any good. More like, she fights because she wants to keep her innards inside her.
131	%%* TranquilFury: Lucas.
132	%%* TrueCompanions: Given the theme, this was bound to happen to some point. Or will probably happen. It'll be a shame if it doesn't. Too bad it won't. Maybe?
133	%%* {{Tsundere}}: Duff, a rather bitter type A.
134	* UnreliableNarrator: Duff is a narcissist, has an ego the size of the moon and is convinced she is smarter than the whole Squad combined.[[InferioritySuperiorityComplex Sometimes.]] She also has a penchant to exaggerate things and is rather biased, resulting in a rather peculiar... perception of the whole story.
135	* VagueAge: Aside from Duff, the Squad members' ages can only be guessed. Averted with Collin, who is fifteen.
136	%%* WeirdnessMagnet: The Zombie Squad.
137	* WhenHeSmiles: The rare instances where Collin smiles provokes Duff's most {{tsundere}} moments.
138	%%* YaoiFangirl: None other than Kerberos.
139	%%* YouCantGoHomeAgain
140	%%* YouthIsWastedOnTheDumb: Played with. Part of the reason why the Zombie Squad never seems to get a thing right.
141	%%* ZombieApocalypse

Context Literature / HowToSurviveAZombieApocalypse