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Zombie

The sci-fi Rock band "June Cleaver and the Steak Knives" presents an animated tale of aging. Zombie is an eerie, sardonic anthem for disillusionment—a darkly poetic meditation on lost identity and the slow, creeping realization of becoming everything you once swore you wouldn’t.
The lyrics weave a tale of existential dread, following a protagonist who never imagined themselves slipping into the mindless monotony of life, only to wake up and find they’ve become exactly that—a zombie. But this isn’t the horror-movie variety; instead, the song frames zombification as a metaphor for suburban stagnation, emotional detachment, and the crushing weight of unfulfilled expectations.
What makes Zombie especially compelling is its blend of biting humor and genuine melancholy. It captures the universal fear of fading into mediocrity, of watching life slip into autopilot while the passion and certainty of youth dissolve. The protagonist once believed they were immune to this fate, that they would be different, only to find themselves shuffling through life with the same vacant stare they once pitied in others.

  • Pat Bradley
    Director
  • Pat Bradley
    Writer
  • Pat Bradley
    Producer
  • Pat and Chris Bradley
    Music
  • Project Type:
    Animation, Music Video
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    October 19, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Black & White
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Pat Bradley

Pat Bradley is an animator and illustrator specializing in creating engaging, custom animation for museums, documentaries, and digital media. As the founder of Springshoe Animation, Pat brings stories to life with a unique blend of hand-crafted visuals and dynamic storytelling. With a passion for experimentation and a keen eye for detail, Pat’s work spans a variety of styles, always aiming to create something visually striking and memorable.

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Director Statement

Zombie was a true passion project for me. My brother and I wrote the song together for our band, June Cleaver and the Steak Knives. Since we're pretty unknown, there was no budget behind this project, so the animation is somewhat limited—but that raw, handmade quality ended up fitting the song’s chaotic, surreal energy perfectly.
I’ve always loved dark humor, and while Zombie is definitely comical, there are some unsettling truths buried beneath the absurdity. The idea of becoming everything you once swore you wouldn’t is both funny and a little terrifying. I wanted the animation to reflect that through its raw, ever-changing style and mix of eerie and absurd imagery.
For anyone interested in a deeper dive, I actually put together a “behind the scenes” video breaking down both the music and the artwork, which you can check out here: https://youtu.be/tZpz2J1x7co?si=0MRe25QTxcAfuP-W