Kirby And Simon Created The Walking Dead 75 Years Ago!

It seems like every day, Bowery bums run amok.

Today is no different, but...

Well, that was unpleasant.

Who's behind this?

Why, it's the Lord Of Death!! And he immediately calls his best bud in Germany!

A million a job? What a steal!!

Soon, when Steve and Bucky were on patrol at the docks...

Well, leave it to Steve to recognize:

Not even mere zuvembis--ZOMBIES!!!

Soon it's like a scene out of Romero...

But Captain America doesn't put up with such tomfoolery!!

Oh yeah?!?

Even drowning won't kill these saboteur zombies!!

The Lord Of Death continues his reign of terror, sending out his, well, walking dead to wreak havoc and chaos:

Holy crap!!

Well, Cap & Bucky stop this latest wave (SPOILER ALERT: hand grenades!).

But they have yet to get to the root of the problem. So, since bums are being kidnapped to make these zombies, our heroes disguise themselves as bums!

And it works!

Of course, Lord Of Death must monologue!

Still, you're up against Captain America, so...

Which, of course, leads to the most famous phone call of all time...

Kirby and Simon--having society overrun by zombies decades before those other pretenders...

From All-Winners Comics #1 (1941)