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Remains of werewolf killed in a mudslide in southern California, 1986

A: Werewolf attacks on humans are extremely rare, and evidence suggests that they are a matter of territory rather than hunger.

Werewolves are omnivores that will consume everything from berries to large ungulates such as elk and moose. Like other large predators, they don't appear to have a taste for humans.

That is not to say that werewolves never hunt humans. The Beast of Gevaudan killed more than 80 people in 1760s France, and a series of werewolf attacks on fishing camps and small towns in Wisconsin during the 1920s resulted in 23 deaths. That wolf was killed by a team of FVZA agents, and the subsequent autopsy revealed a viral infection in the wolf's brain, suggesting that it may have been suffering from derangement. Werewolf attacks on humans also are associated with droughts and other situations that might put the beasts under stress. But this is not a common phenomenon, as werewolves are much more adaptive than common animals.

Werewolves are highly territorial and easily threatened. A hiker blundering into their range might be shadowed for awhile and then left alone. A hunter or hunting party is far more likely to incite their wrath. If you wish to avoid becoming werewolf prey, do not travel in deep woods during the sunrise and sunset hours. Firearms likely will agitate the wolf and are not going to be much help if it attacks. But I can't emphasize this enough: Werewolf attacks are extrememly rare and should not dissuade anyone from enjoying recreational activities like camping and hunting.

Bruce Campbell (left) and R. Lee Ermey

A: If they portray me as a younger man, then it would have to be Bruce Campbell. Believe it or not, there was a lot of joking and good-natured ribbing among FVZA agents, and I think Campbell could capture that side of the job effectively.

If the movie were to be set in the present, then I would have to go with R. Lee Ermey. I might not be as tightly wound as Ermey, a former U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor, but I still carry with me the discipline that I learned at the Academy; I expect a lot from myself and those around me.

The Zombie Survival Guide

A: Like John, a number of people have asked me about The Zombie Survival Guide, so it's high time I offered a review.

For those of you who don't know, The Zombie Survival Guide was written by former Saturday Night Live writer Max Brooks, son of Mel. The book purports to offer "complete protection from the living dead," and treats its subject with deadpan seriousness, although it is sold in the humor section of the bookstore.

My advice when reading the book is this: take it with a grain of salt. While some of the advice offered is useful, I wouldn't rely on it in the wake of a real zombie outbreak.

First of all, there is no Solanum virus. Doesn't exist. Human Zombie Virus causes zombieism, and the virus is typically carried by rats. Second, zombies are not dead, as claimed in the book (and, to be fair, in countless zombie movies). Zombies are very much alive. Cellular respiration continues, they move, their pupils react to light. While undead is a useful phrase, it is not an accurate one. I repeat: zombies are alive, and if you don't know it now, you will when one locks down on your arm.

With respect to the book's tips on fighting zombies, it is not true that you need only one bullet to bring down a zombie. I have personally seen zombies take several shots to the head and keep coming. Essentially, you need to remove a zombie's head from its body to stop it. Whether you do that with a shotgun blast or a sword is your choice.

On other caveat: the apocalyptic Class 4 zombie outbreak described in the book could never happen, because zombie mobility, not too great to begin with, goes downhill quickly over time.

The rest of the book includes information in surviving zombie outbreaks, along with recorded attacks (including a couple that are remarkably similar to ones posted on this site back in 2001.)

Read The Zombie Survival Guide for the entertainment value, but don't treat it as the gospel truth.

A Werewolf from Underworld: Evolution on display at a comic book convention

Q: I'm saddened to see like most you think Underworld's many practical effects are purely CGI, when in fact a lot of actors suffered in hot latex suits to depict werewolves in action. True, CGI was vital in the depiction of the transformation of the human actors into thier "Lycan" counterparts, but scenes where the werewolves interact with the set and other actors do not use CGIed werewolves; the filmmakers felt the performances were better with actual creature suits. In fact, the scene which depicts werewolves running along walls was done with suits and wires. It's a sad truth that many moviegoers are spoiled by CGI effects and believe any impressive visual effect must be purely CGI when often only a fraction of the image they are viewing is CG.

Much of Underworld and its sequel Underworld: Evolution utilized practical special effects, including animatronic creature suits, green screen and model shots. CGI was not used as extensively as some would think. While the plot can have plenty of holes poked in it, the craftsmanship of the filmmakers, who used CG as a tool to enhance traditional special effects rather then replace them, deserves to be praised.

James S. Cole, Pittsburgh, Penn.

A: Point taken, James.

I certainly didn't mean to impugn the work and talent of special effects artists when I referred to Underworld in my recent survey of werewolf special effects makeup. It takes talent plus years of hard work and training to be in a position to create special effects for major motion pictures.

Having said that, I still have yet to see a truly convincing werewolf on the big screen. I'm talking about one that occupies space and moves like the real thing. Someday, I'm confident we will see that werewolf on screen.