Back in June, we touched on the possible explanations as to why people have such an incredible fascination with zombies -- we write books about them, participate in pub crawls, proms, and walks with zombie themes. However, nowhere else do we see the full breadth of our devotion toward our brain-eating buddies than in our films. In a fun and informative infographic, the zombie epidemic is traced back through the history of cinema -- where it first appeared in pop culture, and how it has evolved over time.

With information compiled by Halloween Costumes from a myriad of sources, like IMDb, Box Office Mojo, and Guinness Book of World Records, the Genre of the Dead infographic explores our obsession with zombies that started back in the 1920s with H.P. Lovecraft's serial titled Herbert West: Reanimator, which appeared in Home Brew, an amateur publication, in 1922.

Here's a little trivia that can help you win big at your favorite watering hole's zombie themed trivia night. Contrary to popular belief, iconic filmmaker George A. Romero didn't make up the term "zombie." In fact, the zombies that we know and love today don't really resemble the zombie-like creatures that originated in Haiti. But, the term ("zombi") was popularized by William Seabrook's 1929 book The Magic Island, and the award for the first zombie flick goes to the 1932 film White Zombie, starring Béla Lugosi.

Take a gander at the infographic below and traipse around in zombie history -- the beginning of the zombie popularity in the 60s, the full-fledged obsession in the 80s, as well as the current state of the infection.

[Editor's note: the infographic has been removed]

What are your favorite zombie flicks? Why do you think people are so obsessed with zombies/ghouls/the walking dead?

[via Halloween Costumes Blog & Filmmaker IQ]

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