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If and when the world is taken over by zombies — or another type of menace, but especially zombies — one Las Vegas man wants to make sure people are prepared.
Mike Monko, owner of the Zombie Apocalypse Store at 3420 Spring Mountain Road, has turned his artificial-lawn supply store into a one-stop shop for fighting off the walking dead and surviving other predicaments.
“Things are crazy in Vegas,” Monko said. “Zombie is just a metaphor for anything that can go wrong — the economy, the government or zombies.”
Monko opened the store in late November with a mix of zombie-related merchandise, such as as T-shirts, posters and bumper stickers, and survival supplies, like instant foods and water purifiers. He also sells stun guns, crossbows and edged weapons, like a 20-inch machete, “just in case.”
His advertisements? People costumed as zombies, who walk the Strip to promote the store.
“The people who get it absolutely get it,” Monko said. “There is a huge subculture of people who dig the zombie theme.”
Zombie novelty items like T-shirts are less than $20. Water purifiers range from $8 tablets to nine-liter filters for $30. A dried food set that serves 200 meals is $100.
Although he said it may seem crazy to some, Monko wants people to feel safe in an emergency — for example, if the city’s food supply was cut off by a strike.
He’s already sold survival grab-and-go kits with water purifiers, flashlights and dust masks that come in two- to three-day packs. They also include first aid tools.
The store is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.