The Total Bastard Database

The greatest killers, madmen, monsters and maniacs in horror movie history.

SPOILER WARNING!!

All entries in the TBDB are likely to carry spoliers so if you ain't seen the movie they relate to don't read 'em!

TARMAN

AKA:

Various

Was a bastard in:

Return of the Living Dead, ROTLD 2, ROTLD 3, ROTLD 5

So who the Hell is he?

The Tarman is the unfortunate product of an experiment by the US
Army into creating biological weaponsout of the corpses of the dead.

They developed a chemical called Trioxin which re-animated the dead asravenous monsters clamouring for the flesh of the living.

Unfortunately, this gas turned out to be a little more powerful than they had bargained for and they were forced to abandon the project. As the corpses who had already been brought back could not be killed (not even with a bullet to the brain this time I'm afraid) they were contained in secure barrels - barrels which actually turn out to be about as tough to break into as a King's Cross hooker's pants.

Several of these barrels were mislaid on transit to wherever they were to be stored and it was not until years later that a series of unwitting fools open them thus freeing and reawakening the corpses inside. This is, or to be more acurate, these are the Tarmen. The original test subjects for the Trioxin gas who have now rotted away into their present thoroughly unpleasant condition.

That’s not a Knife...

Mental skills have never been the greatest strength of the undead and the Tarman is no exception. His main weapons are his teeth and
the usual zombie strength and resistance to pain and damage.

Why, for the love of God Why?!?

Again, as with most zombies the Tarman is motivated by that good old hunger for human flesh. In this case it is the brain inparticular that is considered a delicacy for the discerning decomposing diner.

Apparently eating the brains of the living temporarily stops the pain of being dead - which is as good an explanation as any I suppose.

So what’s the damage?

Poor tarman is usually the cause for a whole plague of new zombies who cause all manner of havoc and destruction but he is often too slow and slimy to achieve much himself. The poor fella can't even catch a break when hitching to the scene of the zombie carnage in Return of the Living Dead 5.

It’s a million to one chance but it might just work

Being dead and locked in a barrel since the 1960's may not do much for your appearance but it does give you the ability to pretty much withstand any level of physical damage short of total mutilation. Even then the pieces will keep moving and trying to get at your juicy fresh brain.

This is obviously a deviation to the rules set by the Romero films but then again the Romero films were actually inspired by the 'true' events in the ROTLD series - well according to the first instalment that is.

Words of wisdom

"Braaaaiiiininnss!”

By Matt Compton

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