Just as spring follows winter, new life can follow death. To commemorate the addition of zombie players to the game, here are five celebrities who achieved significant success posthumously.



Gustav Mahler

publication date: Friday, March 9, 2012

category: Music

clue: This Austrian composer was renowned as an orchestra conductor before his death, but his ten symphonies have made him even more famous in the century since then.

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, and Steve Dunn


John Kennedy Toole

publication date: Thursday, March 8, 2012

category: Literature

clue: You can avoid being a dunce by recognizing this New Orleans writer with the presidential name.

explanation: Toole's novel A Confederacy of Dunces became a best-seller after his 1969 death. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff


Eva Cassidy

publication date: Wednesday, March 7, 2012

category: Music

clue: Unknown in her lifetime, this DC-area singer went on to sell ten million records, starting with her rendition of the most famous song from The Wizard of Oz.

explanation: Cassidy became a best-selling artist years after she passed away in 1996. Her first hit was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, and Aaron Shurtleff


Jonathan Larson

publication date: Tuesday, March 6, 2012

category: Theater

clue: The rent was too damn high for this New York playwright, who passed away three months before his most successful show opened in 1996.

explanation: Larson wrote Rent. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Ryan Dunn, and Laurie Laczkowski


Tupac Shakur

publication date: Monday, March 5, 2012

category: Music

clue: This Machiavellian rapper has published more albums in death than he did during his thug life.

explanation: Shakur, known for his nickname Makaveli and his crew Thug Life, has had numerous albums of outtakes published since his 1996 murder. more…

solved by: Russ Wilhelm, Steve West, LaVonne Lemler, Samir Mehta, Chris Lemler, Richard Slominsky, Justin Woods, Matthew Preston, Denise Sawicki, Joanna Woods, Erik Bates, Mike Rothstein, Steve Dunn, Aaron Shurtleff, Ryan Dunn, and Laurie Laczkowski


Other Themes in Spring 2012

Super Maximum

Life a real-life Arkham Asylum, the most famous villains of the United States are jailed in the super-maximum-security facility in Florence, Colorado, home of mobsters, gang leaders, drug lords, terrorists, and various enemies of state, including these five goos. Go »

Double Trouble

Most celebrities have non-famous siblings, but twins who achieve fame in the same field are especially rare. Have twice the fun this week guessing these five pairs of famous twins. Both names are required for your guess to be correct. Go »

Go Ahead, Make His Day

Once a star of macho action pictures, Clint Eastwood began directing movies in 1971 and has become one of America's most celebrated film-makers. These goos are inspired by five of his movies, both recent and classic. Are you feeling lucky? Go »

Eight-Legged Freaks

Do spiders make you squeamish? This theme may not be for you. This week, five goos inspired by arachnids are waiting for you to get trapped in their page on the Web. Go »

When in Rome

The ancient Romans founded one of the greatest empires of antiquity, excelling in government, war, arts, and general decadence. Get in a time machine and spend this week identifying some of the major figures of the Roman era. Go »

The Modern Woman

2012 has not been easy for women so far, as these five controversial ladies can attest. Each one made headlines, for better or worse, in the first few months of this year. Go »

Men are from Mars

The fourth planet from the Sun has long held the fascination of men, especially these five, who will forever be associated with the red planet. There's a reason why both Mars and men share the symbol ♂. Go »

Goo Noir 2

It feels good to be back in black! Ever since the original noir genre tapered off in the 1950s, writers and filmmakers have kept returning to the dark theme. These five goos are famous for their work in neo-noir. Go »

Meow Mix

It's the final week of the regular season, and your last chance to save up nine lives. Can you identify these five celebrities with feline names? Real winners don't rely on performance-enhancing drugs like catnip. Go »

Spring 2012 Tournament

The dead shall rise! In this tournament, whenever an odd number of players remains, a defeated player will return as a "zombie" to challenge the top-seeded player. If successful, they'll gain full re-entry into the tournament. This time, it's not over until it's over. Go »

Spring 2012 Bonus Goos

What will you do on your summer vacation? With the tournament concluded and the next season ready to start on Monday, here are three days of extra goos that have no bearing on the season winner. Enjoy the break and come back refreshed next week. Go »