WOODBRIDGE — Will Gong, a native of Woodbridge, launched his first sitcom, “Bunkheads.”

The show takes a comedic approach to the zombie apocalypse, as a teacher, actress, workout warrior, and wannabe rapper learn to live together as they take refuge in a bunker to save their lives.

Gong said he was inspired to create the show after watching the success of TV’s “The Walking Dead.”

“It’s so serious,” he said. “How could you take a zombie apocalypse and make it a sitcom?”

Gong said he had a bunker idea from a script he’d been working on and combined these ideas to create the concept for “Bunkheads.”

“What if four people were trapped in a bunker and they had to learn to live together? That would be really funny,” Gong said.

Gong said he didn’t want to play up the zombie apocalypse aspect, which is terrifying.

“My view on human nature is, we adapt, we evolve, and eventually, we get used to things,” says Gong. “How long would it take you to get used to the zombie apocalypse? You resort back to being grumpy about the people you’re living with. You kind of forget that there’s this horrific event going on outside.”

Gong said he began working on the script for “Bunkheads” during the presidential campaign of 2016.

“We’re all living in a world with people we don’t necessarily see eye to eye with and we have to find some common ground. Those are the things I wanted to explore,” Gong says.

Gong grew up in Woodbridge and graduated from C.D. Hylton High School in 1998. Gong said he’s loved film since he was a child. He said his high school drama teacher inspired him to go into film.

“My drama teacher, Ms. Clark was working on creating her own show. One was a short play that she’d developed and written herself and we were all learning how to perform it. I remember watching her and thinking, ‘she just made this up.’ I thought that was amazing and I want to do this on some level. I want to make stuff,” Gong said.

Gong said this was the first time he was able to see the process laid out so when he went to college, he had two ideas. “I was going to write film and make stuff or I was going to be a journalist,” he said.

Gong said he thought journalism would lead him into film, but later decided to devote himself fulltime to film.

Gong said that while “Bunkheads” is the first sitcom he has created, it is not his first time working in comedy. He said some of his favorite work has been producing comedy.

“When you’re stuck working on something for a year or two when it’s fun, it makes it go down a bit smoother. Comedy is a fun place to be,” says Gong.

Gong said the initial six episodes of “Bunkheads” were released on December 13. He said his vision is to build a fan base and grow the show bigger.

“This has been one of the most satisfying events of my life. It’s mine, and it’s oddly incredibly personal,” says Gong.

Gong said he has goals to one day create his own feature film and work on or develop a network show.

He said, for now, he’d love to make more “Bunkheads.”

“I’d like to keep expanding it, stretching its legs and getting more people to watch. That would be the best thing,” he said.

Gong said he loves Woodbridge and comes home every chance he gets. He said he has a comic book store that he loves and frequents when he’s in town where he knows all the guys.

“Every time I get a better phone, I drive around and take better pictures of where I used to live. This is my place, my people. That’s home to me. No matter where I go and all the places I travel to, that’s what I consider home,” he said.

DUMFRIES -- James McCarty has been appointed the new police chief in Dumfries.

McCarty was already serving as interim chief after former chief Nicholas Esposito resigned in October after about a year and a half on the job.

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DUMFRIES -- Mayor Derrick Wood attended the National League of Cities Conference November 7 through 11 in Los Angeles.

“The NLC is a bipartisan organization focused on connecting officials to local government solutions,” said Wood.

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DUMFRIES -- Voters in Dumfries will now head to the polls to elect Town Council members in November.

The Dumfries Town Council moved its municipal elections from May to the first Tuesday in November during its November 20 meeting, the first in the new town hall on Main Street. The town becomes the only one of the four in Prince William County, to include Haymarket, Occoquan, and Quantico, to hold municipal elections in November. 

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HAYMARKET -- Carried to Full Term, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping expectant mothers, will expand.  

The organization said its new program is geared toward helping low-income mothers get back on their feet. Founder Frances Robin said the goal is to break the cycle of poverty by adequately preparing expecting mothers for a life of independence and self-sufficiency.

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DUMFRIES -- Dumfries Police Chief Nicholas R. Esposito resigned, effective October 17.

Town officials gave no comment on the reason for Esposito’s resignation. Esposito was appointed police chief in April 2017. Esposito came to the Town from the Alexandria Police Department with experience in interviewing victims, witnesses, traffic law, arresting suspects and testifying in court.

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DUMFRIES -- Mayor Derrick Wood took a tour of the archaeological dig in Dumfries ordered by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT).

Wood said VDOT ordered the dig to uncover any historical value in the town before proceeding with their major road project along Route 1.

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PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY -- A new pathology lab, Transcendent Pathology, will call the Prince William Science Accelerator home.

Founder, Dr. Gerelyn Henry, BS Veterinary Medicine, MBA American College of Forensic Examiners, said she chose Prince William County because of its relationship with organizations in Innovation Park, its proximity to Washington, DC and their affiliation with George Mason University.

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DUMFRIES -- Not one but two people will serve as grand marshals for the annual Dumfries Christmas Parade.

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