Zombie Industries, a firearms target company that produces “life-sized; three-dimensional tactical mannequins that 'bleed' when you shoot them,” has released a new target -- “Al” -- that is presumably inspired by MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton.

[Zombie Industries, accessed 7/9/13]

Sharpton, who hosts PoliticsNation, has been an outspoken proponent of gun violence prevention laws and has frequently commented on the killing of Trayvon Martin.

In May, Sharpton called a Zombie Industries' exhibition of a target that resembled President Obama at the National Rifle Association's annual meeting a “stunning, offensive display.” The NRA asked Zombie Industries to remove the target from its display, although it is still available for purchase on the Zombie Industries website.

A description of the target on Zombie Industries' website describes how “Poor Al he was a Sharp guy” was attacked by zombies while he “complained about complete nonsense” to a truck driver who offered him a ride:

... as Al complained about complete nonsense, when all of a sudden a rotten, maggot infested face appeared from above the cab of the truck.  The trucker slammed the brakes and jolted the wheel, causing the truck to tip over and its contents sprawled over the countryside.  Both the driver and poor Al were still stuck in the cab when they saw them coming... nowhere to run, no one to call, they shook in fear and poor Al even cried... but sadly within minutes it was over.  Once their screams for help were silenced, they were now one of them... the brainless ones.

Zombie Industries has engendered controversy for other zombie target designs. As noted by Think Progress, the company sold an “ex-girlfriend” mannequin that bled when shot and currently offers a zombie target in the likeness of a “gun control lobbyist.” Zombie Industries is reportedly advertising the lobbyist target with an image that includes a photograph of Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence President Dan Gross and gun violence prevention advocate Colin Goddard, who was shot four times in the Virginia Tech massacre.

[Think Progress, accessed 7/9/13]

Goddard has asked Zombie Industries to remove his likeness from the company's advertising materials. A disclaimer on Zombie Industries' webpage claims that, “All Zombie Industries' products represent fictitious characters and are works of fiction. Names, characters, stories, places and incidents are products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons (living or dead), events or locales is entirely coincidental.”