tutorials

here are a couple tutorials to follow for light sabers:

http://www.tutorialized.com/view/tutorial/Lightsaber-Glow/6554
http://www.empiredezign.com/version2/portfolio/pages/tutorials/lightsaber.htm
http://www.bluesfear.com/tutorials/Lightsaber.php
http://www.users.on.net/~george/lightsabers_101/
http://r2.robotbuilders.net/cgi/DaiBuckley/index.htm

and some for zombies:
http://www.photoshoproadmap.com/Photoshop-blog/2008/01/16/70-horror-blood-and-gore-photoshop-effects-and-brushes/

http://www.designtutorials.info/texturing-basics/