Get your undead on

by LATEEF MARTIN
photos by RACHEL
GRANOFSKY

‘Tis the time of year when strangers give you free food if you’re willing to look like a freak. And with a little time and imagination, you can look like a zombie so real, crazed American tourists with shotguns won’t know the difference!

Mark Dubeau, co-owner and artistic director at Damnfx (Halo 3, Sea Monsters), came by to show me how he gets his undead on. A fan of costume making, his crowning achievement was a “Screen-accurate Ghostbusters outfit. The lights flashed and the neutrona wand came off the pack, it was awesome. I went to costume contests and won every time. It paid for itself.” Although no make-up FX pro, over the years, he’s picked up a few tricks from movies, special features and Fangoria magazine (Yes! It still exists!)

Dressed after you’ve been killed

To be a dapper zombie, Mark suggests an old suit. Make it look crappier by rubbing in dirt, staining it (we used curry) and tearing it, a serrated blade works wonders for this kind of thing. Don’t forget to get a suit in drab colours or earth tones—it will add to the macabre feel.

Enlist the help of one of your weirdo artsy friends. You, the sucker—I mean subject—will have to sit there and be patient for about three hours.

Most importantly, make sure you are not allergic to make-up or latex. Do a skin test on the inside of your wrist before starting.

SET TO STUMBLE, GROAN AND MUNCH:
End result

A face only a mortician could love

What you need to get zombified:
• A bottle of make-up-store latex. You can find these at most costume places, and remember, you don’t need a ton.
• Paper towels. Save a tree and get the unbleached recycled type.
• Dollar store make-up sticks. Skin tones as well as green, brown and yellow will help you look undead.
• Sponges, Q-Tips and brushes.
• Tooth colorant to make them look filthy and decayed—unless you’re British, in which case you’ll need to brush your teeth for a solid hour.
• Scissors.
• A large plate and bowl.
• Blow-dryer.
• Vaseline.
“Latex will hold onto the hair,” Mark explains, “so make sure you’re clean shaven. And add a liberal amount of Vaseline to the eyebrows.”
• Tear the paper towel into various strips leaving no clean edges (this ruins the effect).
• Pour latex into a bowl, dip the strips in and apply latex to face with sponges.
• While strips are applied to the face, the victim should hold the blow dryer to help the latex dry.
• Once the latex has set, you can tear it, puncture it—just make it look gross. Making it baggy under the eyes helps give the zombie a worn, sagging look.
• The victim should also scrunch their face while the latex and strips are applied. Once their face is straightened it will stretch and tear.
• Paint in the holes with a dark colour to give the face depth. Smudge grey tones into the latex to give the skin a dead look and add highlights to accentuate the features. Add some pink, purple and blue tones for the gross-out factor. You can also mix make-up into the hair.
• Paint teeth with colourant.
• Add a whoooole lotta blood (they should be drooling all over themselves).
You are now ready to eat brains!