Why the Walking Dead?

The dreaded season hiatus...I wonder, not for the first time, why a television show needs a seven month vacation. Don't they know we're going to suffer withdrawal? Don't tell me the writers need a break. WRITERS DON'T TAKE BREAKS!! They type until they die. Nuff said.

Contrary to popular belief, not everyone is into The Walking Dead. Those poor souls have yet to fall prey to the juggernaut television series du jour. Walking Dead fans are every bit as rabid and hungry as the zombies portrayed in the show. Or Slayer fans.

Those of you who are not, wonder why. In fact, one of my writer friends chastised me, saying "Nothing happens! Why on Earth would you waste your time with this crap?"

Where shall we look first? A fans perspective? Or a writers? Or hey, how about an artist's point of view?

Let's start with the artistry. The gore in WD is pretty intense. More than once, my stomach has rolled with the crimson splatters, chunky chewing scenes and the brutality required to put the undead down. But it's impressive. Even as I'm so thoroughly grossed out, I can't help thinking about the creativity and effort that went into these effects. This is zombie makeup technique at its finest.

And the fan base...I know zombie freaks all over my city alone who drool at the sight of all the work this series sends out every Sunday. They would give their red eye contacts to work on the set.

But ordinary people are addicted to it, and not just for the yucky technique. These are excellent stories about human survival in a post apocalyptic world devoid of electricity, grocery stores and humanity.You can't help but get invested in the characters. Some you hate, some you love.

Case in point: Daryl Dixon. He was a dirty red-necked loser at the start, now he's a trusted member of their council.

Is Daryl that good-looking? Or is he hot because he's such a bad-boy-with a sensitive side? 

Does Carol look like a killer to you?

This is how the Governor cleans up his little messes.

Or consider Carol.  Once an abused wife and mother, now a self-appointed 'cleanser', who teaches children how to kill.

Or what about the GOVERNOR?? Comes across as a benevolent leader---crazier than a Canadian who's run out of beer while watching the hockey game. And no one is safe. Stephen King said "Kill your darlings." and these writers have taken that quote to heart.  Nothing happens? Are you kidding? Half the time fans are sitting on the edge of their couches, wondering who's going to die next. The best thing about this show is it's unpredictability.

Which brings me to why this show is so great from a writer's standpoint. Character Development. I haven't seen a TV show with this much of it since Buffy the Vampire Slayer. (Which I was also addicted to.) I would give a kidney to write character development like the team behind Walking Dead. Daryl and Carol aren't the only ones...

What about Carl? The young man who's been growing up too hard and too fast and is getting addicted to killing zombies and taking too many chances.

Or Bob? The recovering alcoholic that's winning Sasha's heart with his 'glad to be alive' attitude.

Or ...LIZZIE---The little girl who believes zombies are people too and she's willing to kill the living to prove her point.

And that's why we're still watching. That's why it's going to be such a long wait til October when it comes back again.

But if they kill off Daryl Dixon we'll all riot.

Best. Wedding. Ever.

Jeremy and Rebecca Reid

What happens when two creative and playful people meet as Zombiewalkers and fall in love? They have the most amazing Zombie Wedding never seen before, and I just GOTTA share it with you. It felt like the day wouldn't get here, but when it did, all Hell broke loose.

It was my first time as a zombie. I gleefully tore up some of my clothes and bought four tubes of fake blood. I must say it was very liberating to wake up with bedhead, plaster my skull with tons of hairspray and call my hairdo done. That was another 40 minutes I could fret over my makeup. My husband chose to be a zombie hunter, and had his outfit done in minutes.

Me and the Troll

If I had any doubts about our costumes, they disappeared the moment we arrived. There is no right or wrong way to dress as a zombie or zombie hunter. Especially when you're surrounded by cool people who just want to have fun with it.

The ceremony's first unique twist came when Jeremy's groomsmen wheeled him to the altar in a black casket. The dapper dead man crawled from his coffin and took his place next to the creepy clergyman while a cloaked figure lit all the candles.

Jeremy isn't a morning person...

Then the speakers blared with 'Living Dead Girl' by Rob Zombie, and minions shuffled in, led by a ring bearer in a white top hat and an insane flower girl who tossed flower petals as though she wanted to kill everyone with them. The undead took positions alongside the aisle, allowing the bridesmaids to lurch by.

Then came the bride, who managed to look beautiful and ghastly at the same time. At first glance, you would think her gown had a pink tinge to it. Upon closer inspection, you would see that the color comes from a fine mist of blood droplets. Isn't it freakishly lovely? Well done!

You are looking delightfully pale, Rebecca

My favorite part was when they asked if anyone 'objected' to the union. Sure enough, some unfortunate jumped up and started yelling about how HE should be marrying the bride. The bridal party descended upon him, spraying his blood and ripping off his arm. They stepped back into place, leaving the corpse in the aisle. A groomsman chewed contentedly on the appendage for the remainder of the ceremony. The victim didn't move again until the end, when he 're-animated' and led the procession out. He made a great MC for a newly dead guy.

Guess they couldn't wait for dinner.

While the wedding party left to take pictures, a bunch of us helped set up for dinner. Everybody chipped in to set up tables, chairs, settings, centerpieces, wine and food. It's not work when everyone's having a good time doing it.

Did I mention it was potluck? There was chicken, ribs, meatballs, buns and bannock, salads, and desserts. I piled my plate, but still didn't try everything. And I MUST talk about the cake!

Chocolate dirt, gumball eyeballs and a skeleton bride and groom

 The three tiers were covered with a sort of Frankenstein skin of the best fondant I've ever tasted. I hate fondant, but I ate every bite of it. I asked the creator, Amy Mancor, how she actually managed to make fondant so edible, she told me she makes her own....Of course she does. Why should I be surprised? She is, after all, the owner/operator of  'Wicked Sweets' and has her own blog at ...amymancorscakes@tumblr or you can email at amymancorscakes@gmail.com. 

As always, the first dance was sweet, but it wouldn't be zombie without 'Thriller' would it? Wanna see it?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEkbeNDMY_k&feature=share

And let's not forget the entertainment: Banshee, Charlie Vegas, and Delilah LeDouche did beautiful burlesque dances. I'd show you photos, but I forgot to ask permission from any of the girls to post their nearly naked bodies on my blog...Sorry! But if you're interested, I think all three of them have fan pages on Facebook.

The rest of the night was dedicated to hanging out with old friends and new, everyone comfortable in their own decaying skin. Have you ever had the rare experience where EVERYTHING was great, and nothing went badly? Where every person you met was pretty damn cool? This was the whole package.

Days later we're all Facebook friending each other, posting pics and tagging. We'll be talking about this for weeks. Thank you Rebecca and Jeremy. That really was the Best Wedding Ever.

'Rebecemy' and 'Danna'