The first annual Gresham Zombie Walk was a success!!!

Sunshine (left) Julie (right)

As many of you know, Julie and I have been participating and volunteering for the Portland Zombie Walk for years.  We dreamed of a walk in Gresham that could benefit our local community and give our friends who were always wishing they could come to the Portland walk an excuse to gore up and shamble.

From that idea we formed a brainstorming session.  From that brainstorming session we formed a committee.  From that committee we branched out into full on event mode, volunteers, merchandise, and it all came together.  Julie and I were shaping this crazy idea into a plan, our good friend Amber took over fund raising coordinator, and our other good friend Daphne took on the volunteer coordinator position.  Although he couldn't be at the walk due to an injury, our other good friend Curtis came on as the merchandise coordinator.  Woah, we had a team!

We expected for our first year we might be able to convince 20 zombies to join us....maybe.  We hoped, at least.

As the walk shaped and the infection spread, we realized we might actually have a horde worthy of being called a zombie walk!  People even ordered shirts and bought bracelets!

The small horde we thought we would
have with us

When we arrived at the start point on Zday, right up until the moment we stood up to make the starting announcement, we only had about ten zombies.

Yup, ten zombies.  Ten zombies and seven Niall's Zombie Control Service members.  That's nearly a 1:1 ratio.

Still, we kept a positive attitude, and if we only had ten zombies, we were going to shamble with ten zombies, and we were gonna do it with a smile!  Or a...snarling growl...which is a smile in zombie terms.  It would make the Niall's crew's job a lot easier to manage a tiny horde, right?  Right.  The show must go on.

Nial's Zombie Control Service
taken by Zombot

Then the rain came-and by rain, I mean the sideways waterboarding storm-we looked at each other and said, "Well, we did say it was a rain or shine event..." as we took cover and retreated to Billy Bob's for some Wildwood Cafe deliciousness.  The shower came and went as quickly as the drinks we ordered.  When it got close to 'go' time, we headed out to the meeting spot.

A couple more zombies shambled in, but as we neared the 2 o'clock start time, it looked like we'd be a 12 zombie hoard.  Then, out of every corner of the parking lot, zombies started shambling towards us!

The whole horde

In the end, we had FIFTY zombies not counting Niall's Zombie Control Service  who did our traffic control, and the Gresham Outlook did a story on us.

Not too shabby for a first year!!!

We didn't reach our fundraising goal for our nonprofit application, however, we're closer, we've learned a lot, and we're

Julie documenting the spread of infection

planning some more fund raisers to get us there.  We hope you'll join us and help us reach our goal.

There is a donation button on this website up in the right hand corner if you are feeling generous.  We promise that your donation will go towards good things in our community.

We're still also selling bracelets and the last of our tee shirts.  You can email ZombMob@gmail.com for remaining sizes and information.

Photo from the Outlook, our local paper

We want to give a special shout out to Niall's Zombie Control Service for keeping the zombies safe and the drivers happy.  They know that zombie lives matter.

We also want to thank the Wildwood Cafe and Billy Bob's for allowing us to converge on their parking lot.

Zombot (left) Julie (right)

A special thanks also goes out to House of Shadows for giving us a bomb ending place, access to awesome photo ops, and for handing out coupons to everyone who walked with us for the haunt.

We especially want to thank all of the zombies who came from far and wide (as far and wide as Aloha) to support us.  It really meant so much to us that you all got gored up and joined us.  We can't wait to do it again next year!!

Remember to post your photos with the hashtags #gzw2015 #weallcomeback and #zombmob.

XOXO,
Sunshine

Even zombies like to photo bomb

D.I.D. you know that four of the horde are Damsel in Defense Independent Pros?
Sounds like a pretty safe event to me!

we ended the day with a little java from Caffeinated Culture Coffee Co.

One more day until zday and one more zombie makeup tutorial

There are a plethora of zombie makeup tutorials out there that include everything from chocolate sauce and corn syrup to elaborate latex appliances.

It can get super overwhelming, right?

No worries!  We love all Zombmobbers big and small at every level of makeup abilities.

Here is a tutorial that will give you some super gory effects really quickly and easily.

Enjoy!!!



XOXO
Sunshine

Rain or shine, the show must go on

Yes, this was a super duper
rainy day, but the zombies
still came out to the
Portland Zombie Walk

You read that right.  Yes, we are aware that we will be getting some rain.  Like, lots of rain.  Face it, we're Oregonians, and we risk there being lots of rain anytime we plan to do anything.

Tips for zombie makeup in the rain?

• Make sure your makeup is dry before you leave the house.
• Plan on the possibility that you may not have to wash your makeup off when you get home.
• Make sure you pack some extra blood for photo ops in case yours all washed off
• Wear a plastic poncho under your costume
• Be a zombie with an umbrella hat...even though the rest of the Oregonians will only pick on you.
• Be a zombie who just had a birthday at a Mexican restaurant and is still wearing the sombrero
• Be a zombie trapped in a plastic bag...but make sure you can breathe.  
• Be a zombie who got stabbed in the shoulder with an umbrella.
• Be a zombie who just happened to be wearing rain gear when you turned
• Zombie snowboarder...yeah!
• Cowboy zombie with a ten gallon hat
• Surgeon zombie with a poncho
• Hazmat zombie!  Yeah, level 4 is waterproof.

Bundle up ZombMobbers, we only have 2 more days until the infection spreads!!!

If you haven't hit up the Facebook page, go to Facebook.com/GreshamZombieWalk

4 days left until Zday! Here's a tutorial you don't want to miss.

There are only 4 more days left until the ZombMob takes over the streets of Gresham, Oregon.  We don't want you to be left in the dark without a clue, so here's a super awesome super easy zombie makeup tutorial.

XOXO
Sunshine

Zombie kids makeup tutorial

Don't forget about your kids!  The Gresham Zombie Walk is a FREE family friendly event!  To inspire you, here is the cutest little video of kids doing their zombie makeup!!

It's so adorable, let's take it viral!!! #zombmobkids






I hope you love it!

XOXO
Sunshine

Join the fun at the Gresham Zombie Walk on October 10th

Easy zombie makeup tutorial

We're getting closer to the Gresham Zombie Walk!  In the spirit of the undead, we will be sharing some zombie makeup tutorials and tips so that you won't be left wondering what to do.

This one is simple, it's easy, and it's made using a makeup kit you can pick up at your local big box store in the Halloween section.

Have fun with it!

We made zombie history in Portland on Zombie Day

Julie preparing for Zombie Day

On Labor Day, tons of zombies converged on an industrial part of Portland to shamble on screen as movie extras for a short film for the Portland Film Festival.

Weeks ago, Julie and I found out about the need for zombie extras, and we jumped on it.  Anticipation built as the days drug by while we waited for another chance to bathe in latex and corn syrup.

In the days before, we tried to decide what we were going to be, but had to scrap most of those ideas because we didn't want to be anything the movie people would have to get permission to use...like Julie's awesome Breaking Bad costume idea and my zombie Princess Leia.

Night Night

We decided to take it back to basics after watching Fido and falling in love with Tammy's simplistic zombie look.  Then we added veins.  Big black and red ropy veins.

The night before, we stuck our veins on with latex and slept in them so we wouldn't have to get up at 4am to zombie up.  It sounds like a terrible idea, but really, a towel and some powder make it super easy to keep the universe from sticking to you.  Even though we slept in our latex to save time and gain sleep, I couldn't seem to settle down.  After all, we were about to be part of zombie history in Portland.

No blood on the car please

The morning of, we got as zombified as we could before we climbed in the car and headed straight for the nearest coffee shop where we scared the holy crap out of the barista, which shocked us too because we forgot we were zombies for a minute.  Still, we chose not to eat her brains, caffeinated ourselves and headed down to find the nearest parking to the set as possible.

Finding parking was no easy task in one-way land, but we did, then we bloodied ourselves up using our reflections in the car window as mirrors, even though we couldn't see anything we were doing (Putting blood on each other didn't even come to mind.  I blame the decision not to eat the Dutch Bros barista's brain).

javajavajavajava

From there, we shambled in the general direction of the set, but not before scaring everyone at a gas station because we could...and we wanted mints.  Zombies need fresh breath too.  A diet rich in flesh will give you some nasty halitosis if you're not careful, and we wanted to impress our new zombie friends.

Soon we found ourselves accidentally wandering through a spot under the bridge with overturned cars and garbage all over the place...which we determined was either the set or one of our kid's bedrooms.  Then we found the line.  We were an hour early because we didn't want to miss registration, which was supposed to start at 9, so we were only about 20th in line, which would have been great if registration started at 9...or 10.  Still, we happily signed a waiver so it wasn't the film company's fault if we died and we wouldn't get mad about our likenesses being used...uh...I was pretty sure it was a movie....so if we didn't want our likenesses being used, I don't think we'd be standing in line melting our latex appliances off in the sun...

mmmm...brains from Fiji....

Next came the waiting.  Then came the realization that not only were we checking being extras in a movie off the list with a big gold star for it being a zombie movie, but we learned that it was a ROMERO ZOMBIE MOVIE!!! As in George C. Romero, son of George A. Romero, the father of all things zombie!  My heart pounded through my chest as I thought about the type of history we were making!

So, the point of a mega zombie short film was not only to make a super awesome zombie sort film, but it was to attempt to break the world record for most extras in a short film.  The word is still officially out as far as I know as of conformation that we broke the record, but rumor has it that we did.  Suddenly, all the waiting was worth it.  Would we meet him?  How close would we get him?  Could we check meeting a famous person off the list too?

wait wait wait wait

Then there was more waiting.

Anyway, we made the best of it in true ZomMob fashion, spending the time cracking up our fellow zombies with new renditions of every song ever made.  Soon, we were joined by some other members of the ZomMob, and we decided to write a movie while we were waiting to be in a movie.....wait for it......a zombie musical called Zombie Jazz Hands 2.  Not because it was part 2, but because we had 2 hands.  Like it or not, keeping both hands is something of a blessing in the zombie world.

The famous sock

Then registration began, they rolled out the tiny red carpet for us to stand on and take our photographs.  A joke started about how the only part of us you'll see in the movie is our socks, so we took a sock-and-shoe red carpet photo, just in case.  We wanted to prove that the famous zombie socks belonged to us.

Then there was more waiting.  Everyone horded through the food carts and the honey buckets, then were herded into an area with a barrier.  There we waited, melted, and continued working on Zombie Jazz Hands 2.  It was actually in this period of waiting that the name was born.

Filming!!

Soon, Romero himself climbed to the top of a ladder and started yelling about what a great morning it was and giving us some insight as to the next phases of waiting.

That's what making a film is, right?  Do some stuff, then wait, then do it again.

The featured zombies and fleeing citizens who paid to be there were taken to the set first and given instruction.  Then we were in the next group and the filming began.  First we shambled through the movie set, waited, did it again, rinse repeat a few times, then we shambled through and stopped when the man playing the director yelled, "CUT!"  and they played out that scene....wait, do

The star of Zombie Jazz Hands 2

it again.  After a few times of that, they brought out the rest of the zombies and the fleeing citizens and we all were one big happy zombie mob chasing down the non-zombs.  Besides, it was late into the afternoon, and we were getting hungry!

Next was the finale when we ate the man playing the director.

I did stand right by Romero and we cheered about the success of the scene and made eye contact, , and I did get a high 5 from the guy yelling through the megaphone all the time telling us what to do.  I suppose that qualifies for meeting someone famous. Sorry Reedus, you had your chance.

Near the set

When it was over, we were stoked to have been there.  Be on the lookout for Zombie Jazz Hands 2.  I'm sure it will be coming to a Snapchat story near you.  In the meantime, the latex has been peeled, blood has been scrubbed, and a deep detox mask applied.

XOXO-Sunshine and Julie

"Wear this where we can't see it."......

Wait, rinse, repeat.

Arrrrrr

Red brains and rice

Bracelets have been ordered!!!!

Zombie test makeup before blood

WHAT'S UP ZOMMOB?!

This is just a friendly announcement that bracelets have been ordered for the FIRST EVER GRESHAM ZOMBIE WALK!!!

Man, I love saying that...does it show?

Since this is the FIRST EVER GRESHAM ZOMBIE WALK, these are likely to become all of our favorite bracelets, and there are only 99, so you want to be sure to get yours.

Why only 99?  Well, the phrase on the FIRST EVER GRESHAM ZOMBIE WALK, which is 'Zombies were people too" was nominated by Kelly Wilkerson, chosen as a top three contender by YOU, then voted as best first year slogan by YOU, so she gets the first one off the press!

AND

They're only five bucks!

WHY?

Because we're raising money to apply for our nonprofit status, and we believe we can accomplish it this year.  We have a long list of good we want to do in the Gresham community, and this is the first step.  YOU will be part of something huge an amazing, and only 100 people will ever get to wear the FIRST EVER GRESHAM ZOMBIE WALK bracelet.

Phew, there I go again.

WHAT?

What do they look like?  They are premium 1/2 inch black bracelets with white embossed letters with our slogan and the year.

WHEN?

You can start ordering bracelets now!

WHERE?

You can contact one of the Gresham Zombie Walk founders by heading to our Gresham Zombie Walk facebook page and send us a message!  OR, you can risk it and hope we'll have some left at the Gresham Zombie Walk on October 10th.

All bracelets will be delivered at the Gresham Zombie Walk unless otherwise organized by one of our organizers.

Have a ghoulishly good day ZomMobbers!!!

XOXO
Sunshine

Zombie lives matter

Do you ever feel like no matter what you do, everyone you come in contact with starts to scream and run away the moment they see you?  Do you use more makeup that a drag queen convention just to try and fit in?  Do you ever sit down with your lunch at a table only to have everyone get up and run away?

Zombies are the ultimate portrait of segregation.  Everyone is so afraid that we'll eat their brains that they don't take the time to get to know us and realize that we're pretty picky about what brains we eat!

It's time for the ZomMob to rise up and let the world know that we're here, we won't hurt you unless you hurt us, we only eat brains when you're within arm's reach, and all we want is to be loved.  Is that too much to ask?

Zombie lives matter.

We have families, friends, jobs, hobbies, dreams, and goals just like you do.  Please take some time to get to know us instead of always trying to shoot us in the head.

Also, if you're interested in joining the ZomMob, let's talk.  It's super easy to become one of us, and it won't cost much.  Just the beat of a heart.  Once you wake up, you'll realize that it's a whole new world.  Everything looks better, feels better, smells better (except you), and tastes better.  As part of the ZomMob, you'll have wholesale access to the brain boutique, a high end manufacturer of synthetic brain matter.  Here at ZomMob, we're always looking for a better, cleaner way to live.

Please support our mission to spread awareness by using the hashtag #ZombieLivesMatter.

Zombie Lives Matter merchandise can be found here.

You wanted it, here it is!

First ever zombie self makeup

Hello faithful undead friends!  It seems that you are dying for a zomblog, so here it is!  I thought I'd start with the history of why Gresham will suddenly be overrun by flesh eating upright corpses.

I have always loved zombie movies.  The process of using latex and toilet paper to turn someone into something that terrifies people's worst nightmares has always been fascinating.  I learned how to do zombie makeup from the instructor that ran the makeup department of a local haunt that I used to do makeup for.  That was the start of it all.  My name is Sunshine.

Julie and I doing our first ever
Portland Zombie Walk

Enter my friend Julie.  Our love for horror only brought us closer together.  She loved looking at the photos of my zombie makeup moments, and I kept wishing for a zombie friend who would attend the Portland Zombie Walk with me, so  one year I zombified her and drug her to it.  The experience sparked something in us.  There was something so gratifying about freaking people out.  We faithfully became part of the volunteer team that puts on the Portland Zombie Walk every year and have happily drowned in latex and home made fake blood ever since.

Zombie Max, makeup
I'm still pretty proud of

The next year, we got some more friends to go, and also some of our kids went with us.  There was something special about being part of the zom-team. Even though the weather was dreadfully drizzly, it didn't stop us from going all out with our zombie selves.  We started getting so good at our makeup that people started asking us to do it for them.  We did, gratefully, and started really honing in on our skills of doom and gloom.  Costumes got more elaborate and creative, and every year we put more thought into what we would be.  Even news stations made it a point to chat with us about our costume selections.
We mostly just hissed at them, but they ate it up!

Zombie Color Runner

One thing seemed to sort of nip at our heels every year as we worked to grow the Portland zombie hoard.  Our zombie gang all live in Gresham.  So many people would have joined us for a day of shambling moans if it wasn't so far away.  Then we had a thought?  Wouldn't it be great to create a sister city zombie walk?  We tossed the idea around with a couple of our friends, mostly as a joke.  It seemed to stick to the wall like a perfectly cooked noodle and the conversation kept coming up.

We scheduled a brainstorm meeting just to talk about the what-iffs, and before we knew it, we had a team.  Not like a maybe, like an actual full on team of people who wanted to make this thing a reality!

From right to left, Sunshine, Julie, Daphne.

Daphne, who always loved hearing about our zombilicious shenanigans started walking with us at the Portland Zombie Walk in 2014.  She was so excited about being a decaying body that she got all deadded up and hit the zombie scene with us.  Is it possible to say that horror makeup is addicting?  Oh, I think so.  She didn't waste a minute learning all about how to sink in your eyes, apply fake blood, and make yourself look simply gore-gious.  When the Gresham Zombie Walk started to take shape, she made sure to hit the social media scene and start dragging everyone to our facebook page.  I know that any time we need to get the word out about something, she's on it.

Amber the fundraising guru

Amber, another zombie fanatic, was ready to rock the Gresham zombie scene, and immediately went to town getting sponsors and pulling the frayed corners of this whole zombies in Gresham idea together.  Might I add that she is one of the zombies who couldn't make it to the Portland walk and dreamed of a closer option.

It didn't take her any time to start finding sponsors and raising money so that we could start building a dent in our startup costs.  Trust me, there's no love for zombies on Gofundme, so we were totally on our own to pound the pavement and get this thing going.  Amber did it with ease and excitement, and I'm so glad she's part of the team.

I also immediately brought on Curtis, who is a zombie encyclopedia and has some amazing connections and great passion for the dead and decaying.  As a matter of fact, in our entire friendship, I believe that at least 87% of all our conversations either had to do with zombies, or somehow found their way into zombie territory.  It only made sense to grab him to help make this thing a success, and he's working hard to make sure that our merch is to die for!

How do we define success at the Gresham Zombie Walk?

Well, we were just 5 zombies with an idea and no way to really make it a reality.  Now, we have several sponsors, tee shirts being made, rubber bracelets we will be selling, and everything ironed out with the city.  We're also successfully raising money so that we can apply to be a non-profit and use our zombawesome skills to spread awareness and help other causes such as domestic violence shelters, human trafficking organizations, fighting child abuse, and feeding hungry Greshamites.


Are you getting the idea?  We don't just want to be a wham-bam-thank-you-mam flash in the pan event.  Not only do we want to have our Halloween season walk and fund raiser, but we want to do a quarterly event as well.

What can we say Gresham, we're here, we're dead, get ready for us.

Are you ready for the date?

Don't forget to like our Facebook Page to keep up on all of the current zombie-tabulous fun!


XOXO from Zombieland, and you'll hear from us again soon.  OH, just another note, this blog is severely under construction, so keep coming back to check out the changes and give us your honest coolness scale rating!  We'll ZEE you ZOON!

Sunshine O'Connor
Gresham Zombie Walk Co-Founder