By Mackenzie Lambert:
Any zombie fan worth his or her weight in decomposing flesh knows who Max Brooks is. He is the the horror equivalent of Studs Terkel. But instead of writing oral histories on World War II and the Great Depression like Terkel, Brooks wrote a scouts manual for human survival in the midst of a zombie outbreak and an oral history of the Great Zombie War. Some may ponder where the humor is in such works, given that he is the son of the legendary Mel Brooks. It is the hyper-realistic fashion and attention to detail that makes his books entertaining and thought-provoking.
Max Brooks himself will be here in Buffalo for a zombie talk followed by a book sale and signing at 2pm. And if this anything like the town visits from such cult figures as Bruce Campbell (Evil Dead series) or Tommy Wiseau (The Room), the ridiculous questions people will ask will account for half the fun.
In the spirit of Halloween and keeping within the zombie theme, Buffalo’s own effects gurus Anomaly Effects will be giving a hands-on experience of the art of becoming a zombie at 11 am. Simply settling on face painting? That’s for county fairs!
The group’s team of Arick Szymecki, Andrew Lavin, and Amy Toth will give the lucky attendees a chance to be covered in various chemicals, gels, and other assorted gifts to soak their membranes in. Having been in their make-up chair on a number of occasions, these guys (and gal) know what they’re doing. Between their witty banter and the infectious joy they have in their work, they come off being less like KNB and more like the Marx Brothers.
Not to leave the sci-fi fans out and let the horror crowd have all the fun, Buffalo’s Star Wars fanclub, The North Ridge, will be on hand for the festivities as well. They will have a live action lightsaber duels among other events. It should make for some nice, clean, Jar Jar-free fun for everybody!
The overall tent of the day is the Buffalo Comics Fest. It runs from 10 am to 4 pm this Saturday, on October 23rd, at the Central Library in downtown Buffalo. The aforementioned events will happen along meeting local comic writers and artist, in addition to a kid-oriented mini Comic-Con Roadshow. It is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the website for the Buffalo & Eric County Public Library.