Video and photo gallery: Texas Frightmare Weekend 2009

by Mike Bullock , John P. Meyer

Fortunately for the zombies, they completed their shamble before the rain set in.

Texas Frightmare Weekend at the Sheraton Grand in Irving: 2009

Finding Frightmare was a simple matter of following the zombies. (And trying not to run over them.)

(Click photo to see entire gallery)

Says father Zane: "The family that zombies together, decomposes together." (Well, he didn't really say that, but he ought to have.)

Much as it would have added to the cinematic cachet of the event, the Saturday morning (May 2) Zombie Walk finished up well before the heavy afternoon rains set in, leaving the makeup of the zombified participants thoroughly untested in terms of water solubility.

The entire zombie crew arrived at the Sheraton Grand just as videographer Mike Bullock and I did, forcing us to dodge zombies while attempting to park - a harrowing experience that I wouldn't wish on anyone.

Loading up with live ammo (of the imaging variety), we made our way carefully if not unobtrusively toward the front entrance, where - thanks to our very official-looking press badges (and the fact that we were on the VIP list), we were allowed entry into the inner sanctum of Texas Frightmare-dom.

Since we showed up just as the doors opened, many of the celebrity guests and vendors were temporarily unencumbered by hordes of rabid fans, so we took the opportunity to cozy up with our cameras in order to give you a look at some folks you may recognize from horror shows past and present - along with a few up-and-comers you're likely to see in the future. If you're into this sort of thing.

Interestingly, no one in the crowd was seen to be wearing a surgical mask. (I guess when you're already dead the threat of swine flu causes little concern.) We DID, however, note that many of the talent and vendor tables were fully equipped with bottles of hand sanitizer - some participants even offered free squirts to passersby. Who says the undead are heartless?