There will be blood. And brain eating. And rising from the dead. Tomorrow, hundreds of undead will march through the west end as part of the sixth annual Toronto Zombie Walk. Founded by Thea Faulds, who " wanted to reclaim the night as a dark and scary thing," the walk will start in Trinity Bellwoods Park at p. m., then head east along Queen Street and north on Bathurst, ending at the Bloor Cinema ñ which is hosting the After Dark film festival. While anyone can walk the zombie stagger and talk the zombie grunt, it takes some work and poking around the kitchen ñ to get together the zombie guise. Ms. Faulds used everything from oatmeal to cocoa powder to turn Greg Dalgetty, pictured, into a character straight out of Night of the Living Dead. If you're in need of beauty tips for the deceased, here is a do-it-yourself guide.
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B-MOVIE BLOOD
A runny, edible kind of blood that's ideal for dripping from the face. In a medium sized pot, bring one cup of water, a tablespoon of flour and a tablespoon of sugar to a boil. Simmer for minutes and stir in one tablespoon of cherry KoolAid. Let it cool.
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HORROR CLASSIC BLOOD
A thick, jam like mixture that, because of the ingredients, is not recommended near the eyes or mouth. In a large mixing bowl, mix one cup of Lily White corn syrup, one tablespoon of laundry detergent, one tablespoon of red food colouring and one drop of blue food colouring. Add a pinch of cocoa powder or coffee grounds for the textured " road kill" look.
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When zombies aren't eating brains, they're drinking brains. To make a zombie sucking brain straw, cut a plastic drinking straw in half and paste it to your temple with a dollop of eyelash glue. Seal the base of the straw with crumpled toilet paper, Vaseline and B-movie Blood.
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The dead never sleep. If you have dark eye shadow, dab it underneath and around the eyes and on the lips ( cocoa powder works too). With a makeup brush, draw on zigzagging veins from the temples and brow lines on the forehead.
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If you've just risen from the dead, you're bound to have a rip or two in your jeans. Roll an old pair of pants in fresh soil, then rip them at the knee and anywhere else you'd like.
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For the maggot infested knife gash on the forehead, rip toilet paper into two strips. Mush the strips to the forehead with an adhesive made from a tablespoon of B movie Blood and a tablespoon of Vaseline. Fill the wound with dabs of Classic Blood, sprinkle cocoa powder for dirt and a handful of uncooked white rice for the maggots.
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The pussing flesh wound on the chin is made from oatmeal and egg whites. Mix them together in a cup and pat the mixture onto the skin. In minutes, when it's dry, coat it with B movie Blood and Vaseline.
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" If you're a feasting zombie, you have blood all over you," says Ms. Faulds. Get the butcher shop look on your T-shirt by dipping both hands into the B movie Blood pot ( after it cools) and smearing handprints all over your shirt ( note: non washable on clothing). .
GRAPHIC: TRISH McALASTER / THE GLOBE AND MAIL