Zombies have been popular in film, television, comic books, video games and novels ever since the first modern zombie film, Night of the Living Dead, was released. The fictional zombie of this type has varied, with some of the zombies not actually being members of the living dead (in films such as 28 Days Later and video games such as Left 4 Dead they are still alive but in most respects behave in very similar ways to living dead zombies due to a disease), but in almost every case the zombies want to feed on the living and spread their infection through their bite. Zombies themselves have dipped and risen again in popularity, but they are certainly a recognisable choice for a Halloween costume – and thematically appropriate as well.
A zombie costume can be very easy to make and require very little investment, but it is also possible to make one that is far more complex, and therefore more expensive.
Makeup and Ripped Clothes
The most basic type of zombie costume requires damaged clothes and some appropriate makeup. Kits of zombie makeup can be bought as it will be unlikely that most will have colours such as “Blood” and “Rotting Flesh” in their standard makeup bag. At a minimum, this makeup can be applied to the face. This can then be accompanied by appropriately damaged clothes. Any clothing should be old clothes that are not going to be used again, for they certainly won’t be usable after being given the zombie treatment. Clothes can be torn and ripped to simulate zombie attacks, and sprayed with paint to simulate dirt and gore. Combined, this can be a generally effective, and cheap, zombie costume, as all that is really required is some suitable makeup and paint, both of which are not that expensive.
A Zombie Mask
An alternative to face paint is to use a zombie mask, which is a step up in cost. It is also possible to get costumes that have the appearance of damaged flesh caused by a zombie attack. These costumes can make it look as if a substantial portion of the wearer’s body has been damaged.
Adding Prosthetics
A zombie costume needn’t stop there, though. For more complicated, expensive or both zombie costumes the next step is prosthetics that can be stuck to the flesh. These can range from simple transfers to full-on rubber prosthetics that simulate missing skin, wounds and broken bones.
Paint Yourself into a Zombie
A step up from pre-prepared prosthetics is to carefully apply the damage using body paint. This isn’t so much an increase in cost as it is in time. It can be difficult to apply designs on parts of the body other than the face unless someone else helps, but if this is properly applied it can be disturbingly effective.
How “Realistic” is Up to You
Exactly how effective a zombie costume can be will depend on how much money and time is spent on it, from simple face paint and damaged clothing to a full-on zombie appearance that probably shouldn’t be worn in dark places around easily frightened people.