Rock 'n' roll 'n' limp. Twist and shout and drool. Shake, rattle and groan.
Ogden's undead zombies will climb out of their graves on Saturday, sunken-eyed, limp-faced and dressed in their raggedy best, looking for a party.
And they will find one at Union Station, site of the second annual Strankenstein's Zombie Prom, an alcohol-free, all-ages event, and a fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
"I know vampires and werewolves are more popular right now, with the 'Twilight' films, but I've always thought zombies were funner," said Steve Strank, of Farr West, who organized the event with wife Trish Strank. "Their skin is falling off, their bones are falling out, and they're trying to eat your brains. What could be more fun than that?"
We should mention at this point that Strank owns a special- effects company, Phantom FX, and loves a good makeup and silicone appliance challenge. Creating the effect of jagged, jutting bones calls for more skill and ingenuity than, oh, say, slapping on clown white, then tossing on vampire fangs and a cape.
"Zombies are funner, and they're what I'm known for," said Strank, 29. "We also did the Twilight Ball in November, but vampires don't scare me. Zombies do."
True, vampires may dress better, but zombies have advantages. They lack the distemper of werewolves, and are less tightly wound than mummies. Although they do lack the spelling skills of witches. But we digress.
Party plans
"Last year's prom was amazing," said Trish Strank, 25. "So many people were really into it, dressed in gowns and corsages or suits with boutonnieres. We had zombie ballerinas, brides, football players and other athletes, and a really great 'Pirates of the Caribbean' couple. But my favorite was seeing girls decked out for the prom, with zombie faces and tiaras."
People still talk about last year's event, Trish Strank said.
"It was a lot funner than my prom at Weber High, which we had in a Toyota showroom in Riverdale," she said. "That wasn't memorable. I don't even remember my prom theme, but I don't think anyone will forget this prom."
And at the Zombie Prom, social status is not an issue.
"Last year, the Gothic people were here, but there were also people who are super LDS," Trish Strank said. "Everyone is welcome, and there is no way to classify people by how they dress, because everyone looks like a zombie. Last year, everybody was just friendly with everybody. I think people did appreciate that they could come and have fun, but didn't have to worry about how they looked."
Donated prizes will go to the prom king and queen, winners of the costume contest. Trish Strank will award a hostess prize for the reveler who is best at staying in character.
Live music will be by Going Second, a Salt Lake City band, in zombie makeup. Additional music will be provided by a deejay. A light show is planned, and Cadence Dance Co. of Roy will do a routine, as will Ogden's Studio Blue by Adult Dance and Fitness.
Snacks (most likely not human brains) will be catered, and vendors will sell additional food, as well as zombie memorabilia. A coffin ride has been booked, and makeup artists will be available to apply zombie makeup for a fee.
A positive cause
Funds raised by prom admission will pay for the room rental and other party costs, then the remainder will be donated to the cause. The Stranks got the fundraiser idea after Trish's 34-year-old aunt died of juvenile diabetes. She was a nurse, training to go into diabetes research.
"This is a way to carry on her legacy and help the cause," Steve Strank said.
An informational booth on diabetes will be set up in the ballroom.
"It's a way to raise awareness," Trish Strank said. "We want people to know the symptoms to look for. Young children have gone into diabetic comas, and their parents didn't know what to look for. Those deaths could have been prevented."
So the plan is for a little education and a lot of fun. Families are welcome.
"We had little kids last year, and I thought they would be scared of people's costumes, but they weren't at all," Trish Strank said. "It's a safe place to have fun. We had people dancing -- from my daughter, Brylie, who was 18 months, to people in their 80s."
Decompress and decompose
At age 15, North Ogden resident Corbin Havranek has high hopes for this first "formal."
"It's my first prom, and I think it will be a lot of fun," he said. "I am going to hang out with my friends, and I have a couple ideas for dates. I like the idea of dressing up like a zombie in the middle of summer, and the dance is for a good cause."
Steve's cousin, Nick Strank, 15, of North Ogden, said dressing up will be "tons of fun, and I like the whole dead-but-alive concept."
Cari Wiegman, 15, of Roy, thinks the dance is a rare opportunity.
"You don't get to be a zombie every day, or walk around and scare people."
Cris Strank, Steve's mother and a Farr West resident, loves the whole idea of the Zombie Prom.
"It's so out of the ordinary, and everyone has heard the stories about Union Station being haunted, which just adds to the atmosphere," she said. "It's a really fun idea to benefit a great cause. Last year's prom was amazing. It's a chance to be creative and release your inner zombie. If you are shy, you can still come and let loose, because no one will recognize you.
"And I'm so proud of Steve for coming up with the idea. I'm the one who created that little monster."
Release your inner zombie
Sure, you’ve seen pictures of zombies with sunken eyes and cheeks, wearing tattered, dirty clothing — and you’re confident you can rock the look.
But this is a dance, so it’s vital to know how zombies move.
• “All you have to do is stop thinking,” said Steve Strank, co-organizer of Strankenstein’s Zombie Prom. “Let your mouth hang open and roll your eyes back in your head. There has to be groaning involved. Drag a leg. You can drool if you really want to go that far.”
• “I have been most impressed by the zombies who have one arm twisted above their head, or who lay on the floor and drag themselves with one arm,” said Trish Strank, Steve’s wife and prom co-organizer.
• “Drag your feet, and walk with one shoulder up and one down,” said Nick Strank of North Ogden, Steve’s 15-year-old cousin.
• “Move like your joints are stiff, move slower, and moan and groan a lot,” said Farr West resident Cris Strank, Steve Strank’s mother and the zombie family matriarch. “For me, it doesn’t take much acting.”
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