More than just a video displaying the steps to building your own zombie, Variety’s exploration of KNB and their conversation with Greg Nicotero is really about a monster-maker’s philosophy of creation. How do you make the familiar scary? How do you make your monster instantly recognizable despite a sea of similar looks? What makes a Walking Dead zombie real? Hint: the secret’s in the teeth.
Nicotero is an absolute master craftsman with a resume that’s unbelievably long, even for a thirty-year career that began on Romero’s Day of the Dead. For all the complaints about film relying too much on CGI, Nicotero is one of the artists fighting the good, practical fight.