Every Monday this month I will be showcasing the best in professional Halloween props. Large-scale, animatronic nightmares that cost thousands of dollars to create, but offer larger-than-life frightsIt used to be vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein's monster, but for today's generation the most popular creatures of the night are zombies and ghouls. Even amongst little kids, ever-fascinated by things that are gross, the shuffling undead are the big fascination. At fairs and theme parks, zombie face painting has been the rave for visiting youth.

The problem for actors and performers wishing to dress up like a zombie to scare visitors, the costumes tend to be very complicated. The more realistic and frightening the costume, the more time required in the make-up chair, both getting it on and taking it off. Its a messy, time-consuming process. North Carolina-based SpookywoodsFX has developed an incredible solution, one that requires no make-up whatsoever. Their "Creature Skins" are full-bodied, Spandex suits that you step into like a one-piece jumper and slip into place with 30" zipper.

Performers pull a special black-out hood over their faces and then add on the skull mask and gloves. The effect is remarkable detailed, realistic, and comfortable. It offers the same results as make-up, watch the videos and you'll see that performers can move quite naturally, there's little hint that what you are seeing in a "man in suit" effect. They range in price between $1,400 to $2,000 US.Designed for theme parks and professional scare rides, the company produces three different levels of Creature Skin, each one representing a different level of detail, rotting flesh and sophistication.Corpse SkinThe basic skeletal ghoul suit. Can be used with your own accessories, so with a pirate costume you can turn into a zombie pirate, with a military uniform you could create a zombie soldier, etc.

Corpse Decayed SkinLots of add bits including tattered cloth, pieces of decaying flesh, and moss.

Mummy SkinAn intricate array of stringy wrappings over layers of decayed flesh and moss.

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