Wasteland Weekend 2011

The coolest thing I did this year.

Sometime in winter 2010 I spotted a video piece about a relatively new event called Wasteland Weekend, held annually in the Mojave Desert. It was something to consider. I'd always wanted to go to Burning Man, however my allergy to naked people and not showering keeps getting the better of me... And then there's my favorite movie of all time, which just happens to be...

That's right. I'll fucking say it: Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. An original version of the above poster has hung on my wall more than twenty years now. I've probably seen it fifty times or more, and I never get tired of it. (Don't get me wrong. I love me some Road Warrior. But Thunderdome has everything I want to see in the post-apocalypse, excepting possibly the classic Hewlett & Martin version of Tank Girl.) Thunderdome is a fixture in my childhood and so masked into my mental landscape that I'd feel about as comfortable walking around in it as in my living room.

So I had the feeling I'd really be missing something if I didn't go to Wasteland. I planned the trip and went. And once I got my temperate Canadian ass over the crushing amount of heat and exposure involved (took about a day)... the event was awesome.

Seriously. I go to a lot of conventions... but none of them have ever been able to pull off this kind of full environmental immersion, costumes mandatory, adults-only chaos. (Or made me sign a waiver that said "YOU CAN DIE.")

It's easier to illustrate with photos, so here are a few choice pics. (Want to see more? You can find the full set on flickr here. There are also very active forums on the main site and a Facebook page for keeping up with plans for 2012 as they develop.) If you can get yourself to the area of California City, CA in September 2012, and can handle the heat... I highly recommend it.

Elite Guard Captain (Michael Robinson) atop the gates.

Cars, cars, cars... Max Max V8 Interceptors, MFPs, and a VW Beetle in MFP colors.

All hail Lord Humungus (Jim "The Tank" Dorsey)

Rachel

Armor and weapons very cautiously made out of signs.

Brucifer

Touch the Cabbage Patch. Touch it, feel it.

While crossing the encampment, I ran into two ladies taking their mutant for a walk.

Ulfblood Berzerk from the Cannibal tribe.
A great trader, but do not accept his dinner invitations!

Sierra, the Outlaw.

Heavy metal, but he rocked it for hours.

During a Thunderdome match, things go a little berserk...

Schyeah you do

Finally! Photos.

Another zombiewalk, another post-walk hunt for photos! This great shot of myself from the 2011 Zombiewalk is by Henry Chan, aka hc916 on flickr. Reposted with permission. Check out the original on his photostream.

The sign was actually taken to the local Occupy encampment after the walk and added to their extensive collection of protest signs.

Speaking of signs.
L to R: Jeel, Duncan, Mr Ned.

We had a post-zombie-apocalyptic themed group for the 2011 Toronto Zombiewalk. I've started to favor the look... not because of 2012 and Mayan calendar nonsense, but rather due to an event called Wasteland Weekend. This annual Mad Max-inspired post-apocalyptic convention has slowly taken over my wardrobe. They don't allow zombies at Wasteland, however... it's in the Mojave desert, with daytime temps averaging over a hundred degrees, and walkers tend to stink the place up. There are however are enough mutants and freaks and generally great characters to more than make up for the lack of zombiedom... and here's the great thing: they're all prepared.

There's no such thing as street fashion in the middle of nowhere... but more fashion from the desert end of the world can be found here. The full set, in all its glorious dusty chaos, is here.

Odd couples

Just a couple of "odd couples" spotted in the horde last October.