Inside the Strange True Story of the Tarman in 'Return of the Living Dead'

Inside the Strange True Story of the Tarman in 'Return of the Living Dead'

Briefly

"That's how I was introduced to Allan Trautman, a lifelong actor and puppeteer who is best known as the cranium-munching fiend "Tarman" from the 1985 comedy-horror cult-classic Return of the Living Dead. Or at least, he would be known for it if more people realized there was a real guy inside that oily, oozing bundle of rags and bones."

"Four decades after the release of that movie, Tarman is everywhere—posters, t-shirts, sneakers, action figures. You can also buy a cute little huggable version. Return of the Living Dead even has its own pseudo-holiday. The film opens on a shot of the Uneeda Medical Supply warehouse with a title card reading: July 3, 1984, 5:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time, and every year on that date, social media is flooded with zombie content from the film."

"I knew the creature, of course, and it was astounding to me that this iconic monster performer lived nearby in the perpetually sunny suburb of Santa Clarita, California. This is a town of normalcy. A place of housing developments and chain restaurants. The Chamber of Commerce-style nickname is Awesometown, but honestly it's a little boring. You'd drive right past it on the freeway without noticing, except for the Magic Mountain roller coaster park that sticks out like a giant misplaced toy. The Showtime series Weeds was filmed here, and the hillsides really are stacked with little boxes that all look the same, just like the theme song said."