No need to wait for Halloween to become a zombie

While zombies have been a staple at Halloween festivities for decades, you could argue that dressing up as the undead is more popular than ever. In fact, channeling your inner zombie no longer needs to be reserved just for Halloween.

Zombie walks, pub crawls and parades have gone from underground activities to official community events over the past decade. While classic zombie movies have always maintained a cult following, the surge in the popularity of zombie-related activities is likely due to the increased presence of zombie-related material in popular culture, as well.

Remakes of classic zombie movies, such as "Dawn of the Dead," original movies and spoofs like "Zombieland" and "Shaun of the Dead" have been met with a warm reception from movie enthusiasts. And AMC's series "The Walking Dead" has also attracted quite a following. Zombies have even been juxtaposed with classic literature, as the satirical "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies" has attracted attention for being clever or terrible, depending on who you ask.

And then there's the attraction of wandering aimlessly with a mass of others dressed as zombies, moaning and calling for brains as those who aren't in on the joke look on with confusion. If you're looking to join the zombie nation for an event this fall, or even just for Halloween, here are a few options for disguising yourself as one of the undead:

* The dummy zombie. Quite simple to pull off, these zombies don't do much but wander vacantly and clumsily try to feed on humans. Think the original "Dawn of the Dead" or the type of zombies portrayed in "Shaun of the Dead." If you're a fan of physical comedy, this might be your type of zombie. All it takes is makeup to whiten your face and possibly a small amount of fake blood and tattered clothing.

* The mean zombie. More aggressive versions of the undead are portrayed in other films and "The Walking Dead." This scarier version of zombie requires a little more makeup - and blood - and might be more appropriate for an adult audience. Feel free to borrow liberally from your favorite movie.

* Celebrity zombie. As seen in some zombie movies, undead portrayals of your favorite celebrities are sure to draw a laugh from your friends and onlookers.

* Be clever. Anything from pop culture can be easily turned into its zombie counterpart. It could be a cartoon character, superhero, movie character or even something as simple as a cowboy or pirate. With the right touch, the most clever zombie costumes will always go over well.