The Disturbing Reality of Working with Dead Bodies

Mortician and special makeup effects artist Anthony Saldivar shares his incredible journey from combat zones to the mortuary table. In this raw conversation, he opens up about surviving being shot twice in Afghanistan, the epiphany that led him to makeup effects, and how losing his beloved dogs changed the course of his life.

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Check out Anthony!

@anthonysaldivarsfxmua

https://anthonysaldivarsfxmua.com

Go check out Warming Trends, the company that built the amazing fire centerpiece on our set! https://www.warming-trends.com

Produced by Q6 Media

https://q6.media

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This episode dives deep into the realities of death, both in war and in the funeral home. Anthony explains the embalming process in fascinating detail, shares haunting experiences from Iraq and Afghanistan, and discusses meeting President Obama after receiving a Purple Heart. He also opens up about his battle with alcoholism and how sobriety transformed his life.

Beyond the mortuary science, Anthony reveals the spiritual side of working with the deceased, including unexplained phenomena he's witnessed. He also breaks down his involvement in mass casualty exercises, where his makeup skills create hyper-realistic training scenarios for first responders. Whether discussing postmortem reconstructive surgery or ranking his top 5 horror films, Anthony brings a unique perspective on life, death, and everything in between.

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00:00 - Introducing Anthony Saldivar

01:55 - Finding a love for special effects makeup

05:16 - What it takes to be a mortician

07:31 - What embalming is

10:22 - The restorative embalming process

13:10 - Receiving a body

16:10 - How to embalm a body

18:53 - Being a shepherd for the dead

24:09 - Botched embalmings

25:49 - Spirits in the morgue

32:17 - Joining the army

35:15 - Getting bombed by mortars

40:03 - How war changes you

43:37 - IEDs

46:47 - Anthony getting shot

53:41 - Getting awarded the Purple Heart by Obama

55:58 - Using special effects to help people

59:56 - Halloween 1978

1:00:40 - The Thing

1:01:06 - The Fog

1:01:39 - Hellraiser

1:02:13 - The loss of a pet

1:10:51 - Fearing death