My dekeEnstien monsters! We have survived (sort of, if you count being undead as a form of survival) ADIM 13, the incomparable design masterclass brought back to life last by the equally incomparable Russell Brown. Call this an early call to action to consider going to ADIM 14. There really is nothing like it.

Russell provides macs, special output devices (this year wood engraving, beer glass etching, and metallic printing), and advice from a line up of Creative Cloud experts. This year, he also brought out the festive theme of Monsters and Microbrews. Participants were challenged to create a beer bottle label, a wood beer carrier, and an etched glass as part of the three-day project.

The vibe was so undead cool at the St. Julien Hotel that Deke and I abandoned his south Boulder condo in order to move in for the conference. It was terrific to hang out with enthusiastic designers and familiar friends. Of course, you can’t attend such an event without being infected, by both the creative spirit, and perhaps, something more sinister… Let me tell you the tale in pictures.

At the opening cocktail party, Deke and our host, Zombie Lincoln, get in a battle over the last Kobe beef slider.

Would there be ramifications for this encounter? Read on to find out:

On the magnificently crafted stage, Adobe Evangelist Paul Trani tries to explain CSS to Deke as the giant underground zombie-slash-podium threatens to crush them both with its bloody hand.

The host city of ADIM 13, Deke’s current hometown of Boulder, gets in the dramatic act with a unseasonable snowfall. In true zombie spirit, the tulips on the patio of the lovely St. Julien Hotel arise from their frozen grave.

After presenting some zombie-suitable Deke’s Techniques (like the famous episode 75: Turning a Guy into a Zombie), Deke gets to work on finishing our beer label for Blank Eyes, Blank Mind brew (the only beer that helps you lose your mind and eyesight.) The etched glass is already done thanks to the amazingly hard working and talented crew from Universal Laser Systems.

Here’s a close-up of the finished glass. (The role of Blank Eyes Blank Mind beer is currently being played by Guinness Stout. Not only delicious, but good for contrast.)

While the other participants were busy finishing projects, however, Deke got distracted by having a total geek summit of the Illustrator minds with Mordy Golding.

Fortunately, designer Joey Herschel finished her project (including labeled beer bottles and an etched-wood carrier) so I can show you what the other projects looked like. (Love the tentacle theme here.) Roland Printers brought metallic inks for the participants to use in their beer labels, and patiently walked the designers through the process of using them (on a sticky-backed substrate).

But what, in the end, became of our heroes? Did they ever finish their project? Or did something more sinister than compelling conversations with creatives get them in the end? This exclusive photo tells the story. (Thanks to Deke’s prowess with Photoshop and our makeup artist Kindra.)

Thanks to Russell Brown (aka Zombie Lincoln, the Mad Scientist, Some Kind of Steam Punk Mad Hatter, and Guy with Brains Showing) for inviting us and creating such an energizing, infectious experience.