Santa vs Zombies | Cliff McClelland

Mike Rhyner and Grubes welcome Cliff McClelland, the creator/producer/head mad scientist behind A Creature Was Stirring—a PG Christmas zombie-apocalypse movie for kids, filmed mostly in Garland (because of course it was). Cliff explains how COVID, teaching theater at Richardson High, and accidentally growing a “surprisingly legit Santa beard” led to one big question: What does Santa do when the world shuts down and kids can’t even visit the mall? Answer: he gets on a ham radio, spreads hope, dodges zombies, and teams up with a polar bear named CeCe (no, you can’t call it Coca-Cola, lawyers exist). Along the way: slapstick “medication” side effects, three types of zombies (including a pacifist one named Ed), an AI sidekick that’s equal parts helpful and deeply uncomfortable, plus the real behind-the-scenes grind of getting a micro-budget indie film packaged and placed on streaming services. It’s equal parts holiday spirit, absurdity, and “how the sausage is made”—with just enough talk about pants, bodily functions, and robots to keep it on brand. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Lightning Strike + The Mothership Powers Up 00:01:26 – Meet Cliff McClelland: The Man Behind a New Christmas Film 00:02:11 – Introducing A Creature Was Stirring (Yes, It’s a PG Zombie Christmas Movie) 00:03:02 – Filmed in Garland (Mostly): Local Connections and Locations 00:03:39 – Two South Siders Enter the Chat (And History Is Made) 00:04:09 – “Christmas Zombie Apocalypse… For Kids”: Explaining the Tone 00:04:55 – COVID + Teaching Theater: Where the Idea Actually Came From 00:05:58 – Santa’s Ham Radio Hope Mission 00:07:00 – The Zombies Arrive: The “Calm-Down Drug” That Goes Horribly Right 00:07:36 – Side Effects: Heart Attacks, Diarrhea, and the Healing Power of Potty Jokes 00:08:27 – Santa vs. Zombies, PG Edition: Surviving With Hope (and Minimal Violence) 00:09:01 – Ham Radio Reality Check: Accidentally Switching to Morse Code 00:10:32 – Micro-Budget Filmmaking: Mom’s $7,000, Friends, and Making It Work 00:11:06 – CeCe the Polar Bear: The Costume From China Gamble 00:12:20 – Learning to Dance Like a Polar Bear (Disney Cruise Choreographer Assist) 00:13:18 – Singing in the Movie: Cliff’s Musical Theater and Band Background 00:15:04 – Plot Breakdown: Santa’s Routine + The World After the Outbreak 00:15:47 – Three Zombie Types + Ed the Pacifist Zombie 00:16:16 – The “Zombie Drool” Recipe and Why Art Is Suffering 00:17:48 – Filming Chaos: Traffic, Resetting Takes, and Zombie Tears on Command 00:19:01 – Airport Story: The Drunk Fan Who Wanted Help Committing a Federal Crime 00:20:16 – AI Girl Joins the Movie: Why Santa Needed Someone to Talk To 00:22:18 – Turning a Real Person into AI Girl (and Keeping It Streamer-Legal) 00:23:17 – The PG “AI Kiss” Moment (and Nope-ing Out of the Weirdness) 00:24:06 – Cliff’s Other Work: Horror Film, Published Novel, What’s Next 00:25:08 – Sequel Talk: Easter, Zombie Ed Thinks He’s Jesus, and AI Girl Returns 00:26:07 – Mid-Show Read: CBD House of Healing 00:29:50 – Getting on Streamers: Aggregators, Captions, Posters, and FilmHub 00:31:49 – The Bittersweet Part: Mom Saw the Rough Cut, Not the Big Release 00:32:29 – Where to Watch: Prime, Tubi, Roku + The Full Streaming List 00:33:32 – Tooth Mouse Puppet Sequence + Making It Work for Kids and Adults 00:34:36 – Rhyner Fears AI, Shoopy Doesn’t Even Like QR Codes 00:36:07 – Release Timing + Final Plug for A Creature Was Stirring IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/ X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445 The Old Grey Wolf:  X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579 To reach out email us at: [email protected] Thanks to our monthly supporters Matthew Kamper W hammons B Smith Robert Stoolfire Thaddeus D. Matula Rachel W Scott Lewis cody SIMS John Gilbert Robert Saunders Kiffer Sidney Long Pattie Rhyner Davidson David Ashlea Bullington James Corona Gordy John C Caffey Joe Lindsey Cam Jillian Wright David Moore Becca Moore Mike Rhyner Your Dark Companion ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★