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.______________________________Check out Spooky Gin! @anthonysaldivarsfxmuahttps://anthonysaldivarsfxmua.comGo check out Warming Trends, the company that built the amazing fire centerpiece on our set! https://www.warming-trends.comProduced by Q6 Mediahttps://q6.media______________________________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.______________________________00:00 - Introducing Anthony Saldivar01:55 - Finding a love for special effects makeup05:16 - What it takes to be a mortician07:31 - What embalming is10:22 - The restorative embalming process13:10 - Receiving a body16:10 - How to embalm a body18:53 - Being a shepherd for the dead24:09 - Botched embalmings25:49 - Spirits in the morgue32:17 - Joining the army35:15 - Getting bombed by mortars40:03 - How war changes you43:37 - IEDs46:47 - Anthony getting shot53:41 - Getting awarded the Purple Heart by Obama55:58 - Using special effects to help people59:56 - Halloween 19781:00:40 - The Thing1:01:06 - The Fog1:01:39 - Hellraiser1:02:13 - The loss of a pet1:10:51 - Fearing death