As Adam Chilson wields a flame thrower, the gates of the town are set ablaze, signaling the official opening of Wasteland Weekend 2018, with Co-Owner Jared Butler by his side.
As the sun sets on the wasteland, a pack of roving bikers kick up a storm of dust, a symbol of unity as the tribes come together in peace for the annual festival of Wasteland.
With the growing fear of ecological and social collapse comes an artistic response in creating and consuming dystopic arts and entertainment. Books, graphic novels, television shows, movies, and so on... Stories about futures where people struggle to survive in desperate and dehumanized situations. It was only a matter of time before this shared appreciation for the end of the world would result in one of the largest gatherings in the middle of the Mojave Desert called Wasteland Weekend.
Walter shared with me the tales of his beast, the K-Rats Kinderpanzer, German for "child tank." Born from the ashes of war and invasion, in the face of limited resources and heavy losses, a new weapon was forged. A child-sized tank, manned by a crew of two, capable of the destruction once wrought by five grown men. Raised from youth and trained in camps, these young soldiers graduate to the front lines, their armor forged from salvaged road signs and scrap metal, each Kinderpanzer bearing its own unique scars of war.
Lynn, a fierce member of the K-rat tribe, ready to conquer the wasteland.
"A woman, faceless and shrouded in a cloak adorned with tall horns, stands tall as her portrait is captured, a true wanderer of the wasteland."
Shirtless and powdered white, the Warboys stand vigilant at the gates of Wasteland, keeping watch over the festival-goers as they enter the apocalyptic celebration. Their fierce gaze dares any to cause trouble, for they are the protectors of the peace in this land of chaos.
Metal Jesus reigns supreme, perched atop his own personal replica of Mad Max's legendary Interceptor Ford Falcon XB V8.
In the scorching desert wasteland, tribes from far and wide gather to survive in this harsh, unforgiving land. With the aesthetic of a Mad Max and Fallout world, Wasteland is a place where the strong thrive and the weak perish. As the scorching summer sun beats down, the festivalgoers steel themselves for the trials and tribulations of the post-apocalyptic landscape that surrounds them. Welcome to Wasteland.
In the Thunderdome of Wasteland, only one will survive as two warriors enter, but only one will leave victorious.
Warriors gather, eyes fixed on the Thunderdome gates, as the first battle of Wasteland Weekend looms.
Wasteland Weekend is an escape but also a test. That if the worst came to be, that we could all find some way to survive. That we would continue, and that this all just makes for good practice.
Art has a way of acting like a mirror, when you look at it, you see yourself. Art can express hopes, dreams, our love for each other.
It can show our anxieties, our anger, our fears, the hardships of life.
It can show our anxieties, our anger, our fears, the hardships of life.
It’s all fantasy, but how it feels is what makes it real.
Doug Corbin, Wasteland Veteran
