Nice Fans A'Givin' Bread: Group Raising Funds For Horror Legend George Romero's Star On Walk Of Fame

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LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — The creations he brought to life were the stuff of nightmares, on-screen images that have terrified young and old alike for decades and inspired generations of artists. Now, with a little help from his friends and fans, the late filmmaker behind some of Hollywood's most famous horror classics might receive an honor in death he never received while he was alive.

Horror legend George Romero passed away last month after a brief battle with lung cancer. He was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame just prior to his death. However, that prime square of real estate does not come cheap — the star itself, plus the ceremony and maintenance, cost $40,000.

Romero's longtime manager Chris Roe is counting on friends and fans to help pay for the star, as well as pitch in a little extra for a bigger celebration for the director of the original zombie flick "Night of the Living Dead." In total, it'll be almost $60,000.

"There's still that place that they can go get their photo taken," Roe told CBS2 News. "It's for them, it's for the fans, and it's for his legacy."

And a legacy it was, indeed. Romero's work helped create the genre of the zombie movie, with follow-ups to his original film that included "Dawn of the Dead" and "Day of the Dead."

"Without 'Night of the Living Dead,' you wouldn't have 'The Walking Dead,' 'Shaun of the Dead,' and all these different films and franchises," Roe asserted.

While Romero's canon of corpses might leave some trembling, others like fan and filmmaker Michael Flume draw inspiration from his films.

"It shows we take risks. It's OK to go with your ideas and visions, and even if people say it's not going to happen, that it's not good."

For those who wish to contribute to Romero's star fund, a fundraising campaign has been launched on Indiegogo with the help of actor and friend Malcolm McDowell.

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