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Arts & Entertainment

Seen this zombie killing truck? The story behind a Dallas artist's unusual ride

Stroll or drive through Lower Greenville in Dallas on any given day and you may come across a car that's not like others. Usually parked near the corner of Greenville Avenue and Richmond Avenue, the black 1990 Ford Ranger is outfitted with chains, skulls, spears and metal caging. Because of the machine guns mounted on the top and hood of the vehicle, some call it the Zombie Mobile. Owner Ace Cordell calls it Jezebel.

Judging by the truck, Cordell appears to be a post-apocalyptic zombie prepper. Catch him in conversation, however, and he quickly debunks the stereotype.

"I'm a pacifist completely," he says. "I don't believe in violence, I don't believe in war ... I can't even watch horror movies."

Cordell is an metalsmith and sculptor. The 32-year-old fell in love with welding after attending Mountain View College in Oak Cliff, where he interned under a professor for four years. After graduation, he taught night classes there while also holding down gigs as a bartender and contractor building bars and artwork for local businesses. (Cordell is currently manager of the Bottle Shop craft beer bar, which is why Jezebel usually resides Lower Greenville.)

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Though Dallas has a commendable arts scene, Cordell believes it's lacking in certain respects. That's why decided to create an installation on wheels — he considers Jezebel a satire of the way society condones violence.

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"A lot of people are preppers and worried about the end of time and zombies," Cordell says with a laugh. "I'm just more concerned about getting more art out there."

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Like most of Cordell's art, he built the truck with recycled materials, such as car parts, antiques, and industrial filters, among other knick-knacks collected from local scrap yards. Even the intimidating-looking guns are constructed of miscellaneous parts, none of which ever belonged to a firearm, Cordell says. He recently built meat smoker for restaurant Braindead Brewing that has a gun constructed solely of reclaimed children's toys.

As he collected parts, Cordell arranged them in his head like puzzle pieces into a mental image. The car itself cost $1,300 and then he added $600 worth of materials.

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Cordell built Jezebel about eight months ago, but it wasn't his first time to deck out a so-called zombie killing machine. More than a year ago, Cordell's younger brother, Ben, bought a beat up Ford for $200. The thing was begging for a makeover, Cordell says. And inspiration hit.

"I said, let's just Mad Max it out," he says in reference to the action movie series. "Let's take something that's ugly and make it cool."

Most people do think the trucks are cool. Cordell often walks out of work to find parents taking pictures of their kids in the truck bed. Even a driver in a Porsche has rolled up and complimented his brother's ride.

But not everyone loves Jezebel. Recently Cordell attracted press for a dispute with a property owner on the residential street where he lives in Lakewood. The owner, who left a note on his windshield, asked Cordell to move the vehicle for fear it would inhibit her ability to rent a neighboring duplex. It upset Cordell not because of the ask, but because she knew the truck wasn't real or dangerous.

"She knew I was an artist, but she didn't appreciate my art; she didn't want my art to be around. That's what was offensive," he says.

"I see other people's art and I don't get it, but I can appreciate expression. That's one of our American rights. We should always remember that."