Izzy's Big Break

WAITSBURG – Izzy-the-camel owner Mickey Richards says he would love to one day to write a book filled with stories about Izzy. If he does, that book will undoubtedly include a chapter on Izzy's most recent adventure as a television star.

Last week, Waitsburg's favorite cuddly camel was doused in fake blood (Karo syrup and food coloring) and transformed into a gruesome member of the walking dead to perform in an episode of the SyFy channel series "Z Nation."

The series, which is filming its second season, follows a group of survivors as they travel from New York to California, with a possible cure for the zombie apocalypse. Izzy will make his debut in episode five of the coming season, which premiers this fall.

Mickey said he had to admit that he didn't know what "Z Nation" was when he received a call from the show's production supervisor, Marc Dahlstrom, who was looking for a camel. "The kids knew, though. They went nuts – just freaked out," said Mickey's wife, Tawnya.

Dahlstrom had spotted Izzy two years earlier, before "Z Nation" was even in production. He'd been scouting for filming sites when he noticed Izzy in his pasture off Highway 12. Dahlstrom took a photo of Izzy's trailer, with Mickey's phone number on it, in case he ever needed a camel. When "Z Nation's" producer said he wanted a camel, Dahlstrom knew just whom to call.

Less than two weeks after the initial phone call, Mickey, Tawnya, and children Kyle and Katelynn, loaded Izzy and headed to the small town of Fairfield, Wash., just south of Spokane, where the episode was being filmed. "It was a very opportune time because all the major characters were on set that day," Mickey said.

The Richards' thoroughly enjoyed being part of a television episode in the making. They were invited to stay for lunch at the show's "base camp" where Tawnya said the caterers probably fed 200 crew and support people, for a show with only four or five main actors.

Mickey said he was amazed at the number of re-takes required to get each scene just right. Of course, Izzy added to the count. In one scene, he was to walk a trail through the grass. He did it ten times in practice perfectly, but as soon as the halter was off, the lure of a nearby wheat field proved to be too much temptation.

"I told the producer, 'As soon as I turn him loose, he's going for the wheat. That's heaven for him!'" Mickey said. They finally switched to a different trail and got the footage they needed.

Not surprisingly, charismatic Izzy quickly became a favorite with the show's cast. "The kids were asking to get pictures with the cast members, and the cast kept trying to take selfies with Izzy. Izzy almost out-starred the stars," Tawnya said.

A favorite moment occurred when Mickey approached Izzy, who was being led by a "zombie" who had a shard of a flower pot extruding from his head. Mickey pulled Izzy's face to his own and said sternly, "Izzy, stay away from him. He's a pothead!" The crew cracked up and the "zombie" was referred to as Pothead for the remainder of the day.

The Richards family said they couldn't have asked for a better experience and that everyone bent over backwards to make them feel comfortable. "They shot quite a bit of footage with a green screen, so we're excited to see what they're going to do with that," said Tawnya.

Mickey says he won't let Izzy get big-headed, but that he does plan to add a big, gold star reading "Starring in 'Z Nation'" to Izzy's trailer.

Back home, Mickey has returned to his role as Izzy's personal trainer. One of the downsides of pasturing along the highway is that so many people feed Izzy and the horses, which have all become extremely overweight, Mickey said. "I've been having him (Izzy) run behind the 4-wheeler. We try and get in four laps a day," he said. A star has to maintain his physique, you know.

Izzy Tales

When it comes to writing that book about Izzy, Mickey Richards says he's already gathered a few favorite stories.

He recounts the tale of one woman who credits Izzy with saving her life. She had been diagnosed with several life-threatening health conditions, all at the same time, and was eventually overcome by depression and thoughts of suicide. As she drove by Izzy's pasture each day, on her way to treatment, she noticed "a poor old arthritic horse with a twisted up neck and back."

She decided that, as long as that horse could endure, so could she. After recovering both physically and emotionally, she shared her story with a friend who said, "You do know that's a camel, right?"

In another story, a pair of fisherman, who normally took another route to their fishing hole, went through Waitsburg and stopped to pet Izzy. They spent the day talking about Izzy and caught more fish than they ever had before.

Now, they make a point to drive through Waitsburg on their way fishing. If they see Izzy, they have a good day fishing. If they don't see Izzy, the catch is always poor.

If you have a story of your own about Izzy, Richards would love to hear it. Stories can be emailed to tawnyarichards@gmail.com.