Snap Judgment: ‘Thriller’ night

Paul Mafuz, 38

Bronx, N.Y.

Were you doing the zombie dance 25 years ago?
No. But, I was definitely influenced by the video. It was one of the things that got me into makeup. I wasn’t dancing much, back it the day, but it was definitely a big influence.

Are you a Michael Jackson fan?
I used to love the Jackson 5, and also when he went out on his own.

Until he got a little bit…freaked out?
Well, that was a little strange, but I got to meet him a few times.

Oooh, tell me a bit about meeting him.
I used to work at Forbidden Planet, the sci-fi comic book store, and on two occasions he rolled in with his entourage and about a dozen little kids. They tore the place apart, and I got to help them pick out a few toys.

He was probably all like [high pitched voice], “Let’s go get comic books!”
Oh yeah. You really had to lean in to hear him speak. You’d think he’d be about 100 feet tall, but he’s a very small man.