Vidal Herrera knows a little bit about death. He is a retired investigator for the Los Angeles County coroner's office and owner of the forensic pathology service 1-800-Autopsy, Inc. franchise. He provides mortuary products for the Los Angeles TV and film industry. His nickname, not surprisingly, is "El Muerto," which means "the dead one" in Spanish.
A request from the set decorator of "True Blood" inspired him to envision the coffin as a different kind of resting place. "I was at a wrap party and she just threw out the idea," said Herrera. "Easy," he thought. With the help of a few skilled craftsmen from East Los Angeles, his first coffin couch was made.
Herrera recycles defective caskets from funeral homes all over California and can custom paint or airbrush the couch for an additional fee. His sales have been steadily increasing over the last three years. His clients include MSNBC, Kat Von D and Jesse James. Herrera also rents the couches for $350 a week -- the highest demand being during the Halloween season -- for private parties and haunted house attractions.
Herrera has unearthed other creative coffin ideas and is designing couches that feature neon lights or ice coolers. "Customers love them," he confided. "They are tickled to death!"
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