30 October 2011

Your last-minute topical literary Halloween costume

Leonard Bankhead (THE MARRIAGE PLOT): Bandanna, copy of A LOVER'S DISCOURSE to throw at people, self-satisfied smirk.

Ava Bigtree (SWAMPLANDIA!): Plastic alligator spray-painted red. Also, dirt and lots of it.

Lisbeth Salander: Black clothes, spiked hair, drawn-on dragon tattoo in prominent location. Piercings optional.

The Penguin (DEATH AND THE PENGUIN): Tuxedo.

BOSSYPANTS Cover Tina Fey: Hat, tie, large male friend to stand behind you and put his arms through yours (look, you put this off, you figure it out).

Andy with The Death-Ray (THE DEATH-RAY): Tiny megaphone or earhorn, blue shirt, red face paint, indignation that you are not Superman, for the love.

Shakespeare? (THE TRAGEDY OF ARTHUR, "Anonymous," etc.) Printer paper folded accordion-style to make ruff over your 21st-century clothes.

The Terrifying Cover Illustration Of Drew Magary's THE POSTMORTAL: Full-length cloak, cheap scythe broken and glued to the back and front of the cloak.

A Memorizing Genius (MOONWALKING WITH EINSTEIN): They look just like everybody else!

Girl In A Murakami Book (A WILD SHEEP CHASE, SPUTNIK SWEETHEART, ): Stuffed cat, T-shirt with a cartoon character on it, absent expression. Make sure not to show any emotions, particularly if your friends see you and greet you enthusiastically. 

Owen Wilson's Character Whose Name Has Already Escaped Me From "Midnight In Paris": Tweed jacket with leather elbow patches (can be thrifted); tendency to express every sentence as a question.

A Kindle Fire: Since it's not out yet, any old robot costume should suffice.

4 comments:

Marjorie said...

These are great.

Wade Garrett said...

I love this post.

8yearoldsdude said...

i went as part of a group of spoonerized author names.

I was Mormon Nailer
the original was Merman Hellville
Darles Chickens was also in attendance

Ellen said...

Those are spectacular, 8. I hope they were well received.