Oogie Boogie Costume

For those of you who haven't seen it yet, here's this year's Halloween costume. I present... Oogie Boogie.

And by the way, if you aren't shaking, there's something very wrong. Cuz this may be the LAST time you hear the Boogie song. Woah-oh! Whoa-oh!

First of all, here's some of the process:



Here's part of the Oogie Boogie mask. I made a mold of my face with layers of plaster strips that I bought at Hobby Lobby. Then I created the eye, brow line, and lip features with tons of tin foil and hot glue.



After creating the mask, it's as simple as hot gluing the same burlap material as the rest of the costume to the mask. I then spray painted the whole thing with two cans of green fluorescent paint and hand painted the seams with a mixture of black and green paint.



And here it is! It cost about $40, 30 hours of my life over about 2 1/2 weeks, and a lotta sleep deprivation.



Please note the bug detail: I showed great faith by cutting a hole in my costume after I was all done, backing the hole with black felt, and filling it with hot-glued plastic spiders. Thankfully, I think it turned out 'aight.



Oogie profile view. You can't see it, but I also included a spider suspended from a string. It's attached to the top of the mask/hood.



Prosper's marketing department took three of the five possible costume awards including scariest (Dan VanOrman) best female (Michelle Zundel--the designer that I supervise) and best overall (me). For this, I was given a flippin' sweet certificate and... fifteen bucks. Ah well... It's all about showing up the sales team and having a killer time. Sales guys--you got served (and yes, I am throwing down for the express purpose of getting more costume-wearing out-o-y'all next year).



Here's me at the Ward Trunk or Treat. I developed a dance that I now call the Oogie Boogie Bounce. Or Shuffle. Haven't decided yet. Anyway, here's me doing da dance (and sweating like a pig).



More dancin'...This was my favorite part of the Trunk or Treat (obviously).



I had to take off my mask to read stories to the Trunk or Treat kids. Actually, that was a common theme for the day: Taking off my mask to avoid making little kids soil themselves.



Here's me and da fam. I still think Joseph's ninja costume was the scariest though, especially when he busted his sweet ninja moves on me.




Finally, I've had many requests to see the Boogie Bounce. Fortunately, someone got a video of it during our company Costume Contest. Enjoy (or possibly not).

Creepy Calvin Costume

I've committed two egregious sins. First, I've let down my public by failing to publish my Halloween photos. For that, I humbly apologize. Second, I created an unintentionally creepy costume this year. To my defense, I was shooting for the stars: I wanted to portray the greatest comic strip character of all time. Alas, as is often the case when shooting for the stars, I misfired. In any event, my Calvin costume was good enough to claim the coveted Funniest Costume prize in our company's Halloween costume contest. If I take the prize again next year, I'll have a hat-trick. Oh, and I'm gonna take it. I already know what I'm gonna do, and I think it'll bust some guts. Be prepared.