Where Knowledge Junkies Get Their Fix
McAfee Secure sites help keep you safe from identity theft, credit card fraud, spyware, spam, viruses and online scams
Jason English
Our Readers’ Favorite Halloween Costumes
by Jason English - October 30, 2009 - 9:30 AM

All fall, you guys have been filling up our inbox with your best Halloween photos. Get in the holiday spirit by looking at some of our favorite submissions. Apologies for all the pagination—we don’t typically do that, but we also don’t typically stick 60 photos in a post. Enjoy!

ninja-hostage

Olivia sent in this picture of herself dressed as a ninja. No word on the identity or whereabouts of the hostage beside her.

trek

Brian, Abby & Hannah Segool, circa 1993. (From Abby: “My parents started me on the road to nerd-dom early in life.”)

polar-bear

Marion Germaine sent in this photo of her daughter as a cute little polar bear. A cute little polar bear feasting on the flesh of a bloody severed leg.

ding-bat

Here’s one from the 1970s. Scarlett Messenger is dressed as a bat, and her shirt reads “DING” in big red letters. “Yes, I went to school dressed as a Ding Bat. I don’t think the scars have healed yet.”

FourCostumes

Elizabeth-Anne Cobb sets the bar pretty high for people who make their costume out of a box each year.

lovegood

We’ve all seen Harry Potter, Severus Snape and Cho Chang costumes, but Angela Kerchner’s family waded deeper into the canon—here’s her husband and daughter as Xenophilis and Luna Lovegood.

myrtle

Angela’s other daughter played a convincing Moaning Myrtle.

buddy-elf

The rules for Christopher Schwarz’s costumes are as follows: “1) A good amount of people must know who I am right away. 2) When I go to Halloween parties, no one else should be dressed the same way.” (You’ll hear from him again.)

soap

Jade Thompson and her boyfriend cleaned up at costume contests last year.

nathan-jackson

Nathan Jackson as…Nathan Jackson! (Apologies to the rest of you who submitted photos of your Nathan Jackson costumes. Only had room for one.)

frida-fish

Anneke Majors has pulled off both Frida Kahlo and a jellyfish.

birds

Anneke also sent in this photo of her friend Abby as Tippi Hedren (from The Birds).

bob-ross

Jake Meek said his Bob Ross attire was purchased in the ladies department at a local thrift store, “which I can only assume is where all men’s clothing from the ’70s currently resides.” He’s posing with the Orbit Gum Lady. Advertising characters are always a popular choice. Let’s run through a bunch of mascots…

Comments (16)
  1. Those are awesome! Great collection. I had to laugh out loud at Carole Burnett and the Ding Bat.

  2. Dingbat!! I love it!

    Other favorites: Stacy’s costume from last year; Toucan Sam; Frida Kahlo; the little baby! Too many to list. Thanks for posting these!

  3. Is that a Donald Duck cookie jar in Christopher Schwarz’s kitchen? If so, he is awesome.

  4. I can’t BELIEVE I didn’t get my pictures in on time! Sometimes I amaze myself.. I’m struggling with a costume idea for this year since I’m not sure anything can top my condom costume! Hopefully I will remember to submit next year… *huff*

  5. Oh I am so glad to see all those gorgeous homemade box costumes. Now I don’t feel so bad about dressing up as a book in third grade even though, I have to say, mine is still a turd compared to these ones.

  6. I just emailed my mom and asked her to make me a Care Bears costume for next year.

    Yes, I am 26 years old.

    And the Carole Burnett costume is utterly brilliant!

  7. The dingbat is too funny, maybe next year!

  8. Ahahahaha!!!

    It is ALL about the Ding bat costume… First I was looking at the chest like huh? What does that say…

    Moaning Myrtle is pretty creepy. But cute…

  9. I’m proud to say that last year, two of the costume ideas on this list were combined into one for me. I was Dr. Horrible, and one of my friends was Bristol Palin. I don’t want to share other peoples’ photos without their permission, but there’s a great pic of me holding her hostage with my Freeze Ray.

    Also, Captcha: phantom me <- very appropriate!

  10. @biolo Bri – I missed it too…and I go whole hog!

    I LOVE Scott Allen’s DC Metro. That’s utterly brilliant! Kudos to all the wonderfully thought out costumes on here! Long live creativity!

  11. I’m loving the Richard Simmons costume!

  12. Stacy Conradt is HOT!!!!! I’m pretty sure I’m in love. She’s married. Dammit!

  13. Darn! I missed the deadline! Oh well….I can send them in next time. Usually people don’t know what I am anyway.

  14. It is a Donald Duck Cookie Jar in my Kitchen… And thank you for vailidating me being Awesome. I keep telling my wife that, and she keeps rolling her eyes :)

  15. One year, in college, I went as the Scarecrow from “The Wizard of Oz.” I won second place in the costume contest!
    I was the scarecrow the year before in high school.

  16. Loved the Carol Burnett, that took guts to walk around w/ a curtain rod on your shoulders during a party.

    Also, really liked the Dr Horrible, especially the way the photo was taken. Brilliant.

Comment

commenting policy