Thursday, November 13, 2008

Hell's Eve - Zero Eight

Ah. It seems it's time for my annual Halloween report. And as part of the tradition, I'm posting it where reports of years past stay. Here at MyOtaku.

This year, I created a new character named Dorian. He is a wind-up doll constructed by Mr. Grinn. After seeing the success that Jaden, the marionette, had last year, he felt another toy would've been a great idea to make people smile. Mr. Grinn created Dorian in his own image. He gave him a bowtie, a proper jacket and hair as dark as the night. His face wasn't perfect though. His looks were brittle and cracking away from the edges. Despite this flaw, Dorian managed to keep smiling. The final piece, a large, silver key was then inserted into his back. Mr. Grinn pointed him in the direction of Halloween Town, wound him up and set him free.

My Halloween begins not on the 31st, but weeks before. I had decided on dressing up as a wind-up doll but I lacked a plan on how to pull it off. As a nut job who takes Halloween very seriously, I wasn't going to restrict my costume with just a plain old key sticking out of my back, like those stupid shitty ones where a big felt key just hangs off. I wanted it to be functional and interactive. I wanted to become this toy. So I drew up a plan and went shopping.

My father has a close friend at Home Hardware so I used that connection to my advantage and did most of my shopping there. I probably spent a good three hours walking back and forth in the store, trying to come up with a working idea. I wasn't prepared to make the key rotate on it's own or play music (but that would've been gnarly), so I felt I would be satisfied if it simply turned and made a clicking noise. I ended up opening packages and creating an alpha version of what would eventually be my key base. I used a piping cover and big-to-small piece of pipe, a paint mixer, a few washers, a nut, a huge screw and several pieces of tupperware, broken up into pieces.

It didn't take long before I finally assembled a functioning base, using the paint mixer to click-clack against the tupperware pieces secured around the walls of the inside of the tube. The paint mixer itself was put in place by the washers and smaller pieces of pipe. Now that I had the base, I needed to create a key. That's where my carpentry skill came in.

I bought a wood pole which had a diameter of 1 3/8". I cut it to a height of about 2 feet, give or take and drilled a hole that fit the handle of the paint mixer perfectly and then hammered it on. This bit acted as the "shank" of the key. Once the wood pole was in place, I needed to put the "bow" (the part you hold to turn a key) in place. I had originally wanted to carve the bow myself out of a sheet of pine, because it's a strong yet light wood, but I was running out of time. Instead, I found a precut piece of pine, used to decorate... well, something. It looked a little elaborate but I thought it was fitting since my wind-up doll had vintage qualities about him.

I took the piece of wood home and carved into the shank with my Dremmel to put the bow in place. I also secured the bow with some piping reinforcements so that it didn't slip off. It kinda of gave it a bit of a steampunk look too. With the key nearing completion, I had only to figure out a way to secure the key to my back. My father suggested using a piece of board to level it out on my back and using a bungee cord to strap it around me. Last year, I had a belt strapped around my chest to keep my puppet control in place so I wasn't afraid to get a little kinky this year. *laughs* The bungee cords I found weren't long enough to go around my chest in a criss-cross pattern like I had intended it to, but it worked in my favour regardless. I attached two cords on each side of the board holding the key and wore it like a backpack. After putting everything together, I gave the entire thing a quick coat of paint. With my key complete, I only needed to choose what to wear with it.

I remembered last year in the summer, during a bout of boredom, I put on an old jacket I found at a thrift store and danced around on video, making my first attempts at animation dance. I felt it was appropriate for my monochromed character so I added it to my costume. This jacket is a bit long and styled similar to a tuxedo. The only catch is that it's a woman's jacket, as it has a pleated skirt-looking part on the back. This didn't bother me considering my destination for Halloween. I cut four holes into the jacket and a white shirt I was going to wear underneath to pass the bungee cords through. With some black pants, black shoes, a bowtie and a different hairstyle, my costume was finally complete.



October 31st, 2008 - Halloween

I woke up around noon, jumping with excitement for the night ahead. It was a beautiful sunny day and the evening was going to be nice and mild, perfect for Trick-or-Treaters and everyone else going out that night. The plan was to wait for my cousin to arrive so that he, Lil Sis and I would travel downtown together, then eat, then head straight to Church Street. Cuz told us he'd be at our house by 4:30, which gave us a good amount of time to prepare before sundown. I had some soup so I wouldn't be starving by the time dinner came around. I'd hate to walk around on a full stomach.

When playing Mr. Grinn or even last years Jaden, my hair was straight. This year, to change it up, I wanted it wavy. There was no way I'd use a curling iron on myself since I've never used the damn thing. Instead, I asked mum, the only person in the house who used it. So there I was, sitting in the washroom while mum curled my hair. I wasn't planning to have it totally curly. I just wanted enough volume so that I could mangle it up into a big mess. Despite the curling and hairspray, my hair straightened back out during the night. It probably knew where I was going and needed to assure me it was "straight". *laughs*

My hair was done... All I needed to do was put on my shirt, jacket and key and a bit of black face paint around my mouth and jaw to darken the bit under the mask. Preparations weren't finished though. I had to help Lil Sis with her costume. This year, Lil Sis dressed up as a zombie again. She's a huge fan of zombies, zombie subculture and zombie byproducts. She's met George Romero, she goes to horror film festivals and takes part in the annual Zombie Walk. So seeing her as a zombie isn't much of a surprise. But with most zombies, it's always more memorable if that zombie had a character, persona or even a job before it "turned". I gave Lil Sis the idea of a Schoolgirl Zombie and so she modelled her look after Japanese high-school uniforms (pleated skirt, white shirt, neckbow...thing, sweater, socks, colourful accessories and pigtails). She gathered her costume bits and dressed up. Lil Sis looked fun as a schoolgirl... but she needed to die then come back to life. That's where I came in.

I first started tearing holes into her clothing and ripping pieces off here and there. This was a guide for where I was to splash blood. After modding her clothes, I started her makeup. As a child, I had originally wanted to do some work in the visual effects industry for film and whatnot, but it never came through. I do, however, have a collection of visual effects makeup, including woochies and oil based paint that blends oh so well. I began on Lil Sis with a base of pale colour, then added some darks spots to indicate decay, reds and purples for bruising, and yellows and reds for infection/wound markers. Time was running short, so I rushed a little when doing her wounds. After completing her makeup, it was time for the fun part. We went outside so I could paint blood on her wound, on her clothes and then eventually just take a dollop and swipe at her. A neighbour was passing by and thought it was a pretty amusing scene. Lil Sis splashed a little blood on her hand prop and filled up a small bottle with extra blood for a bloody drooling effect later in the night, then she was good to go.

Cuz finally arrived and by then, I had suited up. He was dressing up as Jack Sparrow simply because he wanted to. I'll refer to him as Jack from now on. It was pretty fun watching him try to put his costume on. The belts were giving him a helluva hard time and he didn't know how to put on the bandana with dreadlocks on properly. I could've given him a hand, but my key was already in place so my movements in the room were somewhat restricted.

When it was finally time to leave, Jack realized he needed a sword. We decided to take a short walk to the nearby dollar store to see if they had anything there. We grabbed out essentials and walked out the door. On our way to the store, we experienced a pretty scary moment. It was Halloween and all, but we weren't expecting anything like it.

The 3 of us were walking down the sidewalk in a row. Ahead of us, a man was approaching. We didn't break formation until he was about 20 metres away. As we were just about to pass, the man grabbed Jack by the shirt and started cursing, saying things like "Don't f*ck with me!", "I'm not gonna take sh*t from you!" and "I'm gonna f*cking kill a *****!". It was clear the man was suffering from mental issues and it was possible that he was armed with a weapon. Even if he wasn't he was a danger. What I think happened was that he felt territorial and when he saw the three of us walking, he felt threatened. Jack made the smart move of not doing anything and waiting for him to walk away. If anything went down, Lil Sis and I wouldn't have run. Despite being limited in my movements, I would've done what I could. Lil Sis said she'd do the same and even admitted to clenching her fist while he yammered on in preparation for an encounter. After running his mouth for a minute or so, he walked off muttering to himself. We turned to each other and just as we were about to say "WTF?", the man return and grabbed JAck by the shirt again to mouth off some more. It was now obvious the man had a mental issue because Jack coughed directly on his face and the man didn't notice. He let go and walked off for good. Jack fixed himself up and we had a short laugh about how ridiculous that was. Jack then turned to Lil Sis and I and asked "Why me?". I told him "Well.. Jess (Lil Sis) is a schoolgirl and I look pretty feminine right now... So he targeted the biggest threat." *laughs*

We reached the store and Jack ran in to find that they didn't have any plastic swords... only foam ones. He bought one anyway. After leaving the store, we went to the bus stop and met a little boy who was fascinated by our costumes. He kept telling his mother to look at us, but Lil Sis' zombie schoolgirl costume might've been a bit too disturbing. The kid was so intent on making his mother look at us, by the end, he was just pointing and shouting gibberish. It was cute.

When the bus arrived, the three of us walked on and zoomed towards open seats. With the key sticking out of my back, it was impossible for me to lean back to I sat sideways, with the key in the place of an empty seat. Jack and Lil Sis sat behind me but on elevated seats so it was hard for me to just turn and look at them, let alone talk with them. There was a guy standing in front of me so I was blocked from view. And so the fun began.

As people got on the bus through the front door, they would see a pirate and a zombie school girl first. It was only when when passed the guy in front of me did they see a still toy, hunched over and swaying with the braking and accelerating of the bus. My costume had a strong effect on one person in particular. She was a young Korean girl, who looked nearly identical to my other Lil Sis here on TheO, Pomegranate. As she walked on the bus, she started heading towards some empty seats at the back of the bus. She took notice of Jack and Lil Sis and seemed a little creeped out, but kept moving. It was when she saw me she made a complete 180 and sat near the front. As we travelled, I noticed her frequently looking back at me, waiting to see if I moved. I was tempted to give her a scare as she got off at her stop, but the bus was rather crowded and if I moved, I would've hit someone.

After reaching the station, we took the subway to Chinatown for something to eat. We all agreed to have dim sum, even though we enjoy it more as a brunch meal. As we walked into the restaurant, the guy at the front desk was fiddling with his phone. It seemed they weren't busy tonight. We peered in and saw maybe 4 tables of 60 filled. When we approached the desk, he looked up at our faces and jumped back. After a good hearty laugh, he showed us to our table. I removed my mask, Lil Sis put down her severed hand and Jack took off his bandana. We placed the items in the middle of the table, hoping something magical would occur. Nothing happened. So we removed our items and made way for our orders. As much as I love dim sum, I didn't want to fill up tonight or eat anything saucy to mess up my facepaint or white shirt. With that said, curry squid, chicken feet, steamed rice rolls with shrimp and bean curd rolls were out of the question. I stuck to eating about 18 har gow (shrimp dumplings) while the other two ate sticky rice, beef ribs, fried wonton. In the middle of the meal, we toasted with our teacups, "To an awesome f*ckin' Halloween. Cheers!" After the meal, we fixed ourselves up and our journey began.

We walked east, towards Church Street and Wellesley where the block party was being held. Here's a bit of info on that:

Every year, they close down the streets to allow people in costumes to roam around and have fun. It's become a rather popular tourist attraction so every year it seem to get bigger and bigger. This is the second year the Halloweek events have taken place. Halloweek is essentially a week long Halloween celebration with different events all leading up to the block party on Halloween night. Oh, and it's all run by the gay district of the city. Church and Wellesley is in fact, Gay Town AKA The Village. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against them. In fact, I'm quite pleased with them since they throw the biggest fuckin' Halloween party in the country. In years past, we've had thousands on the street and as the events become more and more popular, they get more sponsors which in turn makes it a truly unmissable party. With this year's Halloween on a Friday, they were expecting high numbers, so the roads were to be closed until 2:30am, the stage for performances and the costume competition was doubled in size and extra blocks were closed off. This year was going to be big.

Before reaching the block party, a man with a video camera filming the sight and sounds of T.O. caught us and asked if it was alright to film us. I put on a toy show, while Lil Sis snarled and Jack pranced. It was nothing compared to what we were going to experience later.

We finally hit the street. It was nearing 8:30pm and it was PACKED. Costumes, costumes, costumes were practically infesting the streets, dwarfed only by the number of cameras taking pictures. It was a beautiful sight. Speaking of sights, most the photos that you'll see at the end of the post were taken by Lil Sis, which was appropriate considering she was a Japanese Schoolgirl before becoming undead.

As soon as my foot stepped off the sidewalk, I became Dorian. I rigidly walk around, stopping periodically so people could grab a snapshot and/or wind me back up. Jack would trail behind me as my guide, holding on to my key in crowded spots so it wouldn't hit anyone and winding me up if nobody around understood how I worked. I gave Lil Sis the mission of "taking pictures of as many fuckin' awesome costumes you can find." As you'll see in a bit, she did quite well.

My sights were set on entering the costume competition so I wandered until someone with a cart full of skulls on a stick stopped me and said "Great costume! Take this and bring it to the stage when the competition starts." He handed one to Jack as well, which was convenient considering the stage area was very crowded and I would've knocked up some faces.

Jack and I roamed around until the competition started, frequently meeting up with Lil Sis who kept squealing at the fact that many people were taking pictures of her as well. It put a good feeling in me since her face was my work. *laughs* She also had fun taking pictures of people taking pictures with me., or as she puts it, she became a part of the crowd.

Before hitting up the stage, I met with three classmates from school. Two of them are a couple so they dressed up as green and red grapes. The other, a rocker and skull fanatic dressed up as a ghoul with one badass wooden sceptre he found at a local store. It was more than appropriate for him.I chatted with them for as long as I could while staying in character. Eventually, the costume competition began so we parted.

While Lil Sis stayed in the crowd to take pics, Jack and I headed backstage to get in line for the presentation of the initial costumes. Some were unworthy of their skull on a stick... Others made me feel insignificant due to the effort put into their costumes. And the rest were typically gay. Y'know. Crossdressing and whatnot.

As Jack and I were about to step on stage, someone asked what we should be introduced as. I told him Dorian and Jack. My name was called seconds later. I walked on stage to break down in the centre while Jack came running in behind me. I swung around and knocked him down with my key, as part of our last minute improv. He got back up, wound up my key and we walked off stage. I felt disappointed because the crowds response wasn't a big as I had hoped it would be.

When we walked off stage, we met a Joker with two of his friends. I assumed he was a drama student or at least an art student of sorts since he was in character as well. If not, then it's a waste of good talent. He wound up my key and started a cackle. Basing his voice of the late Heath Ledger's take on the Joker, he said "You amuse me to no end. I could use something like you." We chatted a bit while watching the other costumes walk off stage. Our conversation was interrupted by the crowd screaming with delight at a certain costume. I turned to Jack and said "I think I know who won..."

Some organizers told us to move to the back lot and wait to see if our names are called. I paced back and forth waiting to hear "Dorian". I didn't hear my name, but others somehow did. Other competitors were motioning to me to return to the stage as part of the final 20. I knew I lost, but it felt awesome being up there again. I had another look at the finalists and they definitely were worthy. My favourite had to be Medusa and the Stone Warrior. I could try to describe them, but it's best if you see the costumes for yourself.

As the hosts went down the line saying each contestants name and gauging them based on the applause, I stood still and psyched up for one last mechanical dance. The host pointed towards me but never said my name. Instead she said Jack. What surprised me was that nearby, a Captain Sparrow stood, but he was not my cousin. Someone snuck onstage and stole our spotlight. My name was never properly mentioned so I received no applause. I didn't even move. It felt like I was just tossed into a bin.

It was heartbreaking. This is the only day of the year I knew I would feel some love and I got completely shut out. When they announced the 3 winners, I walked off stage and sat down. Jack and I chatted about how we got f*cked over and laughed it off. Despite feeling disappointed, I encouraged myself into performing for the rest of the night, regardless of whether or not I won anything. So that's exactly what I did.

For hours into the night, I walked about, with Jack trailing behind me and Lil Sis zipping back and forth taking snaps of great costumes. When I stopped, I could see people lining up in front of me to take photos. It would take awhile before anyone figured out my key was turnable and that I'd only move if they wound me up, but when they did, I could hear laugh of joy and amazement surround me. People would yell at each other to not turn the key yet so they could take their photo beside me. Before I knew it, I had crowds following me.

It wasn't long before I completely forgot about the competition. Onlookers would chant "Wind him up! Wind him up!" from afar and those nearby would cautiously approach me to turn the key. As soon as I heard three turns, I'd activate. I would turn around to face the one who gave me life again, do a mechanical bow and be on my way.

The old ones would comment on my energy. The young ones would express delight in seeing a big toy. The straight ones would say how creepy I am. The gay ones would call me gorgeous and touch my bottom. The gangsta ones would yell "Ohhhh shiiit! Mad poppin' skills, yo!". The Asian ones would gasp loudly and giggle furiously while taking pictures with me. No matter who they were, I saw smiles on their faces. Smiles were everywhere. I did it, Mr. Grinn. I did it.

Seeing all those happy faces really picked me up. This was the reason I love Halloween. And just when I thought I couldn't feel any better, I found myself completely surrounded. Creating a circle around me, a crowd gathered. So large that I saw hands with cameras shoot up from the back of the lines, indicating that there was no way in or out.

Unfazed by the the growing numbers, I continued to perform. I stopped for a photo op and Jack wound me up. As he turned the key, he said into my ear, "You can't really go anywhere right now... Just dance." So I did. Whenever I was wound up, I moved erratically and showed off what I learned from watching animation dance videos. During my show, I heard something that melted my heart.

"You've got the best costume tonight!"

"You have the best costume EVER!"

And after that, a roar of applause and cheers. I swiveled my head and saw hundreds of smiles, hands clapping and even more cameras going off. My night was complete. I bowed repeatedly to the crowd and then continued to perform until the end of our night.

Before leaving the block party, I met up with my classmate who dressed up as a ghoul and another classmate who came later in the night who dressed up at the Joker. The three of us are close friends and also drummers. We three also share a great love for Halloween. It was an pretty unforgettable moment for us three meeting there. Ghoul told me he was doing a show in a couple of weeks and invited me to see him perform. Joker's birthday party is set to be the day before Ghoul's show, so we all planned to meet up again.

After saying goodbye to my classmates, Jack, Lil Sis and I admitted to being extremely tired and somewhat dehydrated. I phone home and asked my father to order some Chinese food for us because by the time we made it home, the kitchen would've closed. After confirming the food was going to be there when we got back, we walked around a little more to take some snaps of a few more costumes before heading home.

We left the street by 1:30 am, an hour before they reopened it. The buses were crowded as hell because the subway had closed for the night. We took a cab home and I sat behind the driver facing the window with my key in the middle. We said very little on the way home because we were so tired. We had an idea of what we were thinking anyway.

The moment we made it home, we took off our costumes and quickly washed off what needed to be washed off. Jack prepared the dinner table, while Lil Sis scrubbed off the blood and gore. I washed my face quickly and went to my room to stretch and lie down for a few moments. When it was time to eat (Close to 2:30 am) I set up my Macbook Pro and uploaded the pics to so Lil Sis could show Jack and I what we missed.

We talked about the little things that happened during the night. About how Lil Sis was stalked by a man who took dozens of pictures of her. About the a homosexual man tried to pick up Jack (and got denied). About the dozens and DOZENS of beautiful girls who surrounded me for pictures and how I was helpless to do anything about it since I was in characters and even if I weren't, they probably thought I was gay anyway. We watched a slideshow of the photos before cleaning up the table and passing out in our beds.

That's the end. What can I say? It was certainly a memorable night. There were ups and downs but overall, it was an absolute fuckin' blast. Big thanks to Lil Sis for taking such awesome photos and Jack for keeping an eye on me the whole night.

And now... A TONNE OF PICS!

Meet the cast!


Our trusty navigator and quick on his feet... as Captain Jack Sparrow, it's my cousin!!


Our little dead photographer, always hungry for a good snap or brains & flesh... as Zombie Schoolgirl, Lil Sis!


Everyone's new favourite toy... As Dorian the Wind-up Doll, it's Enin!


Here's what we saw:



The Lipstick Pumpkin
We're close. It's beginning...


Zombie Couple
I really like their poses. Lil Sis must've been excited to see her fellow dead.


Freddie & Zombie Warhol?
I'm only making a guess at who the other guy is. I really have no clue. Close to Warhol though, right?


Invisible Man
He's holding the skull on a stick, the prerequisite to entering the costume contest.


Batman & Villians
Riddler, Catwoman, Mad Hatter and Poison Ivy. Cool crew!


Asian Doctor
He was actually a part of the Batman group. Lil Sis took his pic anyway.


Zombie Schoolgirl & Panda
I imagine this to be a twisted remake of Xiaoyu and Panda from Tekken. It'd be pretty sweet to have a zombie version of Tekken peeps.


Potpourri of Costumes
You've got some Asian garbs, a bit of Egyptian and Roman clothing and a drugged up hippy. Hooray!


Nurse Joker
The red smile paint is a bit big, but a fun take nonetheless... The look on the lady's face behind him is priceless!


Red Shirt Joker
Make up looks alright... The jacket looks a bit big..


Jessica Rabbit
"I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way..." I'll believe that..


What the f--
A duck thing... and an orange... thing. God help us...


Leprechaun
Looks like someone ate the pot of gold...


Ostrich Rider
Poor bird...


Long Coat Classic joker
Ah.. An attempt to NOT portray Heath's Joker.. Could use a bit more smile but great job!


Dead Couple
Love lasts forever..


Man-Leia
Yes.. It's a dude.. A tall, slender dude. Despite covering up his adam's apple, the muscular legs give it away.


Hero Trio
The outfits are neat. The Green Lantern one is pretty sweet.


Classic Joker, Harley and Ivy
The Batman fans were out in numbers!


Harry Potter & Dumbledore
Sure, Dumbledore is a homosexual... But Harry?! .....yeah. Seemed pretty likely to me too. Seems Asian Potter's got some "Blue Steel" action there.


Dorian and ladies
Cuuute... The one on the left seems to be forcing her smile... Afraid, maybe? Haha!


Klingons
That's Lil Sis' severed hand they've got. Get your own flesh!


Bat-Girl.... man
Another cross-dressing superhero. Even if his face was less masculine, there's a bit that gives the guy away. *laughs*


Dorian fans
When my crank stopped, it was a perfect opportunity for picture taking. Then someone would wind me up again and off I went.


Hamster & White Tiger
A cute couple. Clever enough to wear a warm costume since it got pretty chilly later in the night.


Snow White & A Ladybug
Adorable little babies! I love the look on Snow White's face. She seems rather concerned about something.


Pirate
I can't tell if he's any pirate in particular. I do like his rapier though.


Dorian, A Ghoul and Grapes
These are the classmates from school The grapes are a couple and the ghoul behind is a fellow drummer. His skull sceptre is brilliant. Green grapes is plastered, by the way. He was yelling "Onegai shimasu!" at Lil Sis (behind the camera) because of her schoolgirl outfit.


Guy Fawkes & Cute Witch
Aw...


Marilyn Monroe & "Babe Ruth"
Met these two backstage. I think I can guess where your line of sight just focused on... Don't worry.. I did too.


Japanese Maid
Ah, a visitor from Japan. A little obvious, isn't it? She really liked Zombie Schoolgirl's outfit.


Magician & Rabbit
Uh-oh... Someone looks like they want a "big carrot"... Or should I say "Magic... Wand"? *Dr. Evil smirk*


Zombie Surgeon
If this is the doctor, I'd hate to be the patient.


Bumblefly
A happy little baby waving to her admirers atop her proud father's shoulders.


Pirates
These buccaneers seem to be distracted by a certain toy off camera.


Baby versus Dog
According to Lil Sis, the baby was trying to communicate with the pup. Cute moment.


Napoleon Bonaparte
This was a fun sight since I recently saw War & Peace, the opera. Great costume!


Dorian gets surrounded
Here I am looking around for a space to get through. I was surrounded by cameras.


Princess Aurora
I recognized this princess the second I saw the costume. Princess Aurora is from one of my Favourite Disney movies, Sleeping Beauty. Of course, this fella is rather homely compared to the original animated girl. Neat costume anyway!


Hack Heads
A funny couple with cleavers in their skulls. Great spirit!


Dorian & Out-of-town fans
Just a couple of visitors posing with the toy


Tin Soldier
She was apparently very still for awhile. I love it when they play the part.


The Captain
Is he in costume or...? Nevermind..


Jigsaw's Puppet
It's not Halloween anymore without something from Saw


Marilyn Manson
Here we have a Manson fan sporting the Mechanical Animals look. In case you can't tell, this is her real exposed flesh (face, neck, tummy, boobs and everything else), all painted up.


Cute Asian Trio
A Vampiress, A Witch and A Maid. Lovely, lovely.


Kermit
Waiting to go onstage..


Brass Pole Dancer
Yes. That's a whip and that's a brass pole. No, that's not her his real body. Thank goodness.


The Evil Queen
Of course, someone HAD to flaunt around in a costume like this... Snow White ain't got nothin' on her.. him...


Stone Warrior and Medusa
This duo was brilliant. Medusa had all these Snakes and the soldier was all painted up rock like. Better picture in a moment...


Frank the Bunny
I just love this shot. The lighting is superb. Donnie Darko fans should love it too.


The Stone Warrior & Medusa up close
Can you see the snakes now?


Van Gogh
THIS is what the crowd was voting for. He won first place and deserved it completely. His legs were hidden so all you saw was a floating frame with Van Gogh himself, brush strokes and all! Really awesome job.


Dorian with Top 20
On stage beside a dead groom and.... the pole dancer.... *shudder*


Pole Dancer
...oh...my... g--*puke*


Dorian & Bunny Fan
Ladies, ladies everywhere all come to play with me.


Little Fairy Princess
Dawwwwwwwww....


Rocky Horror
Magenta and everyone's favourite transvestite from transsexual Transylvania, Dr. Frank N Furter.


Mummy and King Tut
Sayin' hi the Egyptian way


Unicorn Baby
Fly away, little one. It isn't safe here...


Father & Son
This is a funny pic of a kid on his father's shoulders. The mask is neat but the father's pose is what gets me.


Dorian's Key
Turn it, muhfucka.


Happy Asian and Dorian
Someone's winding me up too..


The Pope
Are you lost, Your Holiness?


Dorian heads for pizza
...but not really.. Just getting his pic taken again..


Crying Dragon Tales Baby
It was my fault... *laughs* I'm mean, I know...


Jigsaw Puppet & Little Red
Sooo... How did you two meet?


Fighter Pilot
*machine gun sounds*


Silly Asian Group
I can't figure out what the guy on the right is...


Sayin' hi to Killers
Michael Myers, Leatherface, Ghostface... Pleasure to meet you!


A Clown and a Pimp
An adorable couple making the best of their years. Glad to see you join the festivities!


Corpse Couple
These girls are Filipinas. Quite happy-looking for dead-folk, eh?


Shabby Man
Is that really your ass?


Dorian & Jack
Taking a breather from the crowds


Getting wound up again
Don't just stand there! Help me, Jack!


Hugging Dorian
You might wanna get out of the way when he's wound up again


Sith chicks
I'm not sure who they are exactly, but the red lightsaber is a sign that they're probably bad.


The Toy Pose
May I wind you up too? Where's YOUR key?


Asian Cop
Servin' and protectin'


Chillin' with Dorian
Hey Miss Pirate Wench... Wanna play?


Look at the guy
"Why am I here?" he asks himself. "Why...?"


She-Joker
What drink is she holding?


Jedi
...that's Force...


Wayne & Garth
"You're like... amazing, dude."
"Thanks. I like to play."


Dorian & Zombie Schoolgirl
With a special appearance by Andy Serkis!


Dorian & Zombie Schoolgirl again
"Dorian told an adult's joke!"


Surrounded
That's my head in the centre of all the bloody flashes..


The King
Apparently, Elvis takes the TTC (public transit).


Peach & Luigi
I could say something dirty about the Princess.. But she get enough of a bad rap for f*ckin' with Mario..


Dead Hunter
Scopin' out the sights from pa's shoulders


The Devil & His Joker Son

They seem distracted


Dorian loves nice smiles
"Hiiii!"


Surrounded Again
Oh, Bunny. You so fine...


Bert & Ernie
This costume was cool, but it damaged my childhood.Bert had a "Just Married" sign behind him. Noooo!


Oompa Loompa
He totally got the pose down


Joker & Batgirl
Looks like someone got in a scuffle with Catwoman..


Gladiator
Reminds me of Xena... *laughs* XENO!


Dorian and another fan
Random fact: My face always has a neutral expression under the mask.


A bug?
Miss, you've got something on your head..


Rose & Zombie Schoolgirl
This costume is brilliant. Why? Remember Titanic? After Rose let Jack go as she froze on the floating plank and the search and rescue team came by and the only way to get their attention was with a whistle because her voice was shit? Now you know why.


Conjoined Heads
Cool mask... A little unsettling to look at, but cool.


Fabio Joker
Tall and long-haired.. Fabio, right? Hah


Ambiguously Gay Duo
...ehhh.. Not so ambiguous, guys..


Celebrity Zombie
Wherever you see zombies in Toronto, this guy is there. Lil Sis is a huge fan.


Old Man Time
Ah.. The horrors of old age..


The Wizard of Oz
L to R: Scarecrow, Glinda the Good Witch, Some balloon man, Dorothy, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion. They've all received their gifts from the Wizard, but you can only see the Lion's.


Posing with Dorian
How they sneak under my arms, I still don't know..


Dirty Clown
There's a bone beside his... bone... UGH!


Crazy Zombie
Lil Sis says he was frantic... and quite insane..


Thicker Nurse Joker
The Harvey Dent sticker is a nice touch... Minus one point for not having a proper white shirt underneath.


Crazy zombie & Zombie Schoolgirl
Lil Sis gets in for a pose


Dorian waiting to go
"I have to peee....."


Ghostbuster
Unfortunately, I didn't very many ghosts... Seems there wasn't much to do for him then...


Big Joker
Your tie is a little small...


Leia & Han
Nerdy couple costumes always rock.. Stars Wars is super bonus plus!


Liza Minelli
...still kickin'



Animal Warriors
Erm.. Something about the Chinese Zodiac?


Dorian says Hi
Don't be afraid, miss... I'm just a toy..


Zombie Cop
There's a head wound.. That's means your brain is destroyed. You should be dead! INACCURACY!


Panda Girls
Wahhhh, so cute!


Strange Clown
Doo doo doodle doo doo doo doo doo doo!


The Crank
Wind to activate.


Richard Simmons' back
I'm a pony!


Super Flamboyant Lone Ranger & Tonto
Oh boy.. There goes a piece of television history.


Big Monkey Suit
Heh. Look at the two embrace behind him.


Steampunk Poison Ivy & Batman
These two made me really happy. I doubt very many people understood what they were, but it didn't take me more than a moment to realize they're spreading some steampunk love.


A Pig & A Horse
I love these masks..


Evil Clown
I'm surprised Lil Sis managed to take this pic considering she's deathly afraid of clowns, let alone scary ones..


Dorian & Gorgeous Girls
For one night, I was a lucky, lucky toy...


Lady Flasher
Oh, my innocent eyes!


Dorian & Jack
Taking a break from performing..


I see two more Jokers
Can you?


Spiderman
His suit was awesome! The best I've seen in Toronto.


Big Creepy Face Man
Lil sis ran up to him and asked for a picture of his face. Afterwards, my cousin said "What if that was his real face?" Lil Sis then got pretty embarrassed. Fortunately, after inspecting the photo, we've come to the conclusion that it is indeed a prosthetic. Well done!


Riding Frankenstein's Monster
For a piggy back, she's still fairly low to the ground.. Haha


Kayako
The girl from Ju-on (AKA The Grudge). I think she's kind of cute.


Silly Crossdressers
They always know how to have fun


Jacketless Joker
Could've done more work on something OTHER than the makeup.


Chinese Opera Singer
He looks so evil! *laughs*


Alice & Proper Devil
Hey, it's Alice from the Resident Evil films. I dig accuracy. They were both very friendly folks. The Devil called out Lil Sis as a zombie and told Alice to kill her. It was a fun moment.


Devil's Amusement
He seemed quite blown away by the crank..


Alice
Close up of Alice and her gear


Fireman Zombie & Alice
A nearby zombie makes his attack, but she's one step ahead..


Bloody Kid
I swear, I recognize him from a film or something... Anyway, he played his part quite well... Mimicking me as if I was completely new in his world. Kinda creepy too..


Amused Asian Maid
That's such a cute smile!


Ghengis Khan
...or if not, just a Mongolian archer. I'm so getting this outfit for my father. His facial hair is perfect!


Red Riding Hood, Jester and Gypsy with Dorian
Yes, I'm real... But please.. Keep touching..


The Devil
Whut up, Satan?


Leatherface
...with a camera for those kodak moments.


Darth Vader
WITH A BLUE LIGHTSABER?! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!


Winding up
Ready? GO!


Samurai
..with anachronistic eyewear!


Buzz Lightyear
Aww.. Little one.. I'm child's plaything too...


The Flasher
That's a woman with a big, long fake dong. 'Nuff said... *laughs*


Bunny Angel Thing with Dorian
They have to be clubbers.. They're the only ones who'll throw on silly accessories and call it a costume.


Bunny winds up
I was resting, y'know...


Former Classmates
There are two classmates of mine in this photo. Both are into Halloween as much as I am. Can you guess who they are?


Drummers Unite
Dorian the Doll, A Ghoul and The Joker. Superb!


Captain Jack & Davy Jones
My cousin messing around with his nemesis...


Little Britain's Bubbles Devere and Vicky Pollard
I broke character and totally cracked when I saw these two. I love Little Britain!


Call me Bubbles, Darling!
It's not Bubbles until you see it all! *laughs* Champagne! Champagne for everyone!


Crazy-Ass Doraemon
Doraemon.. What happened?


Just a Crazy Ass
Not a clue what this was... He must've been blitzed out of his skull...


Miserable Crossdresser and DRACULA
I recognize Drac from last year. The queen looks a bit sad, don't ya think?


Smokin' Joker
He's a midnight toker.


Man Chun Li
Man-li? Chun-lo? *shrugs* Nice work on the costume though! *laughs*



The Penguin
Ah, Cobblepot.. It's a pleasure to meetcha. And who's your feline friend?


The Bondage Pimp
He... Umm.. I don't even know..


Dr. Zoidberg
Woop woop woop woop woop woop!!!


Rebel Fighter Pilot
Aww, you totally need your helmet!


Shaun of the Dead
Jigsaw's Puppet got some red on him..


Bird Lady?
Creepy muhfucka...


Zombie Schoolgirl & Pinocchio
He's a real boy!


President Obama & Man-Palin
That's not a mask. He really does look like the new president elect. Congrats, Barack!


Angel & Devil
Heaven & Hell.. but mostly Hell...


Hellboy
Speaking of Hell, look at the handmade stone arm. Brilliant!


Sailor Moon
...never running from a real fight...


Dr. Horrible!
w/ Freeze Ray


High fivin' a Smurf
She was cute and high.. Juuust like the cartoon characters..


Skull Punk
There's something incredibly badass about some that'll eff you up and is already dead.


Mr. Bean
I find it sad that few people knew who he was. Lil sis got it the moment she saw him. And all was well!


Lara Croft
..minus the guns. Just stand there and look cute. No one will attack you.


Fish
A fish, a fish, a fish... Oh!


Super Tool
Ah! I get it!





Now... What did you see a lot of? Well, the three of us were on the look out that night and even made a bet. Closest number without going over. Price is Right styles. Jack bet we'd see 7. Lil Sis said 12. I said 19. The grand total by the end of the night? FORTY-EIGHT. That's right. 48. Can you believe that?

48 What? Well... It was destined to be this years costume. And we've got shot of quite a few... Behold! JOKER WATCH 2008!


Why so many?!

*laughs*

By the way... the three of us agreed that my drummer friend/classmate was one of the top Heath Ledger inspired Jokers. His makeup was pretty well done and his hair wasn't neon green. He's a Batman fanboy too, so it served him well.



Hmm.. It seems that's it. Did you make it through the entire post? If you did, thanks. It means a lot to me. If not, then that's okay. I know. It's a lot.. But Halloween is my favourite day and I won't take any shortcuts when recording it for memory. This year was insanely fun and I'm glad it turned out as well as it did. Next year, Halloween is on a Saturday, so it'll be just as crazy. I've already got some ideas... As crazy as it sounds, I might just be able to top this year..

Well.. It's time to retire Dorian to the toybox. He might make an appearance again some time.. Who knows?





Play nicely.





- enin -


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