This costume represents the “Death of Discs,” especially CDs and DVDs, and foreshadows the end of Blu-ray and spinning hard drives. It is made of DVD cases and blank DVDs, which are either free or very inexpensive as they approach obsolescence. The concept for this costume came from my Death of VHS costume in 2004, […]

This costume’s features giant scoop-hands are designed for rapid collection of tiny “fun-sized” Halloween candy. It was inspired by construction equipment and the robotic suit Sigourney Weaver wore in the movie Aliens. Other inspiration included fireman’s helmets and old school Transformers action figures. Note that the original costume was red, and the extra colorways were […]

This costume is inspired by paper lanterns and by radial symmetry in nature (like sea anemones and jellyfish). Other inspiration included the color of Japanese lacquer, Japanese ghost stories (especially those about “kasa-obake” the umbrella ghost), and the film “Dreams” (directed Akira Kurasawa). People often see my costumes as robotic, but I think of them […]

This costume is inspired by warrior aesthetics from multiple cultures including the Lakota Sioux, the Zulu, and Japanese ninjas. I combined elements from each and interpreted them with post industrial materials (mostly plastic). I imagined a post apocalyptic world where tribal warriors dress adorn themselves with industrial materials that are no longer manufactured, yet more […]

This costume is inspired by the Sydney Opera House, animals with segmented exoskeletons (such as shrimp and lobsters), and “giant” Japanese robots (like Voltron and certain Gundam robots). I created a modular system which allowed me to build the shoulders, hips, toes, and most of the head with identical parts. The heels, chest/back plates, and […]

This costume was inspired by the bright yellow Pumas I hadn’t been wearing enough (designed by Mihara Yasuhiro). I had also been eyeing dryer hoses as a costume material for a few years. Their flexibility allowed me to use part of the hoses to create large “horns.” I also attached the lower pair of “arms” […]

This costume was inspired by protective suits for handing hazardous materials (hazmat), and early 20th century metal diving helmets (with round windows). The tubes from the mask are connected to a matching “backpack” to suggest filtration or an oxygen supply. The materials were from both my kitchen and the hardware store. I wore this costume […]

This costume was inspired by the discovery of hundreds of videotapes marked for disposal. I realized that the VHS format was doomed. I also realized that I had stumbled upon free materials for my costume. This is the heaviest costume I ever made, even though I used the shorter-duration videotapes with less “tape” inside. I […]

This costume was inspired by a stack of cheap plastic buckets I found a convenience store supplier in Brooklyn. Other inspiration included older robots with a “low-tech” style like Mazinger Z (also known as Tranzor Z in the U.S.), Astro Boy, and Mac, the robot assistant of the Jetsons’ apartment repair man. Mac had two […]

Halloween Rules 1. Make it yourself. This is the best way to be original. A store bought costume is better than no costume, but you can do better than that! 2. Use your whole body. If you wear your usual clothes and throw on a mask, is that really a costume? Go from head to […]