Halloween 2004: Death of VHS

Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2004
Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2004
Ken Tanabe Halloween Costume 2004

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 was one of five grand prize finalists in the annual Halloween parade in New York City.

MATERIALS:
Free of charge: 63 used VHS videotapes (rescued before disposal). Donated: clear red plastic. Bought: black duct tape ($5.50), one sheet of white foam board ($1.50), white acrylic paint ($1.75), medium paint brush ($2.00). Already owned: black pants and turtleneck, Puma Mostro sneakers.