October 31, 2012
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Digital Hallowe'en Costume Gallery
There was a time in the Mikester's life when some annual Hallowe'en contest would always have me winning the top prize for best costume. In 4th grade, my mother rolled up a piece of cardboard, about five feet tall, and painted a totem pole on it. One of the animal's eyes were cut out for mine Really easy to make, and also an easy first prize. Next year, she sewed dozens of strips over a skeleton costume. I picked a suitably scary mask, and created "the goon". Fifth grade first prize. I haven't dressed for Hallowe'en since the mid 90s. We used to have contests at work, and when I was with Pat, we stayed up all night before work the night before one contest preparing my "mummy" costume, in which I completely wrapped myself with bandages. I won first prize, so the effort was worth it. Although not really dressing up, here on the internet it's almost as easy as making that totem pole. I have digitally "dressed up" here on my blog WhenWordsCollide many times. Most of these "costumes" are composites created as profile pictures. Above is Locutus Baldmike, where I borrowed Star Trek Captain Picard's "Borg" look from the television show in the 80s.
Not really a "costume" per se, this is my "button hat". I'm modeling it from a few years ago, but back in the late 70s, I wore the button hat, and it's companion "button jacket" festooned with even more buttons, when club hopping on Sunset Blvd.
After My 2009 review of the movie "Avatar" got featured on Top Blogs, I "became" Mike Navi, with the help of some extreme photoshopping.
Not only are my eyes a bit closer together than they are when I'm "Mike Navi", here, as Alfred E. Baldmike, my eyes are as crooked as the "real" Mad Magazine mascot.
A rather ambitious undertaking. For the 2009 Hallowe'en celebration on my Xanga blog, I became "Count Mikula". The entry: "Anatomy of a Profile Pic" showing exactly how I created this composite was quite popular.
Of course, for a guy who signs his name with the suffix "poet, philosopher, fool", I can also be quite the clown. Originally created as a means of promoting my Clowns website back in 2008.
What are you going for this Hallowe'en?
Posted: October 30, 2012 8:33 PM: ENTRY Edit: 10/31/12 6:30am pdt
Comments (45)
You make a dashing Na'vi.
You, sir, are a goober. The Avatar one was pretty scary lol
I think I will go for "middle-aged lady giving candy out to cute little trick or treaters." I can pull that off without Photoshop!
I'm not dressing up this year. I hope to next year though.
Looks good to me ! I'm always impressed by the mastery of your artistry !
Well go look, its up on my blog!
Great costumes, Mike!! Didn't have any reason to dress up this year, however, had we done something, my friends and I had talked about being the gang from "The Big Bang Theory," and I would have been Penny.
Very cool. I noticed that you haven't returned my email yet.
I like Alfred E. Baldmike,!! Happy Halloween!
Those are excellent!
great costumes and love the vampire one. Good job.
Halloween is on e of the funnest times of year! You show us how to Enjoy!
Hi Mike ! I got that Silly Vampire video for you running better now. In any case, here's wishing you a Happy Halloween ! [Card]
I like the borg costume the best.
You really are gifted in this area. I like the reminders of the previous costumes.
I don't have any memories of costumes from my childhood, but I do remember one from my teens. It could have been taken as racist,but I was too naive to be racist. I showed up to my work in black face. I was Aunt Jemima. As I look back, I cannot believe my employer did not send me home.
I am glad to hear that your spirits are a little lighter than a week or so ago. I get like you were sometimes and a friend of mine would say "Momma said thay would be days like this but she didn't tell me they would come in bunches and clusters like grapes and bananas" The song most appropriate for this is:
I beg your pardon,
I never promised you a rose garden.
Along with the sunshine,
There's gotta be a little rain sometimes.
She didn't mention the monsoon season where it rains months on end.
I am ashamed that I stayed away so long at my own pity party...So next time let me know you are down and we will have a joint pity party, we've earned it, we deserve it. so we will have it. The problem with my pity parties is that they seem sort of hollow when I can't cry... Nope, nada, ziltch. I have not been able to cry since they put me on Prosac around 15 yrs ago. Oh I am no longer on Prosac but what they do give me has the same effect. Supposedly crying releases some sort of endorphins that have a positive effect on moods (sort of nature's happy pill) that is why you hear so many women say "what you need is a good cry". As much as that sounds oxymoronish as it does, GOOD CRY; it is a fairly accurate description.
I guess what I am saying is that whatever you did to shake yourself out of the doldrums you must have done it right. The pictures you have done here and the young lady with her dog (on a prior post) are labors of love...I think my favorite of you is the clown. The twinkle in the eyes, and the half smile, is the way I see you inside.
I would like to see you never again suffer through depression alone. Why should you? We have all been there and done that. So tell it all, either here or in private messages, We love all of you, the whole person.."the good, the bad, and the ugly".
I was gone the weekend before Halloween. Since my return from O'Flaherty's Irish Music Retreat on 29th, I've been backlogged. I have been able to read your posts via Daily Digest, however. "Trick/Treat" at this apartment this year did not go as well as last year. There was a costume contest held at the apt. office in late afternoon, so I thought the children would be arriving after while it was still light. I wore my Halloween shorts & eyemask. Flyers had been posted on our doors with instructions that we were to display if welcoming children, and they had been told to visit only apts. with the flyer on door. Darkness fell and I waited. Finally I heard a rap. I went out with my pumpkin container filled with candies and some small plastic Halloween theme rings and critters. I gave the little girl who came with her father her choice of both. They thanked me and left. That was it! No more visitors! Later, I checked the other apts. in my area & was very dismayed to see that mine was the only one with flyer on door. Many apts. were dark. I guess they might have gone elsewhere to celebrate.
. I love your outfits. Being a clown is fun! Oh, MAD Magazine was my favorite when I was a teen. 
My brother and I love to quote from it. ~~Blessings 'n Cheers
Oh shit Big Mike, it's ya boy, Mock Diesel, back to straight up revolutionize this Xanka shit, as you know some loser with too much time on his hand got me shut down, but he's not worth mentioning. Cuz all his hard work was reversed in the 5 seconds it took to make a healthkicker account. I even gotta keep the same name. Basically all he did was get the posts where he was ranting like a lunatic removed. But whatever, that little hoe can eat a dick.
Real talk tho big Mike, Imma explain where I been, what I did when I was gone, and talk more about my stalker in my new podcast I'm putting the finishing touches on. You can't say shit about shit on Xanga without being called a fucking cyberbully by some beta male perma virgin and getting reported to admin who are just as bad.
The truth finna come out Mike....but in a venue where I can talk like I wanna talk.
My husband and I had a costume party and we dressed up as the Sinister Mad Hatter and Malice in Wonderland. But to pass out candy, I dressed like I did in high school - put on a long wig, put a scarf around my head, put on a tye-die tee shirt from a Rare Earth concert, peace sign earrings and a pair of bellbottoms. Wasn't much of a reach, since I lived it at one time
And what is old is new again. Easy to find accessories depicting our icons from the late 60s and early 70s.
Hmmm, I was noticing I hadn't seen anything about your post in Daily Digest alerts. Hope all is going well with you and maybe you're taking a break from Xanga. I was going to do that, then I became aware that here & on FB, friends began posting on theme: "30 Days of Gratitde". Although I was late getting in on it, I decided to join as a spiritual exercise here & on FB, too. I'll get back to you whenever you resume posts. ~~Blessings 'n Cheers
I suppose you are working hard and have little time for xanga. At least the Halloween post was done well and you are usually busy with something.
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