You already know that the start of the spooky season has arrived with the arrival of October! It’s time to make some ghost-shaped cookies, carve some pumpkins, watch The Nightmare Before Christmas, and scare your loved ones! If you haven’t chosen your Halloween costume yet, this is the perfect opportunity to do so.
While searching a Spanish store for a costume, the creator, @alessanderrrrr, came upon some amusing off-brand horror and pop culture figures. In an attempt to circumvent copyright difficulties, manufacturers often resort to creative naming, which leads to absurd results. What other options did they decide on for Jigsaw, Mickey Mouse, and Wednesday Addams? Just scroll down to find out!
Bored Panda spoke with Sam Stair, aka Halloween Happy, creator of Spooky Lifestyle Content, about this year’s Halloween costume trends, amusing off-brand costume names and whether store-bought or homemade costumes are the craze. See her observations below!
We Don’t Have Wednesday, We Have Tuesday
Now that bizarre workarounds are practically a standard in many Halloween costume stores, Sam has seen her share of clever costume titles. “[Deceased] Parents Hero is the label on a Batman costume I’ve seen… That’s amazing,” she exclaims. “Another one would be a Stranger Things Costume labelled Unusual Events.”
Sam had to tell us what this year’s costume trends are going to be. “As far as movies/fandom I think Beetlejuice is going to be a popular costume along with newer horror slashers like Art the Clown,” she stated to us. “I think we will see a lot of TikTok costumes, like ‘Very Demure, Very Mindful’ and ‘Hawk Tuah.'”
We Don’t Have Batman, We Have Black Hero
Sam is totally cool with you building your own costume. “[With] DIY, you are always going to see a different spin on a costume because everyone is creative in their own way,” she says. “You can tailor them to your preference depending [on] how dressy or comfy you’d like to be.” Sam usually opts to combine the two. “I’ll do a base from a costume store and then make my own touches and accessories or vice versa.”
Sam used to throw yearly Halloween parties and make her own costumes before arriving to Salem. She made a Jack O’ Lantern Clown costume one year. She claims that it is most likely her all-time favourite costume that she has ever worn.
Y’all Thought We Had Jigsaw, No, Assassin Tricycle
“I used a temporary face tattoo of a Jack O’ Lantern smile that I found,” Sam explains to us how she made her Jack O’ Lantern Clown costume. “I wrapped that area of my face with paint. I teased my hair into crazy bunches and put my eyes at danger with these awesome white-out lenses. I used black and orange hairspray on the ends of my hair.”
“As trim for the dress and hem for the sleeves, I used some Halloween tinsel garland I bought from the dollar store. I embellished the front with little craft pom poms that I had in my craft supply. I tore up my tights and embellished my shoes with Halloween ribbon. Finished with a little synthetic blood! It was thrilling, eerie, and spooky! What more is possible.
It’s Not Chucky Its A Bad Toy
We Don’t Have Edward Scissorhands, We Have Black Scissors
The popularity of Halloween costumes is seen in the state of the Halloween costume industry. According to expert projections, Americans will spend $4 billion on Halloween costumes in 2023. Even if people choose not to purchase pre-made costumes, creating a quality Halloween costume on your own may be quite expensive.
Y’all Thought We Had Beast, No, We Have Animal Prince
Furthermore, Halloween shopping is about more than simply costumes. There are party supplies, decorations, event and experience tickets, and so forth. Statista projects that Americans will spend a total of $11.6 billion on all things Halloween in 2024.
We Don’t Have Freddy Krueger. We Have Dream Killer
Why can’t the costume makers just call the outfits Batman, Wednesday, and Chucky? due to copyright regulations. The copyright is owned by the studios that made the films or television shows in which these characters appear. Manufacturers and retailers must also think outside the box when naming their products if they hope to avoid legal issues.
Not Harley Quinn, Dangerous Girl
However, what about the actual costumes? Why is it that we can dress just like Jigsaw and stay out of trouble? The Copyright Act lays all of this forth. Costumes are listed as “useful articles” and are not covered by copyright. In other words, a character’s likeness isn’t what’s protected by copyright.
We Don’t Have Jason, We Have Psycho
So why is Mickey Mouse required to transform into Mousy? since design components are protected by law. For instance, the stylised Superman S on the costume’s chest is protected by copyright, even if Superman’s crimson pants and blue tights go better with the red cape.
It’s Not Texas Chainsaw, It’s Electrical Saw Killer
However, since masks do not fit within the category of “useful article,” they are eligible for copyright protection. However, there are still a few outliers. For example, the Michael Meyers mask is fair game since it’s not imaginative enough—it’s just a white mould of William Shatner’s face. In 2000, a court made at least that determination.
Not Black Panther
According to historians, Halloween has been observed in the United States since the late 1800s. 72% of Americans indicated they planned to celebrate Halloween in some way in 2024. And although Halloween is primarily associated with the United States these days, its roots lie in the Celtic pagan holiday of Samhain.
Y’all Thought We Had Mickey Mouse, No, We Have Mousy
Given this, Pandas, what’s the most absurd costume name you’ve ever seen in a Halloween store? And what ideas do you have for a Halloween costume? Will you be creating your own Juice Demon costume or purchasing one from the store? Please share your thoughts and plans for a funny and eerie costume in the comments section!
