Saturday, October 30, 2010

Halloween Goodies

The Halloween links and pictures are flying fast and furious across the interwebs today! Here are a few of my favorite finds.

Via @ThinkGeek, John DeLancie (Q from Star Trek:TNG) reads Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven":


In related news: John DeLancie rocks. He was one of the first Trek actors I ever saw in person, & I have a photo of my 16-year-old self standing awkwardly next to him to prove it. :D


Craftzine provides today's dose of adorable:

Mini Robocop!

I love this next picture:


There are lots more pics at Sweet Juniper, where Robocop's super dad explains how he made the suit from bits of junk lying around his basement. Crafty parents ftw!


And for one of the coolest costumes in the history of robots, check out this clip:


Via One Cool Thing a Day


I wish there was a slow-motion version of him when he stands up; I STILL can't wrap my brain around how it did that. Really, really cool.


Speaking of costumes, some of you expressed a little exasperation with the whole "sexy" costume phenomenon during my Stay Puft post - which I totally get, and actually tend to agree with. That said, I find it more hilarious than offensive when I see things like this:

Yes, that's a "sexy" Chewbacca costume. Really.

For nine more ridiculously horrific, "sexy" geek costumes, go here. (The "Brian" from Family Guy has got to be the worst. Am I right?)

I think the worst part of these travesties (other than the whole pornification of beloved characters thing) is that they don't even look like the characters they're supposed to be! I mean, c'mon, who would ever look at that girl and think, "Hey, a Wookiee!" [eye roll]

That said, I'm still waiting to see a "sexy" costume more ridiculous than this:

Sexy Big Bird.

In stripper heels.

Does anyone *not* feel the need for therapy after seeing this?


And to end on a fun note, have you heard about the steampunk haunted house in New York? I'm a scaredy cat to end all scaredy cats, so I could never go, but this thing sounds amazing. It relies on psychological thrills instead of blood and gore, and has a beautiful steampunked aesthetic. Photos are hard to come by, so this is the best video clip I could find:


Note: the end of the vid may be a little intense for kids or wussy wimps like me. :)


Go here for more videos reviewing the house and going behind the scenes of its creation.
Also, Kat wrote a beautiful description of her own experience touring the house here. If any of you find more photos of it, be sure to let me know!

Have any fun Halloween finds or links? Share them in the comments!

49 comments:

  1. The creator of the mini RoboCop was actually a crafty DAD! I only know this because I read Sweet Juniper religiously. :)

    I saw a couple of stupid sexy costumes that were at least on a par with Sexy Big Bird: Sexy Elmo, and a Sexy Ninja Turtle.

    I told my husband I was going to make on of those felt bacon costumes that were so popular last year, and staple a string bikini to it so I could be Sexy Bacon. Instead, because I'm lazy and out of time, I'll probably just put on some rain boots and carry an oar: Roe v. Wade!

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  2. As to pornification of beloved characters...
    Pebbles (as in the infant child of Barney and Betty on The Flintstones) and Cindy Brady. Why???
    http://candyapplecostumes.com/ru16883.html
    http://www.costumesupercenter.com/sexy+costumes-couples/4964RI-womens-brady-bunch-cindy-costume.html

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  3. I am a huge wuss, but I would totally go see that. Oh man.
    Regarding the Chewbacca costume.. A couple friends of mine are having a Star Wars themed birthday party where my male friend is going to be slave Leia and my female friend is going to be Han Solo. I told them I could be sexy Chewbacca is I could make the costume myself in a way that's not totally sleezy. =/
    For Halloween this year I'm either going to be the white rabbit or the main character from the worst Harry Potter fanfiction ever written. Evar (My Immortal).

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  4. jen - you would appreciate 'modern lady' after seeing this post.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB3ko2-PLf4&feature=fvhl

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  6. I might not be the first one to say this, but since there are no comments up, yet: Robocop's DAD made him the costume ;)

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  7. I could see the sexy Brian costume working if Brian were to take over after Hef. That totally looks like something he'd come up with to replace the playboy bunnies.

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  8. For more "sexy" costumes, check out the latest Cracked feature:

    http://www.cracked.com/article_18834_26-sexy-halloween-costumes-that-shouldnt-exist.html

    :D

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  9. This video is from Dragon*Con 2009, and shows a wicked sweet big daddy costume - I'm pretty sure the drill actually works, although they don't show it in this particular video. (Found Here.)
    I'm pretty sure that if this guy showed up at my Halloween party, I'd pee myself.

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  10. Fun post! I think the Robocop costume was actually made by a dad though. If you read to the end of the post it talks about how his wife made his girl's costume.

    Awesome dad, huh?

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  11. My Etsy Finds email today was all steampunk stuff. Thought of you, of course.

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  12. i am such a wuss that even THINKING about going to a haunted house gives me palpitations...but if i wasn't on the opposite side of the country, that steampunk place would probably force me to "nut up" and check it out.

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  13. The worst part about the "Sexy Brian"? It's OFFICIALLY LICENSED (according to that horrible costume website). *shudder* All of those costumes were hideous, who would wear any of those?! Wait - just answered my own question: someone with more curves than imagination. Yuck.

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  14. THis is the greatest Lil Jawa costume ever, I seriously melt everytime I see this video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fvBkqvHOzw

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  15. Wasn't John DeLancie the nicest? I too have a pic with him from a convention when I was about 17- I blinded him with a flashbulb camera. "My god, how old is that thing?"

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  16. Ok, I don't know what the rules are about posting twice in the same day (sorry!!) but I also thought you guys might find this amusing.. Halloween Light show House
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUAV_1jBJB4&feature=related

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  17. Hey Jen,
    I'm a big fan of Epbot and Cake Wrecks, I especially love all your crafty posts and admire your amazing penny table!

    Just to let you know, Sweet Juniper is mostly written by that little Robocop's Dad, and he is the one that made the costume.

    Looking forward to seeing pictures of you and your husband dressed up for Halloween!

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  18. Yes - John is tres cool. I met him (and took my fanboy pics with him) when he was directing a production of Cold Sassy Tree (opera) in Atlanta. Very nice, and welcoming, and a lot of fun to be around!

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  19. I find myself irrationally jealous of anyone who lives in New York now...

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  20. That Steampunk Haunted House looked AWESOME! I'm really not sure about that Sexy Chewbacca Costume.

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  21. Thanks for the heads up on Sweet Juniper, guys; I feel like such an idiot for calling mini Robocop's dad his mom! Ack! :/ I've corrected the post now, though, so thanks again!

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  22. Those costumes are abso-friggen-lutely absurd. Another reason I make my own every year. This year it's a steampunky automaton. :D speaking of which, that haunted house looks freaking awesome!

    As for Halloween goodies, I found an awesome blog for hard-core Haunted Mansion fans over here: http://longforgottenhauntedmansion.blogspot.com/
    It discusses many times the cultural & mythological origins of various HM gags as well as obscure effects & history. & when I say hard-core, I MEAN hard-core. Had I not spent computer class of senior year surfing Doombuggies, I'd be lost as, well a haint.

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  23. Jen, my new favorite thing:

    Zombies!


    turns an uploaded photo of you into a zombie photo...

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  24. I don't know if you can see it with the privacy settings, but check out a web friend of mine who made her boys PIRATE Lego Men costumes! Completely awesome! http://www.facebook.com/editaccount.php?notifications#!/photo.php?fbid=490494257462&set=a.490493997462.288434.586067462

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  25. I have to show you the costume I made for my oldest. We never would have known about steampunk if it wasn't for you.
    So, THANKS!!!!!!! :D

    Here's the link: Life on Elk Meadows

    Kim in ID

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  26. I saw the Chewbacca and other Star Wars "sexy" costumes on Geekologie blog a couple of weeks ago. What was so funny was all the people commenting about the fact that Chewie did not have a crossbow and the Darth costume using a gun instead of a lightsaber. I think that amused me the most- people weren't yowling so much about the fact that they were sexy costumes so much as they had the wrong props. True geek love right there.

    And I want to thank you for spelling Wookiee right. That's my own personal pet peeve, which I'm sure also shows my own geekness. Let that geek freak flag fly, baby!

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  28. That transformer costume is AWESOME. Did I say awesome? It was awesome.

    I really enjoyed John DeLancie doing The Raven. I memorized that entire poem for a talent show about ten years ago, and it was fun to speak along with him. I'm sort of surprised I still remember the whole thing. His rendition was definitely creepier than mine though. I get too into the rhyme and rhythm and it ends up sounding kind of musical. =/

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  29. tiny purple elephantOctober 30, 2010 at 8:53 PM

    hahahaha sexy big bird!!!!!!! what will snuffy say

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  30. Please tell me you've seen Sexy Mustard (let it load and forward through the first minute of annoying ads-- totally worth it!)

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4rUiV_Hh74

    Sorry -- forgot how to link

    ...and frog

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  31. Love that Transformer, and Little Robocop is soooo cute.

    Here's a link to more slutty costumes (Warning: Adult Content)

    http://www.cracked.com/video_18230_slutty-girls-in-slutty-halloween-costumes-2010-tribute.html

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  32. Loved the reading of The Raven! Thank you very much for sharing. Also, the Transformers costume is amazing. Agreed, wish there was a slo-mo version of it.

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  33. I was a volunteer at a haunted house for a few years. It benefited the volunteer fire department and was cool in it's own way, but that one.. It's only about seven hours away. That isn't an unreasonable distance to go spur of the moment, is it? I had flashes of a Neil Gaiman short story while watching the video. Wish I could remember what it was called.

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  34. This is what I get for having a busy week and not keeping up with my blog reading. Sigh.

    1. Love your bedazzled pumpkin. There is a dad in our neighborhood that has made a intricately carved Funkin every year. As he says -- why go through all that work just to have it rot away.

    2. Love Cake Doctor. I use it all the time too. I've made that caramel frosting. It's good. I really like it as a dip for fruit.

    3. Did you see the Castle episode that had a steampunk club as part of the plot? The ep. title is Punked and it aired 10/11. You can go to the ABC webpage and watch it. Very cool costumes.

    4. It's been awhile since I checked out Sweet Juniper. Need to go check out Jim's Awesome Robocop costume.

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  35. oh my gosh. that transformer is AMAZING!!

    thought you would enjoy today's Luann halloween comic strip:

    luann

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  36. I actually did the whole Miss Krueger thing this year--the exact costume in the link. It turned out great, actually. BUT (and while I lack one myself, this is a big butt) I picked it for an 80s themed party and my hubby went as Jason Vorhees, so it made sense. And the "dress" didn't come close to covering my panties, much less any level of decency, so I put a skirt and boots with it. Yes, it was still a hot Freddie, but not a slutty one! I actually got more compliments on that costume than any one I have ever worn before! :)

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  37. The Raven is my absolute favorite poem of Poe's, and that video may be the best thing I've ever taken the time to watch.

    On a completely unrelated note, knowing your adoration of all things steampunk, when I found this steampunk wedding blogpost I simply had to point you to it (assuming you haven't already come across it). The photos are to die for.

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  38. I just wanted to give you the link to my pumpkin post since I got the patterns for two of them from your blog.

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  39. I posted the de Lancie video to Facebook, and found out that a friend of mine is friend to his wife. Whee - I'm practically related to Q! ;-) ;-)

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  40. I went to the steampunk haunted house (I LOVE Abrons Arts Center and Henry Street Settlement, they do great things there, The Nutcracker is amazing every year!), and I had a bad experience simply because I got confused right at the beginning, went through a door and ended up outside the building instead of staying in the haunted house, and they wouldn't send me back in, because it's like a dramatic experience and very controlled...so that sucked. Also, not a lot of photos or videos because they don't allow cameras, you get kicked out if you break any of the rules of the house, they're really strict so that it's actually scary for people when they go in...

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  41. Sexy Big Bird...I am now scarred for life.

    But seriously, you are right: the Sexy Brian is THE WORST. Not only are they trying to feminize the most glaringly male character on the show, they had that horrible patch on the lower left of the skirt. WTF? As if the costume isn't bad enough.

    I actually had you to read your caption to find out that that was a Sexy Chewie...I thought it was some kind of spacey viking design.

    vmdesign, now THAT is a good reason to wear the Sexy Freddy costume! Good call!

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  42. Hi Jen, for some reason cakewrecks is asking for a username and password to access the site?

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  43. really enjoyed "The Raven".

    Like Lissy said, there's other Transformer vids if you click on it to go to YouTube. here's a link to a related one, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nztt1SWZqM0

    that BumbleBee costume is much more elaborate but i think the guy needed to be just a bit slimmer to be able to curl tighter into the the fetal pose. overall, i do like the more foam like material for the costume. i just might steal... uh, borrow that concept. ha ha

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  44. wow I wish I could go to the steampunk house.

    The British programme Strictly Come Dancing did a Halloween special where all of the dances where Halloween themed. This one in particular is one done by the processionals is one I think all us geeky people can appreciate

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  45. @ Jessica - we've had that glitch once or twice before on CW; it's something to do with Blogger. If you're still having the problem, could you e-mail me? I can let Blogger know.

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  46. That steampunk haunted house looks awesome! That would definitely be something to see.
    The sexy costumes are ridiculous. interestingly enough, there is a female Captain America. Except she's called American Dream and isn't skankily dressed:

    http://www.comicbox.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/adream001.jpg

    And Jen, I think you will appreciate the costumes that me, my hubby, and my son did this year. They are right up your alley :)

    http://www.flickr.com/photos/scholarandcynic/

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  47. I love Halloween! The "sexy" costumes are usually pretty stupid. I was looking for a Princess Peach dress and the first results I found were for these dresses with six-inch skirts...not what I had in mind. I wrote about it on my blog (SHAMELESS PLUG!).

    In other news, John DeLancie pretty much rocks.

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  48. I just found out about your blogs, this and cake wrecks, and Im obsessed LOL

    I just wanted to say that the car costume in the video was awesome! and that it was taken at a Brazilian party... it was funny watching and understand what people were saying for me... Im from Brazil =P

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