Word to the Wise: Consider Costume Comfort

As we near Halloween, and many of us are contemplating what to dress up as- or are concocting our outfits- I think it’s only fair to warn everyone that the biggest concern you should keep in mind is- make sure you’re going to be comfortable! Take, for example, some mis-steps I’ve made in my Sven outfits over the year. Back in the “Son of Svengoolie” days, one of the accents of my costume was a large chain that came over one shoulder.(In actuality, it originally came from a big wall clock I had that looked like a giant pocket watch!) I should have left it on the wall, because it had a tendency to: fall off; swing up and hit me in the face; and/or bang against the lapel microphone while we were taping shows. When I became “Svengoolie” in 1995, I changed the outfit, and got rid of the chain (as well as the green disco scarf whose silky nature made it constantly slip loose) and, rather than wear my old “Son of Svengoolie” t-shirt, I opted for a red turtleneck- another bad decision. Have you ever had to stand under hot studio lights, in a wool tuxedo jacket, while wearing a turtleneck? It was far too hot, so I eventually wised up and switched to the red formal tuxedo shirt. When choosing a costume, you have to keep practicality and comfort in mind. Any number of robot or authentic Tin Man costumes can have the drawback of- not being able to sit down with the costume on. Another problem is- maneuverability. Sure, you’re the head on a platter set on a dining table, but- can you fit through a standard door? Maybe you’re Hawkman or an angel with full-fledged wings- will they make it through anything less than an overhead garage door? Another thing to consider is height- your built-up Frankenstein costume, or towering demon may be huge and impressive, but, if you knock your block off when you try to enter a room- so much for party fun. Also keep in mind the old bodily functions concern- when nature calls, you really need to be able to –uh- take care of business. If you’re sealed in one of those “morph suits” (why are they called morph suits? Anybody? Pardon my ignorance…) you’re going to have to just about completely “un-morph” for a potty break. If your Iron Man suit doesn’t have an easy waste expulsion system, you’re going to be a “gotta-go”-dancing Tony Stark… One other thing- make sure you can eat! Part of the fun is the food that’s served- so, if you have make-up or a non-removable mask that doesn’t allow you to eat- you’re stuck doing a frightful fast. Feel free to tell me your past costume catastrophes- we can all learn something from them! Let’s dip into the monster movie pool to assign today’s “Halloween Horror of the Day”- and , I was thinking how one popular costume can be somewhat hazardous if you’re not thinking- that being forgetting you have on a razor-tipped glove that can put an eye out, or accidentally poke someone (and not in a Facebook way)- of course, I’m thinking of Freddy Krueger! The fiendish Freddy, who can kill you from your dreams when you fall asleep and are vulnerable, is one of the classic “modern monsters”- a child killer who was burned to death by vengeful parents, only to have his evil spirit live on in the dream world. His horribly scarred face, raspy voice, and, of course, razor glove enhance his nightmarish qualities- as well as his unfortunate power in the dream world to do and become anything! I’m not just giving him this honor because the original “Freddy”, Robert Englund, is a fan of our show- but because Freddy Krueger is definitely frightening enough to be our “Halloween Horror of the Day”!