Get Scared
Anthony J. Rapino
As October approaches, you’ll begin to notice an influx of Halloween costume contests popping up (like my own: http://tinyurl.com/dxlvh5e) on www.photoscramble.com. Behold the bevy of fabulous prizes available! Bask in the multitude of contest opportunities! Dizzy with anticipation, you quickly navigate to your Halloween photo folders of years past to select an adequate costume photo to submit. But wait! Hold the phone.
There’s a better way.
Sure, you can submit some old photo of yourself dressed as Snooki, and it would only take a matter of minutes. But for a real chance at glory, why not design a new costume? Some contests allow multiple entries, so you could increase your chances by creating a number of fancy, horrific, and funny costumes.
Here’s an oldie but a goodie: Burn the end of a wine cork until it’s charred. Rub the end on your face for a quick beard. Stuff a pillow under your shirt for a big belly, paint your nose red, and tie a pillowcase to a stick. Instant hobo.
Perhaps that’s not what you consider a Halloween costume. Perhaps you require something scary. Splash some fake blood on your face, tear a few holes in your jeans, and you’ve got a zombie hobo.
This one is for the college students out there on a budget. All you need is a roll of toilet paper and someone to wrap it around you: toilet mummy! If you go this route, remember to avoid rain and porta-potties.
For all the ladies in the house, defy conventions and try a costume that is disgusting and repulsive. Instead of a sexy maid, try a being a psycho maid. They’re pretty much the same thing, only the psycho version should come equipped with a human-ear necklace and gore-covered knife. Instead of being a kitty cat, why not transform into a werecat. I won’t go into detail except to say it involves a lot more fur, and a lot less skin.
What’s important to take away is this: it’s much more fun to create new costumes than it is using old pictures of Halloweens past. When the costume contests start popping up this year, get into the spirit and imagine yourself as a limping zombie or octoman.
Get creative, get gross, and of course, get scared.
Author bio
Join Anthony on his blog tour page to help celebrate the release of his debut novel, Soundtrack to the End of the World.
Anthony J. Rapino resides in Northeastern Pennsylvania, somewhere between the concrete of the city and the trees of the forest. On occasion, you’ll find him moderating the feverish battles between the creatures of these two arenas. Whose side he’s on is anyone’s guess.
His newest fiction can be found in Black Ink Horror, On Spec, Arcane Anthology, Electric Spec, A cappella Zoo, Space Squid, TQR Stories, and carved inside a variety of autumn gourds. His short story collection, Welcome to Moon Hill, is currently available, as is his first novel Soundtrack to the End of the World. Proof of his psychosis can be found on his website: http://www.anthonyjrapino.com