About two or three Halloweens ago, I went all out and dressed as Ray Bradbury for Halloween. I made myself up based on a photo of him included with a sci-fi old time radio collection that I have. White hair, glasses, extra weight - everything right down to the ring on his finger. I went to work and to the town Halloween parade in costume. I was thinking that anyone who wanted to participate could dress for Halloween this year as a character from a Ray Bradbury story or as Ray Bradbury himself or anything related to his work (rockets, typwriters, etc.). All across the country we would be a sort of secret society of Ray Bradbury appreciators who are representing him on his favorite night.
Who's in?

I'm in, definitely. Thanks for the great idea.

Well, I'm on the short side, a bit chubby, and all alone in the world. Perhaps I already qualify as The Dwarf!

By the way, when I opened this, the pop-up at this URL popped up. Who says Marketers don't know what they're doing?
http://247malls.com/ncase/halloween.htm?keyword=halloween*costume


[This message has been edited by Mr. Dark (edited 09-24-2003).]

Now this is an interesting idea.... I haven't dressed up for Halloween for I don't know how many years... (I don't usually go to parties on Halloween, just spend my time at the graveyard---but that's another story...)

There are so many possibilities when thinking of Bradbury-related costumes, it's difficult to know where to begin...How about going as the fellow dressed in newspaper and flames, from the cover of "Fahrenheit 451"? Hmmm, that might be a bit difficult...

Octobercountry,
You could wrap yourself in newspapers and use red, yellow and orange tissue paper or transluscent sheets of tinted paper to simulate flames (I just used this effect for a display of banned books I made for the bookstore at the university I attend).
Greentown
The Illustrated Man would be a fun costume to pull off.
Other ideas anyone? Lets share them all.

Mr Dark.... Shorter, and a bit on the chubby side? Nonsense! With a name like that I imagine you with wild black hair and a saturnine countenance.

It seems that there are two similar threads regarding Hallowe'en costumes. (Did I spell that correctly? I remember that is the way my grandmother always spelled it... Though where that came from, I can't say--perhaps that was standard in the twenties?) So, I'll say the same thing on both...

There are so many good ideas for Bradbury costumes! Is anyone here very tall and thin? Tnen you can go as Mr Moundshroud. Be sure to include a sort of bat-wing cape...

Or, if anyone is heavily tatooed, strip down to your underwear and go as the Illustrated Man. Though if you are in the northern part of the country that may be more than a trifle cold... I've often thought of being "illustrated" myself. Heck, I'm nothing to look at (ugly as a mud fence) so it wouldn't do my looks any harm... But being habitually short of funds, that has never happened yet. Oh, plus the pain factor has something to do with it... Anyone here who has a tatoo and can really tell how it feels to have it done?

Anyway, with October just around the corner, I hope everyone does give a thought to Hallowe'en--have a great time!

[This message has been edited by octobercountry (edited 09-26-2003).]

Having a tattoo is like having dull broken glass ground into your skin .... Sorry, couldn't help the colourful simile. Actually, it's a sharp but slight scraping sensation, leaving your skin feeling rather raw and grazed -- there are plenty of things that hurt more.

Back to the topic - I'm surprised no one has suggested an Uncle Einar costume!

You have no idea of what you speak. Gigantic green wings are incredibly hard to build and attach. Hint: it's good that Uncle Einar is described as being large, as it takes a very TALL man to carry this off! Once you've gone to the trouble of making the wings, you probably won't want to get rid of them, and storage can be a problem if you don't own a warehouse. Any of the costumes in "The Halloween Tree" are a good choice.

Back to tattoos . . . Forget the pain. Forget the costs. Have you ever seen a faded tattoo on 50-year-old skin that has dried and stretched a bit over the years? Think future when you think tattoo.

One of SEVERAL reasons I've had mine laser-removed.
(which, incidently, hurts more than getting the thing in the first place).

[This message has been edited by crumley (edited 09-30-2003).]

I've noticed a couple other posters from Australia (I enjoy checking the profiles and am always a little disappointed when there's no information in them.

Is Australia a hotbed of Bradburyism?

Costumes? How about George Garvey, complete with poker chip eye, liquor dispensing hand, and golden leg with a built in bird cage?

Mr Dark,
Unfortunately, Ray has a very limited following here in Aust. I'm not really sure why; I've always considered his stories to have a timeless and universal appeal. There are a few of us, yes, but not exactly a "hotbed"!

How about in New Zealand?

A lovely golden-eyed martian.

An illustrated man.

A mechanical hound.

An electric grandma.

A wonderful ice cream suit.

Picasso with a popsicle stick.

A trampled underfoot Butterfly.

A fireman with a flamethrower.