Halloween is always a game of party hopping, especially in Tuscaloosa where the bars are packed and most everyone you know has a party they’re throwing or one that they plan to go to.  There are, it seems, small benefits to living in a town where Football Is King.  People know how to dress up, parade around town, and generally throw some bitchin’ parties.

This year’s most popular and cliché costumes include: around 10 Hunter S. Thompsons, some seen simultaneously at the same parties; a handful of Amy Winehouses with syringes tucked in their hair; The Shower Guy at the bar, who may or may not be the same guy every year (but there always seems to be one, and he is always wearing a t-shirt that says something to the effect of “chicks dig me”); a handful of bananas, although if you’re going to go as a cliché costume, banana is the way to go, especially if you convince your wife to dress as a slice of watermelon; “The Dude” from The Big Lebowski; and last but not least, Richie Tenenbaum of the LATFH variety.  Zombies were especially popular this year, especially zombies of the redneck variety.  I heard tell of a lot of Lady Gagas, but never saw any myself.

Best costumes: see above, Darth Leder.  Tobi is German, and I guess has his lederhosen lying around waiting for such opportunities.  He was able to feed a bendy straw through one of the slots of his mask so he could drink without removing it.  Other costumes of note: a woman dressed as David Bowie from the Labyrinth, glass ball and all; “baby rabies,” a guy who glued 20 or so kings cake babies to his face, and passed out extra to anyone who asked; Frida Kahlo; Bert and Ernie.

The images above were taken by Elliot, of image(n) photography.

What sorts of cool costumes did you see?