Devil Costume

This cool photo reminded me of a costume contest that was held in my grade school when I was probably in first or second grade. I was The Devil. Not some cool homemade sewn costume like a lot of the kids were sporting, but rather a cheap store-bought variety: a plastic mask and a vinyl outfit - the "shirt" displaying an image of the Devil himself. That part of those costumes I never understood. Why not make the outfit simply be the body/costume of the Devil? Meanwhile it was more like Lucifer was wearing a t-shirt sporting an image of himself. Same goes for Batman costumes - it was never his chest plate/armor back then. It was always Batman wearing a costume with an image of Batman on it. Makes no sense.

So there I was in a parade wearing my Old Scratch costume carrying a cool plastic trident. I KNEW I was going to win first place. I have no idea what made me so convinced I'd be winning the prize for best costume (probably the Devil). The teacher walked slowly by the rows of children studying the costumes, pretending to make it a hard decision. Then she approached me. ME. I remember being nervous and panicked at the prospect of winning (shy kid). Then she reached out and touched the shoulder of the kid next to me - wearing a homemade hand-sewn dinosaur costume, you know the one - big long tail, spikes running down the back, a face hole where the pointed toothy mouth should be... his mother made it.

Typical. And apparently impossible to forget.


Flickr source.