A great costume that looks exactly like some pop culture character might win you first prize at your local costume contest, but will only take you so far on the internet. To be both viral and memorable, it takes a clever joke. The drawback is that you will spend all evening on Halloween explaining your costume to the many folks who just don't get it, especially after a few drinks. Here are some pun costumes that may make you groan, but you'll laugh a little, too.
1. Morticia and Gomez
SavioSega and his wife went all out with their couples costume for Halloween last year. The comments they got said that he has a cigar, but she's smokin'. In case you are wondering why they are wearing hula hoops with tennis balls, surely you recognize the Atoms Family.
2. Sister Testa and Sister Norris
Puns can became a habit -a bad habit. As if two dudes dressed as nuns wouldn't be funny enough, they had to wear name tags to make sure everyone knew they were nun Chucks. It would have been funny if they had a chain linking the two of them together, but I'm sure they already had enough to explain that night.
3. Your "Date"
Last year, thisjordanperry combined two outrageous modern phenomenons into a pun costume that you might figure out if you think for a while. But who has that kind of time? He's Black Friday the 13th.
4. The Hero We Need
North Carolina filmmaker Christopher G. Moore mashed up a movie and a TV show for NC Comic Con in 2016. A year later, you recognize the TV show, but the movie tie-in is mainly from the advertising campaign, and will be lost in time before too long. He is Doctor Stranger Things. See another picture of him here. Moore didn't wear this for Halloween. Always staying on the cutting edge, he dressed as David S. Pumpkins.
(Image credit: SYFY)
5. The Hero We Deserve
Beth Grimes has created many puns costumes. For CONvergence 2017 in Bloomington, Minnesota, this summer, she understandably mashed up two popular characters who share the same name: she is Edgar Allan Poe Dameron. But how do you blend a rebel fighter from a galaxy far, far away with a Baltimore poet? With grayscale makeup and a droid raven. See more pictures, and Grimes' other pun costumes here.
6. We're Not Worthy!
The name is the thing when you put together a pun costume. There have been many jokes about how close the name Darth Vader (from Star Wars) is to Garth Algar (from Wayne's World), but add another character, and you've added another level of pun. These two are Garth Vader and Obi-Wayne Kenobi. They look like they took as much time with their costumes as Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar would. Party on, Obi-Wayne. Party on, Darth.
7. The Spiciest Princess
Costumer Olivia Mears (DeviantART member AvantGeek) is a real Taco Bell fan. A few years ago she picked up some munchies at a Taco Bell outlet while dressed as Belle from Beauty and the Beast. The unintended pun inspired her to create this Taco Belle dress in 2015.
8. Nevermore
Redditor zacch had a leg up, so to speak, in that he already resembled Edgar Allan Poe enough to pull it off with a mustache, quill pen, and a raven on his shoulder. But what's with the mini skirt and heels? Is it a commentary on the overabundance of nonsensical "sexy" Halloween costumes? No. He is Edgar Allan Ho.
9. Heavenly Bodies
Instagram user ubebabe spotted these anime costumes a couple of years ago and called them Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus. I get the joke, but he is obviously Sailor Moon.
10. Hollywood Dogs
Even dogs can be puns for Halloween. Why not? Redditor cjm2301 dressed both his dogs for Halloween a few years ago. You'll recognize their costumes as Jules Winnfield and Vincent Vega. Together they are… Pup Fiction.