Wednesday, November 28, 2007

You remind me of the babe...


BEHOLD: JARETH from Labyrinth!


My boyfriend Edson as Pan!


Our friend Dustin as a Gothic Lolita Harajuku Girl with a MONSTER!


Dustin's boyfriend Enki as the Mad Hatter and Kim as Amy Winehouse!


Edson again with Lu as a gypsy woman!


(my Drunk Bowie face)

It's after Thanksgiving and I'm just now getting around to posting pics of my Halloween costume. How sad.

I hope it's worth the wait. First of all, I hope you get the reference, and NO, I'm not supposed to be a drag queen. I'm going to embarrass myself by stating that I am a total Labyrinth geek. I've watched that movie about a thousand times since my early teens. I rememeber seeing the box cover for it on the shelf at our local video store and at first, I was hesitant. I had been traumatized a few years earlier by the bleak post-apocalyptic flick, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdrome, and somehow my teenage mind confused Tina Turner's face (and hair!) with Bowie's face (and hair!) on the cover of the Labyrinth box. Here's the two covers. SEE WHAT I MEAN? (Sorry they're so small.)










So initially, I thought Labyrinth was going to be some sort of terrifying sequel to the Mad Max series (I was such a wus), even though the words "Mad Max" weren't anywhere on the Labyrinth packaging. That shows you the power of visual merchandising on my young impressionable mind.

Thankfully, my Dad rented Labyrinth (probably thinking it WOULD be an intense continuation of the Road Warrior genre), and I was exposed to it. I think my brothers and my Dad were disappointed by the lack of violence, thrills, and things blowing up, but I was in HEAVEN! Labyrinth was my new FAVORITE MOVIE from that point on. Being a visual person and artistically inclined and all those cliché budding artist descriptions, I was enthralled by Jim Henson's GENIUS. He was a GOD.

Thus my Bowie/Jareth costume!


I even stuck a sock in my tights to get that conspicuous "Bowie bulge" ever-present in the film.


Not only did I chance upon the crystal orb at a local plastics manufacturing store, I also found an owl! (It's a bastardized "Hedwig" prop from a Harry Potter costume.) And if you're wondering if I bought the outfit as one of those pre-designed costume kit packages–I DIDN'T! It's all my doing, baby; pieced from various clothing articles and accessories found in various New York costume shops.


That's me on the right. Not the Bowie on the left. I think the girl is checking out our bulges.

So as you can imagine, Halloween 2007 was THE SHIT for me. I even marched with my boyfriend and friends in the official New York Halloween parade. It was amazing! I even saw another dude dressed as Jareth, AND he was holding hands with a girl dressed as Sarah from the movie. Almost Immediately I had the urge to rush over and smear his Bowie makeup and rip his wig off... but I restrained myself. Hey, Jareth's up for grabs for anyone, not just me. However, I did contemplate stealing "Sarah" away from him, not because she was nice or I liked her particularly; I just wanted her as an accessory.

11 comments:

David DeGrand said...

Welcome back!! That is one AWESOME costume, that movie left a deep impression on me as well as a kid, been one of my favorites since. I still listen to the soundtrack while drawing, it reminds me of all the amazing visuals in that movie. Jim Henson truly was a genius, no doubt about that. Got any new art to show us?!?!

tirui said...

ahhhh!!! you are awesome! that's an amazing costume. way too amazing, cause now you're creeping me out :) haha. i guess i'm the oddball, cause that movie freaked me out when i saw it. but your costume is fantastic.

this just in said...

Awww, wow, thanks you guys. You are true blog friends. Oh, and sorry for creeping you out Tirui. Haha. As far as new artwork, don't worry, David, it'll be trickling in!

mushroommeadows said...

We've missed you!! :D

Wow, you know how to pose. Great job piecing your costume together. :)

Ward Jenkins said...

So so funny, Justin. I love this costume! I remember the movie very well (watched it on HBO multiple times). You've captured Bowie's look perfectly here.

Great talking/IM'ing you the other day! Hope to see you soon, buddy.

gilda said...

oh my god that's so genius!!! HAAHHHAA!!! wow you really went all out!!! all i did was... watch tv! crap, i'm so boring. i really wanted to go to the parade but class finished at ten (ugh) and all i could think of was "bed".

Jorfe said...

Hey Justin, I also have seen this movie thousands of times, let alone of "The Dark Crystal" and "The Neverending Story" ...

OH MY GOD you identically xDDD
I do not know if this or acknowledge you and the opposite: D

j. said...

"You have no power over me."

I must have watched that movie a couple dozen times on video, myself. AND have the soundtrack. Nicely done! You've nailed the Jareth sneer. And well done on the whole costume.

And this just occurred to me...your owl prop is from a Harry Potter toy and at one point in the Labyrinth Sarah calls Hoggle "Hogwart". Coincidence?

Yeah...probably just a coincidence. But it's funny! :)

j.

Unknown said...

a veritable master of disguise

Anonymous said...

I've spent the whole day rehearsing "WITHIN YOU" to play it for the Frouds (designers of the movie) in my premier in USA as performer in faerieworlds... was looking for costumes for the movie and foud it, taht was clever, also liked the town your friend is wearing like Sarah...
Jareth was such an undeniable character for my generation.

Anonymous said...

I have been in love with Jareth since I was little! Labyrinth inspired my love for the fantasy genre as well as my love for David Bowie.

I know this entry of yours is old but I happened upon it researching for my own Jareth costume - though a girl dressing as Jareth might be a bit strange, I just have to do it!

And I have to say, you really pull it off well! You have a very good "Bowie face." Very sexy... Yeah, I'd do you. :-P