Dave Vader costume - Gleno School dance October 2009

I have this old Grim Reaper Costume (see pic) that's over 7 feet tall that you wear like a backpack in order to elevate the head to create the height illusion. I have done that shtick where I left it outside a few days before Halloween as a stationary prop before changing into it in my garage Halloween night and slipping back into place as the kids came up to the door (see 2007 video) . I'm not sure which is more fun, giving the kids a scare, or their parents (wait scratch that! BIG kids. They're my favorite).

This year I modified it a bit and turned it into a Darth Vader Costume. I popped an old Don Post Vader mask I had from the early 90's up on there, with a headlamp inside to cast an erie glow from the eye and mouth filters. Then I got my Replica red LED lightsaber prop that ignites and makes the lightsaber sound when swung and collision sound when struck (awesome!) , and went off to my kid's school dance.

I got dressed in the parking lot and strode inside all Vader-like. I've been there before and whatever costume I'm wearing, they all mistakenly make me out to be one of two teachers there, Mr M or Mr A. I'm not sure why they should get all the credit for my costume, but what the hey. I'll impersonate them if it's funny, short of getting them into trouble.
"No homework tomorrow kids!"...

Whenever I have a tall costume on that features a height illusion, I have found that little kids feel the need to kick and beat on me in some way to in order to prove to themselves that I am somehow not real. Kicks to the shins are to be expected, as are punches to the groin area. I don't think it's malicious as they seem to think I'm on stilts and they don't expect to connect with any vulnerable parts of my body. Luckily most parents step in and save me ( next year I'm definitely incorporating some upgraded groin protection).

This year brought an unexpected side effect. I'm carrying a glowing lightsaber in a dark gym and I'm 7 and a half feet tall. Ninjas are making a comeback this year. Star Wars Jedi and King Arther Knights are also popular costumes. There were a few Viking barbarian guys as well. The one thing these costumes all have in common?

Swords..

The one thing I overlooked was that, holding a glowing red lightsaber in a darkened gym with pulsating Katy Perry music, some of these kids might want to take a poke at the Lord of the Sith and make a name for themselves. Swords were coming at me from everywhere. Most of them could not hit the Vader Mask on top of my costume, which was good, but what they could hit was the center mass of Dave Vader, which happened to be where my face and eyeballs were.

POKE!

"ARGGGGGG!"

Slash

"Argggg! That went in my mouth!"

My wife said.
"It was your idea!"

POKE! "ARGGG! It's ok, I have two eyeballs".

The hackers and slashers were easy enough to deflect but this one Nights of the Templar kid would stand directly underneath me and he had this little white plastic broadsword which he'd thrust upwards in a straight line from underneath my arms so that I couldn't bat it away with my lightsaber.

POKE!
"Score kid, I'm going to have a black eye! Darth Vader's going to the ER now.."

I tried to force choke them all with my mind but it didn't work. I think I know how Spartacat feels now..

I'll have to re-think this costume a bit..