Carbon Costume

John Freeman is a character created as part of a fanfiction story written for the Half-Life video game franchise.  John is the brother of Gordon Freeman, the scientist players become when they play the game.  The poorly written fic was given new life when it was adapted into a five-minute YouTube video.  John’s character design is based on Citizen 07 from the original game, and he wears and fingerless gloves and a dark grey beanie paired with a grey vest and jeans.

2021 marks the tenth birthday of the one of the internet’s most beloved memes: Nyan Cat. Also called “the Pop-Tart Cat” or the “flying rainbow cat”, Christopher Torres created Nyan Cat as part of a donation drive for the Red Cross on his website LOL-Comics. It’s since faced some controversy as people tried to use Nyan Cat without permission. But its viral status is as enduring as the comic is cute!

Pop-Tart costumes are unfortunately hard to come by unless you can find an adult one on Etsy. Your best bet is a quick bit of DIY following this simple tutorial.

1. Measure the length of your Pop Tart, starting at the top of your shoulder and going down whatever length you want the costume to be. Add on an inch and a half for gluing and cutting mistakes, then purchase enough tan felt to cover the length twice (so you can make a front and back). Use this same measurement to buy the light pink felt, but only buy enough for one side. Add in a glue gun and hot pink felt dots to finish up the DIY shopping.

2. Cut the tan fabric in half width wise so you have the front and back of your costume.

3. Mark out how large a space you need for your head to fit through the top of the costume. Put a pin on either side of this head hole, then glue the top edges together, except the space where your head will go. Repeat this process on the sides while leaving holes for your arms.

4. Put a piece of cardboard between the front and back of your costume, then lay the pink fabric on the front. Trim it down so that a “crust” is visible around all edges of the pink felt. Glue the pink fabric down to the tan, making sure cardboard separates the front and back of the costume in any place you add glue.

5. Glue on the hot pink circles as sprinkles and glue your tail to your costume (on the side or at the back depending on how you want to interpret the meme). That’s it!

With your Pop Tart done, use a face painting kit to add in your cat features. Put on your ears and the grey underclothes, then slide into your pop tart. Grab a rainbow scarf to trail behind you and you are set! May you bring as much joy to your convention as Nyan Cat does to the internet!

At Joe Biden’s inauguration after defeating Donald Trump in the presidential election, Bernie Sanders, the firebrand from Vermont, was spotted in attendance. What made Bernie stand out was his choice of clothing for the formal occasion. Granted the Burton winter parka and wool mittens made from recycled plastic bottles were both practical for the chilly January weather and on brand for the conscientious politician. But the image of the seated Senator quickly went viral, right on the heels of his “I am once again asking” meme.

Rasputin/Russian Man is the dancing avatar in Just Dance, most obviously for the song “Rasputin (Club Mix)” by  Boney M. and G. Mart. While it’s unknown whether the performer is Rasputin or some random guy, he wears traditional Russian garb, namely a Papacha (Russian winter cap). He dances on a frozen lake in front of a winter landscape, and what appears to be St. Basil’s Cathedral, one of the most famous buildings in Moscow, Russia. For whatever reason, this dance has become a meme, from viral Tiktoks to a remix with “WAP” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

Silent Hill, a classic horror game that is as psychological as it is gory, made its debut in 1999. Since […]

Mr. Pringles is the long-time mascot for the chip in a can. While his old-timey hair and mustache have long been featured on the packaging, his body is something of a mystery. Or it was, until the HBO talk show host John Oliver issued a challenge on Twitter and wondered “Is he tall or short? Does he have a lot of body hair or is he completely smooth? When will he be able to tell me what his nipples look like?” While the public drew their own fan art, giving Mr. P a sexy physique or dapper tuxedo, the actual body reveal was more toned down, with the mascot dressing for comfort.

“All right, where’s that turkey?” To the protests of his friends, Joey Tribbiani (Matt LeBlanc) eagerly tears into the Thanksgiving turkey dinner, clad in a pair of Phoebe’s maternity pants and a classically comfortable T-shirt. Hilarity ensues as the credits roll. Whether or not he’s planning for a Thanksgiving food coma, Joey Tribbiani dresses comfortably in loose-fitting shirts and pants typical of the 1990s silhouette.

To recreate Joey’s iconic Thanksgiving pants, we’ve paired an obnoxiously colorful pair of Aladdin pants with a black shirt extender garment. It’s far more confining than real maternity pants, but at least the fake turkey is mostly filled with air!

Ranch it up! Advocate to legalize ranch in this casual, mismatched outfit from The Eric Andre Show. Comedian and host Eric Andre goes up to people in Manhattan and talks nonsense, mainly about ranch dressing. You may recognize Ranch It Up from the “Cheers, I’ll drink to that bro” reaction meme. Crop the t-shirt with a pair of scissors.