Carbon Costume

Vivian Banks is a main character in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. As Will‘s maternal aunt, she is no-nonsense and nurturing, yet she is also vivacious and valiant. She is extremely career-driven, having earned her PhD at UCLA, where she met her future husband, Phillip Banks. Together they had four children: Nicky, Ashley, Carlton, and Hillary. In the beginning of the series, Janet Hubert played Vivian, yet Daphne Reid took over in the latter half of the third season. This came with changes to the character as well, moving from an astute aunt to one with a less fiery demeanor. Nonetheless there have been several jokes in the show that poke fun at the recast.

On The Big Bang Theory, Barry Kripke (played by John Ross Bowie) is a co-worker of Sheldon and Leonard.  A former plasma physicist, he eventually changes focus to explore string theory and works with Sheldon at one point.  Kripke, as he is usually called by his colleagues, has rhotacism and is quite sarcastic.  Kripke often wears colorful flannels and button downs layered over a white t-shirt.  His red jacket makes a few appearances, though his outfits change often throughout the series.

Kaede Kayano (voiced by Aya Suzaki and Monica Rial) is a student in class 3-E at Kunugigaoka High School in the manga and anime series Assassination Classroom.  Formerly known as Akari Yukimura, Kaede has dyed green hair and is close friends with Nagisa Shiota, for whom she has romantic feelings.  Kaede wears a grey sailor uniform and knee high socks with black shoes.

You don’t want to mess with Captain Watermelon. Beloved hero that he is, you’ll have the whole neighborhood after you. And that’s if Captain Watermelon doesn’t take care of you himself. Though he sounds like Johnny 2×4 (voiced by David Avalon), don’t get confused. He’s way tougher and is not afraid to take you on.

Getting Captain Watermelon’s swagger is a little hard to do but getting his look is pretty straight-forward. Start with a fake watermelon, the kind used for decorating. Cut that in half, hollow it out, and add in some eye holes and you’re ready to go! Or you can go for the watermelon helmet option.

With your trusty watermelon helmet ready, finish off the outfit with a white sandals, white pants, and a yellow shirt. A bleach pen will make it easy to draw in the lines on the shirt for a closer screen match. And of course you don’t want to forget plank. Blue paint for his mouth and a white banana decorated with eyes turns him into a great sidekick for the courageous Captain Watermelon!

Spongebob might live in a pineapple under the sea but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have fans on land. In fact he has a whole fan club. And Patchy the Pirate (played by Tom Kenny) is the president. Self-appointed, of course. But that still counts! And with his trusty – if snarky – cohost Potty close at hand, he’s always ready for a special Spongebob adventure!

Patchy is pretty much your stereotypical pirate. He wears a black tricorn hat over a red bandana along with an eye patch and a scraggly black beard. A purple velvet jacket over a white shirt pairs with a set of black “pirate pants” and black boot covers for a look fit for a presidential pirate. A black sash repurposed as a bandolier, a hook toy for your hand, a fake peg leg, and a green parrot toy finish off the look!

Loretha “Cookie” Lyon is the main character on the FOX series, Empire. She co-founded Empire Entertainment alongside her husband Lucious Lyon. The couple had three children named Andre, Jamal, and Hakeem. After serving time in prison for distributing drugs, she returned to share ownership of the company. She later left to create her own label, Lyon Dynasty, but she rejoined when Empire acquired it. Personality-wise, Cookie is an outspoken individual who always demands respect, including from her children. She is especially driven, preferring to take matters into her own hands and take what is rightfully hers. However, she is very loyal and cares about the ones she loves. Key elements to Cookie’s style include fur coats,  hoop earrings, and animal prints — specifically leopard.

Lizzie McGuire (played by Hilary Duff) is the thirteen-year-old protagonist of the Disney Channel original series with the same name.  Lizzie is a fairly average teenage girl, navigating school and life with her best friends Gordo and Miranda by her side.  What sets Lizzie apart is her animated alter ego, who often breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience and voice Lizzie’s inner thoughts.  Whether you choose to recreate cartoon Lizzie or her real life counterpart, this is a fun chance to bust out all of the quirky ’90s accessories you may have stowed away out of embarrassment.  So grab your bell bottoms and your platform sandals, and strut your stuff with your favorite glitter lip gloss.  The ’90s are back!

Babs Bunny is a character in the Warner Bros animated series, Tiny Toon Adventures. She is a performer with a knack for improvisation and impressions. But sometimes her spot-on impressions annoy her friends, or gets her into trouble. Cheerful yet sassy, Babs loves the spotlight and comedic entertainment. She has a distinct feminine flair as indicated by her outfit and hairbows. Her best friend is Buster Bunny.