While 2020 presses forward and seems to be nothing short of a series of unfortunate events strung together day after day (week after week), let one thing be clear – Halloween doesn’t have to slide down the tubes. We may not have our traditional parties and parades but this is a year of pivoting. You can still celebrate in your own new, less-fun ways. In my apartment, that means scary movie marathons and one large, socially distanced photoshoot.
Deciding on a costume this year wasn’t too hard. I’ve had two ideas in mind since early August, one was always a standout, bucket-list character that I wanted to try my hand at. As I began to scout talent to accompany me, my choice became even more solidified. Since last Halloween was themed Nightwing and the Titans, I wanted this round to be starkly different. Without further ado, I formally invite you to the Feast of the Fools (hold the tomatoes please)…
Halloween 2020 Costume Concept Reveal: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Quasimodo)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a novel written by Victor Hugo in 1831. Since it’s debut, the story of Quasimodo has been retold many times. In 1923 Lon Chaney starred in the silent film. Then, in 1939 Charles Laughton portrayed Quasimdo in another feature film, more than twenty iterations have followed. As the timelessness of the story grew, so did an audience demand with stage plays, animated films, TV shows, cartoons, video games and more. There is something so relatable about yearning for a sense of belonging, aspiring for love an acceptance. What I love most about this property is that the themes surrounding The Hunchback of Notre Dame are told from the perspective of a “monster” but the message it leaves people with is entirely human. Obviously – that’s the point, but it’s a good one to take with you in life.
The rendition I will be portraying of Quasimodo is from (you guessed it) Disney’s 1996 animated musical The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring Tom Hulce as the voice of Quasimodo and Demi Moore as Esmerelda. As I put on his iconic green tunic with an mask/proestetic combo (and a massive hunch to boot) it’s very important that I emphasize that I do so with respect, admiration for the character and a sincere appreciation of this body of work.
Like so many of my over-the-top Halloween excursions, this will be a collaborative, joint effort. And you probably guessed this too – Quasimodo won’t without friends.
Meet the 2020 Halloween Team
Andrea Arreaza is an Account Manager at Verizon 140. During her spare time she enjoys painting, volleyball and runs a cooking account called @hungryhungry_drea on Instagram, which is equal parts fun and delicious. She will portray the enchanting Esmerelda for Halloween 2020.
Annie Diaz is a sewing professional with over forty years of experience. As a trained fashion designer, her specialty is wedding dresses but is truly a jack of all sewing trades at heart. To see more of her beautiful work visit her on Instagram at @anniesewingworkroom. Annie is at the helm of hunch and tunic construction.
Cameron Falciglia is Photographer/Digital Tech with a notable resume which includes assisting Peter Tamlin to working on clients such as Bloomingdales, Rent the Runway and Saks. He is an incredible talent both technically behind the camera and creatively, generating one-of-a-kind concepts. See his portfolio of work at cameronjohnstudio.com. Cameron will be heading our photoshoot on October 24th.
Check out the hashtag #BrendanDoesHalloween on Instagram to see more of my costumes or visit my professional site here. Thanks for reading, looking forward to showing you all what we have in store this Halloween. Stay safe, wear a mask.
Looking forward to it! Great choice and great team!
Hey Matt, thank you so much! So stoked to work with these people.