Halloween is in the air and that means another costume concept reveal is here. Usually I like to announce my theme at the beginning of the month but this year I decided it might be a fun idea if this blog post came out closer to the holiday itself.
For Halloween 2022, I celebrated my favorite childhood book series, the delightfully spine-chilling “Goosebumps”. As a tribute to the franchise, I created three individual costumes based on three of the most popular books “Night of the Living Dummy”, “One Day At HorrorLand” and “The Haunted Mask”. I think I did the elementary school version of myself very proud. This year, I wanted to focus on a famous mascot and step aboard into a creative space I’ve never ventured into before. So grab your telescope, oversized hat and just add milk…
Halloween 2023 Costume Concept Reveal: Cap’n Crunch
Cap’n Horatio Magellan Crunch (his actual God-given birth name, look it up) was developed (prior to his cereal being invented) by Allan Burns, co-creator of The Munsters and The Mary Tyler Moore Show. In 1963, a New Hampshire native and flavorist, Pamela Low had made an original “brown sugar and butter” flavor inspired by one of her grandmother’s recipes. This went on to be the signature coating for the cereal. Cap was marketing alongside this sugary breakfast go-to and the pair have been synonymous ever since. The Quaker Oats Company recognizes Cap’n as one of their most beloved characters to date.
Some maybe argue that Cap’n Crunch is not a “real” Captain (his uniform sports three gold bands on his sleeve instead of four) but his namesake has never altered. His costume is whimsical and highly recognizable, a crossbreed between a 1800s US Navy Captain and a swashbuckling pirate. He owns a ship, the SS Guppy (which I think the “SS” also connotes that it’s a civilian ship, denouncing his rank as Captain once again, but I digress), has a trusty first mate Seadog and an arch nemesis, the cereal-stealing Jean LaFoote.
Cap’n Crunch is now a brand containing many flavors of cereal. He’s appeared in a multitude of commercials, kitchenware, clothing, toys and assorted merchandise. Both the cereal and the character turn 60 years old this year. Happy Anniversary Cap’n Crunch, this Halloween we celebrate you!
Meet the 2023 Halloween Team
Laura Beckerdite is Studio Coordinator and Photographer with a lengthy list of notable clients under her belt such as Spotify, Reebok, Smirnoff, Kidz Bop, Target and more. After almost a decade of friendship Laura has directed and photographed some of my most elaborate Halloween projects such as King Kandy of Candy Land (2021), A Tribute to Goosebumps (2022) as well as this year’s costume, Cap’n Crunch.
Check out the hashtag #BrendanDoesHalloween on Instagram to see more of my costumes or visit my professional site here. Thanks for reading and keep an eye out for my Cap’n Crunch shoot on social media, October 31st. Happy Halloween!