Dan Century

Here’s a list of what are sure to be the most popular Halloween costumes of 2005:

1. The Monarch and Dr. Girlfriend from The Venture Bros. This one is good for couples who like to coordinate their costumes. For couples who went as Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Xmas back in the 1990’s. Coolness factor: 9. Effort required: 10.
2. Dean and Hank Venture. If you and a buddy feel like coordinating, these are the costumes to wear. If you have a lady with you, she can go as Triana Orpheus. Coolness factor: 8. Effort required: 5.
3. Napoleon Dynamite or Pedro. Half the kids in America will be dressed as one of these nerd heroes. Coolness factor: 7. Effort required: 3.
4. Carl Brutananadilewski from Aqua Teen Hunger Force. If you’re fat, have a moustache and are completely bald on the top of your head, this is the costume for you. Shake and Meatwad costumes are also strongly recommended. Coolness factor: 10. Effort required: 2.
5. The Iron Chef, or rather the dude that presides over the Iron Chef program. Key prop: you’ll need yellow bell peppers to bite into when people are taking pictures. Coolness factor: 8. Effort required: 8.
6. The island from Lost. If you’re plus sized, make a giant costume out of foam and fabric and get some miniature people and trees from a local hobby shop to glue on yourself. It will help if you plaster the Lost logo on your chest as well, so people know that not just a green blob. Coolness factor: 7. Effort required: 9.
7. Guitar master Esteban. All you need is long hair, black clothes, a Zorro hat and a guitar. Coolness factor: 8. Effort required: 4.
8. Pikachu. This one is a perennial classic. Coolness factor: 9. Effort required: 8, if you get the full body suit (not just the $13 costume at Walgreens).
9. Brittany Spears with white trash husband and baby. Bonus points if baby is still connected via the umbilical chord. Coolness factor: 6. Effort required: 8.
10. Kirsty Alley. Just run around like a nut with some kind of prop with the Jenny Craig logo. Coolness factor: 7. Effort required: 8.