In 2006, I paid tribute to Winslow Schott, Jr.
One of the few characters in popular culture who already wears a gigantic mask over their head, the villainous Toyman from Superman: The Animated Series and the Justice League cartoon seemed tailor made for my sensibilities.
A Lot of Lessons.
At the time I was making really big masks, and the Toyman turned out even bigger than I intended. That meant I needed a fat suit to balance out the size of my head, and while I was figuring out that project, something else occurred to me: the costume required a sweater vest. Toyman wears a light purple sweater vest with red trim, and now I needed one that was big enough to fit over a homemade fat suit. The solution? I needed to learn to crochet so I could make the vest myself!
The Face Got Out of Hand
I taught myself to crochet using a book called "I Taught Myself to Crochet."
Who Wore it Better?
At Brainstorm Comics in Chicago
Look At That Smile.
This was my biggest ever Halloween undertaking, at the time. It was a fun idea that spiraled out of control, pushed me to innovate, and ended with the acquisition of new skills. What more can you ask of a Halloween costume?
Sadly, in the years that followed, the Toyman mask fell victim to a leak in the ceiling of my apartment, and wound up on top of a garbage can in a Chicago alley. Such is the fate of us all, one day.