Episode Twenty-Five

http://www.ndbag.com/story/comic/25.html

Clothes, we are told, maketh the man; but is it true? And even if it is, do they maketh the boogeyman? This may seem like a simple question, but when we look closely, we find that there is much therein to ponder, and much to learn.

Hallowe'en is, of course, the time for dressing up; for shedding the skin of conformity and, for one brief night, allowing one's imagination to run riot before settling for the same costume one wore last year because the shops are all closed and there's nothing else in the house. Except, of course, that dress that was here when one moved in, and the floral pattern is too hideous even to contemplate. Even that last-minute decision, though, speaks volumes about the wearer... or so we've been led to believe.

Let us examine our Boogeyman's first idea; the pirate. In considering this, Ndbag is telling us that he respects tradition. Along with the vampire and the chartered accountant there are few costumes as popular, and in choosing this we're being told that, while tradition doesn't alway have to be followed, it must at least be borne in mind. In order to flout convention, one must first be aware of the connotations of that convention; would John Cage's 4'33'' be worthy of consideration if it were his first work? No. Rather, it's the logical extension of his musical expression. Equally, we wear what we do based not just on how we're feeling or whether that Star Trek uniform still fits, but on what others wear and have worn.

There are those who would argue against piratical finery; these people are missing the point. To be sure, pirates are on the whole a pretty dastardly bunch, but it's not in this context that we consider their outfits. No; we admire not the pirates themselves, but the cinematic depiction of pirate as romantic anti-hero, who buckles swashes and says 'arr' as he buries his gold on deserted islands. The pirate still seeks booty, though on All Hallow's Eve the booty is not gold but the approbation of our peers.

But... But! Ndbag eschews the pirate form. And why? Because booty is only skin deep... usually. Our boogeyman is at heart a panda, and by dressing up as one he's telling us that it's possible to dress up and still be oneself. A parrot on one's shoulder does not a pirate make, but by the same token a black-and-white costume does not make one Ailuropoda melanoleuca. So why do it? Because sometimes the beauty extends beyond the surface and makes the whole. We need to learn that while one shouldn't judge a book by its cover, some book covers are very representative of the contents. Equally, we shouldn't assume that an attractive surface belies an inner beauty, or that the outer panda is an inner wombat.