Since there were numerous superhero movies for the summer of 2008, this article could easily have been titled "Alternative to Plus Size Superhero Costumes for Men". If the past is an indication of the future, much like last year when Spiderman and Transformers ruled the cinema and, later on, the Halloween scenes, then this year there certainly will be a lot of Iron Man, Hulk, and Hellboy costumes. And for sure, there will be an overabundance of Batman and Heath Ledger's Joker costumes. Halloween parties for 2008 will be like going to a comic book convention.

But do you have to dress up like them? If you're answering no, then below are some adult Halloween costume suggestions for you to consider:

The Classic Gothic Vampire. There are plenty of vampire costume variations nowadays. It's usually something requiring fake fangs, fake blood, blood shot contact lenses, and pale make-up. But the outfit could be anything, so regular clothing such as leather jackets, jeans, and t-shirts are acceptable, ala vampires from Buffy TV shows. These costumes are, at best, for clueless vampires, or, more specifically, clueless vampire costumers.

The classic gothic look is what distinguishes vampires from other costumes during Halloween. Remember that vampires are creatures of aristocracy. They have royal titles such as count, countess, lord, and lady. They have slaves and servants to help and protect them while they sleep during daytime. Hence, men's gothic vampire costume must have a cape, a vest, a nice white dress shirt, a fine slack, and shiny shoes. Hair must be neatly combed. And you must speak with a Euro accent. Don't care which, do what's easy, British, Russian, French, and Transylvanian.

The Hippie Costume. There was a time when the Hippie look was not a costume, it was what young people of that time wore daily. So define irony... You looking like your parents when they were young and hip back in the 60's. Except you're in a hippie costume and they genuinely wore their hippie outfit because they believed in it while you're looking to have fun.

So what makes up men's hippie Costume? Try wire glasses with round colored lens (ala John Lennon), long hair (also like John Lennon) or a fro (like Jimi Hendrix), multi-color patterned long sleeve shirt with matching headband, bell bottom pants with eccentric colors, and roach clips with feathery ends.

The Pimp Costume. I'm a big Seinfeld fan and I couldn't help but think of the episode when Kramer was given the chance to wear the coat from the Broadway play, "Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat". The Pimp Costume is a staple image of the 1970's. We all probably have the same image in our heads of what a pimp looked like back then. It's what we've seen in TV and movie shows from that time. You can draw upon that to create a fun and easily recognizable Halloween costume. To dress up as a pimp (sorry ladies, pimps costumes are for men only), you'll need a large brim hat with extravagant pattern on the outside or the inner linings. A leopard pattern would do. A walking cane. I'm not sure why they have one, but the more expensive looking, the better. A pair of rose colored wire glasses. A matching suit of pompous design. You want everyone to notice you when dressing as a pimp. If you can line up a Cadillac from the 1970's, you're pimp costume will look that much grander. Don't forget your ho's Pimp Daddy!

The Clown Costume. If you're a plus size man, the clown costume is perfect for you because it's loose fitting by definition. Skinny guys wearing clown costumes have to use stuffing or they won't look right. Now, this year, there will be plenty of clown costumes, but they're gonna be bank robbers from The Dark Knight. The one I'm talking about is the classic circus clown. The fun clown. Big round nose, jumpsuit, glove, Bozo wig, big shoes, and maybe a horn you carry around to honk at people. Becoming popular for 2008 is the Jack the Jolly Clown Costume. It's relatively cheap, yet very colorful.

The Indian Costume. Made popular by Tonto, Indian costumes are still a favorite western motif. This costume comes with a polyester suede long-sleeve top with fringe accents and Indian styled emblem, a pair of matching pants with an elastic waist and a headband with an attached feather. The weapon is not included.

The above are just some suggestions as alternative to superhero costumes for Halloween. Depending on where you live, mens plus size vampire costume and other plus size costumes for that matter may not be available for traditional retail. But you can buy them online. Start with the biggies like Amazon and eBay. Also, social shopping sites, like Kaboodle.com, where shoppers like you recommend adult plus size Halloween costumes and other products are good places to start.