Our Favorite Cigar-centric Halloween Costumes
Halloween is right around the corner and if you’re already a cigar lover, it’s an easy decision to choose an iconic cigar smoker as your costume if you’re headed to, or hosting, a spooktacular party this year. We’ve compiled a list of some of our favorite, cigar-chomping fictional and non-fictional characters – and a few suggestions for cigars to include with your costumes or to throw into a fellow cigar lover’s Halloween treat bag this season!
Cigar-Loving Comic Book Heroes
If you’re into comics (or just enjoy a good super-charged superhero movie at the local Cineplex), there are plenty of cigar-puffing superheroes to choose from to emulate this Halloween. Easily the most popular is Ol’ Canucklehead himself, Wolverine – arguably the manliest mutant among Marvel’s X-Men.
In addition to his rapid healing powers, deadly adamantium claws, Wolverine was known for his animalistic sense of smell. Which is why it’s no surprise that a mutant of such heightened senses would be a fan of cigars. As omnipresent as his claws and distinctive hairstyle, Wolvie enjoyed a good smoke and could be seen with a cigar clenched between his stubble-laden jaws. In the recent cinematic adaptations of the character’s comic book career, Wolverine’s smoking choice was the legendary Cohiba. Who’s to argue?
Feel like tapping into the darker side of your inner comic book fanboy? Hellboy is your answer! Hailing from the darkest recesses of the Netherworld, Hellboy is half-demon and all badass. Behind his decidedly devilish appearance beats a heart of gold powered by a fondness for cigars. Veteran actor (and real-life cigar aficionado) Ron Perlman brought Hellboy to life on the big screen. Perlman and Hellboy’s selection? Nicaraguan cigars – and a whole lot of ‘em!
Looking for a less obvious choice to tout your love of tobacco while going undercover for Halloween? Try a Ben Grimm or Nick Fury costume! Fans of the Fantastic 4 will recognize Grimm better by his superhero moniker, The Thing, while Fury is recognized as the ageless combat vet/secret agent/government operative (played by Samuel L. Jackson in a slew of Marvel movies). Though Grimm and Fury differ in their respective super-heroic capabilities, both never left home without lit cigars. We can speculate about their preferences, but it’s safe to assume full-bodied smokes were at the top of the list.
A Loaded Cigar: Classic Comedy Costumes for Cigar Smokers on Halloween
The funny men among us have two choices for Halloween hijinks: Groucho Marx or WC Fields. For Groucho, a simple tux jacket, a bit of greasepaint for the brows and ‘stache, and a medium-bodied cigar will complete the look, though memorizing a few of Groucho’s best lines will round out the persona perfectly.
If you’re masquerading as W.C. Fields, opt for a top hat, alcoholic beverage in-hand, and (naturally) a cigar. As with the Groucho get-up, a medium-bodied cigar would be the ideal complement to this comedy legend.
Either costume gives you a good excuse to indulge in Cuban-legacy brands like Romeo y Julieta or Montecristo. The creamy profile of Ashton Classic also makes for mild, delicious choice as an approachable cigar that’s more than just an accessory for channeling your inner comedic genius.
Celluloid Cigar Aficionados: Film and Television Character Costumes
Both the small screen and the silver screen give cigar fans plenty of costume ideas to choose from this Halloween. Always a classic, Clint Eastwood’s “The Man With No Name” is a welcome, albeit grizzled face recognizable from Spaghetti Westerns. Throw on a cowboy hat and poncho, and clench a smoldering stub of a cigar tightly between your teeth. If you’re stumped for suggestions, the choice falls somewhere between a cheroot and a cigarillo. Although a cheap pack of rugged-looking Backwoods fits the bill, aesthetically speaking, we suggest an Ashton Half Corona or the mild-bodied Rocky Patel Mulligans Juniors, for much smoother flavor and a creamy, non-offensive aroma.
Feeling a little creepy, spooky, and altogether ooky – and a bit debonair? Don a distinguished pinstriped suit and a pencil-thin mustache to stand-in for Gomez Addams, patriarch of the sweetly sinister Addams Family this Halloween. The perfect blend between dashing and diabolical, the loveable cigar fiend was a study in manners and mayhem – and knew a thing or two about a fine cigar. Gomez favored long cigars. Might we suggest an Arturo Fuente Anejo or an Ashton VSG? If you ask nicely, we’re sure Thing or Lurch would be so kind as to light it for you.
Historical Figures: A Prime Minister and a President
When you want to go a more historical route, Sir Winston Churchill is an obvious selection. As Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Churchill strategically defied the odds throughout World War II. In addition, his voracious appetite for cigars is rivaled by practically no other figure in history. You’ll need to procure a pair of specs, a derby hat, pocket watch for you vest, a bowtie, and of course a premium smoke.
Having fallen in love with premium cigars as a young naval officer in the late 1800s while stationed in Cuba, he smoked almost anything he could get his hands on and entertained an open line of credit with many of the most renowned cigar retailers in the world. We suggest La Aroma de Cuba as a fitting cigar accessory, since it’s a Cuban-legacy brand and one of the original labels Churchill actually smoked.
If you prefer a costume that’s a bit on the tongue-in-cheek side, a Bill Clinton get-up certainly can’t be ignored, given his particular and well-publicized affair with cigars. Although Clinton was a reported fan of Gurkha cigars, especially some of the limited editions which fetch a hefty price (even $1,000 per cigar), a number of equally prestigious and proven substitutes exist for a far more reasonable value, like Davidoff or Ashton. A number of Halloween lovers who attempt this role opt for traditional suit with a plastic (or rubber) Bill Clinton mask. A cigar in hand drives the point home. And, if you’re lucky, maybe you can even find a partner in crime willing to get dressed up as Monica Lewinsky to complement your costume.
Macabre Mafia: A Pair of Big Al’s
From slightly misanthropic to full-blown bad guy, this Halloween bust out your most expensive sharkskin suit, questionable Tony Montana accent, and the largest cigar your budget will allow. Then, before you can yell, “Say hello to my little friend!” you will be Al Pacino’s iconic gangster, Scarface. We have plenty of B-I-G options for cigars here, so go big or go home.
If you’re down with the gangster idea, but want to dive off the silver screen and go for the real deal, dress as Al Capone for Halloween. At his Prohibition-era peak, Capone was the nation’s leading crime boss, earning millions through illicit activities. In addition to his love for money, power, and fame, Capone also loved his cigars. Being the most powerful gangster in the land had its perks, and Capone had limitless access to any cigar he wanted. Stick with a smoke from the top shelf to complete the package, like a Padron Family Reserve or a Fuente Fuente Opus X.
This Halloween, whether you’re heading to a costume party herf, or you’re substituting poker night with your pals for a good horror movie marathon down in your man cave, celebrate incognito with a cigar-friendly costume.
