"100 Pieces of Candy?!" What Kind of Underachievers Did He Grow Up With?

For Halloween, Wayne Baker Jr., 11, is going as the masked marauder from Scream. But that's just for trick-or-treating in his Port Washington, N.Y., neighborhood. For the school parade, he'll be Anakin Skywalker. And for parties? The Fantastic Four's Human Torch.

Halloween used to carry with it predictable statistics: One costume plus one plastic jack-o'-lantern equaled 100 pieces of candy.

But Halloween is a multiple-event holiday now, requiring multiple costumes: Bare-armed garb for a sunny day of marching, cozy outfits to ward off autumn's evening chill. Heroes and princesses for daytime events, hooligans and witches for spooky nighttime activities. Elaborate ensembles for school functions, less-fussy ones for trick-or-treating, when sidewalk stumbles are a risk.

This is outrageous.

But on the bright side, I think I've found JonBenet Ramsey.