---

After a year hiatus, the Great Hoboes of New York returned to Coney Island's Mermaid Parade. If you're unaware, we marched in the parade in both 2003 (as hula girls) and 2004 (as vikings). This year, we took the world by storm, dressing up as cartoon characters from the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block of cartoons, including: The Venture Brothers, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Korgath the Barbarian, The Oblongs, Sealab 2021, and Harvey Birdman. We were a hit, especially with the winos who kept trying to pop Meatwad's balloon costume, and the tons of folks who were hanging out outside Nathan's cheering on Carl from Aqua Teen.

As always, the parade provided an opportunity for the city's artsy party types to have their very own Mardi Gras. The fine folks at Coney Island USA have a thread on their message boards that highlights the photos and video of many participants, but please read-on to see what us Hoboes were up to...

Amusingly, I've been notified by a careful reader that I should give you all a head's up about a misappropriation of the Hobo mystique. An article posted to The Gothamist used a photo of me from the parade, but attributed that photo to a balloon artist who was mistaken for a terrorist when he left his balloon pump in a public place (balloon pumps are apparently quite threatening looking). You've got to love how the internet allows the meshing of news, gossip, and photos of fat guys wearing balloons into some strange amalgam of culture. ;) I will just assure the public that my balloons were inflated with good old American blowhardness, and that we had an honest-to-God soldier marching in our group.

Next Page...