DIY Hallowe'en: Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and alleged source Bradley Manning

Gentlemen, start your slashfic engines. Yes, the theme of this DIY costume in Boing Boing's ongoing series is— Sexy Wikileaks.

Above, Philip Neustrom and friend Ron Baker last night at DNA Lounge in San Francisco. Philip, at left, is dressed as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange. Baker, at right, is Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier believed to have leaked secret documents to the whistleblower website (he is currently in military jail, awaiting trial.)

Too soon? Eh, not for me to say. These two figures are nothing if not folk heroes. But don't ask, don't tell indeed. Philip tells Boing Boing,

Some totally unrelated and somewhat-drunkely-typed backstory: When we were getting the Manning outfit supplies from a military surplus store in Berkeley, the guy ringing us up asked, "Hey, what are you dressing up as?"

We showed him a picture of Manning and gave a little explanation. He got it immediately and then told us this story, with the preface that we were probably "far too young to get it"--

So a few weeks back, an older woman walks into the store and says something like, "Do you folks have any goggles? My grandson is going to burning man.."

The guy helps her find some goggles, and as he's ringing her up he looks down at her credit card. "Ellsberg..any relation to Daniel Ellsberg?" "Oh..well, he's my husband!"

Not exactly the types I'd expect to be running a military surplus store. Regardless, the guy hooked us up and we got like $150 worth of stuff for $20!

(thanks for the photo, @philipn and thanks for the heads up, @iamsusannah!)

• [benher]

  One person’s “Too soon” is another’s “timely!”
  Brilliant execution!

• [Anonymous]

  Yaa, Phillip is my neighbor!

• [grimc]

  Actually, that’s exactly the type I’d expect to be running a military surplus store in Berzerkley.

• [logically]

  “Baker, at right, is Pfc. Bradley Manning, the Army officer believed to have…”

  to be a nitpick (even though that’s exactly what I’m about to do), but a PFC is not an “Army officer.” It’s on the low end of enlisted ranks.

• [kaini]

  Has anyone else noticed that the head of the Crimson Caravan Company in Fallout:New Vegas bears a startling resemblance to Julian Assange?

• [PARLIAMENT]

  Alleged source?

• [T’Pau]

  What was that about gays being security risks? Oh no that’s not terribly pc is it.

• [Crazytree]

  Where is Julian’s cheese plate?

  • [Michael Smith]

    Where is Julian’s cheese plate?
    Where are all his girlfriends? Off comparing notes I suppose.

• [Anonymous]

  Dollars to donuts says they went to Berkeley Surplus. That’s just the sort of thing those guys would dig.

• [mikeyg]

  Oh, and very creative idea. Grats.

• [Mamma Wolf]

  Happy Halloween :)

  http://twitpic.com/32i0bp

• [Bulone]

  Why are the duo posting in crotch-grabbing pose?

  • [mikeyg]

    Those ARE scary costumes.

    @ Bulone

    Yeah, I was wondering the same thing.

• [sushispook]

  I really wish they hadn’t tried to take the microphone from the emcee last night and gotten themselves immediately disqualified from the costume contest, because I thought it was some anime/japanese video game reference. It’s actually really clever – too bad they nullified themselves out of a chance to share.

• [jwz]

  There’s a better photo of them in the DNA gallery by @netik – http://www.dnalounge.com/gallery/2010/10-29/031.html

  Let this be a lesson to you, cosplayers: you never, ever grab the mic from the MC. Ever.

• [Kimmo]

  They’re pretty impressive likenesses, age aside : )