Comedian Josh Sundquist, a former US Paralympian and motivational speaker, has been a mainstay of Halloween celebrations for years. His ingenious costumes combine creativity, humor, and unparalleled originality.
Made possible by his unique one-legged body, Sundquist has once again managed to leave his fans’ mouths agape with his latest creation: a dancing inflatable tube man straight out of a car dealership.
But beyond the laughs, his costumes tell more profound stories that challenge societal norms around disability. In an exclusive interview with Bored Panda, Sundquist shared how he and his wife, Ashley, develop their imaginative ideas yearly.
“When I’m considering what to wear for Halloween, I like to consider shapes that only my body can make,” he explained.
For the former athlete, the creative process has been a way to bring joy and laughter into the world and to “change the narrative” around disability.
“My disability isn’t something to ‘overcome.’ It’s part of who I am, part of my identity,“ he stated. “Differences are worth celebrating.”
Famous one-legged comedian Josh Sundquist challenges the narrative around disability with hilarious, yearly Halloween costumes
Sundquist’s costumes aren’t all about humor; they also have small personal stories attached to them, and his 2024 outfit is no exception. “I’ve always been enthralled with those enthusiastic tube people outside of car washes, car dealerships, and other small businesses, and then it dawned on me…those things have one leg like me!“ he laughed.
The creative process behind each of his getups has been fun and has been crucial to his healing journey.
“Making these costumes has allowed me to express myself in a new and creative way over the past 14 years,“ the author shared, turning his passion into a long-lasting tradition that his followers eagerly await every October.
It all began when he was 26, four years after he represented the United States at the IX Paralympic Games and retired from ski racing. Sundquist had just released his autobiography, Just Don’t Fall, in January 2010, and he was ready to pursue a new passion in life.
“All I wanted to do was make a few friends laugh at a Halloween party,“ Sundquist recounted, reflecting on the positive impact of his creations since then.
“Back then, I never could have imagined that my Halloween costumes might eventually, like, offer commentary on societal norms around disability.”
His life story—from losing his leg at age 9 to becoming a US Paralympian—was adapted into an award-winning TV series
His memoir, which tells the story of his journey from being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma and losing his leg to becoming a world-renowned alpine ski athlete, caught the attention of executives at Apple Studios, who approached him to create a series based on his experiences.
Released in 2022, the award-winning Apple TV+ series Best Foot Forward dramatically reenacted the uplifting tale of Josh’s childhood as the only kid with a prosthetic leg in a public school.
“I absolutely loved working with the cast and crew of Best Foot Forward,” he recalled fondly. “There’s even an entire episode inspired by my love of creating unique Halloween costumes!”
Seeing his life story on screen has been a gratifying experience for the comedian.
“The most rewarding part of sharing my experience with the world is helping people remember that they’re not alone in their challenges, particularly kids who are amputees and trying to navigate friendships, schoolwork, and family dynamics,“ he stated.
Sundquist challenges his fans to find out what each year’s costumes are going to be and reveals his favorite one
Each year, Sundquist fans scramble to find out what his next costume will be, with the comedian playfully challenging them to guess correctly in exchange for bragging rights. “There’s no way he can top this one!“ one fan wrote.
One fan surprised him this year by accurately guessing his 2024 outfit in advance. “I can’t wait! I am steadfast in my guess of an inflatable tube man/sky dancer/air dancer like you see at car dealerships!“ the fan guessed.
“I was pretty stoked they got it,“ Sundquist laughed.
Over his 14-year journey as a comedian, Josh has amassed quite an impressive lineup of costumes, from movie characters to inanimate objects and occupations. It appears there’s just no limit to what his body is capable of portraying.
When asked to choose his favorite, the comedian struggled: “That’s a tough one! Our toddler especially loves the Groot and Tigger costumes, which are in our basement,“ he reflected. “So I’d have to say it’s currently a duel between those two.”
Ashley Sundquist, Josh’s wife, has been instrumental in making each costume come to life, and the two are celebrating their 10th wedding proposal anniversary
Throughout this process, Josh’s wife, Ashley Sundquist Nolan, has been crucial in making each outfit come to life—like when she dressed up as female Thor with her husband hilariously embodying her entire hammer.
Not only has she participated in coming up with ideas, sewing the suits, and coordinating makeup and lighting for her husband’s photo shoots, but she also appeared in the Halloween special of Best Foot Forward.
The couple celebrated the tenth anniversary of Josh’s proposal last September. They had been dating for three years before he asked for her hand in marriage, making their union official just a year later, in September 2015, in St. Michaels, Maryland.
A year later, Josh published his second book, We Should Hang Out Sometime, a comedic retelling of his romantic struggles, including his search for love “in all the wrong places“ until he finally met the love of his life, Ashley.
Fans can follow Josh Sundquist’s latest creations on his social media and be inspired by his real-life story through his books and series.
