Right now I am going to tell you that Halloween in Athens, OH is a gauche display. It is over-the-top in every way, and that is just the way we like it. This is my last year attending an Athens Halloween, and I would like to take a minute to reflect. I recently read an article/slideshow in the Huffington Post that makes jest with all the inappropriate costumes to wear. Writers Alex Leo and Katla McGlynn write "Just remember, no matter how bad you may feel about whatever you come up with, as long as you're not dressed in one of the costumes below, you're all set." The worst, truly "inappropriate" (by who's standards?) costume was probably the child dressed as a suicide bomber... but what I saw it I didn't feel offended so much as confused as to why a child would ever want to be that. Anyway, the rest of the costumes are pretty much crude penis jokes socially insensitive puns. To the Huffington Post I say: Just come to Ohio University.

Here we fly our crude costume flags proudly. It is the one time of the year our strait-laced Judeo-Christian society lets go of the politically correct and socially acceptable for a night. Men go out proudly dressed as women without fear of reprimand; college students proudly show off their sexuality, Any other day of the year a skirt so short would only gain looks of scorn, tonight girls will compliment each other on how cute they look as a school-teacher-by-day-hooker-by-night.

And so, I plan to revel in our most celebrated day of social aberration. But before I do, I would like to curse those that can't handle this amount of freedom from the norm, even for a night. For tips about how to stay safe this weekend, check out Amanda King's article. To her advice, I would add: Stay away from the horses. If you mess with them you can be charged with assaulting an officer. If you are wearing heels, bring flats. Who knows if you will be doing a lot of walking or if you get too drunk to walk in heels. Police will look for people that stand out from the crowd. If you are the person tripping a lot, odds are in your favor you may recieve more attention than you want.

In an attempt to put into context the wild photos of people who pushed their physical other-ness to the very max, I think I failed to recognize the fabric of every community that pushes the norm just enough, those people that are putting themselves completely "out there" without trying to change their species.

So today I recognize those fellows who help us to create our sense of individuality, the tattoo artists and pierce artists of Athens.

Alex Andrews, 22, is a graphic artist who tattoos at Art Apocalypse on Union Street. He said he feels stigmatized when he comes into contact with people who would never choose to be tattooed, and find tattooing more of a masochistic hobby than an artistic one.

"Every individual is made with the same very limited amount of differences," Andrews said. "We can all grow our hair out and buy the same clothes at the same stores, but a tattoo or piercing is something you can put on you to represent a certain style or aspect of yourself that no one else has."

Craig Jacobson, 24, said he fell in love with piercing three years ago. Today he works as a piercer at Art Apocalypse with Andrews. While Jacobson conveyed how it is true those who are also pierced and tatted probably have more in common with him than others, he explained the catch-22.

"We do these things knowing that it keeps us from being part of the norm but then it becomes the norm," Jacobson said. "It's really weird how it all works out."

Taking a left on Union to Court Street will eventually lead you to Decorative Injections and its owner, Jimmy Kisor. Kisor grew up in Athens and has owned the tattoo and piercing shop with his wife for seven years. He has seen the way the tattoo market is becoming more mainstream, and is thankful.

"Reality television showed educated, nice people with tattoos," Kisor said. "Thirty years ago it would have been different. I've tatted a 70-year-old woman! Who knows where we will be in another thirty years, maybe [it will be illegal and] I'll have to go underground. That's how fast it changes."

Both stores will be celebrating in a special way during the Athens Halloween Block Party. Art Apocalypse will be doing a suspension for four or five people at the shop and Kisor will be performing "Rock Opera Act Three" with his band The Goodbye Goats Oct. 23rd at the Union Bar. Check out the slideshow below for more info on the artists and their art.