This is a big deal.  Via The Toy Book: Rubie’s Costume Co. Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Amid COVID-19 Uncertainty

Rubie's Costume Co. makes everything.  Their booth at San Diego Comic-Con, or Star Wars Celebration, or New York Comic Con, or just about everywhere, is a required stop for any fan that didn't bring a costume from home.  I always stop by to see what they have for sale and to say hi to Lenny and his crew over there, and I'm never let down.  Their showroom in New York is a required stop for any toy buyer at Toy Fair, and it's always a treat to see a retro movie theater lobby as their reception area with a massive street-themed trick-or-treating showroom complete with road signs and bridges.  And food.  The food is nice.

While you may roll your own costumes, Rubie's has been making things like the infamous inflatable dinosaur suits as well as Star Wars and Reno 911! and DC Comics characters for years.  They produce life-size statues, signs, and all kinds of accessories for Halloween too.   Their filing for Chapter 11 says a lot - these guys practically own the back section at Party City all year long, as well as Target's Halloween section.   With widespread speculation of how long things may take to return to being genuinely safe geting pushed back more and more, this move hints at corporate America viewing Halloween 2020 as being cancelled.

Even if it is safe to go trick-or-treating again, things may be a little rocky for Rubie's.  Their list of legacy licenses is nothing short of amazing, spanning nearly a century of licenses from all the way to future movies.  They even had The Force Awakens stuff before the movie came out!   With so many big movies like the new Minions flick and Black Widow pushed to next year, some of their product offerings may not yet be relevant to retailers or kids in 2020.   We wish their employees well and hope things get better for their crew, because who else will inspire those awesome videos of an abandoned street with a dancing T-Rex howling along to "Stayin' Alive"?