Google has given its inclusivity messaging the Halloween treatment with today's homepage Doodle. The Doodle, which depicts a rundown haunted house, links to an accompanying YouTube video, Jinx's Night Out.
The titular character is an adorable ghost who is haunted by the reputation of his predecessors. You see, Jinx doesn't want to be a scary ghost, he wants to be a friendly ghost who goes trick-or-treating with other Google critters. So Jinx does what everyone else does on Halloween: he dresses up to mask his ghostliness. First as a witch, then as a mummy, a princess, a rocket ship, a clown, a bunch of grapes, a bumblebee, a queen, a knight in shining armor, an astronaut, a singer, a horse, a smartphone, a piece of toast, an ice cream cone, a bat, a spaceship, and, finally, a ghost.
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He decides that the sheet-over-the-head is enough to hide his true identity and ventures out to make friends. Of course, all doesn't go quite as planned. I won't spoil the end of the sweet video, but let's just say it won't give you nightmares about being left out.
Assembling the animation wasn't nearly as easy as throwing a sheet over your head and calling it a day. On the Google Doodle Blog, the creators share original illustrations and their storyboarding process: The costume montage was by far the most difficult sequence to create. According to the post, there are also some hidden "devilish details" to look out for.
Today's Doodle adds to other special experiences Google has created for Halloween 2017. If you're in need of some last-minute costume inspiration, try out the digital Costume Wizard. Or, check out the lists of most-searched costumes by state. Wonder Woman is, no surprise, a standout this year after her stellar big screen run.
If you do happen to see any lonely ghosts on the street tonight, show them some love.