New Carnival Krewe is coming to eat your children

I'm looking forward to seeing what Krewe of Loup Garou is like.  I've been arguing for more varied types of parades traveling along different routes so we'll definitely check this out.

The marching parade will have a similar homemade feel to the well-known Krewe of Chewbacchus, organizers said. Marchers are encouraged to build floats they can push or band together with costumes. There is no official theme other than the Loup Garou itself — Rizzuto and a group of friends, for example, will parade as “Toup Garou,” a sly reference to Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump’s notorious hairstyle.

“We left it up to people’s creativity,” Smith said. “We didn’t want to be too restrictive, especially as we’re trying to grow and gain members.”

A limited initial run of 100 printings of the Krewe of Loup Garou poster will also become part of the fundraiser, and they will be available at a membership meeting for the krewe at 7 p.m. tonight (Tuesday, Jan. 5) at Tracey’s. The krewe is still seeking individual members and business sponsorships (which may result in additional stops on the route), as well, and anyone interested should contact Irish Channel president Jeremy Smith at president@irishchannel.org. (Anyone who can’t attend can contribute to the shade fund directly at a new GoFundMe site.) Tickets for the after party can also be bought at the door at NOLA Brewing on Saturday.

I also like the bold choice for the poster which... a large portion of this article is dedicated to assuring you.. is definitely not scary at all. 

In the image, a striking public debut for New Orleans-based artist Merrie Morrow, the bright red beast of swampland imagination looms on a high horizon, its expression somewhere between menacing and inviting. Surrounded by banana leaves and white birds, the three children face the loup garou stoically, their arms linked in camaraderie as parasols protect them on either side.

“They look like they have a connection with the loup garou, a little bit,” Morrow said. “They’re not scared of him. They’re not trying to run away.”

Right.. because why would they? 

As soon as the Loup Garou was suggested as a theme by organizer Adele Hunt, everyone else realized it was perfect, said Kristine Rizzuto, Morgan’s sister. Hunt then put Rizzuto and the other organizers in touch with Morrow, who quizzed them about the parade’s purpose before creating the image. One necessary element, Rizzuto said, was that it prominently feature children.

“The thing I like the most about it is the way that the parasols are protecting them from the Loup Garou, which ties back into the shade fund,” Rizzuto said.

See? It's fine! They have umbrellas.