1. Animal-killing Mark Zuckerberg You've heard that Zuckerberg has decided to only eat meat that he's killed himself, right? That's the kind of crazy that only a billion dollars can buy. Make fun of him by wearing a gray t-shirt and smearing fake blood around your mouth. Anyone in a bison costume should be scared. Necessary props: A cleaver and half a stuffed bunny covered in fake blood [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

2. Drunk Diggnation Guys What's more perfect that going to a party dressed as guys who are already drunk? Plus, it gives you an excuse to sit on the couch all evening. For this two-part costume, we recommend a blond guy sprays his hair up into a meringue-like pouf, while a dark-haired guy wears a Digg t-shirt while trying (and failing) to say "Diggnation covers some of the hottest user-submitted stories on the social news website Digg.com." Your top story should be that in two months the show will be over. Necessary prop: Beer, naturally [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

3. Start-up Guys Taking inspiration from (or ripping off) the already legendary College Humor "Start Up Guys" videos, get a friend and go as the most clueless tech world insiders around: the ever-pitching, completely connected start up guys. All you need are sunglasses, blazers, and a non-stop stream of meaningless jargon. Crib as many lines from the videos as you can and talk about seamlessly fusing branded integrations with content creators, as well as radical transparency and multi-stage engagement. Necessary prop: BlackBerries, for constant checking; perhaps one in each hand [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

4. Mario If you've got blue overalls and a red shirt, you're pretty-much there. Becoming the world's best-known video game character isn't all that difficult. You should be able to find some white gloves without too much hassle, and create a fake mustache. The only hard part is the red hat. If you can salvage a captain's hat from a Goodwill store, color it red with a magic marker. Problem solved. Necessary prop: Bag of mushrooms [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

5. Link This won't really make you look like Link, but merely suggest Link. That's enough. Get a green shirt a few sizes too big for you and wear a brown belt over it. As with Mario, the hat is the hard part. Try a large green stocking or a small green pillowcase. Necessary props: Cardboard sword and shield [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

6. Pac-Man Ghost A solid-colored bed sheet it all you need to go as Blinky (red), Pinky (pink), Inky (aqua), or Clyde (orange). Attach some large bug eyes to the outside so that people have some clue what you're supposed to be. Necessary props: Cherries and strawberries [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

7. Doctor Who You could wear a brown or blue suit and go as the tenth Doctor or a bow-tie and go as the current one, but why not be hack and go as the longtime American favorite, Tom Baker? Knot several scarves together and pair them with an overcoat and a floppy hat. Close enough. Necessary prop: Gummy bears (in the absence of Jelly Babies) [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

8. Avatar Creature If you're willing to go shirtless and slather yourself with all the blue body paint you can find, people will get the idea that you're a Na'vi. A long-haired wig, a loincloth, and a tail will help complete the look. Necessary prop: A pair of 3D glasses for others to wear when looking at you [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

10. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Buffy is a great choice, because she dressed pretty much like any attractive young woman. Don a long blond wig, then pick out a shoulder- or cleavage-baring shirt and tall boots. Necessary prop: A wooden spike [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

11. Those Black and White Aliens from Star Trek Pointy ears are hard to find. Ditto for Star Trek tunics. If you want to do a Star Trek costume with limited money and time, simply go as those black-and-white aliens from the original series. A generous about of face makeup is al you need. Pair it with an uncomfortably tight white mock-turtleneck. Necessary prop: A chunky choker, if you're going as Bele, the one played by Frank Gorshin [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

12. Morpheus Sure, you'd love to go to the party as Batman or Superman, but that kind of a comic book costume takes thought and effort. There's one comic hero costume, however, that you can pull together from things you already own: Morpheus from The Sandman. Gel your hair into a crazy shag, paint your face goth white, and throw on a long dark coat. Come to think of it, Morpheus from The Matrix isn't that difficult either, and is a better choice if you don't have any hair to gel. Necessary prop: A gas mask, to fill in for his helmet/sigil. [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]

9. Dr. Horrible and Captain Hammer Another two-person costume. The villain needs a white lab coat (preferably one that buttons on the shoulder) and a pair of goggles. The hero needs a dark t-shirt with the hammer emblem and a pair of long dark gloves. Winter gloves work perfectly, and don't fret about the emblem — just get some construction paper and some safety pins. Necessary prop: A decent signing voice and the courage to use it [Illustration by Ryan Cruz]