It shouldn't have worked. Honestly, if you look at the script for the "Haunted Elevator" sketch on paper, it looks like the fever dream of three writers who haven't slept in forty-eight hours. Which, to be fair, is exactly what it was.
When Tom Hanks stepped onto the Studio 8H stage in October 2016 wearing a $13 pumpkin-patterned suit from Party City, nobody—not the audience, not the producers, and definitely not Hanks himself—expected a cultural reset. Yet, David S. Pumpkins became the most improbable Halloween icon of the 21st century.
The Secret Sauce of David S. Pumpkins
Most SNL characters are parodies. They’re mocking a politician, a celebrity, or a specific type of annoying neighbor. But David S. Pumpkins? He’s his own thing.
That’s his actual catchphrase, by the way. When Beck Bennett and Kate McKinnon’s characters ask if he’s from a movie or a local commercial, he just stares with that vacant, terrifyingly cheerful Tom Hanks grin and says, "I'm David Pumpkins, man! And I'm gonna scare the hell out of you!"
Except he doesn't. He just dances.
The sketch works because of the mounting frustration. You have Kenan Thompson as the "Hellevator" operator trying to sell the terror, while the riders get increasingly annoyed that 73 out of the 100 floors are just this weird guy and two dancing skeletons.
Where did he actually come from?
The trio of Mikey Day, Bobby Moynihan, and Streeter Seidell are the brains behind the madness. They were trying to create a "Santa Claus for Halloween"—someone who exists for no reason other than the holiday.
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They drew inspiration from a viral 2006 YouTube video called "Little Superstar," which featured a man breakdancing to a bizarre remix of Madonna's "Holiday." If you watch that video and then watch the David S. Pumpkins dance, the jerky, frantic energy makes total sense.
"We were just tired," Bobby Moynihan once recalled. Mikey Day just blurted out the name "David Pumpkins" after a long silence, and the "S" was added later just to make it sound more formal and ridiculous.
The "S" stands for Simon. Not that it helps anything make more sense.
Why We Needed Him in 2016
Context is everything. October 2016 was one of the most stressful periods in modern American history. The presidential election was reaching a toxic fever pitch. Every single sketch on SNL was a heavy, political satire about Trump or Clinton.
Then came David S. Pumpkins.
He was a four-minute vacation from reality. He wasn't a commentary on healthcare or foreign policy. He was just a guy in a cheap suit with two skeletons (played by Day and Moynihan) doing "finger guns" and shaking their butts. It was aggressively stupid in a way that felt like a giant hug for a stressed-out nation.
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People didn't just watch it; they obsessed over it. Within days, the Party City suit was sold out nationwide. People were making their own fan art. Even Bill Gates eventually did a parody of it.
The Evolution: From Sketch to Special
NBC, sensing a cash cow, greenlit The David S. Pumpkins Halloween Special in 2017. It was a 21-minute animated feature narrated by Peter Dinklage.
It tried to give David a backstory, suggesting he was a magical being from Ibiza. Some fans hated it. They felt that explaining David S. Pumpkins was like explaining a joke—it kills the magic. The character's whole appeal is the "Any questions?" factor. If you actually answer the questions, he's just a guy with a weird hobby.
The Tom Hanks Factor
Let’s talk about the acting. Tom Hanks is a two-time Oscar winner. He could have phoned this in. Instead, he committed 100%.
He came up with the voice—that sort of gravelly, over-the-top showman bark—on his own. He also improvised the weird finger-pointing gesture. If a lesser host had done this, it probably would have been cut at dress rehearsal. But because it was "America's Dad" acting like a total lunatic, it became legendary.
Hanks has returned to the character a few times:
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- A cameo as "David S. Pimpkins" in a 2017 rap song sketch with The Rock.
- A full-blown reprisal in 2022's "Cell Block 666" sketch, where he played the same character, just in a prison-themed ride.
The joke is always the same. He shows up, people are confused, he says "Part of it!", and then he leaves. It’s a comedy loop that shouldn't be funny the tenth time you see it, but somehow, it is.
Beyond the Screen: Cultural Legacy
You still see the suits every October. It’s become a shorthand for "I like comedy, but I don't take myself too seriously."
The character even made it into Universal Studios' Halloween Horror Nights. Think about that for a second. A silly four-minute SNL sketch is now standing alongside heavyweights like Michael Myers and Chucky.
It’s the ultimate "anti-comedy" success story. It proves that sometimes, the audience doesn't want a clever political point. Sometimes we just want to see a guy in a pumpkin suit ask us if we have any questions while two skeletons do a shimmy.
How to Channel Your Inner David S. Pumpkins
If you're looking to capture that specific brand of viral weirdness in your own creative work, keep these things in mind:
- Commit to the bit. If you’re going to be weird, be weird with high energy. Half-hearted absurdity just feels awkward.
- Lean into the "Unknown." Don't explain everything. Let your audience wonder why things are happening.
- Visual Branding. That pumpkin suit is unmistakable. If you want something to stick, it needs a "look."
- Timing. Sometimes, people just need a break from the "serious" stuff. Recognize when the room (or the country) needs a laugh.
Next time you're feeling overwhelmed by the news, go back and watch the original "Haunted Elevator." Look at the skeletons. Look at Tom's face.
Any questions?
Actionable Insight: If you're planning a David S. Pumpkins costume this year, don't forget the wig. The curly hair is just as important as the suit for getting the silhouette right. Also, practice the "finger guns"—it's all in the wrist.