Things are getting spookier by the minute here in San Antonio. In the latest, several locals have reported seeing a creepy creature roaming the city’s streets. Hint – it has to do with a character whose name you mustn’t say three times fast.
People began seeing Beetlejuice’s Bob, AKA the lead shrinker of the Afterlife Call Center, around the downtown area in late September. Typically, he’s seen waving at GO RIO River Cruise boats, taking selfies with bystanders, or just chilling by a streetlight – he isn’t nearly as stressed as his on-screen counterpart.
A Beetlejuice-inspired character known as Bob is turning heads in downtown San Antonio, Texas, with spooky appearances each weekend until Halloween 2025. (Courtesy of Jason Castillo/@BobInDowntownSA on TikTok)
Folks weren’t exactly sure what the outings were about. Is a new movie coming out? Has Bob simply grown tired of his never-ending 9-to-5? Does he get a craving for authentic Mexican food?
The man behind the mask, San Antonio’s own Jason Castillo, spoke with MySA to answer popular questions about his nighttime rendezvous. The twenty-eight-year-old was born and raised in the city and has an inclination toward fun. He started his journey as Bob simply because he thought it would be funny, and if you’ve seen the size of his head, you know it is.
“I started wearing costumes back in 2018 as a little fun holiday thing,” Castillo said. “I’m a very festive person, so I use different costumes downtown, from [the] Grinch to Santa to [the] Easter bunny.”
A Beetlejuice-inspired character known as Bob is turning heads in downtown San Antonio, Texas, with spooky appearances each weekend until Halloween 2025. (Courtesy of Jason Castillo/@BobInDowntownSA on TikTok)
Though he’s got smaller fish to fry than working for a supernatural con artist, it’s still hard being Bob. The shirt Castillo wears is made out of a thin fabric, so he can see out of it most of the time, but at night, it gets hard to make out where he’s walking. The tall yellow suit and frizzy, moss colored hairdo go for $89, according to Spirit’s website.
When not cosplaying his alter ego, Castillo is usually at work or spending time with family, he says. His workplace is also downtown, so odds are, you’ve met him before and had no clue. If you missed it, Castillo plans to keep wearing the outfit on the weekends through the end of October.
Folks can also count on Bob to brave the downtown district on Halloween night. The only thing he’s scared about, he says, is falling down the stairs.
“The best part of doing this was to just make people laugh and smile,” Castillo said.
Those hoping to learn more about Castillo’s adventures can follow his TikTok account, labeled @BobInDowntownSA
This article originally published at San Antonio gets spooky as Beetlejuice’s Bob makes surprise appearances.