As exhibitions, conferences, sporting and cultural event cancelations and postponements continue on a daily basis due to the growing threat of COVID-19, it has almost become commonplace to see announcements and press conferences in Japanese media delivering yet another piece of disappointing news for those who were looking forward to attending.

Perhaps one thing nobody looks forward to is Friday the 13th, especially ever since it was made famous by a certain hockey-masked serial killer in the film series by the same name. But, at least in the imagination of one Japanese photographer who perhaps wanted to inject some much-needed humor in this disheartening situation, even Jason is sensitive to the novel coronavirus outbreak...

In a post which has over 294,000 likes and 105,000 retweets at time of writing, creative action figure photographer Suekichi (@suekichiii), known for his humorous montages using action figures of horror film icons (Jason, Freddy Krueger, Chucky, Sadako) film actors (Keanu Reeves, Bruce Lee), pop stars (Freddie Mercury), entertainers (Japanese comic duo Downtown), as well as anime and tokusatsu show characters (Son Goku, Ultraman), set up a press conference for the occasion:

Even Freddie showed up for emotional support:

Reaction on Twitter was swift. Here are some representative comments:

  • There's a shortage of masks, so... (@megurita)
  • His mask has holes in it, so... (@skyair_1994)
  • I guess Crystal Lake is suspending operations too... (@oViJq1bMuTa7FFo)
  • I saw it in the news that "intense physical activity" (fleeing) and "using a loud voice" (screaming) can spread the virus, so when that happens in crowded places (...) the risk is even higher. Let's learn from these killers and exercise self-restraint for a while (@Ha007me)
  • It seems that Jason was surprised by the buzz Suekichi's post created:

    But now that he canceled Friday the 13th, Jason is dealing with it the best way he can...


    If you would like to enjoy more of Suekichi's photography, you can follow him on Twitter or Instagram.


    By - Ben K.