Halloween has a new mascot and his name is Lewis.
The jack-o'-lantern, which is being sold at Target and is designed by Hyde and Eek Boutique, has become this season's most coveted Halloween decoration item, following in the footsteps of items like the iconic 12-foot Home Depot skeleton and the viral "Stranger Things" floating Max sculpture.
But it's more than just looks. The jack-o'-lantern, which sits atop a ghoulish body draped in tattered black robes, also speaks.
"I am not a jack-o'-lantern," he is heard saying in videos across TikTok. "My name is Lewis."
Videos of the decoration have racked up millions of views on the platform, including one video that has been viewed more than 8.1 million times. The TikTok hashtag "#MyNameIsLewis" had been viewed more than 18.5 million times as of Wednesday afternoon.
A spokesperson for Target did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the decoration's virality or how many have sold. Currently, Target's website lists the 8-foot Light and Sound Pumpkin Halloween Ghoul, which costs $180, as sold out.
Lewis stans have posted TikToks of themselves visiting their local Target's in order to run into a "celebrity." Others have made fan art featuring Lewis. One person even made a Lewis Halloween costume.
The band Smashing Pumpkins even got in on the fun. In a TikTok, the group joked it would rename the band "The Lewis Pumpkins."
One Target location even appeared to give the decoration a name tag. (In this video, the jack-o-lantern's name is spelled "Louie.")
He’s Halloween’s Paddington Bear.
-Shannon Murphy, who was among the first to post about lewis on TikTok
Shannon Murphy, 26, is believed to be the first person to post a video of Lewis, according to meme database Know Your Meme. A video she posted on Sept. 27 of the decoration uttering its now-famous phrase has more than 2 million views.
Murphy said she was walking through her local Huntington Beach, California, Target when she heard the decoration utter the "Lewis" line from a few aisles over. She filmed the clip of the line and posted it to her TikTok, not expecting it would take off with a viral life of its own.
The viral line has become so iconic because it's "almost theater of the absurd," she said.
But she's still had to explain why it's so funny to her parents. She said her mother is still wondering, "Who is Lewis?"
"It's breaking people's brains," she joked. "But, at this point, with everyone being on the internet, all of our senses of humor are a little bit broken."
Broken brains aside, Murphy said the decoration has served as a nice break on the internet, which can often be oversaturated with upsetting images and heavy news.
"It's so wholesome in its silliness," she said, adding, "He's Halloween's Paddington Bear."
