Halloween is just around the corner. Still stumped for a costume? Lacking inspiration? We turned to this month’s featured editor, Yahoo! Web-Trends Analyst Vera Chan, to see what’s trending on Yahoo! this Halloween. From bubble-gum pop princesses to infamous dictators, Vera gave us the scoop on the kinds of costumes Americans are searching for this year, the most popular cities to wear them in, and other fun Halloween factoids to get us in the "boo!" mood.

Thanks for chatting with us Vera, What makes this Halloween different from last year as far as what people are searching for on Yahoo?

In the case of Halloween, the more things stay the same, the more things change. Revelers always want to riff off what's in the headlines, and we had plenty of startling ones in 2011. Osama bin Laden, former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and even Casey Anthony are competing with traditional "villains" like Dracula, zombies, and slasher movie villain Micheal Myers of "Halloween." Compare that to last year, when heroes like the Chilean miners inspired outfits.

Here's something intriguing: Among the biggest Halloween searches in the past 30 days, there are more "scary"related keyword searches in 2011 than last year — about 27% more, although fewer words account for more searches. For instance, "scary Halloween pictures," "scary costumes," "scary Halloween masks," "scary Halloween decorations," "scary Halloween stories," "Halloween scary videos." The 2010 "scary" searches included those plus "Halloween scary pumpkins," "scary Halloween music," "scary Halloween words." Overall, not enough numbers to make a sweeping generalization, although you'd think with such a scary year, people would want less scary stuff. Hey, maybe we are getting more optimistic or at least sanguine — and that's when you're willing to face your fears, right?

Other than the non-traditional villains, what other Halloween costumes are dominating the search trends?

By far, Angry Birds lead the pack. While the Angry Birds game has been around since December 2009, the merchandising for scowling wingless fowl has really exploded online this year, and Angry Bird costumes are far and away a mainstream favorite. (Not sure if people are going to go as wingless critters or if the plotting pigs will get any play…).

For the second year in a row, Lady Gaga lends herself to extreme costuming, but Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry are inspiring celebrity wannabes as well.

Memes are another favorite, but I don't quite see the same level of enthusiasm this time for, say, the Cigar Guy. Then again, that was a costume unto itself, and how can you dress as a Tiger Mom and have people get it?

I mentioned "scary" earlier. Among the biggest costume searches in the past 30 days, there are less searches for traditional costumes (old standards like Alice in Wonderland, Tinkerbell, and whatnot) and "sexy," but people want more scary, more funny, and more heroic figures — Captain America, Wonder Woman, Batman and the like.

Top 10 costume searches of the past 30 days, ending October 26:

1. Angry Birds
2. Pirate Costume
3. Alice in Wonderland
4. Nicki Minaj Costumes
5. Monster High Costumes
6. Little Red Riding Hood Costume
7. '80s Costume
8. Star Wars Costumes (this doesn't include separate searches for Darth Vader and Princess Leia)
9. Indian Costumes
10. Catwoman Costume

What kind of Halloween treats are people searching for?

Among the food items, cupcakes still lead among Halloween treats, followed by cakes, cookies, and the generic "treats." Cake pops are also in, and there are a few determined bakers out there seeking "healthy Halloween treats" and "healthy Halloween snacks." More power to them.

The US is a diverse place. Does geographical location determine what different people from across the country are searching for this Halloween?  Are there certain places where people celebrate Halloween more than others?

Possibly, if you look at the demographic breakdown just for the word "Halloween." All Souls' Eve fervor seems strongest in New Mexico, followed by West Virginia, Kentucky, Ohio, and Oklahoma. The Land of Enchantment's Halloween spirit is true on a regional level as well: Albuquerque-Santa Fe leads "Halloween " searches, followed by San Antonio, Pittsburgh (Penn), Fresno-Visalia (Calif), and Cleveland.

Top "Halloween"- happy regions of the past 30 days on Yahoo!:

1. Albuquerque-Santa Fe
2  San Antonio
3. Pittsburgh (Penn)
4. Fresno-Visalia (Calif)
5. Cleveland
6. Los Angeles
7. Columbus (Ohio)
8. Phoenix
9. Detroit
10. Oklahoma City

Any other cool Halloween factoids for us?

Females, as per their usual patterns, track the holidays more often than males (69% versus 31%). Kids, not surprisingly, also love tracking the holiday online (27% of searches come from ages 17 and under). After all, they get the best deal on October 31.

Vera, we’re dying to know: What are you planning to be for Halloween?

I went thrifting over the weekend for a polka-dotted black skirt, pink blazer, and a foam pie in my aspiration to be an all-powerful media mogul with a mean overhead spike.
Happy hauntings …. Bwhahahahahahahahahahaa.

About the Expert:
Vera Chan, Yahoo! Web trends analyst (in her drag queen costume)

Part cultural anthropologist and part thought leader, Vera Chan dissects news events and Yahoo! search trends to uncover the “why” behind what’s hot on the Web. A former entertainment and features print reporter with 20 years of media experience, Chan has interviewed Pulitzer Prize winners, analyzed pop fascinations with serial killers to vampires and helped craft questions for the first online interview with a sitting president. Before signing on to Yahoo! she wrote entertainment, features and business pieces for outlets such as the San Jose Mercury News, SFGate and other Bay Area media. Prior to that, she worked for five years as an events editor and staff writer at a Knight Ridder newspaper. A UC Berkeley graduate twice-over (bachelor's in mass communications and master's in journalism), Chan is based at the Yahoo! Sunnyvale campus. Vera is constantly searching out the answer to "What does it all mean?"

This post is part of a new “Ask the Editor” series on Yodel. At the end of every month, we will ask a different Yahoo! editor or Web trends analyst to share insights on that month’s most interesting, (often themed) search trends. Stay tuned for our holiday edition next month.