tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8695248327200290462024-03-14T04:39:51.396-07:00Pop Culture CostumesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.comBlogger45125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-76015333901929590562015-10-25T04:30:00.001-07:002015-10-25T04:34:17.933-07:00Fully built: Statler and Waldorf <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.toughpigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Puppetgovernment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.toughpigs.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Puppetgovernment.jpg" height="257" width="400" /></a></div>
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I can scarcely believe it's been nearly 12 months since donning the grumpy heads of The Muppets' Statler and Waldorf. The duo represented the hardest costume build to date, resulting in a corresponding delay in writing an account of the process. Invariably we're asked how long the costumes take to build, typically followed up with a wide-eyed reaction to the answer, but for us the most enjoyable aspect of Halloween is the journey rather than the destination. This year was particularly memorable as the process was framed by some rather big life events. On consecutive Fridays leading up to Halloween, we had to put down the tools and don some robes for graduation ceremonies, PhD for me and a combination of Postgraduate diploma and Masters for her. </div>
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A further corollary of the difficulty of the build is a lack of progress pictures of the build, at least relative to that of previous years. With that in mind, please excuse some major leaps in visible progress in the narrative that follows. Or, in the spirit of the costumes on show, feel free to heckle in the comments.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><i>Statler</i></span></div>
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It started, as it nearly always does, with a cut of wire. In this case, we began with the neck hole of the head:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgNn89thKec/ViQARJXa8kI/AAAAAAAAMAQ/nXLFzrPgup8/s1600/2014-08-17%2B21.50.45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SgNn89thKec/ViQARJXa8kI/AAAAAAAAMAQ/nXLFzrPgup8/s400/2014-08-17%2B21.50.45.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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After studiously going over the reference images, and mentally erasing his features, we determined that Statler's head was egg-shaped. We proceeded thus:<br />
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Looking back on photographs after the fact, it never ceases to amaze me how flimsy the constructs appear at this stage. We continued to toughen it up and mould the shape:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GFep2QYRziU/ViQAZ8OhbuI/AAAAAAAAMAs/iu-G-5qDpUo/s1600/2014-08-25%2B16.35.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GFep2QYRziU/ViQAZ8OhbuI/AAAAAAAAMAs/iu-G-5qDpUo/s400/2014-08-25%2B16.35.05.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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As is customary the past few years, we followed up the wiring phase with soft cardboard upon which we would apply the papier mache:<br />
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It was then time for the first layer of papier mache:<br />
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With the first layer was applied, it was time to start drawing features to determine the scale at which they should be built, and where we would cut out his mouth:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UEM0p3-jAUQ/ViQAmxSv3hI/AAAAAAAAMBY/BA66yMgxc1U/s1600/2014-08-27%2B21.40.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UEM0p3-jAUQ/ViQAmxSv3hI/AAAAAAAAMBY/BA66yMgxc1U/s400/2014-08-27%2B21.40.50.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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We had decided that it would be easier to give his head a uniform shape and then cut out the mouth hole, rather than try to build it in from the beginning. When we were happy with the sketched features, we somewhat nervously put him under the knife:</div>
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It was then a case of tidying up the rough, post-cut edges with masking tape as a primer for the next layer of papier mache, when the shape would return to uniformity. This included adding Statler's upper 'lip' which we placed behind the mouth hole. </div>
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One of the trickiest features of Statler was his mouth. We felt that we had to do his lower jaw as a separate piece, and attach it separately. The lower part of his mouth became affectionately known as butt-face:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5GPWIjOVl-g/ViQBfqSa4tI/AAAAAAAAMC4/rbWbzKn1zok/s1600/2014-09-29%2B22.08.14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5GPWIjOVl-g/ViQBfqSa4tI/AAAAAAAAMC4/rbWbzKn1zok/s400/2014-09-29%2B22.08.14.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Not only was it difficult to get the shape right, but we had a hell of a time trying to attach it to the upper part of the head. Our first effort ended up being dumped, because we made it so wide that even when attached, it would have been anatomically impossible for to close the mouth. While we did not have any designs on making an opening/closing mouth feature, it just looked wrong. </div>
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The delicate attaching of butt-face to the upper part of the head will be covered further below. Before we could attach it, we had to face the tricky prospect of skinning the head. It was one of those now familiar situations whereby we had an idea in our heads that sounded straightforward on paper, but we were reticent about applying it to real life. It turns out we had every reason to be: it was by far the trickiest part of the whole costumes, and I bow to the seamstress skills of my better half for getting us over the line.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d2cA5s-9D7I/ViQBnN7iJlI/AAAAAAAAMDE/SljvG8ydUaQ/s1600/2014-10-11%2B18.14.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-d2cA5s-9D7I/ViQBnN7iJlI/AAAAAAAAMDE/SljvG8ydUaQ/s400/2014-10-11%2B18.14.15.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Once we had the upper part of the head loosely fleeced, we did some paper prototypes of the eyes, nose, ears, and <strike>eyebrows</strike> monobrow:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KwWRBzxPaoI/ViQBoY2JUbI/AAAAAAAAMDM/gLRc6w4UZaQ/s1600/2014-10-25%2B16.18.56.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-KwWRBzxPaoI/ViQBoY2JUbI/AAAAAAAAMDM/gLRc6w4UZaQ/s400/2014-10-25%2B16.18.56.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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Aside from the monobrow, the features were all made from cardboard, with a layer of papier mache applied for strength. Here is a picture of the nose, to give an idea of the process:</div>
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The nose and ears were skinned using the same fleece we applied to the head, while the eyes were covered by white felt. They were then stitched into the head:</div>
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The monobrow was cut from paper to get the overall shape, and then cut out using the same material with which we would create the duo's receding hair (a faux fur):</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZQUXPWeb4I/ViQB7PsXbDI/AAAAAAAAMD0/JBxgGLYtYdQ/s1600/2014-10-27%2B17.13.49.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mZQUXPWeb4I/ViQB7PsXbDI/AAAAAAAAMD0/JBxgGLYtYdQ/s400/2014-10-27%2B17.13.49.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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It was then stitched into place above the eyes and nose:<br />
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Like the monobrow, the hair was stitched on. Here is a side profile of the head when the ears had been attached:</div>
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When butt-face had been fleeced separately, we had to tackle the issue of attaching the lower part of the mouth to the upper. To do this, we had to put corresponding puncture holes in each half, and feed cable ties through each. This was done before the upper part of the head was fully fleeced, as can be seen in this photo:</div>
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We fleeced around the cable ties, tucking everything into the mouth to get it as seamless and tidy as possible:</div>
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With butt-face connected to the head, Statler was finally ready to start heckling the job we'd done:</div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Waldorf</span></i></div>
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If Statler is an egg, then his grumpy compatriot is an upside-down egg. This time, instead of starting with the neck hole, the wire frame was drawn vertically from scalp to chin(s). Unfortunate clash of bed clothes and wire notwithstanding, this photo offers an idea of Waldorf's humble beginnings:</div>
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We continued to work on the front side of the head rather than working on the full circumference:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7GeTR4ztr0/ViVYhvDPcRI/AAAAAAAAMHE/cE-2Un38ENk/s1600/2014-10-06%2B20.59.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7GeTR4ztr0/ViVYhvDPcRI/AAAAAAAAMHE/cE-2Un38ENk/s320/2014-10-06%2B20.59.46.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h-y0azrfThA/ViVfMaOgqZI/AAAAAAAAMME/2lFIiLLjVZk/s1600/2014-10-06%2B21.00.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-h-y0azrfThA/ViVfMaOgqZI/AAAAAAAAMME/2lFIiLLjVZk/s400/2014-10-06%2B21.00.20.jpg" width="277" /></a></div>
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We then set to work on the back of the head, arriving at the finished wire frame:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05D8XQciPa8/ViVY1xgUhLI/AAAAAAAAMH0/Ydq4EnbD654/s1600/2014-10-12%2B18.10.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-05D8XQciPa8/ViVY1xgUhLI/AAAAAAAAMH0/Ydq4EnbD654/s400/2014-10-12%2B18.10.47.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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As with Statler, Waldorf's features were drawn on to get a sense of scale for crafting them:<br />
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While the features were being made, we got to work on the now-familiar step of cardboarding as a papier mache primer:</div>
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Waldorf has multiple chins, which necessitated a couple of appendages to his face. As the photo below indicates, we did this after the head was fleeced - it was deemed easier to stitch a fully made extra chin to the face than apply the fleece to a double-chinned face:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eVnOQFYosOI/ViyrHcYdVsI/AAAAAAAAMMg/YW5awL5L3H8/s1600/2014-10-19%2B14.00.39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eVnOQFYosOI/ViyrHcYdVsI/AAAAAAAAMMg/YW5awL5L3H8/s400/2014-10-19%2B14.00.39.jpg" width="225" /></a></div>
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As mentioned at the top of the post, the difficulty of the build made us somewhat negligent with progress pictures. We actually gave Waldorf a three-layered chin, crafting a further (and more substantial) piece in addition to the layer in the picture above. Fully fleeced, and with all chins attached together, the mouth looked like this:</div>
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We made the features in much the same way they were crafted for Statler: cut from soft cardboard and papier mache. In the photo below the features are loosely placed to ensure that they were the correct scale; they would be individually fleeced before fully attached.</div>
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For the eyes, we covered the base layer in white felt, then made the pupil and iris from different coloured felt (using fabric glue to stick them all together. To give the effect of an eyelid we used the same fleece we were using for the skin. Given that it's a thicker material than the felt, the effect worked quite well:</div>
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Like the other features, it was stitched to the face:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q15VV3jJkc8/ViyrJ3JL5BI/AAAAAAAAMNQ/kmPS1RL9CTY/s1600/IMG_5528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q15VV3jJkc8/ViyrJ3JL5BI/AAAAAAAAMNQ/kmPS1RL9CTY/s400/IMG_5528.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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To enhance the effect, we decided to create 'bags' for under Waldorf's eyes:</div>
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Waldorf's nose:</div>
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As with Statler, we used a faux fur-type fabric for Waldorf's hair. We used the same material to create his mustache:</div>
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With all features applied, he was complete:</div>
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Throughout the process we had been hoping to get the essentials done with enough time to spare to make the duo's iconic balcony. After a very productive marathon weekend of building, we felt that we could afford to direct some time into exploring the idea. The basic shape was made from a very large cardboard box:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-833LEh9IhW8/Viyzibq6hEI/AAAAAAAAMOY/gQQ1iHriZVE/s1600/2014-10-27%2B15.22.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-833LEh9IhW8/Viyzibq6hEI/AAAAAAAAMOY/gQQ1iHriZVE/s400/2014-10-27%2B15.22.18.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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There aren't many progress photos from this point on, but after this stage it was the relatively simple task of painting it red and adding the gold adornments on the front. We attached it to ourselves using braces, heavily taping each end to the front and back of the box respectively and strapping each pair over our shoulders. Because we had time, roughly an hour or two before the event started, we added pieces of felt to the edge of the balcony.</div>
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With the build completed (an hour or two prior to the event, as the standard has become) the challenge turned to transporting ourselves, and negotiating crowded pubs thereafter. The logistics were more manageable than the frankly ludicrous Kang and Kodos a year previously, although Statler and Waldorf presented the unique challenge of moving as one unit with the balcony. The only change I'd make, given the chance, is add some manner of black mesh (we've used stretched tights in the past) to cover the mouth of Statler, covering my face but allowing me to see out. Given that it was hard to see the finishing point at several points throughout the process, though, we were delighted with how the grumpy duo turned out.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I2YU_vQuAII/Viy2hVdJU0I/AAAAAAAAMO0/LlG2KKEKfLM/s1600/10620409_10152993007302448_6494007867090722250_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Muppets Statler and Waldorf costume" border="0" height="425" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I2YU_vQuAII/Viy2hVdJU0I/AAAAAAAAMO0/LlG2KKEKfLM/s640/10620409_10152993007302448_6494007867090722250_o.jpg" title="Statler and Waldorf" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-58063454907856521142014-11-08T12:20:00.000-08:002014-11-08T12:20:15.061-08:00Halloween 2014 in Pictures<div style="text-align: justify;">
A week plus change after the event this is post is overdue, with images from the night still pouring in. Another year, another great evening in Cork City's Savoy courtesy of the crew behind the <i>Freakscene</i> club night, without whom there would be very little photographic evidence of our costume endeavours each year. This was the second year in which our costumes were featured on the poster for the event, which gave us a kick:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8Fovj8pm8Q/VF5tZeKJRTI/AAAAAAAAL4A/mGeBWR86pyk/s1600/halloweenback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I8Fovj8pm8Q/VF5tZeKJRTI/AAAAAAAAL4A/mGeBWR86pyk/s1600/halloweenback.jpg" height="640" width="451" /></a></div>
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After a rather punctuated two months or so of construction, we finalised the costumes at roughly 9pm on Halloween night. It was a bit later than I'd hoped and what we had aimed for; by the time the 31st came around, we seemed to be cruising. In saying that, though, it wasn't a rushed or stressful day by any means (I still shudder thinking back to 2012). We were pretty much finished the characters before dinner, the rest of the evening dedicated to finishing the balcony. The support system (using our trusty braces for the third year running) took surprisingly long to attach. </div>
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Upon executing those final touches, we lined up for some photos before heading out:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-woABTlcHBc4/VF5v1TFMpQI/AAAAAAAAL4M/FsM_k5p_Em4/s1600/IMG-20141101-WA0008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-woABTlcHBc4/VF5v1TFMpQI/AAAAAAAAL4M/FsM_k5p_Em4/s1600/IMG-20141101-WA0008.jpg" height="640" width="374" /></a></div>
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Leading up to the event we thought we might get away with taking one car for the first time since Halloween 2009, but the balcony was ultimately too wide to let it happen. As such, there was a third pair of hands on the scene to capture more images of us en route to our destination. Negotiating our way through the car park has become a trademark part of the evening; even more fun this year as we had to move as a single unit inside the balcony.</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPUJezqLakk/VF5xyQKLP9I/AAAAAAAAL4Y/7g8YGXlKx0s/s1600/IMG-20141101-WA0012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPUJezqLakk/VF5xyQKLP9I/AAAAAAAAL4Y/7g8YGXlKx0s/s1600/IMG-20141101-WA0012.jpg" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
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After walking through the city (with many stops along the way to pose for photos) we arrived at the sizeable queue outside the club. Let it never be said that I can't stand out in a crowd:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oY219CXM28/VF5y0UHri8I/AAAAAAAAL4g/Ox7sVf7gzbM/s1600/1899410_10152929628952448_941942633085539165_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1oY219CXM28/VF5y0UHri8I/AAAAAAAAL4g/Ox7sVf7gzbM/s1600/1899410_10152929628952448_941942633085539165_o.jpg" height="344" width="640" /></a></div>
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The above image, along with all of the following, were taken by Freakscene's David Hegarty, to whom I am again grateful for allowing me to share his great work here.</div>
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As usual, my friend Mark was on hand with a fantastic costume of his own, again tending to the industrial side of pop culture with his Brotherhood of Steel outfit from the <i>Fallout </i>series:</div>
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Continuing with the monochrome theme, here is us once we had negotiated all those stairs and finally made it into the club:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bzLnsHRWps/VF50SoQN9YI/AAAAAAAAL40/zBKrLakq4sM/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3bzLnsHRWps/VF50SoQN9YI/AAAAAAAAL40/zBKrLakq4sM/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B003.jpg" height="502" width="640" /></a></div>
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Now for a splash of colour:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlAWCVLtZBY/VF50wiRMivI/AAAAAAAAL5I/pt4YPr_tA7M/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BlAWCVLtZBY/VF50wiRMivI/AAAAAAAAL5I/pt4YPr_tA7M/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B005.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u2O_s_5x4hY/VF50xr9sr5I/AAAAAAAAL5U/o0K8rIDuSdg/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-u2O_s_5x4hY/VF50xr9sr5I/AAAAAAAAL5U/o0K8rIDuSdg/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B008.jpg" height="444" width="640" /></a></div>
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Once again we found ourselves on the stage at the end of the night, subjected to the audience clap-o-meter:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQNYuPK7qm0/VF5171BXuNI/AAAAAAAAL6A/5KFxtv8pF3Y/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LQNYuPK7qm0/VF5171BXuNI/AAAAAAAAL6A/5KFxtv8pF3Y/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B012.jpg" height="390" width="640" /></a></div>
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And I'm delighted to say that for the fourth year running we scooped the prize. Victory fist-pump!<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-majpjekU6Fk/VF50za-QTWI/AAAAAAAAL5c/_9tEkUkQVng/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-majpjekU6Fk/VF50za-QTWI/AAAAAAAAL5c/_9tEkUkQVng/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B014.jpg" height="640" width="436" /></a></div>
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Here are a few others, including a group shot with Mark's Paladin, one with this year's contest judge, and a costume full of relatively recent nostalgia:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta9wmQwvE9o/VF500_ow-zI/AAAAAAAAL5k/LFQxLukfrFk/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ta9wmQwvE9o/VF500_ow-zI/AAAAAAAAL5k/LFQxLukfrFk/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B015.jpg" height="640" width="460" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLIdd6Al36dgkEibdSNLAVvWMmFu7p5z-dg7EuFIkqFCqfB4Bw8B5oMHGI56KmV3_68h4VAbOOH9AuIlcdiyISENkKh86LEYnMY_ck3kL28pY9GGAIP9SRbeNfmkHjFxfQvX4ublnxtk/s1600/Halloween+Freakscene+2014+004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCLIdd6Al36dgkEibdSNLAVvWMmFu7p5z-dg7EuFIkqFCqfB4Bw8B5oMHGI56KmV3_68h4VAbOOH9AuIlcdiyISENkKh86LEYnMY_ck3kL28pY9GGAIP9SRbeNfmkHjFxfQvX4ublnxtk/s1600/Halloween+Freakscene+2014+004.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8fO7-KblySY/VF501oAO4hI/AAAAAAAAL5s/CzbTzNirs2U/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8fO7-KblySY/VF501oAO4hI/AAAAAAAAL5s/CzbTzNirs2U/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B016.jpg" height="460" width="640" /></a></div>
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And finally, a shot of us as the night wound to a close:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dWnlr8ubCLQ/VF502JOYjLI/AAAAAAAAL5w/N9pwSYnkDms/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dWnlr8ubCLQ/VF502JOYjLI/AAAAAAAAL5w/N9pwSYnkDms/s1600/Halloween%2BFreakscene%2B2014%2B019.jpg" height="640" width="438" /></a></div>
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This year was all the better for its falling on a Friday, meaning not having work to look forward to the day after for the first time in five years. Even better, we managed to get the costumes back on the night in a single car, not having to be as delicate with the balcony at the end of the night as we were at the beginning. As it turns out, we probably would have been fine; it held up surprisingly well after being Tetris'd into the just-about-accommodating Panda which brought us home.</div>
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As terrific as the <i>Freakscene </i>outing always is, it is the icing on the cake; my fondest memories are of slaving away at the construction of the costume, occasionally frustrating but always fun. Those memories will be recounted in a forthcoming post, in which I will outline the steps of the building process. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-92041943951013683772014-10-19T14:21:00.000-07:002014-11-08T11:00:21.243-08:00Grumpy old men<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110325180958/muppet/images/3/3d/TMS-Statler%26Waldorf-BalconyBox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110325180958/muppet/images/3/3d/TMS-Statler%26Waldorf-BalconyBox.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i style="font-style: italic; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Statler</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i style="font-style: normal;">: </i>I know what's wrong with this show<i style="font-style: normal;">. </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Waldorf</i><span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i>: </i>What? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Statler</i><span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i>: </i>It's the theater. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Waldorf</i><span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i>: </i>What's wrong with it? </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Statler</i><span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;"><i>: </i>The seats face the stage! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">In May of this year, I had the pleasure of attending </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Pixar in Concert</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">, a show in which music from Pixar films is played by a live orchestra beneath a screen on which the corresponding animated action unfolds. The show has been franchised to orchestras all around the world; the show I attended (along with my better half and costuming partner in crime, who bought the tickets for my birthday) was in Dublin, played by the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Not being from the city ourselves, trips to Dublin usually entail trips to the odd store not found closer to home. A fixture of these trips is a visit to the country's only Disney Store. My aforementioned partner in crime has been a lifelong fan; moreover, given that 40% of the costumes on this blog derive from Disney properties, I can't pretend that her fandom has not rubbed off on me to some extent. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">On this occasion, our eyes were drawn to the wall of <i>Muppets</i> memorabilia. I'm somewhat of a returning <i>Muppets</i> fan; the original show was a little before my time, but I was a regular viewer of <i>Muppets Tonight</i>, its comparatively short-lived sister show. My interest has been rekindled in recent years through DVD boxsets of the <i>The Muppet Show</i>. As recently as last year, <i>Muppets</i> characters were being considered for the Halloween costume treatment; specifically, my two favourite characters Sam the Eagle and the Swedish Chef (bork!). In the Disney Store, the thought once again made its way into conversation; as fans of the show and its characters the idea made sense. However, <span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">as we looked upon the wall of plushy toys, one of us remarked that there was no combination of characters as salient a fit as <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2014/08/fully-built-kang-and-kodos.html">Kang and Kodos</a> or the <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2012/11/fully-built-zombies.html">LEGO Zombies Mr. & Mrs.</a>, our previous two projects. No sooner had the remark had been uttered than we turned to one another in one of those rare moments of collective epiphany, like a cartoon lightbulb was illumated above our heads. It was so obvious! There was one character combination every bit as good a fit as the extraterrestrial siblings or the undead bride and groom: the heckling duo, Statler and Waldorf. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">Since then we have been working on bringing the concept to life. Both heads have been constructed to roughly equal levels of completeness. We have utilised the approach that has served us so well the past few years: a wire frame, soft cardboard priming, and a papier mache finish. However, this year we have had an additional challenge. We decided that painting the finished constructs would not be true enough to the source material; it had to be a fleece finish. Thankfully, we managed to locally source material that is perfect in both feel and colour. The much trickier part has been attaching it to the heads, the stage at which we currently find ourselves.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 17.0300006866455px;">I'm not sure how much I'm going to update the project via the blog for the remainder of the busy season. I've already been rather negligent of my annual writing duties (real life has been quite the distraction this year; particularly with the completion of a pesky PhD) and I think at this stage progress would be best suited to a single entry when we finally get past the finish line. Get there, however, we will. For now, I'm going to sign off with a video appropriate to both the source material and the season.</span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2Qj8PhxSnhg?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-88917188101510796262014-08-12T04:13:00.000-07:002014-08-12T04:14:40.687-07:00Fully Built: Kang and Kodos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130118183704/simpsons/images/d/df/Kang_And_Kodos_Are_Newly_Weds_And_Are_Trying_To_Hitch_A_Lift_To_The_Earth_Capital.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130118183704/simpsons/images/d/df/Kang_And_Kodos_Are_Newly_Weds_And_Are_Trying_To_Hitch_A_Lift_To_The_Earth_Capital.jpg" height="234" width="320" /></a></div>
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To follow in the footsteps of tradition, the following is an account of how our Kang and Kodos costumes of 2013 came together. It only recently occured to me that I never fully recorded the chronology of the project in the aftermath of its deployment; with the cogs already turning towards Halloween 2014, I wanted to rectify that before this year's updates begin to materialise. </div>
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For a less wordy version of the following, I direct the reader's attention to a post created last year: a <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2013/11/at-glance.html">quick reference pictorial guide</a> which touches upon the main aspects of the build. For more context to go with those images, read on after the break.</div>
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For the <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2012/11/fully-built-zombies.html">description</a> of how we built the LEGO zombies (Mr. & Mrs.), I was at a distinct advantage from a writing perspective: the iconic LEGO minifigure has a head, torso, arms, and legs, thus recounting their construction practically organises itself. The same cannot be said for their successors, who are giant blobs by design. Indeed, this describes the early, head-scratching phases of their development. The minifigure anatomy could be decomposed into quantifiable elements, the construction of which could be embarked upon autonomously. Pinpointing where to begin with everyone's favourite extraterrestrial siblings was somewhat more difficult. Ultimately, it all began with a circle:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jw-ZQKuO_oY/UjRyzfxmjCI/AAAAAAAALkA/eapCNW7wfOs/s1600/2013-08-26+16.31.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jw-ZQKuO_oY/UjRyzfxmjCI/AAAAAAAALkA/eapCNW7wfOs/s1600/2013-08-26+16.31.58.jpg" height="317" width="400" /></a></div>
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The skeleton of the costume was constructed using insulation tubing (a nostalgic building tool: see the construction of <i><a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2011/02/retrospective-builds-part-2-predator.html">Predator</a></i>). Rough measurements were made to determine the size of the circle, which would be the base of the costume. Maths had no place in this process; characteristic of the early parts of the process, when we were not convinced that the project was going anywhere, it was done free-hand. A workable sized was arrived at by projecting how much room each of us would have to move around inside the costume based on the diameter of the circular base. Having checked that it could fit through the frame of a doorway (barely, but that was good enough for us) we were ready to start building upwards.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSP9urpuN1I/UjRzF51Ir_I/AAAAAAAALkM/N_ZBP3KFuG8/s1600/2013-08-26+16.47.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSP9urpuN1I/UjRzF51Ir_I/AAAAAAAALkM/N_ZBP3KFuG8/s1600/2013-08-26+16.47.09.jpg" height="400" width="175" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRUzuYT1TEI/UjRzGKVBTzI/AAAAAAAALkQ/JTLhcJYjeVY/s1600/2013-08-27+21.20.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRUzuYT1TEI/UjRzGKVBTzI/AAAAAAAALkQ/JTLhcJYjeVY/s1600/2013-08-27+21.20.02.jpg" height="320" width="188" /></a></div>
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At this junture, reference images were our friend. A design difficulty we had is that the mouth is such a prominent part of the body shape; however, the mouth could not be built into the costume at this early stage (at least, we couldn't figure out a way). Therefore, we tried to build an accurate frame that ignored the mouth for now; or, if not wholly accurate, at least one that would be recognisable. A further difficulty we had was shaping the insulation foam to create the curves; it is a soft material, but not the most flexible. In order to do this, one person had to hold the foam in place while the other thread wire through it in concentric circles in order to keep the shape. Ultimately, this is what we arrived at following this step:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5ivJb3OpIU/UjR0ORz8W-I/AAAAAAAALks/cZsDp4SRCmo/s1600/IMG_4589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5ivJb3OpIU/UjR0ORz8W-I/AAAAAAAALks/cZsDp4SRCmo/s1600/IMG_4589.JPG" height="400" width="203" /></a></div>
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In recent years, the step of priming the costume with a layer of soft cardboard prior to papier mache has been added to the workflow, a move that has toughened them up immeasurably. This step is depicted in the following images. It is a tedious step, no doubt, but a crucial one; given the unwieldy sizes that these guys would ultimately grow to, they would not have survived the night without it. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--qLHIR-0pW8/UlGWfJ-8xjI/AAAAAAAALl4/3IFT134rTVY/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--qLHIR-0pW8/UlGWfJ-8xjI/AAAAAAAALl4/3IFT134rTVY/s1600/1.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WELMIrDbIc/UlGWjvaeb2I/AAAAAAAALmI/Esz8sVgBrOU/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WELMIrDbIc/UlGWjvaeb2I/AAAAAAAALmI/Esz8sVgBrOU/s1600/3.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Following their cardboard priming, the costumes are ready for the first layer of papier mache:<br />
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Once the first layer was completed, we began the process of adding features to the costumes. This is my favourite part of the process; adding features is what begins to turn the costume from a non-descript shape into the recognisable pillar of popular culture you hope it will become. It was a particularly important landmark on this occasion, as right up to this point I had some lingering doubts about the project despite how far we had come. I was somewhat unconvinced that the shapes of the costumes (more specifically, the shape of my costume, Kang) were accurate enough. However, their features went a long way to firming up my conviction that we were on the right track. </div>
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To create the features, we followed a similar workflow to that of Pixar's <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2011/11/fully-built-mike-wazowski.html">Mike Wazowski</a> costructed in a previou year. We crumpled up newspapers into the rough shape the feature needed to be, then applied it to the costume with masking tape. After a little bit of moulding to our preferences, we made each feature more permanent with an added layer of papier mache. This has the effect of properly assimilating the feature into the fabric of the costume, making it more seamless. It began with their eyelids...</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a-V6zEtvUZg/Uml5PYqbyJI/AAAAAAAALoM/hPYg0-SmESM/s1600/2013-10-18+20.24.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-a-V6zEtvUZg/Uml5PYqbyJI/AAAAAAAALoM/hPYg0-SmESM/s1600/2013-10-18+20.24.50.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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...and continued with their mouths, one of the most important aspects of the construction:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oUTOm4ffEag/Uml5W-OhdXI/AAAAAAAALoc/kO_RjiHCe0k/s1600/2013-10-18+20.49.05.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oUTOm4ffEag/Uml5W-OhdXI/AAAAAAAALoc/kO_RjiHCe0k/s1600/2013-10-18+20.49.05.jpg" height="400" width="298" /></a></div>
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The next step was creating each of the duo's eye. Before we added the eyelid, shown above, we had to carefully determine where in the costume the eye would be placed. The eye was our window back into the real world, thus its accuracy was a determinant of how comfortable our night would be. Having carried out that step, we had to craft eyes which corresponded to the holes we had made in the costumes. In order to make each eye spherical, we applied papier mache to an inflated balloon. We covered roughly half of the balloon in order to arrive at the depth we wanted the eye piece to be (allowing for an extra couple of inches that could be cut away). The more of the balloon covered, the more protruding or three-dimensional the eye would be:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kUm0lVXa3PY/Uml7TDw5wrI/AAAAAAAALoo/gXAWpN8maqg/s1600/IMG_4733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kUm0lVXa3PY/Uml7TDw5wrI/AAAAAAAALoo/gXAWpN8maqg/s1600/IMG_4733.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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This is what the eye looked like from the inside when it was dry and removed from the balloon (notice that soft cardboard - a cereal box, for example - was also used to prime this papier mache endeavour):</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jIxa9QlLrZE/Uml7Tlp244I/AAAAAAAALos/o6nqRjWyL0k/s1600/IMG_4736.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jIxa9QlLrZE/Uml7Tlp244I/AAAAAAAALos/o6nqRjWyL0k/s1600/IMG_4736.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
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Unfortunately, the above technique would not suffice for Kang, whose size meant that we needed a bigger base upon which to mould the papier mache cast. Unfortunately, we could not find a ready-made alternative; forcing us to create one from scratch using a cardboard base and a wire frame, as outlined <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2013/10/sibling-rivalry.html">previously in a progress report</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4z2f-MaQGaA/UmmE1Fx3rfI/AAAAAAAALp0/A4S4tflytWY/s1600/2013-10-20%2B16.29.42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4z2f-MaQGaA/UmmE1Fx3rfI/AAAAAAAALp0/A4S4tflytWY/s1600/2013-10-20%2B16.29.42.jpg" height="245" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQFC8_9X8Bw/UmmEl1mePYI/AAAAAAAALps/NnHxyNLFk_c/s1600/2013-10-20%2B18.39.18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HQFC8_9X8Bw/UmmEl1mePYI/AAAAAAAALps/NnHxyNLFk_c/s1600/2013-10-20%2B18.39.18.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-irb_3UtoC0g/UmmElWBgFYI/AAAAAAAALpo/9kDrf7uxzk8/s1600/2013-10-20%2B19.02.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-irb_3UtoC0g/UmmElWBgFYI/AAAAAAAALpo/9kDrf7uxzk8/s1600/2013-10-20%2B19.02.19.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w3GEZtK4Wn8/UmmE5-rDY5I/AAAAAAAALqA/kvNh2jgurwM/s1600/2013-10-21%2B20.27.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w3GEZtK4Wn8/UmmE5-rDY5I/AAAAAAAALqA/kvNh2jgurwM/s1600/2013-10-21%2B20.27.30.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Suu__P5qfE/UmmE6j5UwMI/AAAAAAAALqE/NXYvUUw773Y/s1600/2013-10-21%2B21.08.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0Suu__P5qfE/UmmE6j5UwMI/AAAAAAAALqE/NXYvUUw773Y/s1600/2013-10-21%2B21.08.04.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">The next feature was the ears of the duo. They were constructed as follows: 1) determine the rough size by placing paper prototypes on the costume; 2) draw the shape of the ears on a piece of cardboard; 3) cut them out; 4) loosely place a bed of shredded cardboard on each; 5) cover each ear in masking tape; 6) apply papier mache finish:</span><br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hT5zXP1yh54/Uml_Y2J2scI/AAAAAAAALo0/Mu6rq5zCcac/s1600/2013-10-15+19.35.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hT5zXP1yh54/Uml_Y2J2scI/AAAAAAAALo0/Mu6rq5zCcac/s1600/2013-10-15+19.35.40.jpg" height="320" width="177" /></a><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gp7KXu0XPDQ/Uml_fXmrxUI/AAAAAAAALpE/UCVl3sV12rI/s1600/2013-10-15+19.51.40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gp7KXu0XPDQ/Uml_fXmrxUI/AAAAAAAALpE/UCVl3sV12rI/s1600/2013-10-15+19.51.40.jpg" height="320" width="177" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sgG6NTospRE/Uml_gJha-BI/AAAAAAAALpA/BZ8laLejjn4/s1600/2013-10-15+19.40.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sgG6NTospRE/Uml_gJha-BI/AAAAAAAALpA/BZ8laLejjn4/s1600/2013-10-15+19.40.48.jpg" height="176" width="320" /></a><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sgG6NTospRE/Uml_gJha-BI/AAAAAAAALpA/BZ8laLejjn4/s1600/2013-10-15+19.40.48.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4phd245yc8/Uml_oo63zKI/AAAAAAAALpM/CZpJFJRHJXw/s1600/2013-10-15+20.10.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4phd245yc8/Uml_oo63zKI/AAAAAAAALpM/CZpJFJRHJXw/s1600/2013-10-15+20.10.33.jpg" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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With all the features constructed, we excitedly put together the first full prototype of the costume:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nHsVstQ5heY/UmmA7T8DatI/AAAAAAAALpc/MWg5zZ1GRyk/s1600/2013-10-18+22.33.20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nHsVstQ5heY/UmmA7T8DatI/AAAAAAAALpc/MWg5zZ1GRyk/s1600/2013-10-18+22.33.20.jpg" height="640" width="275" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ib86SY30kYE/UmmG9zq0vZI/AAAAAAAALqQ/6EEByhheccw/s1600/2013-10-21+22.23.19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ib86SY30kYE/UmmG9zq0vZI/AAAAAAAALqQ/6EEByhheccw/s1600/2013-10-21+22.23.19.jpg" height="640" width="294" /></a></div>
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The next step was to begin painting. We both love painting for a number of reasons: firstly, we both find it to be quite a therapeutic activity. Secondly, painting the more intricate features can be quite gratifying and done correctly it can really bring the costume to life that bit more. Finally, painting signals that you're on the home stretch after months of a tough construction slog. For these guys, we tried to find the most accurate shade of green, eventually finding one we were happy with in acrylic:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvLaWrCjusE/U7XhEkbNO_I/AAAAAAAALw8/_-WHqscdN_E/s1600/2013-10-19+11.51.15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gvLaWrCjusE/U7XhEkbNO_I/AAAAAAAALw8/_-WHqscdN_E/s1600/2013-10-19+11.51.15.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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Thus began the painting:</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_FxG0xUiZ1w/U7XhFqEvtzI/AAAAAAAALxI/kpTwm-XNcpA/s1600/2013-10-25+22.15.41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_FxG0xUiZ1w/U7XhFqEvtzI/AAAAAAAALxI/kpTwm-XNcpA/s1600/2013-10-25+22.15.41.jpg" height="320" width="236" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bQoY8d7fz4c/U7XhGFW76MI/AAAAAAAALxQ/aSQhLrdLnGY/s1600/2013-10-26+21.58.52.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bQoY8d7fz4c/U7XhGFW76MI/AAAAAAAALxQ/aSQhLrdLnGY/s1600/2013-10-26+21.58.52.jpg" height="320" width="239" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBVLmUhw5XY/U7XhE9sXSEI/AAAAAAAALxY/9hTQkdKKJr0/s1600/2013-10-19+22.07.28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MBVLmUhw5XY/U7XhE9sXSEI/AAAAAAAALxY/9hTQkdKKJr0/s1600/2013-10-19+22.07.28.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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The reason the painting ceased roughly three quarters of the way down is that we elected to construct the base of the space helment that is such a core part of the duo's image. Unfortunately, crafting the helmets themselves was not in any way feasible (at least not without given us a limited oxygen supply for the night). In the cartoon they have occasionally removed their helmets, so given that it was canonical we were reasonably happy to proceed without them. However, we wanted to acknowledge the helmets by building the base from which they protrude. For this, we repeated the moulded newspaper/masking tape/papier mache step described earlier:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XJc_C3Om2P4/U7XhFAESthI/AAAAAAAALxA/iaV-uYn457w/s1600/2013-10-25+17.25.30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XJc_C3Om2P4/U7XhFAESthI/AAAAAAAALxA/iaV-uYn457w/s1600/2013-10-25+17.25.30.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Following this step, the remainder of the body could be painted. As you can see in the final image, we painted the 'belt' blue with splashes of colour for decoration using source images for accuracy. </div>
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Most Halloween projects contain an elephant in the room which is usually not resolved until late in the construction (later than what is sensible, we would have to concede). In this project, the large mammal made its presence known in the form of the duo's tentacles; for what felt like the longest time, we had no idea where or how to begin building them. Ultimately, I deferred to Ciara's superior seamstress skills as she crafted the duo's limbs out of fabric and stuffing. We first had to determine a rough size for the tentacles, then draw out a custom pattern from greaseproof paper (actually, not quite the first step; before that we had to find a fabric the right shade of green to match the paint. It was tricky, and perhaps not a perfect match, but we were happy with it in the end). Ciara proceeded to cut out the fabric to the pattern, and subsequently ran it thruogh the sewing machine. Turning each one inside-out to hide the seams, we filled them with cotton stuffing. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wz58jJKJDs0/U7XhG6uNTWI/AAAAAAAALxc/oZBMGj80uNo/s1600/2013-10-27+18.21.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wz58jJKJDs0/U7XhG6uNTWI/AAAAAAAALxc/oZBMGj80uNo/s1600/2013-10-27+18.21.02.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2VtO7ivDpUM/U7XhIUqF31I/AAAAAAAALx4/cKXg_K83WTo/s1600/2013-10-28+13.15.50.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2VtO7ivDpUM/U7XhIUqF31I/AAAAAAAALx4/cKXg_K83WTo/s1600/2013-10-28+13.15.50.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
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One of the decisions we faced with regards to the tentacles was the quantity, finding it hard to determine from the source material. We decided to make two 'arm' tentacles each, but we were unconvinced that this was sufficient. In the cartoon, Kang and Kodos have a mass of smaller tentacles at the base of their body. We endeavoured to address this aspect of the characters, and came up with the following, which I guess could be dubbed 'leg' tentacles for want of a better term:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUNAqaAwcA0/U7XhHVeq8XI/AAAAAAAALxk/QHXWVzjaj-0/s1600/2013-10-28+12.39.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cUNAqaAwcA0/U7XhHVeq8XI/AAAAAAAALxk/QHXWVzjaj-0/s1600/2013-10-28+12.39.12.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z41kI4p3hsc/U7XhId827YI/AAAAAAAALx0/TAcd-_KBcf4/s1600/2013-10-28+13.20.37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Z41kI4p3hsc/U7XhId827YI/AAAAAAAALx0/TAcd-_KBcf4/s1600/2013-10-28+13.20.37.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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The task of attaching the tentacles to the body was a painstaking one which contained much trial and error. A dearth of photographic evidence of this step perhaps owes to the frustration involved, but the following image depicts our technique. We wanted the tentacles to hang loosely from the bodies, so we first secured them at the base using velcro (unfortunately, the velcro strips were quite weak, so we had to enforce them with epoxy, the source of much of our frustrations). With the base secured, we threaded fishing line through the tips all the way to the inside of the costume; forcing the needle through the papier mache and taping the line to the inside of the costume. The 'arm' tentacles did not stay as stationary as we first hoped using this method, rather, they flapped around a bit as we walked. However, they did remain reasonably stationary, particularly when we were still, giving the desired effect for photographs.</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DvcnpdZdKek/U-nr9qOGExI/AAAAAAAALzs/TfV_38IEq_E/s1600/IMAG0742.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DvcnpdZdKek/U-nr9qOGExI/AAAAAAAALzs/TfV_38IEq_E/s1600/IMAG0742.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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One of the final touches, the icing on the cake as we saw it, was the trademark drool of the aliens. This was a fun part of the build; using a hot glue gun, we drew lines of hot glue from the mouths of the aliens and let them drip naturally down the body. As the glue dried in a variety of shapes, we got what we felt was the desired effect. The glue was translucent and perhaps only a noticeable feature to one with a really keen eye (especially in a dark club) but it remains one of my favourite elements of the costume:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yydFBHWUpTU/U7XhIqoEcEI/AAAAAAAALyA/GcedTvIjauY/s1600/2013-10-30+12.38.44.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yydFBHWUpTU/U7XhIqoEcEI/AAAAAAAALyA/GcedTvIjauY/s1600/2013-10-30+12.38.44.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJRE-Jx3xzg/U7XhJBH2AAI/AAAAAAAALyI/TE0exAjLHuU/s1600/2013-10-31+13.08.47.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YJRE-Jx3xzg/U7XhJBH2AAI/AAAAAAAALyI/TE0exAjLHuU/s1600/2013-10-31+13.08.47.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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The very last touch was constructing the support system that would allow us to wear the costumes. This was another part of the costume that was left inappropriately close to the end of the project (about an hour before we left for the event, in fact) but we were confident it would come together based on a similar technique used a year previously for our LEGO Zombie Bride and Groom. Each costume had a set of pants braces, with the ends taped to the inside of the costume (using copious amounts of duct tape, having been tormented a year previously by peeling tape and the braces becoming undone). The braces thus became shoulder straps which kept the costume propped up. The technique thankfully translated from our heads in a straightforward manner; the only minor difficulty was determining where to tape the braces so that the costumes would be propped up at the appropriate eye level for each of us. </div>
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Funnily enough, one design feature which was important to our comfort came about by accident. Not wanting to be completely enclosed within the costume, we attached the eyes using velcro so they could be removed easily when we needed air. However, with the braces for the support system, it turned out to be much easier to simply rotate the costume and peek out of the arm holes. Having anticipated the most cumbersome, unwieldy costumes yet, we were both in awe of how comfortable they were compared to the more reasonably sized but fragmented LEGO Zombies a year previously. Having just one, solid piece to bear made a world of difference to our comfort and the costumes' stability.</div>
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All in all, it might have been the most gratifying Halloween project yet owing to the uncertainty that clouded so much of its origin, and the sheer scale of the costumes. I'll finish with a picture of their inhabitants.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyBUIdKSU7Y/Unq36GMIGSI/AAAAAAAALsg/HNdR_0Pdhgk/s1600/1401548_10152057890277448_850917941_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PyBUIdKSU7Y/Unq36GMIGSI/AAAAAAAALsg/HNdR_0Pdhgk/s1600/1401548_10152057890277448_850917941_o.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>My fellow Americans. As a young boy, I dreamed of being a baseball; but
tonight I say, we must move forward, not backward; upward, not forward;
and always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom! </i></div>
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It's been a hell of a journey completing the costumes that we never explicitly decided to build; the costumes that just started coming together out of deliberate ignorance towards the issues that, were we of sound mind, would surely have halted our progression very early on. One of the costumes needs to be squeezed inwards to fit through the door of the room in which it is being built? Never mind. One, if not both costumes would need likely need a commercial vehicle to make it to the event? Not a problem. A full week after the event I'm not sure whether I had my head in the sand or if was faith that these issues would resolve themselves, but I'm happy to say that<i>, </i>ultimately, they did. </div>
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My partner in crime was in another part of the country for most of the day, so I was left to apply the final touches to the costume (a couple of which were pretty fundamental and thus mildly panicked touches). The support systems, or the mechanisms that would allow us to 'wear' the costumes, were not put in place until about an hour prior to leaving for the event. I had long had the idea for executing this part of the costume in mind, but not being completely confident that it would work, it became somewhat of an elephant in the room. </div>
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I could scarcely believe when the costumes were finally ready to go, and all of the aforementioned issues that loomed large on the horizon for what seemed an eternity failed to materialise. Honestly, I think whether it was head-in-the-sand syndrome or blind faith, it is perhaps an unhealthy practice to encourage. One day we might break that camel's back, but for now we look back on a successful and eminently fun night. </div>
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As usual, we attended the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FreaksceneFanClub">Freakscene</a> Halloween Ball in Cork City, and my thanks goes out to the crew for putting on yet another great night. One of the big draws for me is the photography studio set-up (usually our costumes render us incapable of carrying a camera, or at least using it). This year, it was Paul Maher who helped capture the costumes for posterity:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KbBgnZMFdOs/Unq31Q_h1pI/AAAAAAAALsE/l-bakFr8U9U/s1600/1385455_10152052290617448_661532618_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kang and Kodos costume" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KbBgnZMFdOs/Unq31Q_h1pI/AAAAAAAALsE/l-bakFr8U9U/s1600/1385455_10152052290617448_661532618_n.jpg" title="Kang and Kodos costume" /></a></div>
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I'm also indebted to David Hegarty, who captured us roaming around the venue:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-toHt2WF5-4o/Unq33ekkBhI/AAAAAAAALsQ/hZS3-8wx8vQ/s1600/1459772_10152057873992448_2059292388_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Kang and Kodos costume" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-toHt2WF5-4o/Unq33ekkBhI/AAAAAAAALsQ/hZS3-8wx8vQ/s640/1459772_10152057873992448_2059292388_n.jpg" height="640" title="Kang and Kodos costume" width="556" /></a></div>
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My friend, Mark, was also captured in his Mark I Iron Man costume:<br />
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My favourite picture of the night again belongs to David: <br />
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A wonderful panoramic image of us on stage which captures the general buzz that was so prevalent on the night. </div>
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On the subject of being on stage, I'm delighted to say that we scooped 1st prize in the costume contest. The reaction to the costumes from everyone was truly humbling; especially when we were on stage and subjected to Freakscene's "clap-o-meter" segment of judging which drew an ovation from the audience that we were in awe of. I can honestly say that it is the love of craft and the hobby that compels us to carry out these projects rather than to make spectacles of ourselves (and I mean that in a nice way), but it was a tremendous feeling. We came home with this guy:</div>
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That wasn't before some major logistical issues had to be resolved, however; could it be that one of those so-called 'non-issues' did in fact materialise after all? Well, yes and no. I forgot to mention that Kang needed to be transported in a pickup truck, and even then we struggled. The person who kindly brought us in didn't stay out for the night, so we were left wondering how we would return home without having to consider abandonment. Thankfully, the venue management team were good to us and offered to house Kang until we could figure out transport the next day. He therefore set up shop in the cloak room:</div>
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Things didn't prove to be much easier in the cold light of day the following morning; we had to transport him across the city by hand (drawing odd looks aplenty, half-covered by a plastic bin bag to protect him against the ill-timed rain that we fell foul of) and house him in the store room of another building, where he would lodge for a further night. He eventually made it back in a friend's jeep, a little easier to squeeze in given the dents and knocks he received on the night. </div>
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Overall, it was a great night which reaffirmed my love of the holiday and that, despite the odd cul-de-sac which appears during the building process (and associated frustrations), the effort is invariably worth it.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-19969295308824306102013-11-04T11:10:00.002-08:002013-11-04T11:10:37.425-08:00At a Glance<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The normal post-Halloween routine on this blog is that I post images from the night and, later, aggregate all the progress posts to create a single (long) explanation of how the costumes materialised (usually accompanied with the warning that we don't actually have as much time on our hands as the project suggests). </div>
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Photographs from the event are still pouring in, so that post is forthcoming - as is the latter entry, which is more an issue of time consumption. For now, I'll post this snapshot I put together of some of the key steps for quick reference: </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-27782503511213438202013-10-30T13:38:00.001-07:002013-10-30T13:38:15.390-07:00Team Green standing byWe did it. Two and a half hours before the party and we did it!<div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3JSSksZ-g1E/UnFuNYlh3hI/AAAAAAAALrI/nEo8mBDaCng/s640/blogger-image--2124068697.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3JSSksZ-g1E/UnFuNYlh3hI/AAAAAAAALrI/nEo8mBDaCng/s640/blogger-image--2124068697.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-80908683395758377792013-10-30T05:18:00.000-07:002013-10-30T05:18:04.688-07:00Some perspective, please. The title is what I've been repeating to myself ad nauseum over the last day or two as we hurtle towards D-Day. This year, D-Day is the eve of Halloween rather than the day itself, robbing us of a precious 24 hours. I write this as I wait for a hot glue gun to heat up enough to apply one of the final touches to the costumes, slightly worried as I look at the clock, and I recall last year's panic finish to the season. Thankfully, I have found a picture which offers me that much needed perspective. This is the torso for my costume at midday on October 31st of last year:<br />
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And, just a few short hours later:<br />
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Believe!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-41114191843364019892013-10-24T13:52:00.004-07:002014-08-12T04:04:16.959-07:00Sibling Rivalry<div style="text-align: justify;">
If build progression was a race, poor Kang would have been left in the dust of his sibling. It wasn't by design, but we seemed to race ahead with the construction of Kodos during the last week and a half. Read on to see the disproportionate progress made.<br />
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In the last picture I posted, a feint outline of an eye is drawn on the Kodos. The first task was to figure out exactly how big we wanted it to be. Once this was determined, we set about making it. For this part of the build, we picked up a ball that looked about the right size and made a papier mache cast from it. This was done by layering half of the ball with strips of card (these costumes are sponsored by, among many others, Doctor Oetker pizzas, Old El Paso range of Mexican food, and Nature Valley oat and chocolate bars), covering them with masking tape, and then applying the papier mache. When it was dry enough, we pulled the cast off the ball and tapered it in until it was shallow enough to go onto the body. We also had to cut out the pupil, which was tricky; it had to be wide enough to see through, but thin enough that it represented the source material, in which it tends to look quite thin.</div>
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We then cut the corresponding eye-hole in the body, making it roughly an inch shorter in diameter so we would have a little surface area to attach it onto. When we were happy with the positioning of the eye, we decided to add eyelids to the body in order give it more texture and make it a bit more 3D:</div>
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We decided to adjust the shape of the mouth, so you might notice that it is quite different from its appearance in last week's post:</div>
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Once we were happy with how his various 3D features looked, we applied another layer of papier mache to the body:</div>
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We proceeded to make Kodos a pair of ears, though we decided to glue them onto the body when both are painted, so they remain loose for now. The ear shapes were cut from soft card, topped with shredded newspaper, primed with masking tape and then, like everything, had papier mache applied:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4phd245yc8/Uml_oo63zKI/AAAAAAAALpM/CZpJFJRHJXw/s1600/2013-10-15+20.10.33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N4phd245yc8/Uml_oo63zKI/AAAAAAAALpM/CZpJFJRHJXw/s400/2013-10-15+20.10.33.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The photos appear to have stopped short of the papier mache layer</td></tr>
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We have almost gotten Kang up to speed, despite his spectator role for much of the week. We used the same techniques for all of his features, bar one: his eye. Given the size difference between the two, we needed to find something else to make a papier mache cast from. We couldn't find a ball that seemed to be the right size, so in the end I decided to have a go at making something myself that could be used to build a cast on. I used a solid cardboard base to build a wire frame on:</div>
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We wanted to make Kang distinct from Kodos, so we decided to give him more of a menacing/mischievous expression with his eyelids:</div>
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We now just need to finish the papier mache job and he'll have caught up with his gender-ambiguous sibling. After all that work we felt that we needed some seasonal treats:</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-84457263969322472032013-10-15T14:16:00.001-07:002013-10-15T14:16:43.437-07:00Meeting of the Minds<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was a momentous occasion over the weekend as Kang and Kodos met for the first time. The costumes were started in different locations and, due to their unwieldy sizes (to put it mildly) the idea of transportation seemed a daunting task. I managed to get Kodos into my car through some questionable contortion antics (not without having to reflect upon the wisdom of transporting him in such a manner) and brought it to my girlfriend's house, where Kang has been dwelling in his infancy these last few weeks. Here is a picture of the extraterrestrial siblings united:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKxSb80ST2M/Ul2s9sgWh6I/AAAAAAAALnc/X7ENzmIN1Co/s1600/Apples,+Trim+and+Halloweening+159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AKxSb80ST2M/Ul2s9sgWh6I/AAAAAAAALnc/X7ENzmIN1Co/s640/Apples,+Trim+and+Halloweening+159.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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As the photo suggests, Kang is just a little lopsided, which we're trying to offset with the positioning of the features. I'm already happier with the shape having made a start on his mouth, so hopefully adding the rest of the features will improve him further. </div>
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The clock is ticking away, but we're getting there. I'm playing a game of catch-up with the progress reports, so we're further ahead than the photo suggests. More updates to come soon.</div>
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One other item - you're never truly in the thick of a Halloween project until the pen and paper come out and a list is made. That's how I know we're really in business.</div>
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<i>If you're wondering what the 'utility belt' refers to, we couldn't decide on a name for the blue thing around the waist(?) of the aliens. As a big Batman fan I'm only too happy with the label we came up with. </i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-85292222001641429572013-10-06T10:34:00.000-07:002013-10-06T10:36:16.490-07:00Escalation of Commitment<div style="text-align: justify;">
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It's an old chestnut in studies of management and other disciplines; when one invests enough time and energy into a project that they feel they cannot abandon it, even if it is demonstrably not a good idea for whatever reason (pragmatism, perhaps, in this context), it is described as a case of escalating commitment. You have gone beyond the point of no return. You are throwing good money after bad, and other such idioms. Looking back over the Halloween'ing season so far, I can't help but draw parallels to the current project. </div>
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<a name='more'></a>I don't mean that in the negative; projects described as suffering from the affliction of escalating commitment are generally held to be ill-advised or, worse, doomed to failure. This Halloween project is arguably the former, but I'm confident that it won't be the latter.<br />
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The idea for Kang and Kodos was planted in the heads of my girlfriend and I by a friend, who was actually suggesting it to somebody else. The idea was not exactly taken by force from its recipient, however, as few in our circles are actually defficient enough in the sanity department to take something like this on. But ours it became. </div>
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That said, we never stated definitively that <i>we <u>will</u> be Kang and Kodos</i>. We decided to gather a few materials to test the water, perhaps not fully believing that we could feasibly pursue it. The previous post here walks the reader through the early steps in the process - but it is hard to put a pin on any of those steps and say 'there, <i>that </i>is when it became obvious that we were onto something'. We just kept on building, each sceptical in our own minds that the costumes would materialise but not vocalising that scepticism for fear that we would talk ourselves out of it and have to cut our losses. Little by little, however, it added up to something quite substantial over a very short period of time, and suddenly we were in it until the end.</div>
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So, with that preamble aside, here are some long overdue photographs of how it has come along since it became evident, for better or for worse, that the project would be pursued to the last. </div>
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Following on from the last post, in which the duo were pictured in their bare frames, we followed the method that has served us so well in the past couple of years: layering the frame with soft cardboard as a primer for papier mache. This has always ensured a solid finish, and has reduced the need for multiple layers of paper. Here are a few photos of Kodos coming together:</div>
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With the layer of cardboard in place, it was time for the laborious papier mache endeavour: <br />
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Kodos has progressed a bit more smoothly than Kang, which is strange given that they started in exactly the opposite manner. Kang doesn't have the uniform shape that Kodos has come out with, but I'm trying to convince myself that giant alien blobs don't necessarily need uniformity in shape. A couple of quick snaps of his progression:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40YYq8EpHZ8/UlGdLSpd5VI/AAAAAAAALm8/yFjz0a89N8A/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-40YYq8EpHZ8/UlGdLSpd5VI/AAAAAAAALm8/yFjz0a89N8A/s400/9.jpg" width="167" /></a></div>
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As I write this, work has begun on the features, which will ultimately define how good these guys will be. I've been a little concerned with the shape of Kang; as you can see (despite my best efforts to hide it with an horrendous camera-phone shot) the shape of the base is a little lopsided. I'm hoping that the features will offset this if they're crafted and placed well enough. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-38591615183165244482013-10-06T09:33:00.003-07:002013-10-06T09:33:59.188-07:00Tea with the Pumpkin King<div style="text-align: justify;">
I feel like I've neglected my blogging duties lately, but more progress has been made than written about. I've been at grindstone all day today, and the next progress post is forthcoming. In the meantime, it doesn't feel like Halloween season until this guy comes out to offer a liquid boost to productivity:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5CZFW3RVXk/UlGNy58qlpI/AAAAAAAALlk/bAd0LvBrRJ8/s1600/IMG_1470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nightmare before christmas jack skellington mug" border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m5CZFW3RVXk/UlGNy58qlpI/AAAAAAAALlk/bAd0LvBrRJ8/s400/IMG_1470.jpg" title="Nightmare before christmas jack skellington mug" width="400" /></a></div>
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On that note, 2013 is also the 20-year anniversary of <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas</i>. Not a year goes by (or hasn't done since this hobby started) when the DVD or Blu-ray isn't watched for some inspiration, and Danny Elfman's score is more often than not the soundtrack to costume building. An absolute fixture of the season. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-9511254416305521282013-09-14T08:16:00.000-07:002013-09-14T08:16:25.528-07:00The Visitors take Shape<br />
Kang and Kodos have taken the first steps in their quest for world domination: they have grown bodies. At this stage they are infant bodies, granted, but they are bodies nonetheless. The workflow has largely followed that of previous Halloween endeavours - shaping the costume out of wire, overlaying the frame with soft card, then papier mache. So far, we are one third of the way through this year's routine.<br />
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There has been one addition to this year's materials: foam insulation tubing (which appears not to have a name here, but referred to as <a href="https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1920&bih=950&q=insulation+foam&oq=insulation+foam&gs_l=img.3..0l10.351.2689.0.2857.15.12.0.1.1.0.195.1233.7j5.12.0....0...1ac.1.26.img..5.10.768.LI8OA0v9o54#hl=en&q=backer+rod&tbm=isch&imgdii=_">backer rod</a> by North American retailers from what I've seen). This wasn't my first experience with the material, having used it to make dreadlocks for my <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2011/02/retrospective-builds-part-2-predator.html">Predator costume</a>. The reason I elected to use it for this project is because I thought it would make for a more tidy framework, rather than using nothing but wire. I've found that constructs from wire are quite bumpy and uneven, usually looking pretty poor until card and papier mache even things back out at a later stage. The first step in creating this year's costume was thus:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jw-ZQKuO_oY/UjRyzfxmjCI/AAAAAAAALkA/eapCNW7wfOs/s1600/2013-08-26+16.31.58.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jw-ZQKuO_oY/UjRyzfxmjCI/AAAAAAAALkA/eapCNW7wfOs/s400/2013-08-26+16.31.58.jpg" width="400" /></a> </div>
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There are three lengths of tube there, held together at the joint with duct tape. Of course, sticking to my 'cut now, ask questions later approach' I didn't carry out my due diligence with what has come to be known as the 'doorway test' (I and my friends have been felled on more than one occasion by the width of door frames; I usually take it as a sign that I'm on the right track when a costume work-in-progress is touch and go). Later I would discover that it was a little too big; but luckily, the tube has attempted to resolve itself back into its natural shape against the duct tape, the result being a bit more of an oval shape. It is subtle enough that it hasn't ruined the shape, but it makes it just about narrow enough to get through doors. </div>
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The next step was to start building up the frame. Another reason why I went with the insulation tube was its flexibility:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSP9urpuN1I/UjRzF51Ir_I/AAAAAAAALkM/N_ZBP3KFuG8/s1600/2013-08-26+16.47.09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jSP9urpuN1I/UjRzF51Ir_I/AAAAAAAALkM/N_ZBP3KFuG8/s640/2013-08-26+16.47.09.jpg" width="280" /></a></div>
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I wanted to shape it from four sides and have the lengths of tube meet at the top. This took several lengths that began a little something like this: <br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRUzuYT1TEI/UjRzGKVBTzI/AAAAAAAALkQ/JTLhcJYjeVY/s1600/2013-08-27+21.20.02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SRUzuYT1TEI/UjRzGKVBTzI/AAAAAAAALkQ/JTLhcJYjeVY/s640/2013-08-27+21.20.02.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
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This was a tricky juncture; while the tubing was flexible, it didn't stay in shape on its own accord. The next task was therefore one of multitasking, attempting to hold the material in shape while stitching wire around it that would hopefully do a more permanent job: <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jw-ZQKuO_oY/UjRyzfxmjCI/AAAAAAAALkA/eapCNW7wfOs/s1600/2013-08-26+16.31.58.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pTftsaO_Lk/UjR0HfbbTBI/AAAAAAAALkk/stIr5DZejis/s1600/IMG_4590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9pTftsaO_Lk/UjR0HfbbTBI/AAAAAAAALkk/stIr5DZejis/s640/IMG_4590.JPG" width="616" /></a></div>
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We created wire circles from the base to the top. From studying dozens of reference photos we arrived at the conclusion that they don't have any kind of defined shape (they are essentially blobs, after all). But for the purposes of construction, we gave them a more rounded appearance that was inspired from the <a href="http://halloweeners.deviantart.com/art/Kang-and-Kodos-Revealed-102498579">best Kang and Kodos costume we have found online</a>. This is how each costume looked once the circles had given shape to the frame:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fwG6-2OguFk/UjR5gV2m28I/AAAAAAAALk8/mRZmfiCKHmA/s1600/IMG_4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fwG6-2OguFk/UjR5gV2m28I/AAAAAAAALk8/mRZmfiCKHmA/s640/IMG_4695.JPG" width="260" /></a></div>
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With this step complete, we gave the skeleton more shape and support by running wire vertically from base to tip. That brings us to the current state of the costumes: </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5ivJb3OpIU/UjR0ORz8W-I/AAAAAAAALks/cZsDp4SRCmo/s1600/IMG_4589.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-J5ivJb3OpIU/UjR0ORz8W-I/AAAAAAAALks/cZsDp4SRCmo/s640/IMG_4589.JPG" width="326" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"I'm Kang..."</span></b></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxON4XOWcv8/UjR0EBqto8I/AAAAAAAALkc/1eMX2kfey5I/s1600/2013-09-12+16.03.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bxON4XOWcv8/UjR0EBqto8I/AAAAAAAALkc/1eMX2kfey5I/s640/2013-09-12+16.03.54.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">"...and this is my sister, Kodos."</span></b></td></tr>
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The next step is to overlay the frame with soft card as a primer for papier mache which, in the last couple of years, has helped to boost the robustness of our costumes. When they're as obtrusive as ours usually are they inevitably take a beating in a packed venue, so it's a particularly important step. I don't want to jinx myself, but I always consider the wire framing the hardest and most awkward part of the process. I'm hoping that from here on out it is mostly monotonous work. This is the first costume since my first Halloween outing as <i>Evil Dead's</i> Ash that I haven't had a mask, as such, which I'm hoping removes some of the more intricate and time-consuming work.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-16866854698507942062013-08-25T10:41:00.000-07:002013-09-03T10:43:42.523-07:00Halloween 2013 will be Intergalactic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://omg.wthax.org/4JfsUV.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://omg.wthax.org/4JfsUV.jpg" width="299" /></a></div>
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At least, I hope so. I've been reluctant to confirm, even in my head, the idea that has been knocking around in there for the last few days because of the sheer work that it promises to entail. I'm not averse to putting excessive hours into a Halloween project (clearly!) but real-world commitments threaten to be a little more imposing this season, and part of me thinks that this idea would push me for time were I free as a bird. </div>
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However.</div>
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Upon inspecting the date of my first post on the blog last year, I noticed that I was similarly tardy in getting into gear last Halloween, and <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2012/11/halloween-2012.html">that worked out okay</a>. It was, in fact, this very date last year. And, much like this post, it was a mere declaration of intent without having made any meaningful start. It wasn't without some stress, sure, but that made it all the more gratifying in the end. </div>
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This idea is predicated on the sheer fun of building a team costume last year. The final costume will likely be bigger, but mercifully there are likely to be less individual components. And, while I thought it would be hard to top the recognition that last year's duo would garner, I think this team-up would make at the very least a good stab at it. </div>
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This year, we will go on an earth conquest mission as the lovable alien duo <b>Kang and Kodos</b>, of <i>The Simpsons</i> fame:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://omg.wthax.org/7WCXCr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://omg.wthax.org/7WCXCr.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actually, we're Quantum Presbyterians.</td></tr>
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Sure, <i>The Simpsons</i> isn't what it used to be (in my eyes anyway) but it has left an enduring legacy of lovable characters and endlessly quotable nuggets of wisdom. This costume idea ticks pretty much every box I have when it comes deciding on a project. It's big, it's eminently recognisable, and it fits the profile of previous work in terms of workflow. It also ticks a recent addition to the criteria list materialising out of last year which is, where possible, a team costume is the way to go. </div>
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It will be a long two months with plenty of peaks and troughs, but I wouldn't have it any other way.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-4879502131641015002012-11-03T05:27:00.001-07:002012-11-03T05:27:54.536-07:00Halloween 2012 in Pictures<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of the reasons I frequent the same club every year is the effort they put into documenting the night. Usually my costumes are too cumbersome to carry a camera, despite my own strong interest in photography. It's a real conflict, because this is exactly the type of photo opportunity that I would lap up in normal circumstances were I not part of the subject. In particular, the studio set up that Freakscene puts together is a major attraction for anybody that puts effort into their costume and wants a high quality document of it for prosperity. I have collated those studio images of The Zombies here, in addition to those of the outstanding AT-ST created by my buddy Mark. The studio shots were taken by Nathan Richardson of <a href="http://splinterimages.com/">Splinter Images</a> while photographer David Hegarty shot the walkabout images shown after them. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-22510214407220588332012-11-01T16:06:00.000-07:002014-11-21T04:01:02.777-08:00Fully Built: The Zombies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EPYA_N3SQng/UJL_fkAZa3I/AAAAAAAALeY/d-RfbyfBYxc/s1600/IMG_4474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EPYA_N3SQng/UJL_fkAZa3I/AAAAAAAALeY/d-RfbyfBYxc/s320/IMG_4474.jpg" height="292" width="320" /></a></div>
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In a post like this, I always find it tricky to find a balance between providing a sufficiently good idea of the steps taken in building the costume and not losing people to inordinate details. It's tricky because the post attempts to synthesise the incremental steps taken over weeks and months (about two, usually) of hard work. Trying to exercise succinctness is challenging when you have one costume to outline; but this year there is double the workload to squeeze in. With that in mind, I'm going to try to keep text to a minimum on this one (and if I have skimped on anything, I'd be happy to elaborate in the comments if prompted).<br />
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<a name='more'></a><u><b>The Head </b></u></div>
<b><i>His</i></b><br />
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As outlined in a <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2012/10/sticking-to-what-you-know.html">previous post</a> I began working on the head using a different approach to my conventional methods. I have almost exclusively used wire and papier mache for my costumes' heads in the past. However, this technique doesn't tend to give the smoothest surface; and while this hasn't been an issue for most costumes due to the unevenness of the heads in general, I knew a Lego minfigure costume would be different. The head had to be perfectly smooth. </div>
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I won't repeat the details of the post I've linked to above, but suffice
it to say I eventually went back to the method I was more comfortable
after struggling to work with styrofoam. I retained the sytrofoam-based
neck I created, but built a wire frame for the head on top of it. After some convoluted maths trying to calculate the accurate scale of a life-sized minifigure, I was ready to build: </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AIEcdVGpEq8/UJLdSbhQrUI/AAAAAAAALV4/cnsLZ110pDk/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AIEcdVGpEq8/UJLdSbhQrUI/AAAAAAAALV4/cnsLZ110pDk/s320/1.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZiJxhw8ms4/UJLdamlSq7I/AAAAAAAALWA/xnjIqzLyUGw/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kZiJxhw8ms4/UJLdamlSq7I/AAAAAAAALWA/xnjIqzLyUGw/s320/2.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5rvhlJK-Yto/UJLdgUfHWtI/AAAAAAAALWI/Teb_ymcFRqQ/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5rvhlJK-Yto/UJLdgUfHWtI/AAAAAAAALWI/Teb_ymcFRqQ/s320/3.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Despite how happy I am with the finished article, I still can't believe how crude it looked in the early stages.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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After this I lined the outside with card (the type cereal boxes are made from) to give it a smooth surface, and then primed the bottom half for papier mache by covering it in masking tape.</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PhNh3S2mhEA/UJLdnVwm52I/AAAAAAAALWQ/Iv2rCeQET2U/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PhNh3S2mhEA/UJLdnVwm52I/AAAAAAAALWQ/Iv2rCeQET2U/s320/4.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then comes the papier mache itself, making it look a bit more substantial:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wthUoezu3k/UJLdv1HU5FI/AAAAAAAALWY/lWtPmVsl0IA/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0wthUoezu3k/UJLdv1HU5FI/AAAAAAAALWY/lWtPmVsl0IA/s320/5.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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The idea was to make the lower and upper halves separately, sandwiching a cylindrical middle section between them. With this in mind, I proceeded to do the top half in much the same way:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FK8aLc4rDrg/UJLgzr-qSvI/AAAAAAAALXM/AzWZN9ZsRIs/s1600/6.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FK8aLc4rDrg/UJLgzr-qSvI/AAAAAAAALXM/AzWZN9ZsRIs/s320/6.jpg" height="180" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHNQzvuNP7E/UJLg7eLwa3I/AAAAAAAALXU/kfnw4gdLrww/s1600/7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jHNQzvuNP7E/UJLg7eLwa3I/AAAAAAAALXU/kfnw4gdLrww/s320/7.jpg" height="180" width="320" /> </a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EnrhQSI4Mk/UJLhDBpz34I/AAAAAAAALXc/O7YoznZRy8k/s1600/8.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EnrhQSI4Mk/UJLhDBpz34I/AAAAAAAALXc/O7YoznZRy8k/s320/8.jpg" height="180" width="320" /> </a></div>
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When I had covered the top half in masking tape, I began working on the stud, electing to bring the styrofoam back in play:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--TM-Oj0l-1E/UJLhIEMdPGI/AAAAAAAALXk/LupK_BHdcu8/s1600/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--TM-Oj0l-1E/UJLhIEMdPGI/AAAAAAAALXk/LupK_BHdcu8/s320/9.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VRC9nVH5ecc/UJLgFtfxPNI/AAAAAAAALWg/0BJnTbKSleA/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VRC9nVH5ecc/UJLgFtfxPNI/AAAAAAAALWg/0BJnTbKSleA/s320/10.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, I had to create the midsection that would fuse the top and bottom halves. I needed light card that could be easily curved around the shape of the head, so I again used cereal box-type cardboard. I measured the diameter of the head and the height it would need to be, and made a flat daisy-string type creation out of the card:</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o2CE0PLd1dQ/UJLinbXKzCI/AAAAAAAALXs/WVtHGjhTA1o/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o2CE0PLd1dQ/UJLinbXKzCI/AAAAAAAALXs/WVtHGjhTA1o/s400/15.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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In order to sandwich this between the two halves, I had to stack blu-rays to the appropriate height to rest the top half on...<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rTjyUTMyPog/UJLgWNP1cUI/AAAAAAAALWw/emQYvtVUs6E/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-rTjyUTMyPog/UJLgWNP1cUI/AAAAAAAALWw/emQYvtVUs6E/s320/12.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqeTP7AJ6Wo/UJLgdQ_3wEI/AAAAAAAALW4/lkuFRE3gdBo/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-UqeTP7AJ6Wo/UJLgdQ_3wEI/AAAAAAAALW4/lkuFRE3gdBo/s320/13.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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...which would support it until I could put the strip of card on securely:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wra9AoKdaRM/UJLgkR2azoI/AAAAAAAALXA/FQ3jCRCTiU0/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Wra9AoKdaRM/UJLgkR2azoI/AAAAAAAALXA/FQ3jCRCTiU0/s320/14.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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I would then apply one further layer of papier mache over the completed whole. I added some support to the inside, applying brown packing tape where the middle met both the top and bottom. This is because I was worried that it would begin to sag under the weight of the top half. </div>
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Once the head dried, I had to figure out exactly where I should cut the mouth hole. This was a vital step, as I would be seeing through the mouth. Once I had determined this, I did a crude drawing of the mouth and eyes to make sure I had the proportions correct:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sTWOGzehOU/UJLk0bOevmI/AAAAAAAALX0/BoQkjEXNz5c/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-0sTWOGzehOU/UJLk0bOevmI/AAAAAAAALX0/BoQkjEXNz5c/s400/16.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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Once I had the mouth cut out, I had to apply yet another layer of papier mache in order to tidy up where the incision. Then, the fun part: drawing the details and painting. Getting the colour right was challenging; we couldn't find the proper colour off the shelf, so had to mix our own. Given that we were making the arms from fabric (more on that later), we had to make sure that the colour between the paint and fabric was consistent. Here is the finished head (ashamedly completed and photographed at about 3:30pm on October 31st):</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vZpORkUQFY/UJLk7i0cp6I/AAAAAAAALX8/QWgyXsl8O08/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1vZpORkUQFY/UJLk7i0cp6I/AAAAAAAALX8/QWgyXsl8O08/s400/17.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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I left it until the last minute to decide whether or not I'd do the top hat; I decided not to owing to a combination of time constraints and my reticence in obscuring the stud. It is, after all, the quintessential feature of the Lego man. <b><i> </i></b></div>
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<b><i>Hers</i></b></div>
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Ciara's head was done in the same way, so there isn't too much of a need to repeat similar photographs. Instead, I'll concentrate on the key difference between our heads: the presence of a long maine of hair.</div>
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I basically made this in three pieces. The first was the ponytail, which was carved out of a long piece of styrofoam:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1COa6o8F1vw/UJLosO_3_rI/AAAAAAAALYY/N7iPwR6CUQc/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1COa6o8F1vw/UJLosO_3_rI/AAAAAAAALYY/N7iPwR6CUQc/s320/18.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvK_iFVkwYQ/UJLo15SzGMI/AAAAAAAALYo/r9Q7-DciFnw/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fvK_iFVkwYQ/UJLo15SzGMI/AAAAAAAALYo/r9Q7-DciFnw/s320/20.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEKIn-qE6zQ/UJLo5j65SBI/AAAAAAAALYw/z02bkg_MUVg/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aEKIn-qE6zQ/UJLo5j65SBI/AAAAAAAALYw/z02bkg_MUVg/s320/21.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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The fringe was then made from wire:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwcXR3DprnI/UJLpNexGamI/AAAAAAAALY4/BlxSNFNH15U/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BwcXR3DprnI/UJLpNexGamI/AAAAAAAALY4/BlxSNFNH15U/s320/22.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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And then the two were fused together by wire, comprising the third element:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ewFTDVIcoDA/UJLpjLncBVI/AAAAAAAALZA/iUHgrKXfYk0/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ewFTDVIcoDA/UJLpjLncBVI/AAAAAAAALZA/iUHgrKXfYk0/s320/23.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEhBLXCzhhc/UJLppgLMTRI/AAAAAAAALZI/3THxmk06rEk/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AEhBLXCzhhc/UJLppgLMTRI/AAAAAAAALZI/3THxmk06rEk/s320/24.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36rqvuVKbBE/UJLptj6sz5I/AAAAAAAALZQ/3xccYg70EW0/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-36rqvuVKbBE/UJLptj6sz5I/AAAAAAAALZQ/3xccYg70EW0/s320/25.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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When it was strong enough, I was able to pick up the hair as one solid piece: <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XD5pV5cvmPQ/UJLp0EjybtI/AAAAAAAALZY/_U5fwQbZRWg/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XD5pV5cvmPQ/UJLp0EjybtI/AAAAAAAALZY/_U5fwQbZRWg/s320/26.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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As with the heads, we applied card to create a smooth surface, and primed it for papier mache.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LFRqDdYGy7Q/UJLp5nADcpI/AAAAAAAALZg/4dYBXvm9rzI/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LFRqDdYGy7Q/UJLp5nADcpI/AAAAAAAALZg/4dYBXvm9rzI/s320/27.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Eventually arriving at:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dFQBq9GK5Q/UJLp8-zkQnI/AAAAAAAALZo/9AZQxmHnBKE/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--dFQBq9GK5Q/UJLp8-zkQnI/AAAAAAAALZo/9AZQxmHnBKE/s400/Untitled-1.jpg" height="400" width="270" /></a></div>
The head just had to be painted, a more straight forward endeavour this time, and it was done.<br />
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<b><u>The Bodies</u></b><br />
<b><i>His</i></b><br />
<i> </i><b><u> </u></b><br />
The first part I cut out was the top of the torso, and then drew a hole for my neck:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GfxWF4iDQiU/UJLtgEi53HI/AAAAAAAALaA/mbprApnJhBg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GfxWF4iDQiU/UJLtgEi53HI/AAAAAAAALaA/mbprApnJhBg/s320/1.jpg" height="285" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lJOqzbeasIY/UJLtjdxMWsI/AAAAAAAALaI/0oUwx8ZEWRc/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lJOqzbeasIY/UJLtjdxMWsI/AAAAAAAALaI/0oUwx8ZEWRc/s320/2.jpg" height="219" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--5biJx3eYeg/UJLtmHP764I/AAAAAAAALaQ/emiajJeNDSw/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--5biJx3eYeg/UJLtmHP764I/AAAAAAAALaQ/emiajJeNDSw/s320/3.jpg" height="242" width="320" /></a></div>
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I then cut out the main shape of the torso:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sfcl12_dpkI/UJLtpQHbdOI/AAAAAAAALaY/T5BvLizYhgc/s1600/5..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sfcl12_dpkI/UJLtpQHbdOI/AAAAAAAALaY/T5BvLizYhgc/s320/5..jpg" height="284" width="320" /></a></div>
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Then cut out the side pieces, and put them all together (after which I had to cut arm holes, but appear not to have a photo of this step):</div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wJLUJa7Az-U/UJLtsrBSdII/AAAAAAAALag/kRuFj6rCpnY/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wJLUJa7Az-U/UJLtsrBSdII/AAAAAAAALag/kRuFj6rCpnY/s320/6.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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Fast forward several weeks (the first part of the costume to be started; the second last to be finished) and I had a body. Again, photographs taken in late afternoon on Halloween day:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s10ZBhmzowk/UJLu2nL68rI/AAAAAAAALaw/U9GscLqsCpk/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-s10ZBhmzowk/UJLu2nL68rI/AAAAAAAALaw/U9GscLqsCpk/s400/7.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uN3B3OdQWNw/UJLu-A9aR7I/AAAAAAAALa4/gTGwuztAf6E/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uN3B3OdQWNw/UJLu-A9aR7I/AAAAAAAALa4/gTGwuztAf6E/s400/8.jpg" height="400" width="225" /></a></div>
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<i><b>Hers</b></i><br />
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As with the head, the torsos of the Bride and Groom shared the same method of construction. The significant difference between their bodies, however, was the addition of a skirt for the Bride. These were pretty simple cardboard cutouts:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UWURyUCtsJo/UJLxNInNq8I/AAAAAAAALbg/QR9a0mxLfuQ/s1600/9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UWURyUCtsJo/UJLxNInNq8I/AAAAAAAALbg/QR9a0mxLfuQ/s320/9.jpg" height="320" width="217" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FrDEH5zGekg/UJLxBA34V9I/AAAAAAAALbA/sAOn_JZd6n4/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-FrDEH5zGekg/UJLxBA34V9I/AAAAAAAALbA/sAOn_JZd6n4/s320/10.jpg" height="320" width="267" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5xmXjahm-8/UJLxEDn1oGI/AAAAAAAALbI/-r8TU7H5x-Y/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-v5xmXjahm-8/UJLxEDn1oGI/AAAAAAAALbI/-r8TU7H5x-Y/s320/11.jpg" height="320" width="169" /></a></div>
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Combined with the torso (views from the front and side):<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O4JNkiLmRA4/UJLxHtJY3mI/AAAAAAAALbQ/Bc89iHdEOnU/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-O4JNkiLmRA4/UJLxHtJY3mI/AAAAAAAALbQ/Bc89iHdEOnU/s320/12.jpg" height="320" width="141" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWGu_Ce3IXc/UJLxK_wXdII/AAAAAAAALbY/I4Zkv0Xnn7M/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWGu_Ce3IXc/UJLxK_wXdII/AAAAAAAALbY/I4Zkv0Xnn7M/s320/13.jpg" height="320" width="158" /></a></div>
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To rest the torso on the skirt, we made corresponding 'shelves' from cardboard on each piece:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qGotmmeAsxc/UJLygzNZTEI/AAAAAAAALbo/PKlbenHL44c/s1600/2012-10-12+21.05.46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qGotmmeAsxc/UJLygzNZTEI/AAAAAAAALbo/PKlbenHL44c/s320/2012-10-12+21.05.46.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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We weren't satisfied by how solid these were, so we applied some reinforcement by screwing L-shaped pieces of cardboard which had the robustness of wood. Ciara wore the costume by attaching a pair of suspenders to the skirt, and resting the torso on it (using velcro to keep it stable):</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mwLZOoqE_vM/UJL0A1yp8TI/AAAAAAAALbw/Y62u8sLCqYo/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mwLZOoqE_vM/UJL0A1yp8TI/AAAAAAAALbw/Y62u8sLCqYo/s320/14.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> </span></div>
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After layers of papier mache we were able to draw on the very intricate details of the torso and skirt, and finish by painting them:</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kOvJr3DOO4/UJL0SBkq9LI/AAAAAAAALb4/lbJ2IA4iFDI/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6kOvJr3DOO4/UJL0SBkq9LI/AAAAAAAALb4/lbJ2IA4iFDI/s400/15.jpg" height="400" width="245" /> </a></div>
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<u><b>The Legs</b></u></div>
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Given that the Bride had a skirt, this step applies only to the Groom. And mercifully; if there was one part of the costume I would chosen to not have to repeat, it would be these guys. While I was delighted with the outcome (though I am my harshest critic, and I think the scale might just have been <i>slightly</i> disproportionate in length to the torso), they were hard work.<u><b> </b></u> </div>
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I decided that because of their complex shape, I would have to make the construction of the legs modular. As such, here are the blueprints (<u>not</u> a regular feature of my costume - I tend to wing it more than I care to admit - but here I felt it was a necessary step) which were pretty much followed to the letter (click for the original size):</div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XZmUV-nPpA/UJL1e0OhHPI/AAAAAAAALcA/RCyQ0sv-YqI/s1600/Legs+Blueprint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5XZmUV-nPpA/UJL1e0OhHPI/AAAAAAAALcA/RCyQ0sv-YqI/s400/Legs+Blueprint.jpg" height="312" width="400" /></a></div>
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No need to talk through these steps in the presence of those blueprints, but here is how the legs progressed:</div>
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<u><b>Arms & Hands</b></u><br />
<i><b>His & Hers</b></i><u><i><b> </b></i></u><br />
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This is the sole part of the costume that did not contain any discrepancies between the happy couple. The hands were straight forward enough in the end; I cut the side pieces (first image, below) out of strong, rigid cardboard, and cut the curves out of that familiar flexible cereal box card (second image). We each measured a (very) rough diameter of the other's fist, and cut a corresponding hole out of both the front and back pieces. We finished the hands with a layer of papier mache and paint. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uya5DVnXQlE/UJL6XXTEtrI/AAAAAAAALdk/E8XsnMHht-A/s1600/2012-10-29+00.07.00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uya5DVnXQlE/UJL6XXTEtrI/AAAAAAAALdk/E8XsnMHht-A/s320/2012-10-29+00.07.00.jpg" height="300" width="320" /> </a> </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cX5-1GnUNg/UJL6ajASbKI/AAAAAAAALds/9YcyV-aK1Sk/s1600/2012-10-29+00.21.08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5cX5-1GnUNg/UJL6ajASbKI/AAAAAAAALds/9YcyV-aK1Sk/s400/2012-10-29+00.21.08.jpg" height="400" width="285" /></a></div>
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The arms were Ciara's baby and I wouldn't embarrass myself or do her an injustice by explaining in detail how she created them. But here are a couple of pictures:</div>
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The key feature we wanted to work into the design was padding. If we
had just used our own bare arms, the scale would have become completely
out of whack. In order to maintain flexibility (while we were figuring
this out I suggested making rigid arms out of wire and papier mache, but
the suggestion went down like a lead balloon), fabric and stuffing was
ultimately used in construction. As the pictures show, wadding was
sandwiched between two lengths of fabric. While I don't have a picture
of the final couple of steps, this pillow-like formation was wrapped
around our arms to calculate where to stitch the seam. When it was
stitched, it was turned inside out to hide the seam.<br />
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And
that pretty much brings me to the end of the costume-making chronology.
The work took the bones of two months, though there was a
disproportionate amount of work done towards the end. I wish I had taken
a photo of my own costume as it was when I woke up on Halloween morning
(Ciara's was more advanced having done Trojan work on it the previous
day, as she had less time for panic-building on the day itself) so that I
could properly convey the final rush. </div>
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Hopefully more
photos will populate this post soon as they start to roll in from
extraneous sources (taking photos ourselves wasn't the easiest of
tasks). <br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sr1hXQZRCA/UJK0zfmeksI/AAAAAAAALVc/_YhFtSXcKfM/s1600/317230_10151527628004128_356774034_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--sr1hXQZRCA/UJK0zfmeksI/AAAAAAAALVc/_YhFtSXcKfM/s640/317230_10151527628004128_356774034_n.jpg" height="640" width="478" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-46726743233585053502012-11-01T10:48:00.002-07:002012-11-01T10:48:57.982-07:00Halloween 2012<div style="text-align: justify;">
One day, one day I'll actually have my costume done before October 31st so that I'm not running around like a headless chicken on the day. But then again, maybe that 11th hour panic is all part of the festive fun. I woke up yesterday morning to a costume which looked much as it did in my previous entry's photograph. In reality a lot more work had been done (particularly the creation of arms and hands, which had been a lingering worry as we hadn't figured them out until the bank holiday weekend), but the lion's share of decoration still needed to be completed. </div>
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But ultimately we got there, after a day of painting and blow-drying in what often felt like an interminable cycle. The structural issues were put firmly to the test when we finally made our way into town; the walk from the car park to the club took the bones of 30 minutes, where it would take 5 minutes for somebody not laden in several kilos of costume (and whose legs were not obscured by cardboard surrogates). </div>
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The night went very well; as always, good fun was to be had in the club which always attracts the best costumes in the city. People seemed very appreciative of the effort put in as well, which is always gratifying. It was hard to get around (cardboard legs and a club full of stairs is a bad combination) so it was hard to get into the thick of festivities at times, but in the latter part of the night we were able to put our costumes backstage in order to get more involved with the night's action. That was, I'm hugely satisfied to say, after we'd been on stage having been announced as winners of this year's competition. A nice cash prize and this guy to bring home:</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-873iWKxePps/UJK1Jc84naI/AAAAAAAALVk/HcsEz4FPbYk/s1600/2012-11-01+16.53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-873iWKxePps/UJK1Jc84naI/AAAAAAAALVk/HcsEz4FPbYk/s640/2012-11-01+16.53.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>
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I plan on doing a write up on how the bride and groom were constructed, but allow me to skip a few several steps to show you the final costumes:</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-76746255033836052872012-10-29T03:32:00.001-07:002012-10-29T03:32:51.764-07:00Flying in the Face of TraditionThe bride and groom aren't supposed to see each other when they're getting ready for the big day...but I just had to arrange this little preview.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jf7_VJRUS68/UI5bMgQwWcI/AAAAAAAALVE/CjQi9bB_rCE/s1600/IMG_3560.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Jf7_VJRUS68/UI5bMgQwWcI/AAAAAAAALVE/CjQi9bB_rCE/s640/IMG_3560.JPG" width="386" /></a></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-65044689781343992502012-10-28T08:09:00.000-07:002012-10-28T08:09:12.434-07:00Til Undeath Do You PartWell, they're getting closer to the big zombie betrothal. Only a couple of structural issues left, and then we're onto the blissful decorative portion of costume making. The painting is always my favourite part, which is a pity because it's always confined to the last couple of panicked days. My guy does have finished legs too, but they don't support the weight of the body on their own. Another issue to figure out...<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FhKCmeeabwU/UI1H6ZR58xI/AAAAAAAALUw/YlQH7a2bm7g/s1600/Untitled-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FhKCmeeabwU/UI1H6ZR58xI/AAAAAAAALUw/YlQH7a2bm7g/s640/Untitled-3.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iDsCs53hnww/UI1HwrvMoXI/AAAAAAAALUo/AtF8x__eBFM/s1600/Untitled-1_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-iDsCs53hnww/UI1HwrvMoXI/AAAAAAAALUo/AtF8x__eBFM/s640/Untitled-1_edited-1.jpg" width="430" /></a></div>
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("Undeath" seemed like an erroneous title, given that they are already undead, but Google failed to provide the answer. Unlife?)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-25989783013035918112012-10-21T08:57:00.001-07:002012-10-21T10:04:11.169-07:00Sticking to what you know<div style="text-align: justify;">
Most of the best LEGO costumes I've seen have followed a similar method for making the head: a base and a top both made from styrofoam, with a strip of card folding around the diameter sandwiched between them. If that's not the best explanation, than see for yourself: two of my personal favourites can be found <a href="http://aprilynpodd.tumblr.com/post/14928847993/how-i-made-my-lego-man-costume-part-3">here</a> and <a href="http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/coolest-homemade-lego-minifigures-group-costume-18.html">here</a>. </div>
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Just about every costume I've done so far has prominently featured wire. Wire is great because it's almost limitless in what it can be shaped to. However, the method discussed above made a lot of sense. In previous costumes, wire was a good option because the head shapes were intricate. The head of a LEGO minifigure is quite straight forward, making styrofoam more appealing; the only work one would have to do is taper the edges into smooth curves. Furthermore, the infamous head is so smooth and free of imperfections I felt that it would be impossible to replicate that smoothness using the wire method. As well as it has served me, a smooth finish it does not always make. </div>
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With this in mind, I decided to opt for styrofoam. I had enough to do the neck, which was straight forward and turned out as well as I'd hoped (see <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2012/09/breathing-unlife-into-halloween-2012.html">here</a>). After this, I only had enough foam to make a start on the base; however, a start was all I could make. Days after making this start, I began to resent the difficulties I appeared to be having in sourcing more styrofoam for the project. In the end, I felt that I had to start thinking about contingencies. With this in mind, I began to experiment with a wire frame. </div>
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This has so far proven to be quite fruitful, to the extent that I have abandoned my search for styrofoam. The smoothness issue I feared was addressed by overlaying the wire frame with very light cardboard (the flexible type that cereals are typically packaged in). Despite substituting styrofoam for wire, I have followed the base/top method outlined above. Here is a quick pictorial rundown of the progress so far (written instructions will eventually follow):</div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG3qI3SUHZc/UIQZhieEtlI/AAAAAAAALSI/qAbthhaQOIk/s1600/2012-10-18+21.50.35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lego homemade costume head" border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RG3qI3SUHZc/UIQZhieEtlI/AAAAAAAALSI/qAbthhaQOIk/s320/2012-10-18+21.50.35.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pj5e5ayCphI/UIQZo8K-f5I/AAAAAAAALSQ/gSU-aXqcYXE/s1600/2012-10-19+21.57.16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lego homemade costume head" border="0" height="180" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pj5e5ayCphI/UIQZo8K-f5I/AAAAAAAALSQ/gSU-aXqcYXE/s320/2012-10-19+21.57.16.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-12003659562959936972012-10-21T03:23:00.000-07:002012-10-21T10:07:19.287-07:00Change is as good as a rest<div style="text-align: justify;">
...or something along those lines, I believe. In an unprecedented move, I have changed my costume idea only a couple of short weeks before the big day (short weeks at the time I conceptualised the change; I'm avoiding eye contact with the calendar as I write this sentence).
When I say that I have changed the costume idea, I don't mean wholesale changes; I mean more superficial ones. At the core, the costume is the same: I am still making what promises to be an unwieldy representation of a LEGO minifigure. Moreover, I am still making what promises to be an unwieldy but hopefully amusing LEGO <i>zombie</i>. Only the plastic shuffler will be different zombie from what I had planned.</div>
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When The LEGO Group released the Minifigures line in 2010 we were treated to the inaugural LEGO zombie minfigure. As I referenced a couple of posts back, this guy fast became a fan favourite and pretty hot property in the after-market. In 2012, however, TLG added to the portfolio of macabre minfigures with the release of the <i>Monster Fighters</i> line. Perhaps taking notes from the popularity of the original zombie, the theme contained a number of undead variants. This, in itself, didn't have too much of a bearing on my choice of zombie for Halloween purposes. However, when my girlfriend began her own search for a costume, a lightbulb was switched on somewhere above my head. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Introducing The Zombies: Mr. and Mrs.</td></tr>
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This delightful couple appeared in set 9465: The Zombies. With Ciara in
search of a costume, they came to mind as having the potential to be
our first ever group-costume (indeed we have had some spectacular
mismatches over the years; none more pronounced than my T-1000 in tow
with her Guido from Pixar's <i>Cars</i>). </div>
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Thankfully the transition from one zombie to another was smooth. I had not yet progressed beyond what I detailed in my <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.ie/2012/09/breathing-unlife-into-halloween-2012.html">previous post</a>, and the core of the costume would be the same. I have now gone further with the costume, but I am still on the core elements rather than the decorative. Accordingly, I still have some design issues to negotiate. Specifically, I am now revisiting the idea of completely changing from the original zombie to the undead bridegroom. Instead, I am leaning towards an amalgamation which might look something like this:</div>
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Now, the purist in me feels like it should be one or the other. But logic dictates that this amalgamation would make the most sense for a number of reasons. Fundamentally, the original zombie's mouth is open wider. Given that I will be seeing through the mouth, this is very important. Besides, the amount of people on the night who would know the difference is minimal. </div>
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The only real debatable point is the top hat; on the one hand, it highlights that the zombie is part of an undead wedding party. Seeing this version without the Bride by his side might not necessarily tell you this. On the other hand, including the top hat would hide the stud on this head: <i>the</i> quintessential feature of the LEGO minfigure. Given that I'm already deviating from tradition with grey rather than yellow skin, a part of me is worried that it might not be immediately identifiable as a LEGO minfigure full stop without it. This is one that I'm still negotiating, but mercifcully progress has been good and I have to decide pretty imminently.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-41860705354009369122012-09-30T12:02:00.002-07:002012-11-03T05:36:05.681-07:00Breathing Unlife into Halloween 2012<div style="text-align: justify;">
Last year, I only managed to write my first entry 15 days before the big day; but I was knee deep in bits of wire that would ultimately become the Mayor much earlier than my tardiness would have you believe. My typical rule of thumb when it comes to Halloween is if I haven't started in August, it's time for panic stations. Going by this mantra, I should have been borderline hysterical by now. However, despite not starting until well into September, the costume has been ticking along rather nicely indeed. I'll keep all details until the final write-up, but here is a quick pictorial progress report on the work so far: </div>
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Will be gorging on brick brains in no time! </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-85406695342783606052012-08-25T07:56:00.003-07:002013-08-25T03:17:26.152-07:00Halloween 2012 will be Bricktacular<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I intimated in my last post that I was looking forward to having a clean costume slate and having generations of pop culture to derive an idea from. Well, I now renounce that anticipation as folly and naive. It shouldn't have happened, but I have struggled for ideas. A Google document I opened several months ago for brainstorming purposes has remained pitifully unpopulated. However, I have been forced to give the issue greater thought as the days start falling off the calendar; building season is already upon us.<br />
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Full disclosure: I am an unashamed LEGO fanatic. I have a modest collection by most hardcore AFOL (adult fan of LEGO) standards, but quite possibly a ridiculous collection by the standards of most normal 25 year-olds. According to <a href="http://www.brickset.com/">Brickset</a> the tally is 71 sets spanning some 25,000 pieces. Among those sets are seven series of the Minifigures theme (better known by their unofficial title of 'collectable minifigures', or CMFs). The CMF line was introduced in May 2010. The premise: 16 unique minifigures (of diverse archetypes, derived from historical figures, pop culture, sports, and numerous other walks of life) packaged in opaque bags so the collector has to buy 'blind', not knowing which minifigure he or she is getting. As the story goes, The LEGO Company underestimated the demand that this theme would generate, and as a result demand far outstripped supply in certain territories; supposedly US collectors in particular suffered; making Series 1 extremely hot property. In the aftermarket full sets of 16 have been selling for in excess of €100 even with the bags opened (judging from a courtesy glance at a few eBay auctions in recent months). The minifigures command a recommended retail price of €2.49 (varying slightly depending on retailer mark-ups and territorial variances) netting you around two-and-a-half times what you spent if you managed to secure a set. </div>
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Anyway, enough collecting and reselling talk. The relevance to the current article is this: one of the 16 Series 1 minifigures was the first ever LEGO zombie. The zombie proved to be ridiculously popular; between its general awesomeness and the scarcity of Series 1, it fetched (and continues to do so) in excess of five times its RRP in the aftermarket. Here he is in all his glory:</div>
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I've often thought of doing something LEGO-related for Halloween. I like to combine hobbies; I regularly do so with LEGO and photography (the above image being a product of it) and I always felt that it would be fun to do so with Halloween. When I was trying to figure out Halloween-appropriate ideas that would involve LEGO, this charming fella popped into my mind. With this in mind, I present my Halloween costume for 2012. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-74394207156078968962012-03-16T18:11:00.000-07:002012-08-25T02:30:49.389-07:00Concerning the Conceptualisation of Costumes...<div style="text-align: justify;">
It's a shame that the nature of this blog leaves it dormant for much of the year. During those months between finishing one costume and the frenzy of starting the next, subject matter is thin on the ground. This year, my aim is to augment the usual August(ish) to November activity with a bit of extra content; by articulating some of the brainstorming activity that typically goes into new a costume idea. </div>
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Last year such an exercise would have been superfluous. The idea of portraying <i>The Nightmare Before Christmas'</i> Mayor of Halloweentown had carried over from 2010 when I had started but prematurely ended the project (or rather postponed, as it turned out) in favour of <i>Toy Story 2</i> figure Emporer Zurg. That the <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/11/fully-built-mayor-of-halloweentown.html">Mayor costume</a> was a culmination of some two years' work (with a temporary hiatus to focus on <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2010/11/zurg-chronology.html">Zurg</a>) ultimately made it a more satisfying piece of work. However, having it designated as the next costume after Halloween 2010 meant that there was no blank canvas on which to paint a new idea. That type of clean slate, where the only limitation is the extent of pop culture icons in existence, feels extremely liberating after spending months pouring your heart and soul into one character. </div>
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I have never really had to formalise my thought processes behind picking a costume idea (that I have such a process in itself is probably enough to make many despair) but the following are some attributes which I pay attention to: </div>
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<b>1) Advantages/Disadvantages</b></div>
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Not a whole lot of elaboration needs to be made here. Typical advantages might include practicality (an advantage seldom enjoyed) - if the costume is easy to move in, if it is easily transportable, if it doesn't obscure any important faculties (peripheral vision is invariably the first to be sacrificed). Disadvantages typically include the reverse of those advantages outlined above; with additions like vulnerability (water resistance is a big plus in Ireland) and the extent of costume obscurity (see #4).</div>
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<b>2) Ridiculousness</b></div>
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Depending on how far you go, this can represent potential advantages and disadvantages. I've learned that bigger = better in the eyes of judges, and it is quite hard to get yourself noticed unless you pose at least a minor fire hazard (see #8). In 2006 I was extremely chuffed and quite humbled by peoples' reaction to my <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2010/12/retrospective-builds-part-1-ash-evil.html">Ash costume</a>; but a mini cult following wasn't enough to secure a place on the final shortlist. Of course, going too far in the other direction may garner plenty of recognition but stunt your capacity to enjoy the social element of the night. My 2008 <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/06/retrospective-builds-part-3-alien.html">Xenomorph costume</a> was <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zvFH_FVwoak/Te0WRcb8SMI/AAAAAAAAKhc/3djBUlQ5J50/s1600/batle.jpg">accompanied by a Power Loader costume</a> donned by a friend whose mobility was quite a bit more confined than my own. The same friend followed up this effort with a portrayal of the <i>Discworld </i>series' Luggage; and subsequently didn't hear his name being announced as competition winner because the pub bouncers kept him confined to the most remote of corners in the building. A delicate balancing act is thus crucial. </div>
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<b>3) Costume precedence</b></div>
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I have yet to come up with an idea that hasn't been done and documented on the Web. Of course, a certain level of precedence is important to serve as reference material (see #5) but too much of a precedent can make you feel like you're flogging a well-beaten horse. There is also the likelihood of 'costume surplus' in any given year to consider; source materials which were particularly prominent in the public eye throughout the year are likely to be targeted excessively for costume ideas (see costumes of <i>The Joker</i> on Halloween 2008, when venues all over the world became giant clown cars).</div>
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<b>4) Relevance of theme/Pop culture significance</b></div>
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For the first couple of years of my Halloween-celebrating renaissance I lived by one fundamental rule: Halloween costumes should be derived from horror-related source material. I felt that the spirit of Halloween wasn't <i>quite</i> captured by the usual excess of pirates, sexy cops, and slutty nurses. I was even slightly judgemental of the more unique ideas that weren't at least vaguely horror-themed (my <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/02/retrospective-builds-part-2-predator.html">Predator</a>, Alien, and <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/09/fully-built-part-4-t-1000.html">T-1000</a> portrayals may have been more sci-fi oriented but I defy anyone to say that they weren't fear-inspiring antagonists in their respective films). This principle was first challenged in 2010 when the idea of Emporer Zurg was pitched to me by my girlfriend and, as far from horror-themed as it was, the idea was too captivating to resist. The Mayor of Halloweentown may not have boasted the <i>scary</i> element
either, but the Halloween relevance was abundantly evident (and extremely satisfactory as Danny Elfman's film score boomed throughout the venue several times on the night). </div>
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As distinct from Halloween relevance, the pop culture significance of a costume is an important consideration. Obscure costumes can be somewhat advantageous if they challenge onlookers to decode exactly 'what it is'. However, representing a character from source material which is too far into the realm of cult following can result in a deficiency of recognition. While that might not bother some (and I genuinely applaud those to whom this applies) I cannot pretend that I don't enjoy every second of fanfare that a well-executed costume can bring. If a well-executed costume doesn't garner fanfare, this is one potential cause. </div>
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<b>5) Ease of access to reference material</b></div>
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The pervasiveness of blogs, content aggregators, search engines, and the internets in general make this a minor concern. As noted under <i>costume precedence</i>, there aren't many costumes that haven't been conceptualised and documented somewhere else online. Such a presence is important in those early stages when an idea is being contemplated; its feasibility, the likelihood that it will look any good, the different approaches people have taken in fashioning the costume, and so on. As for source material access, all of my ideas so far have been derived from popular film franchises which have made this somewhat of a non-issue. Pouring over film scenes on DVD and Blu-ray has proven to be an invaluable source of instruction, and the more significant pop-culture icons have a greater presence across image searches online (important when you need to find images of inocuous body parts or ancillary materials). </div>
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<b>6) Suitability of required skill sets</b></div>
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Crafting a Halloween costume tends to call on a variety of aptitudes and knowledge/skill sets. Often, ideas conceptualised are too ambitious to be followed through on. Both my Predator and Alien costumes, for example, carried details which strenuously pushed the boundaries of my own skill; the laser-sighted cannon on Predator, and the mechanical inner mouth of the Alien. Thankfully I was able to call on those around me with a greater aptitude in these areas, and with some invaluable help I was able to negotiate the discrepancies between my ambition and technical limitations. Similarly, a significant portion of both Zurg and the Mayor's constructions required the skills of a seamstress, and neither costume would have been a possibility without those given to the project by my dedicated girlfriend. Calling on those around me to contribute skills outside of my own has proven to be an invaluable part of costume construction; but it is important that the bulk of the project is within your own sphere of skills and knowledge so that you can work to your own devices more than having to depend on others. <br />
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<b>7) Overall projected difficulty</b></div>
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This piece of criteria is largely derived from those described above. Costumes which attain a healthy level of ridiculousness (as outlined in #2) are naturally associated with more complicated and intricate constructions, and therefore greater difficulty. In addition to building challenges, logistical difficulties can arise if the ridiculousness is a function of the costume's size. Difficulty is also conditioned by the skill/knowledge prerequisites involved in making a given costume, as explored in #6. If several design aspects take you out of your comfort zone it naturally creates difficulties. Finally, the level of difficulty can be amplified or minimised by the amount of free time you have in the months building up to Halloween. Looking retrospectively at my T-1000 costume I've always felt that I could have made a stronger attempt; until I remind myself that construction-season was timed inopportunely as I started to arrive at the business-end of my Masters degree. <br />
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<b>8) Competition winning credentials </b><br />
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Sure, I try to always enjoy the occasion for what it is: a chance to dress up obscenely and have an all-round good night with friends. But when the crafting element of Halloween is your hobby, it is hard not to let costume construction become the main event and let the social side become incidental. Moreover, it is hard not to become competitive when you have spent innumerable hours working on your costume. In my eyes, competition-winning credentials stem primarily from two other considerations which have been explored in this article: the level of <i>ridiculousness</i> that your costume represents (see #2), and its <i>pop-culture significance</i> (see #4).<br />
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With these criteria in mind I have already begun to think in earnest of what costume I will be donning this year. I felt rather burned out towards the latter stages of the Mayor's construction, and November 1st felt like a sweet release when it arrived. However, on those days where the creativity bone starts to itch, I start to miss those days as if I were a former hostage experiencing a classic case of Stockholm Syndrome. Indeed, the time taken to create this post reflects that disposition as I begin to look enthusiastically at the horizon ahead. I hope to make time to dedicate further entries to some of the stronger candidates for Halloween 2012; before the first length of wire is snipped in anger and the fun, frenzy, and heartache of construction is upon us again.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-869524832720029046.post-25388643057195427072011-11-11T09:01:00.001-08:002012-10-21T10:16:49.878-07:00Fully Built: Mike Wazowski!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMdK-GLRTnE11vZ8HPlH6FaXHG9ftmfBWOM8sPW7rNngPehm-KwjcKi7qU8CJ3N84D3seEZy8W3jvTnJ6MKGxXQuZe5VciREOgg-6oYFGUMM-5WgntffvhbYx0EP2K-iwXip8oWky_HY/s1600/MikeWazowski3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mike wazowski monsters inc" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTMdK-GLRTnE11vZ8HPlH6FaXHG9ftmfBWOM8sPW7rNngPehm-KwjcKi7qU8CJ3N84D3seEZy8W3jvTnJ6MKGxXQuZe5VciREOgg-6oYFGUMM-5WgntffvhbYx0EP2K-iwXip8oWky_HY/s320/MikeWazowski3.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
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<i>Step 1: Take your Mr. Potato Head costume from last year's Halloween ball. </i></div>
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Given that the above was our first actual step towards building this costume, it makes this post tricky in terms of making it a full instructible article.</div>
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Last year, my girlfriend Ciara decided to continue the Halloween Pixar theme she had begun a year previously (having crafted a portrayal of Guido from <i>Cars</i>) by creating a <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/09/fully-built-mr-potato-head.html" target="_blank">Mr. Potato Head costume</a>.</div>
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This year, the decision process was a little more laborious as we struggled to come up with a good idea between us. That was until eight days before Halloween, when Ciara decided to further perpetuate the now traditional Pixar theme by constructing a Mike Wazowski costume.</div>
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Initially we agreed that applying papier mache to an exercise ball would be the best way to create the body. However, upon finding other costumes that were constructed in this way, we were underwhelmed by the results. Moreover, it made us realise that Mike is not a perfect circle, so using an exercise ball is an inherently flawed approach. He's more of an egg shape, which would make his construction a little trickier. My mind raced back to the construction of Mr. Potato Head's body, which was created from scratch during a sometimes arduous process of wire framing. Given how close we were to Halloween, I wasn't sure we had the time to repeat this process with Mike's construction. Then the thought hit me - could Mr. Potato Head's body be used as a base for creating Mike? The idea for reusing Potato Head had been pitched to me a few weeks earlier, when I was figuring out how to create the body for <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/11/fully-built-mayor-of-halloweentown.html" target="_blank">my own costume</a>. I didn't think it was quite right for that purpose, but felt that it was potentially a good fit for Ciara's Mike costume. </div>
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We took the somewhat beaten Mr. Potato Head from the attic (it had endured a tough time on its night out a year previously) and my hopes were dampened a little: this would need a lot of work. However, as Ciara tried it on, I started to form a mental image of Mike's features imposed onto the bruised and dented papier mache construct. I started to believe that this really would work after all. </div>
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To begin restoring the integrity of the body, we began to apply strips of wire from tip to base all the way round: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5_6qNcd8Vwrmc41wopcdAmZgxn8_HlZageMY4hPcCC1MqTo8OUhf1E07StGFUWt9y3gKMwGxiTEWihzUjtGbLE4KKzcwXOFx8q66nKrvX9VJM1sD2nqMsQWYNtXo_FjCWBCgG5Qw-Hs/s1600/IMG_0346.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mike wazowski monsters inc costume" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU5_6qNcd8Vwrmc41wopcdAmZgxn8_HlZageMY4hPcCC1MqTo8OUhf1E07StGFUWt9y3gKMwGxiTEWihzUjtGbLE4KKzcwXOFx8q66nKrvX9VJM1sD2nqMsQWYNtXo_FjCWBCgG5Qw-Hs/s400/IMG_0346.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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To fill in the dents and gaps, we began covering the entire body with flexible, light cardboard (cereal boxes, pizza boxes and whatever else we could get our hands on). This would also serve to give the body a smoother consistency; Mr Potato Head's somewhat misshapen figure was partially by design, but Mike's body would need to be more rounded:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgLOoBNxn_WUAg4SplY-RisAflZZeCEyDRj7erxmZHnVsG4zy_DHqvUNsfQyK15uBbE5xtczH1fGjmQrC0F4mOLLbUQyXYQN_9gqFSEg2eWKCNntHfxRLzohtoOLX17wSOmuViMeiGgI/s1600/IMG_0352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mike wazowski monsters inc costume" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRgLOoBNxn_WUAg4SplY-RisAflZZeCEyDRj7erxmZHnVsG4zy_DHqvUNsfQyK15uBbE5xtczH1fGjmQrC0F4mOLLbUQyXYQN_9gqFSEg2eWKCNntHfxRLzohtoOLX17wSOmuViMeiGgI/s400/IMG_0352.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was positively giddy when we finished this step, because it was like a different construct. It was becoming increasingly easy to visualise Mike's puffy eyeball centred on the front, where Mr. Potato Head's removable features lay a year previously. <br />
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Next up, Ciara applied the first layer of papier mache. When that dried, she crumpled up strips of newspaper to make Mike's eyelid, as we wanted the eye to be 3D rather than simply painted on. The eyelid was attached through working it into the next layer of papier mache:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-As-3vyer01Q/Tr1o3OXv8XI/AAAAAAAALDQ/A_E_QNOGIkU/s1600/IMG_0354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mike wazowski monsters inc costume" border="0" height="266" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-As-3vyer01Q/Tr1o3OXv8XI/AAAAAAAALDQ/A_E_QNOGIkU/s400/IMG_0354.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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To make the eye itself, Ciara cut out a circular piece of cardboard (measured against the diameter of the eyelid she had created). This was stuffed with newspaper and covered over with masking tape, before having its own layer of papier mache applied (his horns were made in the same way). It was then put aside until the body was painted, before ultimately being attached with velcro. For his mouth, we first drew a pencil outline of where it should be (made easier by virtue of having his eyelid in place). Ciara then created lips using the same method as that used for his eyelid; he was ready for painting. </div>
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While Mike was being painted, we were able to get to work on the other elements of the costume. Part of this involved a shopping trip to get a green top, pants and gloves. It appeared to be impossible to find a consistent shade of green across all apparel items, but ultimately I think this limitation was lost among the rest of his detail. </div>
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After the shopping element to the build, we had to get to work on one further piece of crafting: his feet. We created the feet using a similar method to that which I used for my <a href="http://popculturecostumes.blogspot.com/2011/06/retrospective-builds-part-3-alien.html" target="_blank">Alien</a> feet 3 years previously. Using an old pair of runners that were deemed expendable, we attached pieces of copper wire insulation to create the texture for his feet. The toe-nails were then created from crumpled pieces of newspaper pulp, moulded to shape and taped on. Once the basic shape of each foot was created and held together with masking tape, a layer of papier mache was applied to solidify them. Each one was then painted using the same shade of green as the body (with the toe-nails painted white).</div>
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The next order of business was Mike's factory hard hat. Ciara wanted to strike a balance whereby her head wasn't sticking out of the body all night (possibly reducing the impact of the costume) but at the same time not being couped up in something restrictive all night. With these criteria in mind, we decided to use the same method as we had for Mr. Potato Head: create his hat with a subtle window for seeing through. </div>
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It was tricky to get the proportions of the hat right; an obstacle that also had to be negotiated for the costume's predecessor (we ultimately had to turn Potato Head's bowler hat into a top hat). The reason for this was that the hat had to be big enough to cover an entire human head. Earlier on in the process we thought we had a solution; put the arm holes further down the body, which would in turn raise the body a few inches up so that Ciara was only peering out the top. This way, we would only have to make a hat big enough to cover half of her head. Ultimately, however, this plan was doomed to fail because 1) The body got progressively wider from the top to middle, which meant that the arm holes would not rest on Ciara's shoulders, and 2) the body would be too far raised, making the legs look all wrong proportionately. </div>
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In the end we went for a combination of wire and cardboard. I cut out the base in cardboard, upon which a wire frame would be built. For the front of the hat (the protruding element that contains the <i>Monsters, Inc.</i> logo) I cut out a separate piece of cardboard which would be later attached to the framework. We painted the <i>Monsters, Inc.</i> logo onto it, cutting out a hole where the eye in the logo rests. This would be Ciara's window to the world. The eye is supposed to be black, so we cut out material from a pair of tights and sellotaped it on from the back; giving it the illusion of being black, but transparent enough for Ciara to see through (the photos may not do a great job of outlining each step; these were taken at around 3-5pm on Halloween afternoon, and the pressure was on): </div>
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We were now so close to finishing the job, with precious few hours to go. We carefully drew Mike's teeth onto the body in pencil, in between the lips that Ciara had already created with newspaper pulp. Once we were happy with their placement, we went over the pencil outline in pen and applied a coat of white paint to them. We then painted the gaping part of his mouth black, and his trademark smile was complete. The eye was attached onto the body through a combination of velcro and double sided tape (the surface of the eye and the surface of the body were not even enough to apply glue). We then attached the horns (again through double sided tape) and we were done:</div>
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Once the paint had dried, Ciara was able to try on the costume and we were finally able to see the results of our intense week of construction:</div>
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Ciara was shortlisted for Best Costume, so we got to share the stage together which was fitting. While the Mayor ultimately took home the prize, it felt like a victory for us both given how collaborative the process of both costumes was. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9L_r_fBhW1M/Tr5Tk4Dxn5I/AAAAAAAALFg/82iLchqCkAg/s1600/DSCF0044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="mike wazowski monsters inc costume" border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9L_r_fBhW1M/Tr5Tk4Dxn5I/AAAAAAAALFg/82iLchqCkAg/s640/DSCF0044.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16807391384188357130noreply@blogger.com0