Costume construction

[on:]

Hi.  I've done some searching, but nothing has turned up any threads about making character costumes (though I found one that documented an exceptional Bender getup).

With Halloween fast approaching, I'd like to see such a thread, especially as pertains to Bender & Zoidberg costumes, which would require much more than wigs and clothing (and prosthetic eyeballs).

Here are some of my initial thoughts:

Fry--Red jacket, white T-shirt, blue jeans, tennis shoes.  Easy!  The tricky part would be getting a red wig and then styling/gelling it to get that unique stick-up in front (as well as the cowlick in back).

Leela--A long, purple wig (shouldn't be too hard to find) or one spray-painted purple, a white tank top, black slacks and black boots.  You'd have to make the armband, of course, but little cardboard, spraypaint and model paint could do the trick.  The most difficult part would be the eye construction/application.  It should be opaque, yet allow the wearer to see.  Perhaps a white mesh fabric?

Amy and Hermes costumes (& wigs) are the easiest of all, especially if you are the same ethnicity as they are.  Hermes's badge looks like a toy police badge.  Put a clipboard in one hand, and presto!

Prof. Farnsworth is a toughie, since his head is so oddly-shaped, and you'd have to spend some time applying the wrinkle makeup.  Otherwise, the costume is once again something you can piece together from 21st century garb.

Like I said, the Bender costume by the PEEL member I saw earlier is extraordinary, but I wonder if it would be possible to scale it down a bit.  Apart from cutting and welding the metal oneself, I just don't see how anyone could easily piece together a costume like this.

For Zoidberg, how about the top half of the head, including the mouthflaps, then just using red makeup on the chin and jaws?  The hands and feet could be foam cut-outs; the hands (for show, not for functionality) could even be real lobster claws (though they'd have to be from a pretty gigantic lobster).

Any other thoughts on costume construction?

[Reply #1 on:]

Not sure if this will help but I ran across a picture of some guy dressed as our favourite lobster doctor.  Maybe this will help with a Zoidy costume.

It looks almost like he has a latex glove painted red for his mouth flaps.

[Reply #2 on:]

Wow, that is good!  Thanks for adding that!

[Reply #3 on:]

Bender-is-Great, where did you come across that picture? That is a really cool costume, and it's believable as well. 

[Reply #4 on:]

Spine (Can I call you that?  Good.) - for Leela, I'd suggest skin tight pants ... after all, that's what she wears.  As for her eye, there's always the option of making some sort of wax prosthesis, with concealed openings for the wearer's eyes.  Perhaps conceal the eye openings with the white mesh, but wax would hold shape better.  Her wrist thingy might be able to be fashioned out of medium diameter PVC pipe, model paint, and a Dremel tool. 

As for Bender, unless you can find a giant Slurpee cup, you're on your own.  Perhaps a modified smooth (i.e. no courrigation, fluting, etc) aluminum garbage can would work.  A Dremel tool should make quick work of a chest cavity door.  Just be sure to manage the sharp edges ... gray rubber u-shaped edge moulding would work nicely.

Zoidberg - shave your head, and use a bald cap to cover your ears.

Other ideas:
Sal - beer gut, white tee that's one size (or two) too small, red baseball cap, jeans, tennis shoes or workboots.

Heads in jars - any suggestions?

[Reply #5 on:]

 

Originally posted by M0le:
Bender-is-Great, where did you come across that picture? That is a really cool costume, and it's believable as well.   

I did a search for Zoidberg on alltheweb.com and came across it.  I checked out the page it came from and it looks like it was from a sci-fi con.  I don't think that the webmaster was the one who contructed the costume as there are many pictures of different people in costumes.  So unfortunetly, there wasn't an article on how the costume was constucted.

Here's the link in case anyone is interested. http://www.durosia.com/kier/dragonphotos/

[Reply #6 on:]

I wanted to be leela for halloween,and now i can!Great zoidberg costume pic, by the way.

[Reply #7 on:]

I have only done Bender, but I did it all myself out of plastic (not metal) and while time consuming, it was pretty easy.

here is a link to the thread from last halloween, but it is currently missing some picture because the server is messed up.  They should be back up soon.
 http://www.peelified.com/cgi-bin/Futurama/4-000624/


and here is a website linked from that thread by someone who made his own Bender costume and took really good progress pictures of it.  (it is in german but you can translate with google, or just look at the pics)
 http://www.ralf-kosse.de.vu/

-cris

[Reply #8 on:]

I just made a Leela costume for Halloween, and I found a very quick and easy way to fabricate the eye.  Just grab a white hobby/surgical mask and trim it down to a smaller elliptical shape, then glue on a black piece of foamboard for the pupil.  Punch a couple of small holes so you can see out, and BAM!

[Reply #9 on:]

 deleted for html screwup

[Reply #10 on:]

oops links don't work
http://mike-is-bored.blogspot.com/2008/07/knit-zoidberg-costume.html

[Reply #11 on:]

Why don't people like pach add pictures and then change them when they find a better one. Any way, love the zoidberg costume.

[Reply #12 on:]

Here is an image of my zoidberg halloween costume


http://mike-is-bored.blogspot.com/2008/07/knit-zoidberg-costume.html

[Reply #13 on:]

It is now October. Time to decide which futurama character you are going to be this year. I am thinking it is high time I made a blue zoidberg.