My sorta finished Chewbacca costume

takevin · 11-20-2006, 09:13 AM

Thought i show pics of me in costume over the weekend first time wearing it for a kid toy/game convention our local 501st attended. The mouth on the mask opens when i open my mouth, and closes with springs. Also have sound effects too, till i learn to use my own voice. THe whole costume is still a work in progress, gotta do some more trimming, so i dont shed, and pull more hair out, too thick in spots yet, more work on the face yet, and add some fans. Plus air out the mask, between clear coat and hair spray, i started getting dizzy after a few hours. I didnt realize i put my feet on wrong, left on the right, and vice versa, so after 2.5 hours, couldnt walk anymore, the kids there loved it thou. Sorry for the crappy pics, didnt bring the better camera with, the second pic is with my beautiful wife.

I was pretty exhausted from this, last two weeks spending 6 hours a night to finish it up to wear, and have a christmas parade in two weeks to look forward to.

ps. A HUGE thanks to Richard aka rileyreplicas, he has been a big help to me, great guy, thank you Richard! Your the best.

GuntahKela · 11-20-2006, 09:52 AM

Your bandolier is too small, ofcourse, and Chewbacca shouldn't have a frown. Other than that, you are ahead.

kibosh · 11-20-2006, 10:18 AM

Wow! I think that looks great! I would think Chewie is a VERY tough costume to do.

takevin · 11-20-2006, 11:20 AM

yea the bandolier has to be adjusted yet, but the mask isnt a frown, especially when i open my mouth.

Thanks for the input. Yes the costume is VERY hard to do.

MandalorFett · 11-20-2006, 12:33 PM

Great job! Just a few tweaks here and there, and it'll be even more amazing. BTW do you use costume teeth as well to show when the mouth is open?

:fettrotj

takevin · 11-20-2006, 01:00 PM

yes, got a full set of acrylic teeth from monsters. and just had to make the canines. Ill take some more pics of it when i get home later tonight. Ill be doing the tweaks over the next couple of weeks, kinda burnt out so taking it easy. lol

ManfromNaboo · 11-20-2006, 03:38 PM

Three things to say :
1)GREAT costume
2)not necessarily Chewbacca but
3) DEFINITELY a great Wookiee warrior !!!

Ever though of adding wookiee armour to that costume ?

Has anybody done a warrior yet ?

Michael

Galactifan · 11-20-2006, 04:53 PM

takevin, NICE JOB! I like it!!!

Boba Frett · 11-20-2006, 05:21 PM

Nice work, I wouldn't even know where to start on a costume like that

apollo · 11-20-2006, 05:34 PM

Looks like a nice walking carpet to me!

RacerX45 · 11-20-2006, 05:39 PM

Great job!

How hot is it in that thing?

Randy

takevin · 11-20-2006, 07:07 PM

thankyou all for the kudos on the costume, its really not too bad, only wore it for 2.5 hours, but was actually pretty cool in it over all. I used a thin sleeved shirt and pants, the hair was glued on. The mask was the hottest, didnt have time to put fans in before the con, something i will do during the week. I guess ill find out more if ill get hot when i do more events and wear it longer. I plan on getting one of those cooler vests for wearing this costume in summer to help keep me cool. My predator costume which is made out of furniture foam is a oven. But i could actually feel whisps of wind on me when i was walking around in the chewie suit. Of course this suit sheds like you wouldnt believe! Ive been using special scissors that thin the hair down, which i still need to do to take out more bulk out of the suit yet.

freakengine · 11-20-2006, 10:27 PM

For a first stage Chewie, I think it looks great! Please update us with progress pics as you continue your tweaks. BTW, what kind of fur did you use?

takevin · 11-21-2006, 08:38 AM

Heres a pic with the mouth open btw

The hair kanekulon from sally beauty supply.
2 bucks per bag, flows real nice.

itookadooku · 11-21-2006, 01:34 PM

That is WOW....I know that suit took alot of time and devotion....very nice indeed.The teeth look great.

If I may be so bold to ask (and ya dont have to answer) but how much did such a suit run price wise? I know I'll never be tall enough for a wookie but for my son,it would make a great wookie child.

takevin · 11-21-2006, 03:13 PM

well this is all scratch made by me, yes a lot of time, devotion, frustration, etc

at a guess for breakdown

hair=$140
shirt/pants=$20 bucks
boots=$30
wood to raise the boots=$5
foam for boots/feet=$15
clay, molding, casting materials=$140.00
hot glue=free from where i work otherwise =50
misc=$20
fans, amp, sound effect=$150.00 did get the sound board for free too!
=$580.00 abouts,

time to assemble=$hundreds lol

u can do stilts, or platform boot/feet, the latter which i did raises me 8 inches, plus the head brings me around 7'1, ill probably add another inch or so yet too

itookadooku · 11-21-2006, 06:35 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(takevin @ Nov 21 2006, 04:13 PM) [snapback]1362936[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

u can do stilts, or platform boot/feet, the latter which i did raises me 8 inches, plus the head brings me around 7'1, ill probably add another inch or so yet too

[/b]

How hard is it to walk? or should I say how heavy ?

freakengine · 11-21-2006, 08:17 PM

What did you use to construct the head sculpt? You mentioned casting materials. It seems the back of the head could actually be made porous so you could get some airflow through the hair.

takevin · 11-21-2006, 08:25 PM

i gotta get around to wearing the feet, but im guessing around 6 or 8 pounds, so not a biggie, ill look good and get a workout at the same time. It wasnt hard to walk really, still getting used to it. I made the bottom of the foot basically a size 19 so its very stable to walk on, the boot and lifts done just like a regular shoe.I first did a lifesculpt of my face, casted that, then use oil clay and built the undermask that resembles a gorilla skull for all intent purposes. Molded and casted that, cut the lower jaw off, and hinged and put springs so it could open and close. The one person who did chewie and runs the chewbacca resource website along with the yahoo forum just used strips of plastic, but it doesnt look natural in the back, and he was going to switch to what i did right away. I only took the upper back half of my head and molded and casted that, and spliced it into the front mask, so i have the lower back of my head open, just covered with hair, and it looks very rounded and natural, i was still quite cool for just wearing it 2.5 hours but will add one fan to the inside. I also had to scuplt and cast the toes too.

Let me know if you have any other questions.

sparrowfan · 11-22-2006, 02:06 AM

he looks so sad. lol

vaderdarth · 11-22-2006, 07:25 AM

Agreed........the entire mouth section needs to be tilted (back of mouth tilted up, front of mouth tilted down). At this stage, I don't know how you'd even be able to do it.

Other than that......it really looks nice.

Dave

itookadooku · 11-22-2006, 08:15 AM

How did you do the hands? The palm part?

takevin · 11-22-2006, 09:09 AM

quote"he looks so sad. lol"

it may look that way, but when the mouth opens it shows a smile.

In order to show different emotions whether the mouth is open or closed. The undermask from the original was made and designed in the same manner. I can refer pictures if u like.

The hands are just gloves with hair over it, i might add nails and latex the finger parts down the road, but since you really dont see them dont know if its worth doing.

The Wook · 11-28-2006, 03:05 PM

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(takevin @ Nov 21 2006, 09:13 PM) [snapback]1362936[/snapback]</div>

Quote:

hair=$140
shirt/pants=$20 bucks
boots=$30
wood to raise the boots=$5
foam for boots/feet=$15
clay, molding, casting materials=$140.00
hot glue=free from where i work otherwise =50
misc=$20
fans, amp, sound effect=$150.00 did get the sound board for free too!
=$580.00 abouts,

time to assemble=$hundreds lol
[/b]

Making children smile ear to ear = Priceless

Great job, Kevin! The costume rocks!!

And just to reiterate my reply to your PM, take your time in making any adjustments. In my experience, it is best to wear the costume several times first, work out any functional kinks, and during that time evaluate how the costume looks in photographs in different lighting, different settings, etc. (I did this over the course of a few months.) This will allow the hair to "settle in", and will give you a much better perspective on the entire costume, as to what tweaks if any you want to make.

In the meantime, just enjoy the fruits of your hard work, by making those kids smile ear to ear.

The Wook

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11-20-2006, 09:13 AM	#1
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	Thought i show pics of me in costume over the weekend first time wearing it for a kid toy/game convention our local 501st attended. The mouth on the mask opens when i open my mouth, and closes with springs. Also have sound effects too, till i learn to use my own voice. THe whole costume is still a work in progress, gotta do some more trimming, so i dont shed, and pull more hair out, too thick in spots yet, more work on the face yet, and add some fans. Plus air out the mask, between clear coat and hair spray, i started getting dizzy after a few hours. I didnt realize i put my feet on wrong, left on the right, and vice versa, so after 2.5 hours, couldnt walk anymore, the kids there loved it thou. Sorry for the crappy pics, didnt bring the better camera with, the second pic is with my beautiful wife. I was pretty exhausted from this, last two weeks spending 6 hours a night to finish it up to wear, and have a christmas parade in two weeks to look forward to. ps. A HUGE thanks to Richard aka rileyreplicas, he has been a big help to me, great guy, thank you Richard! Your the best.

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11-20-2006, 09:52 AM	#2
GuntahKela Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: behind you, Ray! Posts: 5,790	Your bandolier is too small, ofcourse, and Chewbacca shouldn't have a frown. Other than that, you are ahead.

11-20-2006, 10:18 AM	#3
kibosh Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 178	Wow! I think that looks great! I would think Chewie is a VERY tough costume to do.

11-20-2006, 11:20 AM	#4
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	yea the bandolier has to be adjusted yet, but the mask isnt a frown, especially when i open my mouth. Thanks for the input. Yes the costume is VERY hard to do.

11-20-2006, 12:33 PM	#5
MandalorFett Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: OC, California Posts: 84	Great job! Just a few tweaks here and there, and it'll be even more amazing. BTW do you use costume teeth as well to show when the mouth is open? :fettrotj

11-20-2006, 01:00 PM	#6
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	yes, got a full set of acrylic teeth from monsters. and just had to make the canines. Ill take some more pics of it when i get home later tonight. Ill be doing the tweaks over the next couple of weeks, kinda burnt out so taking it easy. lol

11-20-2006, 03:38 PM	#7
ManfromNaboo RPF Staff Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Germany Posts: 5,498	Three things to say : 1)GREAT costume 2)not necessarily Chewbacca but 3) DEFINITELY a great Wookiee warrior !!! Ever though of adding wookiee armour to that costume ? Has anybody done a warrior yet ? Michael

11-20-2006, 04:53 PM	#8
Galactifan Join Date: Nov 2001 Posts: 1,996	takevin, NICE JOB! I like it!!!

11-20-2006, 05:21 PM	#9
Boba Frett Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Covington Kentucky Posts: 2,728	Nice work, I wouldn't even know where to start on a costume like that

11-20-2006, 05:34 PM	#10
apollo Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 12,144	Looks like a nice walking carpet to me!

11-20-2006, 05:39 PM	#11
RacerX45 Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Macomb, MI Posts: 173	Great job! How hot is it in that thing? Randy

11-20-2006, 07:07 PM	#12
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	thankyou all for the kudos on the costume, its really not too bad, only wore it for 2.5 hours, but was actually pretty cool in it over all. I used a thin sleeved shirt and pants, the hair was glued on. The mask was the hottest, didnt have time to put fans in before the con, something i will do during the week. I guess ill find out more if ill get hot when i do more events and wear it longer. I plan on getting one of those cooler vests for wearing this costume in summer to help keep me cool. My predator costume which is made out of furniture foam is a oven. But i could actually feel whisps of wind on me when i was walking around in the chewie suit. Of course this suit sheds like you wouldnt believe! Ive been using special scissors that thin the hair down, which i still need to do to take out more bulk out of the suit yet.

11-20-2006, 10:27 PM	#13
freakengine Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 118	For a first stage Chewie, I think it looks great! Please update us with progress pics as you continue your tweaks. BTW, what kind of fur did you use?

11-21-2006, 08:38 AM	#14
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	Heres a pic with the mouth open btw The hair kanekulon from sally beauty supply. 2 bucks per bag, flows real nice.

11-21-2006, 01:34 PM	#15
itookadooku Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 24	That is WOW....I know that suit took alot of time and devotion....very nice indeed.The teeth look great. If I may be so bold to ask (and ya dont have to answer) but how much did such a suit run price wise? I know I'll never be tall enough for a wookie but for my son,it would make a great wookie child.

11-21-2006, 03:13 PM	#16
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	well this is all scratch made by me, yes a lot of time, devotion, frustration, etc at a guess for breakdown hair=$140 shirt/pants=$20 bucks boots=$30 wood to raise the boots=$5 foam for boots/feet=$15 clay, molding, casting materials=$140.00 hot glue=free from where i work otherwise =50 misc=$20 fans, amp, sound effect=$150.00 did get the sound board for free too! =$580.00 abouts, time to assemble=$hundreds lol u can do stilts, or platform boot/feet, the latter which i did raises me 8 inches, plus the head brings me around 7'1, ill probably add another inch or so yet too

11-21-2006, 08:17 PM	#18
freakengine Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 118	What did you use to construct the head sculpt? You mentioned casting materials. It seems the back of the head could actually be made porous so you could get some airflow through the hair.

11-21-2006, 08:25 PM	#19
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	i gotta get around to wearing the feet, but im guessing around 6 or 8 pounds, so not a biggie, ill look good and get a workout at the same time. It wasnt hard to walk really, still getting used to it. I made the bottom of the foot basically a size 19 so its very stable to walk on, the boot and lifts done just like a regular shoe.I first did a lifesculpt of my face, casted that, then use oil clay and built the undermask that resembles a gorilla skull for all intent purposes. Molded and casted that, cut the lower jaw off, and hinged and put springs so it could open and close. The one person who did chewie and runs the chewbacca resource website along with the yahoo forum just used strips of plastic, but it doesnt look natural in the back, and he was going to switch to what i did right away. I only took the upper back half of my head and molded and casted that, and spliced it into the front mask, so i have the lower back of my head open, just covered with hair, and it looks very rounded and natural, i was still quite cool for just wearing it 2.5 hours but will add one fan to the inside. I also had to scuplt and cast the toes too. Let me know if you have any other questions.

11-22-2006, 02:06 AM	#20
sparrowfan Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 255	he looks so sad. lol

11-22-2006, 07:25 AM	#21
vaderdarth Join Date: Jul 1999 Location: South Carolina Posts: 8,601	Agreed........the entire mouth section needs to be tilted (back of mouth tilted up, front of mouth tilted down). At this stage, I don't know how you'd even be able to do it. Other than that......it really looks nice. Dave

11-22-2006, 08:15 AM	#22
itookadooku Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 24	How did you do the hands? The palm part?

11-22-2006, 09:09 AM	#23
takevin Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Wauconda,il Posts: 2,447	quote"he looks so sad. lol" it may look that way, but when the mouth opens it shows a smile. In order to show different emotions whether the mouth is open or closed. The undermask from the original was made and designed in the same manner. I can refer pictures if u like. The hands are just gloves with hair over it, i might add nails and latex the finger parts down the road, but since you really dont see them dont know if its worth doing.