'68 Comic — Vietnam "Meat Grinder" Zombie **DragonCon 2012 version**

BornKilr

Sr Member
RPF PREMIUM MEMBER
Finally got my Red Skull sculpt (http://www.therpf.com/f24/red-skull-costume-wip-119220/) finished and cast. I just started work on my Vietnam zombie costume for D*Con. The source material is a comic called '68. I thought it was a cool concept and they have some really great artists. Check them out on FaceBook.
So this is just the roughed in clay for now, getting the basic shape down, The right eye will be made of gelatine or silicone to give it a semi translucent dead look. The other eye will be covered with black gauze or a sunglass lens with decayed flesh obscuring a good part.
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Re: Vietnam Zombie WIP - Clay sculpt started

Niiiiice! You've got yourself a lovely rotting corpse there. :thumbsup
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie WIP - Clay sculpt started

A little more progress and added an exposed esophagus that wasn't on the source art for a little texture on the neck. Also testing how it looks look with helmet on.

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Re: Vietnam Zombie WIP - Clay sculpt started

Pretty cool, with the helmet on it reminds me a bit of Big Ben from House. :cool
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie WIP - Clay sculpt started

Pretty cool, with the helmet on it reminds me a bit of Big Ben from House. :cool

Yeh, a guy on the LAW rocket thread said the same thing. When I looked up "Vietnam Zombie" I got pics of Ben showing up. May have to watch that again. I haven't seen it in years. I also noticed while working on it, it was kinda inadvertently looking like Fulci's iconic "Zombi". May have to add some worms and maggots to the finished piece.
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Re: Vietnam Zombie WIP - Clay sculpt started

Yeh, a guy on the LAW rocket thread said the same thing. When I looked up "Vietnam Zombie" I got pics of Ben showing up. May have to watch that again. I haven't seen it in years. I also noticed while working on it, it was kinda inadvertently looking like Fulci's iconic "Zombi". May have to add some worms and maggots to the finished piece.

It's mostly due to the fact that it's the only other zombie I can remember in a war helmet. ;) I'm sure there are others but Ben stands out. lol It's a great sculpt, look forward to seeing it complete. Really like the Red Skull as well. :thumbsup
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

I finished casting the head sculpt last night and waiting for it to dry to demold. In the meantime, I've started on the uniform. Unless I find an inexpensive Vietnam jacket replica, I'm gonna have to use this ERDL camo jacket I already had. I figure only military-philes or vets will know the difference. I've started the distressing and bloodying so far. I'm also making some 'zombie gloves' to speed up getting ready. I have the blood layer down, just have to overlay a flesh layer of latex and add some detail.
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Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

The woodland camo pattern and the cut of the blouse is incorrect for 1968. Name tapes should not be subdued black on olive. I believe it was white letters stenciled. Blouse should be olive drab with slant cut pockets. 101 Airborne Div wore their division shoulder patch in color. Woodland wasn't adopted till the mid 80s. The baseball shaped m67 fragmentation grenade is also incorrect. Should be the lemon shaped M26 or M61.

Cartridge belt, suspenders and magazine pouches are all incorrect. The pouch you have the 40mm grenade in is for throwing grenades not 40mm grenades. Tape your Grenade spoons and pins with black or OD duct tape.

Basically you have a mid 1980s zombie if you go by the uniform and gear.

Your sculpt is top notch! Just need to improve some of the clothing items.
 
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Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

In the meantime, I've started on the uniform. Unless I find an inexpensive Vietnam jacket replica, I'm gonna have to use this ERDL camo jacket I already had. I figure only military-philes or vets will know the difference.

I appreciate the input, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm going to have to make due with this jacket since I already had it. Can't see spending 40-60$ on a replica that I am going to tear up and probably only use this one time. I do have an authentic Mitchell pattern helmet cover from 69 and replica OD pants and jungle boots. As for the grenades, I have several lemon style but will be carrying the baseball style also because they double as flasks to carry my Capt. Morgan's. I also will be carrying an M72 LAW rocket launcher, M79 grenade launcher and M7 bayonet that will make it more recognizable as Vietnam era.
I know this would never fly at a re-enactment, but figure it'll be OK for a con.
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

As someone who spent years putting together a decent Vietnam impression, I'd love to see you do this right with the correct Fatigues. $40 is nothing when it comes to quality costumes, especially compared to your mold efforts.:thumbsup

Try these guys...
Vintage Vietnam Fatigue Shirt
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

Quote:
Originally Posted by BornKIlr View Post
In the meantime, I've started on the uniform. Unless I find an inexpensive Vietnam jacket replica, I'm gonna have to use this ERDL camo jacket I already had. I figure only military-philes or vets will know the difference.


I appreciate the input, but as I mentioned in my previous post, I'm going to have to make due with this jacket since I already had it. Can't see spending 40-60$ on a replica that I am going to tear up and probably only use this one time. I do have an authentic Mitchell pattern helmet cover from 69 and replica OD pants and jungle boots. As for the grenades, I have several lemon style but will be carrying the baseball style also because they double as flasks to carry my Capt. Morgan's. I also will be carrying an M72 LAW rocket launcher, M79 grenade launcher and M7 bayonet that will make it more recognizable as Vietnam era.
I know this would never fly at a re-enactment, but figure it'll be OK for a con.

That isn't a ERDL pattern camouflage jacket. It is M81 Woodland. They are very close though. Woodland has larger blotches and different tones.

I was wrong about the name tapes. Subdued black lettering embroidered on green cotton weave is correct by 1968. However the ones on your blouse are not Vietnam era.

Your ammo pouch is LC-1 which didn't come on the scene till 1973.

M1956 Load Carrying Equipment (LCE) and to a lesser degree M1967 Modernized Load Carrying Equipment (MCLE) are approipriate for this 1968 impression.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M-1956_Load-Carrying_EquipmentFor a grenadier impression the M79 Grenade Carrier Vest would be appropriate. So would carrying the 40mm grenade in the OD green cotton or grey plastic bandoleers they came packaged in. But the disposable bandoleers are probably harder to find.

As an infantry grenadier you would be armed with a M1911A1 .45 Automatic pistol in a M1916 holster.

Due to the heavy load of 40mm ammunition I find it unlikely that the blooper man would carry the additional weight of a M72 LAW.

Wouldn't the two 1 quart canteens on your cartridge belt carry plenty of rum? I have never been bothered at DragonCon about bringing my own booze. Plenty of people carrying backpacks around which are loaded down.

I see you are in North Carolina. There are plenty of surplus and gear shops in the Ft. Bragg area. I would call around and ask. Though it is getting harder and harder to find the Vietnam era uniforms and gear but it can still be had and had cheap.

Good luck with whatever you decide!
 
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Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

Well, after all the feedback regarding all the inaccuracies of this costume I've decided to scrap the whole thing. Luckily, I had a backup costume I can use for D*Con which is hopefully much more screen accurate. Here's my new Capt. America costume.

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:lol

Just kidding, guys. As I said, I appreciate all the comments and suggestions. Its not that I don't want to do a more accurate version, it's strictly a monetary issue at this point. I've had to buy more hydrocal and new foam latex this year, since last years foam went bad, so there was another unexpected cost. And I still have a few more costumes that need finishing. So, again, thanks for the help. I've printed out the this thread and included it in the research file I started so if I redo this, I can get it right.

But in the meantime, the mold is dry and being sealed so I hope to pour foam for it, Red Skull and the Dead Snow zombie this week and will have a few more pics.
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie - Costume started **PICS**

After the torrential rains we had on Friday (5-6 inches) the basement was too damp to run the foam, so its been delayed. So I got back to work on a few other elements of this gig. Here is the finished helmet (with Dr. Satan appliance) and also the zombie arm/hand gloves. I would prefer to do actual makeup on my arms the night I'm wearing this, but time constraints made me go this route. In addition to applying my own makeup, I have several friends to do also, and I don't want to spend half the night in the room and miss the parties. Still have some more detailing to do on them later.
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Re: Vietnam Zombie **UPDATED**

While not perfect but one alternative to Vietnam fatigues would be to buy a set of plain OD BDUs. While BDUs differ a good bit from Vietnam fatigues the average person wouldn't know the difference as the OD says Vietnam to most people where as woodlands have a more modern sort of recognition.
 
Re: Vietnam Zombie **Foam Appliance pics**

Finally got to run foam the other night and had good and bad luck. The appliance came out fairly good for a first pull. But as it turns out, it may be an only pull, as a section of the mold around one eye broke loose! I've never had that happen before. I've saved the pieces and will attempt to rebuild it. Just have to see if it works. But at least this one will get me thru DragonCon.
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