CHEAPEST Batman Costume EVER -- Tips?

[nickytea]

Alright, let me preface.
With all my obsession over the Joker costume, I seem to have gotten a reputation with the Misses. I was shocked when she said, "Do you even like Batman?"


My heart dropped...of COURSE I like Batman! Who doesn't?!?!
He's BATMAN!

So I've decided that after years of spending hundreds of dollars on costumes, I am going to take a (financial) break this Halloween, and use it as an opportunity to prove I still love the Bat.

I will make the cheapest Batman costume ever.

I quickly decided to make a TDK version of the suit, and that the armored parts and cowl would be made from paper mache...cheap, right? All the fixin's were lying around the house just waiting for me to get my bat on!.

I'll use this thread to chart my progress as I go. (I figure an all in one post at the end would be too monumental for me.)

After one day, I had the essential skeleton finished out of cardboard:

(either I can shave the beard-in-progress or go as MANLY BATMAN.)

Day 2, I had to do some reshaping on the lopsided nose and eye, and I got down to mache-ing this beast.

Other than that, I've got some jazz pants and long sleeve turtle-neck on which I will sew some of that black rubbery non-slip mesh. (CHEAP!)
I've also got a Rubies belt coming from a kindly RPFer here! (CHEAP!)

Any tips or ideas from anybody?
I'm wondering what to seal and fill the mache with? What will allow me to sand it? I was thinking seal it and then use bondo to fill in the bumpy areas. That should allow me to sand it, I think.

 

[Ramiel]

Oh man, the memories... I did a papermache batman mask a lot of time ago (then few years later I modded it into a knight's helm... With orange feathers... Don't ask me why!)
I will follow this thread with great interest
Good luck!

 

[sithlord23]

Cool! Can't wait to see more!

 

[bleyd]

That looks great! Makes me want to go cut up some cardboard and give it a whack.

 

[Darius Alucard]

Nice progress so far.


You could also think about using Foamies to make your armor.
After you get the pieces cut out, Plasti Dip them.

I've seen this done well over on the BTOB and the results can be surprisingly good.

 

[nickytea]

Nice progress so far.


You could also think about using Foamies to make your armor.
After you get the pieces cut out, Plasti Dip them.

I've seen this done well over on the BTOB and the results can be surprisingly good.

Just looked into this on BOTB, and I really think I'd like to try it! (And that plasti-dip stuff may even help for my cowl. Now I just need to find some!)

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

 

[darthgordon]

Alright, let me preface.
With all my obsession over the Joker costume, I seem to have gotten a reputation with the Misses. I was shocked when she said, "Do you even like Batman?"


My heart dropped...of COURSE I like Batman! Who doesn't?!?!
He's BATMAN!

Ha ha! I have that reputation too. A bit Joker obsessed. That also usually leads people thing your a real sick sob.

So far, so good. I've never seen anyone attempt this with mache. It might be kind of heavy, but what about a thin layer of plaster to sand, then some plastidip to give it that rubber feel.

 

[hoverboy]

That is very cool. I like seeing pictures of the building process. How did you make it so that it would fit your face?

 

[nickytea]

That is very cool. I like seeing pictures of the building process. How did you make it so that it would fit your face?

I started with the nose and worked outward. :lol

 

[Mados]

Looks like the TDK cowl to me!:thumbsup I'm starting on a foamies suit too.

 

[Hermes]

Dear Lord....

You know, the Bat-Suit was the thing that got me into this costuming thing, 19 years ago.... I can FEEL your pain.

Heck.... now *I* want to do one all over again! SEE WHAT YOU´VE DONE?! SEE?! IT`S ALL YOUR FAULT!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!

(OK, I´m calm now )

SO.... what´s this Plastidip thing again? Can anyone point me to any tutorial even on the BOTB? (URLs would be fine....)

Sigh.... there I go again..... my 23rd. Bat-suit.....

 

[ItsThatGuy]

http://www.plastidip.com/

 

[Hermes]

HEY! Thanks!

 

[Darth Mule]

I'd avoid the bondo and plaster as it will make your cowl rigid and susceptible to cracking. Try painting on a layer of elmers glue to sturdy it up, then go for the plasti-dip.

 

[Darius Alucard]

Hey Hermes...
Here's a couple of quick searches...

edit - the links didn't work
just follow the link below and search for foamies in the "BOTB Main Forum", "The Costume Vault", and "Armor & Bodysuits" sections.
http://www.runboard.com/bbrotherhoodofthebat|pleasedo=simplesearch
you should find some stuff that could be helpful.

Oh yeah... if you can use paint, you can use Plasti Dip. Just make sure that the items you're wanting to plasti will work with it. :thumbsup

 

[nickytea]

I'd avoid the bondo and plaster as it will make your cowl rigid and susceptible to cracking. Try painting on a layer of elmers glue to sturdy it up, then go for the plasti-dip.

Interesting. There's still some detail I'd like to add in the forehead, so I think I'm going to have to still bondo some.

My plan is to do a coat of this sealing glue I have, like you said, to sturdy it up. It's perferct for this sort of thing.

I'm going to then primer it, to even the color out. Then ATTEMPT the bondo, and hope all goes well. Then I'll primer it again, and plasti-dip.

I was able to find a can at my local lowes for 5 bucks. Can't beat that!

 

[Phantombatman]

Very creatively work, I like it!

 

[Hermes]

Hey, Darius, thanks a lot! Now the main issue will be finding suitable replacements for the items in question here in Brazil. Since I don´t have first-hand contact with the originals, that may prove a bit troublesome, BUT it´s not impossible to import them, if push comes to shove

Thanks a lot! I´ll post later another thread with pictures of my last Bat-Suit, made back in 1998, so as not to hijack this thread....

 

[nickytea]

Just a little progress,

Gave it one coat of primer after the first few coats of the glue/sealer stuff...I just wanted to even out the color to see what I was dealing with.

It's quite the lumpy one, but some of that may be unavoidable.
I'm gave it one more coat of the glue/sealer :

Then I'm going to Plasti-dip it.

Will the plasti-dip help with any of the surface divits?

 

[Darius Alucard]

Just a little progress,

Will the plasti-dip help with any of the surface divits?

I've never worked with the materials that you're using so I don't know how it'll hold up to this, but I think you should just try to sand (or dremel) the lumps and fill the divits (with a suitable material) first.

If you just apply the plasti now it'll pretty much be the same but with a rubberized finish.
Depending on how many layers/coats you want to do with the plasti, you might try applying the plasti till all the divits are filled and then sanding/dremeling the lumps afterward.