Luke Skywalker - Dark Empire costume

[Lumpy7189]

I had a fellow base member turn me on to the possibility of doing a Luke Dark Empire costume (since I have a Luke and a Vader costume and it mostly appears to be a combination of those parts.)

I've decided after looking at the comics to go with the Dave Dorman inspired cover art. I've put the two main drawings at the bottom. I'm having the most trouble figuring out how the shirt/cape combination goes together. I have an extra Vader cape that I could use, but the sleeves and all that are confusing me. Is it a shirt with wide sleeves that is attached to the cape, or is it something else??

Here are the pics I found......

Any comments or opinons would be appreciated

Thanks in advance!!
Lumpy

 

[torsoboy]

Go for it, man! Dark Empire is one of the best Star Wars comic series around. Love Luke's look in it, and definitely love that disappearing trick he pulled with Han. So awesome. I love Dark Empire's vision of the universe, in particular, and the character design. Of course, the phenomenal artwork is mostly to blame for that.

To me it looks like if you build it as a trench coat style garb, and split the sides all the way up to the arm pits, you can achieve the right look if you have the front part tucked in and shortened (the like obi from the prequel Jedi) and the back part loose and flowing.

 

[Lumpy7189]

I like that idea.
Thanks!!

How would that work for the cape, though. The cape, to me, looks very Vaderish in terms of the size and flow of it. Would it work to make the top with the tabbard like front and then attach my extra Vader cape to it, or would that look cheesy??

I'm still open to other opinions or ideas.

 

[Darius Alucard]

Sounds like a cool project.
Found some pics of the action figure that might help with your design - Rebelscum.com: Star Wars The Legacy Collection Photo Archives

 

[Lumpy7189]

VERY cool!!
Thanks much!!

 

[SmilingOtter]

When he gets it together, be sure to arrange to get some pics made with The Clone Emperor if you can.

 

[Lumpy7189]

When he gets it together, be sure to arrange to get some pics made with The Clone Emperor if you can.

I live just north of Detroit and Thomas is planning on coming up to our Motor City Comic Con mid-May. If I can get this together, you better believe I will be requesting (or begging if it helps) an audience with The Clone Emperor!! lol

And if not then, there's always Dragon*Con love

 

[dbalschi]

I live just north of Detroit and Thomas is planning on coming up to our Motor City Comic Con mid-May. If I can get this together, you better believe I will be requesting (or begging if it helps) an audience with The Clone Emperor!! lol

And if not then, there's always Dragon*Con love

Slightly off topic but how is the motor city comic con? I live north of Detroit and have never been

 

[Prince NEO]

Freakin awesome, go for it, it's so cool

 

[Lumpy7189]

It's usually pretty good. It runs for 3 days and this year is May 13-15. The 501st and Rebel Legion will be there in full force. There are a nice assortment of artists and celebs as well.

 

[dbalschi]

Awesome!!!!! I live 5 minutes from Rock Financial showcase so I'll have to check it out this year. Good luck with the costumne I'll be looking for updates

 

[SenatorSelina]

Costume has a lot of Darth Vader costume parts:
1) Darth Vader suit(I think two parts - pants and shirt from leather/pleather or one piece body suit)
For example:

OR

2)Leather/Pleather Vader's Gloves
You can chose any style of Vader's gloves,but I think,that more close to Luke's Dark Empire are ESB gloves.

ESB Gloves(thanks 501st for photos!Great references)

3) Vader's Belt
Again I think more close is ESB belt

4)Vader's Cod piece

5)Vader's Shin Guards

6)Vader's Cloak

Over Vader's suit puts on something similarity to Luke's Jedi Knight costume(Ep.VI),but from more thin fabric.
Over all of this parts puts on cape with high vampire-like collar from black fabric.
Unfortunately, I can't tell you anymore. I hope, it will help.

 

[Lumpy7189]

Thanks.
Here's what I'm thinking of trying to at least see what it looks like.
I have a 3 piece suit for my Vader (pants, leather sleeves with cotton torso, leather vest). I was going to try the pants and sleeves without the torso parts, then put my Luke ROTJ Vest and tabbards over top and then the Vader cape (I'll worry about the collar once I see how it looks). I'll post pics when I get them.

 

[tullfan81]

I'll be following this with excitement. This is a costume I've been trying to work out for a while, I scrapped it when I couldn't get the armor right.

 

[Lumpy7189]

So here's a couple basic shots with what I have.
Even without the high collar, something is not right...... :confused :confused

It looks to me like the cape and shirt are one piece in the reference photos. That would lead to more of the trench coat idea, but I could be way off base.
Critique away. I can take it.

 

[dbalschi]

On the figures they made for this it looks almost like a 1 piece

 

[tullfan81]

The one I had made had holes cut through the cape for my arms and I had a funny half-jacket thing over top of that. I'll see if I still have the progress shots from before I tore it up for other costumes.

 

[Lumpy7189]

I just got the action figure to use as a reference (even though it's different than the Dorman art). That to me looks a lot like the Vader surcoat with the collar, the extended sleeves and a much fuller back. I kind of like that look as well and that may be something my seamstress friend could put together for me.

tullfan, if you could find any pics it would be great!! PM me and I can send you my email if it's easier that way.
Thanks much!!

 

[tullfan81]

PM sent

The cape I made was extra wide so it would wrap completely around me. I used a collar from a cheap Halloween cape I found at the costume shop where I live. I stitched the cape collar onto a pleather half jacket thing I made and worked that over and around my arms and cape. The jacket was sleeveless and really was just to have the collar there and look mrs like armor. If you did a high collar sleeveless cloak you could probably get this pretty close.

 

[Lumpy7189]

I'm ready to go forward with this.
I'm going to see if the seamstress lady I know can put together the cape/cloak.
I know she made a surcoat for one of our Vaders so I'm thinking of using that as a base for the pattern and then seeing if she can fiddle with the rest.

What would people suggest I use for material to put this together??
I'll take any suggestions.

Thanks!!