February Catch Up

 

So, I completely blew my once a month update schedule last month.  My bad.  I just don’t know what happened.

Actually I do know what happened.  There just wasn’t much to write about.  Sometimes that happens.  Weather and real life events kept me away from doing a lot of work.

However, between January and February I have managed to get a lot of work done.  Some equal parts planning and design and actual building.

Costume Updates!

For 2012, I am sorry to announce that Bioshock will not be making a return.  I have managed to do something to my right arm, I have no idea what, but it causes me a lot of pain and muscle fatigue.  I cannot see any way for me to be able to carry another Subject Delta drill around for hours.  Even typing after a while becomes painful at the elbow and shoulder, so lugging around over five pounds of drill is right out.
Along with that, Eleanor is also out.  Melinda just doesn’t want to do the Eleanor costume if I’m not doing the Delta costume. So no Bioshock this year, but with Bioshock Infinite coming out, maybe we’ll get a revisit next year.  I keep hearing a song bird in my future.

Portal is still on track, if I can ever get the boots I ordered for Chell’s long fall boots.  Shop.Cosplay.com worked really well and quickly for wig orders, but the footwear is taking forever.  Over 25 days and no updates or replies to emails.
We did get the jumpsuit and my lab coat from Amazon, Chell’s tank top, Aperture Science labels, and PotatOS from Thinkgeek, and some acrylic rods for the core from TAP Plastics.
The ASHPDs did get some more sculpting and a nice coat of primer too.

The acrylic rods from TAP Plastics.

So now that Bioshock is out, does that mean we’re only doing one costume at Dragon*Con this year?  You should know better than that.

If you haven’t figured it out from earlier posts, Melinda and I are big fans of the cartoon My Little Pony:Friendship is Magic.  We thought it would be fun to do a costume from the show.  Now, when I say costume from the show, I do not mean full on fur suit character recreations.  While I admire the sewing skills of the people that create these, honestly, they just creep me out. A lot like clowns.  Just creepy.

No, what we will be going for is along the lines of a more humanized pony form like this.

This is one of the best MLP cosplays I’ve come across and it is the main reference for what will be Melinda’s Twilight Sparkle costume.
I have all the pieces for the wig now.  A main “base” wig with several hair extension wefts that I will be weaving into the wig to created the tri-colored effect.
I haven’t decided how to create the ears just yet, but the horn is going to be special.  In the show, whenever Twilight uses her magic, her horn will glow.  Naturally, I wanted to create this effect.  Why?  Why not? 
The order of acrylic rods from TAP Plastics did not just have the ASHPD cores, but it also contained what would become a Unicorn horn.

Original 2 inch x 12 inch rod
            
Shaped to a very dangerous missile shape
 

Grooved

All lit up

Post flame polishing

All lit up after flame polishing

The entire horn will next be dyed to the correct shade of purple, cut to length, and wired with a simple LED and switch that Melinda can activate whenever she wants to do magic.

Admittedly, the show does not have a lot of male characters for me to choose from.  I could have gone the route others have taken and just made a male version of a female character, but again, the creepy scale started to tip on that idea.  So I decided to take on creating one of the Royal Guards’ costumes.  Not just any mind you, but one of the Royal Guards assigned to Princess Luna.

Why?  Look at him.  He is totally awesome, that’s why.  Based off the reference image above, I have made this drawing of the design I am going to build.

Yup, wings, tail and all.

We are also planning on using the Twilight Sparkle costume with the Chell costume to make a crossover costume one night just for kicks and giggles.  There may even be a “ponified” version of Doug Rattmann wandering around.  Why?  Because it is freaking fun to do. 

Speaking of ponies

What in the world was I thinking?  No, really, I think I totally lost my mind there for a while.  Deciding to build seven additional pony launchers like the Pinkie Pie Launcher and Tank Launcher from November, I must have been nuts.

Still, I’m pushing through my insanity, and completing the job.  What will I do with all these?  Well, a few will make it down to Dragon*Con, others will be kept, some may end up as gifts to friends, and some may turn up on eBay.