A new costume is on the way! The Wampa from ESB

Finally, an event has come up that is worthy of making another BIG costume. 2 years ago I retired the beast because it was too big to keep around, while living in a small apartment with little ones, toys took over the place. Now with a new house and a garage to use as a workshop, I have the perfect place to make a new suit.

With the beast there was many flaws. The proportions were wrong because the original design had it hunched over like the Landstriders from Dark Crystal. Second of all the head was replaced, because the first was too small, while the second head, a store bought mask, was big, loose and difficult to see out of. Third and most importantly the body was made of solid foam. So as you can already figure out, it got hot, very quickly inside.

I have been pondering making a bigfoot costume for years, a modification of the beast, but in proportion. And if I did it right where I could build a muscle shell, that I could then make removable fur cover, like the Chewbacca costume, I could then double the usage of the body. With some brown fur and a mask I can use it as Bigfoot, with some white fur and another mask, I could use it as the Wampa from Empire Strikes Back.

I actually started to work on it soon after retiring the beast. I tried a hollow foam form, but it didn't work. Up until a couple weeks ago I have shelved the project until I could figure out the right method. Then I ran across a post on the official Star Wars blog of Scott Holden's Tauntaun Costume and the lightbulb turned on. It re-ignited the fire and his method of using PVC in strips was the perfect solution to my dilema. Where his was a full PVC cage to form the body of the TaunTaun, mine will be a skeleton of sorts, with some PVC to fill out the girth, and removable "bones" to support the weight of the arms, something that was another problem with the original costume. I had to carry the hands, now they will be clipped to the shoulders and I can take a break while inside. Also the hollow PVC frame for the body should give some breathing room inside, make it more flexible and lighter. The original costume weighed 45 lbs including the stilts!

But just a week later, more news came. Star Wars Celebration will be held in Orlando, right here in Central Florida and an hours drive from the Dude's homebase of Tampa Bay. And now with the house, and nine months to work on it, I will be making that Wampa! Be prepared for many updates on the progress.