Wecome MyWampa.com fans!

I am now forwarding MyWampa.com here to the ItsThatDude blog. Once the suit is finished I will likely spin it off into it's own blog but for now I want to keep both in the same spot. Keep checking in on the progress of the new costume and hopefully big things come with it. Be prepared to run into the big guy at Star Wars Celebration 5 in orlando!

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Making a PVC Mannequin - Part 1, Measuring and Re-Measuring

Before I start any part of this costume The most important thing is I need to see it upright. In order to do that I will need a sturdy platform to make my costume on. Sure a real mannequin would help but there are a few problems.

1. They are rarely symmetrical
   
2. They are not my height, I am 5'4"
   
3. they also are not the height of the costume 7'6"


4. They cost way too damn much!
   

Now that I got that off my chest, I had to find a solution. So I began searching the web for everything ranging from Duct Tape Dummies, to the 2x4 version that I made to display the Beast, I finally I came across http://www.dagobahswamp.com/projects/mannequin/index.asp. Using a combination of PVC and metal hinges, I thought with some slight modifications this would work great for me. Oh, don't forget the cardinal rule of any project MEASURE TWICE, CUT ONCE! After measuring myself ad estimating what I thought would be right, I was 9 inches off... that would really of sucked in the real deal. I would have been fine because it was 9 inches too long but its worth making a mock-up like below. If you don't have graphic programs draw it on paper, and make sure you are accounting for any overlap from the PVC and the curves of the tubes (that was my mistake). The mock up, although shrunk for the sake of the web is to scale to my body. The outline of me is from a photograph, and for every 10 points it equals one inch. So it was easy for me to double check all the measurements. Behind #2 you can see the outline of the Wampa, this is the desired size of the costume. The dimensions were from a photo of an early costume that was full size made for Empire Strikes Back. (photo at bottom of post)

I know with a costume as large as mine, the feet would have to go. In exchange I will be using some steel mounts found at harbor freight, that are attached to a 3'x3' plywood & 2x4 base. With those steel mounts, I can slide the PVC tube on and off of them, which also gives me the ability to add 2' extensions to represent the stilts (light blue, diagram 2). These will give me the ability to work on the two halves of the costume. As mentioned before I plan on splitting the costume in two. With the leg extensions on I can work on the bottom overalls. Without, I can work on the top.

Below is the updated mock-up showing some more details. I will add some more mock-ups side by side photos of the progress. Now the mock up stage is done, it is time to start cutting and get this thing started! The photo above is an early version of the Empire Strikes Back Wampa (notice the head). This early version had the head way too high (see action pic in the inset) so I modified it, removing the actors head, and brought it down closer to the version seen on screen. Click on photo for details

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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.

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Exotic Pet Sitting - Dirty Jobs Spoof

Here is our video we made for the Discovery Channels "You Spoof Discovery", It was chosen to air on both episodes.. Although they edited it, here is the original Directors Cut.

The costume was a homemade creation, that I used many times in costume contests, winning over $3000 in cash and prizes. We retired it, but I am tempted to make another more recognizable caracter... possibly the Wampa from Star Wars or Gossamer from Loony Tunes, comment and help me decide. 

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