New Komamura Armor and FANTASTIC pics!
Jan. 30th, 2006 07:31 pm[Okay, so these won't be in chronological order: I'm just so excited by these pictures by
lionboogy !]
Background: I made the mistake of mixing metallic powder tints with latex to coat the armor the first time. Latex is cheaper and easier to work with than tool dip, but unfortunately I discovered that metal powder tints cause latex to rot incredibly fast-- like less than a month and most of the armor was a gooey mess. I am nowhere -near- the prop-master that Lionel is and I'd been putting off re-doing the armor for some time. Anime L.A. came up and I had some time, so I used that to propel me into production again.

This time I made improvements over the original helmet and shoulder guards: I let the ribbing go across the eye-hole (with a lot of careful checking to make sure I still had -some-vision, as I wear the fox head under the mask and I have to be able to see through two teeny sets of holes). This time I made the fancier version of Komamura's shoulder guards: they're more ornate and curvy. And I hemmed the hakama (so I didn't have to hike them up like a nun when I walked). Overall I'm very happy with how they turned out!
Another incentive to get Komamura finished was that
waynekaa agreed to do Komamura's Vice-Captain, Iba. Naturally he did a fantastic job on that character and the wimmen were all over his studly bare chest!
Here's what the two characters look like in the Manga:

Wayne and I ran into Lionel at the con and we were very fortunate that he had time for an impromptu photo shoot! They turned out fantastic and really made our costumes shine! Thanks again, Lionel!!!
Here are more pics:
Komamura and his loyal aid, Iba
Background: I made the mistake of mixing metallic powder tints with latex to coat the armor the first time. Latex is cheaper and easier to work with than tool dip, but unfortunately I discovered that metal powder tints cause latex to rot incredibly fast-- like less than a month and most of the armor was a gooey mess. I am nowhere -near- the prop-master that Lionel is and I'd been putting off re-doing the armor for some time. Anime L.A. came up and I had some time, so I used that to propel me into production again.
This time I made improvements over the original helmet and shoulder guards: I let the ribbing go across the eye-hole (with a lot of careful checking to make sure I still had -some-vision, as I wear the fox head under the mask and I have to be able to see through two teeny sets of holes). This time I made the fancier version of Komamura's shoulder guards: they're more ornate and curvy. And I hemmed the hakama (so I didn't have to hike them up like a nun when I walked). Overall I'm very happy with how they turned out!
Another incentive to get Komamura finished was that
Here's what the two characters look like in the Manga:

Wayne and I ran into Lionel at the con and we were very fortunate that he had time for an impromptu photo shoot! They turned out fantastic and really made our costumes shine! Thanks again, Lionel!!!
Here are more pics:
Komamura and his loyal aid, Iba
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 04:11 am (UTC)What an awesomecool mindtrip! It's always been a fascinating idea to me, to have someone remove one mask just to show another. I get some mask influences along those lines through the transformation masks of the Haida peoples of Northernmost North America.
Babble aside, GREAT job on pulling it off! It looks superb!
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 04:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 04:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 04:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 05:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 05:55 am (UTC)And who IS that charming young lad next to you? Why is he wearing sunglasses....indoors?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 05:56 am (UTC)I'm so far behind in the manga.. Haven't even gotten to Komamura's entrance. I just got the crossed-arm laughing thing a couple months ago. XD;
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 05:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 06:05 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 06:24 am (UTC)wearing sunglasses in doors.
is his future so bright, he has to wear shades?
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 06:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 06:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 08:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 09:16 am (UTC)~S
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 11:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 11:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 01:49 pm (UTC)BTW, the most amazing feat of all is you being able to see through the fox head's eyes and THEN another set of the eye holes on the buckethead mask thing. I'd be bumbling around like a crippled mummy.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 05:40 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 06:04 pm (UTC)^_^
no subject
Date: 2006-01-31 07:42 pm (UTC)YOU LOOK SO AWESOME AND SO DOES WAYNE!!!!!!
WEll, what's new, I guess XD
If you get any cooler you'll explode!!!!!