The Virtual Costumer - Silicon Web Costumers` Guild

Transcription

The Virtual Costumer
the costuming magazine of the
Silicon Web Costumers’ Guild
Will Kevin
Survive His
Encounter With
MODOK?
The Virtual Costumer Volume 12, Issue 4
Copyright © 2014 Silicon Web Costumers’ Guild
-1ISSN 2153-9022
November 2014
Table of Contents
Silicon Web Costumers' Guild
President’s Message
From the Editor
From the Secretary
From the VP and ICG Board Representative
From the Web Diva
From the Treasurer
Author Acknowledgement
Feature Articles
Behind the Scenes at a “Mega Fan Convention” Masquerade
A long-time Masquerade Coordinator tells all!
DeLorean Time Machine Transformer
This costume transforms from a car into a robot
The MODOK Odyssey
A two-year costuming journey nearly turns to disaster
Dyeing to Know: Information That Beginning Dyers Need
An experience dyer offers advice she wished she had
Interviews
FIDM Museum's Art of Motion Picture Costume Design
Exhibition
Death Becomes Her
Mourning wear exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum
The Passing of a Legend
Oscar de la Renta shaped the wardrobes of generations
Star Wars IV – On-Set
Scripts and behind-the-scenes production photos shown
Parting Shot
Two photos that are just too good not to use
Upcoming
Calendar of Events
Ongoing Events
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
8
55
56
57
58
59
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The Virtual Costumer (ISSN 2153-9022) is a publication of the Silicon Web
Costumers’ Guild (SiW), a non-profit, volunteer-run chapter of the International
Costumers' Guild (ICG)
24
Copyright © 2014 Silicon Web Costumers’ Guild. This work is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoncommercialNo Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Images, and
material related to novels, movies, exhibits, or otherwise owned by others, remain
the property of their respective copyright holders.
33
40
Authors with "*" beside their names are Silicon Valley Costumers' Guild members.
On mounting one of the most anticipated costuming exhibits
Event Report
Costuming at the Estrella War
55
45
Report on an attendee's first costuming project
Virtual Soapbox
Blurring the Lines: Costumes and Artists and Quilters,
Oh My!
50
Breaking through barriers between artistic communities
Short Subjects
Napoleon's Hat Auctioned
54
One of history's most famous hats went on the block
Hollywood Costumes
54
An exhibit of academy award nominated costumes
About the Cover
Kevin Pishion, a huge Marvel comics fan, came under the spell of the
“Mind-Staggering Might of MODOK, who had been transformed into the
ultimate brain by fellow scientist agents of A.I.M. Kevin undertook what turned
into a two-year odyssey to create MODOK as a costume that would meet the
high standards of Comic-Con.
As he describes in the first of a two-part series starting on page 24, the
project nearly defeated him by the end of the first year. The second part will
appear in the very next issue of VC, but the cover of this issue offers a tantalizing
clue to the outcome. Cover photo: Jerry Biehler at Rose City Comic Con 2014.
-2ISSN 2153-9022
November 2014
Silicon Web Staff
President:
Kevin Roche
Vice-President:
Elaine Sims
Treasurer:
Bruce MacDermott
Secretary:
Deb Salisbury
Website Editor:
Kathe Gust
Virtual Costumer Editor:
Philip Gust
President’s
Message
Kevin Roche*
How did it get to be
November already?
It seems that the year shifted into a
higher gear in hyperdrive as soon as we got
back from our trip to London and Dublin,
and now I’m already having to avert my
eyes from the ever-increasing mercantile
temporal leakage that is Holiday Shopping.
The tinsel should not be appearing on the
shelves next to the Hallowe’en costumes, if
you ask me (and while I’m at it -- Hey, You
Kids! Get Offa My Lawn! ☺)
On the other hand, maritime freight
seemed to slow down while everything else
sped up, so the boxes filled with the Tiki
Dalek only just arrived this week
(November 13, to be precise). The important
part is he made it home, intact, although for
some reason US Customs felt a need to
inspect his box of coconut half-shells -- and
only his box of coconut half-shells. Thanks
again to everyone who contributed to his
travel fund!
My explorations into e-textiles have
continued; I completely re-did the
embellishment on the suit I put together for
Loncon and entered it (and won an award) in
the Pacific International Quilt Festival
Wearable Art Competition in October; you
can read more about that in my article in this
issue. (For those of you who know me well
enough to know my distaste for handwork,
note that said project
entailed hand-sewing
120 NeoPixels onto
the trousers and jacket.
If I ever doubted my
actually ability to do
handwork, such doubts
have evaporated).
September saw Andy and me at the
Best Buck in the Bay gay rodeo, which has
relocated to Guerneville, California. The
new location seems to be a great fit, and the
evenings included,as always, some very fun
Western and drag dress-up. Mette Hedin and
Bryan Little joined us this year, and for the
“barn dance” Saturday night they wore their
almost-screen-perfect Alias Smith & Jones
“Hannibal Hayes” and “Kid Curry” outfits
while I ventured out with the “Red Chaps of
-3ISSN 2153-9022
Mars” on over my jeans, to great acclaim
from the rodeo gang.
On the other hand, Hallowe’en was a
quiet celebration for us this year; we got into
Western wear and went to friends’ for pizza,
poker and whiskey tasting, and watching to
see how fast the candy bowl out front would
empty. It was actually great fun.
On the convention scene, I know many
members will be attending LosCon on
Thanksgiving weekend (I will not), and the
holiday season is in inexorably rushing upon
us. Here in the Bay Area, the Guggenheims
(the folks behind the
RetroDome) are
staging a live
production of their
Hannukah-themed
musical The
Meshuganutcracker
in San Francisco
and San Jose this
year. Having heard a concert version, I
highly recommend it as a great and fun
evenings entertainment --with amazing
costumes! (Disclosure -- I am a backer of
their efforts to take the show to New York.)
Do you have any special holiday outfits
you’ll be wearing this season? Any favorite
“ugly sweaters?” Share some photos with
the Virtual Costumer! Have a great rest of
the year, and Happy Holidays!
November 2014
From the Editor
Philip Gust*
This final issue of
2014 is “Odds & Ends,”
but make no mistake: this
is no mere grab-bag of left-overs. Every now
and again, the opportunity to publish indepth articles by some amazing authors on a
range of topics comes along, and this is one
of them. Here, for your reading pleasure, is a
holiday potpourri to inspire you during the
winter season. So pull up a chair, throw
another log on the fire, and enjoy!
The Masquerade at San Diego ComicCon (SDCC) is legendary for its size and the
quality of costumes and presentations. Some
of you have been lucky enough to watch
one, and a few have even been contestants.
For the last 23 years, Martin Jaquish and his
talented team have made sure each one runs
smoothly. In his article, Martin takes you
behind the scenes to give you a Masquerade
Coordinator's perspective on what it takes.
foot tall steel and fiberglass recreation of a
scientist turned into a giant brain by a
shadowy organization called A.I.M. In the
first of a two-part article, Kevin Pishion
takes us on a two year costuming odyssey.
While the art of dying fabrics may be
mysterious to many costumers, Carole
Parker tells us that it's easier than it looks. In
her article, based on a beginner's class she
teaches, Carole introduces us to the
techniques and the vocabulary of fabric
dying, and offers a wealth of reference
resources to learn more about it.
Each year in early Spring, the Fashion
Institute of Design and Merchandising
(FIDM) Museum puts on its annual
exhibition of Oscar-nominated costumes
from films made the previous year. In an indepth interview, FIDM Museum Registrar
Meghan Grossman Hansen tells us about her
role in the year-long process of planning and
mounting this much-anticipated show.
Vanessa Koch was honored this year at
Costume-Con 32 with SiW's coveted
“Dreamcatcher” award for the technical
innovations in her Back to the Future
inspired Transformer creation. In her article,
Vanessa explains her inspiration, and shows
the steps she followed to build it.
The Estrella War is put on each year by
The Society for Creative Anachronism in the
desert outside Phoenix, Arizona. Samantha
Hirsh attended this year with her mother and
grandmother. In her article, Samantha
reports on several costume-related activities
in which she participated, including making
her first costume, based on an historical
Senmurv Kaftan from the 8th-9th centuries.
One of the most astounding costumes
in the 2014 SDCC Masquerade was based
on a Marvel Comics character from the
1960s and 1970s. “MODOK” is a twelve
Finally, Kevin Roche gives us his
perspective on the importance of breaking
through unspoken barriers between
costuming and other artistic communities.
-4-
He shares his experience entering a costume
in the Pacific International Quilt Show and
learning the unwritten rules, as his entry
went on to win a “Most Innovative Design”
award. According to Kevin, the effort for
members of the costuming community is
both worthwhile and rewarding.
Here is a quick preview of what is
upcoming in VC. For February 2015, the
theme is “Gods and Men,” with costuming
for all manner of deities, faeries, elves,
trolls, and super-natural beings, and those
who worship them.
The theme for the May 2015 issue will
be “Dressing for the Great War,” in honor of
those who served their countries on the 100th
anniversary of WWI, and covering the war's
influence on clothing, military and civilian.
I'm pleased to announce the theme for
the August 2015 issue is “The Wild West,”
about the clothing of gun slingers, gold
miners, robber barons, and pioneers of fact
and legend who tamed the American West.
A Great Holiday Gift Idea!
Looking for an inexpensive holiday
gift idea for your costuming friends or a
young adult in your family? How about a
membership in SiW?
For the cost of two movie
tickets, they receive an entire
costuming community, and a
great costuming magazine,
too! You'll get an announcement
to sent with your gift membership.
November 2014
See the Upcoming Issues page of the
SiW website for details. Now is a great time
to start writing for VC, and share what you
know and love with your fellow costumers.
Elaine Sims*
From the
Secretary
Deb Salisbury*
As of October 31, 2014, the Silicon
Web Costumers' Guild has 64 members.
Our chapter has members in 21 states in the
U.S. SiW is again also international, with
one member in Chile and two in Canada.
Welcome and thanks to all of our members!
Membership by State or Country
Alabama
1 Arizona
2
California
32 Colorado
3
Connecticut
2 Dist. of Columbia
1
Florida
1 Georgia
1
Kentucky
1 Maine
2
Maryland
1 Massachusetts
3
Michigan
3 Nebraska
1
Ohio
1 Oklahoma
1
Oregon
1 Pennsylvania
1
Texas
1 Virginia
1
Washington
1 Canada
2
Chile
1
From the VP
and ICG Board
Representative
Hello there, SiliconWeb! Here we are
again, at the end of another year. Its been a
busy year for many members of our chapter.
So many travels to conventions across the
globe, recognitions for service and skills,
participation in art sales and auctions, Best
in Show awards, pieces on exhibit in
museums and other curated shows open to
the public, You all are amazing and I hope
to be as skilled as you when I grow up! In
all seriousness, though, congratulations to
everyone. I'm proud to be a member and an
officer of this organization: you are some
amazingly talented folk.
Here is an update from the BoD. Right
now, discussion is focused on the 2015
operating budget for the ICG. Some of the
line items include support for the GEL
chapters in the form of accounting software
and web hosting, as well as funds for grants
under the Marty Gear fund.
We recently approved the first Special
Interest Group (SIG), Miss Lizzy's
Traveling Historical Road Show. The focus
of Miss Lizzy's is to bring the Victorian era
to life by allowing people to handle and
examine extant garments and other items
from the period, something that most people
don't get the chance to do in museums.
We are looking forward to future SIG
applications, because it allows a group to
focus on one topic or area of interest. Since
SIGs are not considered to be full ICG
chapters with voting rights, all members of a
SIG must hold a primary membership with a
chapter such as SiWeb.
The Marty Gear Costuming Arts and
Sciences Fund is another fantastic thing that
happened in 2014. Any member or group of
members can apply for a grant to pursue an
educational project related to the world of
costuming. Since we all know how vast this
world is, I expect some great things come
from this. I think Marty would be proud.
Costume-Con 33 is just around the
corner, and I'll admit, I don't know if my
competition piece will be ready. However, I
am working towards some great things for
the quilt show, and I can't wait to see what
people bring. Phil Gust is working on
something that will be absolutely fantastic if
we can pull it off. I'm super excited, but
don't want to spill the beans just yet, in case
things don't work out the way we hope.
I hope everyone has a safe and happy
holiday season, and I'm looking forward to
seeing what you all bring next year!
-5-
November 2014
From the Web
Diva
Kathe Gust*
In 2014, SiW became
the first chapter to move its
website to a free hosting account provided
by the ICG as a benefit of affiliation. This
saved SiW around $135 in web hosting fees!
2014 also saw a refresh of the color
scheme and the installation of a rolling
photo script to highlight our Dreamcatcher
Award winners. We replaced the lost
Vintage Sewing Books with a less
vulnerable set of materials. I’m not sure
what else the members would like to see.
Let’s at least do another color update
for 2015! If I don’t hear from any of you
I’ll pick one of the official Colors of the
Year. If you don’t want a “Radiant Orchid”
(or worse!) selected for you, write to me at
[email protected] with your
better idea. For 2015 Benjamin Moore paint
has chosen “Guilford Green”, AzkoNoble
chose” Copper Orange”, Sherwin-Williams
selected “Coral Reef” and Pantone hasn’t
chosen yet. Remember, I picked the green
we have now. You have been warned!
We have our new Vintage Sewing
Book collection. A few more sources were
added this year as I find time to poke though
the riches of Google Books and the Internet
Archive. As always, if you find good
resources you think we should include
please let me know so everyone can benefit.
We also still have a big gap on our
member profiles. Since many of us meet
infrequently at conventions, or perhaps not
at all, it is really great to see photos and find
out a little bit about everyone. However,
nothing approaching all of our members
have a photo and profile on the site.
If you'd like to be seen there, send a
photo of your choice and a bio to
[email protected]. Not quite
sure what to write? Get some ideas while
finding out more about your fellow members
by reading their profiles here.
Happy Costuming in 2015!
Jan-Oct
2014
-----------
Total 5000 · Earned revenues
Total Income
Expenses
8500 · Misc expenses
8520 · Awards
8530 · Membership dues – organization
8590 · Other expenses
Total 8500 · Misc expenses
Total Expense
Net Income
Bruce MacDermott*
Below is a financial
report for the Silicon Web Costumers' Guild
as of October 31, 2014 on an accrual basis.
Silicon Web Costumers Guild
Balance Sheet
As of October 31, 2014
10/31/14 10/31/13 $Chg %Chg
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------ASSETS
Current Assets
Checking/Savings
1010 · Cash in bank –
operating
1010-01 Wells Fargo
Checking
Silicon Web Costumers Guild
Profit & Loss
January through October 2014
Income
5000 · Earned revenues
5210 · Membership dues - individuals
5310 · Interest-savings/short-term inv
5490 · Miscellaneous revenue
From the
Treasurer
596.00
0.25
24.00
-------620.25
---------620.25
======
20.00
348.00
69.59
--------437.59
----------437.59
-----------
599.42
295.42 304.00 102.9%
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------Total 1010 · Cash in bank –
operating
1030 · PayPal
1070 · Wells Fargo Savings
Total Checking/Savings
Total Current Assets
TOTAL ASSETS
599.42
295.42 304.00 102.9%
400.51 514.27 -113.76 -22.1%
1,335.87 1,335.59
0.28
0.0%
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------2,335.80 2,145.28 190.52
8.9%
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------2,335.80 2,145.28 190.52
8.9%
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------2,335.80 2,145.28 190.52
8.9%
====== ====== ===== ======
LIABILITIES & EQUITY
Equity
3001 · Opening Balance Equity
794.48 794.48
0.00
0.0%
3010 · Unrestricted (retained
1,358.66 1,177.34 181.32 15.4%
earnings)
Net Income
182.66 173.46
9.20
5.3%
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------Total Equity
2,335.80 2,145.28 190.52
8.9%
----------- ----------- ---------- ----------TOTAL LIABILITIES & EQUITY 2,335.80 2,145.28 190.52
8.9%
====== ====== ===== ======
182.66
=======
-6-
November 2014
Author Acknowledgements
The Silicon Web Costumers' Guild honors the 33 people who
generously shared their knowledge and experience in the pages of The
Virtual Costumer in 2014. The 13 who are also SiW members are
indicated with an asterisk beside their names. Thanks to all!
If you'd like to join them, consider writing an article for one of
the 2015 issues. For information, see the VC Author's Guide online!
Lisa Ashton
Terry Banker
Gunther Berger*
Frank Billecci
Sahrye Cohen
Deborah Lynn
Dixon*
Félicia Dussault
Rae BradburyEnslin
Christopher
Erickson
Kathe Gust*
Philip Gust*
Meghan Grossman
Hansen
Mette Hedin*
Samantha Hirsch
William H. Kennedy
Vanessa Koch*
Bruce MacDermott*
Milo Martinez
Regan McHugh
Al Megas
Stacy Meyn*
Tracy Newby*
Karen Nyberg
Bethany Padron
Carole Parker*
Pierre Pettinger
Kevin Pishion
Kevin Roche*
Deb Salisbury*
Elaine Sims*
Zenzie Tinker
Jeniffer Wylie
Martin Jaquish
-7-
November 2014
Feature
Behind the
Scenes at a
“Mega Fan
Convention”
Masquerade
Martin Jaquish
The long-time Coordinator of one of
the largest and most elaborate Masquerade
costume competitions offers a rare behindthe-scenes look at what it takes to put it on.
Quite unintentionally, San Diego
Comic-Con International (SDCC), a comics
and popular arts convention, grew over its
45 years to become surprisingly big. You've
probably heard of it, if for no other reason
that many TV shows, from The Big Bang
Theory to most every late night talk show
seem to enjoy mentioning it.
You might well assume, with 130,000
people, attendee badges that sell out within
an hour of going online, and worldwide
exposure, that its annual Masquerade
costume competition, set on the high-profile
Saturday evening, has generous resources
assigned it, nicely respectable prestige, and
flourishes comfortably in the advantages of
having the same staff, and being set in the
same convention center venue year after
year. When I mention that it’s had the same
Masquerade Coordinator, yours truly,
running the costume event for 23 years as of
this writing, you likely feel even more
inclined to expect it must be smooth sailing
by now, especially with the large budget and
venues the convention has to utilize.
However, if you will read on, you may
see that a large, very successful, and
technically cutting-edge convention also
brings with it unique challenges and ironic
limitations to its Masquerade. I should
mention that the views in this article are my
own and do not necessarily represent those
of SDCC, nor should they be quoted for
other publication use.
First, to show a little of my point of
view, let me mention that I’ve run, or at
least helped at, many and varied costuming
events over the course of many years. I’ve
run some pretty small convention
masquerades in my past, and I remember
well how it was to practically beg for
contestants so as to have a decent-sized
show. The phone calls to costumers weeks
in advance, the canvassing of the convention
itself trying to recruit costumers to
participate, some of you reading this will
certainly know what I am speaking of.
A Masquerade Coordinator can work
very hard planning and promoting, but in the
end he or she is at the mercy of how many
costumers choose to participate. For SDCC,
however, the challenges are of a very
different sort. With popularity comes
advantages but also a price, and oft-times
the elements of time and space make many
decisions for you.
For example, what’s rather unique for
this convention, in good and bad ways, is
that while it does attract many attendees
intimately familiar with fan convention
culture and protocols, it obviously pulls in a
ton of the public who have never attended
any other kind of fan convention, and some
of those can be a bit slow to grasp what a
fan costume show is all about.
The convention pulls in both seasoned fans and novices.
-8ISSN 2153-9022
November 2014
About eight months before the
convention, around the time the first badges
are put up for sale, the Masquerade rules and
entry information go online on the SDCC
website for contestants to download. Some
contestants send in their entry forms right
away, but most do so a few months later,
and by early May all our contestant slots are
filled.
ahead of time that, no, it is NOT a masked
ball, that there is no band, and that
purchased costumes are not allowed in the
show but that you can wear whatever you
want in the audience.
Conference attendee stops by the Masquerade desk.
For those who sign up late, however,
odds are not good. To fit into a reasonable
amount of time and not overcrowd the
backstage rooms, our limit is 35 to 40
entries, adjusted depending on how many
large group entries there are, so that we end
up with about 120 bodies in costume (plus
their helpers, set pieces, etc.). A decade or
so ago, when the presentations were not as
elaborate and groups not as large, I’d let in
50 entries. One year, at the urging of the
convention administration, I experimented
with 60. After that, my staff threatened to
quit if I ever did that again, and rightly so, as
it nearly killed all of us.
in fact, tend to be firsttimers, and some do quite
well. That’s the good
aspect.
Masquerade rules go online eight months in advance.
Then, there are those costumers that
just show up at the convention Masquerade
Desk with no advance communication at all,
and if they meet the criteria of the rules they
can be given a spot on the waiting list...if
space remains. Thus, we do get many fresh,
new costumers in the event, as well as
experienced repeat contestants. About half,
The bad aspect,
which is not really all
that bad, is that we spend
a lot of time explaining
to some people how a
Masquerade works,
despite the rather
complete info online. We
also spend a lot of time
explaining to people who
stop by the Masquerade
Desk or who write in
-9-
Total number of entries must be adjusted for the number and size of larger groups.
November 2014
I had to learn the lesson of how to
courteously say “no” a lot after that. I really
hate to turn away good costumes, especially
because I remember what it was like to be
desperate for them. I also used to be in
costume groups myself, and know well the
work involved. But like everything at a
convention of this size, it’s about capacities
being maxed out. Contestants I would have
killed to have in a Westercon Masquerade I
have to decline once we’ve run out of space
and time in the show. It is disheartening and
frustrating.
out awards takes time on stage, and uses
other resources too, and no wants the show
to run past midnight. With a start time of
8:30pm, and the objective to wind up the
show not long past 11:30pm, a few minutes
here and there as company representatives
come on stage, talk about their company or
product, then summon forth the winner and
bestow the prizes, adds up. So, with regret, I
have to say “thank you, but no” to some
otherwise fine people with good intentions,
once we seem to have lined up about as
many as we can handle.
You may be surprised to learn that I am
also forced to turn away some contestant
prizes. Who would decline donated prizes,
you might ask?
As it happens, however, plenty of times
there’s a “Sorry, no” that comes at ME,
instead. Some of those instances, you might
say, are ironic.
A number of companies and
organizations come forth each year to offer
prizes, some as merchandise, some as cash,
gift certificates, and tours, and some as
combinations of those. Most prizes are in the
$300-$500 value range, some as high as
$1,000 cash. Some of these sponsors donate
because they honestly love costuming, some
do it to support what is perhaps the last “fancentered” event at this mega-convention,
and some that contact me are just seeking to
promote themselves and offering items of
only very modest value and narrow interest.
Yes, the large stage, built in the
convention center’s best ballroom especially
to Masquerade specs, with state-of-the art
lighting effects, movie-theater level sound,
multiple giant high-definition projection
screens, and four high-definition cameras,
may be the dream of any Masquerade
Coordinator. That convention administration
The prizes selected supplement the
convention trophies bestowed by our panel
of guest judges, and it is always great to see
as many of the contestants as possible
rewarded for their hard work, expenses, and
talent in creating costumes. However, giving
should allocate the money needed for this is
much appreciated. When I have requested
technology upgrades, they happen. When I
proposed that expensive custom medallions
be created for winners so that groups (which
many of our entries tend to be) can each take
something home with them, like Olympic
teams, rather than several people sharing a
single trophy, they agreed. When I asked
that winners get free memberships, there
was no argument. (Of course, when we have
a generous sponsor covering some of the
cost of the show, such as HBO as it has been
for the past few years, that helps!)
But no matter how often I ask for the
critically important early access to the
ballroom for setting up the Masquerade, it is
another story. The ballroom doesn’t become
“ours” until 90 minutes or so... with luck,
two hours…. before the audience comes in!
“Sorry Martin, we can’t give it to you before
then.” How can that be, you may wonder?
How can anyone possibly get the room and
personnel ready in time?
Drawing of Masquerade stage with dimension and layout information made available to contestants in advance.
-10-
November 2014
Before I address that, let me give an
example of what Masquerade Coordinators
really need to put on a smooth show. When I
was given the honor of the 2006 WorldCon
Masquerade to run, and before that I was
technical director for the 1996 WorldCon
Masquerade, the show venue for both was
the large Anaheim Arena, and we were
granted the venue for all day Saturday. All
contestants could run through their
presentations on stage with their music and
lighting cues, seating could be roped off, all
tech checked, the video crew could practice
their moves and focusing and so on. This
was great! Some other conventions provide
that sort of venue access too, of course,
especially at conventions like Costume-Con,
where Masquerades are seen as the major
event.
ballroom is empty that creates 4,000 more
people in the already crowded corridors,
exhibit hall, etc. Thus, the Programming
head has to keep the room filled as long as
possible before surrendering it to
Masquerade use.
While fully sympathetic to our needs,
the Program head is helpless. As you can
guess, this makes it highly challenging for
testing the lighting, sound, and video
equipment, roping off chairs, coordinating
ushers, changing the backdrop from the
logo-curtain to one we can project on,
setting the M.C. lectern, and just getting the
room clean of a day’s worth of garbage (to
maximize programming, and keep those
canaries flying, rooms are not cleared nor
cleaned between programs).
Alas, once you have
130,000 attendees maxing out
the building’s capacity, you
have logistical challenges other
cons don’t have.
Ballroom 20 stage being build for SDCC use. Note extrawide riser-steps backstage, on each side for contestants
to travel to stage level. These and other back-stage
photos are presented for the first time for this article.
You’ve heard the old joke
about how to carry four tons of
canaries in a truck that can
only hold two tons: the answer
is to keep half them flying.
That’s not a bad comparison to
this convention. For it to not be
shut down by the Fire Marshall
for serious overcrowding,
about half the attendees have
to be seated at any one time.
For every hour that the
Ballroom 20 just before doors open for Masquerade audience to enter.
-11-
November 2014
It takes at least 30 minutes to get 4,000
people into the room and seated, meaning to
start at 8:30pm, we aim to let them in before
8:00pm. The tech crew also has to have a
dinner break somewhere in there. At smaller
conventions, volunteers often can work the
light and sound boards, but for a con this
size, the very elaborate boards have to be
operated by the audio visual company, MSI,
although they do so under our direction.
They do a great job, truly, especially
considering they are surely exhausted after
working continuous long days with more
audio and visual demands than probably any
other gathering they encounter.
So yes, while the contestants are in
their backstage rooms getting dressed, made
up, glued into their armor or getting their
judging photos taken, it’s a crazy race in the
ballroom to turn it from a panel room for
groups of talking heads and movie previews
to a proper performance theatre. Saved
seating for judges, company representatives,
press, disabled (of which there are a lot), and
so on, is mostly all planned out ahead of
time but still takes time to mark and rope
off.
As a reward for the audience members
that have spent much of their Saturday in
line, we mark off fully one half of the front
of the room for them, so they can sit right up
front, even closer than some of the VIP
seating. This ironically means we have to
protect the regular audience seating FROM
the VIP people who try to sit there, rather
than the other way around, as in most
View from the green room practice stage.The ballroom stage is in use
all day, so contestants practice on this stage of the same dimensions
(but lower height). A video screen on this stage in the evening allows
contestants to watch the Masquerade in progress.
theaters. We barely finish readying the
ballroom most years, and this past year we
had to start 10 minutes late, (and starting on
time is very important to me), but we always
have movie trailers on hand to keep the
audience occupied.
Fortunately, while the Programming
division can’t give more ballroom time to
the Masquerade, we have backstage rooms
all Saturday long to section off as
costume construction areas,
dressing rooms, judging rooms,
and a practice stage of the same
dimensions as the one in the
ballroom so that contestants can
rehearse how they are using their
performance space, accompanied
by their music track.
It is, of course, not the same
thing as a proper rehearsal in the
big room, with lighting cues and
-12-
so on, but with our lighting
director there to talk to we manage
the best we can to prepare
contestants and ourselves for
making their presentations be all
they hope them to be. That IS,
after all, the only compensation
the Masquerade team and I have
for all our hard work: for the show
to go well, magic to happen on
stage, contestants all happy and
many smiles created for all in
attendance. Oh, and no one hurt!
Of course, the show is not
just about the contestants. It also
exists to entertain the audience,
and ours is not just any audience. Thereby
lays yet another irony of the event….
Our audience is so enthused, so
devoted to fan costuming, that they form a
Masquerade line first thing Saturday
morning, as soon as the doors of the
convention open, hundreds of them waiting
for hours. We give out seating tickets at
Lines for the Masquerade form early and grow all day long.
November 2014
Masters of Ceremonies Kaja and Phil Foglio encourage the
audience to call out entry numbers during the show.
noon to encourage them to leave, and a fair
number do get out of line, but many still
remain even afterwards, wanting to be
assured front section seating for the show. I
have asked them: why miss so much of the
con’s most flashy day, just for good seating
for the Masquerade? We have four giant HD
screens, after all! But they just reply they
love the show, and it’s the main reason they
come to the con.
The line grows huge again later, and
then fills the 4,000 seat ballroom. Other
audience goes to watch in the three
overflow venues, totaling about 6,500
people eager to see the costume creations.
The city newspaper calls the event one of
the highlights of the convention. Yet,
ironically, some among that crowd of
masquerade fans have the reputation for
being among the least polite audience in the
fan world.
It is an unfortunate bit of ancient
history for the convention that in the late
1970’s and early 1980’s, the Masquerade
was not the smoothest running of events.
Back then, I was just a regular attendee,
and I can attest that wrong music was
sometimes played, cues were missed, the
show sometimes started very late, and
some of the costumes fell short of
crowd-pleasing. These were the days of
badly recorded audio-cassettes, spandex
over-used as hero wear, and lots of
Rocky Horror Picture Show “Time
Warp” renditions.
This brought forth a somewhat
rowdy aspect to the audience that perhaps
still echoes a bit today. They are very much
improved, but still very honest in their
reactions. When they love your costume,
they will cheer and do a standing ovation,
and when they deem you are on stage overly
long, a few unkind comments can arise.
Photo-Op room backstage where contestants are photographed
after they appear on the stage, by those with coveted photo passes.
-13-
Special ribbon for admission to photo-op room.
Perhaps they can’t be blamed too
much, as most all of them have spent much
of Saturday and the days beforehand
existing in very crowded, noisy, high-energy
conditions in fandom’s largest exhibit hall
and seeing their favorite celebrities on stage,
not to mention all that waiting in lines.
Some need to blow off a little extra steam, I
suppose, and our Masters of Ceremonies
cleverly provide a bit of audience
participation (by letting them call out entry
numbers) to help with that.
Back when I started working the show
those many years ago, I wanted to try and
tame that audience a little. I knew the
November 2014
contestants certainly deserved it, and by that
time I had been a contestant in a couple of
the shows and at other cons myself. I
initiated always fading to black between
each entry, in part to add drama to each
presentation, and in part because audiences
tend to quiet down in the dark. Also added
to engage the audience was using changing
patterns projected on a rear screen
(sometimes an actual cyclorama when one
could be rented). Who wanted to look at the
same background for three hours? Nobody, I
figured.
In those days, projection patterns were
gobos, cut metal disks that light shown
through. We had city silhouettes for Batman
entries, forrests for mythical things, galaxies
for Star Wars entries, abstract designs for
original entries, and so on. When we got our
first gobo rotator one year, I remember
thinking that was very spiff! But what was
cool then is immensely overshadowed by the
technology of today, and for the past couple
of years the “changing backdrop” has
evolved from what started as a way to keep
the audience engaged to a means of the
contestants creating an even more enhanced
impact on stage.
Our current equipment allows for
virtually any photo to be projected on the
back curtain, and contestants are encouraged
in communications I have with them before
the convention to supply us with a photo to
project behind. Many take advantage of this
to great effect, and for those that don’t
provide one, we usually pick one out for
them. We can also project short animated
sequences as well. “Queen Amidala” can
now stand in her throne room, Game of
Thrones dragons can prance before a giant
dancing fire, and so on.
Masquerade run order list taped to green room wall.
It’s not easy, as it requires a lot of
emails between contestants, myself, my
assistants and the MSI lighting guy to
coordinate, and the equipment is pricy, but I
happen to love the look. From the reactions
received, all seem to agree it’s a great
innovation to the show. Another technical
ingredient for making the show more
polished is superimposing contestant titles
and “worn by, created by” credits up on the
screens for each costume entry as they head
off the stage.
-14-
Of course, when you have a big, rather
elaborate stage event, it doesn’t come
without the price of a lot of work to make it
happen. Everything has to be specified far in
advance: the set up of each and every room
weeks before the con starts, security
coordination needed with multiple
companies, food & beverage orders set,
water service requested, line control plans
made, Fire Marshall’s blessings given, lists
for all the lighting and sound equipment
needed, ticket distribution arranged, plus
handling of VIPs, countless requests from
press and would-be press, coordinating with
the organizations and companies bringing
prizes, and so on, plus assuring that
everyone who needs access gets it.
And speaking of access, as you may
have heard, it has become quite challenging
to even get a badge to the convention! For a
couple of years the fast sell-outs of the
convention had their dampening effect upon
the Masquerade, as group entries could no
long assume that all their members would
get badges. Some didn’t even try to devise
costumes because they figured it wasn’t
possible to get badges, and the show shrank
a little in size and scope.
The fix to this was to give special
online codes to those contestants and their
helpers accepted into the Masquerade, so
that they could buy badges even though the
con was sold out, and, to award free
memberships to those who won one in the
judge-bestowed categories.
November 2014
It took a bit for the word to get out, and
although the days of 15 to 20-person groups
seem to be gone,
this year we had a
few groups of 12
and thereabouts. Of
course, to coordinate
those precious
badge-buying codes
passed to contestants
means, again, lots of
mails, and for some
advance photos are
required first.
special backstage access for his or her story,
or who wants to interview one of us. The
con draws lots of
press, from all over
the country and all
over the world, and
they would like to
obtain a good story,
of course. They
usually promise us
lots of extra
exposure for our
event, and while
their interest in the
show is flattering,
And when all
Contestants pose for photos before morning orientation.
they end up quite
those mails and
surprised
when
we
politely
decline this
phone calls are mostly past, and the
opportunity for fame and wish them well.
convention starts up, the challenges don’t
get any easier.
Those staffing the Masquerade Desk
from Thursday to Saturday are kept very
busy, checking-in pre-approved contestants
and their music and reference materials and
reminding them when the Orientation is,
checking in the many photographers that
have reserved space in the Photo-Op room,
and like everything else, this list fills up fast.
Of course, there are lots of general questions
about the Masquerade, and a thousand
questions that have nothing to do with it at
all as an endless river of attendees pass by,
spotting our people with our staff badges,
and stepping up to ask all sorts of things,
which we answer as best we can.
One type of person who always comes
by each year is the press person requesting
And with all that, challenges that are
never the same each year are just starting...
There’s often many impressive set
pieces, large props, and oversized costumes
in the event, big enough that is an awesome
feat in itself that the contestants are able to
transport them (some do rent U-Hauls).
Everyone loves spectacle, whether the large
item is a giant transformer, a life-size
TARDiS, or giant winged dragons. I love it!
But at times I can feel that surely any other
convention venue is easier than this one to
get the items inside and upstairs.
Firstly, with all the excitement outside
the center it’s tricky just to get a vehicle
near to it. Some contestants are able to handcarry their items to the center Thursday and
Friday, and we lock up what they have into
one of our secure storage rooms. Some carry
them in Saturday. But for the items too big
for that, contestants and their vehicles must
be allowed into the
loading dock area
by the very
attentive security
people, not possible
unless we’ve put
the contestant’s
name on an access
list the day before.
We have to. While we plan and prepare
all we can, it’s very hard to look after all the
contestants and the other 1,000 factors and
handle journalists
and photographers
too; not when we
have people
changing clothes,
fixing costumes,
staff putting out
little “fires,” etc.
Like a military team
or ship headed into
Then items
battle, “embedded
have to be taken up
reporters” are a not a
two levels via
benefit to the
Contestant shows off costume before morning orientation.
freight elevator and
operation. We’ve
though a couple of public areas before
granted one or two exceptions for special
getting to where Masquerade items are
access, but those have been rare.
-15-
November 2014
stored. And, that transit must also be
supervised by one of the Masquerade staff,
which means a lot of back and forth walking
and elevator travel, especially on Saturday,
for my staffer John Ruff handling it.
If all goes well by Saturday late
morning, nearly all contestants who have
registered have shown up, and for those that
have cancelled we’ve filled in their spots
from the waiting list. Happily, many of the
new as well as returning contestants attend
the Saturday morning orientation, where
they are briefed on what to expect for the
show itself, and some sign up for practice
time. They chat with my tech director Paige
Satter so she fully understands what they
have requested on their tech forms. There is
ALWAYS one contestant that doesn’t turn
in their Tech form, Judging form, and
Master of Ceremonies forms on time, or
their music on time, and we have to call
them and wait: it never fails. It’s always a
dilemma when to be forgiving and when to
Contestant photographs on boards in the judges' room are taken backstage before the Masquerade for reference.
hold fast to announced deadlines, since
much depends on how smoothly things are
going by then.
As Saturday afternoon progresses, the
ordeal of handing out thousands of tickets is
seen to, the music had been put on a
computer, the show order that has been
mostly set before the con is now fully set,
large items are hauled in to assemble, the
Masquerade mirrors have been delivered by
our Logistics department, and the full
backstage crew shows up around 5:00pm.
Contestants are checked in, assigned a “den
parent,” and a dressing room. The dressing
rooms are created out of lots of thick pipe
and drape. The dressing rooms are locked up
once the show starts, so contestants are
comfortable leaving their street clothes and
other items. Especially valuable things are
secured in our always-locked storage room.
Two Hollywood makeup artists soon
show up, donating their time and materials
to help out contestants with their looks. For
first-timers, who need their eyes enhanced, a
tanner face, help with their wigs, more spirit
gum, etc, the makeup artists really help
make them feel more secure on
stage
Left: Contestants putting on costumes in backstage dressing area. Right: Hollywood makeup artist at makeup station ready to assist.
-16-
A photo team starts taking
photos of costumes as they
become fully dressed to attach
to the judging forms, valuables
are locked up, the Photo-Op
room is set up in a room down
the hall to accommodate the 70
photographers, and generally
there’s a lot of running around
long hallways by staff in and
out of rooms, aided by headset
radios and cell phones.
November 2014
At times it does somewhat
look like frantic chaos, and how I
run back and forth as the one to
ultimately blame if anything goes
wrong probably adds to that
appearance, but in actuality things
mostly go the way they are
supposed to. Most of the staff have
been the same for years, they know
their jobs, none want to be the
reason something goes wrong so
they all work hard and are proud to
take on the challenge of putting on a
show where the contestants are
treated well and properly, and I am
proud to be associated with them.
Many contestants who have
been in other convention
masquerades have related stories to
me where they were treated poorly,
and much appreciate how we treat
them. Since most of us have been
contestants in the past, I like to
think that helps us see things right.
hand to lift something or letting
someone borrow the sewing
machine or iron they brought along,
or simply telling one another how
great they look.
They become a theater troupe,
all working for the same goal, and
in a convention that these days may
be a bit too much about marketing
and promotion and celebrities, most
all the contestants are there for the
right reason: costuming for fun and
costuming’s sake.
Volunteers pitch in to help get a contestant into costume.
I have to say that one of the
most remarkable things for me to
witness each year, is to see how
much the contestants help each
other. Sure, it is a competition, not
only for awards of medallions and
money and merchandise and
prestige, but also for free
memberships for next year, but still
you see the contestants helping each
other in all sorts of ways, lending a
tool here, advice there, a helping
After the presentations are
done, the judging intermission
completed, and all awards given, it
Contestant in green room, ready to go on.
Occasionally we get a parent
who, it seems to us, is putting an
overemphasis on their child
winning versus them having a good
time, but for the most part
everyone’s on board for what we
want the event to be: a fun
celebration of the costuming arts.
Our “den parents,” those staffers in
charge of helping the contestants
get ready, photographed, and lined
up, usually have a friendly
competition among themselves as
to who will be the most
“successful” of the group in the
tasks at hand, and after the show it
is amusing to hear one of them say
“Two of the groups assigned to me
were winners!” They beam as if
they were proud parents.
-17-
November 2014
but as I later watched it
unfold on stage, saw the
contestants show off
amazing creations and
totally clever presentations,
heard the audience bestow
their applause and laughter
at an event they dedicated
hours of waiting to see, I
decide that yes, all the work
is worthwhile.
I am lucky to work
with such a great team of
people, especially my main
assistant Lori Sartain, and to
Contestants backstage returning to the green room after their performance.
Everyone loves a short walk from the backstage rooms to the stage, but at this meet so many talented
convention it's not possible. My request for golf carts are never taken seriously!
costumers. The world is not
in the best shape, and all of
takes a couple more hours to clean
us should do what we can to put more smiles
everything afterwards, put the costume
and beauty into it, true? Thanks for reading.
repair kit back together, help contestants
clear out their things, sweep
the rooms for lost items, and
load up all the crates of
Masquerade supplies.
Usually, the Center is quiet
and empty when I clear out
in the wee hours of the
morning. Outside, attendees
have been known to start
lining up hours before dawn
if the first program Sunday
is a big one.
Martin Jaquish has run the San Diego
Comic-Con International Masquerade since
1992, and the WonderCon San
Francisco/Anaheim Masquerades since
2004. He’s also run Masquerades for the
2006 WorldCon, the 1996 WesterCon, and
at assorted smaller conventions. He was
Masquerade Tech Director for the 1996
Worldcon and the 1990 and 1999 NASFiCs,
and assisted at the very first Costume-Con.
Long ago a convention costumer himself, he
lives in San Diego and one of these days
will retire from Masquerades, really!
Earlier, on Masquerade
Saturday afternoon I was, as
usual for that time, swearing
to never run a show again,
Staff-eye view from ball room of Masquerade in progress.
-18-
Judges present medallions to major award recipients.
November 2014
Feature
DeLorean
Time Machine
Transformer
Venessa Koch*
A recent recipient of
SiW's 'Dreamcatcher' award describes how
she created her amazing costume.
I started my DeLorean Time Machine
Transformer costume because I needed to
submit a thesis project as part of earning my
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ryerson
University. If ever there was a time to meet
a personal goal and complete an
academic obligation, this
was it.
At the outset I had to figure out what
my costume would look like.
It started with considering
options such as going with an
established Transformers
character, analyzing
transformation methods of said
characters, considering reworking
those characters to suit my needs
as the wearer, and ultimately
deciding on creating something
original. Well, as ‘original’
as picking Doc
Brown’s infamous
DeLorean Time Machine
and designing everything
from scratch.
Having built four
Transformer costumes
prior to this one, I was
frequently asked ‘Can
you transform?’ And
I’d grudgingly reply
‘no.’ Because of this I
knew I wanted to build a
Transformer costume that
actually transforms. I’m
not the first, nor will I be
the last, to build such a
thing.
DeLorean Time Machine Transformer costume. Photos: Christine Mak
-19ISSN 2153-9022
It started with a few preliminary
sketches, scale reference photos, and a
rough 3D cardboard car. There is
definitely madness to my methods
as I used no technical drawings or
CAD schematics to figure out
exact dimensions and other
measurements. This
inevitably resulted in a
first version of the
costume, a puzzle of a
thing that ended in
tears. I was
expecting too
much of myself to
have a complete
product after
only four months
of work. At the
same time I was
working a part-time job,
attending classes,
completing assignments,
set and costume designer
for the 2nd year acting
class’ performance of
‘Antigone’, and
fulfilling social
obligations. However, I
met the objectives of
my thesis: transforming
costume with working
lights. I got an A+ for
my efforts.
November 2014
It could have ended there. But I was
already in too deep. I had materials to finish
the thing and I wanted to create something I
could wear in public. My workspace (aka
my bedroom) became quite cramped as I
kept the first version on hand for reference
while working on the second.
The hardest part of the whole thing was
figuring out the transformation process.
How was I supposed to get from car to robot
and back again without looking clumsy? I
wanted to avoid what’s known as ‘kibble’
and being a ‘shell-former’. Kibble refers to
the parts of a Transformer toy/character that
are necessary in one mode but have no
purpose in the other. Shell-former refers to
the robot mode not being integral to the
makeup of the alternate mode. But I am
human and can only bend and fold in certain
ways. Version 1.0 succeeded in the sense
that all
the parts
worked in both robot
and car mode but it failed
spectacularly in every other area. That had
to change for 2.0 to be even better.
The body of the car became a single
piece. Not only does the transformation
process have to work but all the bits have to
line up for a clean look. One unit instead of
many facilitated the change in design. As
with all my Transformer costumes I started
with Bristol board mock-ups of all the
pieces. This allows for adjustments and
notes right on the board while I
work. The materials were
inexpensive but costs add up.
From the mock-ups I
cut, fold, and
construct the
pieces out of
corrugated plastic,
also known as
‘Coroplast’ or
‘Plasticore’ depending on
who you ask. Great stuff. It’s low
cost at $16 for a 8’x4’ sheet, incredibly
durable, lightweight, and you can draw on it
with a Sharpie. However, it isn’t
forgiving like fabric. Due care
must be taken before making a
piece because if you make a
mistake, starting over is
usually the only option. I rivet
my pieces together with steel or
aluminum rivets and washers. I find
the aluminum rivets easier to work
with but they cost quite a bit more than
the steel rivets. A lot of rivets and washers
are needed, somewhere in the realm of
200+.
My DeLorean has a yellow skeleton.
To flesh it out I used regular craft foam and
PVC vinyl fabric, the latter of which was
ordered online. It took some pre-planning
for layout of the ‘skin’ pieces. To get
accurate shapes and sizes for the bits being
covered I used newspaper to create pattern
blocks. Each piece was sized against
the skeleton, lines and
edges refined, and
finally traced
onto craft
foam.
Left: Back To The Future DeLorean model. Above:.
Bristol board mock-up. Right: Plasticore mock-up
-20-
November 2014
Once all the foam pieces were ready I
laid them out on the vinyl fabric and left
room for margins as I would need the
excess material for cleaning up
edges and creating the distinct
smoothness of a real
DeLorean’s stainless steel
body. Gluing everything
together was a matter of trial
and error. One method
involved using rubber cement
to glue the foam to the fabric but
it came out lumpy and horrible. Adhesive
spray works so much better. Remember to
follow safety instructions! The carpet is still
sticky in places.
I’m keen for details and cars need
detailing. I used a lot of electrical tape
to create lines and other shapes to
bring out recognizable
DeLorean features. The taillights are reflective tape to get
that authentic car look. The
DMC logo (below) on the front
bumper, license plate, rear bumper logo, and
hubcaps are all high resolution images
printed on photo paper. The image for the
hubcaps (above) is authentically from one of
Above: Vinyl fabric pieces for exterior surfaces. Left:
Photographic hubcap image. Left bottom: DMC logo on
front bumper. Below: Mr. Fusion piece added later. Right:
headlight electronics and 9V batteries. Right top: replica
wing mirrors – a gift from DeLorean Club members.
the cars owned by an Ontario DeLorean
Owners Club member.
To keep costs down I
didn’t go nuts on all the bits
and pieces found on the back
of Doc Brown’s ride. The
exhaust ports are made from
one piece of coroplast and are
riveted in place. The Mr.
Fusion (right) was a
later addition after the
costume’s debut.
It’s made of
styrene, matte
board, craft foam,
and paint.
-21-
My
favourite aftermarket
addition is the wing
mirrors. (above) These
were a surprise gift from two
DeLorean Club members. They collaborated
on designing the mirrors in CAD and
creating a physical copy with a 3D printer. I
added self-adhesive aluminum sheets for
that real mirror look.
The headlights and turn
signals are real working
lights and run on a single
9V battery each.
(right) I bought
everything at
Princess Auto. As
part of the original
thesis, I needed a
mentor to assist in
grading me on the assignment. I was
allowed to select my dad as my mentor and
he made sure my schematics and wiring
were correct. Confession: electricity terrifies
me; I was scared I would cause a fire. The
headlights are wired to a simple on/off
switch and the turn signals on a two-way
switch (sorry, no flashing the hazards. Left
or right only).
November 2014
An added expense but ultimately
necessary detail – the kind you can’t
simply live without – I ordered
some EL wire from online. The
DeLorean’s flux bars glow blue
in the movie. Mine will too. I
got the 3’ and 5’ length wires
with attached control. Both run
off two AA batteries. Both
make a high-frequency noise
when turned on and one of
them happens to sit right
beside my head when wearing the
costume and in car mode. At least as I age,
I’ll be less likely to hear it. My dad couldn’t.
Science, kids!
Initially I had the wire placed under the
flux bars and out of sight. The brightness
wasn’t strong enough to create the blue glow
I wanted so they were remounted on the top
edge of the flux bars.
lower side panels with wheels, re-rigged,
and the shoes cleaned up with some acrylic
paint. The feet were modified one more time
because I was never pleased with my
inability to easily line the pieces up while in
car mode. The wheels became their own
entity and the panels attached to the main
body of the car.
Above: Interior showing backpack and straps. Left
bottom: EL wire “flux bar” attached to car. Below:
“Boxy” version of feet worn at conventions. Right: As
DeLorean Club mascot in St. Patrick’s Day parade
(photo: Grant Thomas).
costume in the Toronto St. Patrick’s Day
Parade and march alongside my fellow
DeLorean Club members. I’m the mascot. I
couldn’t possibly walk the
entire route in made-forconvention-hall feet. The
boxes were
stripped
down into
the bare
The ‘pants’ are coroplast with fabric
skin and some detailing. Fun fact regarding
them: they are fitted precisely to my
measurements and need no method of
holding them in place. Since it was -2 C on
the day of the aforementioned parade, I was
wearing several layers of clothing and
therefore added a couple inches to my waist
Let me tell you a thing about feet. Real
shoes are the best, especially if they’re yours
and they’re old and comfy. The feet for this
costume took on three different versions.
The first version was boxy and served its
purpose but out of necessity came
improvement. I was going to wear the
I had to figure out how to wear the
costume. Does this car make me look like a
box? I bought a cheap backpack from
Walmart, trimmed off the bulk, and riveted
it to the main body of the car. (left) A
variety of nylon straps, clips, and Velcro go
into keeping all the ‘armor’ pieces in place.
The abdominal plate features a Flux
Capacitor design, it wears like a belt.
-22-
November 2014
and thighs. I spent most of the parade
hitching up my DeLorean pants. For safety
and aesthetic, I used a standard set of hand,
elbow, and kneepads. These were painted
over in acrylic.
Storage and
transport
for such
a large
costume
can be rather
difficult. To make it
easier, I built a custom
box using two full 8’x4’
coroplast sheets and old luggage, the
kind with handle and wheels. I sized the box
to fit the car perfectly so it wouldn’t slide
around during transport. All armor bits fit
inside the box with the car. It’s big and ugly
but it works.
I could start
each paragraph
by saying ‘No, the hardest part is actually...’.
The helmet. I used plastic needlepoint
canvas (above right) for the base structure
and roughed it out using Bristol board
(below) before creating the second layer
with styrene. It’s all covered over in the
foam/fabric skin and the details are painted
on. The blue stripe is craft foam. The eyes
are sunglass lenses. Most people are
surprised to learn that I can see incredibly
well while wearing the helmet. Since the
bottom is left open I’m able to hear, speak,
and breathe without issue.
I knew from the start that this would be
an expensive costume. When I finally tallied
the receipts I was surprised to find that my
total wasn’t sitting around $700, or more.
Only $525 was sunk into this money pit.
That includes the cost of the custom box.
The time and money invested have
been well worth it. I’ve won a few awards
for it, been featured in the Metro, made a
cameo in a student film, and best of all,
delighted many a fan. As it stands, it is my
magnum opus.
Left top: Kneepads painted over in acrylic. Left: pattern for
mask. Top: Needlepoint canvas helmet form and sketches.
Above: Finished helmet with fabric/foam skin. Right top:
Custom storage box made from coroplast and luggage.
-23-
Venessa Koch has been surprised by
her rise to minor fame in the costuming
community. The Canadian BFA graduate
boasts several awards for her multiple
costumes, particularly the transforming
DeLorean Time Machine. When not
costuming, she pursues other interests
including astronomy, reading, animals, and
thrift-shop treasure hunting.
November 2014
Feature
The MODOK
Odyssey
Kevin Pishion
A costumer's quest to
recreate a Marvel Comics super-villain
leads to a year-long odyssey – and to a
crisis of confidence about the project.
I have no background as a costumer,
but admit I thought it looked like fun. I am a
construction electrician by trade. I grew up
reading Marvel comics and building models.
In my late 20's I started painting Games
Workshop miniatures as I was fascinated by
the fabulous details and rich backgrounds. In
my 30's I got started on super hero garage
kits. I enjoyed the fan made underground
feel of the hobby. That led me to cosplay.....
In March 2012, my wife Laura and I
went to Seattle to attend our first big comic
convention, the Emerald City Comic Con.
We primarily went to see the William
Shatner panel. But what a surprise! The
whole convention was amazing.
My friend Rick and I were talking
about all the costumers that were there. We
thought it would be fun to do costumes for
the next year. What would we do?! I offered
up “Galactus” as I had not seen one. Rick
seemed to think that was a good idea as he is
a big fan of the Silver Surfer and offered to
go as the “Herald of Galactus.” I thought
“Galactus” would stand out as my height
would be an advantage and the helmet
would help him tower over the crowds
allowing him to be seen from a distance.
I agreed to cosplay as “Galactus” as
long as I could get the helmet built. The
helmet is so iconic, I felt that if the helmet
was wrong there would be no point in
continuing. My background is
mainly model building. I
approached the helmet as a
scratch build model. So what if I
could put my head inside!
The “Galactus” project
turned out to be right about
my skill level. I used
skills I had developed
learning about garage
kits and model building.
We were very pleased with the
results, and continue to be
extremely pleased with the
response. It taught me a couple
of things. We blindly picked
characters that are well loved.
For me, love of character drove
the project and helped me get it
across the finish line. The second
thing is I think we went
overboard with details and
materials, but it really made a
stand out costume. We made
-24ISSN 2153-9022
the costume that I would have wanted to see
walking around Comic-Con.
With the response to “Galactus,” we
panicked! What would we do next? How
could we follow up “Galactus?” During my
research into “Galactus,” I realized how
many costumers there were out there. And
after attending a couple of conventions I
realized there were costumes from every
movie, tv show, book, comic book, video
game and commercial. It is amazing! So
what would we do?? During this
research I came across a photo of
“MODOK” with some AIM agents and a
Super Adaptoid fighting SHIELD.
When I was a kid, I read a Marvel
paperback called And call my killer.....
M.O.D.O.K. While the book described the
transformation and purpose of “George
Tarlton,” I never really had an image in my
head of what he looked like. Then I found
Marvel Two in One, issue #81. Holy
smokes! What is that on the cover?! And
what a fascinating tag line: "BEHOLD! The
Mind Staggering Might of MODOK!" (see
next page) To my teenage mind that was
brilliant. And the rarity of the character
drove my love for him even more. Out of
my several hundred comic collection I think
I only had “MODOK” in five issues.
Galactus costume created by the author for the
Emerald City Comic-con in 2013.
November 2014
Those evil scientists genetically
enhanced one of their members
named “George Tarlton” to
become a living
computer! They called
him the “Mental
Organism Designed Only
for Computing.” When
Tarlton awoke and realized
that he had lost his humanity,
and what A.I.M. had done to
him, he went a little bonkers.
He took over the A.I.M.
organization and renamed
himself the “Mental Organism
Designed Only for Killing.”
The modeler in me always
wanted to paint a “MODOK.” The Marvel
Legends toy line released an action figure
and Bowen Designs released a statue.
Apparently that was not enough for me.
Marvel Two in One, issue #81 featuring “MODOK.”
In the 60's, Marvel created a a
villainous agency for S.H.I.E.L.D. to go up
against. They named this group Advanced
Idea Mechanics. A.I.M. was this group of
rogue weapon building mercenary scientists.
One of their creations was a reality altering
device they called the Cosmic Cube. (In the
Avengers movie it was renamed to the
Tetrahedron. Spiffy! ) But, they needed
more computer power to unlock the secrets
of their creation. In the 1960's, computer
power was hard to come by.
While researching ideas I ran across a
brilliant MODOK/A.I.M. /S.H.I.E.L.D.
Cosplay that I later found out that it was
created by Scott Whipple, a cosplay
powerhouse. The picture (right) looked like
so much fun -- what a brilliant cosplay! But,
how hard would it be to build a MODOK?
Laura and I sat down with pencil and paper
and talked about the elements that would be
needed to make people think "Oh my! It IS
'MODOK!'" Not only is there the massive
face, but the hovering chair is supported by
a tiny blast.
And that is where I started. I felt the
narrowing at the blast was critical to making
-25-
Left: “MODOK” Marvel Legends action figure.
the chair look like it was actually
hovering.
I drew up a framework that
would fit inside of a “MODOK”
and support the actual costume.
My idea was that someone could be
inside operating it like a puppet. I
based the rocket blast on my stride,
thinking that I would be able to push it
from inside. Once moving, I could walk
it along. The A.I.M. agents would be
critical as handlers and "eyes." I also
wanted to make the whole thing very
modular so that pieces could be
carried by one person. After
successfully using fiberglass on “Galactus.”
I wrongly assumed fiberglass would be the
lightest material I could build with and
paint.
The initial plan had blinking eyes, and
lip that could snarl, one moving arm on the
joystick and legs that could kick. Time and
lack of skill prevented me from including
those features.
Scott Whipples' “MODOK” at Dragon Con 2011.
November 2014
than MIG. Fortunately ADX offered a class.
I took the class, signed up for a month,
bought a pile of square tube steel and went
to work. I started welding Labor day
weekend 2012.
While I was planning the frame out, I
decided the frame would need to break
down. This turned out to be a boon. I
learned quite a bit about welding, but, other
than a rework of the base, I have not welded
since! Welding the frame took me the month
of September. Four weekends of 10-12 hour
days. If I only knew then what I know now,
I might not have continued.
As I built the frame, I added metal tabs
so that I would have something to bolt to. I
did not have a specific plan other than I
Completed frame minus casters and metal tabs. You
can see where the pieces bolt together.
knew I would want to bolt pieces to the
framework. I had scaled the frame so that it
would stand at 6 foot 6 inches with the hard
plastic casters I had found. Unfortunately, as
I welded the last piece together, the shop
steward suggested going with a pneumatic
caster. The smallest pneumatic caster I could
find was 10 inches. Sort of like the Grinch's
heart, my project grew 4 inches that day.
Yikes!
Once I got the frame home, I took the
large metal cube that would support the
main part of the chair and drew a round
pattern around it. This would become the
large cylindrical pieces that form the main
body of the "chair". When I first drafted the
pattern around the cube, it didn't look quit
right. And that was the second time it grew.
My first order of business was building
the frame. I figured using a "light weight"
tube steel would give me the support I
wanted and would be durable.
Unfortunately, I really don't know how to
weld. I did some research and found a local
community shop called ADX Portland. For a
monthly fee, members can access a metal
shop, a wood shop and other shop amenities
most people may not have access to.
The shop steward suggested TIG
welding for my project as TIG welding is a
little more elegant and can be more artful
The metal frame broken down.
Around this time, I struck up a
relationship with the people at Fiberlay, a
leading supplier of fiberglass supplies. They
were very helpful in getting me going. I
ended up using a marine grade epoxy
Frame lower assembly with pneumatic casters.
-26-
November 2014
layers of fiberglass cloth. I
was told the lay of the
weave was critical to the
strength. I told them this
thing isn't going to the
moon. (I hope!)
I took the pattern and
made "ribs" out of 1/4
plywood. I found some nifty
90 degree angle stock with
holes in it that I could cut into lengths I
needed. The 90 degree angles got bolted to
the frame and the wooden ribs got screwed
to the angles. Next it got covered in
hardware cloth (chicken wire) and then we
fiberglassed. I over fiberglassed areas and
used a dremel tool with a cutting wheel to
clean up edges.
I repeated the process for both
sides. A similar process happened
for the front piece. The back piece
was created to cover the gap
between the two side pieces.
Initially my thought was to make
something that could serve as a "life
support" module. The end result
exceeded my expectations. More on
that later.
During this phase I was also
working on what I called the armrests (left
and far left). These two really odd shapes
are lower than the main body of the chair. I
think that helps it look like the chair is
floating. The armrests also pushed the width
out even more, making the blast look even
smaller than it actually is.
Plywood "ribs" bolted to the frame on the front. Arm
rest tie-ins shown on the sides.
fiberglass. I was told it was a little more
forgiving and durable in the long run. I also
would not be exposing myself to MEKP,
which is the super stinky style of fiberglass
we all think of.
Since I would be building this in my
garage next to my kitchen, I wanted to keep
fumes to a minimum. The epoxy fiberglass
can have slower set times and can be worked
in temperatures down to 40 degrees. I was
also told if I was working under cover
outside on a rainy day this stuff would still
"kick". I primarily used two layers of
fiberglass cloth, a core mat and two more
Hardcloth over rib sides (left) and armrest frame (top). One side of ribs fiberglassed (right).
-27-
November 2014
plywood may have been
a blessing in disguise, as
they seem to be very
sturdy and I have
regularly moved the
project around by
pushing on the armrests
(although that always
worries me!).
ended up sketching a pattern onto the sides.
In the end, I screwed little blocks of wood
into the side. I took foam camping mats, cut
them into strips, and stapled them to the
blocks on the sides. I used duct tape to span
the gaps, and fiberglassed over that. The
white strips seen in the arms are part of the
fiberglass system, the core mat, and provide
most of the strength to a fiberglass build.
To "tie" the
armrests to the metal
frame, I used four ¼
inch all thread rods that
are bolted into the
plywood body of the
My initial general concept comes to life! Front view (left) and back view (right).
armrest. There are ¼
The general gist of the armrests came
inch rod couplings so the length of all thread
from the statue. I made paper patterns which
can be removed for transportation. Four
then got transferred to ¼ inch plywood. I
pieces of ½ inch EMT pipe serve as spaces
developed the curves on the armrests by
to prevent tightening the armrests too far
making "ribs" and using hardware cloth over
into the main body.
them. The worst part about this phase of the
Then I came to the component where
project is the weight. I could not figure out
the
arms
come out of the chair. I had no idea
how to make a "plug" for the armrests that I
how to craft a round diminishing tube. I
could remove. My inability to remove the
That worked out fairly well until we
got to the bondo stage. The fiberglass over
the duct tape had sunk in and was not even
with the camping mat body of the arms. We
had to use a lot of filler to get those arms
smooth. And wow is that body filler heavy.
The reading I have done concerning
auto body work indicates the brand Evercoat
Rage is a superior product for body filler.
We used a very fine glazing putty, a body
filler, a short hair and a long hair product on
this project. But, the lingo seems to be using
bondo (sort of like how we call water pump
pliers “channel locks”) so bondo it is!
Left-to-right: Wooden blocks that the camping matt is stapled to. Side arm being duct taped. Side arms completed. Back side shows the early plain backpack.
-28-
November 2014
At this point I decided to mock up the
arms and legs. I purchased some mannequin
parts. I could not find the actual poses I
wanted. I ended up chopping the mannequin
hoping to make something that would make
people thing of a "waldo" style robotic arm.
For the legs, I found some plastic colanders
that worked out pretty well.
There are colanders right where the
arms come out, but the main part of the "arm
cap" was made by positioning a piece of
plywood over the arm, cutting blocks round
the edge and using camping mat to get the
curve. This was covered with duct tape and
fiberglassed.
Arms and legs made of mannequin parts Image below
also shows roughed in interface to main chair.
Now I came to the face. I really had no
idea how to approach it. I went back to
Fiberlay for some advice. First I made a
"frame" to support the furture face. Next I
made a box around it. I filled the box with a
two-part expanding foam. I used a
reciprocating saw to carve away a rough
outline of a face.
parts up and repositioning them. I thought
they would be covered with cloth in the end
and we would have body parts underneath it
all that at least looked like body parts. There
were gaps in the arms and legs I never got
filled to my satisfaction and they always
looked wrong to us. This took several weeks
to figure out, around January 2013.
In the end we replaced them with yet
more mannequin parts. We found a set of
legs that were actually sitting and some arms
that fit the bill better than the initial ones.
I used a medium plasticene clay to
sculpt the face. I was very happy with this
stuff. I built a small "hotbox" to warm the
stuff up. Once it was warm it could be
handled and shaped very easily. Once it
cooled down it was resistant to pokes and
jabs, but susceptible to sharp pokes. My
fingernails left a lot of tiny dents. The
plasticene was also nice to sculpt using wire
loops I purchased at a ceramic store.
I have very little sculpting experience
other than sculpting details onto model kits.
This was a bit overwhelming for me. When I
was doing the garage kit hobby, I spent
some time on sculpting forums. I used
several suggestions from these forums. One
I remember was using marbles for eyes. I
Not only did I have to get arms and
legs out of the cylinder, but I had to
fabricate some sort of interface. I was
Close-up of "arm cap," which detaches completely
from the arms. Black cloth will help hide the wood.
-29-
November 2014
embellish the latex casting with paint.
Unfortunately, I could not find a resource
that gave me a really good approach to what
I wanted. As with everything else to this
point I sort of figured it would be better to
move forward than get stuck. This project
also has an unseen benefit in that everything
is extremely modular. Most everything on it
could be individually rebuilt and replaced.
Left: Backing board for face. Center: Expanded foam poured onto backing board. Right: Expanding foam pre-sculpt.
Left:Design of face drawn onto smoothed foam. Center: Initial carving. Right:: Sculpted face covered in bondo.
ended up using a hamster globe for the curve
of the eyes. The other thing I really
remember was laying the face out very
symmetrically. I drew lines and split the face
into quadrants and tried to keep things even.
As I worked on the face I referred back to
the toy and the statue for guidance. I might
not have been able to accomplish the face
without the statue on hand.
Now we had a large clay face. Initially
I wanted to cast the face in some sort of a
latex rubbery substance. I also wanted to
This was my first major panic! The
moisture from the plaster was causing a
suction in the silicone rubber and I could not
separate the two! It took me the better part
of a day to work the mother mold off the
silicone and as soon as the mother mold
came off, it snapped in half! In frustration, I
used fiberglass to make the mother mold. It
seemed to work out just fine. I had read
there may be issues with the fiberglass
interacting with the silicone. Over a year has
gone by since that and I have not noticed
any degradation to the silicone, so take with
it what you will.
Now I have this rather large open faced
mold. My friend at Fiberlay suggested
making a sort of swing, and slush casting the
face. That is exactly what we did. I took
some 2x4's and made a 7 foot tall
"sawhorse." I made a cradle to hold the
Sculpting face in clay over bondo-covered foam.
Moving forward, I stuck with what I
knew: molding and casting with silicone. I
made a box around the clay face. I got some
silicone rubber and covered the face as best
as I could. It was suggested to me that I use
a sort of Plaster of Paris reinforced with
fiberglass strands as a mother mold.
-30-
November 2014
Silicone over face mold. Green speckles are old
silicone I had. I was attempting to add it to the silicone
to make the silicone go further. I think it looks silly...
molds in and hung it from some rope. My
wife Laura did the swishing and I mixed and
poured the resin. After the face was cast, I
backed it with some fiberglass to reinforce
the brittle resin and mounted it to a board.
The board then hangs on the metal frame.
At this point I was really encouraged as
I felt I was almost done. This was about
February 2013. Oh how naive...
Left: Mold in cradle on swing. Center: Casting -- Laura goes above and beyond wifely duties. Right: Successful cast!
The rocket and "blast" came next.
These were pretty easy as I used the same
technique I had used on the upper parts.
Plywood "ribs" covered with hardware cloth
and fiberglassed. The basic shape of the
rocket is two cones back to back. I did some
measuring and some math and then used an
online cone calculator to lay out the curve
for the rocket. I got some sheets of vinyl
from Tap plastics, Lay the cone out on the
plastic, cut it and stapled it to the wooden
ribs. And of course I fiberglassed over the
top of that.
The project was very tippy and top
heavy at this stage. The lower section the
casters were attached to had the same
dimensions as the upper area. I could grab
the upper member of the metal frame and
pull it over with one hand. I went back to
ADX and made the base a little larger in the
hopes it would stabilize everything.
Once I had a larger base, I made a 1/4"
plywood cover over the base. Then I took
foam rubber and started cutting out "cloud"
shapes. I used spray adhesive to glue pieces
in to place. Once I was happy with the
results I fiberglassed over the top and pulled
all of the stuffing back out.
Left: Cylinder framework for the blast. Center: Plastic stapled to wood framework. Right: Rocket in position on frame.
-31-
November 2014
break from the project and I wanted another
costume for SDCC 2013 besides Galactus. I
thought “Magneto” would be quick and easy
for us. Oh boy... From May 2013 to July
2013, my time was consumed with a
“Magneto” costume. I reasoned that learning
to cast the “Magneto” helmet would help
when it came time to cast A.I.M. helmets.
Left: Start of the clouds. Center: Foam clouds – very heavy. Right: Fiberglassed clouds complete and just as heavy.
The cloud base is one of the areas I am
least happy with. It looks very square. To
make it more rounded, the cloud would have
pushed quite a ways out in front of MODOK
and no one would have been able to stand in
close to him, so I stayed with the square
cloud and hoped no one noticed...but now
you know...don't tell anyone...
They "clamshell" open for the operator to
get in. The pieces are basically captured by
the weight of the rocket and blast.
I built the clouds in three sections.
There is a large piece that covers up the
front. There are two pieces in the back half.
This was around April of 2013. I could
see I was not going to be ready for San
Diego. I also got it into my head I needed a
This was a triumph for me as far as I
was concerned. I had made it this far! It was
roughed in, and it looked like “MODOK” (if
a bright light was shining in your eyes, you
had a few margaritas and squinted at it)
“Magneto” happened in time for SDCC
2013 and Dragon Con 2013. I came back
from those events invigorated to....start a
new project! “MODOK” was dead as far as I
was concerned. I had built it and roughed it
in. The "hard" part was done. Everything
past that point was cleaning up and detail
work. I love that part of a project, but I was
tired and ready to move on.
Kevin Pishion grew up reading
Marvel comics and building model kits.
When he got a little older, he started
building Marvel themed garage kits and
collecting pre-painted statues. While
attending Emerald City Comic Con in 2011,
he and a friend decided to build a costume
for the 2012 show. This lead to “Galactus.”
He followed up with “Magneto” and
ultimately “MODOK” and Agents of A.I.M.
Editor's Note
Pictures of the project as of April 2013 -- about the one- year mark! I was tired and ready to move on.
-32-
Is Kevin down for the count? Will
he banish his evil creation to that Great
Costume Scrapheap in the Sky? Is this
really the end for “MODOK?” In the best
cliff-hanger tradition, STAY TUNED for
the final installment of this thrilling
adventure in the very next issue of VC!
November 2014
Feature
Dyeing to Know:
Information That
Beginning Dyers
Need
Carole Parker*
An experienced dyer offers beginners
some basic information that she wished she
had while getting started.
Why dye fabric when you can get most
anything in the fabric or department stores?
Because most is not all! Sometimes, you
can’t find what you need in the stores when
you need it. Sometimes, the quality is not
what you’re looking for, and sometimes, you
want to have more creative control over the
fabric that you use to achieve an effect.
This article includes information on
dyeing from a course that I teach, that I had
trouble finding out when I first started.
Background
When I started dyeing, there were two
choices: expensive liquid French dyes or dye
pigments - the dry powder form. Since then,
a new kind of product has come out: liquid
color concentrates that you put a few drops
in water to get your desired color. These
products are great for first-timers who want
to see whether or not they are interested in
exploring dyeing further, and those in living
situations where they cannot work with
pigments. My experience is that color
concentrates are good for small projects,
such as a scarf or something similar in size.
thinking that it will cover up a stain. If you
don’t remove the stain first, you’ll just have
a different colored fabric with a stain on it.
You can, sometimes, do a technique that can
distract from a stain. Dyeing is great for
getting either yardage or multiple items
made the same color at the same time.
Two known products are called
Colorhue for instant-set
silk dyeing and Tumble
Dye for cotton, rayon,
hemp, silk, nylon,
polyester, synthetics, and
blends, which can be put in
Colorhue for silk (left) and Tumble Dye for other fabrics (right) are great for first-timers.
the dryer to set the dye.
The drawback? The colors
What are some important ideas to
are not as intense as with pigment dyes.
keep in mind about dyeing?
How is dyeing different from fabric
1. It is a lot of fun. You get to create
painting?
something that is different from what
This question can get you into a debate.
anyone else has.
The usual difference is that fabric paint sits
2. It is messy, so either wear clothes that
on the surface of your fabric, whereas
you don’t care about getting dye on, an
dyeing penetrates your fabric and creates a
apron, or a disposable raincoat. Even
molecular bond. Both can change the weight
when you’re really, really careful, you’ll
and float of a fabric. Paints because they add
probably still spill or spatter some dye.
weight. Dyes because the process used can
3. Dyeing is usually water intensive, so you
change the texture or hand of the fabric.
probably do not want to do it during a
However, dyeing is less likely to change the
drought. Low water techniques are
float of your fabric than painting will.
available. You can usually find low
Except wool. That’s another story.
water dyeing books at quilt stores or dye
When should I dye fabric?
suppliers. Some books on low-water
When you want a permanent color
dyeing are in the Recommended Books
change to fabric. Do not dye something
list at the end of this article.
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November 2014
Pigment Safety First
While dyeing is lots of fun, when you
are using pigments, you need to be serious
about safety to maintain your excellent
health. Yes, dyeing is safe, but you need to
be smart about it.
1. When you use a utensil to measure dye or
dye products, DO NOT use it for food
cooking ever again. It's not safe, no
matter how much you wash it!
7. When mixing dye pigments, do not do it
indoors. Either do it outside in a
sheltered area, in the garage, or in a
workshop where food is not prepared.
Dye pigments can go through the air and
land on areas that you can’t readily see.
Do not mix dyes in the kitchen or where
food is prepared! Once dye pigments are
mixed with liquid, you can work with the
dye where you like.
2. If any container or utensil comes in
contact with dye - powder or liquid form
– DO NOT use it for food ever again.
5. Wear latex or chemist (elbow length)
gloves when measuring pigments, so you
don’t absorb dye via skin. For those with
latex allergies, or who develop latex
allergies, medical grade purple or blue
nitrile gloves are available at drug or
warehouse stores.
6. Wear eye protection, such as safety
glasses, goggles, or a full face shield
when working with dye pigments.
Dye Types
Acid Based
Requires an acidic dye bath in order to
bond with the fabric. While an acid dye bath
sounds dangerous, acids used include white
vinegar and citric acid - the stuff that comes
from fruit. Use on silk, wool, feathers, and
nylon.
Aniline
First synthetic dyes used, they were
derived from coal tar and are very toxic. No
longer used for fabric but still used for
leatherwork. A respirator is a must when
working with aniline dyes.
3. Keep all tools and containers used for
dyeing in a separate area from the
kitchen, so they do not get accidentally
used for cooking.
4. When measuring pigments or other dye
chemicals, wear a snug dust mask or
respirator. Dust masks can be brought
inexpensively at your local hardware
store. A properly snug respirator will
give you much better protection for your
lungs.
items, plastic give away cups from fast food
restaurants that always seem to accumulate
in people’s cupboards to mix dyes in,
leftover chopsticks from Asian restaurants to
stir with, and I get excellent results.
Have I scared you? In a way, that’s
good because you understand. Why the
fuss? The pot, container, measuring tools
look clean. That may be, but you don’t see
the micro scratches and pits that can contain
small amounts of dye that can cause severe
illness or even death in extreme cases. It is
better to be safe than sorry.
Disperse
Really, really nasty chemical process
used to dye polyester and synthetic fabrics.
Requires high heat, toxic chemicals, and
strong fan ventilation that most home dyers
do not have available. A new product, iDye,
has come out, but it is not worth the effort
for 100% polyester. It can work in your
washing machine for polyester blends. You
can order iDye from Dharma Trading or
expansive art supply stores.
You can buy stuff for dyeing cheaply
enough: inexpensive measuring spoons and
cups can be bought at a dollar or thrift store.
I use disposable containers that can be
bought cheaply in packs for different sized
Fiber Reactive
(From 'Fabric Painting and Dyeing for
the Theater' by Deborah M. Dryden.) This
type of dye is called fiber-reactive because
the dye molecule actually forms a chemical
Safety measures, including chemist gloves, goggles, and a
mask or respirator are a must when working with dyes.
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November 2014
bond with the fiber during the dye process,
thus creating extremely permanent color.
These dyes are rated very high in color
fastness to washing, dry cleaning, and
perspiration. Some brand names include
Procion MX and Dylon. Works on cotton,
linen, and viscose rayon. Fiber-reactive dyes
will also dye silks and wool with slightly
altered recipes. Note: Can be natural or
synthetic dyes.
Natural
Made with plants, bugs, roots, bark,
teas, and coffee. You have to extract the
color from these items to get the needed dye.
Considered more sustainable than synthetic
dyes, they can have variations because
nature is not always consistent. Items
that don’t dye, even though they can
stain your clothes: beets, berries, and
saffron.
Substantive
Color fibers without a mordant.
Synthetic
Standard dye combinations that
will give you relatively consistent colors
if you follow the recipe correctly. Note:
Procion is a synthetic dye.
Union
(From 'Fabric Painting and
Dyeing for the Theater' by Deborah M.
Dryden) So-called all-purpose or
universal dyes are a composite of
several other types of dyes (dye classes)
that allow union dyes to dye a wide variety
of fabrics. Note: Rit is a union dye.
Dyeing Techniques
Discharge
Using a chemical agent to remove
color. Note: Not all colors will discharge to
white. Discharge depends on the type of dye
originally used to dye the fabric or garment.
Goes to the dye base color. Black may not
discharge.
Ice/Snow
Using ice - cubes or crushed, or snow
to create interesting patterns onto fabric
because the dye is distributed
differently. Works best on fiber
reactive fabrics - cotton, rayon, hemp,
and linen. I have not gotten it to work
on silk. Cubes of ice keep the color
but adds texture, so you don’t have
a flat color distribution. Crushed
ice can break down blended colors
into their component colors, so
you can wind up with the original
color plus its component colors
at the same time. Primary colors
can get some lighter color areas.
For instance, red pigment on
crushed ice can get you red and
pink on the same fabric. Snow or
finely crushed ice, I am told, can
get you an ombre effect.
Marbling
Surface suspension of
colorant that gives a stone-like or
fantasy look.
Kelly Green ice dye results on rayon garment.
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Ombre
Gradient dyeing from light to dark,
dark to light, or one color to another with no
discernible breaks.
Resists
Agents that prevent dye from
contacting the fabric. These can include
chemicals, mechanical devices, rice paste,
thread, or wax. The dye will not penetrate
where the resist is.
• Chemicals - Typically labelled “resist,”
these agents are applied to the fabric to
provide a chemical barrier. Note: Gutta is
a chemical resist.
• Mechanical Devices - Rubber bands,
binder clips, wood blocks or stamps with
clamps, folding and clamping, string,
pole, or most anything else that is not
porous can provide a mechanical resist.
• Rice Paste - Frequently uses stencils for
where to apply the paste-resist to get a
particular design. Japanese Katazome is
one technique that uses rice paste as
resist.
• Thread - More precisely called shaped
stitch resist, has been done all around the
world. The most well known is shibori,
which is to Japan what the bagpipes are
to Scotland. While Japan and Scotland
are most well-known for their art forms,
other places have or had the same art
forms. When pulling thread for resist, you
should not see any of the thread because
the folds cover the thread. If you see
thread, you will not get resist.
November 2014
• Wax- Melted wax is applied to fabric
using any number of tools. Depending on
the technique used, can provide a
“cracked” effect where the wax breaks.
Batik is a wax resist method, but it is not
the only one. Soy and paraffin are the two
most common wax forms. Food grade
soy wax will not plug up your sink when
you wash it off with Dawn detergent.
Shibori
A class of techniques that uses binding,
stitching, folding,
clamping (Itajime)
and pole wrapping
(Arashi) as resist to
get different dye
patterns.
Tie Dye
Technique that became popular during
the late 1960s and 1970s that uses folding,
bending, and twisting fabric, and applying
the dye directly to the fabric to get desired
effects. Frequently, the first technique that
many dyers learn. Research shows that it
was started by a dye company employee to
help revive an industry that was in decline
and economic trouble.
Vat
Two tie dye patterns. Above: Knot fabric at intervals
for stripes. Below: Pinch centre of fabric and let fall
into drapes; bind at intervals with the string or elastic
bands for concentric pattern.
Silk Screening
Using fabric with
blocked areas to control
where color goes.
Spray Painting
Using an airbrush
with compressor, or
purchasing a PreVal
sprayer that allows you
to spray dye on fabric
that gets airbrush
dispersion, but does
Fabric bound to pole for
not require a
Arashi shibori dyeing.
compressor. PreVal
sprayers can be bought at Dharma Trading
or hardware stores.
Stamping
Using a stamp or carved wood block to
apply dye.
Dyeing done in a large enough
container for the material/garments to be
immersed and able to move freely around in
the dye bath to get even dye distribution.
Vats can be garage sinks, plastic tubs, large
plastic buckets, bathtubs, or non chemical
reactive pots. Note: Aluminum pots and
containers can react with dye and change
your color!
Common Dyeing Terms
Basic/Flat/Single Color
When just one color is used to dye, and
you don’t use any special techniques on the
fabric.
Stenciling
Using a stencil (plastic or hard sheet
with appropriate cutouts to get the desired
shape) to limit where you apply color or
resist. Note: When applying dye using a
stencil, use paste or sodium alginate to
prevent spreading of dye. Otherwise, your
design will not show properly.
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Colorfast
(From Wikipedia: Glossary of dyeing
terms) Resistant to fading, rubbing off,
bleeding in wash water, or otherwise
changing color.
Dye Extracts
Typically, natural dyes that have
already been processed so you don’t have to.
November 2014
Dyed in the Wool
terms) Fibers dyed before spinning.
Exhausted
When the dyebath dye has attached to
the fiber and no more color potential is left.
Fixer/Fixative
That which makes it so that the dye and
fabric react together and bond, so the dye
will not run. For cotton and rayon, it is Soda
Ash. For protein fibers, such as silk and
wool, it is acid - either vinegar or citric.
MSDS
Material Safety Data Sheet. OSHA
requirement that product companies must
provide that detail the chemicals used in the
product and safety measures that should be
taken to ensure that no harm comes to the
user of the product.
Fugitive
A color that fades when exposed to
sunlight or through washing.
Set
Making the color permanent by using a
chemical agent or heat.
Garment Dyed
terms) Fabric dyed after it has been woven,
cut, sewn into a garment or yarn knitted into
a piece before dyeing.
Griege
Fabric that is undyed, unbleached,
sized, and possibly dirty. Note: Fabric that
needs scouring (cleaning) before using.
Light Fastness
How well an item holds the color when
exposed to light. One test is to cover
something dyed with cardboard on half of it,
and leave the other half exposed to sunlight.
Mordant
A chemical that helps natural dyes
“bite” into the fabric and bond with it.
WARNING: Stay away from chrome! It is
highly toxic.
Scouring
Removing sizing or finishes on your
fabric by washing it in a mild detergent like
Synthrapol and soda ash for fiber reactive
fabrics. For silk, do not add soda ash as it
can weaken silk. If you do not have
Synthrapol available, using a straight
detergent without additives will work in a
pinch. Do not add fabric softener to a
scouring cycle. Fabric softener makes it so
that dye does not take properly. Also, do not
add a dryer sheet in the dryer. One dyer’s
experience when a dryer sheet was added
was mottled results that she did not want.
Sizing
Chemical used to treat yarns and
fabrics to smooth and bind them together.
Used to make weaving easier and less
destructive to the yarns of the fabric. Can
interfere with the dyeing process.
Overdyeing
Dyeing something that has been
previously dyed. You can dye something
multiple times, but different fibers will only
have space for so much dye, and can make a
muddy color when done too many times.
Soda Ash
Used to scour as well as bond dye to
cellulose fabrics, such as cotton, linen, and
rayon. Frequently found in bulk at
swimming pool supply and hardware stores
as well as dye suppliers. At swimming pool
supply and hardware stores, frequently sold
as sodium carbonate if it is not listed as soda
ash.
Prepared for Dyeing (PFD)
Fabric that has no sizing, optical
whiteners, lubricating oil, or softeners to
interfere with the dyeing process.
Sodium Alginate
Thickening agent from kelp prevents
dye from spreading as readily. Can make
dye more paint-like for better color control.
Portion of OSHA Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
for Colorhue silk dye from Dharma Trading Company.
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November 2014
Swatches
Pieces of different materials you put in
the same dye bath to see how they react
differently with the dye and dye process
used, or the same fabric done in different
dye mixtures to see how the color changes.
Synthrapol
A mild detergent used to prepare fabric
for dyeing and finishing. An important
feature is that Synthrapol suspends excess
dye in water, so it doesn’t get on things that
it’s not supposed to get on.
WOF/WOG
Weight of Fabric/Weight of Goods.
Very important for getting the best color for
your fabric. Weigh all the fabric (garments)
that you intend to dye in one color batch
when the fabric is dry. Pigment used is a
percentage of fabric weight. Each pigment
has a different percentage for best color
results.
Yarn Dyed
Yarn dyed after the fibers are spun but
before woven into a fabric.
Other Definitions can be found at:
• Wikipedia: Glossary of dyeing terms.
• Dharma Trading Company: Glossary.
Recommended Books
Basic Books
Color and Design on Fabric by Singer
Design. Cowles Creative Publishing, 2000.
ISBN-13: 978-0865738706.
Color by Accident: Low-Water
Immersion Dyeing by Ann Johnston, 1997.
ISBN-13: 978-0965677608.
Color by Design by Ann Johnston,
2001. ISBN-13: 978-0965677615.
Complex Cloth: A Comprehensive
Guide to Surface Design by Jane
Dunnewold. Martingale, 2009. ISBN-13:
978-1564771490.
Magic Dyeing Made Easy by Helen
Deighan. Quilters Resource, 2004. ISBN-13:
978-0954033330.
Surface Design for
Fabric by Richard M. Proctor
and Jennifer F. Lew.
University of Washington
Press, 1995. ISBN-13: 9780295974460.
Costumes & Chemistry: A
Comprehensive Guide to Materials and
Applications by Sylvia Moss. Costume &
Fashion Press/Quite Specific Media, 2001.
ISBN-13: 978-0896762145.
The Surface Designer’s
Handbook: Dyeing, Printing,
Painting, and Creating Resists on Fabric by
Holly Brackmann. Interweave, 2006. ISBN13: 978-1931499903.
Dyeing in Plastic Bags: No Mess No
Fuss Just Great Colors. by Helen Deighan.
Crossways Patch, 2001. ISBN-13: 9780954033316.
Japanese
A Handbook of Indigo Dyeing by
Vivien Prideaux. Search Press, 2012. ISBN13: 978-1844487677.
Dye Painting! by Ann
Johnston. Amer Quilters
Society, 1992. ISBN-13:
978-0891458036.
Katazome - Japanese Paste-Resist
Dyeing for Contemporary Use by Kumiko
Murashima. Lark Books, 1994. ISBN-13:
978-0937274729.
Dyer’s Companion by
Dagmar Klos. Interweave
Press, 2005. ISBN-13: 9781931499514.
Shibori: A Beginner’s Guide to
Creating Color & Texture on Fabric by
Lynne Caldwell. Lark Books, 2006. ISBN13: 978-1579906597.
Fabric Dyer’s Dictionary by Linda
Johansen. C&T Publishing, 2010. ISBN-13:
978-1571208637.
Hands on Dyeing by Betsy
Blumenthal, Kathryn Kreider. Interweave
Press, 1988. ISBN-13: 978-0934026369.
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Shibori - The Inventive
Art of Japanese Shaped Resist
Dyeing - Tradition,
Techniques, Innovation by
Yoshiko Wada, Marry Kellogg
Rice, Jane Barton. Kodansha
USA, 2012. ISBN-13: 9781568363967. This is the classic
book. A paperback reprint is
November 2014
now available. The hardbound is out of
print, but if you can find it, you should buy it
because it has more pictures.
The Fabric & Yarn Dyer’s Handbook
by Tracy Kendall. Collins & Brown, 2011.
ISBN-13: 978-1843406532.
Natural Dyes
The Art and Craft of
Natural Dyeing Traditional Recipes for
Modern Use by J. N. Liles.
University of Tennessee
Press, 1990. ISBN-13: 9780870496707.
Marbeling Fabrics for Quilts: A Guide
to Learning and Teaching by Kathy Fawcett
and Carol Shoaf. Amer Quilters Society,
1991. ISBN-13: 978-0891459712.
Eco Colour: botanical
dyes for beautiful textiles by
India Flint. Interweave, 2010. ISBN-13:
978-1596683303.
Natural Dyes and Home Dyeing by
Rita J. Adrosko. Dover Publications, 1971.
ISBN-13: 978-0486226880.
Natural Dyeing by Jackie Crook. Lark
Books, 2007. ISBN-13: 978-1600592225.
Natural Plant Dyes by Judith V.
Hallett. Unicorn, 1996. ISBN-13: 9780864177520.
Wild Color - The Complete Guide to
Making and Using Natural Dyes by Jenny
Dean. Potter Craft, 2010. ISBN-13: 9780823058792.
Specific
Batik by Sarah Tucker. Crowood,
1999. ISBN-13: 978-1861262639.
Fabric Painting and Dyeing for the
Theater by Deborah M. Dryden. Heinemann
Drama, 1993. ISBN-13: 978-0435086244.
Medieval Dyes by Jodi Smith.
Coachwhip Publications, 2009. ISBN-13:
78-1930585898.
Tie Dye
Rainbow Tie Dye by Sulfiati Harris.
Duncan Enterprises, 1999.
Tie Dye by Virginia
Gleser. Book Publishing
Company, 1999. ISBN-13:
78-1570670718.
Tie Dye To Die For &
Batik You Can't Resist by
Doug Otten, Doug Feltus and
Alice Niemiec. Hot Off the
Press, 1993. ISBN-13: 9781562311377.
Other Resources
Dharma Trading Company Excellent
source for synthetic dyes. They also have
pre-made garments and scarves to dye. Their
toll-free number gets you people who know
dyeing and can answer most dyeing
questions. Their website has even more stuff
you can order along with tutorials and
explanations. This is a favorite dye resource
for a lot of people. Based in the San
Francisco Bay Area.
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Dye Forum A lot of good information,
links, and knowledgeable people posting.
Earthues.com Specializes in natural
dyes, but they’re more expensive than
Griffin Dyeworks. They do have a good
reputation. Based in the Seattle area.
G&S Dye Another all purpose dye
supplier for the hobbyist based in Toronto,
Ontario, Canada. Looks like the Canadian
equivalent of Dharma Trading minus the
hippy history.
Griffin Dyeworks Run by long-time
costumer, Bjo Trimble, so she understands
unusual needs and requests. Sells natural
and commercial dyes, weaving supplies,
dyepots, and “...many other useful items.”
They have a FAQ with some very useful
information. Based in Southern California.
Pro Chemical While Dharma Trading
and Griffin Dyeworks may be cheaper on
the west coast, one dye artist loves Pro
Chemical’s tutorials, and feels that their
instructions are clearer than Dharma
Trading’s. They specialize in chemical
supplies, so they may have items that other
suppliers may not. Based in Massachusetts.
Thai Silks Supplier of silk, silk
scarves, and silk garments which can be
dyed. For those in the U.S., tends to have the
best variety of inexpensive silks. They mail
order as well as having a shop in Los Altos,
in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Carole Parker is a surface design
artist and costumer with interests in textiles,
dyeing, and wearable art.
November 2014
Interview
FIDM Museum's
Art of Motion
Picture Costume
Design Exhibition
Meghan Grossman
Hansen
The FIDM Museum & Galleries'
Registrar talks about her role in presenting
the annual 'Art of Motion Picture Costume
Design' exhibition.
The FIDM Museum & Galleries is
home to an annual exhibition of film
costumes from current movie releases,
including the costumes by the designers
nominated for the Academy Award in Best
Costume Design. On February 10, 2015, the
exhibition will open to the public yet again
—giving visitors from around the world a
chance to see, up-close-and-personal,
costumes currently featured in movies at
their local movie theater.
the next question, "So you design clothes?"
Or perhaps more closely to the truth,
"You're a curator?" While I'm fortunate to
work at an institution that gives me such
opportunities (and I have curated a few
small installations in our Perfume Gallery),
that's actually not part of my job description.
As Registrar, I do the "boring" paperwork -loan forms, inventory, insurance,
accessioning and de-accessioning
collections, and so forth. But there is a
whole world of excitement and variety to
this job, that isn't immediately apparent from
my job description.
As Registrar, are you involved in
planning the Annual Art of Motion Picture
Costume Design exhibition?
Yes, in a very hands-on way. Let's
imagine we're on a movie set: who is in
charge? The director, you say? The director
is certainly the creative boss of a movie
production, but the real bosses are the
producers. They choose the script, find the
funding, make the budget, hire the director
and other creative "above-the-line" types,
and run the day-to-day operations of the
filming. The producers may never put their
hands on a camera or give notes to an actor,
The Virtual Costumer recently sat
down with the FIDM Museum Registrar,
Meghan Grossman Hansen, to discuss this
noteworthy exhibition.
What exactly is a Museum Registrar?
When I tell people I am a Museum
Registrar at a fashion museum, I am usually
met with kindly nods or blank stares. And
Gallery view of the 22nd Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design exhibition. Photo: Alex Berliner.
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November 2014
but they are responsible for getting the film
shot, edited, and distributed.
In the same way, the Registrar (along
with numerous other museum staff) works
behind the scenes to turn an idea into reality.
While the curator is planning the objects to
be included-- in this case, our museum
coordinator Michael Black-- the Registrar
handles logistics like loan agreements,
shipping, and insurance. This Registrar is
very fortunate that Mr. Black makes most of
these arrangements for this particular
exhibition, since he maintains close contacts
with costume designers, studios, archives,
and rental houses.
For the first time ever, we used technology to record the exhibition loans; however,
it’s always important to keep a hard copy.
This exhibition is planned through the
course of the year, but much of the final
decisions and receiving of costumes takes
place in the month leading up to the
exhibition opening.
What do you do in preparation, if you
don’t know what costumes will be
exhibited?
Other planning takes place while loan
arrangements are made -- condition report
templates are prepared for the iPad we use
for checking in costumes; supplies are
purchased; and the all-important exhibition
binder is prepared to hold the condition
reports, inventories, reference images, and
other relevant documents pertaining to the
loaned costumes to be displayed.
As costumes are received, museum staff mark the
garment bags, boxes, or other containers so that each
piece is returned to the lender exactly as received.
Meanwhile, I meet with my colleagues
to determine staffing needs for exhibition
installation. With two exhibitions being
installed concurrently (the other exhibition
of historic fashion is organized and installed
by our curators in the Helen Larson
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Gallery), our curatorial
staff of five is stretched
thin. When budget
allows, we hire contract
museum preparators to
assist with the fourweek installation
process. We also solicit
volunteers who are
eager to help and
experience the museum
behind-the-scenes.
Once the number
of workers is established, I devise a
workflow to economize on limited staff,
space, time, and materials. I work with the
Gallery Director and Museum Coordinator
to determine the gallery layout, which has
some fluidity due to the last-minute nature
of receiving the costumes. And I oversee
selection of mannequins based on
measurements taken during condition
reporting.
Is it challenging to receive the
costumes in such a last-minute manner?
It does present a logistical challenge
for everyone involved in the exhibition
planning and execution. As a result, we have
begun to use technology for condition
reporting, in what used to be a pencil-andpaper game. The tablet allows the note-taker
to quickly type inventory and condition
information, as well as take photos within
the same app. The photos can even be drawn
on with a color-coded “marker” to indicate
areas with condition issues.
November 2014
How do you choose mannequins for
the costumes?
Measurements are essential for
selecting a mannequin. We take
measurements with mannequin-dressing in
mind, which means that we don’t need every
single measurement you might take, for
example, to create a custom invisible mount.
But we often need more than chest, waist,
and hip.
The most important measurements for
women include those three, but also the hem
length (along with its intended position,
such as knee-length or floor-length). For
men, I require the distance between shoulder
seams, inseam, and out-seam, in addition to
a chest and waist measurement.
Digital condition report with inserted reference image
and markings to indicate condition issues on an iPad.
If you have such limited time, why
bother with these reports?
While it would be faster to skip the
step of conditioning the objects, it is an
essential part of our stewardship of the
museum. These documents will be
indispensable should there be a
disagreement with a lender or an insurance
claim. While we hope nothing of that sort
happens, these are the things I must think
about as the Museum Registrar. Be thankful
you do not have to!
First and foremost, the garment must
fit the mannequin or be slightly larger than
the mannequin. Museum practice dictates
that museum objects must not be harmed or
altered in mounting them for exhibition.
Loaned objects to the FIDM Museum are
treated in the same manner as objects
accessioned into the Museum’s collections.
As a result, the installer must alter the
mannequin to fit the costume. This includes
adding padding, prop petticoats or bustle
pads, and even sometimes cutting off
portions of the mannequin. We have been
I always measure the costume elements
that are the most restrictive to the body: so
for a man’s suit, I would base the shoulder
measurement on the jacket instead of shirt,
and the waist measurement on the pants
instead of jacket.
Do you choose mannequins that look
like the actor who wore the costume?
It’s a bit of a gamble to choose a
mannequin for a costume worn by an actor.
The FIDM Museum has a healthy supply of
mannequins, but the process of dressing a
garment on a mannequin for museum
exhibition is challenging, to say the least. I
choose each mannequin for exhibition with a
whole variety of factors in mind.
Read the Museum's blog, and follow them on Twitter
(@fidmmuseum) and Facebook (FIDMMuseum).
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Suggested measurements for mannequin selection, as
shown on the costume worn by Carey Mulligan as
“Daisy Buchanan” in The Great Gatsby. Loan courtesy
of Warner Bros. Pictures.
November 2014
number of mannequins that need to be
dressed each day, making sure they are
selected, painted, dried, and prepped for
dressing; prioritize films which require
designer approval; and communicate
questions about the costumes to the Museum
Coordinator, visiting designers, and
archivists. Usually all of this is going on
while we are still receiving costumes.
Initial mannequin selections for American Hustle;
adjustments were made after the costumes were
received, measured, and test-dressed.
known to surgically remove feet, portions of
the torso, or even heads!
Secondary considerations for
mannequin choice include height, body type,
pose, facial features, and hairstyle, if molded
hair is present. These distinctions tend to be
curatorial-type decisions, so if I’m not sure
how to proceed, I will ask Mike Black.
Finally, due to the number of
mannequins needed for this momentous
installation, I will try to assign mannequins
for the most important characters in each
film first, to ensure that we don’t run out of
mannequins of the correct type before those
costumes are dressed.
Once the mannequins are selected,
what is your role in the installation? Do
you dress mannequins?
I rarely have time to dress mannequins
anymore! My job is to keep the installation
running smoothly and on time. I monitor the
American Hustle platform during installation. Loans
courtesy of Sony Pictures, Michael Wilkinson, Gucci
and Halston.
information. Since, as a rule, we are
interpreting the costumes as they were seen
in the film, we do not allow ourselves very
much creative license. As each ensemble is
dressed, I review the reference images and
condition reports to finalize the styling and
be sure that costume elements were not
forgotten.
Is there one question that most
visitors ask when they come to see the
Annual Art of Motion Picture Costumes
Design exhibition?
Everyone asks some variation of, “Is
[insert name of famous actor] really that
short/tall/thin/large?” Our visitors are
always fascinated by costumes because of
their close relationship to the body, since
clothing is something we can all relate to.
It’s part of our everyday existence. By
seeing the costumes worn by an actor for his
role in a film, the actor becomes a little more
real to the visitor.
The mannequins are dressed according
to reference images provided by the costume
designer, studio, or production office; we
also make proficient use of the Internet
Movie Database (IMDB) and other internet
sources. As Museum Registrar, I keep all of
these resources organized according to the
needs of the installation team.
Last year we had three tablets loaded
with all available reference images and
condition reports, so that anyone dressing a
mannequin could refer back to this vital
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The final American Hustle costumes are at the center
of this gallery view. Photo by Alex Berliner.
November 2014
It is important to keep in mind that the
costume is made for the character, first and
foremost, to the specifications needed by the
actor. So, yes, in most cases the actor is that
short/tall/thin/large. In a small number of
cases, the mannequin that will fit a costume
in all other measurements may be, in fact, a
few inches too tall—a common problem
with the fashion mannequins in our stock.
make the exhibition a reality. After the
crowds go home and we return to our desks,
the Museum Coordinator, Michael Black,
begins planning next year’s exhibition!
How do you decide the gallery layout?
The gallery design and mannequin
placement is a collaborative process with the
Gallery Director, Museum Coordinator, and
curatorial staff. There is a long list of
variables we have to consider for placement
– including traffic flow, visibility, character
and plot, as well as visual harmony. In the
most recent exhibition, the gallery was
divided into two themes for the two rooms –
Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Period films. Based on
this general layout, we placed mannequins
on the platforms in their estimated locations.
Some were moved and rearranged, for
instance the costumes for 42, designed by
Caroline Harris. Since the film title is based
on the number on Jackie Robinson’s
baseball jersey, we wanted the “42” to
appear prominently in the gallery. However,
it was strange to have the mannequin’s back
to the audience. We discussed and
experimented with arrangements until one
clicked—the Dodger’s uniform worn by
actor Chadwick Boseman was placed at the
end of a platform extension, allowing it to
be seen from front, back, and side.
Costumes from 42, designed by Caroline Harris. Loan
courtesy of Legendary Films. Photo by Alex Berliner.
What's next once the gallery is done?
After the installation is complete, I do
the necessary insurance paperwork and
organize my binder to be put aside until we
begin de-install. We all attend the opening
gala, which is a great reward for the hard
work and long hours that are necessary to
The 2014 Academy Award Winner in Best Costume
Design, Katherine Martin for The Great Gatsby, will
be asked to return for the 23rd Annual Art of Motion
Picture Costume Design exhibition. Loan courtesy of
Warner Bros. Pictures. Photo by Alex Berliner.
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Meghan Grossman Hansen is
Registrar for the FIDM Museum at the
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
in Los Angeles. She has been with the FIDM
Museum for over seven years. Meghan
received her Master of Arts from the
Fashion Institute of Technology, New York
in Fashion & Textiles: History, Theory,
Museum Practice. Meghan serves on the
board of the Costume Society of America,
Western Region. Her interests include
fashion history, film costume design, and
museum studies.
Mark your Calendar!
Visit the FIDM Museum
in Los Angeles California
starting February 10,
2015 to see the 23rd
Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume
Design exhibition. Opening at the same
time is Opulent Art: 18th-Century Dress
from the Helen Larson Historic Fashion
Collection. Admission to both is free.
Help the FIDM Museum acquire the
Helen Larson Collection by making a
donation to “adopt” an object from the
collection. A credit line of your choosing
will be noted when the object is exhibited
or published. FIDM Museum & Library,
Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation.
November 2014
Event Report
Costuming at
the Estrella War
Samantha Hirsch
A personal report on
costume-related activities
at the 2014 Estrella War, sponsored by the
Society for Creative Anachronism.
The Society for Creative Anachronism
(SCA) is a non-profit organization that
recreates European history before the 17th
century. Unlike a Renaissance Faire, which
is more like a show, the SCA encourages
participants to pursue their personal
interests. Some people choose to participate
in war games and others are artists or
artisans. There are also performers and
teachers of a wide variety. In the SCA, there
are 19 world-wide kingdoms ruled by Kings
and Queens. In Arizona, we are part of the
Kingdom of Atenveldt under the rule of
King Morgan and Queen Livia.
The Estrella War encampment with knights in armor.
Making Viking weave earrings by braiding copper wire.
Earlier this year, I attended one of the
many events run by the SCA, called Estrella
War. It took place at Schnepf Farms in
Queen Creek, Arizona from February 25th
through March 2nd. There were many events
to participate in for kids and adults of all
ages. Estrella was mostly camps, as always,
with a small merchants' area in the middle of
the camp, and battle fields off in the woods.
Many school tours came by on Friday.
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I participated in three classes this year.
One was creating Viking weave earrings
from braided copper wire. It was a long,
tedious process that was still fun and turned
out great in the end. I took the class with my
grandmother, and the teacher was very nice.
I got distracted a few times so I took a little
longer to finish, but the earrings turned out
pretty well. The only problem is that I've
forgotten almost everything about that class!
November 2014
Another one of the activities I did was
stick weaving. It may sound simple, and it
kind of is, but the first few steps are the
hardest. I used sticks, yarn, and my hands.
The sticks were actually chopsticks with tiny
holes drilled in the ends for the yarn. I wove
the yarn around the sticks and pushed the
yarn through the holes. There really isn’t
that much to do, but it does take a while.
I’ve made a few now, and I may feel like an
expert, but I’m anything but.
My final arts activity was learned at
Estrella, but I actually made it at home later.
It was a Norse/Rus coat. The project was
challenging and definitely time-consuming,
but everything was worth it. In the eight
hours that I took to make my coat, I made an
art piece, as well as a new piece of clothing
for myself.
The class was taught by “Lady
Rannvaeig orrarmr Eskilskona.” She
provided a simplified six-piece pattern. The
design is based on a historical one, a
Senmurv Kaftan from the 8th-9th centuries.
She made complete instructions available on
line. They include links to historical
background information.
Very few materials were required, and
they were all inexpensive. All you really
need is a blanket for the body, matching
thread to sew, your body measurements, and
bias tape, embroidery thread, and/or trim of
any kind for the trim on the cuffs, neck,
hem, and inside.
Stick weaving involves hand-weaving yarn around sticks to create decorative patterns.
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November 2014
I used a blue polar fleece blanket from
Goodwill for the body, and purple bias tape
for the neck line, as well as a tie to keep it
closed. I started by laying out the fabric.
The blanket had a bound edge, so I
decided to use that as the center front
instead of hemming it (left, top)
Blanket folded with bound edge to the center.
After using my measurements to fit
the pattern (below), I drew the cut lines
for the body on the fabric with a white
tailor's chalk pencil (left, center) My
grandmother helped me cut out the body
and neckline (left, bottom) She also help
me to mark and cut the sleeves from the
portion of the fabric left over after
cutting the body. (right)
Body of coat drawn on blanket in white tailor's chalk.
Body pieces with neckline cut out.
Pattern pieces laid out on blanket.
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Marking and cutting the sleeves.
November 2014
Under-arm gussets.
Sewing machine I used is (mostly) mine.
Navy blue MaxiLock serger thread to sew the coat.
The last pieces that we cut were the
under-arm gussets. (above) Here are all
the pieces of the coat, laid out and ready
to be assembled.
The Pfaff sewing machine I used
(above) was one that my grandmother
bought for my mom when she was in
college. Now it's (mostly) mine! I used
navy blue MaxiLock serger thread (right,
top) to sew the pieces together.
me pin the pieces so I could sew them
together. First we marked the center of
sleeve for matching with the shoulder
seam of coat body.
My grandmother sewed on the bias
tape for the neckline because it was
going to be more difficult than my level
of experience. (below) She also helped
Pieces of coat cut out and ready to assemble.
Neckline bound with bias tape.
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Marking center of sleeve to match shoulder seam.
November 2014
Once I had sewn everything together, I
tried on the coat (below). The underarms
were a little tight, but that is easily
overlooked for now. All that’s left to do is
embroider the cuffs, hem, and inside. For
being the first time I’d ever sewn my own
clothing, the coat didn’t turn
out half bad.
Sleeve pinned to shoulder seam.
Next, we pinned the sleeves to the
shoulder seam (above), and finally, we
pinned on the underarm gussets. (below)
Arm gussets pinned to sleeve (above). Inside showing
gussets installed (below).
More than just
crafting and learning, I did
other things too. When I
got to Estrella, the
first thing I did was
go to the youth
Archery field. For
the first time ever,
I was finally able to
shoot my own bow
and not just the one
at summer camp.
Also I got a henna
tattoo designed by
an amazing artist.
Estrella was
fun! The classes
were amazing, as
was the archery.
Spending time with
my grandmother
was also great.
Next year will
obviously be
different, but I
hope to see many
attendees again.
Samantha Hirsch is an all-star
cheerleader who lives in Arizona. She
started costuming when she was seven years
old, designing her Medusa costume for
Halloween. She has entered some of her
designs in the Future Fashion Folios of
various Costume-Cons since #28, and
attended and competed on stage at her first
Costume-Con when #30 came to Tempe,
Arizona in 2012. She also attends SCA
events like Estrella War and Pennsic War
with her mom, brother, and grandmother.
Visiting the Estrella War
Estrella War XXXI
will take place from
February 24 to March 2,
2015 at Schnepf Farms,
located in the southeast
corner of Phoenix, Arizona.
Unlike a Renaissance Festival,
where performers are paid to entertain
attendees, this is a “hands-on” event
where. attendees are encouraged to dress
in the clothing and armor of the Middle
Ages and Renaissance, and to take part in
activities that feature middle ages style
tournaments, arts exhibits, classes,
workshops, dancing, feasts, and more.
Many of the activities are handicap
accessible depending on level of mobility.
Pre-registration is open, and being a
member of the Society for Creative
Anachronism is not required to attend.
For more information visit their website.
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November 2014
Virtual Soapbox
Blurring the Lines:
Costumers and
Artists and Quilters,
Oh My!
Kevin Roche*
On breaking through the unspoken
barriers between artistic communities.
I was first introduced to the Peninsula
Wearable Arts Guild (PenWAG) by Carole
Parker in 2007, back when we were
promoting Costume-Con 26. Our marketing
and outreach for CC26 was deliberately
exploring communities and groups outside
of “the usual suspects” of conventions and
costume groups, including drag events, gay
rodeos and what we now refer to as “maker”
groups. Carole suggested that one very good
place to go was PenWAG. She was right.
Andy and I immediately realized that
this was a community of people crazy about
making things to wear that were exactly our
kind of crazy. They weren’t too sure at first
whether “costumers” were a good fit in their
minds (never mind that several costumers
including Carole Parker were already
members), but we won them over as quickly
as they did us. In fact, a number of
PenWAG members were active attendees at
Costume-Con 26, especially in the future
fashion show.
The labels we apply to ourselves can
be both affirming and limiting, and the line
between costume and wearable art is an
especially blurry one. For a time
about twenty years ago, I took the
occasional costume or other sewing
commission, but after being hung
up on several times as soon as I
quoted my rates (why shouldn’t a
custom-designed, -fitted, and
unique costume cost exactly
the same as a cheap massmarket polyester sack from a
Hallowe’en shop?), I
rebranded my work as
“wearable art” and mostly
stopped doing
commissions. Using the
“Art” label empowered
me to set the price at the
value my pieces had as
creative works, rather than as
the (undervalued) product of
simple labor.
The ease with which we
actively joined PenWAG may have
been in part because I already
considered my work wearable art, and
certainly also because the group is
always looking for new and fun
ideas and techniques. Show and
Tell is a major part of every meeting.
Getting the hang of PIQF was, on the
other hand, a bit more complicated. PIQF is
the Pacific International Quilt Festival, held
in Santa Clara in October 2014. PenWAG
had a booth at the festival (in return for
doing a day of “white glove” duty, which is
the way-too-cool job of putting on a pair of
clean white cotton gloves and acting as a
docent to show attendees the backs and
insides of pieces on exhibit. Many of the
textile works on display at PIQF hide
amazing things that can only be seen
if you can turn them or reveal the
inside.)
In addition to PIQF’s several
quilt competitions, it sponsors a
Wearable Art competition. This is a
juried and judged show: you submit an
application up to two pieces, and the
committee juries which pieces to accept
for competition. They are then judged on
site the night before the festival opens.
It’s a very different mind-space from
that of masquerade costuming. First of all,
it’s a competition with cash awards; you pay
an entry fee with your submission (whether
or not it's accepted by the jury!) and nothing
is seen on the body. It is all about the
workmanship, and there is (at first glance)
no aspect of presentation.
First version of “Power Suit” using solid LED strips at
Lonecon 3 for e-Textiles demonstration/workshop.
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November 2014
I’d noticed that only a few PenWAG
members submitted work to the contest and
wondered why. There were a bunch of “but
I’m not a quilter” style remarks, and a few
comments that “so-and-so-always wins.”
This seemed to me a case of being limited
by one’s own internal labels, so I decided to
try and break that barrier. I had also noticed
that there were many beautiful entries, but
there was a sameness to the overall feeling
from year to year, so I thought maybe as a
costumer, I could shake things up a little.
My first essay was in 2013, after
building “Saucer
Country” (right) for
the LoneStarCon 3
masquerade. This is
where I ran into the
first weird barrier: the
competition only has
two categories:
"Jacket, Vest, or
Coat" and "Full
Ensemble". I wanted
to enter one of the
flying saucers and the
leather-appliquéd
“Red Chaps of Mars”
but there was no
obvious category for Kevin was part of “Saucer
Country” at LoneStarCon 3.
either.
I contacted the organizers and
persuaded them that the flying saucer could
be entered as a vest, since it hangs from
one’s shoulders, and then submitted the
entire outfit I wore with my saucer (which
included the chaps) as “Spaced Out Horse
Opera”. We took photos in an auspiciously
SF-themed sub-lobby of a San Antonio
hotel, I paid my money and we waited.
Both pieces were accepted. Both pieces
had highly complementary comments from
the judges. Neither received any awards
recognition.
It became apparent I’d run into an
unwritten rule of the competition. While it
did not state anywhere in the rules that
quilting techniques were required in the
entries, this was, after all, a quilt festival. It
was assumed that wearable art had to
include quilting or piecing.
When I started working on my “Power
Suit” for the e-Textiles demonstration /
workshop at Loncon 3, I realized it could be
a viable entry for the PIQF competition. I
decided that I would find a way to “crack
the code” and see if I could get a ribbon.
Qullting-inspired embellishment on lapel and trousers.
My first tactic was to deliberately
include some quilting-inspired
embellishment in the suit. The lapels, breast
pocket and tuxedo (trouser) stripes on the
suit were all made by piecing ½” striped
chevrons out of black cotton sateen, using a
technique similar to Seminole Piecing
(sewing narrow strips together, cutting and
piecing those assembled pieces to create the
pattern). This gave the suit a much stronger
tie to quilting than the basic (if difficult)
leather appliqué in the chaps. They also look
really cool.
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November 2014
notch collars. Every single raw edge in both
the coat and trousers was either bound or
french-seamed. (The effort was worth it; the
judges’ only criticism was for one of those
pockets on the jacket; it was the first one I
did and the one I was least happy with).
My third tactic was one of
presentation. I printed explicit instructions to
the show runners on how to connect and fire
up the lights on the suit, and, upon
discovering there was no power available in
the wearable art exhibit, came back with
enough external USB batteries to
power it for the whole four
days of the show (the
internal rechargeable
batteries are good for about
12 hours). The suit could
literally shine to its
best advantage
all weekend.
Lapels with original LED light strips
Lapels with hand-stitched NeoPixels.
On top of the piecing were the
NeoPixel animated lights. I wasn’t happy
with the version using strip LEDs I finished
for London, so I pulled them off and handstitched 120 individual NeoPixels onto the
suit using conductive thread. Not only were
they shiny and flashy, but all that handwork
would likely make an impression.
These tactics worked – “Power Suit”
won the award for Most Innovative Design
in the Full Ensemble division. I’d cracked
the PIQF code, and broken through what
seemed to be a major barrier between the
quilters and the costumers / wearable artists!
I then discovered that the organizers
had added the Most Innovative Design
category just this year (2014), after seeing
my entries from last year. It seems that
Mancuso Show Management (who puts on
PIQF and several other festivals) was
My second tactic was to be insanely
compulsive about finishing details. The suit
coat was an unlined double-breasted black
linen jacket, with (five!) bound pockets and
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November 2014
working to break down the barriers from
their side as well.
I also discovered there is a whole
circuit of these wearable art competitions; in
casual conversation with a quilter, I was
asked if I was going to try to put the Power
Suit into the wearables “road show.” I said
no, since I’m actually
planning to wear it to
conventions and parties
now that it's done.
It’s already been
in one cabaret
number (left).
The idea of
building a
costume or a
wearable piece
and sending it
unworn from
show to show
doesn't seem all that
different from the
bad old days when
one might make a
single costume and
enter it in every
masquerade one
could get to for a
year, unmodified.
That’s an attitude I abandoned a while ago.
My Wearable Art is to wear, and that’s one
thing I love about PenWAG, people wear
their creations!
I’m not sure there’s any sort of moral
here, other than be willing to take a chance.
In conversations with individual PenWAG
members and quilters, I’ve never actually
felt any of the barriers I worried those labels
seemed to have. The institutional “barriers”
proved to be traditions rather than inflexible
axioms, and the contest organizers seem
willing or perhaps even eager to let it
evolve. I have plans for next year already,
and they are something completely different
in theme from the “Power Suit” (I have no
intention of being trapped in a box as the
“light up costume guy”).
I’d absolutely encourage anyone who
creates art that can be worn (whether you
call it costume or wearable art) to consider
entering one of these competitions. Just be
aware and check out the cultural
assumptions ahead of time!
Kevin Roche is a sci-fi/fantasy and
historical costumer with extensive
experience entering, judging, and running
masquerades. He was Chair of CostumeCon 26 in 2008. Kevin received the ICG's
Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. He is
a past ICG vice-president, and is currently
president of SiW. Visit his website to read
his blog and view his album of costume
photos.
Above: I wore the “Power Suit” as part of a cabaret
number. Photo: Rich Stadtmiller.
"Power Suit" at 2014 Pacific International Quilt Festival.
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November 2014
Short Subjects
Napoleon's Hat Auctioned
One of 19 surviving hats sold for US$2.4M.
Napoleon Bonaparte's famous bicorn
hat was sold at auction. The hat was on
display next to the chateau where the French
general lived when he wasn't leading
troops into battle across Europe.
The 19 inch long black
felt headpiece has a greygreen quilted silk interior
and shows signs of wear
— though no one has
actually worn the hat
since Napoleon's
cavalry veterinarian,
Joseph Giraud. The
military leader is said to have changed his
hat at least three or four times a year, and
Giraud received this one in 1814 as a gift
after Napoleon had finished with it. This
was during his exile on the island of Elba, a
year before the battle of Waterloo.
Part of a Napoleonic collection
belonging to Monaco's royal family, which
is distantly related to him, the hat fetched
US$2.4M at the November 15th auction.
In a note accompanying the catalog,
Prince Albert II said the family decided to
sell the items of the collection as part of the
restoration of the palace "rather than see
them remain in the shadows."
"It's the first time a veritable museum
is going under the hammer," said Jean-Pierre
Osenat, head of the auction house in
Fontainbleau.
Osenat said only 19 of Napoleon's 120
hats have survived, and only two of those
are in private hands. Prince Albert's greatgrandfather, Louis II, bought it directly
from the vet's descendants, Osenat said.
The hat is famously depicted in a
painting (below) of Napoleon,
pitched to the side, counter to the
fashion of the day.
“'He did this to
make himself
stand out and be
easily identified. There
are not that many
historical people
who can be identified by
a single item. Churchill
was famous for his cigars
and Napoleon was famous for
his hats.”
According to Alexandre
Giquello, who works at the
auction house, "He understood
at that time that the symbol was
powerful." On the battlefields,
his enemies called him 'The Bat'
because he has that silhouette with
this hat."
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Hollywood Costumes
Academy exhibit explores the central role of
costume design in cinematic storytelling.
The Academy of
Motion Picture Arts and
Sciences is presenting a
multimedia exhibition,
Hollywood Costume.
Organized by the
Victoria and Albert
Museum, London, the
exhibition explores the
central role of costume design – from the
glamorous to the very subtle – as an
essential tool of cinematic storytelling
The exhibition includes more than 150
costumes. The Academy is adding over 30
costumes from its own collection from
recent movie releases. The exhibition also
features the Academy’s pair of the most
famous shoes in the world – the original
ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz
(Adrian, 1939) shown with Dorothy’s blue
and white gingham pinafore dress.
Hollywood Costume is curated by
Deborah Nadoolman Landis, Academy
Award® – nominated costume designer and
founding director of UCLA’s David C.
Copley Center for the Study of Costume
Design. The ticketed exhibition runs from
October 2, 2014 to March 2, 2015 in the
historic Wilshire May Company Building,
November 2014
the future location of the Academy Museum
of Motion Pictures, at Wilshire Boulevard
and Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles. Visit
the exhibition website for further details.
Death Becomes Her
Metropolitan Museum show features a
century of mourning attire.
This Costume Institute exhibition
explores the aesthetic development and
cultural implications of
mourning fashions of the
nineteenth and early
twentieth centuries.
Approximately thirty
ensembles, many of
which are being
exhibited for the first
time, reveal the
impact of highfashion standards
on the sartorial
dictates of
bereavement
rituals as they
evolved
over a
century.
bereavement's evolution and cultural
implications is illuminated through women's
clothing and accessories, showing the
progression of appropriate fabrics from
mourning crape to corded silks, and the later
introduction of color with shades of gray
and mauve.
This exhibition in the Anna Wintour
Costume Center runs from October 21, 2014
through February 1, 2015. Free with
museum admission.
The Passing of a Legend
World-renowned fashion designer Oscar de
la Rente dies at age 82.
Legendary fashion designer Oscar
de la Renta, who shaped
the wardrobes of
socialites and film
stars for over four
decades, died at age
82 on October 20
at his home in
Kent, Connecticut.
He was diagnosed
with cancer in
2006.
The thematic exhibition is organized
chronologically and features mourning dress
from 1815 to 1915, primarily from The
Costume Institute's collection, including
mourning gowns worn by Queen Victoria
and Queen Alexandra. The calendar of
De la Renta was Born in the
Dominican Republic and moved
to the United States in 1963.
He became a US citizen in
1969 and was the first
American to become the top
designer of a French fashion house.
Above: Mourning ensemble (detail), c, 1870. Silk.
U.S. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Right: Helena Christensen on a de la Rente
catwalk in 1992. Photo: Neville Matriner.
-55-
"When I first arrived here in 1963, all
the names on clothes were the name of [the
store]," he told Gotham magazine last year.
"You made your clothes, you sold them to
the store, and they quickly removed the label
and put the label of the store. If it was a
dress at Saks Fifth Avenue, the label was
Saks Fifth Avenue. Bergdorf Goodman was
Bergdorf Goodman. But it was a time of
transition."
In 1965, de la Renta launched his own
label, and soon caught the eye of former
U.S. first lady Jacqueline Kennedy. Other
first ladies including Nancy Reagan and
Hillary Clinton would follow suit, as well
as a bevy of A-list stars, from Amy
Adams to Sandra Bullock to Jessica Biel
and countless others.
His style was described as a mix
of European luxury clothing and
American casual wear.
“He makes a woman look like a
woman, feel like a woman,” designer
Diane von Furstenberg once said
about him.
“He has that old-fashioned
elegance, and yet he’s able to interpret
it in such a modern way.”
De la Renta, won numerous
fashion awards in his lifetime, including
two Council of Fashion Designers
Designer of the Year Awards, a CFDA
Lifetime Achievement Award and two
COTY Awards. He always appreciated
every moment of his high-profile life.
November 2014
Star Wars IV - On-Set
British Film Institute exhibit of previously
unseen material from Star Wars Episode IV.
The British Film Institute's new
exhibition, On-Set – Star Wars Episode IV:
A New Hope provides a wealth of behindthe-scenes material from the making of the
first episode of the Star Wars series.
The material comes from script
supervisor Ann Skinner's own collection.
Ann's role as continuity supervisor required
her to analyze scenes and look for continuity
problems. She was also on-set taking
Polaroid snapshots to ensure characters,
costumes, and the props were exact from
one scene to the next. This was especially
important as scenes are shot out of sequence.
The exhibition shows notated script
pages, and photos of deleted scenes and
even deleted characters, such as Luke's
friends on Tatooine, including “Fixer,”
“Windy (Windom) Starkiller,” and “Camie,”
who do appear in the National Public Radio
dramatization of the original script.
Koo Stark ("Camie") was deleted from the final cut.
Several of the more unusual shots in
the gallery include behind-the-scenes photos
of Peter Cushing (“Grand Moff Tarkin”)
with a smile on his face, and David Prowse
(“Darth Vader”) without his helmet and
sporting a massive pair of sideburns.
A webpage on the IGN Games
Newsletter includes a photo album of Ann's
shots, and a video of BFI archive curator
Nathalie Morris giving a brief tour of the
exhibition.
Peter Cushing ("Grand Moff Tarkin") relaxing on set.
On Set – Star Wars Episode IV: A New
Hope is part of the Institute’s Sci-Fi Season
Days of Fear and Wonder, and is housed in
the BFI’s Atrium until January 4. The BFI
will also be celebrating Star Wars Day on
December 13 (sold out), playing the special
editions of Episodes IV-VI back-to-back
followed by a Star Wars-themed after-party.
Ann Skinner's original Star Wars continuity script.
David Prowse ("Darth Vader") without his helmet.
-56-
November 2014
Parting Shot
Two photos that are just too good not to use.
Sometimes a story has a great leftover
photo that deserves to be used, but there's no
room left or it's slightly off-topic and doesn't
fit in. A case in point is the photo below of
Venessa Koch, who wrote the “DeLorean
Time Machine Transformer” article in this
issue.
Venessa had brought her costume to
FanExpo 2012 in Toronto, Ontario, hoping
for a certain photo opportunity.
“Actor guests typically do 'photos with
fans' at this convention and the Ontario
DeLorean Owner's Club founder Ken
Kapalowski had his replica time machine set
up for fan photos with Christopher Lloyd.
This was the convention at which I debuted
the costume and it was a glorious bonus
when “Doc Brown” was announced as a
guest while I was still working on it.
“It makes me wish I had a real time
machine so that my ten-year-old Back
to the Future obsessed self wouldn't
have to wait 16 years to meet him.”
A second case is a photo submitted by
Martin Jaquish, for his “Behind the Scenes
at a 'Mega Fan Convention' Masquerade”
article. According to Martin:
“Often the costumes I
secretly love most, but
never publicly show
favoritism to, are the ones
unexpected and that have
little to do with current
movies or comics.
Yes, Ironman
costumes are
great and can
take an
immense
amount of
work, and
with onboard
lighting even
more so, but it's
charmingly
wonderful to see
originals or a recreation from the
past that have never
been on our stage
before, such as the
Yellow Submarine
Beatles, complete with a 'Blue Meanie' and a
giant hand that we had a year ago.”
Martin is pleased to share this green
room photo he took of the “Blue Meanie”
who so tickled his fancy with VC readers.
Venessa Koch, with Back to the Future's Christopher Lloyd ("Doc Brown") in replica time machine, at FanExpo 2012.
-57-
Above: “Blue Meanie” Comic-Con Masquerade entry.
November 2014
Upcoming Events
Calendar of Events
Great Dickens Christmas Faire
November 22 – December 21, 2014
Cow Palace Exhibition Hall
San Francisco, California USA
http://www.dickensfair.com/
Living history re-creation of Christmas in Dickens’
1860’s London. See web site for costuming
opportunities. Runs 4 weekends.
Further Confusion 2015
January 15-19 2015
San Jose Convention Center,
San Jose Marriott, and San Jose Hilton
San Jose, California USA
http://www.furtherconfusion.org/2014/
Further Confusion is one of the world's largest
anthropomorphic (or "furry") conventions. It features
eminent guests, educational panels, and world-class
costuming, including a masquerade.
Arisia 2015
January 16-19 2015
Westin Waterfront Boston Hotel
Boston, Massachusetts USA
http://2014.arisia.org/
New England’s largest and most diverse sci- fi and
fantasy convention. Many costuming events
including a Masquerade.
Her Royal Majesty's Steampunk
Symposium
January 16-19 2015
Aboard the Queen Mary
Long Beach, California USA
http://hrmsteam.com/
A SteamPunk convention aboard the legendary
Queen Mary, includes entertainment, games, Gala
Festivities and the Queen's Masquerade Ball.
Registration includes a room onboard!
Gallifrey One 2015
February 13-15, 2015
Marriott Los Angeles Airport
Los Angeles, California USA
http://www.gallifreyone.com/
All things Doctor Who are at this annual convention
that hosts stars from the series, along with many
costuming events including hall costuming and a
costume masquerade.
http://www.monsterpalooza.com//
The premier convention on the art of the monster.
Includes numerous sessions on monster making and
prothetic makeup techniques for costumers.
Norwescon 38
April 2-5, 2015
SeaTac Washington Doubletree Hotel
Seattle, Washington USA
http://www.norwescon.org/
Pacific Northwest's premier sci-fi and fantasy
convention. Features single-pattern contest and a full
masquerade.
WonderCon 2015
VancouFur 2015
March 5–8, 2015
Executive Hotel and Conference Center
Burnaby BC. Canada
http://www.vancoufur.ca
VancouFur, Vancouver's first furry convention,is in
its third year, striving to educate as well as entertain
in the fields of arts, crafts, culture and other aspects
of the furry fandom. Includes a costume parade.
Minami Con 20
March 6-8, 2015
Novotel Hotel Southampton
South Hampton, England
http://www.minamicon.org.uk/
Anime and cosplay convention includes costuming
related programming, a cosplay photo shoot, a
cosplay parade, a masquerade, and an “Iron Cosplay”
competition.
Monsterpalooza
Marcy 27-29, 2015
Marriott Burbank Hotel & Convention Center
Burbank, California USA
-58ISSN 2153-9022
April 3-5, 2015
Anaheim Convention Center
Anaheim, California USA
http://www.comic-con.org/wc/
The biggest stars in the comics world come to
Anaheim. Masquerade attracted 2,400 people, 28
entries, and 62 costumes.
Costume-Con 33
May 15-18, 2015
Charleston Plaza Hotel
North Charleston, South Carolina
http://cc33charleston.org/wp/
The premier costuming convention of the year
features panels, classes, historical and sci-fi/fantasy
masquerades, a future fashion folio design contest
and other costuming related activities.
Baycon 2015
May 22-25, 2015
Hayatt Santa Clara
Santa Clara, California USA
http://www.baycon.org/2015/
November 2014
The SF Bay Area’s largest sci-fi and fantasy
convention, with costume panels, and a Masquerade.
Anime North 2015
May 22-24, 2015
Toronto Congress Center
Toronto, Ontario CA
http://www.animenorth.com/
One of the 10 biggest anime conventions, includes
anime/manga costuming events, plus both skit and
costume Masquerades.
Phoenix Comic-Con 2015
May 28-31, 2015
Phoenix Convention Center and Hyatt Regency
Phoenix, Arizona USA
http://www.phoenixcomicon.com
Guests TDB. Numerous panels on costuming,
makeup, effects, and cosplay, a costume doll contest,
hall costume contest, and a masquerade ball.
Westercon 68
July 2-5, 2015
Town and Country Resort & Conference Center
San Diego, California USA
http://westercon68.org
This venerable sci-fi convention features a full
costume masquerade and numerous costumingrelated panels and tracks, and staged masquerades
and other costuming events.
Gaslight Gathering 5
September 18-20, 2015
Town and Country Resort & Conference Center
San Diego, California USA
http://www.gaslightgathering.org/
Southern California's first dedicated Steampunk &
Victoriana Convention, features many costuming
events, and a Steampunk Grand Tea.
Worldcon 73: Sasquan
September 19-23, 2015
Spokane, Washington USA
http://www.sasquan.org
The catwalk style Masquerade is rivaled only
by the Hugo Award Ceremony. Costuming-related
panels and events.
Ongoing Events
Bay Area English Regency Society
(BAERS)
The NCWA presents living history for the public in
many forms, including military and civilian
encampments, battles, and lectures.
Peninsula Wearable Arts Guild
(PenWAG)
Campbell Community Center
Campbell, California USA
Second Saturday of each month
http://www.penwag.org/
Various San Francisco Bay Area locations
Numerous dance parties – see their schedule
http://www.baers.org/
Members embellish garments with machine and hand
appliqué, patchwork, fabric painting and dyeing,
stenciling and stamping, machine and hand
embroidery, beading, and more.
Early 19th c. English Regency with dances from
English Country tradition. Second-Friday dance
parties, and fancy-dress balls throughout the year.
Period dress admired but not required.
Period Events and Entertainment
Society (PEERS)
Gaskell Occasional Dance Society
Scottish Rite Tempe
Oakland, California USA
http://www.gaskellball.com/
Victorian Ballroom dances with live music, and a
fancy Victorian dress ball. Semi-formal clothing
required. Period formal dress of the 19th- 21st century
admired but not required.
Greater Bay Area Costumers’ Guild
(GBACG)
Various San Francisco Bay locations
Many themed events – see their schedule
http://www.gbacg.org/
For recreational costumers in the SF Bay Area.
Activities include workshops, costume salons, a
costuming academy and many costumed events.
National Civil War Association
(NCWA)
Various Northern California locations
Many re-enactment and educational events – see their
schedule http://www.ncwa.org/
-59-
Masonic Lodge of San Mateo,
San Mateo, California USA
Ongoing monthly period dance events
Sponsors events, classes, and living history
perforhttp://www.peers.org/mances. Activities
include historic dance, drama, music, literature and
costume. Period dress admired but not required
Tech Shop
120 Independence Drive
Menlo Park, CA, USA
Ongoing classes monthly
http://www.techshop.ws/
Classes on the shop’s computerized embroidery,
industrial, and conventional sewing machines, and
serger. Also molding, vaccuforming, cutting, and
machining classes.
Editors Note
Send calendar or ongoing costume-related
events to [email protected]. Include event
name, location, dates, URL, and brief description
highlighting costume-related activities.
November 2014

The Virtual Costumer - Silicon Web Costumers` Guild

Transcription

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