Thread: Need some ideas/input for a massive "creeper" costume

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What I'd like to do this year is create a very large, hulking, "reacher" style costume. If you're not familiar with the term, they are the costumes you see with the large arm extensions, and large heads. I want to create something that is very scary, but not that terribly hard to make. I'm also not quite sure what kind of creature/monster I should try to make. Werewolves seem to have been done quite often, but if I go for something like an alien monster or some other creature, I'm not sure if I'd be able to pull it off. I have the mechanical ability to build something like this, but I lack the finer artistic skills to do very intricate painting/detail work. I had wanted to build in a voice-changer or some kind of bull-horn into the costume, so I can make loud grunting and roaring sounds. Also, I was thinking of modifying crutches and using them in the arms - that way I can use them to walk/run in the same manner that a Gorilla will use it's arms while running. Do you guys have any recommendations on something that would fit this bill?

Any ideas, comments, questions, or links to how-to's would be *GREATLY* appreciated! Thanks to everyone in advance

Woody

I saw a grim reaper one year that was wearing drywall stilts. His whole costume was about 7' tall. He had a black robe and glowing red eyes under one of those "invisible" black masks. It was really menacing. You could go with an oversized hood and LED eyes - less artistic talent, more engineering talent.

this is my costume had pvc hands that moved and about 10ft arm span

I actually thought to do something similar to the old Dark Crystal Land Striders (?) if anyone remembers the docu on it's effects. Basically your arm extention idea as well as dog leg extensions. Problem with that is having the body streagth to support the strut between your shoulders and hips... which anymore I DO NOT. LOL

I would suggest foam and latex apendages, mounted on rods down your forarms that wrap/secure with velcro straps around your forarms and wrists. That way ou can do the "reaching" and can also grip the rod for added support/leverage.

I don't think I would use crutches if your intending to "reach" a lot... that would wear me out in no time.

acustomizer, how did you move your hands? im thinking of using fishing line and elastic bands. What mechanisms did you use?

Swoody, im doing a stalkaround grim reaper. Those loads of great examples out there and it seems similar to what you want to do. Google gore gallore grim reaper.

i used PVC pipe with a notch where the didgets were and a string running through the inside down a hallow cardboard tube that my hand was in. the pvc was good with movement but only for one night. After a while it became brittle and would break. i actually had a few couplings in my pocket that i had painted the same color just incase failure.

Thanks acustomizer!
How did you get your fingers to straighten up after you bent them???

hey grimmy they only worked well for the night didnt straighten all the way up and were brittle by the end of the evening. If anyone uses a similar idea id like to see how it turns out..

also i liked the way the hands looked with a bit of curve to them because they looked more natural than completely straight fingers.

Wow, great input so far guys

I really like the grim-reaper idea... and I just got an idea to build the upper portion by using a set of football shoulder-pads as the foundation for them. That way there's no strain on my head/neck, and should make a nice sturdy base to build from