Thread: Creature From The Black Lagoon Project

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I've always wanted a fullsized Creature From The Black Lagoon prop for my collection, but haven't wanted to spend $5,000+ to get one... which means it's off to the garage to make one. I was planning to make one for Halloween 2012, but I figure I better start doing my homework and collecting advice now.

My plan is to use a 6'3" male mannequin, and get a second or third generation pull of one of the original prop masks (still has a good bit of detail while keeping the price below $200). I was going to install glass taxidermy fish eyes into the mask and then seal it to the head and shoulders. Next, I'm going to get the costume hands and feet that are sold on ebay, and use them to cover the hands and feet. Which leaves a whole lot of body to cover.

I can make the fins on the back and arms out of sheet styrene, but coming up with the body itself is where I need some advice. I've never worked with foam latex before, which is what I was thinking I would need to use. My sister-in-law is an excellent sculptor, and is going to get drafted into helping me with this (as payback for all the work I've done keeping her computer alive), so I'm wondering what would get sculpted.

Some ideas I've had are:

1. Cover the body in an air-dry clay and have her sculpt the clay, but I don't know how durable this would be or how well the clay would adhere after drying.

2. Cover the body in foam and have her sculpt the foam, but I don't even know if this is possible.

3. Make a body cast of the mannequin, make a plaster positive from the cast, put clay on the positive and have her sculpt that, then make a mold from the sculpted positive, then pour foam latex into the mold, then glue the latex onto the mannequin and pray it all works out right.

I'm thinking applying something directly to the mannequin and sculpting that would be the easiest thing to do, but I have no idea what substance I could use. So, if any of you have any ideas or suggestions, please send them this way.

Here's Brian Wade's Creature progress videos. He basically sculpted flat pieces and wrapped them around to make the costume.
YouTube - ‪Brian Wade - Makeup Effects - Creature From The Black Lagoon - Sculpt Part 1‬‏
YouTube - ‪Brian Wade - Creature From The Black Lagoon- Sculpt Part 2‬‏
YouTube - ‪Brian Wade - Creature From The Black Lagoon - Sculpt Part 3‬‏

For a static figure, foam latex would be completely unnecessary and, in fact, unwise, as it will decay over time.

Air dry clay is probably going to crack because the inside would dry slower than the outside.

I wasn't able to find it, but I remember seeing an incredible Creature suit made from overlapping sheet foam (like the stuff you can get at the craft store). I would go that route, and shape it with heat (wood burning tools for detail, heat gun for general shapes, etc.).

There is white sheet foam that comes in rolls that would be perfect for this application.
They sell it at the big box hardware stores for under 10 dollars and one roll goes a long way.
If you coat it lightly with gorilla glue you can get that weird scale looking effect. If you coat it in wood glue or even your garden variety 35 year caulk it will hold its shape and be weatherproof.

That's how I made this guy last year, using different types of foam.

I'd do a negative pattern and then cast a number of identical sections in latex, cutting and fitting the identical sections together to make up the whole creature. If you look carefully, you'll see the arm sections are identical rings, as are the leg sections. The body sections, except for the torso overlay, are pretty much identical as well. So, probably 3 negative patterns you'll cast 20-30 times each.

Craig

Wow Craig! You are so right! I've never noticed that before. It looks like the only part of the costume that'll really need to be sculpted is the breast plate. Everything else looks like it could be replicated using overlaying layers of thin foam like Mahoney suggested.

Thanks for the input guys!!!

Okay, after spending most of the afternoon pouring over production stills, I think my best substance to use will be neoprane rubber for most of the body. I'm thinking either 1/8th or 1/4" thick. The question I have now is what can I coat it with to give it some texture rather than being smooth and flat?

I was thinking I could coat with rubber cement and etch in the scale lines before it dries, or burn the neoprane with a soldering iron to etch in the scales and rough up the surface. ANy other ideas???

I think I've found the perfect solution! Vinyl crocodile skin that's used for upholstery. It has the perfect scale pattern and about $21 for a 36" x 52" piece.

Oh wow what a great project. I can't wait to see it finished