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TrooperPX

501st Stormtrooper[TK]
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Posts posted by TrooperPX

  10. Death Trooper: Not safe for, well, anywhere...

    in Death Trooper

    Posted · Edited by TrooperPX

    Took my DT out for it's first official stagger at Rhode Island Comic Con.  :D

     

    Had a lot of good feedback, and PMs about finishing touches.  Spent the week before RICC deepening some scratches, undercut some of the plate loss more, and adding some nicks-and dings along all of the contact edges really brought it together.  Rubbed the glow frost off the brow rubber so it looks black again. 

     

    Had a very productive morning:

     

    Did a photo-shoot in a clean lobby corner to better assess the changes.  Then staggered out into the parking garage where we could use single light sources to create some great shadow shots.  Hung out in a stairwell for a while… staggered after some people as they unloaded their cars.   

     

    Joined the VIP line as they filtered in, made my way to the NEG booth where they had a trash compactor display.  Well, you know where I spent the next hour or two.  ^_^

     

    I have a knack for standing completely still, in that department store mannequin kind of way.  With my bucket askance, people jumped in for photos oblivious of my intent.  I’d wait patiently for them to get at least their one good shot, then (with my voice-distorting amp) I’d let out a pain-ridden moan and stretch out my arms towards them.  “Oh, yeah. Oooh, ahhh, that's how it always starts. Then later there's running and screaming.† Yes, I was rewarded by screams.  After more pics, they’d wander off, then I’d reset.  After that rotation of spectators leaves, a new round of unsuspecting replacements present themselves.  It was most successful with the VIP hour since there were fewer people to give away the gag.  B)

    • Like 1

  11. Death Trooper: Not safe for, well, anywhere...

    in Death Trooper

    Posted

    If there wasn't some flexibility in the CRL, they wouldn't encourage you to come up with a backstory for or how your particular Trooper succumbed to the (virus), how long he's been dead and what or where he's been since that time.  If every DT kit had to look like – could only look like – the references, they would not have broken down the decision making process as thoroughly as they did (see Tips #2, 3 & 4):

     

    http://www.whitearmor.net/forum/topic/16595-death-trooper-tips/

     

    It already faces the restriction of it not allowed to be a member’s primary costume, and members self regulate the venues it is worn at.  We are only wearing it at venues where a similar genera is already expected by the host and their guests.  I’d be happy to wear it just once a year.

     

    And it’s a great “renewable†costume.  When your TK looses it’s luster, you repurpose it into a TD.  When that starts to fall apart, you repurpose it into a DT.   ^_^

     

  12. Death Trooper: Not safe for, well, anywhere...

    in Death Trooper

    Posted

    too bad you couldn't have had this for FanExpo, then there would have been three of us.... oh well maybe next year

     

    FanExpo was so crazy.  Between the required booth/table times, parades, etc... I don't know when we would have been able to change.  :mellow:   Since we found out about the signup late, we couldn't stack any shifts and therefore had no good blocks of free time.  Now we know we need to monitor that thread (almost hourly) when it starts getting close to the sign-up going live.  That and I had to get other costumes finished and approved in time to troop.  But now it’s done and ready for grab-and-go.  B)

     

     

     

    So let's plan something and get it listed as an actual event/activity for next year... along with another Willrow Hood run.  :lol:

  25. Death Trooper: Not safe for, well, anywhere...

    in Death Trooper

    Posted

    My Death Trooper:

     

    Q. How did your Stormtrooper die?

    A. Technically, he died when his squad was investigating a derelict ship, and was exposed to the Blackwing Virus. Shortly after boarding, they were in turn ambushed by a group of Rebels that had followed them to the derelict ship. The Rebel’s fate is unknown… However, my trooper received his visible wound from a defensive backhand Lightsaber strike, entering the abdomen from the right side. A slightly upward stroke, exiting to the left. This opened up the belly cavity, allowing the intestines to work their way out of the body’s greater omentum (intestinal sack, caul fat) as he stumbled along. This membrane is supplied by the gastroepiploic vessels, fed from the celiac trunk resulting in a significant bleed out.

     

     

    Q. How long ago did your Stormtrooper die?

    A. Not too long ago. Having his body not know it’s dead, allowed him to bleed out more than a “living†person could. As the intestines worked their way out of the body, they began to apply force against the diaphragm, and with more time, to pull the lung lobes apart. As the internal organs began to tear apart, blood filled the lungs and began to expectorate through his breathing filters.

     

     

    Q. What has your zombie been doing lately?

    A. One time he was knocked down and landed on the carcass of an X-Wing pilot being devoured by other Troopers. His hand locked onto the body’s spine, and cannot physically let it go… so he carries it with him now. (He has yet to name it…)

     

     

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    Hard to photograph, but here it is in total darkness...

     

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    Cheeeezu!!

     

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    This costume will never be worn "in public". I focused on details that would be well received from the Horror community. Elements that that audience would already have been exposed to. Something to live up to their level of gore expectation at a specific “horror†convention, Zombie event or First-Responder training scenario.

     

     

     

    The Biuld:

     

    The entire kit was repaired, cleaned, shimmed (to fit me) and primed back to matte white. A light brown was dusted around the lower edges, followed by white again to knock it down a little. “Sand†color was added around all the edges with an olive color misted over the entire kit, a little darker over where the sand color was.

     

    I still had the paint I’d mixed up to do the intestines1. It had dried out a little, so I scraped down the dried sides of the container and stirred it really good. This left tiny chunks and flakes in the mix, that would simulate RBC’s and platelets coming together. Then added some additional binder to thin it out till the flow looked right.

     

    The kit was assembled so the logical flow of blood could be mapped out. Paths of blood flow were first applied, followed by some minor spatters and speckles to break it up visually. Then drops and drips were added that would have hit as he stumbled along. Once that was dry, I added a second less agressive flow on top of the first area, then a third. This built up the texture and darkened areas nicely.

     

    All of the open areas (sans brown and sand paint, and blood) were given a further dusting of Glow-in-the-Dark paint, to knock down the olive a little, and to provide a surprise effect in low light or in blacklight environments.

     

    After drying overnight, a matte clear coat was applied, then a satin clear coat to provide some random sheen. Gloss was sprayed on the larger bloody areas.

     

     

    1 Intestines: The intestines took almost two months just on their own. This was a design battle. The first concept was for “loopageâ€. I started with some ¾â€ ethafoam rod, first coated in FlexiBond glue (same as Aaliens Tacky Glue), but didn’t have the effect I was looking for. Then I dipped it in raw natural latex. Bingo! Flexible, and really strong so it won’t tear. Peeled up the dribbles and stuck them to the surface as fatty deposits and dipped a second time. That was my proof-of-concept. Then I located some 1†diameter latex surgical tubing. Did the same thing, but now it was a consistent color. Ran a small diameter ethafoam rod inside so it wouldn’t kink when the loops bent.

     

    Finally, full evisceration was the visual goal. I used Great Stuff expanding window foam to “draw†loops of intestines on a plastic sheet. As it was curing, I put a small pillow underneath to have it set in a slight curve. This product is very fragile… as it’s just foam, and that’s where I was experimenting with the latex. I gave it two days to fully cure and vapor-off, then dipped it in the latex and hung to cure. After two coats, I mounted a piece of muslin to the top, back edge, that I would use to attach it to the back of the belt liner. Then applied some peeled up dribbles , and dipped a third and final time. Left to cure for at least three days.

     

    I mixed up three colors of paint (Rosco theatrical acrylic). The first was fleshy ground-beef pink from Deep Red. That went on first and let dry for a day. The second color was a darker “beef-jerky†tone, made by mixing Deep Red with Burn Sienna. Again allowed to dry for a day. It was very matte at this point. The last was the second color, mixed with a gloss urethane. This is where art/magic happen… I brushed it on quickly and thickly. Then took paper towels, and rubbed it off in some spots back down to the raw latex. The wet paint reactivated the under coats to an extent, and rubbed off of larger smooth surface areas. Special attention was given to revealing as much of the fatty-deposit areas as possible. Some of the dry undercoat held tight and looked just like dried/flaky schmeckus. For the win!

     

    If anyone is interested, I can post WIP pics of the intestines…

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