New upgraded Davy Jones Costume for 2014 Disney Cruise

Joe Mccluskey

Ok guys, it is on ......

My friend in Connecticut s being really secretive about his pirate costume for next years Disney cruise. Apparently  he's beavering away in his garage , and even his wife isn't allowed in!!

so I'm proposing to rebuild my Davy Jones costume...... Only better ( I hope)

I've only been doing this since the beginning of the year ( see my other costume post) but I'm hoping to use my first build experience ( including the failures) and the stuff I'm continuing to learn from the Stan Winston School to develop an upgraded costume.

Here's the plan...

DJ mask will be in latex and have animatronics for the tentacles.

Mouth will be operational to allow me to talk, drink and breathe this time..... Without removing the mask.

The claw and leg will be made the same as before, except maybe try fibreglass instead of foam.

The claw will operate better to open wider.

The rest will be mostly the same.

So thats the plan anyway, but I might have to adjust it as I go, as I'm kinda making it up as I go along again 

If there's any interest in a build series of posts, then let me know, if not I'll just put on the final result.

I might put a couple of videos on, if all goes well.

Anyway, let me have your thoughts, as I need to get started . 

Joe Mccluskey

Ah well ..... Not much interest here then lol I've started the sculpt for the mask and created a test rig for the animatronics Also cast a plaster master "plate" for making a resin plate for holding the animatronics.

Joe Mccluskey

A wee update for the sculpt

Robb Walker

Are you going on the Disney Cruise, too?  Will you be taking your DJ costume?  Because if you are/do, you are going to rock a lot of folks' night on Pirate Night!  I was on a Disney Cruise a couple years back and made my first Jack Sparrow costume just for the cruise.  It was a pretty hacked-together amateur attempt, but I had fun with it.  I got so many compliments on the costume, and so many people asked me to take my picture with them.  I went and got my photo with the actual Disney Jack.  When I got to the front of the line for my turn, he had my spin around, took a good look at me, and then walked off set proclaiming he was no longer needed!  That made me feel really good!  All the kids wanted to dance with Captain Jack during the pirate dance party on the top deck that night.  Then at midnight, my friend and i went to the ship's theater to see POTC: On Stranger Tides.  When we walked in a couple minutes late, everyone in the theater gave me a standing ovation for my costume!  It was a most awesome night!

Mind you, that was all with a relatively crappy costume by the normal standards of the Jack Sparrow cosplay community.  Your DJ costume looks like it is going to be 100x better than my Jack costume!  Good luck!

Joe Mccluskey

Thanks Robb, I did one last year, and this will be the upgraded version, hopefully with animatronic tentacles etc. The response last year was brilliant and everyone wanted their pix taken with me ...... Even the Disney cruise photographers handed their cameras to assistants to get themselves in the photos. I've just put a photo on below of me with CJS. it was a fun night. Keep looking in to watch progress

Joe Mccluskey

Here's the latest update. So ,......... I've started to sculpt the crab style leg. I made a lifecast of my bent leg, then using a base of foam and plaster, created the main shell. after a quick coat of acrylic paint to seal it, I covered it in oil based clay, then textured it. Im just in the progress of sculpting and placing the barnacles and other sea life, then I'll make a mould from the master. I made the last leg from latex covered EVA foam, but I'll be making a full fibreglass, or carbon fibre version for this version. comments and tips welcome

John Drought

Hi Joe, I've just found this forum - and it's disappointing to see you didn't get much interest, when you were developing this costume. I took my wee boy to see PotC 5 (Salazar's Revenge) on it's opening night, and there were only five of us in the cinema! So please don't think you're the only character not getting the attention they deserve! Anyway, if I'd seen this site earlier, I would have said "yes please!" to your invitation to share a build-sequence and videos of your animatronic tentacles! I'd find it fascinating to see how you got on - with ll your improvements. Please mail me at john_drought@hotmail.com, or post here. Kind regards.