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GROOT
Groot from Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy"
Halloween Costume by Nathan Kirsch
At 6'4" tall, I usually try to be characters that are tall. For 2021 I decided to be GROOT from "Guardians of the Galaxy". With homemade platform boots and the tall mask, the costume measured 7 foot tall. I found it to be a perfect height because it was impressive for most people to look up at but still very comfortable and easy to wear even inside crowded spaces. The entire costume was made for my body for a perfect fit. I sculped the silicone mask on a plaster head cast of my head and formed all the foam on a stuffed duct tape mannequin of myself. In my quest for comfort, I tried to keep the entire costume light and flexible. The silicone mask weighed 2 pounds and the rest of the costume only weighed 7 pounds total. When attaching the foam, I kept in mind the joints and areas that needed to bend and rotate. I also used the minimum amount of foam necessary to get the look without making it overly warm or restricting. Movement of the face was one of the elements I focused on. Although I made several mistakes while making this mask, the finished product exceeded my expectations. I made a half mask. I layered the silicone by painting a thin layer of silicone on the mold first and then filled the void with an extremely soft silicone. Since it was a half mask, I used shoe laces to pull the mask tight against my face and tied it tight behind my head. It worked very well and was comfortable. The last hurdle was making the suit easy to put on and take off by myself. I built it as a pant and shirt. After some modifications by cutting in an inconspicuous location up the sides, it became much easier to put on quickly by myself. It turned out to be very wearable and I can keep it on for hours since I can move, keep from overheating, hear, drink, and talk so others can understand me. I was happy with the result. I look forward to the next build. My entire process can be seen in the YouTube video below.
https://youtu.be/_xj0-9me7FM
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