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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Non Star Wars No-SW Costume: Bender, Futurama

Discussion in 'Costuming and Props' started by mr_Goodbomb, Jun 14, 2006.

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  1. mr_Goodbomb

    mr_Goodbomb Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2006
    I wanna get started on a Bender costume fairly soon, because I know myself well enough to know that, once college starts back up, I won't get jack done. So, I've been trying to decide what I need.

    [image=http://ucsub.colorado.edu/~benderm/images/bender%20drinking%203.gif]

    I've seen a good many Bender costumes already, but a lot of them just look bad. Benders not taller than any of the crew except maybe Amy, so making an excessively tall costume isn't a good idea... though, it's what most do.

    I also notice most make the body of the costume rounded like a cylinder, instead of rounded and belling out as it goes up.

    I'd like to use actual metal, but it's going to be excessively heavy, I can't weld, and I noticed that a lot of metal that people use for this purpose, such as home heating and AC vents and ducts, and frickin' sharp. The guy who did our new house's vents is a pro and he still cut himself several times working with that stuff.

    http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/bender/images/bender0003.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.mini-itx.com/projects/bender/&h=347&w=320&sz=12&tbnid=GQKjOUf6ecyHDM:&tbnh=116&tbnw=106&hl=en&start=6&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbender%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DX

    This looks like a nice resource, but it's a lot of metal work, and I don't want to copy anyone else's design exactly.

    I'd probably make arms and legs out of that stretchy shiny metal-and-plastic tubing/piping rather than individual peices. Despite his arms and legs are seperate peices, it looks weird when actually done.

    So, what do you guys think? Hints, ideas?

     
  2. Smiling-Otter

    Smiling-Otter Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2001
    Make this happen, meatbag!

    Sad that when you're wearing it you can't open the panel and pull out a bottle of Olde Fortran.

    Metal would be preferable - 40% zinc,40% titanium specifically. :D As for sharp edges, you'd need to be careful when making it, but if you roll/fold the edges, it shouldn't be a problem while wearing it.

    Plastic would be lighter, probably cheaper, and dent-resistant, but not quite as good aesthetically speaking. Or at least it would take more effort to make it look as good.

    After you finish it, you need to make Tinny Tim, Calculon, Robot Preacher, and Robot Devil. Especially Robot Devil...

     
  3. mr_Goodbomb

    mr_Goodbomb Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Apr 20, 2006
    I'd want the chest box to atleast OPEN, if not open up and hold my beer and a couple cigars, maybe a brick of fake gold. :)

    As for those other guys, Hedonismbot reigns supreme.
     
  4. Jo-Nich

    Jo-Nich Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Sep 25, 2005
    Don't be too sure of that my friend...

    http://www.peelified.com/cgi-bin/Futurama/4-000624-1/

    [image=http://kimncris.com/bender/opendoor.jpg]

    Why don't you contact KIMNCRIS over at that board and ask how he made his.

    EDIT...found their homepage as well...
    http://kimncris.com/bender/new_page_1.htm/
     
  5. Smiling-Otter

    Smiling-Otter Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Mar 21, 2001
    Nifty. I guess if you design it right, you can have stuff inside while wearing it.

    And yeah, Hedonismbot would be a hoot. "And now, let us party like the Greeks of old! You know the ones..."
     
  6. NEMES1S

    NEMES1S Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jul 23, 2005
    Last year, I had a chance to go to a seminar with Mike(?) Appleton, one of the main costume designers for Lord of the Rings trilogy, and Narnia. He brought some armor from both movies for us to see, touch, & wear! One in particular was the metal shoulder armor from Narnia.. surprise! it was plastic!!! Dang thing fooled me even up close. My friend video taped it so I have to see if I can post up some pics soon...
     
  7. VillieGee

    VillieGee Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2002
    Forget that, where's the Leela costumes??
     
  8. Ti-el_Terall

    Ti-el_Terall Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Jan 11, 2006
    For the main body maybe you should try a garbage can? I dount know much about costuming but it looks like it could work....
     
  9. VillieGee

    VillieGee Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2002
    Yeah, I think Bender's design is simple enough that you could use alot of found objects to put together things like the body and head. I thought "garbage can" for the body too. It's just a matter of finding things, putting them together, and lots and lots of putty and sanding. :D
     
  10. Takianna

    Takianna Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Apr 22, 2005
    OH YOUR GOD! I really think this is an awesome project to undertake! Myself I will be working on Clobber Girl or Captain Yesterday! :) Hope you find something that works for you!

    Here's to death by Snu-Snu!
     
  11. Darthgordon

    Darthgordon Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2005
    I've seen another one of these somewhere... I think it was the RPF... it looked pretty friggin' sweet. As for the height thing... yeah it'll probably have to be scaled up just a little b/c human proportions aren't built like robots. But I don't think it'll be too tall. I'm gonna have to say if you've never worked w/ metal and don't have someone experienced around to help- don't try it. Not only would it be dangerous, but someone really should teach you welding b4 you attempt it. I'd try a different approach then just paint it silver and maybe add a little rub-n-buff or something. Besides, even though Bender's always claiming to be shinny, remember the first episode when Bender says to Fry "bite my shinny metal a**" and Fry replies "it's not so shinny"
     
  12. VillieGee

    VillieGee Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 30, 2002
    Shinny? Like he's got shins in his metal arse?

    Oh, I think you meant "shiny."
     
  13. fett

    fett Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 1999
    My fiance and I did "quick and cheap" Fry and Leela costumes for Halloween last year.

    [image=http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/2647/leelaandfry4jf.jpg]


    [image=http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/2144/emilyanddonny6mz.jpg]
     
  14. Darthgordon

    Darthgordon Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Oct 1, 2005
    I checked that with spellcheck... it didn't catch it... is shinny a word?

    Cool... how the heck did she see out of that thing?
     
  15. fett

    fett Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Feb 9, 1999
    She didn't. We made it last minute for a small halloween party out of styrofoam. It worked well, but she had to put it up on her forehead when she was walking around.
     
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