Darth Vader Supreme Costume

O.K. I think the general concensus is if you want a costume for haloween and parties, then this costume is the dogs bollocks, but, if you want something for anysort of costuming group or official appearance - go movie accurate fan made.
Its up 2 u to decide if you think its worth it.

 

thanks for the help. i will document each part. maybe i can find a way to do some part easier.

 

I've been reading the posts on that rpf.com forum and it seems to me that more people over there are into this suit. There are better photos posted in another thread that look really good: http://img147.echo.cx/my.php?image=3a33uo.jpg

It's good quality to me. Why wouldn't you wear this to an appearance. Get a better helmet though.

Prolly gonna buy one unless someone here can make me a much better one for the price.

 

The helmet that comes with it looks fantastic with a respray. Much cheaper than even a DP CA. Should be able to get it sprayed at an auto shop for about £100 ($180).

 

Considering some of the junk that I see some of the sith lords wearing in the 501st members section, I think their ban on the Rubies Vader suit is all related to money(or loss thereof). I have been watching members of the 501st making money off their fan made armour for years, getting as much as four thousand dollars for a completed suit. But as soon as the Rubies suit came out for presale, their buisness went DOWN. Some of these same people are the guys running the 501st.
If you had a nice big fan club(officialy non profit), that was making you lots of money,(from people buying your suits, costume parts, ect..)allowing you to buy shiny new cars and lots of star wars toys, then I would imagine the introduction of an official suit cast from the lucas molds would get a less than positive reaction. I am not going to get personal like I did in another forum, but some of those guys in the 501st would get laughed at if they appeared in public(anybody see the fat guy in spandex?), whereis a guy in a suit cast from the MOVIE MOLDS would most likely not. Note that those certain laughable members of the 501st are wearing at least one 501st member made costume piece. I can'nt help but reinterprete the ban on the rubies costume as: " you can look as crappy as you want as long as you are wearing our home made armour pieces, but not in a costume cast from the molds of the creator himself." Or : "it's not accurate enough, but a guy with cardboard shoulder armour with one of our chestboxes is."
The Supreme Edition costume is not that bad. If you backed those plastic armour pieces with fiberglass matting, lined the cape, gave the pieces an automative paint job, replaced the bodysuit with a pleather or leather bodysuit, you would have a nice suit. But would it still get rejected because it is a rubies suit? If I wanted to be in the 501st, but got rejected over a fat guy in spandex with a GT chestbox, I would be *issed!!
Therefore I believe the Rubies suit has been rejected because it poses a threat to the pocketbooks of certain members of the 501st. They have been making money off a copyrighted character for years now(also known as plagerism), so of course they will do whatever is necessary to discourge fans who long to be part of a recognized from buying the suit, even if it is cast from the movie molds. If I was George Lucas, I would be raising hell.

 

im curious about the fat guy in spandex??
where was this? and you got any pics?

are you sure he was a 501st member?if it was at an event like a con or C3 then it could have been anybody.

we recently did an event with pepsi.they said a "friend" had a vader costume and he was coming to the event.so we didnt bring a vader.we got there and lets just say we werent claiming him to be one of us.

 

Darth_Nefilim, I agree. Whether people like it or not, the Rubies suit is Lucas film endorsed and on the packaging states that its cast from the movie moulds. Rubies, love em or hate em, are a reputable company and as such would not deliberately use false advertising as it's highly illegal. It may not be the best quality in the world but it's not bad and it is, whether you like it or not, movie accurate. The Vaders who use GT chest boxes on ANH, ESB and ROTJ costumes have got it wrong from the get go. GT made the boxes to light up on both sides as opposed to just the coin slots because in ESB (if memory serves correctly), in ONE scene, it looked as if it MAY have been lit on both sides. It wasnt and the GT is wrong. It is however ok for the ROTS costume as this one does light up on both sides.

 

Ill be the first one to say my suit isn?t perfect.

But you can believe that I walked off the movie set.

The Rubies Deluxe is nice, for the money. With allot of work the helmet can look good. But those are sold separately.

I don?t know how much i spent on my costume, and I don?t care. It looks allot better then the Rubies and I wouldn?t troop in it. I highly doubt it would last up to what my stuff has done (at least 20 hours in my stuff the week of ROTS, and many other hours and the suit isn?t showing any signs off loss other then scratched paint).

The 501st is a professional quality costuming group. Its going to have standards. Sure there was some bad vaders and stuff that have gotten threw but that doesn?t happen any more. (side note on other misc dark jedi, have to be from the movies or seen somewhere). And before the suit Anakin is being worked out, the movie just came out.

With work the rubies could prolly look like one of the better suits.. but you?d have to replace so much of it it wouldn?t be worth it. And i HIGHLY doubt these where cast from the screen used suites.. just no way. Any one that has seen pics of the screen suit would know.. (the helmet isnt the same shape....)

Just my 2 cents.
Hope I don?t come off as the 501st know-it-all-snob.

 

The whole "screen used molds" thing is a joke... kinda sounds like a marketing ploy. If someone at CIII in the rubies costume stood by the archives exhibit vader, there is NO WAY you could say it is even close to being the same thing!

As far as making money goes, go buy a vacuform machine, tools, mold making items, platic, paint, and invest the blood sweat and tears it takes to make almost any cosutme in the 501st and you will find out very quickly that its isn't going to be a profitable venture.

Darth-nefilim said "If you backed those plastic armour pieces with fiberglass matting, lined the cape, gave the pieces an automative paint job, replaced the bodysuit with a pleather or leather bodysuit, you would have a nice suit."
This is true, but you are talking about a lot of money here. It is barely the same costume once you do that. Not to mention you have to add boots. If you do this, then you would get into the 501st... BECAUSE THERE IS BARELY ANYTHING LEFT OF THE RUBIES COSTUME!!!!

 

This topic depends entirely on your point of view and if you want a decent shop bought suit or the actual suit Prowse wore in the movies.

I agree there is a lot of snobbery about custom Vader suits and I would be hacked off if I spent $3000, shed blood sweat and tears making my own and they release an official licensed suit for less that $1000.

People are slating the accuracy of the suit.

However there are no movie accurate suits in the 501st either (unless they stole their suit from the film studio, but then they shouldn't be in the 501st anyway!)

As someone else mentioned, whoever says their suit is movie exact is sadly mistaken unless their name is George Lucas.

How can any suit be movie accurate when in each film there were huge differences. The original helmet from ANH looked like it was made from paper mache!!

David Prowse complained the helmet was too big and he could hardly see.

I admire those who make their own suits, but it is churlish to slag of an officially reproduced suit (which means it can be classed as collectible) just because a big comany can make them cheaper.

Choice- do I buy a suit from an official source or some guy on E bay who made it in his bedroom?

Bottom line, costuming is for fun, those who take it too seriously and flame others (usually through sour grapes at the cost of their own suit or jealousy) should think why they are doing it in te first place.

Have fun people.

 

Noone of us Vader ever said our suites are accurate, but close to accurate, which the Rubies one is obviously not.

 

Well said Obi-good ! I have to agree completely ...this isn't some hacked together costume ...having seen this suit in question it is a excellent choice for many many that are in this hobby. I really do understand why these guys are dead set of busting on this suit , they have to come up with some way to justify having spent thousands of dollars on a costume and then to have Rubies come out with a costume that when it gets down to the brass tacks is just as good to play a little dress up in... 99.99 % of the folks on the street are going to be just as google eyed over the Rubie suit as the 3 grand custom ( and isn't the real truth is that is why we do this ?? ) and at worst with just a few hundred dollars and a little time it might even be better than a "custom".

I saw the 501st banned this suit before anyone had even seen it ... so I think that alone sends a real strong sour grapes message... so I am not surprised

Since these suits are selling all day on Ebay for the 600-650 range ..That leaves quite a bit of jingle to do a few upgrades . lets say you pay a seamtress 150 to upgrade the cape another 100 or so for a fantastic paint job (not that I think it needs it ) 50 bucks for some nice leather Vader gloves (check ebay ) another 100 for German Officer boots....50 bucks (real high) for fiberglass and resin to beef up the armor.. Well well ... it looks like a total of 1100 ....

1900+ bucks will get you a bunch of sour grapes ....

 

Man, Noggin, that was a NICE high-jump - you had *NO* trouble making it all the way to that completely unfounded conclusion!

Being a Vader costumer, I have followed this thread with some interest, and kept up on the official Legion board traffic concerning it a while back. There were certainly QUESTIONS raised about it before its release, but I never saw any official determination made until after Legion Command and Membership staff had seen the costume in person. They say it doesn't meet our membership requirements - I'll trust that they aren't doing so to be petty.

"I really do understand why these guys are dead set of busting on this suit , they have to come up with some way to justify having spent thousands of dollars on a costume and then to have Rubies come out with a costume that when it gets down to the brass tacks is just as good to play a little dress up in."

You allege that those of us who've spent well into 4 figures don't want this to be an acceptable costume? I've put close to $4000 into mine over the past 3 years, and I wanted this to be something that'd work - I probably would have bought one myself, if it'd been deemed acceptable. Why would we need to "justify" ANYTHING? I spent almost 4 grand, that I can *NEVER* get back in any practical way, so that I could play dress-up - and I don't regret a single cent of it. I wouldn't regret spending that money if Legion Command turned around tomorrow and said that the Rubies Supreme Edition costume was acceptable for Legion membership as-is. I think you're off by AT LEAST a factor of 2 on your overall project costs for beefing up the Rubies costume, too, at least if you want it done carefully and well (though if you can get it done for as little as you suggest, that's great!) - and like another poster here said, once you've done that much work to it, it's not really the Rubies costume anymore, is it? Actually, that's a build-up I wouldn't mind seeing, personally. I've got too many other projects on my plate to take that one on, too (notably a Predator costume I'd like to have done before DragonCon '06), but it'd be cool to see.

Bottom line - those in charge, many of whom are NOT Vader costumers, have seen this suit and said it does not satisfy our stated membership requirements as-is. You want to buy one and build it up till it does? Be my guest, and more power to you. I'll be applauding from the front row if you can make a 501st-class Vader out of the Rubies suit, or any other way, for $1100. Probably be asking for tips, too. We just don't want people to get unrealistic expectations, is all.

Doesn't seem much like "sour grapes" to me...

Eric Tank
SL-7171 Garrison Tyranus

 

No.. We saw the rubies first then went from there.

And I don?t need to justify why I spent my money (especially here).

The rubies is good for the casual costumer that wants a Vader but doesn?t want to spend the big bucks. And I have seen this suit. A news anchor had the suit on in Denver and I walked up behind him and it was like night and day. Everyone was looking at my suit and not his. (I didn?t know he was going to be wearing the suit, they just requested I go on TV, and I did. It made me fell very uncomfortable upstaging this guy.).

If you had researched the movie stuff like many of us vaders have you could tell the differences, and see why we personally wouldn?t use this set.

I?m not dogging the suit, for its purpose it is good. (The casual costumer will love it. but it doesn?t look like something out of the movie.(I went to C3 and they had THE rots suit there.. so I?ve seen the real thing first hand).

but for those that demand this be in the 501st are dogging those of us that have really dam good setups and get slapped in the face by those that think our stuff is crap, cuz we spent the time and money to make them what they are.

I?m not trying to be snobby. But those that demand something cuz they want to belong is nuts. Get a real suit or another costume. If you want cheap do a tusken or a officer.

 

Sorry 501st members, I don't agree with the banning of this suit at all. There are some crappy Vaders in the 501st, why should they be allowed in over someone with a Rubies costume?

It's ridiculous to ban the suit outright, if you're concerned with quality, let people submit with Rubies, but if the suit hasn't been improved on at all, don't let them in. If someone manages to take this suit and make a fine costume out of it, why should he/she be denied?

 

And saying that no one can have a movie accurate suit because the suit changed between movies doesn't make a lot of sense to me. If you go to other boards you can see in their Vader threads that the majority of tehm don't just say: "I'm gonna do Vader!"
They say: "I'm going to do ANH or ESB or ROTJ." And if they don't someone always asks.

Saying that no one can go movie accurate can be insulting to those who have spent literally hundreds of hours researching their version. Making sure to take note of every little scratch and paint chip and light placement. Some of them even go as far as scaling each costume piece to their own height to make sure that it looks right on them.

I'm no Vader costumer but I have a couple friends who are and they have done a ton of research and they are almost constantly upgrading when they find something new. I may not be researching a Vader, but I am researching the ESB boba Fett costume. And I can honestly say I have already spent at least 60 hours just staring at reference pictures absorbing every detail and taking note of it.

It's kind of rude to knock those who have spent so much time and money on their costumes. Just because there is a licensed "REPLICA" coming out. A suit that like some have said above is "...not accurate to the movie, or pulled from the original moulds." While this suit will be good for the casual costumer and some other people, there are those who strive for complete accuracy. Which in my opinion, there is nothing wrong with.

 

I'm pretty new here and have just started thinking about putting together a costume, and it wont be vader, not because I dont like it, I think vader is kick ass looking, but because I think that only certian people look good in vader, I'm 5'9 and have a gut, a short fat vader doesnt look good! lol no matter who made it

so in the opinion of a non vader expert in anyway:

I think the rubies vader looks pretty nice, if I seen someone walking around in one I'd say "wow sweet look at vader thats cool" and thats probably what the people in the vader costumes rubies and custom are hoping to hear.

are the custom made ones people have spent 2-3 grand on or more better? probably and if you have the time and money to put into it then great more power to ya.

but if ya want a nice vader and dont have the time and money I say rubies is no slouch. in my non expert opnion

 

Also, as of late the 501st has been cleaning out their Sith Lords section removing those that aren't up to par.

And they never said you couldn't get in with a modded suit. Merely that it wouldn't be accepted as is. Which I see nothing wrong with in my opinion.

 

I've also read this post with great interest....and I gotta add my 2 cents...

First off, I'm an avid Vader costumer, but I'm not a member of the 501st (yet, anyway)....and I think it's a little premature to ban the Rubies outfit...but that's just my opinion. I remember when the DP CA first came out and it was similar in quality to the current Rubies Supreme Deluxe (or whatever they call it!), and I thought the CA looked pretty crappy when compared to the Deluxe....now the CAs are fetching $500 and up on ebay....who knew? I think the Supreme could be made to look good as the CA has been.

However, I do have to rebuke Obi-Good when he says that there are no "movie accurate" Vader costumes out there. In fact, there are quite a few..... helmets, armor and other components built by skilled prop makers based on original prop dimensions, materials, etc....which have been painstakingly reproduced, and in many cases far better constructed than the originals! If you saw them in person, you'd swear Vader has just stepped off the Executor!!

Point is that there are many reproductions out there of varying quality....build them, buy them...and enjoy them! If the 501st rejects the Rubies costume....so what!! You don't need their validation to enjoy being Vader! Wear it on Halloween, display it in your house...enjoy it!

 

exactly what KevVader said.

with work it could prolly be a kick ass vader. just dont knock us that try to get as close as we can.

if you want in. buy the suit and mod it until it looks right..then see what you replaced. and see what is left untouched.

 

I agree with you two.

There will never be an 100 % accurate Vader, but some have reached the 99 %

 

To be honest, not a lot of people care what the 501st think. I certainly dont. My costume isnt movie accurate but even if it was, I wouldnt want to join the 501st purely because of how snobby the members are. You guys have some serious growing up to do! And yes, it does sound like sour grapes to me. The Rubies costume when examined closley, may not be the best quality but when you stand back and look at it, it is (unfortunately for the 501st)pretty accurate to ROTS. I've now seen the film about 20 times and I must say, Rubies have done a good job. The only thing I would do is spray the armour and helmet. People have to remember that this costume is from ROTS, not ANH, ESB or ROTJ.

 

So it is accurate to the ROTS costume? Maybe it could be accurate if you changed the helmet, the gloves, the shoulder armor, the bodysuit, the boxes, the boots and the shin guards. But by the time that is all done you'll have a totally new costume. I mean for a good helmet you're talking: $700-$800. A good accurate leather bodysuit: $650-$1000. New shoulder armor: $300. New boots: $50-$350. New boxes that actually light up: $150-$400. New shin guards: $75-$150. New gloves: $50-$100. GOOD Vader voice-changer: $400.

Having a movie-accurate costume that is actually movie-accurate: Priceless.

And on another note about the 501st being snobs: Yeah everybody has their own problems and not everyone is going to like everybody else. But what fan group doesn't? You don't like us. I'm not sure why you don't, but I can say that we are a very good group. And there are over 3000 members that agree, not to mention all the charities we help out. Are you really going to diss on a group whose members take days off from work to go to a Children's Hospital? A group that to do this will put aside their differences to bring joy to a child's face?

If you have a valid reason I can understand but if it's just because of the whole Rubies Vader thing, I can't. The RL doesn't accept the Rubies jedi outfits.
Why attack us because we won't accept the Rubies Vader?

 

They allowed this over the Supreme suit? Are you f;ing kidding me?

http://www.501st.com/memberdata/05/44/sl0544_full.jpg

And another. http://www.501stsithlords.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=17&pos=3

Is the chest box actually silver???

By far the worst one I've seen on any 501st website: http://www.501stsithlords.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=7&pos=1

And yet the Supreme is a bad suit.

Here's an AT-AT pilot. http://www.501st.com/members/displaymember.cfm?userID=1127&costumeID=5 That helmet is huge!!!!!!

 

Puntos para ti, SSIntimidator.... that first costume is very bad. Judging by his ID # though, it is possible that he joined very early on in the life of the legion and they were a little more lax. Things like that make me embarrassed to be a 501st member.

The second link you showed is a bit different. Look Here , notice that there are many parts of his costume that are silver.... he is going for a non-cannon costume which are allowed according to the 501st charter, but can not take part in many events.

The last 2 links are pictures of bad costumes, but they have other costumes and all the others look great. In this case, they weren't excepted into the legion based on thier bad outfits.

"And yet the Supreme is a bad suit." Yes.

EDIT: You keep adding more.