Full Size Jabba the Hutt...

Greetings... once again I am trying something a bit out of the norm. I am hoping to do up a life size Jabba the Hutt. I have a few ppl in my group who want to go as Slave Leia or a Slave Dancer. Jabba would be a get addition. This does not need to be a costume... more a prop. I am hoping we can build it as cheaply as poss.

So far we are toying with using paper mache or fabric mache. If anyone has any ideas or happens to know if a site with instructions... please feel free to let me know. Thanks... this should be a lot of fun.

 

I don't know if paper mache would be strong enough. All it would take would be one accident in moving it or at an event and the whole thing could be ruined.

What is your time frame for this project? How much are you willing to spend? Are you looking for a static prop or something with movement?

Do you have adaquate space and store AND work on this guy? Pop in ROTJ right quick and fast-forward to some of the scenes with Jabba, he is very large!

There is a guy over at the Star Wars Collector's Archive that has pics of his life-size Jabba costume (with moving arms and tongue) in the replica props section. According to his page he is looking to sell it, although that page hasn't changed in at least 5 years.

You might contact him and ask for info.

 

Timeframe... a couple of months.
Budget... as little as is humanly poss.
Static prop... later we can add movement to the sucker.

When I say "full size" I mean big... not huge though. He doesn't actually have to be "lifesize" We can do him laying down... He would be more on the long side instead of tall then.

I'll check out the site... thanks. I doubt I can afford a pro. one though....
Will post pics if we manage to get this thing working...lol

 

and put him on a platform with wheels and push him around.

 

Paper mache is very tough if you use the right kind of paper mache, and you put on enough layers. I've got enough experience with this stuff to know. The strongest kind is from white glue mixed about 1:1 with water, and the paper should be either the white computer paper kind, OR - a special type of brown paper just for making super strong paper mache. That stuff's a little harder to get ahold of, though. I'd go with the paper mache, myself. Use balloons and styrofoam, and wire as a skeleton.

 

LOL. O.K. This one made me look!

Heehee.

This project is much easier to accomplish in theory than in reality.
I can't imagine building a nearly life-sized Jabba being an 'inexpensive' project, being 'easy' to make yet still look good.

My initial thought would be to make it in the manner of a parade float, built on a flat-bed trailer using chicken wire to form the understructure then covering that with foam, lots of foam. Cover that with fabric, lots of fabric, and then paint it with acryllic paints. The face and other distinctive parts could be made of something more solid. Paper mache over chicken wire perhaps.
If you use chicken wire, you could have the inside of Jabba be hollow and depending on how big you make him. The hollow inside could be made to accomodate a person, but I would make sure there was adequate ventilation and the inside was not sharp or pointy if a person were to be inside.
You could make the arms be workable by the person inside if you make gloves/sleeves/arms in the structure that the person would be able to put their own hands in, other wise you could stuff them with foam or fiber filling.

Even if you got the world's cheapest materials, you will still need a heck-of-a-lot of it to make Jabba.

It would be hella-cool to see one though.

 

Not life-size, just "big", right? I'm thinking like, refridgerator on its side type of big. Small couch type of big.

 

Yuppers ... Stubbzilla... Oh I really hope I spelled your name right. ( pet peeve with me). It doesn't have to be "Special Edition" huge, but good sized. Thanks for all the great ideas... PLEASE feel free to keep them coming.

Nostra... ( I'm not ebven going to try to spell the rest of it) I'm not sure if we would be putting anyone in it... yet. *wicked,evil grin* But in all reality?... if it as light enough... it might work over say... a wheelchair.

 

[color=0099FF]Wonderful proposition.

Paper Mache may turn out to be heavier and more fragile than one might bargain for. As an alternative, try building a wire super structure. A series of ellipses with interconnecting wire braces and special forms for appendages and feature details. Less is more. You would be amazed at just how strong and light a wire structure wire can be. To finish I suggest either strips of lantern paper painted in water-based polyurethane, or foam sheets, cut to shape. Perhaps sewing a jersey or nylon skin over the padded wire could be a final touch before airbrushing.

I used wire and paper to produce this rack for the forest spirit Karnonos. It proved to be light enough and strong enough to be attached with a simple inobtrusive next strap.
[image=http://www.paralada.org/Estonia_self/Estonia_images/hartaugen/bristol15a.jpg]
Enjoy.

I look forward to the final resolution.[/color]

 

Just a thought... A couple of years back I happened upon a large piece of foam used in the seating of a yacht. I have since used pieces of this in a number of projects. If you want to make this a light prop, but still strong, I would suggest you find a manufacturer of couches, chairs, or even go to a carpeting store and ask for the throw-away scraps if padding. This way, you might still use the chicken wire frame, but the padding will add a nice texture under the fabric mache covering.

 

Well... theres always the Idea of using say chicken wire and using a material to streack over it like a foam.. or perhaps a plaster mix?

The sponge foam would eliminate the fragility of the paper mache?

 

Paper mache is not fragile if you do it right.

 

Update... I think we may have found the perfect fabric for the majority of Jabba's body. It is a mottled gray. About $15.00 per meter though. I thnk we are going to go with chicken wire covered in foam and then fabric. ( if it ever goes on sale). As soon as we " break ground" on it I'll start taking shots and scanning asap.