Want to make a Cad Bane costume: where do I start?

Yeah, hi.

To make a long story short, I'd really love to cosplay (sorry, old habits die hard) as Cad Bane at the next Star Wars Celebration (or SDCC '10, whenever the other one is).

The thing is, I'm a total cosplay nooblet, though my older sister has some experience doing stuff for anime conventions. But that stuff and Star Wars costuming are two completely different beasts, I've found.

I have an idea of what I'll need (hat, duster, chaps, boots, homemade arm gauntlets and rocket boosters, the breathing apparatus), but I've come to three problems:

- What do I do about the jacket? I've found actual dusters that have similar structure, though Bane's has an interesting cut and tails on the back. I don't want to have to spend close to $100 on a nice jacket and cut it up but I'm not sure if there's patterns available for such things... ya'know? (Though there is a nice Western outfitters near where I'm going to college now, so I'll check them out at some point or another)

- What color scheme should I use? In 'Hostage Crisis', Bane has a very 'lighter' color scheme, but his marketing appearance -and potential look in S2 of Clone Wars- is all dark colors. I like the lighter one from Hostage Crisis, but I guess for accuracy's sake, I should go 'dark'.

- The face. I don't want to wear a mask if I don't have to (I wear glasses), though I can deal with a prosthetic to cover my nose. For anyone who's costumed as an alien, what would you recommend?

And ahahahaehhhh I'm not gonna worry about the hat at this point.

And FYI, I'm 6'0", slim figured (while blessed with a high metabolism level, I am going to go to the gym and work out for this) and female.

Oh yeah, this is who I'm talking about too, btw:

[image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/mekairinek/cadbane_bg.jpg] [image=http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v283/mekairinek/cadbanefixed.jpg]

Thanks alot!

 

Cad Bane would not be the best costume to start out with, if you have not done costuming before.

Perhaps it would suffice to make the face from stretchy fabric stretched over your face. Maybe you could cut some more facial features out of soft foam and glue that to the inside of the fabric.
The fabric would not be get too hot, and would let you breathe through it.
Then make the sides and the back of the head from pleather that you glue or stitch onto the spandex.
I have no idea how you would do the eyes, though...

There are jacket/duster patterns to buy. Or, you could look through your/friend's/relative's wardrobe and find a jacket with a similiar fit and pattern. Then copy the measurements to pattern paper and modify it to be like Cad Bane's.

If you are not proficient in any other method, I would recommend to make the gauntlets out of grey card stock. Glue together, don't use tape. Then use a few thin layers of papier maché to strengthen it, on the outside and inside. Let dry. Use pen parts and things from arts-and-crafts stores for the little pieces.

 

Yeah, I kinda figured that... but I wanted to do something different from a Storm/Clonetrooper or Padme, Leia and Mara Jade too. Guess I'm just an overachiever. Ha.

That actually works for the costume parts. I'll probably go scrounge around thrift stores too, since buying something used might give it that more weathered look. I'll keep that in mind for the gauntlets too. =]

I actually have a friend who's costumed as Abe Sapien from Hellboy a couple of times, so maybe she can give some further pointers on the face.

Thanks so much for the advice!

 

Someone at Comic-Con cosplayed as Cad Bane:

http://dl.maximumpc.com/galleries/sdcc09cosplay/cosplay_485_full.jpg

I later saw Clone Wars director Dave Filoni talking to him:

 

Hah, can't say I'm not jealous... but at least I know it can be done well now! =]

I'm just gathering as many visual references as I can at this point. D=

 

[image=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2618/3764231394_659eaf8b12_b.jpg]

I'm pretty sure that's one of the guys from SoCal.

 

http://www.thebhg.net/

Scroll down to Cad Bane.


~ Vonnor

 

Great Cad pics.

 

There's a feature on Cad Bane in this month's Star Wars insider, might be worth checking out.

 

Yeaahh baby!

 

I talked to Victor (the guy in Cade) today. He said a lot of it stuff found at home depot, an alien mask that he altered and sewed onto a Batman cowl, and then his wife sewed the clothes.

 

Hi!
My first post here and I wanted to thank you for posting the pictures of Victor in costume. I'm making this costume for my dh. I had NO idea what to do for the forearms, but now I do.

If you don't know how to sew, find someone in your area.

Anyhow, thanks again and good luck!

 

There is a guy in Garrison Titan that is working on the Cad Bane mask... might want to hit up their forums.

-Bill

 

Whoa, how did I become "Anonymus" all of a sudden?

Anyway, here's another Cad costume:

http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2009/09/22/cad-bane-crashes-cw-press-junket/

(If you scroll down, you'll notice someone said they helped build the costume, and there are more pics of the costume in the photo blog)

 

Thank you all for posting the links to Cad Bane. What a help you all have been. I completed the hat.

[image=http://i34.tinypic.com/2i7tvo4.jpg]


Here's me (blotted out of course... ) to give you some perspective

[image=http://i36.tinypic.com/14wwv40.jpg]