I had the idea to do a sort of beat up, world-traveled Ghostbuster that’s kind of adult themed and violent. I hope to mix elements of science and folklore.
I’m not sure how welcome such an idea would be here, and I’ll continue my build without posting if people object. I figured I’d post it here since it involves several small props and there’s not a “build concepts and general WIP” section.
Ideas I have so far:
I’m going to start with a base Ghostbusters suit and the general GB gear. The flight suit with the fixin’s, proton pack, PKE, and trap.
various things made of iron like horseshoes and a bell with a cross on it (church bell)
a flashlight with “UV” written huge on the side. I may also add a slight color filter to it.
I’ll also add some talismans and religious iconography. I may also add a series of glyphs on my suit like the scene from Kwaidan (or Conan the Barbarian).
In addition I plan to make myself look filthy and beat up. I’ll be covered in dirt and dried blood and bandages. I have long hair so a portion of it will be pulled back and the rest will look disheveled. I may also dye some portions white. I’m also going to give myself various facial injuries and a ■■■■■■■■■ eye, and maybe vampire bite marks on my neck.
Of course I’ll also have slime all over me. I have an idea how to make some permanent slime but I literally just thought about it. I’ll use hot glue and color it with a sharpie then seal it with clear acrylic spraypaint or nail polish.
I’m going to research some folklore and see more about how ancient cultures dealt with ghosts and monsters.
My (limited) costuming background involves things like heavy medieval armor and Mandalorian (Star Wars) costuming. I’m used to having a lot of junk all over me and being uncomfortable.
Of course all of this additional gear would be strapped to my belt, pack straps and pack itself. I wouldn’t walk around with my arms full of junk.
Costuming is a form of visual storytelling. It should instantly say who and what you are, and where you’ve been. Even though a shotgun may not be needed if you have a proton pack, the shotgun is still a strong symbol that people recognize and respond to.
Basically: it doesn’t need to make total sense if it looks cool.
I won’t knock this. While I think the pelts, teeth and dirtied expensive suit is overkill; I’ve had some ideas like carrying around a shotty and a hatchet(and something awesome I don’t want to mention)
If you do it tastefully, and not just a mess of things, it has the possibility of looking cool. If not tastefully it can look awful.
Here’s a bad picture of some of the stuff I have so far.
There’s my Matty PKE, a silver Mjolnir, some general Chinese coins (that just kinda look neat), some silver bullets (deactivated real bullets), vampire teeth or werewolf fangs made of sculpey, a rosary, wooden cross and a small vial of “zombie brain” which is just some soft sculpey in fake blood and sealed with hot glue.
I’m going to either make a separate harness to hold up my belt (which I would need anyway) or figure out a way to secure my belt to my pack.
I believe I’m going to line the padding on my park harness with white “yeti” fur. I think I’m going to cover my right arm, shoulder and the right side of my chest with runes and magic “symbols.” I also plan to take some of the old folklore-ish stuff and add some techy-greeblies or at the least put them in GB-styles containers so I don’t veer too far into magic and mysticism.
I think a lot of the fun of the Ghostbusters is the “working man” feel to everything. They’re blue collar workers or hyped up exterminators and it’s all a fun mix of the mundane and absurd.
I like and respect that, but that’s not really the character I’m creating. Maybe he was just a 9-5 worker at a Ghostbusters franchise, but he’s gone off the deepend a little and let it consume his life. So he either bought his gear or stole it and travels the world hunting monsters and fighting ghosts as a sort of nutty Ghostbusting Mercenary.
I really like the idea, I love the post-apocalyptic aesthetic. With regards to not needing a shotgun because of having the pack, have you considered not having a proton pack? Still wear a back back on an alice frame, but have it be a box that hinges open and full of demon / monster hunting equipment. Attach the shotgun to the box with a securing cord and a holster for it on the side.
Personally, I think GBers valued science and technology over talismans, charms, and stakes. Next thing you’ll be carrying Gandalf’s staff, Bilbo’s ring, and Harry Potter’s wand.
Just be this guy for the old-world, world-traveled look:
This is so fantastic you probably shouldn’t post more picture of it unless you want me to begin plotting your murder in order for me to acquire this piece.
I agree with Proton Charger. Tastefully done, it could really be a neat costume. As far as the Werewolf pelts, I’m hoping you’re going more for the Wookiee hair braids on Boba Fett and having a humongous piece of fur covering 60% of your body (Werewolves are bigguns)
I’m still not sure how or if I’m going to do a werewolf pelt but it won’t be draped over me or anything.
Coincidentally, I actually did a Mandalorian character with a wookiee pelt on my boots and a wampa pelt as a cape.
I’m going to use some of that white fur to line the padding on the pack shoulder straps to imply a sort of abominable snowman / yeti encounter.
I’m about to start ordering elements for the base costume soon. The flight suit, elbow pads, boots and belt. Once I have the uniform complete I’m going to start experimenting with new gear.
I’ve sometimes pondered what would happen if you crossed Ghostbusters with Supernatural. Hey, not everything paranormal can be zapped, sapped 'n trapped, right?
Thanks, guys. I’m going to look up some steampunk costumes to see how they did it.
I’m currently talking to someone about getting a Trap so until that’s finalized, my uniform is on hold. If the trap deal falls through, I’ll start buying uniform parts and post WIP’s.
In the mean time I’ve been tinkering with a few things.
First, I painted my alice frame black and attached some fur to the straps. It’s hard to tell how the final product will look until I have it all together. Right now it looks a bit fuzzy and overwhelming but it will look different when it’s on my body since I have such a broad frame.
Next is my tooth necklace made of sculpey. I’m still painting the teeth to look more real and will probably sand and refine the points and add a few more.
And here are some wooden stakes. I’m probably going to make a few more and strap them to my thigh.
I’m looking at a lot of religious and “magical” pendants and talismans on ebay that are cheap. I’m also going to be scouring flea markets for greeblies and ideas in the coming weekends.
