My Wicked Armor - Fine Professional Quality Costumes For Film, Product Promotion, and Cosplay

Q. Can you tell me how to make costumes like you?

A. There are many costuming sites devoted to tutorials. Maybe someday I might lose my urge to create costumes, and if that happens I will likely publish a book on the topic to pass on everything I have learned. At the moment, I do not wish to reveal trade secrets that I learned at my own expense. Take solace in the thought that my skills are the result of many years of failure and frustration. Most people would have given up, but I had a passion for it. That's why you see so many cool costumes here.
You do not need to be an "artist" to make a successful costume, but there is an undeniable level of quality in a costume made by someone with artistic talent. If you think you don't have any artistic talent, practice drawing... a lot! I have seen people improve their “talent”.

A couple examples of costuming sites that have tutorials: 405th.com, cosplay.com

Q. How do I commission a costume?

A. There are several steps involved:

1. Get the costume idea approved. If I am inspired and I have the time, I might actually make your dream costume. But I do not have time to do all the costumes requested. If I think it is a cool costume that many people might want or it is something I have done previously, I might be able to do it. It never hurts to ask, and I am always interested to hear what the people want.

2. Get a cost estimate. The initial costume or costume part cost can range from around $50 to several grand depending on the complexity and material costs.

3. Make a deposit. This amount depends on the costume and materials cost. The deposit helps with some of the material costs and is taken as an agreement that you will pay the remainder of the cost when the costume is complete.

4. Provide the needed measurements accurately.

Q. Do you accept all commissions?

A. No. If I am inspired to make the costume, I might create it when I have time.

Q. Do you make costume parts? I just want a mask.

A. Yes, I can make a costume part so long as it is finished (not a raw cast).

Q. Do you do work for film or videogame companies?

A. If you need costumes to produce footage for a movie or to promote your film, videogame, etc. please contact me. I offer competitive pricing for short runs and complete privacy for your design concepts, etc.

Q. How can you afford to make such high quality costumes?

A. Making the initial costume is very expensive and extraordinarily time consuming. I can only afford to do this by making some copies available to others in the future to at least break even on my investment of time and money.

Q. How long does it take to make a costume that you have made previously?

A. Usually two weeks or less, but it depends on my workload, materials availability, etc.

Q. How long does it take to make a custom costume that you have never made previously?

A. This could take anywhere from a month to a year depending on the costume complexity and workload during that period. But I am getting to the point where I can make very complex costumes in less than 6 months.

Q. Do you upgrade or make changes to costumes you have made previously?

A. Yes. Always. No two are ever quite the same. If you are concerned about these changes you are welcome to ask, but I usually think the changes are improvements. That's why I make them. You can also request certain changes specifically like color changes.

Q. I heard that vacuum formed parts are low in detail. Is that right?

A. It is true that most people vacuum form over a male mold and there is a significant loss of detail. The most force you can get with a vacuum system is about 14 psi, atmospheric pressure, but I built a pressure forming system that uses about 70 psi of force to push the plastic into every nook of a female mold. The display side of the armor actually comes into contact with the mold surface for extreme detail unlike anything in typical vacuum forming. If a hair fell into the mold it would leave an impression on the final part. Any small detailed pieces or complicated pieces are made in resin or fiberglass.

Q. Are vacuum formed plastics strong?

A. Yes. High Impact Polystyrene is very strong at 1/8" thickness, which is what I use, and ABS is very strong at even lesser thicknesses. I paint them with UV protection to reduce degradation caused by UV radiation. I prefer vacuum formed plastic when the part has low detail and needs to be flexible.

Q. How tough are your resin parts?

A. Very. I use polyurethane, which is a very tough plastic resin, and fiber reinforced plastics, like polyester fiberglass. You can usually throw/dash a part on the floor without any damage. It will take minor blows. Stepping or sitting on some parts will break them depending on the part shape and thickness.

Q. Does this armor work for paintball or airsoft?

A. My armor is not designed for safety. It is designed to look good. However, I might be able to upgrade pieces for this purpose if requested for an extra cost.

Q. Is this a safety helmet? Is it safe to use this helmet with my motorcycle?

A. No. Unless you are looking to win a Darwin Award, do not use my armor for safety purposes of any kind. These are pieces of art you can wear, not safety equipment.

Q. Can you destroy all the molds, patterns, and plans for a costume after I have received my commissioned costume?

A. No. The only reason that I can make these costumes at affordable prices is that I offer them to others after the original commission. I could not afford to do this at all if I only used the molds, patterns, and designs once. If you represent a major entertainment company that wants to protect its character copyrights, we can make such an arrangement, but if you just want to be the only person in the world with one of these costumes, realistically, it just does not work that way.

Q. How long have you been making costumes?

A. My mom made my Halloween costumes right in front of me when I was young. I suppose that got me interested in costuming very early. She made a couple contest award winners. I made my first costume, Batman, on my own when I was in 7th or 8th grade, but I only did prop/costume work very rarely until around 2004 when I received my first commission. The excitement that other people have for my work is contagious. Feel free to compliment my work. It helps inspire me to continue.

Q. Do you mass-produce your costumes?

A. I do not have the capability to mass-produce costumes. I have a small art studio, not a factory. I can only do a very limited run, say 12 at most. I would get very bored making more than that.

Q. Do you tolerate recasting?

A. No! Never! I make all of my pieces from scratch. If you recast my art, even with alterations, I will press charges or worse. You have to be an absolute d*ckhole to make outright copies of someone's hard work and to pass it off as your own for a profit. Contact me if you need more than one copy. I have many friends in the costuming world that will see it at a con or on a forum and contact me. It will come back to haunt you. That's a promise.

Q. Are you a 501st member?

A. Any day now! I have many friends in the 501st and love the organization, its members, and its charitable works.
For those who do not know, the 501st is an international group of Star Wars fans that dress up as their favorite Star Wars characters, from Imperial stormtroopers to Sith Lords, to promote Star Wars in the community and help raise contributions for charities. Learn more about the 501st here.

Q. Are you a member of other costuming groups?

A. I am a friend to many in the 405th, Flagship Eclipse, the Wolfpack, and the Rebel Legion among others. I do not have a lot of time to comment on forums because I am always busy with my hobbies, social life, and costumes, but I drop in on the Flagship Eclipse now and then.

Q. Will you ship anywhere in the world?

A. Yes, I ship worldwide. I love to see photos or You Tube videos of the costume in action in some other part of the world. If I like the photo a lot, I might even put it in the website gallery.

Q. Can you make me standard stormtrooper armor or a Darth Vader costume?

A. No. I do not make costumes that have been made so prolifically or by licensed companies. These costumes already exist in the world, and there are very fine and detailed versions of these costumes already available. For these reasons, I do not feel the need. For me, this includes costumes like Boba, Jango, biker scouts, royal guards, snowtroopers, and Master Chief.

Q. Don’t you owe me for recommending such a great costume idea?

A. If I did the costume you requested, it was probably either because I was already thinking about doing it out of a personal interest or several people made the same request.

Q. Can I use your logo?

A. This logo is copyrighted. You can only use it in its entirety with no alteration (except resizing) as a link to this website.

Q. Can I show photos of your costumes and props on my website or on a forum?

A. Yes, so long as you give me credit with the photo(s) and place it with a link to my website.