attraction of obscurity?

[Guest Anonymous]

I have a curiosity about the attractiveness of the more obscure costumes.

 

As a costumer, I've been bouncing around ideas for comfortable and unusual costumes for conventions that can show off my skills and creativity. At conventions you are very likely to have more obscure costumes be recognized and/or admired for their creativity. In my mind, this group includes virtually anything from the EU, and things like imperial crew. Things that your typical soccer mom won't recognize as a Star Wars costume.

 

For most public events like charity drives, movie premiers, and the like, I have always used costumes that are more recognizable. Even less popular costumes like the Tusken Raider and Tie Pilot you often hear "oh, you are that one guy, I remember seeing one of you".

 

I'm seeing people now join the 501st with an EU costume as their only 501st costume. I know that if someone shows up at a charity drive in Nihilus, Traya, Guri, or the Clone Emperor the vast majority of people won't even recognize your costume. This is why I've always thought of these costumes as convention costumes, but I'm getting the impression that there is some attractiveness to being in an obscure costume.

 

Knowing that even in something more recognizable, like a Tusken Raider, I often have people not want to have pictures with that costume and prefer the troopers and Vader. I can only imagine if you are standing there in a Traya costume its levels worse than the Tusken.

 

Perhaps its has to do with the goal in mind. When doing pubic events, to me its about attracting attention, making people smile and getting them to contribute to the cause. If I'm not attracting fans, I'm not doing my job for the charity.

 

I'm curious to know what is on your mind. Especially if its your only costume. Does it bother you when you attract less attention to your cause than the more popular characters? Thanks for reading this long post

 

Joe

[Guest Aysel]

I actually don't find wearing a lesser know (I won't use obscure) costume doesn't detract from the overall impact that the group gives to a charity drive. It is in fact a way to engage people in conversation about the greater Star Wars world. Keep in mind that I have little interest in wearing armor, soft costumes being better for my body size/type. I also never attend a trooping event in Visas without our Nihilus being there, this way we can say, we're Visas Marr and Darth Nihilus from the video game KOTOR 2. Which may jog the memory of the people who have played that game. When you open this type of conversation with someone, you have the opportunity to show them that Star Wars isn't just what you see on TV, that there's a whole other part of the universe in books, comics, and games that they can explore.

 

Katie

[Guest Anonymous]

Thanks Katie,

Hadn't thought of it from that perspective. I didn't mean anything disrespectful with the word "obscure", sorry.

 

I'd love to hear from others as well. This is enlightening.

 

Joe

[The Clone Emperor]

The answer is simple, really.

I costume for myself.

If I am going to spend from one to six years sculpting armour and prosthetic from scratch, I am doing so for my pleasure.

 

Many folk will not know or share the same interest in character I have. By the tyme I complete a suit, the character may be killed off and well out of the public mind. (But I will tell you something, when I suit up, that character comes back to life.)

 

Keep in mind, that obscurity is a relative term. Star Wars has been out for thirty years and though most folk reading this live and breathe the mythology, your fellow on the street is going to have a hard tyme identifying a TIE pilot. Ask a kid today and there's a better chance of correctly identifying Asajj Ventress than an Imperial Gunner.

 

Regardless if folk know the character, they can still appreciate a good costume. Naturally, there will be those who scoff at the best made, most screen accurate SW bounty hunter costume, simply because they cannot understand the compulsion. I don't bother to try to explain my passion to those who don't really want to understand. To do so is not a good use of my tyme. But for those who are curious, I simply say “This is what I like to do.”

 

Be well,

Thomas

 

(I also do it for the shorties.)

[Scottrooper]

Careful Thomas, you know you can't trust them there Sith Twi'leks, stab you in the gut every time!

 

Hmm....in all the times I've worn Nihilus to events, I can pretty safely say that I've never been misidentified. Had plenty of "I recognize your character, it's from a game right?" But never been called by a different characters name.

 

On the obverse, I've watched as TIE pilots are identified as Vader, Tuskens as mummies, TKs as transformers or power rangers, etc.

 

The simple facts are, folks know the characters that they want to know. There are Star Wars fans who know every character from every source ever, fans who only know the original trilogy, even some who only know the prequels, etc... (For example, I could tell you about game characters, comic characters, or movie characters, but you wanna know about Clone Wars characters, and I'll shrug and tell you that I don't know that grouping.)

 

To your last question. Nobody really draws attention like Vader or Fett, but the only costumes I've ever seen not really get a lot of attention at events consistently have been the troopers and officers.

 

Look at it this way, folks may always want to get that picture with Vader, but they're going to want to talk to Darth Nihilus.

[Guest mdb]

If you are really doing it for the kids then pretty much the only costumes to do are from Clone Wars. Rex or general grunts. Or Vader- though you may be surprised how many kids have not even seen the prequels, and fewer yet want to see the originals as they are the "boring" ones.

 

Also little girls get very overlooked when people think of kids and Star Wars. Sad but true. I was a fan as a little girl but I never got to have a party SW themed. I mean obsessed fan for RotJ. So very rarely are female characters requested (chosen if given as an option though).

 

Anyway, like as a costumer driven by the desire to create and recreate I am far more interested in the character and the skills used to realise it. If it is well known great, if not then too bad.

 

 

I have been called a medical droid and girl Jango in my Shae Vizla. I don't mind either way, because in both cases it sparked a connection and interest.

 

I was asked if I was from World of Warcraft in my Slave Leia.

 

Got called Leia in my Padme.

 

Had little girls super excited by my Gentle Giant animated style Leia costume (squeeing just seen a super star excited).

 

And Mara has a lightsabre so you know....

 

I got told "I killed you" when I was wearing my custom sith Togruta- obviously in regards to Shaak Ti in The Force Unleashed. I then go to talk about Shaak Ti's three deaths. And again these were young people.

 

Heck I even had someone at an Amime weekend reconise Daala as Daala and not just a generic officer! I get stopped a lot as Daala due to the cut and fit of that uniform- it's crisp and really angular and masculine and feminine at the same time.

 

I like to assume that a fan is a fan and so will appreciate the work that goes into my costumes even if they don't immediately recognise it.

 

Also kids like to play with stuff so I tend to make my props able to be handled by kids with no fear of breaking so that goes a heck of a long way to putting smiles on faces

 

Addit: Thomas suggested I illustrate this post with examples, so here goes...

[Nefthys]

Personally, I love obscure costumes!

 

I find that it opens up a whole lot more conversations with people who are curious to know who you are. I do really like doing costumes with others however so you have someone recognizable with you. My room mate and I do a lot of costumes together for that reason. We did Assassins Creed 2 last year for the big convention in town. She did Giovanni and I did La Volpe. We had a blast, and most people recognized who we were. But when I wasn't with her quite a few people came up and asked who I was dressed as. As soon as I said La Volpe from AC2 they got it.

 

 

 

 

Part of it for me sometimes is a money, or body type, issue too. I would love to be a Stormtrooper but I don't have the money right now. I would also love to do Ventress, but I'm far to voluptuous to pull her off. I'm a big fan of Darth Nihilus, so it makes sense that I would choose him. I can afford to make the costume, and I can pull him off with my figure.

 

Obscure characters are never a problem I find in any situation. Sure at a convention you get more recognition, but I enjoy wearing costumes for fun. If people know who I am, great, if not then I get to chat to someone about my costume for a while, and that is also fun.

 

Besides, that Darth Vader fellow gets far too much attention, hehehe.

 

Cheers,

Nef

[Guest Sarah1968]

Look at it this way, folks may always want to get that picture with Vader, but they're going to want to talk to Darth Nihilus.

 

 

Scottrooper, that's the best quote ever!

 

As someone who has recently, and by recently I mean 3-4 months, been re-energised by all things Star Wars and 501st thanks to a mate of mine in the Atlanta US garrison, the Darth Nihilus KOTOR costume just jumped out at me. I was originally thinking of a Tusken Raider, then a Stormtrooper, but the big fella just kept pushing himself to the front of the line - and now here I am waiting for my costume from the US

 

I can't wait to bring my personal flavour to the costume and troop when I can for charity.

 

Oh, and you're never too old either

[Koda Vonnor]

When I entered the EU costume recreation fray back in 2006, it was primarily because I'm a great fan of the EU. In 2008 I decided to expand my crafting universe to include scratch-build armor. This time, to be honest, it was also to prove to myself that I could hang with the big dogs of the uber-accuracy school. While I still have a ways to go on that ambition, I'm having a ton of fun learning and practicing the craft.

 

As to what makes shrouding myself in SW "obscurity" worth the effort:

During the Dragon*Con2008 parade, while debuting TFU's Rahm Kota, I passed a young boy along the route. He saw me and his eyes went as wide as his grin. He shouted, "Force Unleashed!" Keep in mind this was two weeks before the game was released.

 

In a crowd of TK's, a plain white clone gains hardly a second glance. But when a rare singularity of ultra-accurate recreation is recognized, it often steals the spotlight.

 

~ Vonnor

[The Clone Emperor]

Regardless of perceived character recognition, work calibre commands respect.

[Koda Vonnor]

Never presumed but always appreciated, Maestro.

 

If fates are kind, the General will be returning to The Javits in the fall, sporting a much spiffier (though no less obscure) shell:

[ladyb]

Some good responses. obscurity can be a bit relative. When I first trouped in my Asajj Ventress, the MC at the event went down the row having the kids say what character they thought we were. They started on me with Leah...Padme....and by the time they got to the Emperor, I decided it was time to just move along. I still enjoyed myself and in the kids' defense, it was my first go with the costume.

 

I can't speak for imperial gunners, but as Thomas was saying, on many an occasion, I've have parents say "Who are you?" only to be rebuked by their kid with "Mom/Dad that's Ventress." As though it should be clear to all.

 

Michael and I enjoy a lot of the less recognized characters and the challenge/process of translating ink and comic references into fabric and forms. In the RL Michel does Corran Horn. 9 times out of 10 he is referred to as Obi-wan. (ok to be honest its closer to 99 out of 100). Typically, he smiles and nods or has a conversation with them to explain who he is. But on the handful of occasions when someone does recognize him, it can be fun. One such said, "Oh that's so cool! You're Corran Horn, He's my favorite character."

In the end if you're going to do it, do it for yourself and the joy of sharing with others.

[Guest darren1970]

I'm new to the 'Flagship' but have dabbled with the obscure and the EU before ( my Null ARC from the Republic Commando novels ).

 

I'm a self-confessed clone-addict and like Thomas has allready said, build them for me. I get as much of a buzz researching and building a costume as I do wearing it. I too get bored with a sea of stormtroopers ( sorry guys ), so I've always gone for character clones ( Commander Bacara , Null-ARC A'den ) or something that has the wow factor ( Kashyyyk trooper or my digital camo ARF trooper ).

 

I know that mySith Acolyte ( once complete ) will not get the attention of Vader, but I'm certain that the level of work involved and the attention that I'm planning on doing to be in character will shine through at events.

 

Darren

[Allfather]

I tend to do more obscure characters (or at least keep trying...darned finances always getting in my way of finishing Tol) because I hate shaving, the thought of cutting my hair, and not too big on helmets. So to do a "face" character, that usually only leaves the more obscure ones. Tol Skorr is my next obscure one (maybe...if I can ever get the frakin thing done).

 

But, like Thomas, I costume for myself. There is a reason I am not in the 501st. It's because I just don't like many of the costumes that are approvable and I refuse to do one just to get into a group. I love my customs (my Mando and my Jedi) because I like to get creative and use my imagination. Maybe one day I'll get Tol and the IK done. I'd also like to do a movie style Odin since I was told I have the look for it (my dad actually looks a lot like Anthony Hopkins in the roll). But, as usual, cash and time kinda keep me from doing a lot of the things I want .

[Nefthys]

 

I love my customs (my Mando and my Jedi) because I like to get creative and use my imagination. (.

 

I'm making a Mando at the moment and I agree about the creativity part. I love my Nihilus costume, but it has been a really great change working on a costume I have much more freedom over. I went out with my buddy last weekend and he was in his Mando costume and kept getting called Iron Man, it was pretty funny. Not even remotely the same universe. He had a sense of humour about it as well. You have to when you do obscure costumes. You go into it knowing most people will have no idea who you are, and yes, will even call you something completely wrong. But that usually leads to a conversation and you get to chat to someone about your costume and character, and that is what I love.

 

I get asked if I'm Darth Sidious all the time when I'm in my Nihilus costume. Makes me giggle!

 

Cheers,

Nef

[Allfather]

I get called Boba when in my Mando...but it's mainly because my colors are EXRTREMELY close to Boba's (what can I say? Love customs, but Boba's the man ). My Jedi is always called Coran Horn because of the green and black (even though the look is based more off of Dass Jennir cuz I liked his long white hair).

[Volund Starfire]

Hmm....in all the times I've worn Nihilus to events, I can pretty safely say that I've never been misidentified.

Worst I have been called is a Deatheater.

 

I do "obscure" characters because nobody has done them before. Then again, one of my characters is not so obscure (Savage Opress). However, it is also for the more geekier geeks that recognize the character.

[Guest mdb]

Ooohooohoooh! My best misidentify was the following:

 

Wearing full Shaak Ti Movie version, horns, robe everything.

 

"Oh it's Padme!"

 

 

I never choose based on obscurity, it's all about personal aesthetics and feelings about a character-sometimes they are the lead sometimes they are a bit player.

Never presume to be too obscure for the public nor so iconic that your costume will be recognised. Pretty sure there are some superhero comic costumers/cosplayers who have had the same thing.

[Obickay]

My best mis-identification was while I was Revan:

 

Look that's a Biker Scout, theres a clone and that is Vader (the lady turns to me and says0) and that Vaders wife.

 

And that was my first troop and to say that name has stuck is an understatement.

 

J.