Sometimes you want to own something that doesn’t exist. You’ve seen it in a movie or TV show, or maybe a comic book or manga, but it’s not real. When you figure outย how to make your own props and costumes in cosplay, you can have everythingย that you want that isn’tย real. You can actually pull an itemย into existence.
“Unlike the mere mortals of this planet,ย a Maker canย have souvenirs from fantastic worlds,” maker Shawn Thorsson writes in the preface to his newly released book,ย Make: Props and Costume Armor.
“Do you want to hang that barbarian marauderโsย particular battle-ax overย your mantle?” Thorsson asks. “You’re just a couple sheets of plastic and a few bits ofย lumberย away from having it.ย Want that galactic warrior’s helmet for your bookshelf? A quick trip toย the hardware store and you’re on your way.”
Using everything from ordinary paper to those anti-fatigue floor mats cashiers stand on to specialty fiber glass applications, Thorsson is a master builder whoseย fantastic realities have even extended to creating a Makey costume that regularly encumbers a series of young men willing toย lurch around in it during Maker Faire. You can only imagine how handy he is to have around at Halloween.
Thorsson’s new book is just one of 13 crazy great cosplayer ebooks on offer during thisย Humble Bundle deal launched todayย (just in time for Halloween) that includes a one-of-a-kind, limited edition, you-can-only-buy-it-this-way “Cosplay Life” Lapel Pin Set. And youย knowย that this lapel thing is bound to cause someย frothing mouths.
Shawn Thorsson also joins us today (October 12)ย at 11am PST for a “Meet the Maker” livestream chat about his work on ourย Twitch channel. If you missed New York Comic Con or just miss reading about it, getting a bit of Shawn’s insight into the art and craft of dressing up promises to be true fun.
So does paying whatever price you please to grab a nice raft of instruction, humor, and insight fromย Harrison Krix of Volpin Props, everything step-by-step and smart from the good people ofย Kamui Cosplay, great photos of cosplayers arrayed and ready to dazzle from photographerย Ejen Chuang, a foam armor tutorial fromย Punished Props, and a mold-making primer from everyone’s favorite debunker,ย Adam Savage.
We’ve also included someย Make: faves, likeย Kate Hartman‘sย Wearable Electronics backgrounder;ย Becky Stern‘s introductoryย Getting Started with Adafruit FLORA;ย terrificย Design for 3D Printingย ideas from the founders ofย France’sย LeFab Shop;ย andย Make: columnistย Bob Knetzger‘s simple guide to kitchen floor vacuum forming.
(Did we mention that “Cosplay Life” Lapel Pin Set? Yes? Excellent.)
This Humble Bundle collectionย runs until 10:59am on Wednesday, Oct. 26, and then it and its limited edition lapel pin setย disappears like Thor from the script ofย Captain America: Civil War. As always, a portion of proceeds benefitsย Maker Ed, the nonprofit closest to us with a mandate to expand the world for students through the practice of making. To date, we’ve raised over $190,000 for Maker Ed, which is something wonderful to also have conjured merely from thin air and imagination.
What do you want that doesn’t even exist? Take this asย a prompt to make that thingย real.
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