Magic Wheelchair Brings Cosplay to Fans

Costumes, Cosplay, and Props Craft & Design
Magic Wheelchair Brings Cosplay to Fans

Last week at San Diego Comic-Con, seven special Star Wars fans were gifted with an experience that would transform their wheelchairs into an essential part of their cosplay. Well-known prop makers and builders volunteered for Magic Wheelchair, a nonprofit organization that builds epic costumes for kids in wheelchairs.

A young boy smiles into the camera while sitting on an undecorated wheelchair.

Build team volunteers included Tom Spina Designs, Adam Savage and the Tested crew, Fon Davis and Fonco Studios, Michael McMaster and Echo Base, Gordon Tarpley, Pixologic, Monster City Studios, Dangling Carrot, Massivit 3D, Sean Fields and Project 842.

A boy dressed as an x-wing pilot smiles into the camera from within his space craft wheelchair

“Our mission is to build for every kid in a wheelchair,” said Magic Wheelchair founder Ryan Weimer at their Comic-Con panel. The group has been creating cosplays for kids in wheelchairs since 2015. This year’s recipients were Maddox, Aubrie, Vedant, Kaleb, Nate, Liam, and Liv.

A young boy sits in a wheelchair disguised as a Jedi Starfighter space craft.

The Jedi Starfighter was designed to be lightweight enough to hang on Nate’s wall after the event. It was built from plywood, with laser etched details. The team behind it, Fonco Studios and Tested, had worked on all the Star Wars prequels.

A young girl looks down at the arm of her wheelchair which is disguised as a rock island covered with small alien birds.

Aubrie’s Porg Island chair is unique because it contains animatronics. She is non-verbal but she’s able to hit buttons to trigger different effects and make the porgs flap and squawk. The porgs were designed by Rick Lazzarini at The Character Shop.

A young boy sits in a wheelchair disguised as a blue and green reptile-like alien.

“Commander Cody Riding a Boga” was a massive CNC carved build. Lucasfilm donated sound files, and the creature’s mouth can open. Maddox’s gun was 3D printed. The build was done by Monster City.

Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer for Kaleb was built on a steel frame, but used 3D printing for many of the smaller details. The rest is made of foam. It feels like a giant shopping cart to drive around. The build was a collaboration between McMaster Robots and GT Props.

A small boy sits in a wheelchair disguised as a large brown alien creature clutching him with its paw.

Liam’s Rancor was designed by Tom Spina Designs, which specializes in monsters, and Riley Replicas. They wanted to make something that could hide the person pushing the wheelchair.

A crowd gathered round a young boy dressed as an X-Wing pilot sitting in a chair disguised as a space craft.

Pixologic Inc.’s X-Wing was built entirely from 3D printed parts for Vedant. It was a massive build that came in at 10×10 ft.

People admire a young girl sitting on her wheelchair disguised as a large futuristic mechanical robot.

Liv’s Droideka was built within one month by Project 842. “I had pieces being printed from every large format printer in a 50 mile radius,” laughed Sean Fields.

The kids were in love with their new costumes, despite the soaring temperatures that day. “A Jedi is a Jedi no matter the temperature,” Nate had said, according to his dad, Scott Green. “These kids live in a world not built for them. All these people took time to make these costumes for them.”

a group gathers around four young people sitting in wheelchairs disguised as space craft and a green alien.

Magic Wheelchair is actively seeking makers who are interested in donating their skills for Halloween and upcoming conventions. If you’d like to help, or donate, visit their website!

 

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