View new posts | View your posts My "different" take

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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.
However I will also add:
some vampire stakes
a ring of garlic
holy water
crucifix
silver bullets
a shotgun
A necklace of vampire teeth
a werewolf pelt
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 big black 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.

Why would you need a shotgun if a Proton Pack can effectively decimate anything in front of it?

Also have fun carrying all of that junk.

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.

Maybe at first while I'm still working on my pack. That's a good idea.
I still want to keep the telltale signs of a Ghostbuster. I think a Ghostbuster without a pack is like a Jedi without a lightsaber.

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.

Are you Zanders brother?

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Ghostbusters Fans on Android

No, I'm afraid I don't know anyone named Zander.

And I know other Ghostbusters don't rely on talismans and hoodoo. That's why I have "different take" in the title. Thanks.

LOVE that Ash custom.

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?

some of the GB steampunk guys I've seen do this..good luck with idea I look forward to seeing the outcome.

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.

This isn't a knock at what you are doing or anything, but this would look sick on a certain pack FunkPunkTwang did...

well the olive drab would have to be pink though...

It does kinda have a Bootsy Collins vibe doesn't it?

I'm going to add something Tibetan to it to imply that its from a Yeti. I'll also have some big slash marks on my shoulder to help sell it.
I look like a big mountain man so I THINK it'll work out. We'll just have to see.

To bad your alice pack couldn't look like it was made from bone. Of course that would depend on how you're building the actual pack.

That's an interesting idea..
My pack, trap and PKE will all be pretty straight forward. I have a Matty PKE and just ordered a Matty trap, though I think I'm going to build a stunt trap.
My pack will be made of junk. I have the motherboard cut out of wood and a lot of parts made from cake pans and project boxes. I'm going to use Proton Charging's pepakura files as templates and make some parts out of sintra.

I think I'm going to ditch the crucifix and the cross. I'm not really comfortable carrying it around.

So the setup I think I have now will be (from top down)
- Standard tan flightsuit with patches and elbow pads and a black GB shirt underneath.
- Vampire tooth necklace.
- Runes probably in black or red fabric paint that will cover the right portion of my chest, shoulder and the rest of my sleeve. I'll also have the "Helm of Awe," a Viking symbol for protection in battle, in there somewhere.

This technique is taken from various mythologies. There's the story from Japan of the guy who covered his entire body with a magical spell to protect himself from a ghost. they forgot to write on his ears so the ghost ripped his ears off. Also the spoken and written word held magical significance in the Norse culture, as evidenced in a rune poem that basically tells you to cover everything with runes. I have a deep interest in Norse history and culture, so I'm going to use viking runes.
- The No Ghost symbol will also be on that shoulder and will not be modified. A portion of this writing will be covered by the elbow pads and gloves.
- The other shoulder will have 4 or 5 large "rips" that resemble slashes or claw marks. I'll accomplish this by folding the fabric then gluing it with liquid stitch. I'll then add a somewhat exaggerated stitching over it to make it look like I tried to repair it.
- Over my chest will be the straps for the proton pack. They are lined with dirty white Yeti fur. One strap will have a series of silver bullets attached. The other strap will likely be blank or have some Buddhist prayer beads or something Tibetan on it to help imply that the fur is from a Yeti, and to give a "world traveled" look.
- My proton pack will be the standard Proton Pack, built to the best of my ability.
- Hanging from the bottom of the pack will be a small string of fake garlic. I found some used to decorate kitchens and restaurants that look like real garlic.
- I MAY ditch the garlic and add a leather carrying case for the shotgun along the horizontal base of the alice frame. If I can add the gun to the frame in a way that is realistically accessible to me, doesn't alter or block out the proton pack but is still noticeable and obviously a shotgun, I'm going to do it. There is a very inexpensive airsoft dealer close by and I can get a decent shotgun for less than $20. I can mod it up a bit and make it look nice and remove the firing mechanism.

My belt and legs, starting from my right flank and moving to the left:
- Right rear: UV Flashlight secured with a police flashlight holder (just a metal loop). The flashlight will be plastic and hollow and weigh next to nothing. It will have "UV" in big letters.
- Right hip: "Holy Water" container - hollowed out stainless steel thermos with a spray nozzel attached. It will have "HOLY WATER" stenciled on the side, along with a big cross. The nozzle will probably come from a garden hose and have some useless wires running off of it. I'll also attach a tire pressure gauge just to give it a sciency feel. I will accent the base with caution striping and put a small red warning label with white text on it as well. The thermos will be in a leather sling and attached to the belt with a screen accurate keyfob.
- Right thigh: The wooden stakes in a custom "drop holster" made of a black gunbelt and zipties. The stakes will not be removable and I'll keep the holster in place with snaps attached to the flight suit. There will be 3 or more stakes, and each will be individual. One will have hebrew text written on it or carved into it. One will have a silver tip. One will look new and another will look used and bloody.
- Front right: PKE
- Belt buckle
- Yellow Lifeguard thing
- Ghost Trap and pedal - with the cable and pedal, these things appear to take up a lot of room. I also don't want it surrounded with stuff because I want to be able to take it out and play with it. The trap is easily my favorite bit of GB tech.
- Left thigh: Leg hose
- Left rear: Series of talismans, crystals and religious symbols including a rosary that will all dangle in a cluster from my belt.

I'll be wearing black chemical gloves.
And I know I have silver bullets but no handgun. I left the gun in the car.
I also found some really inexpensive boots I like at Wal-Mart:


My flightsuit will be weathered appropriately. I'll have moderate to substantial environmental weathering all over, especially on the legs. This will be accomplished with spraypaint and probably some real dirt and mud. The knees will be worn and I may add some additional repair-patches in some places, with some subtle blood stains. I'm also going to probably do some makeup (because I love makeup) and give myself a little cut over my nose and a vampire bite on my neck. I may do a black eye or more blood, but I'm not 100% on that yet.

This build will take ages and ages. I'm in no hurry and I want to spend the time to make every element as high quality as I can.
With this in mind, I hope to let the pictures do the talking from here on out.

you mean ProtonCharger's pepakura files?

Yeah. I guess so.

Found something on Ebay that may be of use to you it's a Black Bronze Catholic Patron Saint St. Benedict Exorcism Medal Bracelet
we are not allow to post ebay auctions but hopefully I didn't break the rules by just telling you about this.

That's right up my alley, Coyboybill. I've looked at it and it's certainly something I'll consider for the costume.

Here's a few small updates. I'm still waiting on my Matty Trap to come in. I should have the majority of my soft goods (suit, elbow pads, boots, etc) within the next few weeks.
Here's my necklace so far.

My stakes in their thigh holster:

The beginnings of my simple UV flashlight:


I have carved in magical-looking symbols on one stake and tried to make it look old and used. I've also added a new, modern style stake that's more clean and precise looking with a plastidipped grip.
I've added a few more teeth to my necklace. There are different sizes and shapes for different kinds / sizes / ages of vampires.
The UV flashlight will have a circuit board and maybe some more wires or greeblies, as well as some warning labels. I've added a blackwash to make it look a bit dirty or grimy but it's only really noticeable on the yellow in the pics.

The UV light raised a question... if vampires explode, melt, turn or ash or whatever in sunlight, wouldn't their teeth go off like firecrackers around my neck when I step into the sun?
And if they're werewolf teeth, would they convert to usual human teeth when it's not a full moon?
Hmm. I've decided the UV light is supposed to be used against trolls or other creatures that fear light, not vampires. My vampires don't vaporize in the daylight.
Though that's all for me to have in my head because ultimately, it doesn't matter. I'm trying to convey my idea the best I can but it's up to the person who sees me to make up their own mind and interpret it however they want. I just try to steer them in the right direction.

If you're good with wood working, Chris Meloni on True Blood has a great looking stake that he uses to deliver "The True Death" not the greatest picture but you can get the idea:

I saw that stake and thought it was incredibly cool. I like the silver tip.
I'm really not that good at wood working so I don't know if I'll try anything that elaborate. At least not yet.
The stakes I've made so far were carved out of a dowel with a pocket knife.

I have a few very small updates.
First, my trap came in. It was only $150 shipped from a member of the Mandalorian Mercs and the deal went off without a hitch. The lights and sound work perfectly, the trap was almost complete (it's missing the extra tube parts on the side - I only have the red) and it's in near flawless condition.

(my dog and I are both sick and she refused to get off my legs, so I had to snap these while sitting on the couch)
He made a modification to the underside.

He didn't tell me about this beforehand, but it's not a big deal to me at all. It'll hold me over until I can get one of the conversion kits. I actually plan to build a stunt trap in the future so I might forgo that entirely.
The clip doesn't affect the rolling or any of the ghost effects at all.
I added a few small greeblies to my UV light.

I have a neat looking external charge port I'm going to add. I still need to find the dry rub transfers to add some custom warning labels and a hook to attach it to my belt. I may make an external power supply to add to the belt (probably a blinky led in a small project box) and a cable that will run to the base of the light. I'm not sure yet because that will affect how I can hang it, and might clutter up an already busy belt.

I'm going to try to go to some army surplus stores to try on flight suits. I have a line on a very inexpensive khaki 3XL tru-spec but I'm afraid it will be too short.

I also got some Pro-Series 3Pc knee/elbow pads from amazon for around $15 shipped tonight.

I had set my Sintra on my porch the other day while cleaning and the heat warped it. Then I set it out with a board on it so the heat would bend it back. Then it got swept away in an absurd wind storm the other night. Work on my pack has stalled until I can get more. Oh, and I will add the Heavy Props / crix light and sound kits, which all look incredible to me.

Are you planning on/did you either tint your screen or bulb blue on the UV light? It is ultra-VIOLET so the color of the light will be kinda blue. Like how infra-red is red to the human eye.

Yes indeed I did.
Here's a snap I just took with my cell phone:

What you're seeing is a standard lightbulb that was colored blue with a sharpie, and the color bouncing around inside the reflective disc-thing on the flashlight.
I'm not sure about the science of it, but I know a lot of the UV lights I've seen have purple/blue bulbs. So I went with that.

This flashlight was only $1. I painted the switch and that strip yellow. The resistors are from some ruined electronics, and I have a lot of them. The wires are from a spool of simple red radio shack wire I bought when I was building lightsabers. I painted them white, yellow, purple and black. I cut into the flashlight with a pocket knife (like $1.50 at wal-mart in camping section) to add the greeblies, and they're all anchored and glued in place with JB Weld.

If you're going for a UV type flashlight you can get them from amazon and Ebay they are LED have have that distinctive purple glow to them. they aren't too expensive either I picked one up for around 20.00