Sensei at Otakon

vapalla · Post by **vapalla** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:12 am

I posted the pic of Sensei in his amazing Gankutsuou costume. For some reason, I loaded it once and the thumbnail didn't work so I loaded it again and it worked. Here it is.

http://www.anime-beta.com/phpBB/album_p ... pic_id=191

If someone on the technical end of the scrapbook could delete the faulty one, that would be appreciated.

ENJOY!

Sakura-chan · Post by **Sakura-chan** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:36 am

WOW !!! What a great picture !! Sensei, your costume is awesome !!!

Thanks Vapalla for the really nice picture !!

kittens · Post by **kittens** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:11 am

COOOOOOOOOOOOOL!!!

I am soooooooooooo jeolous.... I wish I could be there

vapalla · Post by **vapalla** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:31 am

The pic was taken by my daughter with a cel phone. I think she did a good job. I should have let her load it in the scrapbook too since she probably wouldn't have messed it up like I did the first time.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 11:31 am

Tell me why you should.

Post by **sensei** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 12:46 pm

What was amazing to me was how much in place I looked and felt (once I'd gotten off the streets and out of the eyes of the Otakon-shocked Baltimorians).

Thank you, Valpalla! It is a nice photo, flattering of the cane and hand-stitched sleeves anyhow. (The basic jacket came from the local Goodwill shop.)

Hakiri · Post by **Hakiri** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 1:45 pm

Wahhh~! That's an awesome costume, sensei!! O_O Wow!

Krafty · Post by **Krafty** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 1:57 pm

WAAAA! That's amazing! Superb costume Sensei- hope the face paint eventually came off OK, or is that your usual hue?

The hat and cane really tops off the ensemble, good for you.

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 7:08 pm

OMG that is so amazing!!

I can definitely see the resemblance:

Ok Sensei, how many eons of hard labor did it take to come up with that outstanding costume??!!

Post by **sensei** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:25 pm

Baakay wrote: Ok Sensei, how many eons of hard labor did it take to come up with that outstanding costume??!!

The hat, ho wig, and cape were simple: I just used a credit card at the right online costume outlet.

The pants were part of my existing "burial suit" outfit (suitable for funerals, memorial services, and the occasional Saturday service when my wife and I substitute for our pastor). We got the ruffled shirt years ago at a yard sale specifically to use it for Halloween and masquerade affairs.

The jacket came from the local Goodwill clothes outlet. I found a remnant of heavy red cloth at Ollie's Bargain Barn and spent about a day doing the figure-8 pattern in gold embroidery thread. The iridescent red/yellow flames were scraps from my Liz's Dorothy Wainright (Big O) dress that she wore at last year's Otakon. It took two evenings to get those cut out and sewed on right, with a little yellow ribbon underneath to give them some contour.

The cane was a huge dowel bought at Lowe's Hardware. On the top I screwed on a readymade spindle (same place) that was supposed to be a foot for an early American style table. I spent about an hour gilding it with gold spray paint, then gave it a few puffs of black paint to give it that "old gold" burnished look.

The ornament on the top was styrofoam (35 cents at Ben Franklin) cut to the right size with the sharpest kitchen knife in the house, then coated with about ten coats of acrylic paint to fill all the little holes. I used a Tomato Shark to hollow out the bottom so it would fit on the spindle. Then I put iridescent Christmas ribbon around it three ways, gilded three left-over chunks of styrofoam, pinned them to the top with old hat pins, and used a red Magic Marker to make them ruby-colored.

To secure the ornament to the spindle, I used a gold metal band that came off a package of gourmet coffee that I bought on clearance at WalMart because it was past its expiration date.

The bow was inexpensive sheer fabric from Ben Franklin's, basted together with some lace on the bottom left over from materials that my wife used to customize the hat she wore at her second wedding (to me). Then I put velcro on the back and on the lapels of the ruffled shirt so I could just stick it on the front and wouldn't have to tie it around my back.

The ears were strips of old shirt cardboard with blue duct tape wrapped around them. Two more strips of the same duct tape held them onto the back of my actual ears (very securely, I might add).

I started trimming my beard to match the Count's look about a month before Otakon and had my regular hairdresser even out and touch up the look the Tuesday before. Then I liberally applied "Natural Real Black Just for Men Brush-In Color Gel" ("The Rejuvenator") until my facial hair matched the ho wig.

The blue makeup was out of an old Halloween kit that I found under the sink. It came off neatly and completely with two Ponds Clean Sweep cleansing & make-up removing towelettes (with chamomile & green tea) that I got at the CVS drugstore next to the Con hotel.

The whole affair was surprisingly comfortable, which is why I decided not to take it off after going to see the screening of Midori Days (da Count gives this wonderful ecchi series one ... two ... bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha ... TWO thumbs up) and before the panel.

Doing Jet Black and Icchan Mihara in past years were fun, but a little like testing the waters for me. But this was great fun. I'll definitely do it again.

Post by **sensei** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:25 pm

weird double post. sorry.

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 8:26 pm

And that worked well for you.

Baakay · Post by **Baakay** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:07 pm

My gosh, what fun. You sounded like one of those late-night commercial slots ("Tomato Shark! Many uses! it slices, dices, chops and peels, even use it to make your costumes!")

Almost woke the kids up when I got to the ears part... *giggle* ("HA!" she cries aloud).

Well hats off to you, that was just an outstanding costume. You almost give me enough courage to make one for myself... (except that after the last year's ill health I'm feeling like I'd need to shop at Greeley Tent & Awning for enough fabric...)

kittens · Post by **kittens** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:58 pm

Baakay wrote:OMG that is so amazing!!

I can definitely see the resemblance:

Ok Sensei, how many eons of hard labor did it take to come up with that outstanding costume??!!

COOL picture!!!!!

I love it

Cloud · Post by **Cloud** » Mon Aug 22, 2005 10:59 pm

Oh you can, can you?