If you go to any of the RLSH forums and ask questions about costumes, you are most likely to receive a fairly commonly written response:
"Save your money and get a bullet proof vest!"
... or something to that effect, and then most likely something about training...
I've actually even seen that response on posts where the author has just finished listing a full assortment of protective gear that they already own. Oddly enough, it usually takes a second to discover that the responder more often than not already has a fully realized super hero costume.
What's the point of all this, you ask? Simply that when it comes to developing your hero's look, you are pretty much on your own and in the dark. Hopefully this series will help to light the way. Read more after the break.
Luckily, there is plenty of reference material out there. As I mentioned in the introduction, there is a vast collection of different looks and styles in both comics and film that you can draw upon for inspiration. You can design your hero to look any way you want - The sky's the limit!
...of course, there are a few things you need to consider before you start designing:
1) REALITY -
You are not the CEO of Stark Industries or Wayne Enterprises. Chances are you're have a blue collar like the majority of us and a fully armored and geared Bat-suit is pretty much beyond your means, and an Iron Man suit currently isn't even completely within the realm of scientific possibility. If you keep yourself grounded within the realm of what is actually feasible for you, then you will be successful in this endeavor.
2) FUNCTIONALITY -
Whooo this is a long one. There's an old saying, "form follows function". No matter what your main focus as an RLSH is, you are going to want to move about freely. Trying to run around with a Galactus style head dress or concrete shoulder pads like Juggernaut is going to cause you nothing but trouble. You are going to want a free range of motion in your arms and legs, your costume should weigh no more than you can carry and still be able to function normally. You should consider your environment. you don't want to be wearing a parka in Las Vegas any more than you want to be dressed like He-man in Alaska. Most importantly, your hearing and vision must be completely unobstructed - I don't care if Mysterio is your inspiration, wearing a fishbowl on your head is a bad idea! but more on that in a bit.
2a) THE BELT -
While we use the moniker "superhero", we are obviously very much human - no powers, regardless of what some of the more eccentric of us may claim. As such, we are forced to rely on technology in the field. So, like Batman before is, one of a RLSHs greatest assets is the utility belt.
Now this isn't a gear tutorial, so I won't be telling you what to include in your utility belt, but your costume should be designed to accommodate your utility belt. You need to consider what you need to carry , how much room you have to carry it and design your costume accordingly. Will you be using a backpack? Do you need more space than your belt provides? Do you want to include leg straps? Harnesses? Pouches?
You need what you need when you need it - no more and no less - During your time as an RLSH, your gear will change many times, and the arrangement of your utility belt will change even more. Modularity of your costume is a definitive consideration.
2b) THE MASK -
Where do I start? I've seen simple dominoes, paintball masks, military helmets, medieval armor helmets, respirators, goggles, even simple sunglasses and ball caps... oh, and facepaint!
When considering the possibility of masks or other such headgear, there are four questions you need to ask in determining it it's right for you:
Can I see?
Can I hear?
Can I be heard?
Can I breathe?
All pretty self explanatory, right? I'm sure you'd hate to be chasing some thug down a dark alley wearing sunglasses and a ninja mask, covered by your authentic Russian World War 2 gas mask, and suddenly realize that the cloth over your nose and mouth is soaked with sweat and it's becoming impossible to breath! You call out for the thug to stop but all he hears is a muffled "MUURPHMP!" He does eventually turn and start laughing as you begin to black out, but don't worry, you can't see him in the dark alley through your sunglasses and you can't hear it because the gas mask covers your ears...
Also, some cities have laws concerning wearing masks in public, so I guess there's a fifth question:
Can I go to jail?
So you'll want to check your local laws and consider all of this before including that mask in your design.
2c) THE CAPE -
The Incredibles. Seen it? Disney/Pixar? It's one of my favorite superhero films. No, really. It's awesome. Well anyway, if you have you remember the long speech by the character Edna Mode about how capes are bad. And they are. They can get caught on things, they can flip around and hinder your arm movement, they can be flipped over your head, thus blinding you, not to mention that they can be used to strangle you. very few RLSHs use capes. If you are considering a cape, you have to take in to account what your focus is and plan accordingly. I'd recommend capes that either don't connect around the neck or are easily broken away.
3) SAFETY -
Remember those forum comments I mentioned at the beginning? Even though you and I both know that protection has nothing to do with what question you were asking, those guys actually have a valid point.
Whether you are doing crime patrols or handouts, things can go tragically wrong fast, so you're going to want to make sure you have the proper protection before designing your ultimate costume (now that doesn't mean that you can't have to go without until you've got all your materials together, but we'll get into that more in the next installment)
What you want to do is to organize and design your costume around your armor/protective gear. You can design your costume to hide your armor or you can integrate your armor into your overall costume design.
4) YOUR FOCUS -
What is your function as an RLSH? Are you a crime fighter? Activist? Charity outreach? Do you patrol? Are you a public speaker? Your role as a Real Life Super Hero should be a heavy factor in developing your look. It's safe to assume that you want to be taken seriously in whatever situation you are in. You want to be intimidating when necessary and accessible when dealing with the public. You wouldn't want to show up for a presentation at an elementary school looking like a member of Black Monday Society any more than you would want to be doing night patrols wearing brightly colored spandex... Of course, if you're built like Superhero, you can wear pretty much whatever you want and be taken seriously...
No comments:
Post a Comment