Cockeyed gets its costume on
November 24, 2009 9:04 AM Subscribe
Rob Cockerham is no stranger to giant Halloween costume projects (and no stranger to MeFi). Every year he famously chronicles his costume builds (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) including everything from idea to final design. This year we not only get to see how his "Money you save with Geico" costume went together, he also published shots from other bay area halloween costume builders (now that's a sub-genre) including the awesome Tauntaun that beat him and the Transformers Bumblebee costume that took ten months to create and went all the way to win in Las Vegas costume contests.
Holy shit It looks like it would have been easier to selectively breed a Tauntaun and tame it then make that outfit. Wow.
posted by The Whelk at 9:06 AM on November 24, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by The Whelk at 9:06 AM on November 24, 2009 [3 favorites]
I'm most impressed with the homemade stilts on both larger costumes and the weathering on the transformer parts.
posted by mathowie at 9:10 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by mathowie at 9:10 AM on November 24, 2009
That mold how-to on using silicone caulk and expanding foam is really, really clever. I want to build a Kraken Devouring My House for Halloween next year. I'll have to remember that.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:23 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by robocop is bleeding at 9:23 AM on November 24, 2009
Oh wow, I better get started on next year's costume, like, right now! Dude sets the bar high.
posted by iamkimiam at 9:26 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by iamkimiam at 9:26 AM on November 24, 2009
I've also been a long time fan of Cockeyed, but I have to say this year's geico costume sorta bugged me. He didn't disclose if he was being sponsored to do this costume, but he has done payola projects in the past. Which don't get me wrong, is awesome and if someone would pay me to do that I would jump all up ons. And I know the internet isn't free, etc. I guess my problem is that I just can't make myself like something that is a giant advertisement (whether paid for or not). I love the detailed explanations, planing, and the actual building of something like this, for pay or not. I guess where I get locked up is at the idea of cheering for a big corporate mascot on stage. And the whole Geico "money you could be saving" campaign is appropriating internet culture to give the appearance of populist appeal.
Plate of beans is throughly over thought.
posted by fontophilic at 9:45 AM on November 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Plate of beans is throughly over thought.
posted by fontophilic at 9:45 AM on November 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Christ, I hope my son doesn't see that Tauntaun.
posted by bondcliff at 9:59 AM on November 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by bondcliff at 9:59 AM on November 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
Tauntaun guy: "Three years ago I decided I wanted to make a Tauntaun costume for the Zone Ball in Sacramento. My wife advised me that it would be best to start as soon as I had finished building the house."
Hee hee.
posted by typewriter at 10:01 AM on November 24, 2009
Hee hee.
posted by typewriter at 10:01 AM on November 24, 2009
fontophilic: "He didn't disclose if he was being sponsored to do this costume, but he has done payola projects in the past."
Given his reputation for exposing scams and the fact that he has revealed payola projects before, I'd be surprised if he was paid for this one and didn't say so. Maybe we can get him to join the thread and put our worries at ease.
posted by Plutor at 10:04 AM on November 24, 2009
Given his reputation for exposing scams and the fact that he has revealed payola projects before, I'd be surprised if he was paid for this one and didn't say so. Maybe we can get him to join the thread and put our worries at ease.
posted by Plutor at 10:04 AM on November 24, 2009
I guess my problem is that I just can't make myself like something that is a giant advertisement (whether paid for or not).
Seems like a silly thing to be angsty about. Did you think the other awesome costumes were sponsored by Transformers or Star Wars? Why not?
posted by smackfu at 10:10 AM on November 24, 2009
Seems like a silly thing to be angsty about. Did you think the other awesome costumes were sponsored by Transformers or Star Wars? Why not?
posted by smackfu at 10:10 AM on November 24, 2009
As far as Bumblebee costumes go, this has to be my favorite.
Holy crap. An actual, transforming costume beats a detailed, weathered Michael Bay Bumblebee any day.
posted by explosion at 10:11 AM on November 24, 2009
Holy crap. An actual, transforming costume beats a detailed, weathered Michael Bay Bumblebee any day.
posted by explosion at 10:11 AM on November 24, 2009
The awesomeness of this is tempered by my deep, searing hatred of insurance commercials. Seriously, how much money could we all be saving if they weren't all running commercials 25 times an hour, amirite? (Oh, sweet TiVo, never leave me.)
posted by JoanArkham at 10:12 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by JoanArkham at 10:12 AM on November 24, 2009
The video of the Tauntaun on this page really shows the care that went in to making it move right. I like the way the frame creaks slightly, like Luke has jumped on a Tauntaun with arthritic knees.
posted by itstheclamsname at 10:14 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by itstheclamsname at 10:14 AM on November 24, 2009
Seems like a silly thing to be angsty about. Did you think the other awesome costumes were sponsored by Transformers or Star Wars? Why not?
Transformers and Star Wars are important pop culture franchises that got there by being loved by fans for decades. The Geico money-with-googly-eyes thing is only a part of pop culture because Geico spends massive amounts of money on advertising to make sure that everyone sees it all the time.
I have never liked Geico's commercials, but this year I have built up an intense hatred of them due to the fact that they apparently bought around half of the commercial time on MLB.TV. There were a handful of different spots (some featuring the cavemen with a horrible 3 Doors Down song in the background, some with the gecko, and one with that stupid money thing) but they showed them between literally every inning. I watched 100+ games this year, and there are 18+ commercial breaks in the game, so without exaggerating I can say I saw these commercials hundreds or thousands of times. If I went to a party and someone was wearing a Geico money costume, I would have a hard time not flying into a psychotic rage and attempting to burn the costume with fire.
posted by burnmp3s at 11:05 AM on November 24, 2009
Transformers and Star Wars are important pop culture franchises that got there by being loved by fans for decades. The Geico money-with-googly-eyes thing is only a part of pop culture because Geico spends massive amounts of money on advertising to make sure that everyone sees it all the time.
I have never liked Geico's commercials, but this year I have built up an intense hatred of them due to the fact that they apparently bought around half of the commercial time on MLB.TV. There were a handful of different spots (some featuring the cavemen with a horrible 3 Doors Down song in the background, some with the gecko, and one with that stupid money thing) but they showed them between literally every inning. I watched 100+ games this year, and there are 18+ commercial breaks in the game, so without exaggerating I can say I saw these commercials hundreds or thousands of times. If I went to a party and someone was wearing a Geico money costume, I would have a hard time not flying into a psychotic rage and attempting to burn the costume with fire.
posted by burnmp3s at 11:05 AM on November 24, 2009
There are so many hours in the day and yet I still end of wasting many of them.
You know how they say people are happier if they are poor and are surrounded by poverty than if they are poor and are surrounded by wealth? I get like that when ever I check out his page.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 11:08 AM on November 24, 2009
You know how they say people are happier if they are poor and are surrounded by poverty than if they are poor and are surrounded by wealth? I get like that when ever I check out his page.
posted by bottlebrushtree at 11:08 AM on November 24, 2009
I watched 100+ games this year, and there are 18+ commercial breaks in the game, so without exaggerating I can say I saw these commercials hundreds or thousands of times.
Buy a Tivo. Save a Life.
posted by bondcliff at 11:14 AM on November 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Buy a Tivo. Save a Life.
posted by bondcliff at 11:14 AM on November 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Somehow I kept reading "ten months" as "ten minutes." Talk about confused.
posted by dpx.mfx at 11:14 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by dpx.mfx at 11:14 AM on November 24, 2009
Hey Thanks! Can you believe the depth of talent I've got to compete against up here?
Scott and I are pretty actively sharing construction techniques and ideas. I'm a little more focused on cheap construction and (over) documentation of the process.
I didn't get paid to make the Money you could be saving with Geico costume. If I had been, I'd state it, because that would be awesome... although I'd have to give up my amateur status and lose any chance at London 2012.
I chose the Geico money because it is super well known, and no one had made a good costume for it yet. I had a feeling it would get a huge crowd reaction, and it did.
posted by cockeyed at 11:27 AM on November 24, 2009 [5 favorites]
Scott and I are pretty actively sharing construction techniques and ideas. I'm a little more focused on cheap construction and (over) documentation of the process.
I didn't get paid to make the Money you could be saving with Geico costume. If I had been, I'd state it, because that would be awesome... although I'd have to give up my amateur status and lose any chance at London 2012.
I chose the Geico money because it is super well known, and no one had made a good costume for it yet. I had a feeling it would get a huge crowd reaction, and it did.
posted by cockeyed at 11:27 AM on November 24, 2009 [5 favorites]
Erin Esurance would have made for a nice couple.
posted by benzenedream at 11:38 AM on November 24, 2009
posted by benzenedream at 11:38 AM on November 24, 2009
Three great costumes and not an inch of exposed boob on even one of them. Take that, Halloween!
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:46 AM on November 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
posted by Joey Michaels at 11:46 AM on November 24, 2009 [2 favorites]
Joey Michaels: "Three great costumes and not an inch of exposed boob on even one of them. Take that, Halloween!"
I swear I saw Tauntaun teat in one of the photos.
posted by idiopath at 11:58 AM on November 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
I swear I saw Tauntaun teat in one of the photos.
posted by idiopath at 11:58 AM on November 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
ha, some guy drew a penis on the costume. that is the funniest thing I've ever seen. how did he think of it? I would never have thought to put something that vulgar or inappropriate in such a random place! I gotta ask him how he thought of it. HYsterical.
posted by shmegegge at 12:23 PM on November 24, 2009
posted by shmegegge at 12:23 PM on November 24, 2009
I watched 100+ games this year, and there are 18+ commercial breaks in the game, so without exaggerating I can say I saw these commercials hundreds or thousands of times.
Buy a Tivo. Save a Life.
I own a Tivo, but it's collecting dust in my closet because I don't have cable or satellite TV anymore. Live sports games are pretty much the only thing I would use it for if I did have service, but watching the baseball games I want to watch would involve paying for TV service and subscribing to the expensive MLB premium out of market game service on top of that. So instead I signed up for the MLB.TV service to watch the games online, and one of the only major downsides of doing that was the extremely annoying unskippable commercials. In retrospect, I should have spent some time reverse-engineering their proprietary streaming video client to figure out how to block the ads.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:29 PM on November 24, 2009
Buy a Tivo. Save a Life.
I own a Tivo, but it's collecting dust in my closet because I don't have cable or satellite TV anymore. Live sports games are pretty much the only thing I would use it for if I did have service, but watching the baseball games I want to watch would involve paying for TV service and subscribing to the expensive MLB premium out of market game service on top of that. So instead I signed up for the MLB.TV service to watch the games online, and one of the only major downsides of doing that was the extremely annoying unskippable commercials. In retrospect, I should have spent some time reverse-engineering their proprietary streaming video client to figure out how to block the ads.
posted by burnmp3s at 12:29 PM on November 24, 2009
Joey Michaels: "Three great costumes and not an inch of exposed boob on even one of them. Take that, Halloween!"
This is not a welcome development.
posted by evilgenius at 12:35 PM on November 24, 2009
This is not a welcome development.
posted by evilgenius at 12:35 PM on November 24, 2009
I was almost late to a doctor's appointment because I couldn't stop clicking on this guy's pictures. Pretty badass.
And then I noticed he was the HerbaLife scam-exposure guy and my heat soared because I'd just been thinking about how awesome he was and how much HerbaLife sucks. Yay for this guy!
posted by Neofelis at 1:17 PM on November 24, 2009
And then I noticed he was the HerbaLife scam-exposure guy and my heat soared because I'd just been thinking about how awesome he was and how much HerbaLife sucks. Yay for this guy!
posted by Neofelis at 1:17 PM on November 24, 2009
Oh, and I haven't done or been paid for any "payola projects" either.
-Rob
posted by cockeyed at 1:31 PM on November 24, 2009
-Rob
posted by cockeyed at 1:31 PM on November 24, 2009
Rob, I just have to say that pretty much everything on your site gives me that "Dammit, why can't I think of doing this stuff?" feeling.
posted by bondcliff at 1:59 PM on November 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by bondcliff at 1:59 PM on November 24, 2009 [1 favorite]
On the completely snarky front; Am I the only one offended that he basically scammed $1500 from the guy in that crappy "one night stand" costume by crashing the finals after he was rejected by the judges? That's a lot of discount car insurance payments.
posted by ecurtz at 6:10 PM on November 24, 2009
posted by ecurtz at 6:10 PM on November 24, 2009
Man, that Rob guy is freaking AWESOME. I knew this forever and a half ago, but I'd forgotten all about him and I'm very glad to find that his website is full of all kinds of things I hadn't read.
There goes the rest of my night!
posted by Bageena at 7:12 PM on November 24, 2009
There goes the rest of my night!
posted by Bageena at 7:12 PM on November 24, 2009
Rob - I love your stuff!
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:42 PM on November 24, 2009
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 7:42 PM on November 24, 2009
Nice work all around. I gotta try that spray foam mold technique.
I feel your pain when it comes to the drywall stilts. I built a 1:1 Robotech Cyclone suit for Dragon*Con in 2007. Steps, curbs, and ramps were the enemy.
Chris Lee’s Robotech Cyclone Costume
posted by ChrisLee at 7:55 AM on November 25, 2009
I feel your pain when it comes to the drywall stilts. I built a 1:1 Robotech Cyclone suit for Dragon*Con in 2007. Steps, curbs, and ramps were the enemy.
Chris Lee’s Robotech Cyclone Costume
posted by ChrisLee at 7:55 AM on November 25, 2009
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(He's a friend of a friend, and a great guy.)
posted by Madamina at 9:05 AM on November 24, 2009