Joker Costume for Halloween

[pollyestergrimm]

maybe i should grow a goatee or something?

oh, wait-
i can't :/

 

[deathfromabove]

i will just say this and then its time to move the **** on. i outlined my mission to recreate heath ledger's joker using entirely vintage digs nearly a year ago. my goal was the same as the filmaker's. capture the joker's vibe, attitude, and spirit using what has come before (leaning heavily of course on tdk's vision) while adding my own fresh and individualistic spin. that is the way i have always approached costume making. and when i saw the first shots of the joker last summer i knew what i wanted to do. my costume, my approach, my plan. have i ever said that is the way everyone should do it? no, no, NO. of course not. but if anyone had actually bothered to read this thread you would already know all that. and if it looks like i just walkied into my local thrift and grabbed a bunch of crap then you need to have your eyes checked. or maybe your aesthetic sensibilities at least.

now i have alot of resources at my disposal. if i wanted 1000% screen accuracy i would have done it and i certainly would not have settled for half ass if i did. i have friends in the garment industry, special effects industry, costume industry, fasion industry, halloween industry and from my years running an art gallery i know dozens (if not hundreds) of artists of every stripe. if i wanted a complete carbon copy i would have it. but unless i grew a foot, changed my genetic code (im stocky and i know it) i would still not be 100%. most will never reach that. its ok it wont stop those who want it from trying and as we can see some have come pretty damn close.

and finally i have never claimed to be the best joker in these parts. i think there are alot of amazingly talented people who have worked their asses off this year and i am proud to stand next to them. there are so many amazing interpretations of this icon that i am proud and humbled at the same time just to be a part of it all.


so i want to...thank you all...i want to. i want to thank everyone for the kind words. the defense and love and compliments and encouragement have shown me that some here (most actually) get it. and it warms my heart. this thread has been one of the tightest knit communities i have seen in my years of internet fandom. and all the hard work would have been worth it if all i recieved in return was the sense of accomplishement and community that i have recieved in here.

and to all the new faces, welcome. but if you have no interest in getting on the same page as the rest of us, dont let the door hit your ass on the way out.

but to everyone else...thank you

but we need to let the whiners whine and the *****ers ***** cause we have some very important work to finish and i for one wont let anyone get in the way of that.

no sour grapes and there is no crying in here.

so now lets move onto more important business.

so i just realized my camera was fubar last week and i have not shown my finished shoes to anyone.

inspired by sith camaro and especially AZspidey's amazing work, i picked up a pair of crappy old wingtips from the salvo, cut them apart and with a bit of cement slapped these together.

these started life as a beat ass old pair of vintage bowling shoes that i had resoled for wearability.

 

[Kelikala]

i always find it interesting how people look completely different in makeup than they do out,
like the lord of the flies, it's like it brings out our inner beast...
here's me:

Has anyone told you that you look like a young Heath Ledger Grimm???

It's not a bad thing... it's actually quite good ^ _ ^

and there's nothing wrong with the joker having boobs, EVER.

LOL - I guess all us girls have it made then!

 

[QuietChatterbox]

Has anyone told you that you look like a young Heath Ledger Grimm???

It's not a bad thing... it's actually quite good ^ _ ^

I completely agree. That's awesome.

 

[pollyestergrimm]

Has anyone told you that you look like a young Heath Ledger Grimm???

constantly. hahaha...
I think it was meant to be for me to wear this costume, actually.
what are the odds that one of the greatest villains of all time was performed by someone who looks just like me, in one of the best performances, if not THE best, of the year? and what are the odds that i get into costuming just before i heard the news?

i used to think it was kinda lame that people told me that- (i'm actually naturally blonde and have dyed my hair since 8th grade, partially because of it...) but i've grown to be proud, and yes- his death made me cry.HARD.

the point i guess i'm trying to make is that we all have our own reasons for doing this, and no one has the right to stomp on another person's attempts. Personally i find it grotesque that hot topic has made such lame attempts at this and a lot of people are buying the crap out of it- but that doesn't mean that it doesn't look good on those people who TRY.
i also find it a little lame that i posted a shirt pattern on boards back in january for people to use if they wanted to make themselves a shirt, only to find out no one except the biggest joker-shirt site has used it, and has been bought and made this person tons of money- but that is a compliment to me, i suppose. That pattern is so WRONG- and yet you wear it like you are completely S.A.? and then criticise someone going against the grain? shame on you, twofacekid.
SHAAAAAME.

in other news, i'm making myself some shoes myself, i'll keep ya posted- but great shoes you got there dfa!

 

[deathfromabove]

i was just going to say that kel.

you look alot like him grimm. lucky bastard.

i always find it interesting how people look completely different in makeup than they do out,
like the lord of the flies, it's like it brings out our inner beast...
here's me:

and there's nothing wrong with the joker having boobs,
EVER.

i love the fact that so many gals are giving this a go! it really does transcend sex, race, height, weight, age, etc.

I did a little bit of collodion testing, and it peeled far too easily. I definitely need to seal it with the latex I have laying around.

Yeah, the latex is a definite must for the collodion. I had my make-up on for ten hours yesterday and not once did it peel, even with all the talking and eating and drinking I was doing!

yeah the collodian needs to be sealed in order to withstand all the movement in the mouth area. i was using medical adhesive but after seeing how great clint's method worked i gave the liquid latex a go.

in addition to sealing the collodian it also has the added bonus of allowing you to give some raised "keloiding" to the scar. and unlike premade latex prosthetics there are no blending edges to deal with and hide. the results that are possible with the latex collodian method speak for themselves i think.

 

[TotalChaos]

Ah well, I'll be lame in my hot topic nurse dress. I think it's awesome that some people have the time and resources (and well, love for it) to go out and make their own costumes, but we don't all have the same opportunities. And they did the dress so well, ha.

 

[pollyestergrimm]

Ah well, I'll be lame in my hot topic nurse dress. I think it's awesome that some people have the time and resources (and well, love for it) to go out and make their own costumes, but we don't all have the same opportunities. And they did the dress so well, ha.

No, the dress is fine, a little too...sassy, but it's close enough, especially if you have the legs for it. but the picture they use to advertise it makes me wanna throw up...

by the way, DFA, what's the name of your gallery? I'm actually a painter and am always looking for new galleries to see what's out there...

 

[Kelikala]

his death made me cry. HARD.

Same here... I've been a fan of Heath's since 10 Things I Hate About You and I was crushed beyond belief when I found out he was gone. I even plan on getting a tattoo in his honor on my ankle of the leaf he had on his hand, although with mine, I'll have a dragonfly perched on the stem of the leaf, also as homage to Heath.

i was just going to say that kel.

Beat ya too it

Also, DFA, how are you getting the keloids to bubble up like that with the latex? Mine keep wanting to fall flat all the time and it's annoying the hell out of me.

 

[TotalChaos]

No, the dress is fine, a little too...sassy, but it's close enough, especially if you have the legs for it. but the picture they use to advertise it makes me wanna throw up...

Yeah the ad photos for it are more horrifying than the Joker ever was. I think that's why my son refused to wear it...he saw the ripped fishnets and the heels and that was the end of that.
Now of course that I have it done my way he wants my funky socks. Figures.
Legs for it...hrrm...well if I don't shave 'em for a while I can probably work that out. I have knobby knees. t:

 

[TotalChaos]

I don't have any real pics that show detail yet...gotta get the right stuff to make my scars look better before I do that, but did these playing with photo booth so I could email them to my friend.
My before and after:

I can't decide if I should flip my hair out like the nurse wig or just go messy and sorta green. Either way I can style it...my hair is red already which would work for the nurse, but then I have a dark blue chunk on one side, that well, doesn't work for either.

 

[pollyestergrimm]

woops, double-post

 

[pollyestergrimm]

I have knobby knees.

don't we all?

Same here... I've been a fan of Heath's since 10 Things I Hate About You and I was crushed beyond belief when I found out he was gone. I even plan on getting a tattoo in his honor on my ankle of the leaf he had on his hand, although with mine, I'll have a dragonfly perched on the stem of the leaf, also as homage to Heath.

i know, that was a good movie when i was a kid. i've seen it a million times.
i didn't know that heath had a thing for dragonflies? i have a thing for them myself.
did you ever hear the fable about them?
all the baby dragonflies that hatched under the water started to sprout wings and go up above the waterline. once they were above they could not go back down. The ones that were left behind were frightened because they would never see their brothers and sisters again, and they might get eaten. But then one of them said "although they cannot come back to us, we still remember them- and they will watch us from above."

i'm not religious or anything, but i like the metaphor...

 

[Jodo]

I'm jealous of your vest being finished Jodo. Hopefully mine is soon too. Your buttons look fine. Aren't the supposed to be purple??

Thanks guys! It was a realy awsome feeling getting to see it all on me with buttons and stuff, LOL. I can't wait to put the make-up with the scars and evrything now.

As for the coat buttons, they should be like this -

EDIT - Gimm, they're right, you deffintly look alot like him through the eyes and nose.

 

[QuietChatterbox]

I don't have any real pics that show detail yet...gotta get the right stuff to make my scars look better before I do that, but did these playing with photo booth so I could email them to my friend.
My before and after:

Spoiler

I can't decide if I should flip my hair out like the nurse wig or just go messy and sorta green. Either way I can style it...my hair is red already which would work for the nurse, but then I have a dark blue chunk on one side, that well, doesn't work for either.

Ooh, the colorful chunks...when I joined here my hair had purple, blue, green and pink in it with a dark base. Then I changed it to all base. Now it's lightened up. My hair does not hold color well...haha but I am a natural light-light brown/red head...dangit.

And hey, you can just be a unique Joker. The blue might actually look pretty cool.

 

[Kelikala]

don't we all?

i know, that was a good movie when i was a kid. i've seen it a million times.
i didn't know that heath had a thing for dragonflies? i have a thing for them myself.
did you ever hear the fable about them?
all the baby dragonflies that hatched under the water started to sprout wings and go up above the waterline. once they were above they could not go back down. The ones that were left behind were frightened because they would never see their brothers and sisters again, and they might get eaten. But then one of them said "although they cannot come back to us, we still remember them- and they will watch us from above."

i'm not religious or anything, but i like the metaphor...

Yeah, his most recent tattoo before his death was of a dragonfly on his upper right arm. Picture at the link ---> http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/6911/heathledgerdragonflytathz5.jpg He got it around Oct or Nov last year.

You have a thing for dragonflies too? LOL... me too! I've heard the fable you shared before and it's beautiful. Did you also know that Native American's see the dragonfly as souls of the dead and they are also a symbol of rebirth or change.

I love how we've gotten off topic... went from talking about Joker Costumes, to Heath and then to dragonflies

 

[deathfromabove]

constantly. hahaha...
I think it was meant to be for me to wear this costume, actually.
what are the odds that one of the greatest villains of all time was performed by someone who looks just like me, in one of the best performances, if not THE best, of the year? and what are the odds that i get into costuming just before i heard the news?

i used to think it was kinda lame that people told me that- (i'm actually naturally blonde and have dyed my hair since 8th grade, partially because of it...) but i've grown to be proud, and yes- his death made me cry.HARD.

the point i guess i'm trying to make is that we all have our own reasons for doing this, and no one has the right to stomp on another person's attempts. Personally i find it grotesque that hot topic has made such lame attempts at this and a lot of people are buying the crap out of it- but that doesn't mean that it doesn't look good on those people who TRY.
i also find it a little lame that i posted a shirt pattern on boards back in january for people to use if they wanted to make themselves a shirt, only to find out no one except the biggest joker-shirt site has used it, and has been bought and made this person tons of money- but that is a compliment to me, i suppose. That pattern is so WRONG- and yet you wear it like you are completely S.A.? and then criticise someone going against the grain? shame on you, twofacekid.
SHAAAAAME.

in other news, i'm making myself some shoes myself, i'll keep ya posted- but great shoes you got there dfa!

it feels like providence doesnt it? like it was ll meant to be. one of my all time favorit charactrs in film by one of my fave directors shot in my hometown?

and yeah heath's death hit me pretty hard. and since i am a parent it really made me sad for his little matilda. also im older than him and silly as this sounds it really made me think about mortality in relation to my offspring.

and so i just knew i had to do it justice.

No, the dress is fine, a little too...sassy, but it's close enough, especially if you have the legs for it. but the picture they use to advertise it makes me wanna throw up...

by the way, DFA, what's the name of your gallery? I'm actually a painter and am always looking for new galleries to see what's out there...

i tried on the HT dress and suffice to say i dont have the legs for it

www.thenervegallery.com

or http://www.myspace.com/nervegallery

 

[deathfromabove]

Same here... I've been a fan of Heath's since 10 Things I Hate About You and I was crushed beyond belief when I found out he was gone. I even plan on getting a tattoo in his honor on my ankle of the leaf he had on his hand, although with mine, I'll have a dragonfly perched on the stem of the leaf, also as homage to Heath.




Beat ya too it

Also, DFA, how are you getting the keloids to bubble up like that with the latex? Mine keep wanting to fall flat all the time and it's annoying the hell out of me.

i am also considering getting a heath tattoo. a joker tattoo has been in the works for a while but i want a heath specific one. i really like the black tattoo he has on his forearm. balloons maybe?

you can see it here





oh and about the keloids. i will try to give a quick little guide to my process. get a blowdryer that has a low setting handy and stretch your neck to make sure its limber. you will also need a small cup or lid for the latex and a brush that is expendable.

first i sealed the edges of the collodian with a very thin coat of liquid latex (LL). i let this set. it takes a while to fully dry but a skin forms pretty quickly and you can start adding the bubbles.

i added a little more bulk to the areas that i felt needed it mostly along the top of the curve and near the lip where the scar sticks out a bit. again allow it to set slightly before adding more. it can get gummed up pretty easy if you arent used to working with latex.

then i added the three bubbles one at a time, a little at a time. i put a good amount on my brush and let it sit for just a second to let the air hit it and get it a bit less runny.

tilt you head and add the first drop. have the dryer ready and carefully give it a bit of air so that it sets up. use a low setting with little heat and low blast at a good distance or you might blow it across your face, burn yourself or ruin your collodian.

repeat this process, adding some in between as needed so it looks good, until you get the desired result.

hope that helps.

 

[Z(+)DIAC]

hahahahaahahahahahahah
ahahahahaaahahahahahaahahahah
hahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahaahh

 

[deathfromabove]

made these scans so i could make extra cards on my printer. thought i would share. if you have a printer you can print the cards on one side (i used heavy matte paper) and then use the other scan to print on the back. cut them out and you have some quick easy and cheap joker cards to give out.



click for large images

Spoiler

 

[Z(+)DIAC]

You should have gone as Lau...

 

[Blindside]

I have two questions.

First, I have a dark blue wool coat, went and bought 2 packages of Rit Color Remover and 2 packages of purple and 1 navy blue. If I use the color remover and dye, will it ruin the wool? I'm not sure if it's a wool blend because their's no tags because I got it from Goodwill.

Second, I bought the air dry clay and shaped my scars and let them dry. Do I just apply multiple layers of liquid latex, letting each layer dry before putting on another coat? Is the latex going to stick to the clay?

Thanks.

 

[Kelikala]

oh and about the keloids. i will try to give a quick little guide to my process. get a blowdryer that has a low setting handy and stretch your neck to make sure its limber. you will also need a small cup or lid for the latex and a brush that is expendable.

first i sealed the edges of the collodian with a very thin coat of liquid latex (LL). i let this set. it takes a while to fully dry but a skin forms pretty quickly and you can start adding the bubbles.

i added a little more bulk to the areas that i felt needed it mostly along the top of the curve and near the lip where the scar sticks out a bit. again allow it to set slightly before adding more. it can get gummed up pretty easy if you arent used to working with latex.

then i added the three bubbles one at a time, a little at a time. i put a good amount on my brush and let it sit for just a second to let the air hit it and get it a bit less runny.

tilt you head and add the first drop. have the dryer ready and carefully give it a bit of air so that it sets up. use a low setting with little heat and low blast at a good distance or you might blow it across your face, burn yourself or ruin your collodian.

repeat this process, adding some in between as needed so it looks good, until you get the desired result.

hope that helps.

That helped ALOT! Thanks a bunch! I'll have to try that when I do my scars up for the Halloween Parade I'm part of Saturday.

 

[TotalChaos]

made these scans so i could make extra cards on my printer. thought i would share. if you have a printer you can print the cards on one side (i used heavy matte paper) and then use the other scan to print on the back. cut them out and quick easy joker cards to give out.

Ah, those are great, thanks!

 

[LifeisNoCheese]

Does anyone have a pic of the Nurse Joker harvey Dent sticker? I got one from HT, but it's not entirely accurate.