I love Halloween and making costumes. I decided to take a character from one of the best holiday movies ever, Gremlins! When most people think about this movie they remember the cute character Gizmo but I like the gremlins. They just want to have some fun. Technically I am the flasher gremlin hence the trench coat but without the coat the costume fits in any random gremlin. All of the pieces are made by hand except the basic body suit that I painted to get the patterns and colors and the sunglasses and coat.

Step 1: The Face

I wanted the face to be in two pieces that I could glue to my face. Having it be in two pieces gave me more facial movement and was far more comfortable than one piece and I didn't want it to end up looking like a mask.The final mask is made out of standard latex from the costume shop.

First step is sculpting the face out of clay. I looked at a lot of pictures to get the characteristics of the flasher gremlin and did some drawings so I had a better idea of what I wanted.

Once the sculpture is done it is time to cast in plaster. I just used a crafting plaster powder. Once mixed it gets thick and wet so make sure your sculpt is in a container before you start pouring it on. This mask has a lot of details so I had to pay extra attention the get the plaster in those areas. After the sculpt was completely covers in plaster I backed the mold with plaster wraps to add stability.

Next pull all of the clay out of the plaster mold. Get it really clean so that the latex can get in every nook and cranny. Sculpting tools can help reach into the tight areas to get the dried clay out.

Now the fun part of putting the latex in the mold. I basically brushed in latex in layers over and over again, waiting for it to dry completely in between coats. Takes a while but once you pull the mask out you know it's worth it.

The teeth are made out of Scultpy and then I painted the mask pieces. I also added a little hot glue drips and glycerin for a moist, drooling feel.

The ear are foam with clothes hanger wire pushed through it and then I used a green pair of panty hose for the flappier part and painted both. I fashioned a panty hose bald cap style covering for the rest of my head and painted it too.

Step 2: The Hands (and Feet)

For the hands and feet I carved them out of foam cushioning that I got for free. Pretty basic steps; figure out your silhouette, cut the shape, add details with a smaller pair of scissors, glue palm and back of hand together and paint.

Step 3: Body Suit

I bought a green zentai body suit and painted it with fabric paint for the other colors and textures. I made several stencils that I could dab the paint on with a sponge. When using fabric paint make sure to put a piece of cardboard or something thick in between the layers of the suit otherwise the paint will go through and your front and back of the suit will stick together. Also let dry for a long time. I did glue a tail made out of foam, similar style to the hands, to the back of the suit.

Flasher Gremlin ready to make mischief!