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(October 1995) mixed media. A few of the first "teaser" photographs of my Jack Salem costume recently resurfaced on an image board. I haven't seen these in years myself.
For awhile I'd considered the do-ability of recreating Roz Gibson's
popular psycho-sable character as a cosplay costume. Someone had already tried it -- badly. A costume that had been described as "a really ugly skunk" worn by someone with an ill-fitting body type (clearly too fat.) Others were considering making this costume as well. I was about the right height and build to wear it, I wanted to avoid the "big-headed" look of most mascot-style suits, and I only meant to make a partial suit since the character was nearly always fully clothed.
Starting with a life-sized shadow-cast of my head, I sculpted a rigid mask in fiberglass and built upon it. These early pics show a scraggly tail which was soon improved upon. Also at this time I hadn't yet built a working jaw into it, which didn't come until after the costume's debut at Furtasticon, or whatever the proto ConFurence East event in Newark in November that year was called.
Late one night
JoeStrike and I went to lower Manhattan for some appropriate scenery in which to shoot the costume and see how it looked in the real world. The resulting pics were largely under-exposed but made for intriguing teaser images to be leaked before the costume was unveiled.
For awhile I'd considered the do-ability of recreating Roz Gibson's
popular psycho-sable character as a cosplay costume. Someone had already tried it -- badly. A costume that had been described as "a really ugly skunk" worn by someone with an ill-fitting body type (clearly too fat.) Others were considering making this costume as well. I was about the right height and build to wear it, I wanted to avoid the "big-headed" look of most mascot-style suits, and I only meant to make a partial suit since the character was nearly always fully clothed.Starting with a life-sized shadow-cast of my head, I sculpted a rigid mask in fiberglass and built upon it. These early pics show a scraggly tail which was soon improved upon. Also at this time I hadn't yet built a working jaw into it, which didn't come until after the costume's debut at Furtasticon, or whatever the proto ConFurence East event in Newark in November that year was called.
Late one night
JoeStrike and I went to lower Manhattan for some appropriate scenery in which to shoot the costume and see how it looked in the real world. The resulting pics were largely under-exposed but made for intriguing teaser images to be leaked before the costume was unveiled.
Category Photography / Fantasy
Species Mammal (Other)
Size 1280 x 1021px
File Size 84.4 kB
Funny you should mention Rorschach. "Previously, on Hill Street Blues:..." http://www.furaffinity.net/view/4876824/
Furtasticon was the protest Furry Convention held in Philadelphia in 1994 when Philcon would not let Furry Dealers in their Dealers Room. They had taken several spots the year before when Philcon was the same week as the American Booksellers Association convention and some of their regular dealers chose not to attend. In '94 they wanted their spaces back and the convention let them return while making no provision for the furry dealers even though they reportedly had room to expand.
ConFurence East 1 was in Elisabeth, New Jersey in 1995.
ConFurence East 1 was in Elisabeth, New Jersey in 1995.
I don't remember where it was exactly I found the individual photos I have of your Jack Salem costume, three of which were combined into the collage above, but coming across them every now and then when I m going through my JPEG archives I have not forgotten the wonder I felt so many years ago seeing you in costume therein, like a small-and-medium bit of Roz's .357 and The City Of Ice come to life, and seeing them and your costume therein I remember strongly that wonder and foster it with renewed enthusiasm.
I have never strongly considered a full-body cosplay during my more than thirty years in Trek and Furry Fandom, short of dressing in one of the two good-quality Starfleet uniforms I own- one the Wrath of Khan 'Monster Maroon' with Engineering overshoulder orange strap, the other a First Contact/DS9 TNG-era uniform with Engineering yellow-sandy undertunic and cuffs- but in the last three years since knocking out my artists' block of two years prior to that, and putting to digital canvas many of my characters, I've given more than a little thought to molding and building a partial fursuit and facial prosthetics for my original Treksona, a Starfleet Engineering Caitian by the name of Ka'tch'Ian M'Ress.
You and Jack haven't been nor are presently the only reason for my change of heart, Peter, but you helped get the ball rolling, at the very least helping push it past my deep nadir-pit of confidence out into the light, and I'm glad that by your creative effort, I met Jack in the fur, and Ka'tch'Ian within me found someone he could easily relate to.
The shoulders of giants, good chummer; the shoulders of giants.
-2Paw.
I have never strongly considered a full-body cosplay during my more than thirty years in Trek and Furry Fandom, short of dressing in one of the two good-quality Starfleet uniforms I own- one the Wrath of Khan 'Monster Maroon' with Engineering overshoulder orange strap, the other a First Contact/DS9 TNG-era uniform with Engineering yellow-sandy undertunic and cuffs- but in the last three years since knocking out my artists' block of two years prior to that, and putting to digital canvas many of my characters, I've given more than a little thought to molding and building a partial fursuit and facial prosthetics for my original Treksona, a Starfleet Engineering Caitian by the name of Ka'tch'Ian M'Ress.
You and Jack haven't been nor are presently the only reason for my change of heart, Peter, but you helped get the ball rolling, at the very least helping push it past my deep nadir-pit of confidence out into the light, and I'm glad that by your creative effort, I met Jack in the fur, and Ka'tch'Ian within me found someone he could easily relate to.
The shoulders of giants, good chummer; the shoulders of giants.
-2Paw.
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