Strannik
11-06-2006, 08:28 PM
Being a big fan of the character, I always wondered what it would be like to actually wear his signature curtain mask. Would it actually work in the real world? Well, on Halloween, I figured that given that this was one time of the year where people wouldn't find that sort of thing strange, I decided to go for it.
I bought a red piece of cloth. Now, in comics, the length of Grifter's mask is never consistant - sometimes, it barely touches his chin while other times, it goes below his chest. So, figuring that I am better off overdoing it then underdoing it, I made the mask pretty long.
It took some time to cut out the eyeholes. I knew from experience that masks tend to limit one's range of vision, so I made sure to cut eye holes large enough to allow decent range, yet small enough to leave room for the signature black markings. As you will see from the pictures, I never managed to quite balance that out, but, in the end, I was satisfied with results anyway.
I made Grifter's signature black markings out of cartboard paper, carefully sewing them to the fabric of the mask. It took a few tries to get it just right, but ultimately, my percevierance paid off.
As a final touch, I wore a pair of goggles along with the mask. They served two functions - to simulate night-vision goggles Grifter occasionally wears and to hold up my mask in place in case it even came undone (which happened. Twice).
I complimented the mask with cargo pants, a black shirt and a pair of gloves. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the boots - otherwise, I would have had something close to the costume Grifter wore during the early Wildcats 3.0.
Anyway, at 4:30 PM, I put on my mask, put on the shirt and the cargo pants and headed out. I spent five and a half hours wondering around in that mask, taking it off only once, when I stopped to eat at McDonalds.
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. One unexpected benifit of wearing a Grifter mask was the fact that no one could see my expression, which boosted my confidence immensely. The eye holes turned out to be just right. The mask was warm, but never too warm to actually make me sweat underneath. I was worried that the mask would flap in the wind and get in my eyes, but apperantly, the weight of it was enough to hold it down. Not that there weren't any problems. As I said before, my mask came undone twice. One unexpected aspect of the mask was that the fabric kept on bending, bending the markings along with it. But, all things considering, those are minor quabbles.
I got quite a few weird looks all over town. I scared five people simply by being there. Quite a few people asked me who I was, which, of course, I used as an opportunity to pimp "Wildcats" ;). Over the course of the evening, I was misidentied as an Arab terrorist, Spawn, Daredevil and Deadpool. And, like I said, I had fun, walking around the darkened city, visiting various places and occasionally chatting with onlookers. I am not sure if I'd want to do it again next Halloween, but I wouldn't be adverse to it.
Anyway, for some pictures:
The Mask (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0762.jpg)
Looking dorky while wearing a mask (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0764.jpg)
A close-up (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0765.jpg).
Another close-up (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/42353492/).
By the haunted boat (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0793.jpg).
Good times, mates. Good times.
I bought a red piece of cloth. Now, in comics, the length of Grifter's mask is never consistant - sometimes, it barely touches his chin while other times, it goes below his chest. So, figuring that I am better off overdoing it then underdoing it, I made the mask pretty long.
It took some time to cut out the eyeholes. I knew from experience that masks tend to limit one's range of vision, so I made sure to cut eye holes large enough to allow decent range, yet small enough to leave room for the signature black markings. As you will see from the pictures, I never managed to quite balance that out, but, in the end, I was satisfied with results anyway.
I made Grifter's signature black markings out of cartboard paper, carefully sewing them to the fabric of the mask. It took a few tries to get it just right, but ultimately, my percevierance paid off.
As a final touch, I wore a pair of goggles along with the mask. They served two functions - to simulate night-vision goggles Grifter occasionally wears and to hold up my mask in place in case it even came undone (which happened. Twice).
I complimented the mask with cargo pants, a black shirt and a pair of gloves. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the boots - otherwise, I would have had something close to the costume Grifter wore during the early Wildcats 3.0.
Anyway, at 4:30 PM, I put on my mask, put on the shirt and the cargo pants and headed out. I spent five and a half hours wondering around in that mask, taking it off only once, when I stopped to eat at McDonalds.
Overall, it was an enjoyable experience. One unexpected benifit of wearing a Grifter mask was the fact that no one could see my expression, which boosted my confidence immensely. The eye holes turned out to be just right. The mask was warm, but never too warm to actually make me sweat underneath. I was worried that the mask would flap in the wind and get in my eyes, but apperantly, the weight of it was enough to hold it down. Not that there weren't any problems. As I said before, my mask came undone twice. One unexpected aspect of the mask was that the fabric kept on bending, bending the markings along with it. But, all things considering, those are minor quabbles.
I got quite a few weird looks all over town. I scared five people simply by being there. Quite a few people asked me who I was, which, of course, I used as an opportunity to pimp "Wildcats" ;). Over the course of the evening, I was misidentied as an Arab terrorist, Spawn, Daredevil and Deadpool. And, like I said, I had fun, walking around the darkened city, visiting various places and occasionally chatting with onlookers. I am not sure if I'd want to do it again next Halloween, but I wouldn't be adverse to it.
Anyway, for some pictures:
The Mask (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0762.jpg)
Looking dorky while wearing a mask (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0764.jpg)
A close-up (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0765.jpg).
Another close-up (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/42353492/).
By the haunted boat (http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g155/Strannik01/HPIM0793.jpg).
Good times, mates. Good times.