Wednesday, April 12, 2017

IT'S TIME. Come See Our New Star Wars Cosplay!

This is it, you guys. 

No more hints or sneak peeks or last last minute adjustments.

Here we go.

[deep breath]

Introducing... my new cosplay:


 
Utini!

If you're not entirely sure what you're looking at - well, mission accomplished! - but let me explain:
John and I have been working these past months to transform 5-foot-tall me into a 4-foot-tall Jawa. And just to up the ante a bit, we decided THIS Jawa has managed to capture a special prize.


The pack is stuffed full with scavenged bits of technology and dismembered droids:


If you can read Aurebesh, you'll also note this particular duffel was either stolen or recovered from Watto's Shop on Tatooine:

 BB-8 barely fits inside the top of the pack, and the remnant of the net our Jawa used to capture him hangs in tatters around the edge:
 

The back view:
Those are more wires poking through a hole at the bottom.

But what you REALLY need to see are these two in action. So here's our latest motion test:

(Turn on your sound!)


It starts out a little rough - I'm still getting the walk down, so my foot shows once and I stepped on the robe, oops - but I was doing better by the end!


 Have you guessed all our secrets?

Now I'll answer what I expect will be the most FAQs:
 
- Yes, I can see. Sort of. (Ha!)

- I look out the crack between BB-8's head and body. I'm wearing a Daredevil-like face covering to hide my eyes and skin. For photos I tip my head down, though, eliminating the crack entirely.

-  I wear BB-8's head like a helmet, which is how I control his movement. 

- I control the Jawa's head much like I did Junk Lady's; there's a PVC rod from the base of his head extending into the bag. I can turn and nod the head. I've been practicing to make it as lifelike as possible - how'm I doing?


- My entire body is in the bag, with only the very bottom of my legs extending into the robe. The Jawa's body is hanging from a PVC frame in front of me.

- Everything you see John and I handmade from scratch. From wiring the Jawa's eyes to hand-dying the monk's cloth for her robe, we did all the sewing, painting, framing - even the bandolier is handmade from old vinyl. Plus you've already seen how we made BB-8 from paper maché and Bondo, right?

- The entire cosplay breaks down into 4 pieces, and it takes John approximately 6 minutes to kit me up.

- We can take it off again in just over 1 minute. (Of course we've timed it.)

- It weighs 24 pounds, but thanks to the rig underneath is fairly comfortable to wear.
 (I'll post build photos later, if you're curious.)

- I don't control the sound; that's a custom playlist John put together, played through a wireless speaker attached to the rig.

- For ventilation we have a fan in the very bottom of the pack, plus one more hanging around my neck. The older I get, the more these things matter. :D

Lily remains ever unflappable. Tonks, on the other hand, ran for the hills.


 And now, a short - and completely non-canonical - backstory by John:

During Episode 8 Rey and Luke return to his home planet of Tatooine for some important intel. While there they are ambushed, and during their escape BB-8 is damaged and presumed lost.

The next morning the local Jawa shaman, Twevo Deetum, discovers BB-8 trapped in a smoking crater. She quickly captures the protesting droid and stuffs him into her pack, already brimming with junk and droid detritus she'd scavenged earlier from the ruins of Watto's Shop.

As Twevo returns to her ship she spies some travelers inquiring about a lost BB unit. Perhaps this will be a good payday after all...


:D

Now, what IS canon is that Jawas have shamans, which are female, and Jawas in general are quite strong. In his notes, anthropologist Hoole referred to an incident where he witnessed Jawas defending the Shaman's home from Tusken Raiders with the ferocity of beings twice their size. BB-8 only weighs 22 pounds, so even a pack of 60 pounds or more would be manageable for a Jawa this size.

Did we think this through? Yes, yes we did.



 Unlike Junk Lady we don't have a rolling cart for this cosplay, so all the weight is on me when I wear it. I'm also the only one who can wear it, since everything is custom made to my exact height and shape. (John's a little jealous.)

Speaking of height, the entire thing is less than 6 feet tall, so no more worrying about getting through doorways!

Here at home we built the costume on a wooden T stand John made from 2X4s:


 I'm trying to convince John to build some kind of collapsible stand to bring with us to cons, but in the meantime, it takes up very little room on the floor:

So there you have it, peeps!

John and I will be debuting Twevo the BB-8 catcher at Star Wars Celebration this weekend, so keep an eye out if you're going! I plan to do a test run on Thursday afternoon, and we'll also be out on Saturday if the crowds aren't too crushing. If I'm having fun I could be out the other days, too; just depends on my stamina, so we're playing it by ear.

 
 If there's enough interest I'll post a detailed build log later, so you can see how the harness and rig work inside. This kind of base could work for lots of other cosplays, so I'm hoping this sparks some inspiration out there!

Feel free to ask questions in the comments, and stay tuned for my Star Wars Celebration coverage. (Never fear, I'll still be out of costume enough to take ALL the pictures. I can't wait!)

133 comments:

  1. Ahh! My guess was right! Im so excited for you. That's an awesome cosplay. You two amaze me.

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  2. This is my new favorite thing on your site! Yes, PLEASE post build photos!!!

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  3. That is fantastic! Good work!

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  4. That is AMAZING! Kudos to you and John!

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  5. Just when I think you can't up your game anymore!! Holy cow, this is amazing! Bravo, John and Jen. Y'all are awesome!!!

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  6. This is utterly marvelous!!!Please post the details on the build. You guys are so fantastic!

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  7. You guys are absolutely AMAZING!!! I don't know how you do what you do but I LOVE IT!!

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  8. Goggling at the wonder of your creation.

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  9. Fantastic.
    And yes please, post build photos.

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  10. WOW! I totally thought you were dressed up as the Jawa until you explained it. You had me totally fooled. Looks amazing.

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  11. You have outdone yourselves. I did NOT think that would be possible after the Dawn of the Junk Lady, but you have. I am just speechless. WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW!!!!!!!!!!!

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  12. AMAZING!! You two have outdone yourselves again. BB-8 alone was superb but adding the Jawa takes it up many levels. You are so awesome.

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  13. Wow, that is amazing! I would love to see how exactly it works, I'm so impressed!

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  14. AMAZING! I'd love to see the detailed build!

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  15. Yay! I guessed right! Very cool and oh so amazing!!

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  16. I am in awe. And I showed it to my Hubby, he was amazed, too. Excellent job, you guys!

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  17. Fantastic, you guys are going to be a huge hit at the celebration this weekend!!

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  18. Holy cow! That's incredible! O.o I love the sounds and the detail, you never fail to amaze with your skills <3

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  19. That is amazing! I would love to see the build.

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  20. Oh my gosh! You look amazing and costume is amazing and I'm amazed! See how amazed I am?! My vocabulary has gone to nil! OHMYGOSH! This is one of my favorite things ever from you guys! <3

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  21. AMAZING!!!

    The tiniest thing I noticed, though, was that the bottom of the sack seemed a bit limp, like there was nothing in it - it should be stuffed with junk. You could fill it with bubble wrap or chunks of styrofoam or something to make the fabric taut. Chunks of styrofoam would look neat because it would be irregular, and have sharp corners and lumps sticking out.

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    1. We noticed that too. We put some foam backer in there to try to fill it out but Jen's feet still have to be able to move. And of course we're trying to keep the weight down. I'll probably try to mess with it a bit more tonight. Good input. Thanks!

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  22. Holy cow, you guys are sooooo talented!

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  23. Major Kermit flailing here!! This is amazing!!! I can not figure out how you can see. The head is life like because I thought you were walking hunched over and thought "that's not going to be comfortable." Is the foot tapping your foot? This is just absolutely incredible.

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  24. That is seriously impressive. I am in AWE. And OF COURSE I want to know how you made it! :)

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  25. This is really, seriously amazing. What a great cosplay! Wishing I could be in Orlando for the Star Wars celebration. We are trying to get a conference room together at work to watch the new trailer when it gets released...

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  26. No words. In awe. Jaw on floor.

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  27. You two are certainly making your mark in the cosplay world. This is really great. I had a feeling you had to be looking through that space, although I don't know how! Your creations are very thoughtful and practical, all the while managing to be superb. Have you tested the sound outside? It sounds great in the confines of home, but it might not project too far in public. You need to be heard 10 feet away. :) Can't wait to see all the build photos and story. And especially can't wait to see your NEXT cosplay costume. Ha.

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    1. This is always tricky. You almost have to double the volume to hear it at a con but you also have to have a reasonably sized sound source. It's loud now, probably loud enough to be heard at 10 feet. But we'll just cross our fingers. Worst case after tomorrow's test run, I can put Junk Lady's system into it but Jen would probably have to wear ear plugs. :)

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    2. I understand...and of course those close to you will hear. It'll be awesome no matter what. :)

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  28. You two are so amazingly talented! This is awesome!! 100 points to each of your respective houses ;-)

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  29. Guys this is mindblowing. I would lose my shit if I saw this in person! SO. COOL.

    Great work, absolutely would read a detailed build post.

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  30. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! Love it! You two are a wellspring of creativity.

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  31. I would ABSOLUTELY love seeing a build write-up for this! Your implementation for enclosing you in the jawa and BB-8 is GENIUS!

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  32. My goodness, I read every post but almost never comment... But build photos of this would be amazing!!

    Fantastic work!

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  33. This is incredible! Fantastic job, guys! If things go well this weekend, might you be bringing this to MegaCon?

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  34. What the- How? And the - How? And where- And how?!?!?! You guys are amazing. And probably magic.

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  35. Are you planning on bringing this to MegaCon as well? I'm hoping you are so that I can see it in person!

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  36. I am just floored by this. You two are amaze-balls!

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  38. I'm sitting here at work grinning and squealing like an idiot, so much so that my coworkers probably think there's something wrong with me. You guys have done SUCH an amazing job, and this is absolutely my favorite cosplay you have ever done! I am in awe.

    And yes, please share build photos! I'd love to see the process!

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  39. Incredible job as always Jen and John; I'm blown away!!

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  40. This is AMAZING!!! And I am definitely putting in my vote for a full build tutorial, please! I'm not sure when/if I would ever use it, but I'm definitely starting to brainstorm now!

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  41. You guys are going to win so many awards! Amazing job! 😊

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  42. Ahhhhhhh-freaking-mazing! I am in awe!

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  43. Oh my gosh! Wow! That's brilliant and amazing and... WOW!

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  44. Oh my gosh, you guys, that is the COOLEST!

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  45. Would love to hear more about the life and times of Twevo Deetum!

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  46. So when are you guys going pro? I think the Hensen team or really any FX group would be lucky to have you twos!! You should really be paid for this stuff. 😄

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  47. OK, that's clever! It's especially effective when BB8's head and the jawa's head are moving in different directions or at different rates. You're going to confound a lot of people with this one - in the best way possible!

    Oh, and that photoshopped picture is hilarious too.

    Hope you have a fantastic time at the convention! =-)

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  48. Yet again you two amaze me with your creativity! Plus, being inside the entire thing is a good way to avoid con-crud. You guys rock - well, I guess you actually should roll...

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  49. I don't have enough superlatives to comment articulately. I'll go for a truly heartfelt YAY YOU GUYS! Thanks for sharing with us. Have fun storming the castle! (aka winning EVERYTHING at the con).

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  50. HOLY COW! (I wanted to go stronger but there might be children reading.) You guys are amazing! The backstory ALONE is incredible. Jen and John you are geniuses. I hope the Star Wars people take notice of you and offer you something.

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  51. Holy crap. That is flat out crazy awesome. Seriously. Wish I could see it in person. You're gonna knock it out of the park at SWC. Have a blast!!

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  52. Seriously amazing maker skills you guys :D

    I hope I manage to get to dragon con this year and see your amazing costumes in person

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  53. This is amazing. The head movements look amazingly natural!

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  54. SQEEEEEEEE! That's it, I have no words. oO

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  55. You two have so much fun! Awesome job!

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  56. Oh....oh my.... [stunned, blinking silence and awe]. Well played guys, well played. Cannot wait to see you tomorrow!! Will you drop hints on where when you arrive?? We arrived tonight and the security line is surprisingly long right now...?? Lots of peeps staying over I guess? We'll have a 3yo Rey, my pregnant belly in a BB8 shirt, a friend, and the hubby along - we'll all be playing the "Where Jen and John" game in the crowd. ;)

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  57. This is so very, very cool. You guys are incredibly talented. I had no idea the Jawa's head wasn't real.

    (I hesitate to mention this because it's already printed, but just fyi, the 'S' in shop is backwards. Probably not something anyone else but me will notice, though!)

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    1. Apparently, the capital S is backwards. At least in the two translation programs I used. But yeah, I noticed that.

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    2. Huh. So I did some digging because I was curious, and apparently because Aurebesh is (kind of) a fan creation that was subsequently adopted by canon, there's some differences in different versions with how special cases (capitals, double letters etc) are handled. I had no idea! I memorized it way back in 5th grade and have always just assumed there was One True Version.

      (sorry for the unnecessary correction!)

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    3. You were polite with your criticism and it was constructive. I love that. If I can help someone do something better in a kind way, I want to. Thanks for speaking up.

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  58. This looks amazing! I hope to see you at Celebration this weekend, because I'm sure it looks even more impressive in person.

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  59. HOLY COW!! That's amazing! If some of the 501st members from the Dewback Ridge greet you, I may have just told them to look for you. :D

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  60. BRILLIANT! You guys did a splendid job!

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  61. I read every post but almost never comment either! But this.... I have to! It truly takes the cake!

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  62. Wow. Just... wow. Outstanding job to both of you. It's extremely convincing, took me a couple seconds to process just how Jen fit in there. I'm almost finished my first cosplay, to debut in a few weeks, inspired in large part because of both of you. Very excited and nervous, but you guys continue to inspire and amaze. Have fun at SWC!

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  63. Great idea and amazing details !
    PLEASE post the build log !

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  64. Amazing! You guys have outdone yourselves!!! I hope you're going to enter the costume contest? (I smell a WIN!) I hope you don't get too tired / hot , etc in there, Jen. Does John have a costume, too? Good luck and have a ton of fun!!!

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  65. Fabulous and fun! And yes, build photos! (please)

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  66. Wow, really incredible you two! I think your movements are good- I thought you were wearing BB-8 like a backpack, not that you were mostly in him!

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  67. Wow!!! I don't care about Star Wars and even I am excited! This is some seriously fantastic work!! Can't wait for your report of live reactions to it :) Have a great weekend and enjoy!

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  68. OMG that looks incredibly AWESOME! You two just blow me away with your projects! You're going to be a hit at SWC, and will be making very little progress throughout as people stop to check it out and take pics!

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  69. GASP! there are not words to adequately describe how in awe i am of this latest creation. it is just...so good, so great, so extraordinary. i mean, WOW!
    thank you for sharing. xo

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  70. Why haven't you two sign up for FACE OFF yet?- tou are THAT talented. I was impressed with the old lady from Labyrinth but this..this is the best in my humble opinion. Angie

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  71. sorry for the typo .. should say YOU TWO ARE THAT TALENTED. -- Angie

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  72. That is amazing! I'm so impressed with your skills!

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  73. Truly remarkable! I hope you both have a fabulous time at the Star Wars Celebration!

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  74. This is amazing! And Jen, you're doing great with the head, it seemed lifelike to me - I thought it was your head and you were hunched over somehow. :D

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  75. As soon as I saw the first picture my only question was, "Which part of BB8 is she seeing out of?" Even with you saying where, I can't see it! This is soooooooo good you guys!

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  76. WOW! Just....WOW! I can't stop smiling. You two are amazing.

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  77. I was wondering what was going to happen with the gaping hole at the bottom of your BB-8 build! Thinking that maybe you were going to make it move across the ground somehow? Now it makes so much sense!! Awesome job! Also, I'd love to see the rig!

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  78. Wow!You really fooled me -- I honestly thought all of Jen was in the Jawa and I was wondering how you were walking at 4' tall without hunching over. Well done, as always!

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  79. This is astounding! I was *convinced* you were the jawa--I was scratching my head over how you could hunch/contort yourself so short.

    I'll join the crowd in saying "Yes, please post build photos!"

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  80. Holy crap this is amazing. i am SO impressed. if you don't win every single cosplay prize in the universe itll be an absolute travesty

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  81. I am so in awe I have tears in my eyes. This is amazing!

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  82. Holy cow, that is beyond amazing! You two are so talented and so enthusiastic. I'm seriously speechless.

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  83. Love this!! Jawa's are my favorite so that is what I enjoyed the most. Hope you have fun with it!!

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  84. You guys are so brilliant I can barely stand it. Have fun!

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  85. It reminds me of my marching band days when I would carry a sousaphone on my shoulder for a few hours at a time. If you could attach a single pole to the frame that extends almost to the floor, you'd have a way to take the weight off your shoulders by bending your knees a bit. Maybe a collapsible leg from a tripod? A place to lean might be a godsend on a crowded con floor.

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  86. My only nit-picky comment is that the hang of the robe is soft enough that you can see that the pivot of the hips isn't where it should be. This is super subtle, but I think that a small weight in the front hem, or maybe even just a little bit of spray starch would help that. You guys have done a great job of camouflaging an upright Jen in a bent over jawa with a big bag! it looks great!

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  87. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD.
    I wanna hug the little guy!

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  88. This is an accurate depiction of my reaction to this cosplay:
    https://az616578.vo.msecnd.net/files/responsive/embedded/any/desktop/2016/07/08/636036004200779229665788810_jaw-drop.png

    that is SO AMAZING you guys! Just straight up awesome!

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  89. HOLY COW you two are incredible!!!

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  90. Ahhh! Every time I think you guys have done the most amazing thing, you top it! This is so awesome!

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  91. I just love your attention to detail. I look at a lot of cool cosplay, and usually I'm thinking, "Wow, that's neat. Ooh, it would look really awesome with X. Oh, and maybe some Y." When I look at your builds, I can't think of a single thing to add! They're as close to perfect as they can be. Looking forward to the build shots.

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  92. I'll post build photos later, if you're curious.

    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... If.
    *Mashes F5 on the homepage frantically*

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  93. You guys are awesome! I can't even imagine coming up with something so technically difficult. You're going to be a hit. Also, i love all your background reasoning. Perfect!

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  94. My family and I are sitting here in complete awe. Bravo!
    Oh, and yes, please to a build blog!

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  95. I wanna see build photos! Super curious :-). Also, I'm not even a Star Wars gal and that is SO COOL.

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  96. Wow! You guys have really outdone yourselves! This is fantastic! Great job to you and John! I hope all the folks at the celebration love it!

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  97. Awesomely awesome and a magnificent cosplay.

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  98. Wahoooooo!!! SO AMAZING - one of my friends already took your photo at SWCO and posted it on Facebook!

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  99. This is just amazing... your movements are so great too! It's been fun seeing photos of you in the build during Celebration across social media too. You are both so creative, I'm always inspired! Thanks for sharing this for those of us who won't be there to meet this amazing little Jawa shaman.

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  100. I am so in awe of your inventiveness and creativity. I do have a thought though. Do you think the robe would flow better if there were small lead weights attached to the hem? Kathryn in Mi

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  101. This is the most glorious thing I have seen in days. It also reminds me of the entire week where every night I had the same recurring dream about Jawas hunting me down. And yet I love Jawas. They are my favorite. <3 I would love to see a detailed post on the build for this. I love it. I am also jealous I don't have one of my own. But I am 5 feet tall, too, so........ ;)

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  102. The Force is strong with you. It really is.

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  103. Please show the inner build! This is so amazing!

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  104. This is just too amazing for words. I already posted on the Facebook post but I would like to go on record saying that I would love a breakdown on the build. It is beyond awesome!Thanks also for the consideration for the littles, which merits another awesome! You just can't overuse it!

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  105. This is absolutely AMAZING! You guys did a great job! I still am having trouble believing you built that! :)

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  106. Quick question: did y'all learn Aurebesh or did you just look up how to write those specific parts?

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  107. Your video is trending on Reddit right now, FYI

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  108. This just so very very awesome! I had to call over everyone in my house to show it to them. I have watched you make and craft on this blog for a long time, and you have always been so inspirational, always a mix of "you, too, can do this!" and a challenge to be just as creative. Every time you do a new cosplay it's even more impressive than the last, in ways I could never anticipate, and this is by far no exception. Mom Review: "You can't see her body! How does she do that?" Dad Review: " This the best thing I've seen in a while, possibly ever!"

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  109. Holy crap. This is stunning, in every sense. I can't believe you guys. Just: WOW.

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  110. So glad I was able to find you at SWCO!

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  111. That is so cool! Amazing craftsmanship!

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  112. Amazing. Just amazing. The imagination and the execution. Wow.

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  113. Really amazing - I echo all of the sentiments posted here. Had to show this to my Star War Fan Engineer husband and he was blown away. Well done!

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  114. I'm fascinated by this. So well done. Can't wait to see build posts and photos.

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  115. Hey, I totally saw you! I wish I'd known it was you. That costume is awesome.

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