Facial Hair? (Also stilts)
I have been steadily working on plans to show up to this years AC dressed as an outlandish british documentarian, and while that's hardly a fursuit, this seems the most likely place to ask about general costuming questions.
Firstly, I was wondering if anyone here would know off-hand where I could get some good fake facial hair? I'm particularly looking for something in an antiquated, 1800's style like a curled moustache or mutton-stache (bonus points if it can stay comfortable for a long time). Second, I want this character to be a more portly fellow, and I wanted to know what a good stuffer would be to stick under a shirt? I'm especially concerned with this taking place in the middle of summer, and not wanting to get too hot.
On an unrelated note, I recall seeing videos of digitigrade stilts that would be awesome for a future costume idea. Are there any instructions for building them or places a person could buy them?
I'm curious...do you actually consider yourself a fur? From the last thread you made, you seem more like a non-fur interested in showing up and making mischief, and heading home with some stories/footage for your friends. I understand wanting to be weird and have fun, but a lot of furs don't take kindly to people making (more of) a spectacle of Anthrocon and the furry fandom.
I even slept on that question, and I still don't have a simple answer for you, Milt.
Let's just say I'd love to say 'yes,' but a majority of the people I know are not nearly tolerant or understanding enough to risk mentioning it to. An upbringing around lots of mean, judgemental people will make a person paranoid like that. Kind of easing into the idea, if you will.
I hope I can answer your concerns with telling you that, aside from general shots of the fursuiters, I have no intention to rope anyone into the filming that doesn't want to be involved. If I need someone's help for a specific bit, I'll let them know what the shot involves and ask for their permission.
Also, thanks for the suggestions Rainbow. I'll check them out when I have some free time.
You can be a furry fan without telling other people-your business is your own business.
(Minors, of course, HAVE to let their parents know, but otherwise, no.)
Being a furry fan doesn't mean you have to have any sort of costume or costuming. I don't, and I've been a happy AC attendee. The majority of AC attendees don't have a costume. But any costume is acceptable so long as you can wear it in public. (I've seen Captain Jack Sparrow one year.)
We're a little leery about people because non-furry fans have announced plans to show people how we are normal, rational and so on- then produced an article or television clip about how we're freaks who should be kept in jail for the safety of your children. That's happened more than once. So far, local Pittsburgh news has been a LOT more open and fair with us, but the average media-person is usually looking to manufacture a story about sex, violence, or violent sex. With furry fans, the violence angle isn't the one they go with.
I don't doubt you could find plenty of people willing to help with filming/being tagged, either because they love the attention (especially the fursuiters) or because there's no shortage of friendly, helpful people at Anthrocon. I tend to view much of the furry fandom from an outsider point of view, but I try not to do or say anything to make people think less of the fandom as a whole. You rarely see news reports about the more socially-accepted or mundane parts of Anthrocon (dancing, card/tabletop/video gaming, the work that the staff puts in to make everything run smoothly). Most of the furs you see being interviewed by local TV stations (other than Uncle Kage/Samuel Conway) are doing so outside the wishes of Anthrocon, and since the idea of what makes someone "furry" is debatable, everyone's perception of it is a little skewed.
People want to be entertained, and fursuiting is "weird", so I could see people enjoying your idea if enough effort is put into it. Make sure everyone being filmed knows what they're taking part in, so you don't have any backlash if they don't like the final product (assuming you wind up uploading it anywhere).
I've already promised myself that if I was going to make anyone look ridiculous in my videos, it was going to be old 'Neville Bumphrey.' I do plan on putting the finished video on Youtube, but I'll look into a way to make sure you guys are the first to see it in case any issues come up.
There are 5 months between now and AnthroCon.
Have you considered growing some whiskers yourself? 5 months ought to give you something to work with.
Now, now Vulpes. Some men's facial hair does not grow as fast as others. Some men's facial hair is sparse and this person is (apparently) talking about the stereotypically huge muttonchop-type whiskers.
He may also be employed somewhere that would look askance at him if he tried...
The thought had crossed my mind to simply grow my own facial hair, but like Charlieq said, I want something that looks like it was in style right around the time photography came out. Where I work probably wouldn't mind too much, and I could probably grow a respectable amount before the con; it's just a matter of wearing it full-time for a one-weekend event, and I don't envision myself as wearing a beard terribly well. I suppose I could just not shave until I check the costume shops to see what they have to offer, just in case.
Just buy some spirit gum and kanekalon hair and make your own facial hair if nothing you see fits the bill.
Get a paintbrush, dip it in the spirit gum, and brush it off mostly on cardboard or thick paper so you dont have it all over yourself, dab it on gently and apply your premade prostetic, or apply your kanekalon from there, trim and style.
Note: You'll need spirit gum remover to get it off.
I've opted for both solutions!
I am currently growing a beard which is filling in alright (thought a bit shaggy without a proper trimmer), and bought a nice, full beard from a costume shop within a stone's throw of my house! We'll see which one looks better when the day comes, or see if I can tolerate my own beard until the summer.
Check your area for costume shops that cater to the theatrical clientele. Here in Pittsburgh they have good quality makeup and prosthetics and hair and such at Spotlight Costumes on the South Side, also some decent stuff at Costume World in the strip. Good facial hair will be real hair (from human heads, they don't actually use beard hair) or even a quality synthetic, attached to a lace netting. You trim the netting to suit, and you glue it to your face with spirit gum. With care the piece should be reusable. I think I got a good quality beard for under $20, but that was a few years ago.
Dunno about padding or stilts.