Gareth’s Alien Costume

I started to build an Alien costume at the beginning of 2006. It was mostly completed by June 2006.

I built my Alien suit from a parts kit bought from an American prop-maker. The kit was delivered unpainted and untrimmed.

I encountered several problems due to my size. I am 6′ 7″ and 90 kg (a fine figure to be an Alien!), my feet are UK size 13 and my head circumference is 64 cm. The kit is intended to fit someone who is 6′ – 6′ 2″, with size 8 feet and a maximum head circumference of 56 cm. The feet, chest, hands and head had to be modified to fit. About half the build-time was spent making these modifications.

The other items required to build an Alien suit from this kit include:

• Black Lycra under-suit
• Suitable harness to support the back spines and the tail
• Mannequin
• Plimsolls to go inside the feet
• Various glues (Superglue, Contact adhesive, Copydex)
• Velcro
• Liquid latex
• Acrylic paint

Preparation

Each part needs to be washed and then trimmed using sharp scissors. I then used a “Dremel” sanding tool to clean up the moulding lines. Rubbing the tool gently and smoothly along the line removes the excess latex easily.