I don't mean to burst bubbles, but I have a friend who's in the 501st, with a "Death Star Gunner" costume. It's a great costume, and very accurate. However, even as popular as Star Wars is, he's still approached by all kinds of folks who comment on his "Darth Vader" costume, even while standing near an actual Darth Vader costume.
Also a comment was made regarding having 1 spartan and several marines (as was proper). In the Halo Universe it's readily explained how multiple spartans might exist, and although the game follows the exploits of one spartan, it wouldn't be odd to have more than one, because none of them hold the role of Master Chief (or any other "face" character, as the 501st calls it).
In terms of mismatched Camo, that's another issue we're addressing, and it may be that there are two or 3 camo patterns that accepted, and that a Specialized Club logo on the shirt may be required, to further enhance the sense of unity, despite the logo t-shirt not being "canon". Yes, we'll be mistaken for the Marines from Aliens, and while wearing a masterchief costume for Halloween a few years back I was called "Robot man" by many folks who had never encountered Halo before.. How would that affect our club adversely? Obviously it sucks a little on a personal level, but as a group, it still has 5 folks in costume, being "seen" together somewhere, and possily doing some good for a worthy cause.. If that's a problem, it's the wrong hobby. Alien Marines still get called "army men" or said to be "playing army" when they go out... it's gonna' happen.
I beleive strongly in having an entry-level costume for the club that would include characters that aren't neccessarily "universally recognized" costumes, but they follow accepted guidelines for each of these costumes, based on their closeness to what can be seen in the games. We tentatively started one such guideline list, but tabled it as we decided to move through other bits of the Charter. The basic idea was that your costume got points for having details called out in the list, and would lose nothing by not having them. Then if there were "negative things" in the costume that matched a negatives list, it loses points (such as exposed unpainted duct tape might lose several points). This is merely an example of what we've been testing, and may not make it as a finished "standard" for the club, but the idea was to set the required number of points for acceptance, and if the suit met it, it was accepted.
These lists, (again, IF we head this route) might even be openly visible to non-members to encourage us all to see how our suits might do, and to suggest areas of improvement. Maximum points for any suit was simply based on how many guideline pointers are listed for that costume.
Vrogy, I see what you're saying, and I'm tempted to agree on some levels. I think I'm in a good position, perhaps better than others here, to state that I am aware of what it's like to be recast, without even "official" credit, knowing full well in advance, that that's how it would be. I helped make original molds for Westerfield's stormtroopers/ alien marines/ and Spartan suits, plus retooled quite a few of Rob's molds that I didn't actually create myself. In the end it got me a Spartan suit, and that's all I was "gunning for". My primary investment was time, as the materials were provided to me. I spent a lot of time and effort, plus Rob's materials and tools. Personally, I love the feeling I get when I see someone wearing something I helped create, especially the one that G4 keeps using, which I helped Rob cut, strap and paint, working alongside him. I don't see any kind of royalties or anything for it.
However, I can also see where some folks might not like that at all. I wouldn't suggest it's not a natural feeling to want the fruits or our labors. For me, the fruit is seeing it be apppreciated, but for other's it's also in the money.
Personally, I'd love to set up some molds and pour the suits nearly at cost plus basic labor. It someone want's to recast it and resell it, it wouldn't matter to me, considering that my prices would be hard to beat unless they vaccum-formed it, and at that point, they'd still become inferior recasts. That'd be fine too because my name wouldn't be attached to it anymore, and my original products would still bear my name. Those really interested would know what was recast, and could make their own decisions. Those that weren't interested, wouldn't appreciate the extra value my suit offered, or might not even agree that mine held extra value. That's their call, not mine. Add in the fact that a busy life, or waiting list, might even prevent folks from getting my stuff, and it seems like a good way of weeding out the non-serious buyers.
If I make a suit for me, it doesn't matter what I get out of it after I get that suit. In that respect, even recasts at 1/3 price or less does nothing but spread my work to new eyes and hands. In terms of the club, it merely offers more uniformity within the costumes, and invites comparison between the recasts and the originals. If someone desparately wants a costume, and this get's it in their hands, I'm happy for having helped. I'm not using it to support a business, it's merely a hobby with some perks.
Eventually, I hope to be doing that, and hopefully my product will be something worth recasting, but that's me, and I wouldn't expect anyone to follow my lead on that.. it's not for everyone.
