• Fri. Nov 8th, 2024

Greaser Batman and Mario dual use EVA foam pipe wrench prop

Love this mashup! Batman meets Mario!

HUZZAH! My first prop commission after all that health drama and my 8 week USA trip (wherein I broke my foot 6 days in!). What have we here? A dual-use old fashioned – see vintage – giant pipe wrench. I was contacted by a lovely chap named Clint, he had this AWESOME idea of cosplaying “Greaser Batman”, but he needed something that could also be used for Mario cosplay. We chatted a bit and he sent me a sketch of a wrench. For those wondering a “Greaser” is a subculture from the 1950s / 1960s influenced by Rock’n’Roll, the name comes from the greased back hair and overall look.

This was a wonderful commission, Clint was a cool guy and knew what he wanted. This always saves time when commissioning a prop maker / artist to do something. Try and have a clear idea of what

you want and if possible – as Clint did – sketch something out, or find a reference image. The time a prop maker can spend trying to work out what YOU want can run into hours / days, so it’s always good to work that out BEFORE you contact them. Thanks Clint!

greaser batman and luigi from mario brohters dual use wrench prop by nerfenstein girlygamer WIPYup… she big!

The material used for the giant pipe wrench prop was simple EVA foam. I love this stuff, it’s easier to cut than mdf and makes for great cosplay material. Unlike resin and other hard materials, you can drop a foam prop and it won’t break. It’s also light enough to carry around at a con all day without you being tired (and it’s convention safe). You can see how big the prop wrench is compared to a regular spanner.

greaser batman and luigi from mario brohters dual use wrench prop by nerfenstein girlygamer

This didn’t quite cut it and was changed

I finished the prop wrench, gave it a real mucky look, good and dirty, like a greaser might want and plumber might use. On one side it sports a Batman logo, on the other “Kingdom Plumbing Co.” in the Mario World font. Clint came up with the Kingdom Plumbing Co. idea and I loved it. I did it in the Mario font to tie it all together.

As happens sometimes, when I sent the finished image (above) to Clint he suggested a change, he wanted the wrench red, real popping red. When I take on a commission I always want the customer to be happy with the finished product, so it was back for a repaint. I have to say, I’m glad he made the suggestion, because it does look cool really red.

greaser batman and luigi from mario brohters dual use wrench prop by nerfenstein girlygamer WIP

Dual use prop – Batman and Mario

This took longer than I’d anticipated, but I really like the finished product. Shaping some of the parts for this was time intensive, but it’s amazing just what you can do with foam as a prop making material. If you’re thinking of making your own cosplay prop and not sure where to begin, EVA foam and dense insulation type foam is a great place to start. Or you can pay a struggling artist – like me – to do it for you.

Thanks Clint, it was great working with you!

ADDENDUM: The finished looks!

haggard clint on instagram greaser batman and luigi cosplay

Till next time people… what do we say?! ….
DO GOOD THINGS!

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Originally written for GirlyGamer.com.au home blog of Nerfenstein / GirlyGamer / BoardGameGran. Catch up with me on my Facebook page, or if you Tweet… there’s always Twitter and guess what, I actually reply!

GirlyGamer / Board Game Gran

Nonna who loves her family, travel, board games, video games, VR and all things geeky (oh and some terrible reality TV.. don't judge lol).

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