Gonk-guh-gonk-gonk-gonk

GONK!

The GNK power droids, also known as gonk droids, are walking batteries found in the Star Wars universe. You know there’s a gonk droid coming when you hear the “gonk” sounds they make. They slowly trundle along and power vehicles and machinery as needed, sometimes picking up little hitchhikers along the way!

My gonk’s name is JNI-4. For some reason, I thought this costume was gonna be a quick and easy build. The main body of the costume was two large containers. The middle part is a 4 inch strip of aluminum that is riveted onto the top container. The two halves are held together by nuts and bolts and are able to separate for ease of transportation. The legs are aluminum ducting and the feet are 3D printed.

Everything else is 3D printed or scraps such as bottle caps and jar lids that are glued or screwed onto the body. There are several lights on the front and one on the side. On the front is a moving holographic projector that lights up in different colors. There is a little trap door where JNI-4 can give anyone that comes a little too close a shock! It’s also great for administering stickers and trinkets to kids. The left side has a moving gear, modified from a battery powered car toy. On the top you can see a moving antennae and an exhaust pipe that spews out smoke.

Everything was painted with the look of years of use in the deserts of Tatooine in mind. If you look on the back corner, you can see where JNI-4 got hit by a stray blaster shot. Poor little guy!

When it was all said and done, it certainly wasn’t a quick nor an easy build, LOL! I am glad how everything turned out and I look forward to making people smile at conventions and events with my little droid.

Credit to @miled._  for the awesome photos and video!

Comic-Con Masquerade Contest: Jennifer Yi

Costume Name: Keesha’s Hungry

Costume Description: You’ve probably suspected that the Imperial troopers on Endor got eaten by the ewoks, and you’d be right! Keesha is the shaman of her village, but she’s also a great cook. She took a trooper’s arm, armor and all, and boiled it in a pot with a soup bone. After boiling for 30 minutes, she peeled off the armor and the arm was cooked and ready to eat! An ewok delicacy! Her mask was a field hockey mask padded with foam. Her eyes are made from dyed round plastic and her mouth, nose, and teeth from painted sculpy. Ears are cut sheets of foam and everything is covered with fur. Cowl is pigskin laced with leather and I used some bones, feathers, and teeth I had lying around for decoration. Hands and feet are modified Yoda hands. Body suit is filled out with an undersuit fortified with rings in the belly, arms, and legs. Her shaman staff is a piece of red alder and decorated with 3D printed cow vertebrae, enlarged to be giant and other bones, scraps of fur, feathers, and beads I had around the house.

Bio: I’ve been cosplaying for over ten years and I’ve been going to San Diego Comic Con since 2014. It’s been my dream for years to attend and it exceeded my expectations! I also do mascot work and seeing the joy and smiles on people’s faces, both children and adults, really make the hours of work and the hot, sweaty, uncomfortable costumes worth it (although this costume is a slight deviation from my usual fare, lol).

Be sure to follow @comicconathome