Constructing a Kid Danger Costume

     Last Halloween I began selling Henry Danger patches at my Etsy shop. The response was overwhelming! So many of you and your kids love this show!  

     I wish I had time to make the full costume for everyone who wants one, but unfortunately I have a full time job on top of my Etsy shop. I did cyber-assist someone else in creating their own last year. I want to help you all and get as many Kid Dangers out there as possible! So, I cut and pasted those instructions below.
I hope this helps everyone.   =)

Good luck and Happy Halloween!

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KID DANGER COSTUME INSTRUCTIONS

First things first, looks like you'll need at least 2 patches, but if you're going all out you will need 4. One for the vest and one for the belt buckle, then maybe one for each boot like the Converse logo.                                            
If you need these please email me at laurelinski@gmail.com and I will see what I can do to help. 

If you don't feel like making a belt buckle out of aluminum foil and cardboard, (which is totally do-able,) I found one you can just buy HERE.

Next, red cargo pants. Here's a few links to what I could find easily:
HERE
HERE
and
HERE

If none of these work you can always Google Shopping search for white cargo pants and dye them. Let me know if you do this and I can walk you through the easy way to dye fabric.

Ok, blue spandex-y shirt. Looks like a Champs Under Armour shirt would do the trick. There's no zipper on the front, though. If you're super handy and have time it would be easy enough to install one just for looks on top of the shirt.

Red gloves - I'm thinking just find some red motorcycle gloves, or even gardening gloves? Red is red and besides, if I remember anything from when I was a kid I'll bet they end up off  your kid's hands and in the trick-or-treat bag within 10 minutes.

You can't be a super hero or a super side-kick without a mask! Michael's arts and crafts carries make-your-own-mask kits with plain, white masks. I doubt you'll be able to find one the same shape as Henry's, but if you find one large enough you can cut it! Then paint it using the paint recommended on the package.

Utility belt/accessories: Three words - Army Supply Store. They gotcha covered.

As for the shoes, they're just black army boots. If your child already has something like this in their wardrobe you can pop some red electrical or duct tape on them and you're done. I did that on a pair of shoes for a costume I wore recently and it worked out perfectly. 

Ok, I saved the hardest part for last. The vest and arm bands. I'm afraid some sewing may have to happen here. The pattern looks easy enough to just mock up. When looking at fabrics Joann's has stiff silver stuff, I think. If you want to go super no-sew, this may sound weird, but you can take some cardboard, cut the shape of the front, sides, and back of the vest, and use silver duct tape to shape the vest. Haha! It sounds funny, but it would totally work and look pretty good! 

For the detail I'd use puffy fabric paint because it's easy to use to draw. The arm bands are easy if you can sew. Ya know, just make a tube, lol. I'd use super stretchy fabric for this so you can just slip it onto your child's arms and they will be very comfortable and stay on through trick or treating.

THAT'S IT!

Good luck and God speed! If and of you need anything else please feel free to message me via my Etsy shop. I'm totally here to help! I would love to see what your work as well! Please feel free to post photos of the finished project on 8-Bit Spock's Facebook page or you may also Tweet me or Instagram me at @8BitSpock.

AND if you love the show as much as I do you'd totally enjoy the Henry Danger Motion Comic found on YouTube. Super cute. lol   ;)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

8-Bit Spock's Top 5 Favorite X-Files Episodes

Ever since the continuing season of X-Files was announced I've noticed EVERYONE is online making their list of top favorite episodes. I love to make lists! Plus, every episode from the original show is now on Netflix streaming AND Hulu Plus. You have zero excuses.  So here's 8-Bit Spock's top 5 BEST X-Files episodes:

5. "Hollywood A.D."
     Season 7, Episode 19 
   

In this episode Mulder and Scully find themselves the topic of a ridiculous movie plot. In the opening scene, before the credits, they're sitting together at the film's premiere as their likenesses, played by Garry Shandling and Tea Leoni, shamelessly make out in a coffin. Tea Leoni was married to Duchovny at the time the episode was shot and rumored to be the reason he left the show for a time around season 8. X-Files was mostly shot on the East coast and Leoni, who lived in LA, demanded Duchovny spend more time with her. But again, that's just a rumor.
                                                                                                                                      
This episode also hits my top 5 because this happens:

Then there's that scene where Tea Leoni dressed as Scully asks the real Scully how she runs all the time in heels . . . and then Scully demonstrates. #lol

4. "Arcadia"
     Season 6 episode 15

Playing house is fun when you're a kid, but maybe not as much when you're an adult . . . and a FBI agent. Mulder takes it better than Scully in this episode as the pair go undercover as newlyweds who just bought a house in a neighborhood with STRICT homeowners association rules. But the real fun in this episode is watching Mulder and Scully pretend to be married. It's so good I wish it were a 2-parter.

Mulder is all about it and it makes us love him even more. He starts to poke at the homeowners association by decorating his front lawn with gaudy things like pink flamingos. A lot of the best parts of this episode are due to Mulder's goofiness while undercover. Duchovny is really a fun actor to watch because he has so much range and by season 6 he really developed Mulder as a character that is deeper than just a guy obsessed with the paranormal.

The whole goofy story ends up being a huge sh*t monster, (Seriously, WATCH IT.) which just fuels the fact that this is one of the funnier episodes of X-Files.




 Also, the 90's newspaper ad that was sent out for this episode cracks me up.

 
3. "Bad Blood"
     Season 5, Episode 12

Mulder straight up murders the fat ginger kid from The Sandlot. BEFORE THE OPENING CREDITS! This also happens to be one of the episodes, (I feel like there are a few like this,) where Mulder and Scully tell the same story, but in each character's point of view. These are always funny because you get exaggerations and silly differences. Like, in this episode, Luke Wilson guest stars as a Texas police officer and in Scully's version he's dreamy, but in Mulder's version he's a super redneck with goofy teeth.

He's such a good sport.

And oooooohhhh, Mulder is jealous! Also, this part where Scully tells Mulder what he did while drugged. 

 

That really is the most fun part of this episode. Scully sometimes tries to show how boring autopsies are, especially when Mulder is out doing something crazy and fun, but the way she conveys it in this episode is by far the funniest.

noe.

The rest is vampires.

2. "X-Cops"
    Season 7, Episode 12

It's an episode of X-Files shot exactly like an episode of Cops. Cops is great. X-Files is great. This episode is epic. Mulder is dragging Scully around searching for a werewolf, but soon comes to the conclusion it's really a shape shifter. Along the way they get to raid a crack house and chase down a hooker, just like on Cops! The opening credits are even tossed to make way for a special mash-up credit sequence which is also dead-on PERFECT! 

 

Sorry the video is kind of crappy, but it was the only one I could find. Still, you can tell it's PERFECT!  ;P  The episode is also really fun and different because it's shot on a steady-cam like Cops and feels almost like it's in real time, (with only a few chunks cut out.) There's a lot of goofiness when Scully completely disapproves of the camera crew following them around and Mulder's talking to the police like he's crazy. (Because let's face it, he kind of is.) 

1. "War of the Coprophages"
     Season 3, Episode 12

A town freaks out when people who cross paths with cockroaches start dying. Like Dante in Clerks, it's Scully's day off, so Mulder is alone at the beginning of this one, but he finds that he keeps needing to consult Scully and calls her non-stop until she finally says, "Screw it." and goes out to meet him. By that time the town is in an all out frenzy.

 

Sorry about the quality here. Not mine.  ;P

Throughout the episode we meet a creepy Stephen Hawking-like scientist and a sexy entomologist and the whole thing ends up at a sewage treatment plant and, OMG! It's poop again! I don't care what you think, poop is hilarious. 

Again, this episode is a comedic one and it successfully takes normal, everyday problems and translates them to Mulder and Scully PERFECTLY. Why is this my number one favorite episode? I couldn't tell you specifically, it's just non-stop funny and chaotic. I guess that's the sort of thing I like.  ;P  Yeah, I'm weird.

 And that's all she wrote.

* Check out Texts from the X-Files on Tumblr is you'd like to fall down an internet hole and laugh your ass off with a glass, (or bottle,) of wine for a few hours.

** And keep an eye on 8-Bit Spock's Tumblr for some new changes and fun to come!

And now, your reward for reading this entire list:

trust no derp.

On being a Ghostbuster

There are two ways to become a Ghostbuster, either you have been obsessed with Ghostbusters since birth, or you start dating a Ghostbuster. Either way, you soon learn that there are others like you . . . many others. There are Ghostbuster chapters all over the US and even some in other countries. One of the biggest mouths in GB fandom on the internet is GBmax Massimo of Ghostbusters divisione Nord Italia in Italy. As far as I understand he heads an online website called Ghostbusters Mania and he and his group built a GB basement containment unit replica. Crazy, I know, but this is a rare hobby in which more people than you think are involved. And it's EXPENSIVE! (More on this in later posts.)

Basically you have the suit and the proton pack, but a lot of GB's go even further and make/buy the slime blower from Ghostbusters 2, the Ecto goggles, ghost trap, PKE meters, etc. Matty Collector is where everyone goes at first to get the extras such as the PKE meter and ghost trap, but these usually sell out FAST and once they're gone, they're gone. Many buy more than one and, once Matty Collector sells out, they go on eBay and sell their extras at an inflated price. So, people with talent and access to the proper supplies tend to build their own props. I'm lucky enough to have a friend or two who are so crazy about Ghostbusters that they had already perfected the building of the proton pack before I was intrigued enough to ask for one. Proton packs are big. REALLY big. Too big for my 5'6" self to lug around for more than a few minutes. So, my super sweet boyfriend decided to scratch build me a 3/4 scale proton pack. It took months, but now I have one.

My 75% scale Proton Pack

If you would like a 3/4 scale proton pack he sells them via GB Fans. Click here for the BUILD thread and here for the SALE thread. There are also WAY better and more photos on these threads. He also goes into detail of how much time and effort is needed to produce something like this. We talk a lot about how lucky we are that we live in Los Angeles and the supplies needed to build props such as proton packs, ghost traps, and the like, are easily accessible.  

Most people buy proton pack kits online and build them up themselves. It's not building the whole thing by yourself, but it gives you more of an appreciation for the hobby and you can still tell people you built it without it being a lie.  ;)

Now that you have the main prop you'll need the costume. eBay always has Nomex flight suits for sale. The sizes are your chest measurement and then a legnth. S = short, R = regular, and L = long. If you're super anal and need a screen accurate costume check out the flight suit page on GBfans.com. Once you obtain the suit you'll need the 'No Ghost' logo patch and your name tag patch. Lucky for you I sell the best 'No Ghost' logo patches available online via my Etsy site, 8-Bit Spock. I'm hoping to have a Ghostbusters 2 patch soon.

Buy at 8-Bit Spock Etsy shop!

Soon after completion the Ghostbusteriness seeps deep into your brain and you begin to produce EVERYTHING Ghostbuster. Within a year I found myself sewing a skirt made from an old The Real Ghostbusters cartoon bed sheet, making my own cookie cutters so that I could bake Ghostbuster themed cookies, and even a GB flight suit/costume for my friend's baby nephew. (pics of some of my Ghostbuster randomness below.) 

What fandoms have you become completely obsessed with?

How do you cope? lol
What creative outlets do you use?
TELL MEEEEEEEE!!!!

 

I found a really well maintained Real Ghostbusters cartoon bed sheet online and turned it into this freaking adorkable circle skirt which I totally wear to work.

Ghostbuster "No Ghost" logo and Slimer shapes made using this DIY
 using these supplies.

Whether they turn out good-looking or not is completely up to your pastry decorating skills . . . . . . mine suck.

More yummies. Stay Puft cupcakes made with marshmallow frosting!! The cake part is green, which you can't really see from the picture, but simply add green food coloring to your vanilla cake mix before baking.

THIS was more of a pain to make than it looks. That onsie was white to begin with, bought it on amazon.com because we needed long sleeves an feet. Made the belt and elbow pads with soft grey fabric and fabric paint and velcro. The GB arm patch was ironed on using dark fabric print out iron-ons from Staples. The chest detail and name tag were machine sewn. Finally, the feet were chopped off, taken apart, a pattern was made using the piece, then re-sewn using soft black fabric. We used the padded bottoms of the original foot part, only we dyed it black before attaching. Baaahhh!!!

                                                                                                                                                                                     

                 ALSO, I make Ecto Cooler for our GB nerd friend gatherings. Thanks to Ghostbusters: Chicago Division and their exhausting trial and error experiments WE HAVE ECTO COOLER!!!       

                           

                 Click up there for the recipe. I had to dilute it more than what they said because it was WAY too sweet and thick-ish. Also, note that the color isn't bright neon green like the original was, instead it's a dark sludge gross green, but EVERYONE swears it tastes EXACTLY like the real thing. It's fun to bring to a party an gives everyone a fun blast from the past taste. Also goes well with vodka and rum, just sayin'.

Corbin Nash is Bringing Vampires Back from Glitter Hell

I think we can all agree that vampires used to be cool: Interview With The Vampire, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Nosferatu . . . well, maybe not Nosferatu. but that version of Dracula with Keanu Reeves was actually entertaining as f*ck; silly though it may be. #90sKids

But lately vampires seem to be lanky, eternally pubescent, sissies who juje their hair and sparkle in the sun. *facepalm* I'm not saying Twilight ruined one of, if not the most interesting and influential classic story monsters of all time, but Twilight ruined one of, if not the most interesting and influential classic story monsters of all time. This is a huge problem with Hollywood, but you know if it earns hand-over-fist who cares if it destroys a generation of girl's perception of love? I mean, Gen Y had the golden age of Disney princesses and movies like Titanic and we survived. Well, most of us survived . . .

But I'm blogging today because there are things on the media horizon that promise to bring vampires back from the, uh, dead? Not only is Ann Rice releasing a new book soon, (yes, it's about vampires!) and the band Vampire Weekend, (who are these guys?) are topping the charts with their totally non-un-dead tunes, but there are films in the works that will hopfully vanquish the idea that vampires really just want to find true love, are high school jail bait mean girls, or adorable CG characters. Allow me to introduce Corbin Nash, a bad ass vampire seeking revenge. 
 

Remember those true to life-ish, all-in-a-day movies like Empire Records and Clerks where the whole story took place during 1 day? Corbin Nash is much like those, in the course of one night two film students are taken for a ride with a vigilante vampire through the dark streets of Los Angeles where they learn that vampires are real . . . and hella violent.

Without giving too much away, the story is that Corbin became a vampire and is now tracking down the ones who ruined his life, (in more ways than one.) I feel cold-blooded pointy baseball bat murder is completely justified here. The two polar opposite film students react to a number of thrilling escapades while filming every minute, because pics or it didn't happen. Nothing this interesting ever happened to me while I was in film school. The best student docs we got were interviews with hobos.

So, check out the trailer below and track the film's production via Enhance Entertainment's (and StarTree Productions,) website and ALL your favorite social media outlets! Facebook, Twitter (@CorbinNashMovie), and IMDB. Once physical production begins I'll see about an Instagram because I know your Millennials hate to read.  ;D  

SEE THE TRAILER HERE!!!

Renew, reuse, recycle FASHION!

I am a TOS Trekkie, no shame. When I came across this red shirt t-shirt at the mall I nearly lost it. It is a fashionable girlie cut with a scoop neck and the engineer symbol painted on the breast. Nice . . . However, after a few washes the symbol faded A LOT. Luckily, my Etsy shop, 8-Bit Spock, carries remarkably accurate Star Trek patches.

It turned out really well! I did have some trouble machine stitching it on, so I have written out fail-safe instructions below on how to machine sew my Star Trek patches onto anything as best possible.

HOW TO MACHINE SEW YOUR STAR TREK PATCH

1) Wrap shirt around ironing board so that the front of the shirt does not touch the back. This will prevent you from getting anything unwanted onto the back of the shirt.

2) Iron.

3) Use Fabric Fusion to glue down the 3 corners to the fabric. A LITTLE GOES A LONG WAY! And don't worry if your fabric darkens with the wetness of the glue, Fabric Fusion is specialty fabric glue and it will go back to normal when it dries. STILL, be careful to not get the glue on the front part of your t-shirt or item that will show.

4) Once glue is dry you can throw it in your sewing machine and stitch it to your item, BUT DO IT SLOWLY! Especially when you get down to the points at the bottom. Don't forget to back-stitch.

DONE!   =)


Be sure to visit my Etsy site, 8-Bit Spock and see what I have in the works. I'm also on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram! 

All 3 Star Trek patches available. Nursing patch coming soon!

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic - The Pinkie Pie Martini

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, (known to Bronies as MLP:FiM,) has taken the internet by storm. The show has broken the demographic boundaries and blown the animation world's mind. Knowing that there are just as many adult fans as there are children fans the int0rwebz became flooded with, eh hum, "mature" pony content. Among the horrifyingly creepy pron that emerged was the pony alcoholic drink list. ( Larger image HERE. )

"Raspberry Absinth? ICK!"

As a bartending school drop-out and aspiring alcoholic I was delighted when I discovered this list. Each pony's personality was shown in this carefully constructed drink menu. Being a Pinkie Pie fan myself I thought it would be fun to try the drink created for her. Looking at the ingredients I realized it has two types of vodka, vanilla and cake. Cake flavored vodka is mostly just vanilla. I also saw this is a shot and I'm not the biggest fan of shots. There's also another recipe online that is raspberry flavored and requires 6 ingredients! What am I made of money?!


Being the creative babe that I am, I decided to mix up my own version of a Pinkie Pie cocktail. There are two versions, a martini and a daiquiri, but they are mostly the same. Now, I don't want to gloat too much here, as the recipe is mainly JUST the "Party Animal" one from the chart above, only with just one vodka and in a full cocktail opposed to a shot.

PINKIE PIE MARTINI   

* 2 shots Three Olives Cake vodka 

* 1 shot Tequila Rose Strawberry Cream Liquor

* Splash of 2% milk or half & half

Pour into martini shaker with ice and SHAKE HARD for 30 second to 1 minute. When you pour it into your glass you should have a little bit of foam on top so when you add sprinkles they will sit on the foam. 

 

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One time I had a friend over and offered her a drink. I decided to whip up a couple of Pinkie Pie martinis, but as I was pouring all the ingredients together I realized I was out of the Tequila Rose Strawberry Liquor. I had to think fast, because I already had the ice, vodka, and milk in the shaker. So, I dumped it all into my blender and added a fist full of strawberries. It was less potent and the strawberry seeds are a tad unattractive, but hey, I just made a Pinkie Pie daiquiri! Next time I make it I will put it in a daiquiri glass with sugar and/or sprinkles on the rim. 

Pinkie Pie says "Please drink responsibly, everypony."

There's a gamer nerd site out there called The Drunken Moogle that has literally HUNDREDS of video game inspired drink recipes. It's fan-effing-tastic! I'd also like to mention two MLP drinking games. This one is more of the "take a drink when . . ." type of game, and this one requires dice and pieces and apparently partial nudity. If you play leave comments to let me know how it went!

I adore Pinkie Pie, but I love all the other ponies almost as much. If MLP:FiM inspired you to create your own more affordable drink recipe please feel free to post! I'd be excited to try it!