When I got a message from Jennifer Lynn Larson (Mayhem’s Muse) about doing a feature for Bell of Lost Souls, I just about lost my mind. I mean, BoLS is the definitive news source for Warhammer 40K arts, announcements and development…I was floored (and completely aware of the honor.)
The interview request was very detailed and included a need for images, particularly for the Inquisitor Oriza costume. But, in truth, the costume wasn’t really finished. I’d worn her twice, but had not completely the vision for her.
Inquisitor Oriza was unarmed.
That’s heresy.
I’d had plans for Oriza’s gun for a while, but the pieces and plan just hadn’t come together. Mostly, I needed help. I turned to my junk pile and my friends Drew and Tina Gardner for their guidance building a “working” Warhammer 40K inspired Inferno Pistol for Oriza. Here’s how it happened (WIP photos below):
Starting with two big-ass plastic wall sconces from the thrift, a candlestick, a Human Torch translucent Halloween mask, the foot of a pair of pantyhose, and a tassel…I took it all to Drew’s workshop for his ideas on making a working prop.
Drew suggested clear resin panes to hide a lighting apparatus, and Tina instantly mixed up resin to pour into molds cast from Drew’s distinctive leather work (Red Horse Leather, he’s famous!) The resin relief image looked like bubbles, boiling in a fuel chamber! My idea of stuffing a flashlight in the chamber is just the kind of thing that makes Drew crazy – and was swiftly shut down. Knowing I have zero tech skills, Drew designed and 3D printed an LED stick and controls so the ‘fuel chamber’ would pulse with light. He showed me how to solder the connections, but mostly fixed my mistakes. Together, with my friends, the gun began to evolve toward a real thing.
After we modified all the parts and created lighting at Drew’s shop, I carefully placed all the components in my hatchback for home assembly.
Then, I picked up one of my sons from a friend’s house. My son threw his backpack into the back of the car.
Right on top of all the carefully crafted parts.
Breaking the LED light stick in half. Damnit.
NOTE: Good Lord. I love my son, but I really wanted to sell him for parts when I saw what the backpack did to the carefully printed lighting structure. It was an accident so he still has his kidneys.
With really no time left to rebuild Drew’s carefully printed structure, I had to find some way to keep the broken lights centered and in place with things around my house. (WARNING: My gank-ass solutions are cringey.
Enter, Press ‘n Seal wrap from the kitchen drawer and lumber strapping from Home Depot’s trash can. I removed the LED strip from the broken stick and glued them onto a folded piece of the flexible lumber strapping. Making a cylinder from some clear plastic discarded by a sign company, I wrapped the light strip cylinder in layers of Press n Seal which both created flexible squishy layers that both held the lighting in place (inside the fuel chamber) AND diffused the illumination perfectly.
The resin light panels that Tina and Drew cooked up hid most of the terribleness, and the flame “igniter” made with the top of The Torch mask covered the rest. And damn if it didn’t work… like a champ. (There’s a WIP VIDEO of the lighting test at the bottom of this article. Worth seeing to get the whole idea of the gun works.)
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- Two LONG plastic wall sconces from the thrift provided the ‘barrel’ for the gun.
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- With the planter part removed, Drew’s paint booth was perfect for knocking the barrel parts and candlestick down to black.
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- Drew’s elegant solution for LED strip lighting. It was so perfect.
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- Here’s Drew making the magic. Me trying to learn,. Drew is a polymath, with endless skill and knowledge.
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- When I broke the elegant light structure, these are things I tried to fix it with.
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- Gluing the light strip onto lumber strapping, encasing it in layers of kitchen wrap, worked for the fix.
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- The lighting works! Drew’s clear resin panels are perfect texture for the ‘fuel chamber’. (Clear resin, colored with orange markers)
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- The Torch Mask…
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- I cut the top of the head off. It’s flexible!
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- The mask flame bit, rolled up, sprang back inside the “cage’ so its held in place by pressure. Did not plan that, but glad it happened.
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- Hiding the light switch and power pack = the foot of some gold tights, knotted. A tassel added for movement and disguise, and a WH40K icon gifted by Chris Ahrendt!
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- The high points of the Inferno Gun assembly.
Inquisitor Oriza’s weapon of choice, the Inferno Pistol, came together just in time for a photo shoot at Iron City Cosplay Day in May 2019. The images were ideal and premiered in a two-part interview with Bell of Lost Souls. (The BoLS links with final photography are below.)
This project never would have worked without the generous support of my friends who had the skills, patience and spirit of generosity to help me move an idea to fruition. I recognize the gift of their friendship…Thank you, Drew and Tina! And thank you, Chris Ahrendt for the WH40K icons that keep adding style to Oriza!
Costume Artist 