A New Direction

[Greg]

Side note via double-post: Armour and castings just made me EXTREMELY happy, and my life MUCH easier. Thank you times a million.

[Manveruon]

It's amazing how many things were picked up for one thing, and don't work, but manage to become perfect for something far better down the road!

Musing a bit on your decision to move in a film-based Ithilien direction...
I've made a few decisions over the course of my still-in-process kit rebuild to a similar end: adding more small bits of film-inspired kit, and fewer plans for strictly historical garments/accouterments. This is, in no way, a means of giving ground in authenticity, but it's been a decision fueled by something very important to me: public view. I knew, in my own mind/heart that my kit was Tolkien-authentic according to the books, but the end result in public was an instant assumption by passers-by that I was dressed A) as Robin Hood, or B) [possibly the greatest pet peeve in my existence] Link, from the Zelda video games. Often, they'd even call me Zelda, forgetting that's not even the hero's name, but rather the Damsel-in-distress, and would proclaim this rather loudly. "Mom, he's ZELDA!"

*sigh*

So, in an attempt to encourage the public's mind to instantaneously jump to "Lord of the Rings" as a first-glance conclusion, I've begun planning some kit pieces that more closely reflect some of the key/more popular points in Aragorn's and the Ithilien Rangers' kits, for the sake of steering the minds of the general public away from Robin Hood and Video games, and towards my actual intent. I'm in no way sacrificing book-authenticity, as I said before, but I'm allowing a little more play in my own mind and "fantasy" as a genre, which I consider acceptable, for the sake of my own sanity, and, perhaps, a bit of my pride.

When all is said and done, I'll know I did it right if I hear a stranger say, un-prompted, "He's a Ranger" at a Ren Faire sometime down the line, without being dressed in a screen-accurate costume.

Pardon the wordsplosion...but I think we're a bit on the same page.

Cheers!

Hahaha, no, I TOTALLY understand where you're coming from here! It's funny - I've had something of the opposite dilemma when I've tried to dress up as Robin Hood, and people keep saying "Hey, it's Aragon!" (because with an English accent, Aragorn is sort of pronounced that way, compounded by the fact that everyone confuses the name with Aragon, the region in Spain, and Eragon, the young-adult fantasy series, but I digress...), or perhaps more annoying, "It's Legolas!" (because of the bow). Of course, nowadays, all I get is, "Hey Hunger Games!" Because the Hunger Games invented the bow and arrow. :/
But seriously, I get it, and I think that's totally reasonable. It's actually one of the same reasons I'm doing the Ithilien kit - because this way, I can wear it to sci-fi or comic conventions, and when people inevitably ask me, "hey, what are you cosplaying as?" I can say, "I'm an Ithilien Ranger from the Lord of the Rings," instead of having to say, "Um... well, it's an original costume, and... it's based on Tolkien, but... it's not actually a specific character..." By which time most people have already lost interest.
Still, I think it's totally possible to get a more "movie-ranger" look while still maintaining a solid, practical kit. Incidentally... a while back you kept teasing us with upcoming kit upgrades, but so far we haven't seen anything... soooooooo...?
I know you've been super busy, obviously, but I'm just sayin'... we wanna see your new stuff!

[Manveruon]

Side note via double-post: Armour and castings just made me EXTREMELY happy, and my life MUCH easier. Thank you times a million.

So how exactly have they made you so happy? I'm terribly curious.

[Greg]

Oh, come on...can't just SEEING cool buckles like that make a guy happy?!

Tight-lipped, and not giving out tidbits! It's coming...hang in there!

[Manveruon]

Haha, in the words of Frodo, "All right then keep your secrets."

[Greg]

Easily. Mostly because the vast majority of them aren't in a condition to be photographed and documented...they're either packed away for the move, or just plain not done.

Cheers!