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In addition to the Power Suits and Dread's suit, what other elements (such as the BioMechs, Lackki or Overmind) did you create for the show?
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My team was involved with the redesign and creation of Power suits and Dread but nothing else. Once the suits were built it was our job to keep up the maintenance on a daily bases and help the wardrobe staff get the actors in and out of the suits.
In thinking back on the show here are a few thoughts that came to mind. Though I believe you never saw it in the show, hawks wings were built to actually extend from his backpack in real time.
The suits were made from fiberglass and metal plated to give them their shine. It was very difficult to get the silver for Hawk and Pilot and they had to be redone several times. The under suits were made from spandex with hand cut circuit pattern overlays made out out wetsuit neoprene. The color for each suit was custom made and hand dyed.
The prototype suits that were made for the presentation reel were destroyed when molds were made from them to make the final suits for the series. The only one that survived was Stingray because he was not used in the series.
As an interesting side note, I was working on the film Beetlejuice at the time so the Power Suits were created right along side the afterlife creatures from that film.
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How many sets of suits were created for each team member and Dread? Did anyone's suit get damaged more frequently than the rest?
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At least two suits were created for each character as well as flexible armor version used for stunts. As I recall. Tank’s suit usually got the most thrashing. After all he’s the only one crashing through walls. Fortunately because it was painted and not metal plated, like some of the others, it was a lot easier to repair.
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Who created the original designs for the suits and how much difference was there between that original design and the final product? |
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Originally the costumes were designed and built by a company that specialized in theatrical stage shows and they looked like something from the Ice Capades. Gold lame metalized puffy fabric was used for the armor. Needless to say they did not look much like soldiers of the future or otherwise. Gary Goddard realized that this was going in the wrong direction and I was recommended to him for the job by one of his techs. In rethinking the whole approach Gary brought in designer Ed Eieth to do new sketches. Between the three of us we hammered out the final look of the new costumes and built prototype outfits that were then used in the promotional trailer. I was always disappointed that Stingray was dropped from the lineup even though I knew that shooting in water would prove to be too expensive.
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How long did it take to make one of the suits? |
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They were all made at the same time so it is impossible to estimate the construction of an individual suit. My shop supervisor for Capt. Power was Luc Mayrand who went off to design rides for Disney such as the new “Mission Space” ride.
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Do fans still talk to you about the show after so much time has passed and if so, how does that feel? |
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I don’t hear very often from fans of Capt. Power but when I do it brings back fond memories to say the least. I think the show was one of the best science fiction shows ever produced. Gary and Michael J.
Straczynski did a fantastic job with the premise of the show and with a larger budget it would have been worthy of prime time, if you ask me. The stories were very adult and provocative. I wish it had had a shot like Babylon 5.
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What has been your most memorable project in your career? |
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I’d love to say Capt. Power but..........
I would have to say Beetlejuice. Getting an Oscar for something is kinda hard to top as far as memorable goes.
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Have the suits been kept in storage and if so, what are your thoughts on adding them to the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame in Seattle? |
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I think it would be great for Power and crew to be in the museum in some shape or form. Unfortunately, I have have no idea what ever happened to the suits. They stayed on set and I never saw them again.
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All images on this page are copyright Landmark Entertainment.
Captain Power is a trademark of Gary Goddard Entertainment. |