BABYLON FIVE - VORLON AMBASSADOR KOSH - "OH MY KOSH!"

            (BEST VIEWED FROM A SEASHELL THAT KNOWS NO COMMITMENTS)

"The avalanche has already started. It is too late for the pebbles to vote."

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This is my Babylon Five inspired Vorlan Ambassador Kosh outfit.

B5 fans will know that it is an Encounter Suit, worn by Vorlons to conceal their true forms from non-Vorlons. The Vorlons, incidentally, manifest as white light pseudo energy beings, and have taken advantage of this appearance to create legends and manipulate the history of dozens of other species. To Earth humans, for example, they appear as angels. 

It was a remarkably quick build, which took a little under two weeks. 

Essentially, the rig is self supported by an internal framework of bolted aluminum struts with 'grab' bars that allow the costume to be lifted and moved by the operator. 

Everything else hangs off the 'toilet seat' shaped cowling, which was built up from carved segments of styrofoam unified by a coating of papier mache. The head was made from recycled cardboard and tubing, also covered with papier mache. A handle attached to the base of the head can be grasped inside the costume, allowing it to be moved. All these parts were airbrushed with an orange and brown basecoat with blue patterns added later. 

The front panel of the costume is recycled black neoprene like rubber while the 'stained glass' like hangers and 'bib' are simply fabric covered foam rubber painted and 'leadlighted' with hot melt glitter glue. 

The gathered, black fabric 'cloak' that encloses the costume has been brushed with fabric medium loaded with huge quantities of assorted holographic filmed glitter. 

Wearing the Koshtume was enormous fun, not the least of which was that I could 'eject' from it and stand by and watch people chatting to him unaware that there was no one inside....

Eventually I hung a little sign off one of the 'pipes'. It reads "THE AMBASSDOR IS IN". The reverse side says, "THE AMBASSADOR IS OUT". 

Naturally, I had just as much fun turning that the wrong way around when I was actually inside, and vice versa.

I'd build it over again if I had the time, and do a much more complex paint job, though this one was intended for stage use, so needed to be more 'in your face' than the rather more subtle one the original costume had for the television screen. Essentially, I wore this costume on stage initially, then popped out of the rear curtain to stand by it wearing the G'Kar costume. Two Ambassadors for the price of one!

This particular picture was taken by Geoff Allshorn (founder of the local Star Trek Club, Austrek) at Aussiecon 3, the 1999 World Science Fiction Convention, held here in Melbourne, Australia. I screwed around with it in Photoshop to take the curse off the shabby hotel hall corridor background. 

For a wonder, this was not my stage costume at the convention costume parade, I just used this as a kind of hall costume and handy changing booth/gear stash. 

The whole rig breaks down into an untidy bundle of struts, skirts and the big old cowl section for transport. Really, the only time you'll ever see a cooperative Vorlon!

Taken on: May 22, 2007

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