Gossamer (aka Big Red Monster from Looney Toons) Costume

by Pete Sauber
(Los Angeles, CA, USA)

I’m a bit of a packrat, and I’ve had about 20 yards of this red plush fur cluttering up my house for a while (somebody was going to throw it out… don’t ask!). I finally decided to do something with it, and Gossamer here is the end result.

I started with a costume pattern that was actually for an “Elvis” or “Saturday Night Fever” jumpsuit. I sewed the jumpsuit according to the pattern, leaving out the large collar and bell-bottom panels.

The interior structure for the head is actually a discarded couch cushion: the cushion was rectangular foam surrounding a box-spring assembly. I cut the foam cover in half, removed the springs, and turned the foam inside-out, so it naturally forms the two-humped shape of the monster’s head. I cut out matching front and back panels, and then a 9” gusset for the top and sides.

The eyes are made from the perforated plastic used for needlepoint (with spray-painted pupils), and the mouth is made from see-through theatrical scrim.

The shoes were originally cheap plastic blue clown shoes, painted white, with black accents added with gaffer’s tape.

I also made gloves with claws, though they are not visible in this picture.

The best response I got all night on Halloween was on Hollywood Blvd: a mounted policeman leaned over to me and said: “You kinda look like my ex-wife, first thing in the morning!”