Robot Monster Space Helmet

I've always loved the B-movie classic "Robot Monster". Not only was the acting sub-par, but the titular monster was just a guy in a cheap gorilla suit wearing a space helmet. Since I already had a cheap gorilla suit, I figured I'd make a helmet to go with it.

Step 1-Get a Globe

I got mine at a local thrift shop for $5. I thought it would be made of plastic, but, lo and behold, it was made of cardboard.

Step 2-Start Cutting

I cut two holes in the globe using a hefty pair of tin shears. I had the equator of the globe running from my shoulders around the top of my head, so I used the Arctic Circle as a guide for the "face hole". The hole for my neck I just eyeballed.

Step 3-Stick Some Wooden Dowels on the Globe

I cut two wooden dowels about 6 inches long and screwed them onto the glove just a little bit in front of the equator at 10 and 2 o'clock. These are the bases for the antennae.

Step 4-get a Bucket

I found an old 5-gallon plastic bucket in the desert near my house. It was pretty cruddy, but I scraped it and cleaned it out the best I could. I took the wire handle off to make it easier to cut.

Step 5-cut the Bucket

I cut a whole in the bottom big enough for my head to fit through. Then I cut rouned shapes on either side to fit over my shoulders.

Step 6-attach the Globe to the Bucket

I used PVC sealant, the kind you use to seal bathrooms to attach the two parts.

Step 7-add Some Prop Pieces and Paint It.

The antennae are made of silver coat hangers with little metal balls glued on the ends. The wire is some old stereo wire I had laying around. I just glued the wire to the dowels and stuck the ends through a hole drilled in the back of the helmet. The "microphone" in the front is a pill bottle cap with some holes punched in it. The knob in the fron is another pill bottle cap glued on. The screen to hide my face is a sheer piece of black nylon, like from a nylon stocking. I painted the whole thing battleship gray, which is pretty much what the bucket was anyway.

Step 8-Wear It Proudly

I wore my Robot Monster costume in front of my house while the trick-or-treaters were coming around. Not one person knew about the movie. I made up little movie posters on my computer to hand out, but most of the trick-or-treaters just ignored me. Obviously, they were more interested in getting the candy than finding out about some obscure B-movie from 1953. But I had fun.