New and Improved Wicked Armor
This is where the fun begins!
For over twenty years, I've been creating costumes, helmets, masks, props, and artwork for the community. What started as a passion project—building the things I wanted for myself and sharing them with like-minded people around the world—gradually grew into something much larger. But as demand increased, so did the weight of it all, leaving me with little time or energy to create new things.
So, after a lot of reflection, I’ve made the difficult but necessary decision to shift how I work.
I’ll never stop creating—it’s as vital to me as breathing—but juggling countless made-to-order projects became overwhelming. The constant context switching pulled my mind in too many directions, one hundred horses pulling in different directions all at once. It wasn’t sustainable.
From now on, I’ll only be offering items that are already in inventory. This change will help preserve my sanity, shorten your wait times, and allow me to work in focused creative “seasons”—devoting time and energy to one character or concept at a time, the way I did in the beginning. There’s much more to come—just one horse at a time.
Seasons Schedule: First, I will finish all of my current orders. Then:
Finished commando helmets
Grievous sets with upgrades
Upgraded Revans
When will this occur? It is too difficult to estimate reliably. I will post on social media and give updates and listing notifications through my email subscription lists.
My Truncated Job Description
At some point, almost every assistant I’ve ever had asks me the same question:
“Do you think anyone really understands how much work goes into making these things?”
Well, here’s a glimpse.
Costume & Artistic Design – The most exciting part.
Sculpting – I left physics grad school (and a custom 3D game engine + 3D scanner) to escape screen life and return to physical creation… until:
3D Modeling – Moving tiny points in 3D space on a 2D screen. Surprisingly enjoyable thanks to past game dev experience, but still—screens.
3D Printing – Mostly delightful. Print lines aside, it solved scale and symmetry issues that were brutal in hand-sculpting.
Resin Casting – Nasty, sticky work.
Vacuum Forming – Hot work.
Fabric: Patterning & Sewing – I enjoy developing patterns, but I’ve always outsourced the sewing to local people.
Parts Trimming – Dremel, blade, and dust.
Parts Sanding – Endless dust and tired hands. I joke that I sand for a living—probably not a joke.
Spray Painting – Also annoying and fairly complex in some scenarios.
Hand Painting – A joy. Things finally start to look good here.
Assembly – Probably the most time-consuming part of the job.
Electronics – Circuit design and soldering.
Leatherwork – Dried animal skin fun.
Woodwork – Sawdust.
Laser Cutting – Pretty straightforward.
Vinyl Cutting – Very easy.
CNC Work – Tricky setup, big time-saver.
Programming – I’ve written a surprising amount of code for this business.
Robotics – I automate what I can. One day: droids.
Moldmaking – A lovely, messy challenge.
Advertising & Marketing – Good stuff sells itself... but sometimes you have to push.
Web Design – It just works.
Social Media – Talking to the rabble.
IT – The files are in the computer.
Organizing – Where’s my stuff… again?
Shipping – I've shipped to some very odd places and fulfilled some very odd requests.
Ordering Supplies – “The price is wrong, Bob.”
Supply Chain Management – When paint or fabric gets discontinued, it ruins my week.
Business Admin / Payroll / Accounting / Taxes – Just… ugh.
System Upgrades – Processes constantly need reevaluating and redesign.
Workflow Optimization – Lean manufacturing, shop restructuring, anything to keep it sane.
Expansion – Physically and intellectually.
Building Construction – Pay a fortune or build it yourself. I’ve leaned too hard into the latter.
Cleaning – You can’t live in filth and have a good life.
Maintenance (Electrical/Plumbing/etc.) – If an employee’s turd clogs the toilet, you’re not too good to plunge it yourself.
General Problem Solving – Arguably the whole job. If you don’t solve problems, you're gone within a year. And usually, your (n+1) solution is better than n.
Emails & Communication – I’m sorry. This job description probably explains why I never responded or took weeks to reply to your message.
I’m sure you’re lovely people, and it would be great to know you. But unlike Santa, I can’t reach everyone or make beautiful toys for all. Maybe someday—with robot elves.
I’ll admit, I sometimes envy those with simple job descriptions. But I’d probably die a little inside if my work were too simple. Beyond the shop, I also have a family, more than 40 animals to help care for, and other hobbies and projects that keep life full (and occasionally chaotic).
Making what I make takes a long, exhausting amount of time—especially in the hot, humid Florida summers, surrounded by sticky resin and moldmaking messes. Most people I know would’ve quit by now. But I have a deep passion for it—for doing the kinds of jobs others won’t or can’t do. There’s a reason manufacturing left for nations climbing out of poverty. But I love this sweatshop of mine and the community that’s grown around Wicked Armor.
From the very beginning, I noticed the kindness of the people in this community. That kindness has helped keep me going. So to all the clients and supporters—thank you.
Assistants
And a huge thank you to the many assistants who’ve helped me over the years. I’ll write something more in-depth when time allows, but I need to start with Shana.
Shana handled most of the sewing through 2020. She learned on the job—quick, crafty, dependable. Her work was beautiful. But like many creatives, the repetition wore her down. Running this business has never been easy, but when it came to Shana, it never felt like a struggle. Thank you, Shana.
Julio was my first employee. He had worked for my dad for years. Most of my dad’s employees were rough characters—some had done time—so I barely spoke to them. After a long truck ride with Julio, my dad said, “Why don’t you talk to him? Maybe he’ll be able to help you someday.” I remember saying, “He’ll never be able to help me,” thinking of how many of them couldn’t even help themselves. I think my dad remembered that, because when I eventually mentioned needing help, he brought up Julio.
Julio was older by then, but he worked hard—really hard—in my old backyard barn, which had no air conditioning. One brutal summer day, while rotating a resin-filled mold by hand, he was sweating so much his glasses slipped off and fell straight into the resin.
In early 2024, I visited Julio on his deathbed. I told him about the machine I’d built to rotate molds automatically and thanked him for everything he’d done when I was just getting started. He smiled and thanked me for the “beer money.” He used to call me from time to time and always ended with, “I love you, man.” I love you too, Julio. Thank you.
I’m grateful to everyone who helped build Wicked Armor and have stories about all of them but not enough time to tell them all right now. Here they are, in alphabetical order:
Ana Lucia
Angie
Bryan and His Brother
Caity
Dylan
Erik
Grace
Grant
Janessa
Jon
Julio
Karol
Kayla
Liam
Lynda
Maritza
Melanie
Merritt
Michele
Mike
Nate
Nick
Reynaldo
Rob L.
Robb
Rolly
Sandy
Scarlett
Sean
Shana
Sheila
Stefani
Stephanie
Steve
Tiffany
Thank you, everyone.
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