I'm doing a plush one for The Goddamn Francis, I'll tell you how it goes and post pics

>>1028

You're the best! Is it for MTAC?

In my opinion, I think your best route would be to go at it with a plush version. Half the fun of carrying the fish around in-game is just to check out the jigglebones, the other half is actually hitting people. Clay and foam... just wouldn't do well and wouldn't survive a con.

>>1029
It is indeed for MTAC. You'll be there, right?

Oh, and I am contractually obligated to inform you that yes, she is indeed the best

>>1030

Very good point. I like hitting people with my fish. If you know what I mean.

>>1031
I will be there! I'm also bring a friend who is fairly new to cons. She wanted an easy cosplay, so we're both being Scouts (because my AN costumes are taking up most of my time). I already have most of the components of a Scout costume, so I wanted to jazz it up a bit with a fish. I'm assuming there will be awesome Scout times?

>>1032
What day will you two be scouting it up? I'm planning on going Scout for one day, and Ellis for the other.

Wait, MTAC?

Are we talking Middle Tennessee Anime Convention or M-Tac which is up in Canada somewhere?

If it's Tennessee, then damn it, why'd I have to quit going to that convention, there's TF2ers there! But when it comes to the Holy Mackerel, plush is the way to go. In fact I'm working on a prototype right now and will offer H.M.s for commission when I open back up for costume making this Saturday (the 26th)

>>1050
Canada, sorry. March Toronto Anime Convention. Though, you're willing to join us if you want. I'm jumping the border to get there. The more the merrier.

>>1049
>>1049
Eh, Saturday I think. I don't even known if I'll be going both days, but if I go at least one day it will be Saturday. God, this is in like two weeks. :I

>>1050
Unfortunately, we're talking the Canadian MTAC. Good to know about open commissions though. :) Thanks for spreading the word!

I would make a cast using a real fish and then pour it up in rubber.

There's a chapter in this book on how to do it: http://www.amazon.com/Prop-Builders-Molding-Casting-Handbook/dp/1558701281/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1298422395&sr=1-1

>>1052

Would love to, but alas I don't have a passport nor funds to go and March is eat up for my time anyways. Thanks for the offer though!

>>1027
They actually make plush fish. Try Cabela's or similar. I pulled up a company on Google called Cabin Critters which makes a whole bunch of different fish.

>>1029
Eeeyep, it's his birhday present

The fish reminds me of those wooden snake toys that wriggle about when you hold them. Would it be possible in any way to do something like that?

Go to your local goodwill or your local ebay and get yourself a Big Mouth Billy Bass.

Crack the bitch off the mounting plaque and remove the robotic parts from the rubber fishy-looking outside and wrap a newspaper around it!

Boom, FISHKILL

>>1069
But that's a bass. We need a Mackerel. It's like saying that a Golden Labrador and a Husky are the same.

Sorry, 7 years of working in a fish market tends to lead me into fish rants.

>>1069
I've actually considered this for my own mackerel. I went digging around the net and eBay trying to find all sorts of singing fish novelties to see if there was one that remotely resembled the Holy Mackerel if even just in silhouette. Alas I didn't find one I was particularly satisfied with.

But some people won't be so picky and using even a bass is going to be acceptable for them. If you went that route though, my guess is you still ought to stuff it with something or it'll just be a deflated looking fish.

I'm using a plush rainbow trout for my Holy Mackerel. Good for hitting people with and making horrible puns. It's a 17" rainbow trout from Cabin Critters.

I'd just get a long, fish-shaped pillow and airbrush it using a taxidermy airbrushing schedule.

http://www.taxidermy.com/cat/02/schedule.html

If anyone other than me knows how to airbrush, I guess, heh

I recently made a plush one for my Scout costume. It was my first time drafting a plush pattern, so I basically found a screenshot from the tf2 wiki and blocked out the basic colour shapes, then appliqued the different colour blocks on each side before putting them together. A wooden dowel runs through the middle and sticks out partially at the bottom to make the plush easier to hold/wrap the newspaper around. :]

>>1080
I love this! It's so cute. I'd so buy one of these if you made another.

Don't know if this will help you now, but here's the Holy Mackerel I made.

What I did was open up a render of the Holy Mackerel and cut out the fish in Photoshop. Then I printed 2 fishies (mirrored-flipped one) onto fabric transfer paper and ironed it onto white stretch cotton. Cut, sew, and then stuff the fish with cotton. Left the bottom of the fish opened and hot-glued it onto a wooden dowel. Then covered the whole thing in some left-over newspaper I had and sprayed the newspaper with hair-spray to prevent the ink from running. Oh, and then tie a rubberband to the handle. You can probably do this in 1 hour.

Here's the fish that >>1028 made for my birthday present. I must say that it's absolutely fantastic.

I love how no one has suggestioned a real fish.

>>1252
I was just about to actually

Does anybody have a high res render of the Holy Mackerel? I'm trying to load the model myself but my program is painfully slow. I would be SUPER GRATEFUL!

http://www.amazon.com/CABIN-CRITTERS-King-Mackerel-Plush/dp/B000WM58JY

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