Conventions and cosplay go together like a glass of blue milk and a plate of Wookiee cookies, but it’s not often you see the marriage of LEGO Star Wars and convention costumery – if you do then you’re likely looking at the one and only Jason Lebo (aka lebo_wan_kenobi) who wowed convention-goers at Star Wars Celebration in Anaheim this year.
We caught up with Jason to find out how he made his amazing costume.
HB: How did the LEGO Obi-Wan costume come about?
JL: My friend @KittieCosplay has a Sabine cosplay. One day at WonderCon she wore a LEGO head on her Sabine costume and it was brilliant. I could tell it was an instant crowd-pleaser.
HB: What drew you to cosplay and Obi-Wan Kenobi in particular?
JL: I was always a fan of the Star Wars costume clubs, because of the good they visit children’s hospitals and charities. Kenobi and Jedi are part of The Rebel Legion club. I commissioned a generic Jedi costume that was a tan tunic. Due to my beard and tan tunic, everybody called me General Kenobi. The Rebel Legion has strict guidelines to be an official Kenobi so I did the research and bought a new tunic. I made or commissioned the other parts and accessories. And was approved a few months later.
HB: Did you make the head piece yourself or did someone else do it?
JL: I asked Kittie where she got the head. It’s a store on Etsy called Brickbeards and I got the hands on Amazon and 3D printed the lightsaber handle. The costume has very little visibility. It’s very hot in there and hearing is rough. I could possibly install fans in the head, but I am worried it would reduce my hearing even more. The gloves are for kids and super hard to put on and remove. One upgrade I need for my LEGO Kenobi is a working LEGO-style lightsaber. It’s on the list!
HB: What advice do you have for fans who want to get into cosplay?
JL: If you plan on joining the official Star Wars clubs, my suggestion is research – research – research. Reach out to your local chapters to see if they host armor parties. Join FB build pages for your character. But when you join, please look around. Don’t be the guy who joins and first thing they do is say, “thanks for the add, who makes the most screen accurate (insert character name here)?” Please research the page. Odds are you can see whose work is the best. I personally feel the best build group out there is Build A Better Captain America on Facebook. On that page you can’t simply post pic of your build and ask what people think. You need to say where each part came from, whether you bought it or made it. That is super helpful. Also remember, just have fun. I saw a kid make a Manadalrain kit out of cardboard boxes. I was super impressed.
Those interested in wearing their own LEGO-ized Obi-Wan Kenobi costume at San Diego Comic-Con will need to reach out to BrickBeards – who only works to order – soon via his Etsy page or through Facebook.
An Obi-Wan mask takes two to three weeks of gluing, shaping and painting to get right, and currently costs $150 plus shipping. Other masks, such as Indiana Jones, Captain America, The Joker, Tony Stark, and Wolverine are available and range from $100 to $200, depending on the complexity.
What do you think of Jason’s efforts? Is this something you could see yourself doing at Star Wars Celebration in London next year? Let us know!
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