So you inherited a company with a vast facility which includes a laboratory, factory and even a bio-sphere but the one thing you didn’t inherit is good fashion sense. As honorary doctor Thaddeus “Rusty” Venture a lot has fallen onto your narrow sloping shoulders but as a cosplayer for Dr. Venture you aren’t faced with the same burden. What is likely one of the most user friendly costumes from Venture Bros. let’s get you fitted for that speedsuit.
COSPLAY BREAKDOWN
- Bald cap or naturally bald head
- Eye Glasses
- Rust colored chin beard
- Speed suit (Mauve or Salmon colored for seasons 1-3. Sky blue for season 4)
- Communicator wrist watch
- Brown leather ankle boots
Bald cap/lack of hair
Rusty lost most of his hair in his 20′s and for a while attempted the obvious “I’m losing my hair so let me over compensate by growing what’s left as long as possible”. Still He lost that battle and finally came to the wiser determination to shave the remainder of his hair off. So for the standard Dr. Venture you’ll need to become silky smooth. A latex bald cap and spirit gum can hide your hair but let me make this recommendation now: Buy more than 1 bald cap. Try it on and pull all the edges well past your hairline, attempting to get the cap as taunt as possible. Trim off the excess but do so in stages so that you don’t cut more than needed. When you go to glue the edges down think of this part like a marathon and not a sprint. Glue 1 section down and let it thoroughly dry, say the forehead. Then once dry pull the cap taunt and glue the neckline down. Since the latex of the cap will be under tension you may have to hold the cap in place until the spirit gum sets. Then repeat for the left and right side. Now if you’re a master make-up artist you’ll be able to blend the store bought bald cap into your own flesh with liquid latex or other prosthetic cosmetic adhesives. Now if you’re already “follicly” challenged then the best thing to so do is shave the rest off. That’s hardcore and committed AND if you do it with a pink handled “Daisy” razor then you are so much more authentic than a bald cap user.
Eye Glasses
Check Thrift stores for some but be warned you’ll probably need to remove the lenses since they’ll be the previous owner’s prescription and will probably make you go cross eyed. The ear pieces and upper frame are black plastic with the silver rivets exposed on the front side. The under frame an be silver wire or all black. You have a lot of flexibility here so even wayfarers would work.
Beard
In a style that harkens back to Sigmund Freud, Rusty sports a chin beard. Probably the most trouble you’ll have is finding a red colored theatrical beard but look online. There are many sets being sold which come with mustaches and small chin beards. Alternatives are craft foam, cardboard, duct tape or even a drawn on beard with colored pencil or paint. If you use an artificial beard have spirit gum handy, clean and dry the area well first then liberally apply the spirit gum and press and hold firmly on the beard. Hold it for 3-5 minutes, be patient because the spirit gum works well just not fast.
Speedsuit
Probably the funniest single piece of clothing from the series we literally mean “single” piece of clothing. The show has sparked new interest in a style that died with the first re-runs of Three’s Company. The synthetic clothes of the 70′s introduced people to wrinkle free wear and while we were being all convenient someone thought the coveralls our mechanics wore didn’t just belong to them or our lazy grandfathers who didn’t want to worry about coordinating shirts and pants thus was the birth of the speed suit. In seasons 1-3 Rusty routinely wears a mauve colored speed suit with a white adjustable belt. That is an uncommon color in coveralls or speed suits but some folks have begun providing just that color. An alternative is buying a set of coveralls in a light color and stripping the color with a sink or washing machine full or deluded bleach. Do not over bleach and before you attempt the next step wash the coveralls and dry them. Then purchase pink dye and follow the fabric dye’s instructions. The pink added to the probably remaining bit of color on the coveralls will likely make the dull mauve we see in the show. For Rusty in his “Venture Blues” life is easier. Short sleeved coveralls by red cap can be found for an average of $35 + shipping. Rusty still likes to wear a belt with his Venture blues and since that’s the official work wear for Venture Industries it also features the embroidered V-globe logo on the left front pocket as well as an embroidered name tag (black fabric with white border and stitching). Your methods for those embellishments can be draw them on, use t-shirt iron-ons or transfers, or have an embroidery shop do them professionally. The last method may cost you as much as $40. From personal experience sew the name tag on about 1.5 inches above the pocket. Otherwise the pocket protector covers it.
Communicator Watch
Again this prop can be on 2 very opposite ends of the spectrum depending on your budget and skill level. You can make it from paper craft or you can use Sculpey or you can modify a wrist watch cell phone. Research online and see what others have done. Budget both your time and money and see what you can attempt to make if both things permit. Rusty’s watch band varies from Brock and the boys. Rusty uses an elastic metal band.
Boots
Yet another throw back to fashion of yesteryear the brown, Italian leather ankle boot belongs with “Our man Flint”. Shop online or check your local thrift stores. Take your time and find some that fit well and preferably have a working zippers. Some were slip-on styled so be sure the elastic hasn’t died.
So suit up, then slouch and look aggravated. That’s it! You’re Dr. Venture.
Written by Johnny Havoc, Venture Bros. Cosplay
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