EVERYONE I know loves Marvin, the Paranoid Android. For a robot that’s permanently depressed, he does a very good job of putting smiles on our faces, and has been doing so since 1978, when The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy was first broadcast on BBC Radio. Created by legendary author Douglas Adams and voiced by the much-missed Stephen Moore, he moaned his way through life, the universe and everything alongside luckless human Arthur Dent, in numerous media incarnations. In 1981, the BBC adapted the story for a five part TV series, which is when we saw Marvin in person for the first time. The robot was a sad-faced, blocky lump of metallic silver, upturned yellow triangular eyes, and although he was incapable of facial expressions, he just looked… well, depressed. But strangely sympathetic and loveable at the same time.
I’m a costumer, artist and designer, with a huge love for all things sci-fi. I have a background in set, prop and costume making, and I decided it’s time I satisfied my 40 year-old dream of having a Marvin of my own, to keep me company, and also take out into the world to dispense his wisdom among the humans.
I spent the last eleven years as a Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike, and although that was immensely popular and rewarding, I think it’s time for a change.
At the time of typing this, I’m well underway to finishing the suit. It’s now March 18th, and I plan to get him ready to roll by the end of July, to help me host the Cardiff International Tattoo Convention this year, where the theme of the show is ‘all Things Cosmic!’
I’ve set up this campaign to help me fund some of the processes and materials needed to finish the suit off. I’d say I’m about 30% there already, but I could do with a bit of help to get him completed in time.
So what am I offering in return for your help? Well, I’ll be sending out my entire build plans, scale drawings, sketches, materials list, specific information, supplier links, sound and video clips where I show how I made this suit, so you can, if you so wish, build one of your own. These will be delivered digitally via email to you on completion of the campaign, or as soon as possible after.
DISCLAIMER: I do not own the character and am not affiliated with the Hitchhiker’s property, BBC or anyone named above. This Marvin suit is a labour of love, and will not be used for personal profit, and all funds raised via this campaign will go towards paying for tools, materials, individuals and companies who are fabricating the many different parts of the costume.
The costume itself will look very accurate and realistic, but it may differ in some small aspects, as it is NOT an exact replica. I do not have access to original plans and measurements, so this will be my interpretation of the suit. However, being a designer, I intend to make it extremely faithful to the original, with newer processes such as 3D Printing and Vacforming etc. Most people won’t be able to tell the difference.
The costume was built by the BBC Visual Effects department, headed by Jim Francis. It was mainly fibreglass and metalwork, and although it was a one-off, it still survives today, having been spruced up for a small cameo in the 2009 Hitchhiker’s Movie by another legendary VFX craftsman Mike Tucker, who looks after Marvin these days at Ealing Studios. Inside the costume was David Learner, who performed under great strain, acting inside this box, with all the dialogue, and imbuing Marvin with a fitting physicality. Stephen Moore reprised the voice role of Marvin and an iconic character whinged his way into our hearts.
While Marvin was redesigned totally as a globe headed Chibi-style droid for the 2009 movie, (performed by Willow and Star Wars legend Warwick Davies in the suit and voiced by the also late lamented legend that was Alan Rickman, many people still prefer the decidedly more low-tech version that came first.
The only risks I foresee are that I don’t get the costume completed in time, but I will still finish it off this year regardless. Occasional omissions or inaccuracies in my drawings may occur, but I am always available via email and social media to help and advise anyone who has a question.