Halloween · 2018

The Minotaur

A minotaur on stilts, with glowing eyes, a lit chestpiece, and a double-bladed axe.

The minotaur costume indoors: a horned bull skull with glowing orange eyes, a ribcage chestpiece, and a double-bladed axe — Off the stilts, axe in hand. Skull and chestpiece by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)Eyes and axe by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

The minotaur on stilts at night beside a tree, eyes and chestpiece glowing, holding the axe — Out by the street after dark. Skull and chestpiece by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)Eyes and axe by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

The minotaur in the dark with glowing eyes, a blue-lit chestpiece, and the axe edges outlined in light — Eyes, chest, and axe glowing. Skull and chestpiece by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)Eyes and axe by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

Walking the street after dark. Skull and chestpiece by Henry G. HigginbothamEyes and axe by Tech Artificer

01Making of

The skull and chestpiece were made by a friend. The eyes are LEDs behind round diffusers, and the axe was cut from plywood and lit along its edges.

With help from friendsMinotaur skull, chestpiece, and pauldrons made by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab). Eyes, axe, and glaive made by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab).

The horned bull skull being tried on in the front yard — Trying on the skull. Skull by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)

The inside of the skull, hand-lettered “Happy 50th” and signed — Signed inside. Skull by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)

LEDs on wooden mounts, a white diffuser globe, and battery packs laid out on the floor — The parts for an eye. Eyes by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

Eye circuits wired on cardboard templates beside battery packs — Wiring the eyes. Eyes by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

One diffuser globe glowing orange beside the lit LEDs and battery pack — Testing an eye. Eyes by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

A diffuser globe glowing orange in hand — A finished eye, lit. Eyes by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

Both eyes glowing orange on their mounts — Both eyes. Eyes by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

The skull resting on a couch with a glowing eye in its socket — Eyes set into the skull. Skull by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)Eyes by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

The chestpiece with light glowing through the rib cutouts — The chestpiece, lit. Chestpiece by Henry G. Higginbotham (opens in a new tab)

Axe blades sketched on a sheet of plywood with the wooden handle laid across it — The axe, drawn out on plywood. Axe by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

The finished double-bladed axe, painted silver with a skull pommel on a wooden handle — The finished axe. Axe by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

The axe in the dark, its edges outlined in orange light and the skull pommel glowing — The axe after dark. Axe by Tech Artificer (opens in a new tab)

A smoke test in the backyard. Skull and chestpiece by Henry G. HigginbothamEyes and axe by Tech Artificer

A test walk on stilts. Skull and chestpiece by Henry G. HigginbothamEyes and axe by Tech Artificer

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