Meet the Man Who Spent 4 Months Building 7-Foot Hulk Costume for Comic Con
Tim Thomas was the center of attention at New York Comic Con.
-- Tim Thomas wanted to share his love of superheroes with his fellow comic book fans and there was only one way he knew how: by building a 7-foot-tall Incredible Hulk costume from scratch at his home in Brooklyn, New York.
Thomas showed off his creation Thursday at New York Comic Con at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. Hundreds waited in line to take pictures with Thomas, marveling at the costume's detail and complexity.
Thomas, an unemployed construction worker, spent $500 and four months making his Hulk costume, though the process caused a little friction with his girlfriend.
"I was bored, unemployed and I like comics," he said. "[I said] 'Let me find some material and make something.' Glue all over the place, had to redo the kitchen. Didn't talk to my girlfriend for maybe like seven days ... she minded the glue, she likes being clean all the time."
Thomas added that "she loves it now" but he doesn't store it in the house.
It's constructed out of foam, vinyl and paint, and stands at 7'2, according to Thomas. That's as tall as NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal. In addition, Thomas walked this immense costume on his back for 15 blocks to get into the event. The two pieces weigh roughly 80 pounds.
"I just do it for the kids and the fans," he said.
When asked about the 9-foot tall Iron Man Hulkbuster costume from last year, built by Thomas DePetrillo from Extreme Costumes, Thomas was gracious and said he could probably take him in a grudge match.
"He built that costume to destroy me," he said, laughing.