Krampus Los Angeles

Costume Tips: From the Neck Down

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Krampus

Krampus Troupe, Bad Gastein, Austria

The Austrian Krampus troupe pictured above is about as traditional as they get. Creating this exact look would be a big challenge because the suits are made of mountain goat fur, and LA’s not exactly known for its mountain goats population. But at least this picture makes clear something that doesn’t have to challenge you, and that’s striving for Hollywood hyper-realism. The oversized masks these Krampuses sport are more like walking folk art than something sculpted in an FX shop. What you need to remember is that these guys are not trying to simulate something “real”; they are carrying on a tradition. Notice how they make no particular attempt made to disguise their hands or match the fur on the head with the fur covering the body. The kneeling Krampus clearly wears a vest. I’ve seen these beasties in person, and realistic or not, they are mighty impressive.

The troupe above is also very traditional, though their look is slightly less common because they are wearing shorter sheepskin outfits rather than suits made from the longer goat fur. But again, the suits make no particular effort to be appear as anything other than what they are: fur robes, pants, tunics, and vests. You’ll notice belts too. The Krampuses in the first photos are also wearing belts, but they’re just obscured by their longer fur. This is not a fashion statement but a practical way to carry large cowbells suspended on their backsides. You would be hard pressed to find a Krampus without bells. We’ll be posting about creating bell-belts later.

So when you are thinking of covering that Krampus body of yours with Krampus fur, keep in mind old fur coats, mufflers, leg-warmers, etc — whatever furry stuff you might find at a thrift stores (or try “fur, cutter” on eBay = worn-out coats sold to “cutters” who recycle remnants for craft projects). Don’t assume you need some sort of seamless furry coveralls. A one-piee fur bodysuit could make a great starting point, or be fine on its own, but furry odds and ends add interest. Furry body-covering costumes can go for $100-150, but you can find them as low as $80 sometimes. Try search for werewolf, gorilla, or yeti fur suits. These could all work depending on the the particular style. Just watch out for the cheaper ones with extremely short-pile fur. The better suits have fur with a 1.5-2″ pile, still much, much shorter than your average Krampus, but there are ways to beef them up with longer fur (discussed below).

The fellow was photographed in Munich, where you’ll see more modern influences like the fastidious realism of the mask. His outfit has completely left behind the idea of furry coveralls, and is more a combination of pelts and period costuming. LA Krampus Troupe members have taken to calling this approach “Viking Krampus.” So, if you happen to own or know anyone who owns Renfair garb, you may be closer to a Krampus costume than you think. Lay on some extra scraps of old fur and you’re good to go. (Sorry for the blurry photo. The guy was moving, and this just happens to be the best one I have to illustrate the point.)

Munich Krampus. Photo: Al Ridenour

This Krampus has taken the mix-and-match approach to glorious extremes. Actually, this relatively modern patchwork of tattered cloth, hanks of hair, scraps of hide, buckskin, etc., is not at all uncommon. He may be slightly less traditional, but he’s flaunting the fact that his mask is just good old wood, wearing it stained a solid color and sporting a wooden beard right alongside the real fur. The idea Americans have of wearing makeup to simulate a “real” Krampus would be very strange in Europe, where the woodcarver’s work, with its inherent limits, is regarded as more than sufficient. Also notice this guy’s flared fur bellbottoms. This is a common solution for covering feet. Probably because the tradition evolved in areas where feet are sunk in snow, there is rarely an attempt at fancy footwear, and never the simulated hooves Americans expect to see after looking at hooved illustrations of Krampuses on postcard. No goat tails either.

These guys demonstrate a typical technique of Krampus costuming — namely, piling a lot of long hair around the head and shoulder to create a sort of bulky mane that dominates the costume. It’s a good way to use a little hair for big effect. Notice too how almost all the rest of their costumes is just ragged cloth or hide. Tattered cloth blends well, and is often a stand-in for more expensive hair.

LA Krampuses have been using a similar trick with those off-the-shelf werewolf or ape suits, sewing the equivalent of synthetic hair extensions or wig wefts into these the bodysuits to approximate something of the stringy shagginess of the real deal. The very long hair you see on European costumes is either the naturally long hair of mountain goats, or hanks of horse hair, both of which are quite expensive.

Sewing a fur suit rather than buying one gives you infinitely more choice on colors. Patterns for fur coveralls or simple tunics are among the easiest patterns there are. Or just cut apart some disposable painters coverall and add room for seams. This guy’s YouTube video doesn’t even use a pattern, and he does a great job of making the process look easy (convinced me to take up sewing!). His final Krampus is not bad, but lacks the distinctive shaggy, ragged quality that would have given it a more iconic look. You can solve that by sewing (or gluing on) scraps of other fur, torn cloth, or wefts of hair.

In shopping for faux fur yardage, the longest pile you will find is about 3″. Some furs use combine different piles lengths and colors for good naturalistic effect. You get what you pay for. Yes, you can pay $10/yard for short-pile fur, and you’ll end up looking more like a teddy bear in fuzzy pajamas. The longer, more naturalistic furs are worth it, and you should expect to pay $20 and up. It’s still cheaper than a readymade suit and will be much more distinctive. Beware of strong or small patterns, as these only work if your fabric is hanging in folds or otherwise arranged to break up the pattern. Ideally, you’ll be adding various hanging bits of synthetic hair or scraps of fur from old coats anyway.

Selecting and sewing faux fur (or real fur) is a topic unto itself, but to get you started, here are some suppliers:

City Fabric is in LA’s downtown fabric district and offers much better range of deep-pile furs than Michael Levine’s or other local vendors. You can bargain him down but don’t expect any free swatches. A good local online-only supplier is Distinctive Fabric. They will send you five free swatches if you set up a free account with them.

Fabric Empire is also in LA (online ordering only). We also like

Mendels in SF for their selection and free samples.

Another New Suit

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Krampus

Krampus LA co-founder Al Guerrero struts his scary stuff.

“Straw” Krampus Visiting LA

Posted on August 26, 2013 by Krampus

LA Krampus Elizabeth Herndon is taking inspiration from a particularly odd straw-covered cousin of Krampus appearing annually in the town of Bad Mitterndorf, an Alpine town southeast of Salzburg.

These broomlike Schabmänner (roughly: “sweepers”) appear alongside their more typical Krampus cousins in the town’s centuries-old St. Nicholas Play. They are the advance guard of a festive procession, symbolically sweeping the path the Saint will tread. There is also an association with sweeping out the old to make way for the new — likely the pre-Christian significance of these figures. They also crack horse-whips, which like the bells worn by Krampus, are associated with driving out the old, or the evil.

There are are other regional takes on such straw-bundled monsters, including the Buttmandl (“bundled men”) in the area around the Bavarian town of Berchtesgaden.

Hunters’ Ghillie suits have been frequently suggested as an approximation of a sort of generic “Wild Man” Krampus-ish look. LA’s “Straw Krampus” is starting with a DIY Ghillie suit, but elaborating her design to come closer to the Schabmänner look.

“It’s the only thing for the costume that’s not going to look cheesy. Had too much trouble trying to find good-looking grass skirts…

Probably a very foolish idea”

Costuming Tips: European Materials

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Krampus

No Krampus Los Angeles event require you to wear a costume.

Elaborately costumed members of the LA Krampus Troupe will be showing up at Krampusfest events (and making some unlisted surprise attacks as well), but their suits and masks are the product of substantial investments of time and/or money — usually both. We’re guessing, most enthusiastic attendees will be interested in a little Krampus flair, but aren’t prepared to squander weeks of work or hundreds of dollars, so we’re putting up a few posts about easier approaches to a Krampus(y) look.

Even in Europe, Krampus costumes are not really mass-produced, though most Europeans do buy (rather than make) their suits and masks. Those suits are not cheap, but are purchased from specialized outfitters with repeated yearly use in mind, and are often handed down within a family or group of friends.

Most masks are produced by pro-hobbyists, semi-professional, or professional artisans who may do other sculptural, artistic or ornamental work during the off-season. Wooden masks are still common, particularly in more traditional Alpine regions, but resin or latex is also used. Suits also are often a seasonal sideline of furriers, leatherworkers, or tanners, and are usually made from genuine animal products rather than faux fur.

While most of this work is done on a custom-order basis, in a handful of towns one finds retailers offering Krampus supplies year-round and under one roof. While brick-and-mortar stores like this remain rare, online retailers have begun to conglomerate the output of various artisans as well as serve as exchange sites for used materials. (You can also search the German or Austrian versions of eBay (“krampus, masks” on Germay eBay, or on Austrian eBay), though many sellers will not accept overseas orders, and of course you either need to know some German or be tireless with Google Translate.

Despite the traditional inclination to work with local artisans, the growing popularity of Krampus, has given birth to bigger superstores like Krampus Imperium, which not only ships overseas, but has translated their site into English. While this may seem the perfect answer at first, be advised that occasional sale masks for about $130 and nicer ones moving into the $500 range and beyond. Mask blanks for about $80.

In the US and our friends involved with the Philadelphia Krampuslauf have encouraged a mask-maker in their area to produce a new line of Krampus masks for $85 plus shipping. If your are ambitious and want to create your own mask, but just need a little help with details, glass eyes, teeth, gums, and horns can be purchased on the site also.

Readymade fur suits are not available on Krampus Imperium and are virtually impossible to find on any other multilingual (English-language) site. Used suits sometimes show up on European eBay pages or other online “flea markets,” but are still in the $300-600(+) range. And you might think twice about donning a suit that’s marinated in the sweat generated by a Krampus run.

In a future post, we will offer some cheap options for various Krampus or Krampus-like body coverings as well as other options for easily adaptable off-the-shelf masks.

Finishing Costumes. Join Up!

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Krampus

Fall is almost here, so we’re going to start posting some pictures of costumes you can expect to see on the streets and art spaces of Los Angeles this December. Here are two by Al Ridenour (AKA “Reverend Al”).

Do you have a suit? Are you interested in making or buying a suit? If you’re ready for what’ll be a fairly serious commitment of either time or money (or maybe a bit of both), then we’d love to have you as part of The Krampus Los Angeles Performance Troupe. About a dozen of us have been workshopping suits and performance ideas for a few months now, and there are some other pretty kickass outfits we’ll be posting over the next few weeks. For more info on participating as a troupe member, please go here: http://krampuslosangeles.com/the-troupe/.

Throughout the autumn, we’ll also be posting resources and ideas for cheaper and quicker approaches for those who just want to accessorize a bit for any of December’s upcoming Krampusfest events.