Me posing with Dore Kraus, the actor who portrayed Jack Shindo, the human identity of Ultraman Great from Ultraman: Towards The Future.
Ultraman: Towards The Future was the only Ultraman series produced in Australia. It featured a unique Ultraman suit that was not made out of rubber, but was similar to Spandex. Also, like Ultraman 80′s helmet, the Ultraman Great mask was removable, allowing the suit actor to cool off and breathe in between takes without having to unzip the entire suit. The Ultraman Great mask also had eyespots which afforded the suit actor MUCH more visibility than the other Ultra helmets/masks (take it from me - you can hardly see anything through those masks, especially if the eye lights are on).
This was taken at 2019′s Japan World Heroes convention in Pasadena. My suit is loose because I went alone and did not have anybody to help zip me up (which is a process in itself) when posing for photos. I had to keep the suit unzipped A) so I didn’t pass out from overheating - even with the Pasadena Convention Center’s A/C cranked up, it is stifling hot in that suit; and B) the only way to be able to safely see and walk around (without a helper/handler) is to have the suit unzipped so I can remove the mask (which is attached to the suit and not able to be worn separately). Even then, the mask is hanging under my chin and cuts off 50% of my vision, so I have to constantly move my head from side-to-side and up-and-down to avoid walking into people or tripping over things.
I plan, at some point, to work with a gentleman I know who builds props and suits for the film industry (and whop is also an Ultraman fan) to modify my suit to be like the Ultraman Great suit so that the mask is removable without having to unzip the suit. That way I’ll be able to go to conventions and see, breathe, hear, and eat and drink while still in the suit. Otherwise wearing this suit to conventions is not really fun when you don’t have anyone who can walk around with you and help.