Based on the graphic novel by Dave Gibbons and Alan Moore, Watchmen was a big hit when it was released last year. Set in an alternate timeline to ours, the limited series was created for HBO by Damon Lindelof and featured some pretty amazing talent.
“People Who Wear Masks Are Driven By Trauma…”
Following both Zack Snyder’s film in 2009 and the original graphic novel, the series takes place in an alternative 2019. It focuses on such themes as race, policing, and trauma. It also happens to share a few unsettling parallels to current events. Set 30 years after the original comic book timeline, police officers are required to wear masks to hide their identity and vigilantes are outlawed.
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One of the most interesting aspects of any film or series is the costume designs. We are all familiar with superhero costumes. Everyone recognizes Batman, Wonder Woman and Spider-Man. Their attire is pretty much iconic. When it came to Watchmen however, there was a deliberate and conscious decision made to ensure that all the costumes looked handmade. This task was left to the shows amazing costume designers Sharen Davis and Meghan Kasperlik.
The Evolution of Sister Night
In a video by Variety’s Artisans, the costume designers discuss the evolution of Sister Night’s costume and how they bought her character to life, along with the help of Regina Kings amazing acting. They also discuss features from other character’s costumes.
It just can’t look like some of the flashier stuff like Batman or Iron Man, so I had to make sure that the costumes are made of material obtainable to the vigilantes. It was about giving it a DIY spin without making it look like a Halloween costume.
Meghan Kasperlik.
Adapting the Watchmen Graphic Novel For Real Life
It sounds like a lot of thought went in to the costumes, with the designers looking to the original illustrations by Dave Gibbons, as well as relative events in history, in order to help inform the characters clothing. Everything in the designs has been thought out, even down to the specific yellow used in the policemen’s face masks. The thought that went into each character’s designs shows, giving them a more realistic and relatable appearance then other contemporary superheros.
I am not only looking at the history that is in the books, but what are they farming at that time period in the year, what are they eating, what they drinking, what is the lifestyle that they are living, the demographics… I really wanted to stay authentic to materials, but needed it to function.
Meghan Kasperlik.
The hard work from Sheren Davis and Meghan Kasperlik definitely plays well on screen, with Night Sister, as well as the other masked vigilantes looking phenomenal. We know that a second season of the show is highly unlikely, but that wont stop us from enjoying the series again. Perhaps even more so, knowing the thought behind the costume designs.
What did you think of the costume design in Watchmen? Who was your favorite character? If they do a second season, what would you focus it on? Let us know in the comment section or on our social media!
KEEP READING: UNFORTUNATELY, WATCHMEN SEASON 2 IS UNLIKELY WITHOUT DAMON LINDELOF ATTACHED
