Taking this as an opportunity to step outside my comfort zone, I spent approximately 3 months crafting Montgomery Gator for cosplay. I explored breaking down models from the game, patterning, animatronics, 3D printing, new painting techniques and so much more. Between 2019 and 2022, I had two previous cosplays that did not turn out; I used what experience I gained from those cosplays to come up with Monty's final design.

With that said, I am proud to present Montgomery Gator from Five Nights at Freddy's: Security Breach.

HOW LONG DID IT TAKE?

I started building Monty in the beginning of May 2022. The first month and a half were spent patterning, mostly by trial and error, until the shape desired was achieved. I had lost my job in the middle of the planning stages, and during my month of downtime, I went to work at crafting what I could. The remaining time was left to seal, prime, and paint. Monty made his premiere at Kitsune Kon 2022 in Green Bay, WI - this made a total build time of approximately 500 hours over the span of three months.

HOW MUCH DID IT COST?

A variety of materials were used to bring Monty to life. Ranging from foam and filament, approximately $200 was spent on these supplies to craft his body, details, and inner workings. The electronics & other supplies used for Monty's eyes cost around $160. To finish the outfit and give Monty his color, I spent $260 on primer, paint, and sealant.

This makes a total estimated cost of $620 to build Monty.

WHAT IS IT MADE OF?

A majority of Monty is constructed of EVA foam - more specifically, HD EVA foam by SKS Props. This makes up approximately 98% of the entire costume and holds the overall structure of everything that you see. That other 2% is PLA filament, which makes up the fine details & inner workings (studs on belt/arms, teeth, finger mechanisms & eye animatronics) and foam clay from Coscom Cosplay Supplies. Everything was primed with Plastidip & airbrushed with acrylics.

WHAT PARTS MOVE?

Several parts are articulated on my Monty cosplay. His eyes are on a custom-modeled endoskeleton with five servos mounted to it. These allow Monty to look horizontally & vertically and allow for blinking in both eyes. These are controlled with a remote.

Aside from the eyes, Monty's fingers are able to move individually, his jaw moves, his tail swings, and his toes flop while walking. All of the above are not controlled by animatronics - they are manually controlled by my movements.

On top of it all, Monty has a speaker/voice box that allows him to recite lines from the game.

APPEARANCES
& AWARDS

Kitsune Kon 2022 - Green Bay, WI - Best in Show

Brown County Library Pop Con 2022 - Green Bay, WI

Show Me Snakes October 2022 - Janesville, WI - Archie's Angels

ColossalCon North 2022 - Wisconsin Dells, WI

LVLUP EXPO 2023 - Las Vegas, Nevada - 1st Place Craftsman with PlatCatt

Kitsune Kon 2023 - Green Bay, WI - Halftime Performance, Panelist & Charity Guest

Brown County Library Pop Con 2023 - Green Bay, WI

Buzz Social, Spooks & Smiles 2023 - Green Bay, WI - Special Guest

TWO MONTYS?

That's right - your eyes are not deceiving you! There are two versions of Montgomery Gator, respectfully identified as Monty 1.0 & 2.0.
Prior to LVL UP Expo 2023, some upgrades were needed to allow for shipping, therefore leading to a near total redesign of the first version of Monty. This allowed for a more accurate representation of the character to the source material. Parts taken & renovated directly from Monty 1.0 include the forearms & interior base of the feet - everything else was made new for the convention!

For now, Monty 1.0 remains in storage while Monty 2.0 makes appearances at conventions & events.

WHAT'S NEXT?

Monty 2.0 premiered at LVL UP Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada in February 2023. Upgrades were made to ensure Monty was able to be shipped/transported, and with a grand total of $5,000 raised, travel expenses were able to be covered in full!

No immediate cosplay plans have been announced quite yet, but stay tuned for upcoming projects!