About the character

          Mangle is a Japanese Akita. He's a pretty mean doggy. His personality is of that of a bully. He's not really good with other dogs. We kind of wanted a character opposite of the usual "I'm cute, hug me" variety, and went for a standoffish meanie that would be a different personality to play.

About the costume

          The costume was built to fit my boyfriend, who helped me design how he wanted the character to look. His head was made with all-foam, his eyes are of plastic bowl construction. His side teeth and canine fangs snap in and out via magnets (so he can look more snarly or less mean). His nose, eyelids, toenails and teeth were made out of air-dry paper-based clay, which is very lightweight. 

          The tail is a solid piece of carved foam, shaped in a tight curl, and is worn via a belt attachment. The bodysuit and handpaws are all machine-sewn, with padding to simulate the digitigrade (walking on toes) look. The padding is carved foam for the heels, and polyfill-stuffed shaped pillows for the knees.

          Most of the fur on the bodysuit and mask has been shaved down to give it a more dimensional appearance. The mask has drybrushing details on the face. He also has many whiskers on his eyebrows and snout, which are made of plastic.