Fallout 76 Community Spotlight- 5Nov Creations

Creative minds often look for ways they can expand their passions into other environments.

Some will draw or paint their favorite characters from exciting TV shows they find themselves entranced with. Others will write stories of their imaginative adventures. Then there are the creative minds who take their passions into the 3D space, creating props and costumes to express their love for their favorite subjects.

Doug Marr is a father, manager, electrical engineer, Jiu Jitsu teacher and cosplayer from Australia. During the day, he works in construction. At night, however, he creates massive sets of Power Armor for himself and his children.

Doug has been cosplaying for roughly 8 years. It all started with his family, “My children were the driving force. As a family we liked to go to the big Pop Culture conventions. One year my daughter wanted to get dressed as Amy Pond from Doctor Who and my son wanted to go as the Flash. I already knew how to sew which made it easy, so I made some very basic costumes from modified bought costumes. The following year I wanted the kids to look awesome, so I asked them what they wanted to be, and I went into full R&D mode to teach myself the full spectrum of skills used in cosplay.” he says.

Coming from an electrical engineering background, Doug was used to using industrial materials in his projects and found a steep learning curve switching from metal to foam, and making foam look like metal. When creating his power armor, he uses a combination of foam, metal, 3D printed items and material. “The individual pieces are made from foam from heavily modified Pepakura File I found. I took the original files that were designed to be glued together and started to combine and add pieces to make it more accurate to the game armor. These are all mounted on motor cross armor which improves the maneuverability of the entire armor. The big thing with each of my builds is to make them as functional as possible. The weight of the materials is a high priority, but strength is just as important.”

When Doug originally started creating Power Armor builds, it was a process that would take around 3 months. Now, he has perfected the build process and completes his builds in three to four weeks, and with a higher amount of detail.

He starts at the feet and works his way up from there. “I created a heel and toe mechanism to mount into the boot so that the wearer did not have that clunky flat-footed gait. With my system in the boots, you can run in the armor as the heel and toe action distributes the weight and force like a normal foot.” He says, then details the rest of the build process, “The upper body is made in pieces and then slid onto the motor cross armor and held in place by Velcro. Once the suit is put on then it's down to fine tuning. This took about 3 suits to refine. The initial designs individual pieces moved a bit more and did not look as solid, so I went back and started to add hinge plates and flexible joints till I ended up with my current design. Once that is done it is down to paint. Sealing the foam takes a while and can get messy but it is worth it once the color stats to go on.”

Doug debuts his costumes at various Australian Comicons and Pop Culture Events, attending with his children. Sometimes they even compete in cosplay competitions where Doug took home Best FX in 2018 at the Sydney Leg of the Championships of Cosplay event.

In addition to creating his Power Armor builds, Doug also likes to give back to the community in a unique way. He takes Power Armor helmets, Pip-Boys, Fusion Fleas and other items and gives them a unique paint job. He then auctions off these unique one-of-a-kind items and gives 100% of the profits to different charities. In doing this, last year alone he raised over $20,000 for charity.

“This is my way of trying to bring to life the things I see in the game. [The Power Armor helmets] are a blank canvas for so many elements of the Fallout universe.” Doug tells us. “It feels great to help where I can. The last year has been a challenge for us all so now more than ever we need to pull together and help each other.”

Charity is very important to Doug and his family. “My father always told me that I should always help whenever you were able to do so. He told me a story about when he was in the merchant navy and was trying to get a place on a ship but could not. With the last of his money, he bought a pie and was eating it in the park. A stray dog came and sat next to him, so dad shared his pie with him. Dad returned to the customs house and picked up a place on the next ship heading out. Dad always said the good you put out into the world comes back to you somehow. I have spent my life working to be able to do that while still helping to support my family. I wanted to be a role model for my children to see that it is better to give rather than take. There are so many worthy charities out there so if a bit of my time and money can not only benefit them but also inspire others then it is most definitely time well spent. With enough hands we can move the world.”

Doug also loves to give back to the Fallout community, a community that he’s found a home in. “The Fallout community is like a family which I feel makes it stand out like no other. They are passionate, they band together and support each other, they fight, they wear their hearts on their sleeve and they are not afraid to tell it like it is. The Fallout Universe and lore has something for everyone in it which is reflected in the community.” he tells us. “During last year's lockdowns I really wanted to give something back to the community whilst many were stuck at home, so my son and I ran giveaways on my Instagram page. We called them a Pay it Forward Giveaway where people would nominate a person who had been a big influence in their life, a wasteland hero so to speak. Prizes ranged from helmets to custom Pip Boys and simple custom bottle caps. It was so heartwarming to see the community step up to acknowledge each other. We tried to do one a month, so people had something to look forward to.”

Fallout is not only a hobby of his, but also an escape. “My day job can get pretty stressful so when I want to disconnect from everything for a bit, I can jump into the Fallout universe for a small vacation, even if it is for an hour. I can visit old friends and locations from Fallout 1, go help another settlement for Preston Garvey or just build a new camp with my son in 76. Through my 5Nov Creation page on Instagram and from a social perspective I have been lucky enough to meet so many amazing fans, artists, cosplayers and all-round amazing humans.”

Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us, Doug! We can’t wait to see what you build and paint next.

To keep up with all of Doug’s creations, check out his Instagram account. 5 Nov Creations, here.

We love highlighting members of the community every month and are willing to bet you’ve got someone on your mind for us to feature! To nominate someone for our Community Spotlight article, head over to our Official Forums and tell us a little bit about them.