Presented by Michael Parodi
- Do you want to add lights and other types of electronics to your costumes and accoutrements?
- Do you want to let your inner 5-year-old out to play?
- Do you want to have people say “Oooh” and “Ahhh” when they see your costume and your gadgets?
- Are you a person who wouldn’t know Ohm’s law from an Oompa Loompa or thinks resistors are something the Borg says is futile?
- Then THIS may be the panel for you!
First and foremost, I am a program manager in my day job NOT an engineer. When it comes to electronics, my motto is “Keep it Simple and SAFE!”. Sit with me. We’ll talk and demonstrate some simple ways to add lights and other electronics to your costumes. Come learn from my mistakes and hopefully, I can save you from making the same ones I have and save you some time and maybe money.
Michael Parodi retired as a Lieutenant Colonel from the Army after 30 years of Active and Reserve duty in the U.S. Army. He is a true to life airship commander. He currently manages a fleet of eight aerostats supporting national and border security for the United States.
Countless hours of Michael’s youth were spent watching classic movies like “Journey to the Center of the Earth”, “First Men in the Moon”, “The Lost World”, and “The Time Machine.” When not engrossed with the small black and white screen, he was enthralled with the novels and short stories of HG Wells, Jules Verne, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert E. Howard, Robert A. Heinlein and Frank Herbert. These great works fostered Michael with a vivid imagination, and he discovered at an early age that he also had a talent for costuming. It was an easy step to make the characters in his imagination come alive. Now, after over 50 years of passion and dedication, he has become an aficionado of fantasy and science fiction.
Michael spends time on a variety of projects using several mediums. Michael’s interests and techniques fluctuate depending on the project and the whims of his muse. He is especially drawn to Steampunk because the Victorian aesthetic feeds well into the movies and books he loved the most in his youth. Drawing on his experiences traveling around the world, and immersing himself into various cultures – he brings an extraordinary level of inventive detail to his creations.
He is the proprietor and master artist of Master Creations, Enterprises located in Hayes, Virginia. He and his team have received multiple accolades and awards for his costumes, props and vehicles across the United States. He is also a member of the Hatton Cross Steampunk family. He is currently working on two novels and is continuing to create wondrous contraptions.
See the Current Program
Buy Your Discount Exposition Tickets
