Blaster Pistol, Vagrant Queen Vol.

1, 2019
Maker: Andrew Liptak, 2020
EVA Foam, glue, paint, PVC pipe

Most science fiction stories feature some sort of blaster pistol type weapon for the characters to use.
These are often modeled after real-world devices, and thus retain some of the same character and
profile, even if their use doesn’t require the same sort of form. Magdalene Visaggio and Jason Smith’s
2019 science fiction comic Vagrant Queen presented an alternative to the form: a white, blocky blaster
form.

While researching Cosplay: A History, cosplayer and author Andrew Liptak wanted to practice working
with EVA foam construction, and this prop proved to be an ideal design. It has a relatively simple form: a
white rectangle with recessed points and three tips, along with a handle on the end of the object. To
construct it, Liptak copied the dimensions of the device from the comic, and extrapolated them to the
proper, real-world size on paper. From there, he cut out each section and used them to trace each
component onto a sheet of thick EVA foam. He used three sections for the main body, and glued them
together. Once dried, he used a Dremel to smooth the edges and then used a water/glue mixture to seal
the foam. Once dried, he affixed the exterior elements: a strip of foam with slits and the blaster tips to
the end with glue, then primed and painted it, finishing with a layer of clear coat. Once that had dried,
he weathered it with acrylic paints.

The Syfy Channel adapted Vagrant Queen as a TV series in 2020, and notably used a different design for
its on-screen counterpart.