Rocky Props & Details

Last updated: 12/6/98

Notes:

  • Beginners will need someone else to help them into the wraps...and it takes a long time. When you have made your wraps, PRACTICE. If you haven't started putting them on by Time Warp, you won't finish in time.
  • Practice is also essential to make sure Columbia and Magenta can get your bandages off.
  • The basic idea of the wraps is that they are held on by long strings down each arm and leg. Magenta and Columbia pull out the strings, and the wraps fall off by themselves. Of course, this is easier said than done.
  • The bandage directions here were written primarily by Mark Becknauld and Mae L. Young, then expanded after my husband and I made a set. The Rocky bandages are surprisingly easy (if tedious) to make; the hard part is keeping them on until your "unveiling." Practice and make sure the materials you're using will work.
  • Experiment with different textures of bandages (cotton gauze, flannel, cut up sheets, etc.) until you find a fabric that your cord zips through without catching or breaking.
  • Finally, it is a good idea to keep wraps in individual labelled bags so you don't try to wrap your arm with a leg bandage or vice versa.

Body Wraps:

Wrap the body before doing the legs and arms.
  • Buy a bolt of muslin. You may need less--the Rocky I made wraps with was 6 feet tall, and we needed only 16 yards. Thicker muslin works better. Unroll the bolt, and cut a strip lengthwise that is about 10 inches wide. Now you have a strip the length of the bolt (or however long), and 10 inches wide. You probably won't need that much to wrap the body...but you will to wrap the arms and legs, and you may as well buy it all at once.
  • NOTE: If you want to hem the muslin so it doesn't ravel, you will need to cut this strip wider--for example, you would need a 10.5" strip if you hem each edge with a 1/4" seam. You could also serge the muslin.
  • Start by tucking the wraps one inch into the back of the Rocky shorts.
  • The wrap should then come forward between the legs, go left across the crotch and wrap back around the body over the left hip. Continue wrapping counterclockwise over the butt and forward over the right hip, wrapping all the way around the body. Keep the wrappings low-- almost all of Rocky's shorts should be covered. Once you've done a few wrappings around the body, untuck the end from your shorts for safety. (If you leave it tucked in, it should come untucked during unwrapping if Columbia pulls it out with a short, sharp jerk... but if there are problems, she may pull your shorts down or knock you on your ass.)
  • Continue wrapping your way similarly up and around the torso. The wrappings overlap, each strip covering about half of the strip underneath it. Once the chest is pretty well covered, wrap as much as you need to so the strip wraps over the front of the chest to under your left arm. 
  • Wrap the strip under the left arm, around the back, and then bring it forward over the right shoulder.
  • Wrap under the left armpit, around the back, forward under the right armpit, over the chest, and back over the left shoulder.
  • Wrap around the back, over the chest, then under the left arm and repeat previous two listed steps.
  • To finish, tuck the end of the wrap into the back wrappings. You may want to tie a colored thread onto the end of so Columbia can find it easily.

Leg/Arm Wraps

You need to do this with your Rocky in front of you. Wraps must be constructed ON the Rocky to fit properly.
It helps to have a long stiff wire or rod to pull the wraps against--we used a 3/8" bamboo stick.
It also helps a lot to have two people doing the wrapping.
There are two ways to make arm/leg bandages: sewn and unsewn. Unsewn bandages are more authentic, but take a lot longer to put on.
  • Buy a bolt of muslin (use the same one you use to make the body wraps). You may need less--the Rocky I made wraps with was 6 feet tall, and we needed only 16 yards. Thicker muslin works better. Unroll the bolt, and cut a strip lengthwise that is about 6 inches wide. Now you have a strip the length of the bolt (or however long), and 6 inches wide.
  • NOTE: If you want to hem the muslin so it doesn't ravel, you will need to cut this strip wider--for example, you would need a 6.5" strip if you hem each edge with a 1/4" seam. You could also serge the muslin.
  • Cut 3 more strips so you have 4 really long strips of muslin.
  • Cut a length of muslin about 6" wide, and as long as each leg and arm (a total of 4 more strips). These "tongues" will be placed underneath the string when you put the wraps, so no skin shows.
  • Roll the strips up so you can handle them easily.
  • Cut two lengths of thin silky cord which are 12" (or more) longer than the length of your leg (ankle to hip). Repeat for your arms (shoulder to where the fingers begin). The cord should be silky to reduce friction (buy "rat tail" at a fabric store). You will have to replace the cord every show. Don't knot the ends--if you do, they may catch on the bandages and keep them from coming off easily.

Making the leg wraps:

  • Have Rocky stand in front of you, wearing his gold shorts, holding the stick and the cord together down the center front of his leg. (Have him stand on the cord to keep it taut. The tighter the cord is, the better.)
  • When you lace the bandages (both when making them and putting them on for a show), they need to be laced tight, so that the cord is straight. If it zigzags between holes, Magenta and Columbia will have a hard time pulling it out and you won't be able to get the wraps off quickly.
  • Now loop about an inch of a long muslin strip around the stick and cord to make the first loop of the wraps. Secure the loop to itself with a pin.
To start wrappings at the crotch, do this:
  • With Rocky standing in front of you, pin the loop to Rocky's shorts above the stick or have him hold the loop.
  • Thread the muslin strip between Rocky's legs. Then thread the strip around the back of his leg, and around to the front of the leg. Pass the strip under the stick and cord, then back over the stick and cord onto itself, forming another loop (with the stick and cord through it) across from the first loop you pinned.
  • Now, bring the strip back around the back of the leg and between the legs, overlapping slightly over the first line of wrapping you just laid down. When you bring the cord back around the front of the leg to the stick and cord, pass the muslin underneath them, and work your way back around the leg again in the opposite direction.
  • If desired, stitch the bandages together all the way around, leaving an opening about as wide as your thumb in each pre-made loop. Then all you keep doing is wrapping and sewing. Do this all on your Rocky or the bandages will sag.
  • Scrunching the wrappings towards the top of the leg as you go, continue passing the wrap around the leg, under the stick and cord, then back over the stick and cord onto itself, working your way down to the ankle. (You may have to remove the stick as you get below the knee.) Remember, you want the wrappings tight.
  • When you get to the knees, you may want to keep the bandages a little loose, so that Rocky can bend his knees to stand up.
  • When you get to the ankles, you can make little half booties at the ends of the bandaging to cover the top half of Rocky's boots. (Hinwood's covered the whole boot, but that's impractical to pull off live every week.) Slightly cover the tips of the boots so you can tuck the boots into the fabric half-booties.
  • Repeat for other leg.
Rocky's bandages may actually start at his toes, and you can start there, but it may be harder for you to move around. To start at the toes, do this:
  • If you want to cover your feet, too, just pass the bandage around under the front of your foot (a little loosely) until it is covered.
  • Pass the bandage around the back of your leg and around to the front of the leg.
  • Pass the strip under the stick and cord, then back over the stick and cord onto itself, forming another loop (with the stick and cord through it) across from the first loop you pinned.
  • Continue working up the leg, passing the bandage under, then back over the stick and cord. Keep the cord taut (so that it follows the front of your leg) and the bandages tight (tight enough not to fall down).
  • When you get to the knees, you may want to keep the bandages a little loose, so that Rocky can bend his knees to stand up.
  • When you get to the crotch/hip, tuck the bandage in, or pin it just to one side of the cord (pin it to the bandage you just passed under the cord, else it won't fall off right). Secure the cord to the chest bandages -- hook it with one of those hooks that comes with ACE bandages, tie it (make ties that hang off the chest bandages), or pin it (with safety pins). Whatever you do, make sure that Columbia and Magenta know how to undo it quickly.

Making the arm wraps:

  • The arm wraps are made the same way as the leg wraps. Have Rocky hold out his arms with the palms down and lay the string and stick along the top of the arm. If Rocky wears a sleeveless shirt, you can pin the shoulder end of the string to that. Rocky should hold the hand end of the string. His arms will get tired! It helps if you stand him next to a shelf or something for him to rest his hand on while you wrap and sew.

Putting on the wraps:

  • For each show you will need 2 new lengths of cord 12" (or more) longer than the front of your leg (ankle to hip) and 2 lengths 12" (or more) longer than the distance from shoulder to palm.
  • If your wraps are unsewn, the procedure for putting on the wraps is exactly the same as for making them.
  • Before you start wrapping any of the bandages, make sure that you are in your complete Rocky costume (boots, wig, and all), and that you have at least one other person to help you. Your motion will be very restricted by the bandages.
  • Wrap the chest bandages first. (See "Body Wraps" above.)

Legs

  • When you lace the legs, have Rocky pin the string to his floorshow underwear (underneath his gold shorts). Rocky must hold the string VERY TIGHTLY right where it comes out from under his shorts so that you can lace the leggings tightly without pulling his underwear out the leghole.
  • Place the end of one long leg "tongue" underneath the center front of a leg hole of the gold shorts, and let the tongue lie along the front center of your leg. Then start lacing on the leg wraps, running the string first through the top loop, then the loop on the opposite side, and continue alternating sides. Pull on the string as you go so instead of zigzagging, all the loops are pulled into a straight line down the center of your leg, one stacked above the next. When you get to the boots, pin the end of the string to Rocky's boot or to the half-bootie. Or you can tie the free end of the string to a small plastic ring (about 3/4" diameter, like a curtain ring). Secure the ring end of the cord to the front of your ankle (perhaps thread a shoelace through it, and tie it around the bottom of your foot). Mags and Columbia can either cut the string, or, if it is tied with a slip knot, just untie it. This ensures the end of the string is easy to find.

Arms

  • For the arms, pin the safety pin with the string to the shoulder of the body wraps. Have your Rocky hold the string right where it's safety pinned to the body wrap on the shoulder, so that you don't end up pulling the body wraps loose.
  • Start lacing the arm wraps, running the string first through the top loop, then the loop on the opposite side, and continue alternating sides.
  • After lacing the first couple of loops, tuck the long arm "tongue" underneath the string and top loops and drape it along the top of the arm. Continue lacing the arm wrapping, keeping the string over the "tongue." Again, pull on the string as you go so instead of looking like a zig-zag, all the loops are pulled into a straight line along the center top of your arm, one loop lined up with the next.
  • When you get done lacing the arms, tie the free end of the string around Rocky's middle finger, or to a small plastic ring around his finger (a little loose, about 3/4" diameter, like a curtain ring; this will keep Magenta and Columbia from nicking your fingers when they cut the string). They can either cut the string, or, if it is tied with a slip knot, just untie it.

Taking off the wraps:

Make SURE you go over this with Magenta and Columbia! All they need to do is:
  • Scrunch the shoulder and arm wraps apart at the shoulder so you can see the string. Cut the string at the shoulder, then at the middle finger), and pull the string out of the loops, hard and straight. Pull off any wraps that don't drop by themselves.
  • Scrunch the body and leg wraps apart at the top center thigh so you can see the string. Cut the string at the top of the leg where it comes out of the gold shorts, then cut the string at the bottom of the booties. Yank again to pull the string out of the loops. Pull off any wraps that don't drop by themselves. Have Rocky kick off the half booties or ease them off. The tongue and wraps at the ankles almost certainly will not come off all by themselves (Hinwood's didn't).
  • Columbia pulls the end of the chest wrap out of where it's tucked in back.
  • When Rocky gets done unwrapping himself (by spinning in circles), on his very last spin, while he's turning, he will face Columbia in the middle of the last turn...and she just gives the wrapping a quick yank, pulling it out of his shorts... Make sure he's facing you in his last turn is because if he's not facing you, then when you yank, you have a higher percentage chance of ripping the muslin, which will leave Rocky with a tail of muslin.

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