Illustrated stories, comics and flights of imagination for the young and the still young at heart
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Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Irish Examiner
'Warner Brothers and Disney reach out to us': Meet the man who recreates famous Hollywood props
From the gun that killed Batman's mum and dad to the talking car in Knight Rider, Matt Hodge has dedicated his life to recreating some of Hollywood's most famous props. But the man behind Dublin-based group Reel Icons knows that with great power comes great responsibility. Since founding the organisation in 2018, he has travelled with his costumes and props to hospitals, hospices and charity events nationwide. Sara and Matt Hodge in the Reel Icons Ireland workshop. Since founding the organisation in 2018, Matt has travelled with his costumes and props to hospitals, hospices and charity events nationwide. Photo: Moya Nolan He does so free of charge and often under the radar. The idea is to replicate, not just the costumes and props of their favourite superheroes, but their propensity to help others as well. The team's approach, Matt tells the Irish Examiner, differs from cosplay in that costumes are almost indistinguishable from the original pieces used in the referenced films and television programmes. Reel Icons came about as a division of the 501st legion Ireland which creates and showcases screen-accurate Star Wars costumes. It now operates independently and has 25 members, six of whom are children. The group impersonates superheroes as well as other film and television favourites with the exception of Star Wars characters. Matt has gone to epic lengths to bring movies to life, even conjuring up mobile film sets to showcase at events. After his equipment and tools crept into his kitchen and living room, he relocated operations to a workshop in Rathcoole. The rented space is a cornucopia for artists with an array of tools and equipment including 3D printers, laser engravers as well as the traditional saws and hammers. Matt and Sara Hodge with their children. 'Sara wasn't sure about the costume thing at first but now she dresses up as Supergirl. The reaction she gets from little girls, who up to now, only met with princesses, is always lovely.' Photo: Moya Nolan 'We were able to recreate the whole Gotham Police Department from scratch right down to the mini television next to Commissioner Gordon's desk that plays Gotham news in the background," he said. "If you listen closely you will hear all about the stock market as well as crime news about The Joker. Reel icon members helped to make this as accurate as possible. "Holly even created suspect files, and scrutinised every part of what was written in them so that it's completely true to the movies. They work hard to make sure that whatever they have on display is exactly what people see on screen. "There's a replica of the gun that The Joker used in the bank robbery in the Dark Knight. We have Kryptonite being held as evidence in a bag. There's a cell where you can go and have your mug shot taken. "Movie fans can also see the string of pearls that came off Batman's mother's neck when she was killed and the gun that was used to shoot both parents.' Attention to detail has always been paramount for Matt. Matt Hodge: 'There is a difference between cosplay and professional costuming. With cosplay you can change it up and do whatever makes you happy.' Photo: Moya Nolan 'There is a difference between cosplay and professional costuming. With cosplay you can change it up and do whatever makes you happy. We get invited to attend events because of our professionalism and accuracy. "The club has a system that scrutinises the costumes. If someone makes a costume that is not up to a certain standard we will support them in pushing it to the next level and making it as accurate as possible." He says if people want to come and use their costume for good then the troupe has a lot of platforms they can operate on. "Sometimes the people who are responsible for the intellectual property such as the likes of Warner Brothers and Disney reach out to us because we are good at what we do. They will ask us to do the red carpets with them. "Last year we did Alien: Romulus and that was a great experience. We don't get paid for these events because the films are not our intellectual property but we are always very happy to do them.' The most rewarding aspect of Matt's volunteering is his visits to seriously ill children. 'We don't do birthday parties unless they are for Little Blue Heroes or LauraLynn, Ireland's Children's Hospice," he said. "Dressing up for Halloween is one thing but doing it to help a child is another. Parents often ask Spiderman to come in to visit their child who won't see the end of the week. When you enter the room and a child sits up who hasn't sat up in a week, then our work is complete. "Other children might not have spoken a word in days but are able to gather the strength to talk to their favourite superhero.' Modified cars also form part of Matt's coveted collection. 'I don't want to say how much I spent creating the car from Knight Rider but it was a lot. By trade I'm an auto electrician for cars and I've created sound systems for them in the past. "The car has everything down to the voice. Unfortunately, it's off the road at the moment but I'm hoping to get this sorted soon. "I also have the Jurassic Park jeep and the SHIELD SUV similar to the ones we see used in Marvel's Agents of SHIELD. When you are driving these vehicles on Irish roads everyone stops to look.' Matt's talent was evident from an early age. Matt and Sara Hodge with their children Matthew, Leroy, and Laila. 'Parents often ask Spiderman to come in to visit their child who won't see the end of the week. When you enter the room and a child sits up who hasn't sat up in a week, then our work is complete.' Photo: Moya Nolan 'Looking back, I was a sucker for watching cartoons. We had the best cartoons you have ever seen when I was a child. There were no agendas. These were old-fashioned cartoons with stories to tell and with a sense of adventure. "Like any young boy growing up I wanted to be a teenage mutant ninja turtle. I was always crafting and making my own toys. If something needed repairing, I never saw it as broken. Instead, I viewed it as an opportunity to be modified." He says "back then" they played with toys properly. Laila Hodge in the Reel Icons Ireland workshop. Photo: Moya Nolan "We made sure we all had different toys because this made more sense for us when we were playing together," he said. "When I got into costume on a grander scale I would repurpose things around the house. "I could be in the kitchen or the garage and spot something with the potential to be repurposed. As I got older I might be in Woodies and see something that would make a great plasma cannon.' Matt shares three children with his wife Sara, Laila (7), Leroy (10) and Matthew (13) 'They've all got on board for it,' he told the Irish Examiner. 'Sara wasn't sure about the costume thing at first but now she dresses up as Supergirl. The reaction she gets from little girls, who up to now, only met with princesses, is always lovely. Supergirl is a beacon of hope for any little girl.' Read More Watch: Tipperary taxidermist wants to save art form in danger of dying
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Irish Independent
Illustrated stories, comics and flights of imagination for the young and the still young at heart
As someone who drew almost as much as I wrote throughout childhood, I always had a fondness for comics and comic books, from younger-kid weeklies like The Beano and Roy of the Rovers, to teen-appropriate periodicals such as Batman or Judge Dredd to more adult fare (distinguished as 'graphic novels') including Watchmen, From Hell and Wild Palms.
The Irish Sun
04-06-2025
- The Irish Sun
Hollywood heartthrob looks unrecognisable on set of new sports biopic – but can you guess who he is?
THIS Hollywood actor looked unrecognisable on set of his new sports biopic - but can you guess who he is? The 51-year-old sported a black leather jacket, slicked back hair and three Super Bowl rings on the set of his new film. 7 This Hollywood star looked unrecognisable on the set of his new film Credit: The Mega Agency 7 The Oscar winning actor was shooting scenes in Atlanta Credit: The Mega Agency 7 He was joined by another A-lister - who also looked unrecognisable in a fatsuit Credit: The Mega Agency This Oscar winning actor looked very different to his usual heartthrob looks while filming in Atlanta on Wednesday. The star was spotted strolling around the film set pulling an expression with his mouth open. But have you worked out with A-lister this is? It's none other than Batman star READ MORE ON HOLLYWOOD STARS 7 It's none other than Batman star Christian Bale Credit: PA 7 Nicolas Cage plays Raiders head coach turned-iconic broadcaster John Madden Credit: Getty The Hollywood star is currently shooting scenes for his new movie Madden. He is starring alongside US megastar In costume, Christina bears a striking resemblance to his real life character - the late Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders team owner and manager - and sported a somewhat ruddy complexion. While Nicolas was spotted in a blue and green fatsuit with long hair. Most read in Celebrity He plays Raiders head coach turned-iconic broadcaster John Madden. Christian Bale unrecognisable in new Thor film Comedian John Mulaney stars as Trip Hawkins and British actress Sienna Miller as Al's wife Carol Davis. "The film follows Madden's remarkable journey—from his Super Bowl-winning partnership with Al Davis and the Raiders, to creating Madden NFL, and becoming one of the most iconic voices in football history," Amazon said in a press release. NFL fans recently reacted to Christian and Nicholas' shocking new looks in the upcoming movie. "Wait, is this real?" one asked. "Damn they actually look nothing like their actual selves," another commented. "That can't be John Madden!" a third added. Madden is directed by David O. Russell, who has been Oscar-nominated for hit movies like The Fighter and Silver Linings Playbook. Russell also wrote the script for the film, which is based on Madden's personal journey from being an NFL coach to an iconic broadcasting career to the face of EA Sports' Madden NFL video game franchises. Madden died in December 2021 at the age of 85. The longtime owner of the Raiders, Davis, is also featured in the movie. The fiery personality was known for his motto, "Just, win baby." Davis died in October 2011 at the age of 82 due to congestive heart failure. The movie Madden also stars comedian and actor John Mulaney as Electronic Sports founder Trip Hawkins. Last April, it was revealed that Nicolas would be cast as Madden, while Christina was later confirmed to portray the role of Davis. 7 Christian stars in the hotly-anticipated David O. Russell flick Credit: The Mega Agency 7 The movie star plays late Al Davis, the Oakland Raiders team owner and manager Credit: The Mega Agency
