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Acrylic LED-Lit 'Doctor Strange' Spell Has Cosplayers Envious

YouTube.com/William Osman

Marvel fans wanting to cosplay the Sorcerer Supreme might want to study how YouTube craftsman William Osman created a physical magic spell prop inspired by Scott Derrickson’s Doctor Strange.

“I don’t cosplay, but I’m a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe,” Osman told Inverse in an email. “While watching the movie I realized a spell prop could be made using engraved and edge-lit acrylic.”

Inspired immediately after seeing Doctor Strange, Osman teamed up with another craftsman, John Willner, in his project, which took just a few days to finish. He documented all his efforts into a six-minute video on YouTube.

“I did a few tests to make the design as bright as possible, then cut the final pieces on my home-built CO2 laser cutter,” he said. “An Arduino and some transistors make the LEDs flicker. Filming everything for the build video makes the actual build take way longer.”

In between the nitty-gritty details of acrylic engraving and LED lighting, Osman has some fun to the amusement of either the viewer or maybe just himself. (Note how he pronounces actor Benedict Cumberbatch’s name.) “I have no formal comedy training, but I do have video editing software which lets me cut all the bad jokes,” Osman admits.

On Osman’s YouTube page, advanced DIY projects combine with irreverent comedy, resulting in oddball inventions like the Pumpkin Combat Robot and Potato Cannon Speed Tester. “I’ve been building stuff my whole life,” Osman says. “Most of those early projects were terrible, and sometimes my current projects turn out terrible too. The satisfaction of making something which isn’t terrible keeps me going.”

Etching on acrylic to recreate a Doctor Strange spell.

As for whether or not Osman has stumbled upon a lucrative niche in the cosplay industry, that’s a wait-and-see. “My intention wasn’t to sell them, but I’m not against anything that funds future projects.”

Osman brought the special effects to life using After Effects editing software.

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