It’s been two weeks since I posted the Maldynado Hat Design Contest, and we’ve had a lot of great (humorous!) entries. I was going to pick a winner this weekend, but there were quite a few hats that made Maldynado’s ears perk. So… I’ve picked out a few finalists to post today. If you’re so inclined, let me know which sounds (or looks) best, and I’ll take your opinions into account when finally choosing a winner. The winner’s hat will be used in Book 5, and he or she will also receive signed paperbacks of the first four books.
Thanks, all!
Hat Entries
Seth:
Gail:
I’m thinking porcupine quills, a lot of them sticking out, so it looks like a porcupine is sitting on his head. Except this is Maldynado so of course the quills would be dyed some ridiculous color. I can see it being an aviator like cap.
Christian:
This time he had done it – this was unquestionably the hat of a killer. This was a serious, no-nonsense hat for serious no-nonsense people. It was black, low, and sleek, made of the finest brushed velvet and meticulously handcrafted by master millinery artists. It oozed menace, and whispered of blood-soaked deeds carried out by dark men of sinister purpose. This was The Hat. He was vaguely surprised Sicarius didn’t already own one. He added a large, bright pink plume sticking jauntily out of the side. There. Perfect.
Sonya:
1. People are always ready to re-fight the last battle. Having just lost a quick but decisive skirmish with gravity, he’s determined to be better-prepared the next time. Thus, his chapeau of choice in this case is a solid, reliable pith helmet. In this case, though, it is decorated with a scene of hummingbirds in a field of flowers, painted in brilliant blues, greens, and purples; worked over with gold and silver filigree and brightly colored beads; and with a curtain of rich green mosquito netting suspended from the brim. That way, he’ll be ready to blend in in any jewel-toned magical forest glades he should encounter.
Tilly:
Dawn:
I am thinking that it is about time Maldynado got a nice turban that is tastefully striped in alternating red and white silk cloth. It would have a large gaudy “ruby” set in gold on his forehead. And it would need a large red feather sprouting out of the ruby and curling over his back. Naturally he may have to end up sacrificing this gorgeous creation to make bandages, so it could be useful as well decorative.
Cassandra:
A yellow snakeskin fedora. Specifically albino burmese python skin which is a creamy white and bright yellow. And I think it would need matching feathers in the band to complete the look.
Jane:
How about a shako with a plume on it?
A shako is a tall, cylindrical military cap, usually with a visor, and sometimes tapered at the top. It is usually adorned with some kind of ornamental plate or badge on the front, metallic or otherwise, and often has a feather, plume (see hackle), or pompon attached at the top.
Carolyn:
1) As Maldynado has had all of 20 minutes at the helm of the dirigible, he undoubtedly has earned the right to call himself an “aviator”. I suggest a close-fitting leather cap with goggles, but in a color that will catch the eye (like fuschia).
Anna:
I think he might feel the need to incorporate a little more practicality into his style now that he’s been through so much with the team. I was thinking he could have a sweeping, feathered hat, full of gold and silver swirls, with a descending set of goggles and glasses. Of course, the whole ensemble would have to be ridiculous and fail in some way or another, properly fitting Maldynado’s characteristic slip-ups. Maybe he’d even have a blade hidden somewhere in the device! I can see him hitting the control panel now!
“Wow. Let’s see what this one does! Ah, Sicarius, I didn’t mean for that to happen!”
David:
The drinking game hat.
A broad rimmed hat in some outrageous shade of lime green with a series of six to eight scarlet tassels hanging off the brim.
The hat is sold incomplete as the wearer or player is expected to add the wax sealed corks from various implausibly named and expensive bottles of wine to the tassels as the night wears on.
Possibly with a indent in the top designed to hold the base of a glass of wine, so Maldynado can win bets for dancing the jig or hornpipe without spilling his wine.
Rebekah:
Here’s my idea: What about a Spartan- type hat? 🙂 I drew a couple of pictures of them. The color I’m not so sure about, but I’m sure These types of Maldynado-worthy hats come in all sorts of colors. 🙂 here’s the link to my pictures. http://artoflonewolf.blogspot.com/2012/05/picture.html
Lynne:
My mom told me about this contest during dinner and I immediately thought of the following hat. Said hat is hard to describe, and easier to explain how to make.
Take a pair of silk, ladies victorian bloomers with a thick ruffle on the waist, that go to the mid thigh. Turn them upside down, so that the opening on the hat would be where ones waist normally goes. Take the ruffle off the legs and stuff one leg down the other, then sew them together. This should result in a poof on the top of the hat. Take the end of the poof that is closest to what you want the back of the hat to be and tack it to the seat of the bloomers. This is to prevent the poof from falling down in ones face as you flee. The ruffle should just flop down and give the same sort of appearance that cockatoo feathers do when the birds are irritated. Place on head and you have a very distracting and distinctive hat.
The color of course would have to be beige. Nevermind. Knowing Maldynado he would never wear a color as mundane as beige. It needs to be ecru.
As you can imagine, the description of said hat made it very hard to finish dinner.
Sonya:
Hat #1: Beyond tactics and sound judgment, the single most important quality in naval officers is the ability to present an image of being unflappably, totally in control. This hat was made with that ideal firmly in mind. In many respects, it was a standard-issue black naval bicorne. However, this hat, unlike its more mundane contemporaries, rested entirely on a large gyroscopic balance within the crown, so as to be always level no matter how much the wearer pitched or swayed. It was made to offer a sailor the image of his or her commander being a fixed, reliable, and immutable point on a turbulent ship. Whether it would in fact do so at sea was unknown, but it certainly tended to impart a strangely unsettled feeling in onlookers on land – most of whom would only gradually become aware that, depending on your point of view, either the hat was staying still while the man moved under it, or the man was staying still and the hat was slowly roaming around his head. It was unnerving. And produced in Maldynado the pronounced desire to fidget.
A last comic from Seth who entertained us with several entries on Facebook:
Definitely this one: Christian:
This time he had done it – this was unquestionably the hat of a killer. This was a serious, no-nonsense hat for serious no-nonsense people. It was black, low, and sleek, made of the finest brushed velvet and meticulously handcrafted by master millinery artists. It oozed menace, and whispered of blood-soaked deeds carried out by dark men of sinister purpose. This was The Hat. He was vaguely surprised Sicarius didn’t already own one. He added a large, bright pink plume sticking jauntily out of the side. There. Perfect.
I like Dawn’s idea — and I think Amaranthe (or Sicarius) would definitely make Maldynado unwrap his turban for bandages.
I also vote for Dawn’s hat!!!
I love the comic at the bottom!
For hats, I like the gadgety ones. It’d be funny if he had a swiss army knife hat and it kept malfunctioning.
I’m thinking –
Cassandra:
A yellow snakeskin fedora. Specifically albino burmese python skin which is a creamy white and bright yellow. And I think it would need matching feathers in the band to complete the look
Or-
Christian:
This time he had done it – this was unquestionably the hat of a killer. This was a serious, no-nonsense hat for serious no-nonsense people. It was black, low, and sleek, made of the finest brushed velvet and meticulously handcrafted by master millinery artists. It oozed menace, and whispered of blood-soaked deeds carried out by dark men of sinister purpose. This was The Hat. He was vaguely surprised Sicarius didn’t already own one. He added a large, bright pink plume sticking jauntily out of the side. There. Perfect
I like Jane’s hat. And yes, I love the comic at the bottom!
Anna’s hat! Definetely! I am envisioning Captain Haddock’s Black feathery hat worn at the end of TinTin the movie – in Maldynado’s colors naturally- but more air pirate style and WITH a hidden blade!
Ugh lol wrong reply – will post again at right spot!
I like Christian’s hat design first, and also Sonya’s.
Either:
Tilly
~or~
Dawn
I can so see the bandage forcing (much to his chagrin and Sicarius’ intimidation I am sure). Tilly’s wrap with the beads is something stylish and outrageous enough for me to imagine Maldynado in it. Just think of how Sicarius will want to strangle him when he’s trying to choose hats while Amaranthe is in kidnappee mode, probably being tortured for answers.
My vote is for Tilly’s creation. It is stylish, and in the heat of armed conflict, so totally distracting to his opponents.
I vote for Dawn’s turban!
I like Christian and Sonya’s hats the best. I want to wear Sonya’s hat while teaching 🙂
Totally Christian’s! I was laughing for a full five minutes.
Chritian
Or
Dawn
Are you sure maldynado doesn’t make it through more than one hat? Because some of these are just too good!
Yes! Oh, yes, please!
Sonya’s bicorne
AND
Lynne’s bloomers (except fushia, not ecru)
AND
Cassandra’s snakeskin fedora
AND (at last)
Christian’s killer hat!
Dawn’s. Hands down.
As much as I think he needs an aviator’s hat, I don’t think any of them are flamboyant enough.
I do love the picture of the turban, but I am stuck on the bloomer pants. I just can’t choose!
I like the turban idea… But Lynne’s bloomers are my favorite. 😀
I vote for Jane’s idea, the shako with a plume, and Seth’s weapon hat.
I vote for Tillys
So many great ideas! Christian’s, however, had me rolling on the floor laughing. Totally something I can imagine Maldynado wearing (and thinking!).
Christian’s hat, I think, though Dawn’s bandage one or Sonya’s naval one would be interesting.
(There are two entrants by a “Sonya”, folks. 🙂 )
I could see Christian’s hat causing some problems by making the group a bit more visible than they should be at an inopportune moment.
I vote for christian’s hat
Mmm. Either Christian’s “hat of a killer” or Sonya’s “gyroscopic bicorne.” I really can’t pick; I think I’d be disappointed whichever one didn’t appear.
Maybe Maldynado needs more than one new hat?
Although now that I think of it, I think I’d be more disappointed if the gyroscopic bicorne didn’t make the cut.
Christian’s “killer” + pink plume hat takes my vote. Awesome.
Can’t vote for myself, but I do love Christian’s hat. It’s hilarious. It also sounds a little like Maldynado’s thought processes. I think it’s very well done.
I like Lynne’s hat as a stop gap measure until he can get to a town and purchase Christian’s hat. I’m sure that Lady Buckingcrest had an extra change of clothes stashed on board if for no other purpose than to lend truth to a future assertion that the airship had been stolen.
Christian’s is perfect! Of course Maldynado would think of his hat as a daring murder accessory – when in reality….
Plus I like the idea of being vague enough that the audience is left dreaming up all kinds of wild things on top of his head.
For me it’s got tobe Sonya’s ifitcan died ,
I rather like Rebekah’s hat. It’s garish and bold, while still staying juuuuuust this side of plausible. And it strikes me as the kind of thing that, in the right the environment, would seem perfectly reasonable at the time. Of course, it would still seem horribly out of place whenever you weren’t in the middle of whatever activity made giant feather hats seem normal. (Maybe a local Mardis Gras equivalent?)
And, as a plus, you could have people get used to using it to spot him in a crowd – only to eventually find out that they’ve been following the wrong person for 20 minutes because there was someone else out there wearing the same hat… 🙂
I don’t know… It might be overdone in steampunk circles (even though EE isn’t actually steampunk), but I think Maldynado should give the aviator cap and goggles a spin, considering their latest airship escapade. Then again, I don’t know what their adventures are like in EE5, so I don’t know what he would consider appropriate for the occasion he’s donning it on.
I say let Maldynado vote! XD
I personally like Dawn’s idea, the turban most certainly could end up as bandages (and the ruby just might end up the perfect key for an oddly shaped keyhole…) despite the fact that Maldynado won’t willingly give up his prized hat.
Anna’s hat! Definetely! I am envisioning Captain Haddock’s Black feathery hat worn at the end of TinTin the movie – in Maldynado’s colors naturally- but more air pirate style and WITH a hidden blade!
Reply
Tilly’s hat is so much fun, and there are so many things that can be done with it!
I LOOOOVE Tilly’s turban. how awesome !! definitely Tilly. all the way
i vote for tilly. very nice, kinda different and flashy.
Tilly’s turban, that thing is sweet
I vote for Tilly~
I love Tilly’s hat so unique and colorful.
Tilly’s got my vote. I love the whole colorful arabian look.
TILLY! TILLY!
I like Tilly’s hat, it is very festive 😀
I vote for Tilly!
2 votes for Christian’s and Anna’s hat designs. They seem to be the hat Maldynado would wear, now that he’s really into the statue, and, plus has a lady to impress 🙂
Christian’s hat! So hilarious. Second vote for Tilly’s since it’s beautiful though.
First Choice is of course the hat by CHRISTIAN!
Second choice is Sonya’s hat.
Many of these hats sound interesting but my first choice is the one by Christian. It seems more appropriate to the character than most of the others.
Vote 1 = Christian
Vote 2nd = Sonya (appropriate to the character also)
1. Christian’s killer hat
2. Dawn’s turban
I vote for tilly. Her hat is beautiful and so many things can be done with it.
I like Cassandra’s snakeskin fedora best with Christian’s hat of a killer with a nice aqua or teal feather as runner up.
Definitely Christian’s.
I vote for Christian’s hat! I love his description and I can totally see Maldynado turning what would probably be a perfectly nice hat into something completely ridiculous.
I definately vote for Christians 🙂