Joe, Ania, and Ryan Fiduccia recently completed their latest project - building an 11-foot tall G1-inspired cosplay suit of Optimus Prime. Simultaneously becoming the only family in the world to offer a Hasbro-approved Optimus Prime replica truck, AND an incredible Transformers cosplay.

"It was time," says Joe Fiduccia. "It was time to up the ante and bring the ultimate Transformers experience into small-town USA."

Fiduccia started this endeavor in February of 2020. With the support of his wife and son, he began making plans for a wearable cosplay suit that pays homage to the very 1st generation of Optimus Prime. With a simple vision and yet minimal prop making experience, he started sketching out a plan of attack. The goal was to finish the suit in less than two months, and once again inspire his son to keep pushing his capabilities.

"I want my son Ryan to do everything he can to live life to its fullest," explains Fiduccia. "Just because we built a replica truck and have done some amazing things with it, that doesn't mean we stop there.  He needs to realize that life is what you make of it. And that he should continue reaching for the stars."

Plans in place, Fiduccia got to work on the suit almost immediately. Progress was moving well, and he planned to unveil it at a convention they were scheduled to attend with their truck in late April 2020. But that is when the world went into quarantine. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and lock-down impacted people from all walks of life. And the Fiduccia's were not immune to its effects.

"Though we are grateful to still have our health, the pandemic placed us in a bad situation very quickly," explains Fiduccia. "Every show we were scheduled to bring our replica truck to in 2020 was either cancelled or placed on hold. We are self-employed, and all of our other businesses stopped running literally overnight. We always try to plan for things like this, but all of a sudden we were facing an uncertain and unpredictable future."

Fiduccia also tells us it was a struggle to stay motivated, and admits he went weeks without touching the project because of the pandemic.

"Let's be honest...it's been a depressing year for our nation thus far. And even today I still don't know what the second half of the year has in store. Because of COVID, I lost my motivation to continue with the build almost immediately after I started. I continue to be grateful for our health and the added time we spent together as a family. So as a father, I tried my best to stay on a positive track. I kept pushing through it, and ultimately completed it."

He goes on to say: "while the truck still stands at number one, this was undoubtedly one of the most difficult projects I had ever taken on," says Fiduccia. "Back in 2012 I built a Megatron cosplay from Transformers Prime. It's the only other cosplay suit I attempted building. While it taught me a lot in prep for this one, it also pales in comparison to the Optimus cosplay."

Towering almost 11-feet tall, their G1-inspired Optimus Prime cosplay features:

• full body rotation 
• two mechanical arms
• a movable head
  
• chest windows that open
• a removable matrix of leadership for children to hold during photo ops
• pneumatic air sound effects
• led cab and eye lighting
• short distance walking mobility 

And all of it breaks down into smaller pieces for easier transport. "It literally takes up the entire rear cab of our Optimus Prime replica truck," jokes Fiduccia. "If we are making an appearance with just the cosplay, we'll need to rent a van in order to transport the parts."

But the end result is a pure show stopper - a cosplay that even industry professionals can appreciate and admire. Here are some photos from when it was finally completed:

"We have the truck, which always becomes a show-stopper as soon as we roll into town. And now we can include the cosplay, which also satisfies the older generation fans who grew up with the 80's cartoon."

Fiduccia says they welcome the opportunity to bring both their truck and their cosplay to family-friendly events anywhere in the world. He also tells us they have implemented new safety measures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, to help ensure fans have an enjoyable and safe photo experience. 

We invite you to watch the following reveal video on YouTube to see more photos from this incredible build. If you would like to inquire about booking this Optimus Prime replica truck or cosplayer, please send us a message.