Everyone who meets enough of their heroes in real life is capable of being disappointed, like when the guy who so brilliantly plays an aggressive jerk on TV turns out to actually be one, or when the film director whose movie’s subtext you swore you understood tells you your interpretation of his work is way off-base (that second one may have happened to me in a very public forum. Or it may just be hypothetical. You’ll never know!). Point is, not everyone you think is cool from a distance actually is cool, which is why it does my heart good to know that Mythbusters‘ Adam Savage has exactly the kind of childhood backstory you would imagine. From making space helmets out of ice cream tubs to attending school in a full metal suit of armor, he was committed to building stuff that, perhaps ironically in hindsight, made him feel mythic.

And that’s what led him to cosplay, as an adult, which still seems to bring out a childlike glee in him. Given that his chosen costumes tend to be so elaborate they make him really physically uncomfortbale, that glee is essential for survival. Check out his TED talk about coming to costuming, and admire the hell out of the retro Jaws outfit from a time when people designing Halloween outfits for kids neither gave a crap nor thought logically.

The revelation that he had misjudged a certain reaction to one of his characters is particularly nerdy in its analysis, and as such, awesome.

Now, how many of you out there have ever cosplayed as Adam Savage? Have you ever missed a crucial character detail? Let us know in comments below.

Image: Adam Savage