Happy 501st Day everyone!

Well folks, it is May 1st, better known to costumers as 501st Day. Deciding to join the 501st was one of the greatest decisions I have made and would recommend it to anyone. We are often mistaken as a bunch of nerds and geeks that can't get women and like to prance around in costumes and play with our pew pew plastic guns, I have seen the news stories. But that would be the furthest from the truth. I have found a new family within the Legion, a group of super creative craftsmen and women who share the love of a movie franchise, but also have huge hearts that take the time to volunteer their time and resources to bring smiles to children's faces.

While in the 501st I have participated in many events that involved sick children including Autism, Cystic Fibrosis, Hydrocephalus and even met some Make-A-Wish kids at Star Wars Weekends. These troops can be very difficult because can be hard to stay in character when meeting these kids. It is always humbling knowing that your day to day issues are nothing in comparison to their struggles.

Like I mentioned before we are one big family thousands strong around the world. When we hear of a fallen trooper that has succumb to an illness or was in an accident, you feel it as if you have lost a close friend. The same when you hear of one of the kids you met have passed. It can really get to you, but it just drives you more to want to participate and get more creative and move on to the next best costume.

I have been part of the Legion since 2010, right before Star Wars Celebration V and now we are on the eve of Celebration VI. When I started I only had the wampa, attending a convention knowing very little people in a big costume I felt like I was on my own in a way in a organization filled with people in armor. Now going into CVI, I have 5 costumes planned. Plus I will get to meet up with all the new friends I have made in the past years. It will truly be a family reunion of sorts. I really look forward to seeing my Stormtrooper mentor Hyper, and the rest of the Great Lakes Garrison who brought me up to Michigan last year for a troop. They were the ones that really opened up my eyes with the legion beyond Florida.

Plus there is no better place to see creativity on display then Celebration. 501st members from all over the world will be meeting in Orlando this summer, and expect BIG surprises from some garrisions. Trust me, I have seen what the Belgian's have been up to!

http://www.501st.com/
http://starwarscelebration.com/

Check out the Star Wars Celebration VI commercial

Check out some of my fellow 501st buddies in the national commercial with Mayor Teresa Jacobs as Princess Leia welcoming people to Orange County to visit Star Wars Celebration VI. Tampa Bay Squad members include Tim as Darth Maul, Jason as Tarfful, Mark the Royal Guard, Brian as Darth Vader and Gaines as an Imperial Officer. Also included a handful of other 501st and Rebel Legion guys and girls to round out an even amount of good and bad. Great job guys!

The Latest Sith Lord in the 501st! I have been approved!

Yes folks, my latest costume was approved this week, and this has been one of my dream costumes since joining the 501st. I am now SL-2638, representing the Sith Lord Emperor Palpatine. The biggest bad guy in the entire Star Wars Saga. (well not including Jar Jar Binks, but that would be a topic that would fill an entire post.) I am a big fan of good ol' Palpy. It all started as a kid when I got one of these in the mail.

Kenner made Palpatine one of their mail away figures. To a 9yo kid this was one of those things that blew your mind. I got this guy and he is special, he was the one that was Darth Vader's boss! Sure we saw the monkey faced version of him in Empire, but once Jedi came out that was it, he was the real bad guy. Watching Vader act like his lapdog and unable to resist, he really scared the crap out of kids. But why would I want to scare kids..... oh, well because it is fun. With a face like this, you do get double takes from the little kids.

 But that really isn't what we are supposed to do in the 501st. So what approach do you take when playing the character. Some folks stick with the stoic approach. The senator that rose to power to control the entire galaxy without whining about his dead family (take that Anakin!). Sure that is a good approach, but after watching the movies as many times as I have I see another character. A cocky smartass that is drunk with power. Just watch as he snubs and toys with the Jedi in the prequels, watch as he mocks Luke and belittles Vader all in one breath. And being the smartass that I am, I have a lot of fun playing with the kids, and nobody helped that character develop into a fun one to play to the kids than Robot Chicken.



Seth Green and his bunch saw Palpatine the same way I did. I personally think Palpy stole the show in all 3 of their Star Wars episodes. With him, I knew I would have to talk to people in this costume, and well I don't have the accent of the great Ian McDiarmid, I would have to find a voice for the character. It only took one time for someone to walk up to me and give me the "My Lord" from the clip above to know thats what I have to do. The first troop I did in the prosthetics, I couldn't shut up. I had kids surrounding me asking me questions like I was the Dark Lord of the Sith wondering who trained me, why did I chose Darth Maul, Dooku and Vader. I was having a blast. By adding a little bit of Robot Chicken Palpy, my vast knowledge of Star Wars, and coming off listening to the Darth Plagueis novel, I had all the answers which actually had the parents starting to ask questions. It is fun having Darth Maul at the troops being able to try to recruit new young apprentices  getting down to their level and saying "oh that guy gets cut in half" or pointing to Vader and giggling and saying "Ohhh I miss Padme". Oh and the laugh, boy is that fun. So expect to see more of Palpatine around the Tampa Bay area, Star Wars Celebration VI and maybe even marching in Star Wars Weekends Parade at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

2012... this year should be fun

Like last year I started the year with a State of the Wampa address. So this year should be no different. First of all I would like to recap last year as one hell of a year. We started the year launching the new Disney Dream cruise ship. Took the Wampa to two conventions including Megacon and Motor City Comic Con up in Michigan. Then the Wampa was chosen to be part of the Star Wars Adidas Campaign! So to say 2011 was the year of the Wampa is an understatement in my opinion. But it wasn't all the Wampa, 2011 also brought in a pair of Stormtroopers.Genna and I both built ANH Stormtroopers, a Stunt and a Hero build. I got to participate in my first Star Wars Weekends at Disney. I also was able to be part of a Kelby Training video with Doug Sonders with the Stormtrooper and Daisy Duke with the General Lee.

Also for 2011 our Squad with the 501st grew and met some really great new friends that are begging to help work on the Wampa. We established Wampa Workshops with Brian, Tim, Genna and Mark and it feels good to have some extra help and opinions when it comes to the suit. Along with the Wampa Workshops comes the Sith Lord Workshops. Tim finished up his Darth Maul in the last few weeks, and now I am finally working on Palpatine. As for the 2012 plans for the Wampa, don't expect retirement anytime soon. I will be taking it out for the opening Weekend for Phantom Menace in 3D, but it will be back to the workshop after that. With all that travel in 2011 comes wear and tear and 2012 will bring much needed repair & improvement time. So this year, I am skipping Megacon to ensure a fully working Wampa at Star Wars Celebration VI, which is returning to Orlando Florida August 23-26. I plan on bringing the Wampa out again, have it on display some of the days, and wear it on Saturday. I will be repairing the arms and making them more articulated, as well as possibly a new head sculpt! So, there is a short set of plans for 2012... and I leave you with one more little hint on a costume. Expect a big surprise with this costume at C6!