Late Penalties

This video came across the boards yesterday, and I have to say, it's one of the better, and funnier videos out there with troopers. It's a little black humor since some of the recent school shootings, but lets just assume that his blaster's on stun.

Events Reporting - March 1 - March 30

The following is the reported events for the 501st Legion between March 1, 2008 and March 30, 2008. Please report any errors, omisions or additions, and remember to contact the hosting garrison for up-to-date information on the event in question:


Saturday Mar 1
• Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego
• UK Garrison - Nightline Charity Awards - The University of Nottingham, Nottingham
• Garrison Excelsior- Kid's Expo
• Alpine Garrison - PCMC Camcer Survivor's Movie Night - Salt Lake City, Utah
• Terror Australis Garrison - of Scouting in Australia festival - Australia festival
• 70th Explorers - University Children's Hospital Visit - One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO
• Ohio Garrison - Lazer Xtreme - Star Wars Day - Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130
• Dutch Outpost - Comic Book Convention - Evenementenhal Rijswijk
• Midwest Garrison / Southern Outpost Garrison - 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic Show - 203 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960
• Nordic Garrison - Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention

Sunday Mar 2
• Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego
• Midwest Garrison / Southern Outpost Garrison - 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic Show - 203 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960
• Nordic Garrison - Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention
• German Garrison - Collector's Fair - Münster

Monday Mar 3
• New England Garrison - Acton 4th Grade "Star Party" - Acton, MA

Friday Mar 7
• Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas

Saturday Mar 8
• Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas
• Ohio Garrison - OG Spring Social - Hilliard , OH 43026
• UK Garrison - Cystic Fibrosis Oscar Ball - Fairfax Hall, Kent
• UK Garrison - Addict clothing launch - Addict Store, London
• Terror Australis Garrison - One Man Star Wars Show

Sunday Mar 9
• Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas
• 70th Explorers - ToyMan Toy Show
• Connecticut Garrison - New Haven St Patrick's Day Parade - New Haven
• Great Lakes Garrison - Promo for Muskegon Fury Star Wars Night - Muskegon, Michigan

Friday Mar 14
• Southern California Garrison - Saber Academy - 780 S. Lyon St.Santa Ana, CA 92705
• Mexican Garrison - Videogames Live - Mexicali Baja California Mexico
• Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
• Lunacon 2008 - 699 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, New York 10573
• Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center
• Alabama Garrison - Omegacon - Birmingham Alabama

Saturday Mar 15
• Mexican Garrison - Videogames Live - Mexicali Baja California Mexico
• Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
• Lunacon 2008 - 699 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, New York 10573
• Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center
• Alabama Garrison - Omegacon - Birmingham Alabama
• Great Lakes Garrison - Muskegon Fury Star Wars Night - Muskegon, MI
• Central Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade 2008 - Omaha, NE
• Alpine Garrison - St. Patricks Day Parade - Henderson, NV
• TK-6714 (Florida Garrison) - Sarasota "walk for the Cure"
• 70th Explorers - St. Patrick's Day Parade - N. Benton Ave & E Commercial St, Springfield , MO
• Star Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Little Rock, AR
• Dune Sea Garrison - St Patrick's Day Parade - Phoenix, AZ
• Mountain Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Denver, CO
• Midwest Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Racine, WI

Sunday Mar 16
• Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
• Lunacon 2008 - 699 Westchester Avenue, Rye Brook, New York 10573
• Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center
• Alabama Garrison - Omegacon - Birmingham Alabama
• New England Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Boston Mass.
• Singapore Garrison - St Patricks Day Parade
• Canadian Garrison - 2008 Canadian Star Wars and 80s Toy Expo - Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel and Conference Centre - 3063 South Service Road (Directly off the QEW at Guelph Line)
• Dune Sea Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Tucson, AZ
• Great Lakes Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Detroit, Michigan
• Garrison Excelsior - Village Gate Toy Show
• Southern California Garrison - Girl Scout 96th Bday - Nixon Library, Yorba Linda

Tuesday Mar 18
• Midwest Garrison - Cub Scout Meeting - Sheboygan, WI

Friday Mar 21
• UK Garrison - Legoland Indiana Jones - LEGOLAND® Windsor Park Ltd, Berkshire
• German Garrison - Jedi-Con - Düsseldorf
• Dutch Outpost - JediCon - Dusseldorf, Germany

Saturday Mar 22
• UK Garrison - Legoland Indiana Jones - LEGOLAND® Windsor Park Ltd, Berkshire
• German Garrison - Jedi-Con - Düsseldorf
• Dutch Outpost - JediCon - Dusseldorf, Germany
• Garrison Cardia - Philadelphia 76ers - 3601 S. Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
• Garrison Tyranus - Galacticon - Virginia Beach Central Library

Sunday Mar 23
• UK Garrison - Legoland Indiana Jones - LEGOLAND® Windsor Park Ltd, Berkshire
• German Garrison - Jedi-Con - Düsseldorf
• Dutch Outpost - JediCon - Dusseldorf, Germany
• Spanish Garrison - XVII Jornades de Rol i Simulació del CRUPC - Barcelona
• UK Garrison - Easter Newport Film Fair - Newport Leisure Centre, Newport

Friday Mar 28
• MidSouth Garrison - MidSouth Con - Memphis, TN
• Canadian Garrison - Ad Astra 2008 - Crowne Plaza Toronto, Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Avenue East

Saturday Mar 29
• MidSouth Garrison - MidSouth Con - Memphis, TN
• Canadian Garrison - Ad Astra 2008 - Crowne Plaza Toronto, Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Avenue East
• Ohio Garrison - The Big Robot Game Café - Tipp City, OH 45371
• Midwest Garrison -Inter-Fan Comic Jam - Portage, IN
• Costa Rica Outpost - Fundraiser for Club De Libros: "They have stolen fantasy" - Centro Nacional del Arte y la Cultura, San Jose, Costa Rica
• Georgia Garrison - Young Astronaut's Day - Robins Air Force Base-Warner Robins, Ga
• Great Lakes Garrison - Grand Rapids Griffins Star Wars Day - Grand Rapids, MI
• Alpine Garrison - MS Walk
• Midwest Garrison -Griffins Hockey Game - Grand Rapids, MI
• Terror Australis Garrison - Cancer Council's Relay for Life at Victor Harbor - Victor Harbor
• UK Garrison - Memorabilia - NEC, Birmingham
• Garrison Carida - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA

Sunday Mar 30
• MidSouth Garrison - MidSouth Con - Memphis, TN
• Canadian Garrison - Ad Astra 2008 - Crowne Plaza Toronto, Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Avenue East
• Terror Australis Garrison - Cancer Council's Relay for Life at Victor Harbor - Victor Harbor
• UK Garrison - Memorabilia - NEC, Birmingham
• Garrison Carida - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA
• Georgia Garrison - Cherry Blossom Festival Parade - Macon, Ga
• Georgia Garrison - "The Empire Strikes Back" - Macon, Ga
• Terror Australis Garrison - Run for the Kids

Thus far, we've had 70 events reported, with an additional 290 reported for the rest of the year - 360 total - almost 1 a day! After May, events drop off, but I'm guessing that we'll see each month fill up as time goes on.

Breakdown:
January / February - 70
March - 72
April - 32
May - 31
June - 16
July - 7
August - 8
September - 5
October - 9
November - 4
December - 2

70/290/360

501st on Film

Here's a couple of videos from the past week from the 501st:

501st Legion- Chingay 2008

501st Legion Singapore Garrison with support from Movie Mania, StarWars.sg, SEJA & Fan Force participate in the Chingay Parade 2008. Chingay is the largest annual street parade in Asia!

Rebel Legion & 501st Garrison Behind The Scenes - Globus

A 'behind the scenes' look, showing some of the dedication and planning that went into pulling of this event successfully. It concludes with a group photo of approximately 100 people from all over Europe in full costume. Impressive.

Big THANK YOU to everyone for your corporation during filming & sorry for the wonky camera in certain shots!

501st Franklin Institute

Mission Reports

One of the projects that I've been working on since early January is the Master Calendar. I've sort of assumed the role of Events Tracking / Reporting for the entire legion. It's a somewhat daunting task, given the huge number of people and garrisons out there, but it's a fun one.
The project started when I collected a number of Garrison homepage links for the facebook group the 501st Stormtrooper Division. From there, I started visiting each page and noted down the events listed on the front page or events section, and noted them, along with the garrison, link and event. This seemed like a good idea at the time, and slowly, I started uncovering more and more links and events. The next step was to message everyone in the group, which got back more responses.
The system changed when the 501st Podcast started up, and I e-mailed them the list of events that I'd come up with, thinking it would be a good feature on there. Bugs were worked out, and I created a google calendar to keep track of the growing list of events. By now, I'd started soliciting responses directly. All of the COs, XOs and PROs in the legion were e-mailed and were informed of what I was doing, and I've gotten some responses back - hopefully, this'll be a regular thing, although I haven't had the time to put the list together yet.

How the calendar looks prior to Report

The current events list is compiled in the following fashion: Events information is gathered from several places: The garrison calendars themselves, and from members within the garrison. I have a number of calendars, events pages and garrison sites bookmarked on my computer, with a click of a button, I can open them all and go through the list, one by one.
As each garrison page is visited, I open up the calendar and plot the events down in the following fashion:

DATE
HOSTING GARRISON - EVENT
Location

Other information

I search each garrison's page for new events, and save the list. From there, Google allows for an Agenda, which displays each event in a list, which is copied and formatted in a text document, within the proper reporting dates. This report is then carried on over to this site, the 501st forums and is reported to the podcast, Albin Johnson and at some point, the Legion upper command, when I get around to finding their e-mails.
The report is done each Friday, where it's posted up. Further events are requested, and any errors are pointed out, and corrections are made as they come in, in time for the next report. At times, some events are missed on the podcast due to this deadline and their recording, but they do appear on the forums.
All of the events listed in the report are the public events. I've choosen not to list Garrison meetings, private parties, birthdays and other things where personal identities or parties might not appreciate being identified.
One of the outstanding questions that has yet to be resolved is the intent and purpose of reporting events. One school of thought would be that this is to report to the legion what events the group is attending, which is what it's current role is. The second, which it's filling marginally, is the potential to highlight events that the legion might not necessarily be attending, but which might generate interest for and get people out to see.
Thus far, Tracking and Reporting has been a huge success. A number of people have been thrilled with the idea of a central events tracking system within the Legion, as it hasn't been done before, or at least in a number of years. Albin Johnson's e-mailed me with thanks, which is gratifying - especially to have his approval for the project.
I'm happy that my little experiment has gotten off to such a good start - it's a rewarding task for my spare time, and has been a good way to keep involved, as Vermont's pretty remote when it comes to trooping, although we will be having our first event this year.

Next report is tomorrow.

Ralph McQuarrie made Honorary Member

Yesterday, Ralph McQuarrie joined the growing ranks of the 501st as an honorary membership, presented by the CO of the Neon Garrison, Damien Metz, with a number of notable names in the audience: Mary Franklin, Tom Hodges, John Scoleri, Stan Stice, Mark Fordam, and a number of others.

I was a little surprised to see this - I had assumed that he was made into an honorary member a lot earlier, because really, we owe a lot to this guy, who came up with some of the original designs for the Star Wars movies, including most of the imperials, notably Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers. His art work is absolutely wonderful - if you've never checked out his paintings for the original film, do so, they're quite something.

So, congratulations and welcome to Mr McQuarrie!

Announcement here and here.

U-Mass Hockey Night at Lowell, aka: Storm Troopers on Ice

My most recent troop was this past weekend at Lowell Mass. for one of their hockey games. I have a couple relatives in Lowell, and they were kind enough to drive me in to the stadium, because I wasn't totally sure on how to get there myself.
I arrived just in time - several people were already there, and we got changed and into armor. We were told, when invited to the event, that there would be other people in costume there, but it turned out that we were the only group there. In all, there were ten of us - 4 Stormtroopers, a scout trooper, three officers, Boba Fett and our Republic Commando, Sev - A good turnout for the event.



We were a hit. We started out in the lobby, where we posed for photos and walked around a little. When the game began, we went up to the top walkway and walked a number of laps around, stopping for pictures. The U-Mass pep band played a rendition of Imperial March while we marched down the stairs into the spotlight. Later on in the game, we walked out on the ice during their halftime show, announced as the 501st New England Garrison. We got a lot of people waving and clapping, which was nice. After that, a further two more revolutions around the areana, before heading back down and packing up.
This was the first event that I've been to with my armor upgraded. Since Arisia, I'd made the following modifications to my armor:

* Padded the helmet with foam so that it fits better to my head
* Reinforced the seams with Superglue under the velcro
* New TK Shoes
* Flightsuit

The shoes and flightsuit were nice - I didn't need to try and tape up my sneakers again, which was a plus, and it looks better, while the flight suit just made getting dressed quicker and easier. The reinforced seams were nice, although I need to find a better way to attach the shoulder bells to the shoulders, as I had them coming off a couple times, a general nuisance.
The event helped illustrate a couple problems with the helmet. A) I need fans and some small holes to be drilled, to help with air circulation. I got a little light headed from the duct tape. B) Put something over the tape, because as I sweated, my forhead stuck to the tape, which was a little uncomfortable. Maybe a light hat or something next time.
Oh, and I need to remember to bring my sidearm and holster. I felt very out of place without it.

Several other things to do in the near future:

* Microphone. It's hard to hear in the helmet, and it's difficult to be heard.
* Drop Boxes - I need to find mine. I can't remember where they've gone off to, but it'll be a good thing to get again.
* Left Knee triangle. Need to find a better way to attach wiithout it falling off all the time.

Overall, a really fun troop. Can't wait for St. Patrick's Day!


Full Album of Pictures:
http://www.501neg.com/photos/thumbnails.php?album=849

More Licensed Armor?

This looks interesting, especially after hearing about the Rubies full suit of armor that's to be made:


You Say You Want Great Licensed Star Wars Costumes?
Museum Replicas Joins With Lucas Licensing for Star Wars™ Collectibles

New Agreements Begin This Month for Collectible Replica Clothing and Armor
Fans and collectors will find new lines of collectibles from Museum Replicas and their new licensing division Windlass Studios in 2008; it was announced today by Museum Replicas. Lucas Licensing’s STAR WARS replica clothing and armor licensee will assume the design and production of the high-end, collectible ensembles and full sets of the iconic armor including stormtrooper and bounty hunter armor.

Museum Replica’s line will debut in the spring and continues the remarkable popularity of high-end collectibles for discerning STAR WARS enthusiasts. The line will feature replica clothing and armor of such unforgettable characters as Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Maul, Padmé Amidala, Anakin Skywalker, Boba Fett, Han Solo and Princess Leia.

Newly formed Windlass Studios will develop, manufacture and distribute collectible, limited-edition replicas of full-sized and wearable ensembles. They expect the first ensembles to be available for pre-order in the spring while the armor is set to be unveiled for the first time at San Diego Comic-Con International in July.

The STAR WARS clothing and armor collection can be seen in person at the Museum Replicas/Windlass Studios exhibitor booths at the International Costume Show Las Vegas, San Diego Comic-Con International & Atlanta Dragon*Con 2008


Q&A


I wonder how good this'll look - I get the feeling that it'll be a lot more accurate than the Rubies armor.

March Events

The following is for events between Mar 1 and Mar 30. Please keep in mind that all events are subject to change, and to contact the hosting garrisons for more details. Please let me know if there are any additions or alterations to be made.

Saturday Mar 1
Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego
UK Garrison - Nightline Charity Awards - The University of Nottingham, Nottingham
Garrison Excelsior- Kid's Expo
70th Explorers - University Children's Hospital Visit - One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO
Ohio Garrison - Lazer Xtreme - Star Wars Day - Middleburg Heights, Ohio 44130
Dutch Outpost - Comic Book Convention - Evenementenhal Rijswijk
Midwest Garrison / Southern Outpost Garrison - 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic show - 203 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960
Nordic Garrison - Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention

Sunday Mar 2
Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego
Midwest Garrison / Southern Outpost Garrison - 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic Show - 203 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960
Nordic Garrison - Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention
German Garrison - Collector's Fair - Münster

Monday Mar 3
New England Garrison - Acton 4th Grade "Star Party" - Acton, MA

Friday Mar 7
Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas

Saturday Mar 8
Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas
Ohio Garrison - OG Spring Social - Hilliard , OH 43026
UK Garrison - Addict clothing launch - Addict Store, London

Sunday Mar 9
Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas
70th Explorers - ToyMan Toy Show
Connecticut Garrison - New Haven St Patrick's Day Parade - New Haven

Friday Mar 14
Southern California Garrison - Saber Academy - 780 S. Lyon St.Santa Ana, CA 92705
Mexican Garrison - Videogames Live - Mexicali Baja California Mexico
Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23

Saturday Mar 15
Mexican Garrison - Videogames Live - Mexicali Baja California Mexico
Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center
Great Lakes Garrison - Muskegon Fury Star Wars Night - Muskegon, MI
Midwest Garrison - Muskegon Fury Hockey - Star Wars Night - Muskegon, MI
70th Explorers - St. Patrick's Day Parade - N. Benton Ave & E Commercial St, Springfield , MO
Star Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Little Rock, AR

Sunday Mar 16
Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center

New England Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Boston Mass.
Singapore Garrison - St Patricks Day Parade
Canadian Garrison - 2008 Canadian Star Wars and 80s Toy Expo - Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel and Conference Centre - 3063 South Service Road (Directly off the QEW at Guelph Line)
Garrison Excelsior - Village Gate Toy Show
Southern California Garrison - Girl Scout 96th Bday - Nixon Library, Yorba Linda

Tuesday Mar 18
Midwest Garrison - Cub Scout Meeting - Sheboygan, WI

Friday Mar 21
German Garrison - Jedi-Con - Düsseldorf
Dutch Outpost - JediCon - Dusseldorf, Germany

Saturday Mar 22
German Garrison - Jedi-Con - Düsseldorf
Dutch Outpost - JediCon - Dusseldorf, Germany
Garrison Tyranus - Galacticon - Virginia Beach Central Library

Sunday Mar 23
German Garrison - Jedi-Con - Düsseldorf
Dutch Outpost - JediCon - Dusseldorf, Germany
Spanish Garrison - XVII Jornades de Rol i Simulació del CRUPC - Barcelona
UK Garrison - Easter Newport Film Fair - Newport Leisure Centre, Newport

Friday Mar 28
MidSouth Garrison - MidSouth Con - Memphis, TN
Canadian Garrison - Ad Astra 2008 - Crowne Plaza Toronto, Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Avenue East

Saturday Mar 29
MidSouth Garrison - MidSouth Con - Memphis, TN
Canadian Garrison - Ad Astra 2008 - Crowne Plaza Toronto, Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Avenue East
Ohio Garrison - The Big Robot Game Café - Tipp City, OH 45371
Midwest Garrison -Inter-Fan Comic Jam - Portage, IN
Great Lakes Garrison - Grand Rapids Griffins Star Wars Day - Grand Rapids, MI
Midwest Garrison -Griffins Hockey Game - Grand Rapids, MI
UK Garrison - Memorabilia - NEC, Birmingham
Garrison Carida - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA

Sunday Mar 30
MidSouth Garrison - MidSouth Con - Memphis, TN
Canadian Garrison - Ad Astra 2008 - Crowne Plaza Toronto, Don Valley Hotel 1250 Eglinton Avenue East
UK Garrison - Memorabilia - NEC, Birmingham
Garrison Carida - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA

Podcast #9 Up

The latest 501st Podcast is now up and running! Give it a listen here.

Here's the shownotes from the official site:

Listen in as we discuss news, Mission Reports and upcoming events for the Fighting 501st.
Show Notes: Episode IX (February 20, 2008)
Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Varza (DZ-8772) and Rich Sigfrit (IC-9577)
Post-Production: Rich Sigfrit (IC-9577)
Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397)
Contributors: TD-0013, Burr Martin (TD-9993)

* Stump the Trooper
* Star Garrison: WIRED Photo shoot for FanBoys
* Matt Busch’s How to Draw Star Wars Season 2 (trailer) (all videos)
* Clone Wars: New costumes for 501st?
* Matthew Wood’s Academy Award nomination
* Imperial Knight Ganner Krieg (costume construction)
* Jet Wash, TI-2.5 and fellow traveling troopers (Dodger, TK-0.5)
* Congratulations Bolivia Outpost
* Stormtrooper, Yes I Am (music video)
* Mexican Garrison: Tijuana Beach clean-up
* German Garrison: Karneval Season
* Garrison Carida: Where Science Meets Imagination (video)
* Dewback Ridge Squad: Blood Drive
* Great Lakes Garrison: Richmond Winter & Ice Festival (photos)
* FanWars Garrison: Star Wars: The Exhibition
* A Different Point of View: Episode I
* French Garrison: Migennes Collector Con
* Walks, Marathons and other Fundraisers:
o UK Garrison: London Marathon - April 13th (donation pages: Steve 1, Steve 2, Ray 1, Ray 2)
o Golden Gate Garrison: Bowling for Wishes - Marth 8th (donation page)
o Florida Garrison: Walk to Cure Diabetes - March 15th (donation page)
o Star Garrison: Relay for Life - April 11th (donation page)
o Canadian Garrison’s Capital City Squad: MS Walk - April 27th (donation page)
o Mountain Garrison’s Dewback Ridge Squad: Making Strides against Breast Cancer - April 27th (donation page)
o TD-9993: Public Service Announcement (related videos)
o Quick Calendar of Events:
+ Central Garrison: Rough Riders Hockey Night (Feb 22nd)
+ Central California & Golden Gate Garrisons: WonderCon (Feb 22nd-24th)
+ MidSouth Garrison: ConNooga (Feb 22nd-24th)
+ New England Garrison: UMass Lowell Hockey Night (Feb 23rd)
+ Aurora Borealis Outpost: Fur Rendezvous Parade (Feb 23rd)
+ Southern California Garrison: Make-A-Wish event (Feb 29th)
+ Costa Rica Outpost: Odd Day Celebration (Feb 29th)
+ Southern California Garrison: Con-Dor Con
+ Garrison Excelsior: Kidz Expo (March 1st)
+ 70th Explorers Garrison: University Children’s Hospital visit (March 1st)
+ Dutch Outpost: Comic Book Convention - Evenementenhal Rijswijk (March 1st)
+ Midwest Garrison: 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic Show (March 1st-2nd)
+ Nordic Garrison: Scandanavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention (March 1st-2nd)
+ German Garrison: Collector’s Fair (March 2nd)
+ New England Garrison: Acton Star Party (March 3rd)
o Contest and Giveaway: Win exclusive 501st swag!

More Fanboys Woes...

More Fanboys news has hit the web this morning, and it’s not good. Apparently, the reshoots have been designed to bring the film down to a lower common denominator, more profanity, nudity and no cancer plot. While I’ve been advocating people to withhold judgment, rather than jumping the fence and condemning the movie just yet, this just doesn’t help things.

I’m looking forwards to this movie. I want to look forwards to this movie. I’ll most likely see it opening night. However, whether it’s going to be the original version or the new version will be the major determining factor in whether I will be trooping to the film in armor or not. If it’s the original version, I’ll be there in line, early, in armor. If it’s the newer version, I’ll slink in and sit towards the back.

While I’m not ready to condemn the film yet, I’m not happy with apparent lack of cancer plot and the wrangling that the film companies are doing to this to get what sounds like a sub-par film out to the general public. From what I’ve been hearing, a lot of the heart and soul of this film will be removed. The reasons that the 501^st has such a keen interest here is because of that heart and soul, because it closely parallels with our goals.

Here’s the two articles:

Weinsteins Turning on Fanboys with Revised Fanboys

We've all heard the term 'fanboy' tossed around at one time or another within various categories of obsessions. Probably the most well known usage is for those die-hard followers and fans of Star Wars. Admittedly, I'm not one of those people. But I do know well enough not to mess with them (e.g. cutting in line at a premiere, god forbid), and I certainly wouldn't fuck with a film titled after them. It seems the Weinstein Company isn't so cautious and apparently is materially altering the original concept of Kyle Newman's Fanboys, much to the dislike of many.

Fanboys was originally about a fictitious group of devoted Star Wars fans who make their way to Skywalker Ranch in order to steal an early copy of Episode I: The Phantom Menace. Such a pursuit sounds insane, sure; but they were doing it for their friend who was dying of cancer, and they wanted him to experience the movie before succumbing to his illness. The essence of the film is largely split between the funny, unique dedication of Star Wars fans and the bond of friendship. Sounds like a great, interesting, potentially hilarious flick, right? Most everyone that saw early cuts of director Kyle Newman's version thought so.

However, word comes recently from a variety of sources - most thoroughly Cinematical - that the original, inspiring plot is being taken in a very different direction by The Weinstein Company executives. Gone is the plot line concerning the ill friend, and in its place a forthright escapade of Star Wars fans who seek to steal the Episode I copy out of pure fanboy hunger. Kyle Newman, in fact, is no longer even director - a man who has almost become a hero among these legions of followers. In his place is Steve Brill (who directed Without a Paddle and wrote and directed Little Nicky), who managed a number of late-stage reshoots.

Erik Davis over at Cinematical reports:

"Apparently both versions were screened for test audiences – and the new version only tested two points higher than the old version… But since Weinstein had to justify the fact that they spent an extra $2 million on the re-shoots, they went with the newer, flashier [version]."

The reshot version now lacks the cancer storyline and includes "nudity, lots of F-bombs, the whole works." It seems the Weinsteins are now catering to a lower common denominator. Not only that, Davis' inside source claims there might have been plants in the test audience to artificially inflate the favorability of the new version. Shady!

Outwardly, it seems that the Weinstein Company may be a bit shy releasing a film that is so inside-joke Star Wars-centric that it's hollowing it out a bit for mass appeal. (But why do away with the cancer bit? That aspect of the story at least elevates it to an endearing one of friendship and support.) Of course, changing the script jettisons the to-date cult following of the film, and ensures the general public will only view this story through one mocking, comedic lens.

AICN has posted a letter from "a group of Star Wars fans and the 501st Legion members" who state that they intend to boycott all of the company's films and "attack the Weinstein Company death star, even if it is a suicide mission." If those aren't fighting words… Not that I'm in support of the Weinsteins' new direction, but I'd love to see a massive costumed-up protest!

http://www.firstshowing.net/2008/02/21/weinsteins-turning-on-fanboys-with-revised-fanboys/

And the second article, from Cinematical:

The Dirty Truth About 'Fanboys'

Posted Feb 21st 2008 1:32PM by Erik Davis

Filed under: Comedy, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Fandom, The Weinstein Co., DIY/Filmmaking, Comic/Superhero/Geek

Here's the Fanboys synopsis currently up on IMDb: "Star Wars" fans travel to Skywalker Ranch to steal an early copy of "Episode I: The Phantom Menace" for their dying friend."

Problem is, that's not the movie everyone will see when it eventually hits theaters. There's been a ton of talk surrounding the Fanboy re-cuts; how the cancer storyline was taken out, how Kyle Newman was replaced as director, and how the Weinsteins have pretty much turned Fanboys into a completely different film from what was originally intended. Yesterday, fans wrote into AICN claiming to have donated props for the film, and were upset over all these changes. So upset they were starting a campaign against The Weinstein Co., hoping to get Newman's original cut released instead of this new one.

Thanks to a well-placed, super delegate secret spy source, Cinematical was able to get the real skinny on what was going on with Fanboys. Some of this info is new, some old, but I have confirmed all of it to be true. First off, Kyle Newman definitely was replaced as director for the re-shoots by Steve Brill (Without a Paddle). The "dying of cancer" storyline was completely dumped, and, instead, the fanboys are now trying to sneak a copy of Phantom Menace simply because they're fans and want to see it. According to my source, the story is now "disjointed, nonsensical and lacking any heart."

Oh, there's more ...

Here's where it gets messy: Apparently, both versions were screened for test audiences -- and the new version only tested two points higher than the old version. My super delegate source also claims plants may have been in the audience -- there to pursuade moviegoers to vote against the original version -- but this has not been proven. In two days, after the old version was screened, Brill re-cut the film and they tested it again -- this time it was tighter, dirtier and contained nudity, lots of F-bombs, the whole works. And even with all that, it still only tested two points higher than the old version. But since Weinstein had to justify the fact that they spent an extra $2 million on the re-shoots, they went with the newer, flashier, Without a Paddle-esque version of Fanboys.

This new version, I've been told, is funny, but nowhere close to what it was supposed to be. It was supposed to be for fans who grew up with Star Wars -- it was supposed to be a love letter to George Lucas -- and now it's, well, Without a Paddle 2. The real problem here, I feel, is not so much the fact that the movie was re-shot and re-cut, but that the studio may have been using plants in a test audience to try to get moviegoers to sway their opinion. What the f*ck is the purpose of a test audience then?

There's some more that I can't get into, but there you have it. There's still no word on when the film will arrive in theaters (if at all), but I'll be checking out a cut of Fanboys soon and will report back on how it is.

Neither of these bode well. Let’s hope that LFL will throw some weight around and get the original version back.

501st in the News

Another thing that I'll post up is news that I can find, usually after events and things like that. Here's the first:

The Peoria Symphony Orchestra strikes back
'Star Wars' Suite closes rousing rendition of pops, Western-themed pieces
Monday, February 18, 2008
by GARY PANETTA

PEORIA - Move over Boston Pops.

The Peoria Symphony Orchestra might provide a little competition for you.
Saturday's symphony concert would have done Arthur Fiedler, the late, great pops conductor, proud. Not only was there an ample serving of the music of John Williams - from "Star Wars" and "E.T." as well as the soundtrack from "The Cowboys" starring John Wayne - but there was a little bit of spectacle and staging as well.
The concert's closing moment, for instance, was picture perfect: Well-armed Imperial Storm Troopers in white; Darth Vader in black, helmet glinting in the stage light; a fleet of young people from Prof. John Jost's Bradley Chorale singing strange words in Sanskrit - all slowly rising out of the Civic Center orchestra pit as the symphony played on, upping the tension in the already tense final section from Williams' "Star Wars" Suite.

The cinematically-correct re-enactors came compliments of the 501st Legion of Imperial Stormtroopers, Midwest Garrison, who also were in the lobby before the show and during intermission - standing guard, wielding light sabers, posing for pictures with "Star Wars" fans and in general providing the obligatory intergalactic atmosphere.

And why not? Music went with the movies long before words did (where would silent films be without keyboard accompaniment?) making this medium as musical as it is visual. So the Peoria Symphony's pops-style celebration of movie music was quite on target: If movie music doesn't belong in the symphony hall, then selections from opera and ballet don't either.
As usual, music director David Commanday - who also provided a witty and brief commentary before each piece - made some intelligent selections. By placing Aaron Copland's richly textured and imaginatively orchestrated "Red Pony" right after Williams' "The Cowboys" Overture, Commanday demonstrated how much Williams owes to Copland, and yet how original Williams sounds in his own right. Likewise, another crowd-pleasing piece on the program - Gustav Holst's "Mars, the Bringer of War," from "The Planets" - no doubt influenced Williams as he composed for "Star Wars."
By now, it's obvious that there's a healthy bit of Hollywood in Commanday, who couldn't resist wearing cowboy boots during the concert's first half in honor of Williams and Copland's Western-themed music. Commanday has a sense of drama and an ear for making the most of colorful orchestrations and fine shadings of dynamics, and by now he has this orchestra well-trained. That deep orchestral growl that opens Richard Strauss' "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (the "2001" theme) was positively mysterious; the subtle swelling and ebbing of volume gave the music a raw power. The Holst, meanwhile, was delivered with theatrical menace. You could almost hear the tanks rolling in (and the piece was written before tanks were invented).
Although the "Star Wars" Suite, which closed the program, predictably won a standing ovation, I thought the really masterful performance took place during the concert's first half with "The Red Pony." The orchestra was absolutely first rate as it plumbed this wonderful film score, which is by turns colorful, rhythmic, energetic, lyric, funny and always profoundly human, much like the John Steinbeck story that the movie is based on. Copland's music has a way of taking you to the heart of things, and the orchestra deserves credit for letting us rest there a while.

Source

Rubies to Sell Full TK Armor?

It looks like Rubies will be making a full set of Storm Trooper armor, according to a small note in the official Star Wars Blog from the New York Toy Fair on Feb 19th:

the supreme edition Stormtrooper armor, which is the closest you’ll get to the real thing without vacu-forming your own plastic.

Source

I'm a little apprehensive here. Apparently, what was unveiled was a prototype, seen in the image here, and the quality can go up. I have a Rubies Helmet, and while it looks good, there have apparently been some issues with quality when it comes to trooping - It's not 100 & accurate, just below 501st Standards, which will probably cause problems when people purchase these and try and join the group.

That being said, it will be interesting to see a suit made available to the general public, although the price is really steep - $800, almost twice what an FX suit costs. Plus, it won't come with the shoes.

While I'm personally not a huge stickler for accuracy, I do recognize it's importance with the group, as we don't want really crappy costumes out there. Generally, the legion seems to be a bit split here, with people being okay with the new suit, and with others not terribly thrilled with the prospect.

Calendar Report: Feb 20 - Mar 16

Here are the 501st events reported between February 20th through March 16th:

Wednesday Feb 20
Central Garrison - Travelers Employees Club Event - St. Paul, MN

Friday Feb 22
Central Garrison - Rough Riders Hockey Star Wars Night - Cedar Rapids, IA
Central California and Golden Gate Garrisons - Wondercon - Moscone Center South 747, Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103
MidSouth - ConNooga - Chattanooga Tennessee
Garrison Tyranus - ShevaCon - Roanoke, VA

Saturday Feb 23
Central California and Golden Gate Garrisons - Wondercon - Moscone Center South 747, Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103
MidSouth - ConNooga - Chattanooga Tennessee
New England Garrison - UMass Lowell Hockey Night - Lowell, Mass
Alpine Garrison - Annual Meeting
Aurora Borealis Outpost - Fur Rendezvous Parade - Anchorage, AK
French Garrison - Migennes Collector - Migennes, France
Garrison Tyranus - ShevaCon - Roanoke, VA

Sunday Feb 24
Central California and Golden Gate Garrisons - Wondercon - Moscone Center South 747, Howard Street San Francisco, CA 94103
MidSouth - ConNooga - Chattanooga Tennessee
French Garrison - Migennes Collector - Migennes, France
Garrison Tyranus - ShevaCon - Roanoke, VA

Friday Feb 29
Southern California Garrison - Make a Wish event - San Diego
Costa Rica Garrison - Odd Day - San Josa, Costa Rico
Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego

Saturday Mar 1
Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego
Garrison Excelsior- Kid's Expo
70th Explorers - University Children's Hospital Visit - One Hospital Drive, Columbia, MO
Dutch Outpost - Comic Book Convention - Evenementenhal Rijswijk
Midwest Garrison / Southern Outpost Garrison - 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic Show - 203 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960
Nordic Garrison - Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention

Sunday Mar 2
Southern California Garrison - Con-Dor Convention - San Diego
Midwest Garrison / Southern Outpost Garrison - 2nd Annual Metropolis Comic Show - 203 East Front Street Metropolis, IL 62960
Nordic Garrison - Scandinavian Sci-Fi, Game and Film Convention
German Garrison - Collector's Fair - Münster

Monday Mar 3
New England Garrison - Acton 4th Grade "Star Party" - Tenative - Acton, MA

Friday Mar 7
Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas

Saturday Mar 8
Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas
UK Garrison - Addict clothing launch - Addict Store, London

Sunday Mar 9
Star Garrison NTX Squad - All-Con - Dallas Texas
70th Explorers - ToyMan Toy Show
Connecticut Garrison - New Haven St Patrick's Day Parade - New Haven

Friday Mar 14
Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center

Saturday Mar 15
Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center
Great Lakes Garrison - Muskegon Fury Star Wars Night - Muskegon, MI
Midwest Garrison - Muskegon Fury Hockey - Star Wars Night - Muskegon, MI
Star Garrison – Little Rock St Patrick’s Day Parade, Little Rock, AK
70th Explorers - St. Patrick's Day Parade - N. Benton Ave & E Commercial St, Springfield , MO

Sunday Mar 16
Carolina Garrison - StellerCon 23
Southern California Garrison - Wizard World Con 2008 - Los Angeles Convention Center
New England Garrison - St. Patrick's Day Parade - Boston Mass.
Canadian Garrison - 2008 Canadian Star Wars and 80s Toy Expo - Holiday Inn Burlington Hotel and Conference Centre - 3063 South Service Road (Directly off the QEW at Guelph Line)
Garrison Excelsior - Village Gate Toy Show
Southern California Garrison - Girl Scout 96th Bday - Nixon Library, Yorba Linda
Singapore Garrison - St Patricks Day Parade

If you wish to attend these events, contact the hosting garrison, as these events could be canceled. Keep in mind that not all of these events will be open to the public.

Introduction

This is something that I've been meaning to start for a little while now - a separate 501st blog about things in the Legion, from my perspective.
Over the past several months, I've gotten more active in the legion. I've since rebuilt my armor, redoing all of the Velcro and seams, helmet, the whole shebang. Just yesterday, I got proper TK shoes, something I haven't had before. I've also since picked up a navy flight suit for under the armor, which is long overdue, and really effective.
I'm currently assembling a set of Scout Trooper armor, which should be completed sometime this year, and I'll talk about the building process from my limited perspective.

In addition to building armor, I've also started a major project that involves the entire legion - Event Tracking / Reporting. I've been contacting and searching garrisons for their events, and every Friday, I've been reporting the events to the Garrison, and will continue to do so through here.

I'll also report on the various events and news articles that come across my plate.

Troop On!