The VT Trooper

We've Moved!

2008-08-06T14:08:00.001-04:00

I just moved one blog over, and now, The VT Trooper is moving as well. Please update your bookmarks accordingly. Our new home is:

http://tk3220.wordpress.com

Thanks!

Fallen Trooper: William Snell

2008-08-05T16:49:00.003-04:00

It is with great sadness once again that I have to write this - the 501st has lost another of it's family, this time William Snell, age 18, of the Carolina Garrison. William was not a full member of the 501st, he was currently in the middle of the registration process, although he has trooped with the Carolina Garrison for years as a TK.
He was involved in a car accident, I'm assuming sometime today, and was a great friend of the late Katie Johnson.

Our hearts go out to the family. A reception at his home will be held August 7th. For more details, contact the Carolina Garrison

501stCast: MiniCast: August 4, 2008: Founder’s Mission Report from Celebration Japan

2008-08-05T09:28:00.000-04:00

August 4th, 2008 — Interview, MiniCast

Legion Founder Albin (TK-210) Johnson gives a firsthand account of Star Wars Celebration Japan, talks with Star Wars artist Tsuneo Sanda and model-making legend Lorne Peterson, and provides a sneak peak at the latest 501st Legion documentary film Star Warriors.

Show Notes: Founder’s Mission Report from Celebration Japan (August 3, 2008)

Host: Albin Johnson (TK-210)

Post-Production: Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Content Development: Michiko Wilkshire (TS-2611), Stuart Wilkshire (TS-969)

Contributors: Matsuo San (Mr. Sanda’s friend and long-time translator)

Links

Galleries

Standard Podcast: Download

Events Report - August 5-31

2008-08-04T10:33:00.000-04:00

The following events have been reported for the 501st Legion between August 5th and August 31st. Please note that all events are subject to change without notice, and you should contact the hosting garrison prior to attending any event.
Please let me know if there are any errors in this report:

Tuesday Aug 5
Southern California Garrison - Burbank Neighborhood Watch Block Party - Burbank, CA

Wednesday Aug 6
Canadian Garrison - Oro-Medonte Minor Soccer - Burl's Creek Park
Weird Al Concert - Grand Prairie, TX

Thursday Aug 7
Southern California Garrison - Children's Miracle Network/CHLA-Radiothon
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert
UK Garrison - Tongwynlais Community Fun Day - Tongwynlais

Friday Aug 8
UK Garrison - RAF Fylingdales Fun Day - RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire
Midwest Garrison - Wedding
Midwest Garrison -CHILDRENS CANCER CAMP appearance - Frankfort, IL
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert
70th Explorers - MDA Summer Camp - Bear River Ranch, Highway EE, Rolla, MO
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Premiere Fundraising - Tempe Cine Capri
Nordic Garrison - Clone Wars pre-launch - Oslo, Norway
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F

Friday Aug 8
UK Garrison - RAF Fylingdales Fun Day - RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire
Midwest Garrison - Wedding
Midwest Garrison -CHILDRENS CANCER CAMP appearance - Frankfort, IL
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert
70th Explorers - MDA Summer Camp - Bear River Ranch, Highway EE, Rolla, MO
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Premiere Fundraising - Tempe Cine Capri
Nordic Garrison - Clone Wars pre-launch - Oslo, Norway
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F

Saturday Aug 9
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Premiere Fundraising - Tempe Cine Capri
Nordic Garrison - Clone Wars pre-launch - Oslo, Norway
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F
Southern California Garrison - Clones for Kids (WB/LFL CW Screening)
Canadian Garrison - SW:CW, Toronto Blue Jays - Rogers Centre, Toronto, ON
Garrison Carida - Adelaides Place Fundraiser - Collegeville, PA
Canadian Garrison - Balloon Festival, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Star Garrison, Arkansas Squad - Little Rock Comic Book Convention - Little Rock, AR
Weird Al Concert - Springfield, IL
Garrison Excelsior - Rochester Red Wings SW Night - Rochester, NY
Garrison Carida - Clone Wars Screening - Pittsburgh, PA
Garrison Carida - Picnic with National Guard - Sring City, PA
Dune Sea Garrison - Summer Kids Events at Bookmans - Phoenix, Az
Nordic Garrison - Party

Sunday Aug 10
Nordic Garrison - Clone Wars pre-launch - Oslo, Norway
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F
Florida Garrison - Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention - Tampa, FL
Garrison Carida - Corvettes for Kids - Barto, PA
Weird Al Concert - Rockford, IL
Empire City Garrison - Clone Wars Screening - New York City, NY
Southern California Garrison - Armor Party
Garrison Carida - Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Visit - Pittsburgh, PA
Terror Australis Garrison - Clone Wars Release
Nordic Garrison - Star Wars: Clone Wars preview - Park Biosalong, Stockholm, Sweden

Tuesday Aug 12
Malaysia-Brunei Outpost - THE CLONE WARS Movie Special Premiere Screening - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Wednesday Aug 13
German Garrison - Vorpremieren von "The Clone Wars" in ganz Deutschland - ganz Deutschland
New England Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Providence Place

Thursday Aug 14
Southern California Garrison - Siggraph Nokia Theater Clone Wars Screening
Florida Garrison - Miami Children's Museum - Miami, FL
Southern California Garrison - MCTSSA Camp Pendleton Family Day
Southern California Garrison - Orange County Clone Wars Midnight Release
Florida Garrison - Miami Children's Hospital - Miami FL
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Cine Capri - AZ

Friday Aug 15
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Cine Capri - AZ
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Regal Theater
New England Garrison - AMC Danvers Clone Wars Opening - TENATIVE
Bloodfin Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Indianapolis
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Fort Myers
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Sawgrass Mills 23
Alpine Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Stadium 10
Southern California Garrison - Egyptian Theater SW:TCW Benefit Screening
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Movieco
STAR WARS: CLONE WARS NORTH AMERICAN RELEASE - THEATERS
Weird Al Concert - San Mateo, CA
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Premiere - Tucson, AZ
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Merrittt Island
Garrison Excelsior - Clone Wars Release, Regal Henrietta - Regal Henrietta, Henrietta, NY
Pacific Outpost - Clone Wars Release, Ward 16 Theatre - Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii
Bloodfin Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Fort Wayne
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Harkins - Tuscon, AZ
Bloodfin Garrison - Clone Wars Release - Bloomington, IN
Bloodfin Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Evansville - Tentative - Evansville
Empire City Garrison - Clone Wars Release
Garrison Tyranus - Clone Wars Theatrical Premiere at the Gallery at Military Circle - Norfolk
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Rave Motion Pictures Bayou 15

Saturday Aug 16
Garrison Tyranus - Clone Wars Theatrical Premiere at the Gallery at Military Circle - Norfolk
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Rave Motion Pictures Bayou 15
German Garrison - Eine Spende von Freude und Lachen - Trier, Feldstrasse 16
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, regal cinema
Garrison Carida - Annual Toy Drive - Carlisle, PA
Alabama Garrison - Clone Wars, Huntsville
Empire City Garrison - McDonald's PARC Event - Cortlandt, NY
Weird Al Concert - Monterey, CA
Southern California Garrison - Orange County Clone Wars Saturday Night
UK Garrison - Kidstock - Jock Farm, Essex
Northeast Remnant - Mid Jersey Comic con
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Lakeland
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Pinellas Park Regal - Pinellas Park FL
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Southland Mall - Cutler Bay, Fl
Malaysia-Brunei Outpost - The Clone Wars tie-in Fan Activities
UK Garrison - Pre Collectormania Glasgow - Braehead Shopping centre, Glasgow

Sunday Aug 17
UK Garrison - Pre Collectormania Glasgow - Braehead Shopping centre, Glasgow
Terror Australis Garrison - Kiwanis Club Clone Wars Release for Disabled Children
Southern California Garrison - Armor Party
German Garrison - Star Wars Familien Sonntag - Berlin, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, Köln, Lünen, Solingen, Stuttgart
Great Lakes Garrison - Monroe Humane Society Annual Fundraiser - Newport, MI

Monday Aug 18
Weird Al Concert - Sacramento, CA

Wednesday Aug 20
Weird Al Concert - Vernon, BC

Thursday Aug 21
Weird Al Concert - Victoria, BC

Friday Aug 22
Weird Al Concert - Coquitlam, BC
Mountain Garrison - Bubonicon - Albuquerque, NM
Canadian Garrison - Fanexpo - Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, ON

Saturday Aug 23
Mountain Garrison - Bubonicon - Albuquerque, NM
Canadian Garrison - Fanexpo - Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, ON
Florida Garrison - Pottery Barn Kids Event - Jacksonville, FL
Weird Al Concert - Coquitlam, BC
Garrison Carida - Pottery Barn Merchandise Release - King of Prussia, PA
Carolina Garrison - Habitat for Humanity Picnic
Great Lakes Garrison - Sterling Heights Public Library Star Wars Day - Sterling Heights
German Garrison - Bayernpark 6 - Reisbach

Sunday Aug 24
Mountain Garrison - Bubonicon - Albuquerque, NM
Canadian Garrison - Fanexpo - Metro Toronto Convention Center, Toronto, ON
Southern California Garrison - Armor Party
Terror Australia Garrison - Defence Lake Attack - Albert Park Lake

Monday Aug 25
UK Garrison - Aldington Soapbox Derby - Aldington Soapbox Derby, Kent
Cloud City Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Tuesday Aug 26
Weird Al Concert - Monroe, WA

Wednesday Aug 27
Weird Al Concert - Arcata, CA

Thursday Aug 28
Weird Al Concert - Lancaster, CA
UK Garrison - Marsh Farm Fun Day for Disabled Kiddies - Marsh Farm Country Park, Essex
70th Explorers - Slackers Star Wars night at GCS Ballpark - Sauget, IL

Friday Aug 29
Tawain Outpost - STAR WARS : CLONE WARS Taiwan Premire
70th Explorers - Star Wars night at the T-Bones - Kansas City, KS
Dragon*Con - Atlanta, Georgia
Canadian Garrison - Festival des montgolfières - Vader Balloon - Canada - Gatineau

Saturday Aug 30
Dragon*Con - Atlanta, Georgia
Canadian Garrison - Festival des montgolfières - Vader Balloon - Canada - Gatineau
Great Lakes Garrison - Out of This World Weekend - Washington Township
German Garrison - Kid's Day - Uden / NL
Florida Garrison - Jacksonville Main Library Event - Jacksonville, FL
Dutch Outpost - Kid's Day - Uden
Florida Garrison - Roger Dean Stadium, Jupiter Hammerheads Game - Jupiter, FL

Sunday Aug 31
Dragon*Con - Atlanta, Georgia
Canadian Garrison - Festival des montgolfières - Vader Balloon - Canada - Gatineau
UK Garrison - CLAPA Summer Party 2008 - Frank Lee Centre, Cambridge
Carolina Garrison - Star Wars Symphony - Anderson, SC
Garrison Carida - Faith City Family Church Backpack Giveaway

Craptions - July 30th

2008-08-01T18:24:00.002-04:00

This just came across the NEG boards:

- Time to listen to some Dropkick Murphys, drink 37 pints, and get revenge on those f**ing tiny bear things.
- WHY AREN'T YOU WEARING GREEN? EVERYONE IS SUPPOSED TO BE WEARING GREEN? GO HOME "NOW" AND PUT SOME GREEN ON? MOVE IT, MOVE IT, MOVE IT!!!!
- "Thhhe rebel plansh are not in the main computer... We're gonna need to check out thish other pub, I mean computer..hic!"
- Go ahead jawa. I f**king DARE you to type something funny about me.
- Ironically this picture was taken before Happy Hour
- Open the pub doors! Open the pub doors!
- How the f**k did these guys get costumes that are so awesome when they couldn't even afford clovers that aren't just paper cut-outs?!
- The empire's covert invasion of planet Ireland went off without a hitch. If you wear green, hand out free brews and carry a gun, no one asks any questions.
- Something, anything had to be done to improve the storm troopers aim. Thats when Lord Vader had his wildest Idea. ..... Lucky Charms
- You should see how they celebrate 420
- "Hey! Hey Storm Trooper, say 'all your base are belong to us'!"
The photographer was subsequently shot.
- Troopers!! To the PUB!!

The rest are here: http://www.cracked.com/craptions/craption/933

The trooper pictured? That's me.

501st Caught on Camera

2008-08-01T11:27:00.008-04:00

The latest pictures from Flickr from the past week. With San Diego Comic Con, Celebration Japan and the recent Toys R Us event, there were a lot of pictures!

I don't think these guys were 501st, but still cool:

Dewback @ Celebration Japan:

Mini-Scout:

UKG Troopers at the One Man Star Wars show:

Canadian trooper at Otakuthon2008:

A Biker Scout... on a bike. Do you know how long I've been waiting for a picture like this?

And, San Diego Comic Con pictures:

Toys R Us Pictures:

Event Report: Gaming Event @ The Fletcher Free Library

2008-08-01T10:12:00.000-04:00

This was a very low-key event on the part of the Fletcher Free Library that Mike and I attended. We both arrived around 1:30, where a number of gaming consoles had been set up, and several kids had arrived to play games against one another.

We suited up and mingled with the children from about 2-3:45 or so, even playing against them a couple of times, and answering their questions about the Empire. Overall, it was a fun event, because the handful of kids there were really happy to see us, which is my primary motivation for this. Hopefully, it will serve as a jumping point for future events with the library.

I had a couple problems with my armor - putting on a shin, I heard a loud CRACK, and the glue split, which wasn't a good sound - I thought that I'd broken the entire part, which thankfully wasn't the case. I also had a couple of snaps separate, but I bought some glue to fix that problem. Yay for White Duct Tape.

Ainsworth Case Rulling

2008-08-01T08:39:00.001-04:00

Ruling Splits Star Wars Case

Lucasfilm Ltd. and a British prop designer both claimed victory on July 31 in a legal battle over the iconic stormtrooper uniforms from the Star Wars films, the Associated Press reported.

George Lucas's film company had sued Andrew Ainsworth, who sculpted the stormtrooper helmets for the first Star Wars movie in 1977.

British High Court judge Anthony Mann ruled that Ainsworth violated Lucasfilm's U.S. copyright by selling replica stormtrooper uniforms through his Web site to customers in the United States.

But Mann refused to enforce in Britain a $20 million judgment Lucasfilm won against Ainsworth in a California court in 2006. The judge said Ainsworth's U.S. sales, which totaled 25,000 to 30,000 pounds ($50,000 to $60,000), were not significant enough to make him susceptible to U.S. jurisdiction.

The judge also rejected a claim against Ainsworth under British law, saying English copyright over the outfits had expired. Ainsworth's lawyer, Seamus Andrew, said the ruling meant that Ainsworth was now free to sell his replicas everywhere except the United States.

Mann also rejected a counterclaim by Ainsworth that copyright rested with him.

Welcome to the Dark Side

2008-07-31T10:15:00.001-04:00

This article just came in from Tulsa World:

Welcome to the Darth side

by: MIKE AVERILL World Scene Writer
7/31/2008 12:00 AM

Why would Sam Bell choose the Dark Side? "Ask anybody who the best villain is. Even people who don't know 'Star Wars' know who Darth Vader is," Bell said.

Sam Bell always loved the Storm Troopers in the "Star Wars" films. Growing up, he watched the movies and played with the toys. "Now," he said, "I'm my own action figure."

Bell is the head of the Oklahoma Fire Team of the Star Garrison, part of the 501st Legion, or Vader's Fist — an organization whose members dress in costume as members of the Empire. Bell and other members of the 501st Legion will be decked out this weekend at DefCon 7.

"The conventions are for fun," he said. "If I can make one kid smile, I don't care how much I spend on armor. That's all I care about."

Members of the 501st Legion will check for admission badges at the entrance to the convention and will also have an information booth.

"And we want to make sure that no rebels are acting up," he joked.

Bell purchased most of his outfit on eBay and assembled it with hot glue, foam and Velcro. His blaster is hand-made through resin casting. He said his outfit cost about $600, but some people spend up to $1,200.

"I saved up my money and bought everything piece by piece," he said.

The 30-piece uniform is lightweight plastic.

"The disco boots are the heaviest part of the outfit," Bell said.

He declared that the 501st Legion is George Lucas' preferred group.

"We pride ourselves in being as close to the movies as possible. We're not extremely strict, but we are portraying people's childhoods and hopes."

So why does Bell align himself with the Dark Side instead of siding with the Rebel Alliance as a member of the Rebel Legion?

"First, it's simply cooler," he said. "Second, I've always been attracted to the shiny armor."

And there's the fact that the Storm Troopers are led by one of the best villains, Darth Vader.

"Ask anybody who the best villain is. Even people who don't know 'Star Wars' know who Darth Vader is," Bell said.

Bell's been a "Star Wars" fan since his father took him to see "Return of the Jedi" at a drive-in theater.

" 'Jedi' was the first movie I'd seen. I remember loving seeing things that I never could imagine were possible. The biker scouts zipping through the forest hooked me."

He also enjoys the Star Wars films because they have a story that other movies try to live up to.

"It shows humanity at its best," he said. "There's turmoil and overcoming that turmoil and delving back into it. And I'm simply just a geek."

About the 501st Legion

The Oklahoma Fire Team has nine members, one short of being a squad, and the Star Garrison — which encompasses Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Oklahoma — has 170.

The goals of the 501st Legion are to celebrate the “Star Wars” movies through the wearing of costumes, to promote the quality and improvement of costumes and props, and to contribute to the local community through charity and volunteer work, its Web site says.

The 501st Legion has more than 4,000 members around the world, even in Antarctica.

For more information on the Star Garrison and how to join, go online to tulsaworld.com/stargarrison or e-mail info@stargarrison.com

Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/lifestyle/article.aspx?articleID=20080731_17_D1_hAbout389210

FAMILY: 'Star Wars' convention at The Summit

2008-07-31T10:12:00.000-04:00

This article just came online:

FAMILY: 'Star Wars' convention at The Summit

July 31, 2008 09:48 am

— By Anthony Custode Jr.

Light ... saber, action!
The National Star Wars Convention rolls into town this weekend at Omega Sports in The Summit mall. Brenden Bronson, owner of the sports memorabilia store, expects a huge turnout.
As of Monday, there were 120 tickets remaining of the 3,500 made available. The convention is unique compared to the autograph sessions he normally holds at the store, Bronson said.
“We have a ‘Star Wars’ DJ and a band. We also have a laser light show and smoke machine inside and an epic battle between Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader,” Bronson said.
Of course, it wouldn't be a “Star Wars” convention without stars from the movie. According to Bronson, David Prowse, Jeremy Bulloch and Felix Silla, who played Darth Vader, Boba Fett and the hang-gliding Ewok from “Return of the Jedi,” respectively, will be on hand to sign autographs and mingle with fans.
Bronson also says he expects a “massive amount of celebrities,” including World Wrestling Entertainment diva Tammy “Sunny” Sytch. There are other celebrities tentatively scheduled to appear, as well.
Sytch says she looks forward to the convention, even though it isn't wrestling-related.
“I've been booked for signings at other (”Star Wars” conventions) and it's actually a lot of fun,” Sytch said. “Everybody expects to have a great time and meet their favorite characters. It's a fun, friendly atmosphere, and we're just trying to give them a good time.”
Bronson said the attendance of the 501st Legion, a fan organization whose members often dress up in Stormtrooper armor, will be a huge hit.
“The 501st Legion will be here all dressed up, and it's great because they actually look better then the characters in the movie because they spend so much more time on their costumes,” Bronson said. “They look amazing. I'm actually more excited about getting my picture taken with the legion because I'm such a big fan of the movie.”
Although hosting a convention with such a popular theme may be new to the Niagara Falls area, Bronson said he holds one annually, but the location changes each year.
“Last year was in Las Vegas, this year is in Niagara Falls and next year will be in Tampa, Fla.,” he said.
Sytch believes making appearances at these conventions will help enlarge her already popular fan base.
“Wrestling fans and ‘Star Wars’ fans are usually one in the same, but if I meet some people who aren't wrestling fans, maybe I can turn them on to it and hopefully turn them into a fan of mine,” Sytch said. “I do love meeting new people. The more people I meet, the broader my fan base gets.”
There will also be movie passes given away to the upcoming theatrical release “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” at the convention, Bronson said.
General admission tickets are $50 and VIP tickets are $100. Both tickets will allow access to the convention on each day, but the VIP ticket grants access to autographs from all celebrities in attendance.
Autograph signings will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, but a complete list of stars appearing has not been released. According to Bronson, that’s done by design.
“We like to have a few surprises that people don't know about so they think, ‘Wow, this is a great deal,’ ” he said.

IF YOU GO
* WHAT: National Star Wars Convention
* WHEN: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
* WHERE: Omega Sports in The Summit mall, 6929 Williams Road, Wheatfield
* MORE INFORMATION: Call 605-0985 or visit summitniagara.com
http://www.niagara-gazette.com/nightandday/local_story_213094925.html

Interviewed for Online Gaming Radio

2008-07-30T12:13:00.003-04:00

This is from a really long time ago:

Design & Conquer 101st Storm Trooper
Mon, 08, May 2008
Download this episode (15:56)
Interview done during Northeast Wars. Interviewed Andrew from the 101st Storm Trooper.

This was back during Northeast Wars, one of the first troops back in Vermont earlier this year. I've since sent them an e-mail to get them to correct the title to 501st.

Their website: http://www.onlinegamingradio.com

More NEG Oddities

2008-07-30T09:51:00.002-04:00

This video, taken during the Midnight Toy Release, features one of our TKs:

Imperial Commando Novels

2008-07-29T13:32:00.002-04:00

Looks like Karen Traviss isn't done with the Republic Commando novels after Order 66. In a recent interview with Randomhouse, she mentioned that she will be writing a couple Imperial Commando novels, and a Boba Fett novel:

Q: What other projects are you working on, both Star Wars—related and in your own fictional universe?

KT: I'm concentrating wholly on military and political fiction for the foreseeable future. I'm having a wonderful time working on Gears of War, which is a profoundly intelligent and well-created universe about a squad of soldiers in a post-apocalyptic world — yes, there are chainsaw rifles, but it's also very smart stuff - and I'm continuing the Republic Commando series in Imperial Commando books. There are a few other SW books in the pipeline too, including a Boba Fett one. In my creator-owned work, I'm writing a political thriller series about mercenaries, set in the very near future . I'll also be doing some comics work, which is something I've wanted to do for a long time. So, no vacation for a few years....or sleep....!

Looks like she won't be able to put her armor together any time soon...

Extended Clone Wars Clip!

2008-07-29T10:10:00.001-04:00

Yahoo movies has posted an exclusive clip from the Clone Wars movie. The 3:49 minute clip details an early battle sequence in the movie, and contains some minor spoilers. Keep an eye out for the 501st Clones with jetpacks.

Take a look here:

http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1809991325/video/8977211

Man, that looks awesome.

The Force is with them

2008-07-29T09:48:00.003-04:00

This fantastic article came in from the Star Tribune, out of Minnesota:

The Force is with them

By Randy Salas, Star Tribune

Adam Brown, 6, left, and Sam Liang, 6, both of St. Paul, were surprised to find a real person — Steve Carter, 56, of Woodbury — behind what they thought was a static stormtrooper outfit during a visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota. “It freaked us both out,” Adam said.

July 29, 2008
It's not every day that you're riding an elevator and the doors open to admit an ominous "Star Wars" villain. But that's exactly what happened on a recent visit to the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul.

Enter Boba Fett, the lethal bounty hunter whom Darth Vader dispatched to track down Han Solo in "The Empire Strikes Back." As the imposing armored figure silently strode into the crowded elevator, trapped families and others quickly parted to the perimeter. One small boy ducked behind his father's legs, peering out in wide-eyed awe.

Later, in a secluded room at the huge museum, the faceless Fett removed the helmet to reveal not a ruthless male warrior, but a bright-eyed St. Francis woman named Stacie Hanson, who was all smiles.

"I just love it!" she said about impersonating one of the coolest, baddest dudes from the popular sci-fi films. "Seeing the kids' reactions is great -- even the parents'."

Hanson is one of a few dozen Twin Cities fans who appear regularly as "Star Wars" characters in authentic costumes that they often put together themselves. You can catch them Saturday and four other dates in August at the museum's special exhibit "Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination," but you're just as likely to see them in a community parade, at a store opening or even at a charity event.

And they do it all as volunteers.

They belong to local chapters of the 501st Legion and Rebel Legion, companion costuming clubs that have the blessing of "Star Wars" creator George Lucas as long as they adhere to rules that include:

• The costumes must look authentic.

• The general public can't see any members partly costumed -- not wearing a helmet, for instance.

• Members can't be paid for their costumed appearances. (The nonprofit Science Museum has given them volunteer benefits, such as free admission and Omnitheater passes, said Joe Imholte, project leader for special exhibits.)

It's all about authenticity

Members of the 501st and Rebel Legion look as if they just walked off a "Star Wars" set. They compare constructing their costumes to building a scale model. Even if they don't make the parts -- usually ordered from specialty replica companies or other fans -- they paint, trim and do other things to customize the components to fit their bodies.

Hanson, 28, who works at a finance company, estimates that she has spent "well over $2,000" on her getup for Boba Fett, a character she takes turns playing with two other Twin Cities fans, who have their own costumes. She's continually upgrading, too, with plans to add working lights and a cooling fan for the sweltering helmet, for example. And Fett is just one of four "Star Wars" characters she portrays.

"This is my main hobby," she said.

Then there's Mike Hansen, 39, of Woodbury. He has built a full-sized, working replica of R2-D2, the cute dome-shaped droid and plucky sidekick of the golden C-3PO.

Hansen's R2 unit beeps and whistles. It also rolls around, rotates its dome and lights up -- all controlled remotely by Hansen, whose day job is at an insurance company.

He wouldn't say how much he has spent on the little fella other than "it was a lot." What's more, he added, his R2 might never be done. Planned upgrades include opening doors and a periscope.

"He looks so good that if I'm not where people can see me, they think he's right from the movie and totally running on his own," he said.

Dealing with the skeptics

Now, the reaction from nonfans of "Star Wars" might be, "What is with these people?"

Steve Carter, executive officer of the 501st's Central Garrison, has heard it before. The 56-year-old Woodbury resident, a technology company executive, says skeptics often experience what he calls "scoff and awe."

"Initially, they scoff at the idea of a grown man wearing a costume in public," said Carter, who plays Darth Vader and a stormtrooper. "But then when they see me in it, the scoff is quickly followed by awe. Once I am in costume, I rarely have anyone make fun of me."

Ed Cook, 28, commanding officer of the Rebel Legion's Central Base, doesn't let derisive comments get to him.

"Obviously, we can't take ourselves too seriously," said Cook, a Minneapolis resident who works for a mortgage company. "We're grown adults who go out and play dress-up, basically. But when you do a charity event or have a kid come up to you and see the smile on their face, it's just so totally worth it."

Chad VanVorst, 35, of Maple Grove, knows all about it. Another 501st member who plays Darth Vader, he's swarmed by young fans at events.

"It's cool to interact with the little people at that level," said VanVorst, who works at an insurance brokerage firm. "They look past the darkness -- the armor, the immediate visual ugliness that Darth Vader is. When you see those wagon-wheel eyes and the big mouths just agape, it's fulfilling."

As VanVorst stood in the Science Museum recently in full Vader gear -- all 70 pounds of it -- a tiny girl slowly but bravely approached the Dark Lord of the Sith. She whispered something indiscernible. VanVorst bent down and asked her in Vader's deep, amplified voice to repeat the words.

"High five?" she said a little louder.

He gently patted his gloved hand against her open palm. She hurried back to her waiting family, grinning all the way.

Source

There are some more pictures on the website.

The NEG being Wacky

2008-07-28T14:35:00.000-04:00

My home garrison being weird:

Hasbro Mentions 501st Legion

2008-07-28T11:23:00.002-04:00

This is a really neat mention, a disclaimer really. With the release of a special 501st toy, there is a special membership card for the 501st Legion. Not our 501st Legion, but the other one - the one from the films. Scott Will, our merchandising person, noted this to Hasbro, and they put up the following disclaimer:

*This figure does not confer membership in the 501st costuming club. If you are interested in learning more about the costuming club and the great philanthropic work they do, please visit www.501st.com.

It's a nice bit of recognition, especially with the work that we do, and with a company that's so big and well known.

Source

Review: The Clone Wars

2008-07-28T11:03:00.001-04:00

[This review contains spoilers for The Clone Wars]

Earlier this year, the Star Wars Lit community was abuzz with the news of a couple of things - that there was an untitled Karen Traviss novel coming, and that there was a Clone Wars movie coming out. A couple of months ago, fans learned that they were both connected, as Karen turned out to have been writing the novelization.
The release of The Clone Wars brings about the first book released in the time frame since Traviss's last Republic Commando novel, True Colors, which was released last year, and once again shows that Traviss is one of the better writers for the Clone Wars.

This novelization isn't the best work that Karen has released. The book is a very short one, and plotwise, has a bit to be desired. In a nutshell, the Seperatists have kidnapped the son of Jabba the Hutt, hoping to anger the Hutts enough to ensure that the Republic can't utilize their space lanes.

The book is rife with action, which is Karen's strong point, especially when it comes to Clones. the main characters are introduced with a battle, where Karen puts her expertise gained from the Republic Commando books. What I really enjoyed was seeing an author put a level of military realism to this - the Clones talk and act like soldiers.

Karen leaves a lot of nods to the 501st, helping to further explain the role of Vader's fist, the battalion seen in Revenge of the Sith, named for the 501st Legion. One of the more interesting characters in the book is Captain Rex, whom a number of Legion members are building in anticipation of the film's release. Karen pushed these guys to a particular prominence in the book, which is a great nod to the group, of which, she's an honorary member. There weren't any mentions of Republic Commandos, which surprised me a little.

The plot of the book leaves more to be desired beyond the military sections. There are some interesting political ideas here, but the idea that the Republic would send two of their most highly regarded Jedi after a Huttling is somewhat ridiculous. While this is addressed somewhat at points, I found it hard to believe.

More so, I found the notion that the Hutts, or more particularly, Jabba, would completely base foreign policy on a kidnapped child a ridiculous notion. Granted, this is a novelization based off of an animated movie, so expecting something on the level of Karen's other books or other Clone Wars novels such as Shatterpoint is somewhat expected.

Unfortunately, the book is short, clocking in at around 250 pages, taking me a total of five or so hours to read. Fortunately, Del Rey seems to have realized this, and as a result, I only paid $12 for the book (yay for a 40% discount at Borders).

Overall, this is a decent enough read, despite the fact that it is short and not as good as her other books. However, with four more books to go in the series, there's plenty of room for more improvement and Clone action.

7/10

Pictures from Toys R Us

2008-07-28T08:16:00.001-04:00

Now that the weekend is now over, we've gotten all of our pictures in from the Williston event. Here's some of the highlights:

Mission Report: Williston Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release

2008-07-26T14:56:00.003-04:00

The Vermont contingent of the New England Garrison turned out in its biggest gathering on Friday night at the Williston, Vermont Toys R Us to participate in their midnight Clone Wars toy release. The event saw three troopers, Andrew Liptak, Mike Anton and David Willard, appear, as TKs, to mingle with the small crowd of people who had waited in line for the opening. We also had three helpers, Stephen, Hayes and Ashley as wranglers, who took a number of pictures and helped us out when needed.
It was a small turnout for the store, but by 11:00, a small line had formed, and several people trickled in afterward, while we patrolled the aisles and posed for pictures. The store employees were thrilled to have us, and overall, it was a good, low-key event.
This was the first chance that I had to debut my upgraded armor, which worked fairly well - I had a couple of problems with my sniperplate, but for the most part, the glued sections worked well - I need to work on my shins, because I glued the parts on backwards.

Fanboys Release Date & Review

2008-07-25T13:44:00.002-04:00

A lot of places are covering the San Diego Comic Con, and a blog I frequent, Cinematical, has posted up their review:

SDCC Update: Cinematical Has Seen 'Fanboys'!

... and, ya know, it's pretty darn adorable.

Last night a special screening of Fanboys was held here in San Diego, and Cinematical was on hand to witness what producer Kevin Spacey (in attendance) called "the third annual screening of Fanboys -- next year, we're going to series!" Director Kyle Newman and writer Adam Goldberg were there -- as well as an assorted number of suits, one imagines -- and they were met by a packed house of nutty Star Wars fans. The theater had absolutely no air conditioning and it was standing room only, so you can understand these weren't ideal screening conditions. Nevertheless, the first words started scrolling up ... and the folks in attendance ate up every minute of the film from then on out.

Opening in theaters (either wide or in limited release -- Weinstein hasn't decided yet) on September 19 (a date announced by Newman last night), this is apparently the final cut of Fanboys. I won't go into the whole two-year-labor-of-love thing because Scott still needs to swing by here and throw out his review. I will say, though, that this is not just a film for Star Wars fans -- it's a film for any geeky dude or dudette who's ever horsed around with their friends, gone on a nutty adventure and inserted random movie quotes into every other line of dialogue. This flick has so many friggin' Star Wars references -- and movie references in general -- that it's just a ball to watch them all hit the screen at warp speed. And the cameos! All I'll say is that when Judd Apatow came on to help things move along, he brought with him a bunch of friends.

Oh, and one more thing: Out of all the dude sweat in this film, Kristen Bell totally steals the show. What a cutey.

Fanboys. September 19.

Very good news! I can't wait!

Events Report - July 26 - August 14

2008-07-25T12:32:00.001-04:00

The following events have been reported between July 26 and August 14, 2008. Please keep in mind that all events are subject to change without notice and to contact the hosting garrison prior to attending any event.

Friday Jul 25
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Southern California Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Dune Sea Garrison - Toys R Us Clone Wars Midnight Opening Event - Mesa AZ
UK Garrison - TRU Croydon - Toys R Us, Surrey
New England Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Williston, VT
Star Garrison, STX Squad- Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Garrison Excelsior - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - TENTATIVE - Greece, NY
Florida Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Garrison Carida - Toys R Us Midnight Madness sale - King of Prussia, PA
Weird Al Concert - Rama, Ontario
UK Garrison - TRU Medway - Toys R Us, Kent
Florida Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Jacksonville, FL
Alabama Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Mobile AL
UK Garrison - TRU Leeds - Toys R Us, West Yorkshire
Carolina Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Monaco Outpost - Toys r'us Midnight and Madness - Paris -La Défense CNIT 4 temps
Mountain Garrison, Dewback Ridge Squad - TRU Midnight Toy Release - Albuquerque, NM
New England Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Nashua, NH
Midwest Garrison - Party
Carolina Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Bloodfin Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Indianapolis, IN
UK Garrison - TRU Bristol - Toys R Us, Bristol
UK Garrison - TRU Ipswich - Toys R Us, Suffolk
UK Garrison - TRU Oldbury - Toys R Us, West Midlands
UK Garrison - TRU Southampton - Toys R Us, Hants
Southern California Garrison - ESPN Deportes Party
New England Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Framingham MA
New England Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Warwick, RI
Garrison Carida - Toys R Us Midnight Madness - Monroeville, PA
Northeast Remnant - TRU Times Square Midnight Toy Release
UK Garrison - TRU Glasgow - Toys R Us, Glasgow

Saturday Jul 26
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
70th Explorers - Toys R Us Star Wars Midnight Toy Release - Springfield, MO
UK Garrison - The Entertainer - The Entertainer, Staines
Florida Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Boca Raton, FL
Costa Rica Outpost - Expo-Legionarios - San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa RIca
Great Lakes Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Florida Garrison - Filming
Great Lakes Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Florida Garrison - St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa - Tampa FL
Empire City Garrison - Giant Kids Family Fun Day - Bedford, NY
Garrison Carida - Chrome Riders Cooper Fair - Mullica Hill, NJ
Garrison Cardia - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PAMonroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA
Terror Australis Garrison - Anime Convention
Midwest Garrison - Timber Rattlers Baseball-Star Wars Day *Make*A*Wish* benefit - Appleton, WI
Dune Sea Garrison - Susam G. Koman Breast Cancer Walk Fundraiser - Phoenix, AZ
Weird Al Concert - Greensburg, PA
Pacific Outpost - Midnight Madness - Star Wars: The Clone Wars
MidSouth Garrison - North Stewart Spring Festival - North Stewart, TN
Terror Australis Garrison - Autosalon '08 - Perth, AUS

Sunday Jul 27
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Terror Australis Garrison - Autosalon '08 - Perth, AUS
70th Explorers - Camp Quality Greater Kansas City - Excelsior Springs, MO
Southern California Garrison - Armor Party

Monday Jul 28
Dune Sea Garrison - Karen Traviss Clone Wars Book Signing - Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ
70th Explorers - Slackers Star Wars night at GCS Ballpark - Sauget, IL
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert

Tuesday Jul 29
Star Garrison - Karen Traviss Book Signing - Dallas, TX
Central Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Wednesday Jul 30
Georgia Garrison - Karen Traviss Book Signing - Decatur, GA

Thursday Jul 31
Empire City Garrison Karen Traviss Book Signing - New York City, NY
Mountain Garrison, Dewback Ridge Squad - UNM Children's Hospital Troop - Albuquerque, NM
New England Garrison - Fletcher Free Library Game Day - Burlington, VT

Friday Aug 1
German Garrison - Deutsch Amerikanisches Volksfest Grafenwöhr - Grafenwöhr
Central Garrison - Omaha Royals Baseball Game - Rosenblatt Stadium - Omaha, NE
Weird Al Concert - Calgary, AB
Midwest Garrison - Kunzel conducts CSO in John Williams Tribute - Tenative - Ravinia, IL
Terror Australis Garrison - Star Ball Melbourne - Melbourne, AUS
Northeast Remnant - Toms River Library Event - toms river NJ
Garrison Excelsior - Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally - TENTATIVE - Binghamton, NY
Outpost Venezuela - Avalancha Convention 2008 - Santa Maria University - Caracas
Garrison Excelsior - Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally - Binghamton, NY

Saturday Aug 2
Outpost Venezuela - Avalancha Convention 2008 - Santa Maria University - Caracas
Garrison Excelsior - Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally - Binghamton, NY
Northeast Remnant - Toms River Library Event - Toms River NJ
German Garrison - Deutsch Amerikanisches Volksfest Grafenwöhr - Grafenwöhr
Florida Garrison - Wedding
Midwest Garrison - Party
Connecticut Garrison - ConnectiCon - Hartford CT.
Great Lakes Garrison - AJ's Family Fun Centers Star Wars Day for Make-a-Wish - Grand Rapids
Weird Al Concert - Enoch, AB
Alpine Garrison - Hess Heritage Museum Fundraising Gala - Tentative - Ashton Idaho.
UK Garrison - Keech Cottage Family day - Hen and Chicken Pub, Herts
Florida Garrison - Literacy/Family Day - Clermont, FL
UK Garrison - Entertainer Fun Day ~ Yeovil - The Entertainer Store,
Midwest Garrison - Ogle County Fair - Oregon, IL
Garrison Carida - Library Event with NER - Ewing, NJ
Garrison Carida - Semi-Annual Comic Book Sale - Wilmington, DE
Florida Garrison - Clone Wars Club Party - Jacksonville, FL
UK Garrison - NSPCC Bike Challenge Fun Day - Lampton Worm Hotel, Chester Le Street, County Durh
Florida Garrison - Ancient City Con

Sunday Aug 3
Outpost Venezuela - Avalancha Convention 2008 - Santa Maria University - Caracas
Garrison Excelsior - Spiedie Fest & Balloon Rally - Binghamton, NY
UK Garrison - NSPCC Bike Challenge Fun Day - Lampton Worm Hotel, Chester Le Street, County Durh
Florida Garrison - Ancient City Con
Southern California Garrison - Armor Party
Weird Al Concert - Regina, SASK
Florida Garrison - Party

Tuesday Aug 5
Southern California Garrison - Burbank Neighborhood Watch Block Party - Burbank, CA

Wednesday Aug 6
Weird Al Concert - Grand Prairie, TX

Thursday Aug 7
Southern California Garrison - Children's Miracle Network/CHLA-Radiothon
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert
UK Garrison - Tongwynlais Community Fun Day - Tongwynlais

Friday Aug 8
UK Garrison - RAF Fylingdales Fun Day - RAF Fylingdales, North Yorkshire
Midwest Garrison - Wedding
Midwest Garrison -CHILDRENS CANCER CAMP appearance - Frankfort, IL
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert
70th Explorers - MDA Summer Camp - Bear River Ranch, Highway EE, Rolla, MO
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Premiere Fundraising - Tempe Cine Capri
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F

Saturday Aug 9
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Premiere Fundraising - Tempe Cine Capri
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F
Garrison Carida - Adelaides Place Fundraiser - Collegeville, PA
Canadian Garrison - Balloon Festival, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu
Star Garrison, Arkansas Squad - Little Rock Comic Book Convention - Little Rock, AR
Weird Al Concert - Springfield, IL
Garrison Excelsior - Rochester Red Wings SW Night - Rochester, NY
Garrison Carida - Clone Wars Screening - Pittsburgh, PA
Garrison Carida - Picnic with National Guard - Sring City, PA
Dune Sea Garrison - Summer Kids Events at Bookmans - Phoenix, Az

Sunday Aug 10
Mexican Garrison -Expocoleccionistas III - D.F
Florida Garrison - Tampa Comic Book and Toy Convention - Tampa, FL
Garrison Carida - Corvettes for Kids - Barto, PA
Weird Al Concert - Rockford, IL
Empire City Garrison - Clone Wars Screening - New York City, NY
Southern California Garrison - Armor Party
Garrison Carida - Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh Visit - Pittsburgh, PA
Terror Australis Garrison - Clone Wars Release

Wednesday Aug 13
New England Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Providence Place

Thursday Aug 14
Florida Garrison - Miami Children's Museum - Miami, FL
Florida Garrison - Miami Children's Hospital - Miami FL
Dune Sea Garrison - Clone Wars Release, Cine Capri - AZ

501st Caught on Film

2008-07-25T12:08:00.007-04:00

Here's a bunch of pictures from flickr this past week:

Some troopers went to an Applebees:

Garrison Carida at Robot Bloc Party:

Celebration Japan!:

Random ComicCon:

UKG:

Grainsville parade:

A couple of troopers at Horray for Hollywood:

Midsouth Garrison and Weird Al:

Phone call:

Random troopers:

San Diego Comic Con:

Terror Australis Garrison at concert:

Someone trying out a TK:

Troopers in Tokyo:

501st Caught on Camera

2008-07-25T11:51:00.002-04:00

Here's the latest videos from the past week:

501st Weird Al Cincinnati 2008 - 4

http://youtube.com/watch?v=lSgIWTfExf8

501st Weird Al Cincinnati 2008 - 3

http://youtube.com/watch?v=cS_QlcboSYA

501st Weird Al Cincinnati 2008- 2

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CmRGQM-aOrY

501st Weird Al Cincinnati 2008 - 1

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ctyvg9lV1yA

501st Legion Midsouth Garrison with Weird Al Yankovic. Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TN

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6_ksxjvsOMw

Weird Al 501st GLG 7-17-08

http://youtube.com/watch?v=As1fsPVpVf0

501st MI GLG/Weird Al Meadowbrook 2008

http://youtube.com/watch?v=vdZgDcZ0AYI

man in uniform

http://youtube.com/watch?v=_WF0O1A-WI8

Sci-Fi Convention in Gothenburg 2006

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SxubRaBXKrg

Star Wars Weekend: Comedic Stormtroopers

http://youtube.com/watch?v=MEQW3Ub4A-k

stormtroopers at one man star wars

http://youtube.com/watch?v=yJIDdMAPXdo

Star wars stormtroopers at Causeway Bay

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9I1HbZIJmAQ

puebla concierto star wars 3

http://youtube.com/watch?v=GPlPevpekJk

501 french belgium garrison and rebel legion

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OPqWQP_jND8

501stCast: Episode 20: July 24, 2008: Who Needs an Interrogator Droid?

2008-07-25T09:24:00.000-04:00

Get ready for a whole lot of interviews as we put the questions to the creators of Robot Chicken, Star Wars artist Katie Cook, Trooper of the Month Thomas Spanos, Spike TV viral video stars, and R2-KT Coin Project Coordinator Lesley Farquhar. Don’t worry, we’ve also got recent news, mission reports, and the usual 501st goodness. We also make good on a forgotten trivia question from last episode…listen and win!

Show Notes: Episode XX (July 24, 2008)

Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Lor (TK-7883) and Jumpin’ Joe Stevenson (TK-6064)

Post-Production: Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397) and Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Contributors: Andrew Liptak (TK-3220), Adam Scott (RC-6124)

Recent News

Induction of Robot Chicken crew as Friends of the Legion (photos)
R2-KT coin project - interview with Lesley (TR-3774) (coin picture)
501st on Spike TV commercials (videos)
New England Garrison: Hasbro commerical (video)
The Pam Schoof Cancer Fund
Stormtrooper Smash: The Sequel (original video) Warning: mature content.
Dune Sea Garrison on Fox 10 Phoenix (video)

Honorary Member Interview - Star Wars artist Katie Cook

Mission Reports

Weird Al Concerts
Costa Rica Outpost: CosParty 2008 & Cow Parade (video)
Canadian Garrison’s Capital City Squad: Family Fun Day with Roger’s House
German Garrison: Annual Gathering at Moviepark
Taiwan Formosa Outpost: Clone Wars sneak peek
New England Garrison: Borders Books Radio Interview (photos)

Trooper of the Month Interview - Thomas Spanos, SL-1876

Rebel Legion Segment

Upcoming Events

Southern California Garrison: San Diego Comic-Con
Toys R Us Clone Wars Toy Release (locations, press release)
Darth Vader hot air balloon appearance - Redington Balloon Festival, New Jersey
Garrison Carida: Steel City Con
Karen Traviss signings

Other

Trooper Websites: Ed Karl, TK-2304
Contest/Giveaway
Honorary Member Birthday Wishes
- Anthony Forrest (July 25th)
- Drew Karpyshyn (July 28th)

Standard Podcast: Download

Events Report Update

2008-07-24T11:46:00.000-04:00

The events report is going to be delayed again, because of some personal and work related problems that I've had. I'm adding on a second member of the Events Tracking/Reporting team, Mike Anton, TK-2084, also of the New England Garrison.
Over the past couple of months, this list has really grown, and it's getting to be a two person job. Mike's agreed to step up and help me out, and hopefully, we'll be back to normal tracking events and the like. Currently, we're pulling events from 46 different websites and forums, not to mention the e-mails and things like that.
There's still a number of websites that we can't get information from, but just for reference, here is who we do pull from:

70th Explorers
Alabama Garrison
Alpine Garrison
Bloodfin Garrison
Brazil Outpost
Canadian Garrison
Capitol City Squad
Carolina Garrison
Central California Garrison
Cloud City Garrison
Dune Sea Garrison
Dutch Outpost
Empire City Garrison
Florida Garrison
French Garrison
Garrison Carida
Garrison Excelsior
Garrison Titan
Garrison Tyranus
Georgia Garrison
German Garrison
Golden Gate Garrison
Great Lakes Garrison
Hungarian Outpost
Imperial 80th Squad
Italian Garrison
Japanese Garrison
Mexican Garrison
Midsouth Garrison
Midwest Garrison
Mississippi Outpost
Mountain Garrison
New England Garrison
Nordic Garrison
Northeast Remnant
Ohio Garrison
Old Line Garrison
Outpost 42
Pacific Outpost
Philippines Outpost
Polish Outpost
Portuguese Outpost
Southern California Garrison
Swiss Garrison
Terror Australis Garrison
United Kingdom Garrison

It's a long list, and it'll likely grow a bit. But, it's a fun project, and we'll be continuing it!

Upcoming Events

2008-07-24T09:37:00.001-04:00

I've had to trim a couple of things recently because of some issues that I've had lately.

7-26 - Toys R Us Midnight Event, Williston Vermont
- I'd originally intended on going to the New York City Times Square event, but that's just not going to work out this time around, so I'm doing the one in Williston Vermont. Far less cool, but it's a troop.

7-31 - Game Tournament @ Burlington's Fletcher Free Library
- We're showing up to troop at a kid's gaming thing in Burlington, which should be fun, low key.

8-9 - Balloon Festival, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec
- This is up near Montreal, where the Darth Vader Balloon will be appearing. Can't wait for this one.

8-15 - Clone Wars release, Williston or Burlington, VT
- I'm currently working out which theater we're going to be going to, with some very positive leads. Hopefully, the Majestic 10, once they get their schedule finalized.

9-6 - MS Challenge Walk, Cape Cod, MA
- I might do this, depending on how things are going, although it is a very long drive down to Cape Cod.

9-13 - Walk Now for Autism

9-20 - West Boylston Bicentennial Arts Festival

10-5 - Walk Now for Autism

10-11/12 - Music of John Williams Concert
Maine

10-19 - Greater Boston Walk Now for Autism 2008

Oct - Woburn Halloween Parade
Nov - SuperMegaFest

It's looking like the fall is getting crowded too, and I'm thinking that I'll have to ditch the MS Challenge Walk, maybe a couple of the other Autism walks as well... I'm not sure if I'll do Supermegafest either yet.

Family Guy and Robot Chicken Sequels!

2008-07-23T14:20:00.002-04:00

Not totally 501st related, but it's Star Wars coolness:

There's going to be a Family Guy retelling of the Empire Strikes Back! The first one was absolutely hilarious, and this one should be just as much fun to watch.

From Wikipedia:

"Something, Something, Something Dark Side" is an upcoming episode of the FOX animated series Family Guy and the sequel episode to the Star Wars episode "Blue Harvest". It will retell the story of The Empire Strikes Back as "Blue Harvest" did with A New Hope, recasting characters from Family Guy into roles from the film. Like "Blue Harvest," this episode will last roughly 45 minutes, without commercials.

Upon release of the Blue Harvest DVD, fans were treated with an easter egg of a brief read through of bits from "Something, Something, Something Dark Side," as well a teaser trailer for the episode as another easter egg. From what can be heard from the reading, Chris, Peter and Lois will be reprising their roles as Luke Skywalker, Han Solo and Princess Leia respectively, thus making it very likely that the other characters will be doing so as well (i.e., Stewie as Darth Vader, Brian as Chewbacca, etc.). As for new characters, it has been officially confirmed in a news article that the role of Boba Fett will be filled by the Giant Chicken, Peter's arch-nemesis.[1] A sketch of Fett's character model can be very briefly seen within the last two seconds of the trailer, further supporting the confirmation. Also, Seth Green reportedly let slip in an interview that the role of Lando Calrissian will be filled by Ollie Williams despite the fact that Ollie already appeared as himself in a DVD-exclusive scene in "Blue Harvest."[citation needed]

One line that Leia says to Luke during the reading ("I don't know what it is, but when I kiss you, it's like kissing my brother," which is a quote from Back to the Future) was originally pitched by Seth MacFarlane during the DVD commentary of Blue Harvest.

The title of this episode is a reference to a specific line from the season five episode "Barely Legal," which was used in a cutaway relating to Star Wars. The line is an inside joke relating to the Emperor working out the formula for great dialogue for Star Wars (as long as he reuses the phrases "dark side" and "complete" in his lines, they would be considered gold). The line can be heard in the trailer, and the clip itself can be fully seen at the end of the "Family Guy Star Wars Clip Show" featurette on the DVD.

Okay, so I'm a little behind the ball here, but it's still excellent news!

And, from the Hollywood Reporter:

"Robot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II" is a go. Days after the Adult Swim show landed a best animated series Emmy nomination for its "Star Wars" episode, the cable network is moving ahead with a sequel that will premiere Nov. 16.

"It doesn't even seem real -- getting to make Star Wars twice!" said "Robot Chicken" co-creator Seth Green, who is set to direct the second "Star Wars"-themed episode after winning an Annie Award for helming the first one.

Many members of the voice cast from the first special, including original "Star Wars" actors Carrie Fisher and Billy Dee Williams -- reprising their roles as Princess Leia and Lando Calrissian, respectively -- are back. Also returning are Seth MacFarlane as Emperor Palpatine, Conan O'Brien as Zuckuss, Breckin Meyer as Admiral Ackbar and Boba Fett, and Ahmed Best as Jar Jar Binks. Green will voice several characters, including Ponda Baba. Joining the voice cast this time around is Andy Richter.

As for the creative direction in the sequel, "we decided to focus on the bounty hunters a bit and explore their stories," "Robot Chicken" co-creator Matt Senreich said. "It's a geek-fest for us all."

"Robot Chicken" hails from Green and Senreich's Stoopid Monkey Prods. and Alex Bulkley and Corey Campodonico's ShadowMachine Films.

The first "Robot Chicken: Star Wars" special was released Tuesday on DVD.

Source

Pictures from Weird A!

2008-07-23T10:20:00.003-04:00

Finally, we've gotten our pictures from the Weird Al concert:

Hanging out prior to the show:

Practicing our dance moves:

Dion and TK having fun:

Me:

Group shot:

On Stage!

On Stage:

Final group shot:

Full event report here. No sign of the video yet, but hopefully, that'll be coming.

Armor Pictures

2008-07-23T08:12:00.003-04:00

I took some pictures of my progress last night:

Snaps:

Snaps attached:

Gluing forearms:

Gluing sniper plate:

Gluing snaps to thigh:

I ran into a couple of problems - the first thigh part is still too narrow, and the snaps aren't holding, so I took a piece of plastic from the sign and attached snaps, and it fits much better now.
Still having some problems with getting the snaps to actually hold to the plastic. Hopefully, I'll have everything done by this week.

Further Armor Work

2008-07-22T13:50:00.004-04:00

I did quite a bit of work on this last night, at the expense of a boring reading assignment, and I couldn't find my camera for photos. I picked up a couple of cheap clamps at the hardware store after work, which have been very helpful keeping pieces together, as the glue takes a couple of hours to dry. I'm finding that the superglue (which dries quickly) and the Gorilla Glue, which bonds harder, but takes longer, is a good combination. The Gorilla Glue is also pretty easy to remove once it drives, and I've been using a knife and sandpaper to get rid of the excess that has been coming out as it expands.

Progress:

Glued: Forearms, Upper arms, Shins, Thighs, thigh straps on Ab piece and the two shoulder straps to back plate. This part was easy with the clamps, as I just glued the seam together and clamped it, and they're holding together very, very well, and the plastic has enough flexibility to put on and over my leg.

Snapped: Backs of one thigh, half of another, waiting for the other parts to completely dry before putting them on. I tried the first thigh piece with the snaps and it's holding together wonderfully. I'm a little worried that the glue will seperate over time, so I'm mixing glues a little, but if the first one is any indication, it'll hold nicely, and make the entire thing easier to get on and off. Already, I can see that the right thigh (which is a big smaller for some reason) fits better because there's a little extra space allowed by the snaps now, which is very handy. Finally, I took off the sniper plate's velcro and glue on a pair of snaps, which I'll finish glueing to to the shin later today. I'm going to leave the bandolier as is, because the velcro works perfectly as it currently is, and there's really no need to change it over.

Next up: I need to finish gluing the forearms, which should take all of two seconds, and then glue the shoulder straps and backplate to the chest plate. I've glued down the velcro on the shoulders, which should actually keep it all together with the shoulder. Next, I need to finish assembling the snaps (square of plastic and a front or back glued together), which I allowed to dry overnight, then affix them to the left thigh and both shins, six sets total. I also need to touch up one of the thighs on the inside, adding in a bit more glue.

Coming out of this, I think that the only parts that I haven't modified are the shoulder bells, drop boxes, bandolier and detonator. Gluing parts together means that I won't be able to completely disassemble the armor like I usually do, but it's a small tradeoff for something that'll make this armor a lot easier to maintain. Because frankly, I'm sick of duct tape.

I'll take some pictures tonight and post them up tomorrow.

New Cover for Order 66

2008-07-22T13:04:00.003-04:00

DelRey has changed the cover for Karen Traviss's upcoming novel Order 66:

I'm not sure that I like the change. At all. The other one was so much better, fit the Star Wars universe well. This one reminds me of something on a children's book or something. Bleh. I'm sure the book itself will be good though. This book is being released on September 16th as a hardcover. Preorder here.

Star Wars Robot Chicken Out Today!

2008-07-22T12:56:00.002-04:00

The fantastic show created by new friend of the legion Seth Green did a Star Wars special a while back - today, it's out on DVD.

Special features include:

Video Commentary
Animation Meeting
On-Air Bumps
Trailers
Behind The Scenes
Deleted Scenes
Alternate Audio
Time Lapse
Photo Gallery
Panel Presentations
Episode Commentary

See pictures from the induction here.

I know what I'm getting after work gets out today!

Spike TV Viral Commercials

2008-07-22T12:31:00.003-04:00

Spike TV recently aired a couple of commercials featuring various Star Wars characters in very, very funny situations. The best thing is? The Fett and Tusken Raiders were 501st Legion Members:

Boba Fett:
.

.

Tusken Raiders
.

.

These aren't 501st people, but still funny:

Vader:
. .

Ewok:
.

NEG and Hasbro Viral Video

2008-07-22T10:17:00.002-04:00

The NEG did a quick video shoot a couple weeks ago for Hasbro down in Rhode Island. Here's the video for it:

Hah! Nice work guys!

Using the force...for a purpose

2008-07-21T19:11:00.001-04:00

This is really cool - the Dune Sea Garrison made it onto the television on fox news:

Watch it here:

http://www.myfoxphoenix.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=7030071&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

ONLY ON FOX. They are not really from a galaxy far, far, away. They may actually be your co-workers, your neighbor, maybe even your friend. What they do is follow a strict code of giving, of themselves and their time... and have a little fun with the force along the way. FOX 10's Yetta Gibson has more on the Dune Sea Garrison

Fun triumphs at BabelCon 3

2008-07-21T15:48:00.002-04:00

I believe that this was the Mississippi Outpost:

Fun triumphs at BabelCon 3

Phenix Crowley, dressed as a ‘Star Wars’ stormtrooper, leads Ali Harcrom, dressed as Spiderman, back to the children’s area Saturday afternoon during BabelCon, at the Holiday Inn Select in Baton Rouge. Organizers say BabelCon is a conference that uses science fiction to generate interest in science and history.

By MARK H. HUNTER
Good triumphed over evil Saturday morning when Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, flashing their blue lightsabers, rescued a hostage from Darth Vader and a squad of Imperial storm troopers.

And that was only the beginning of BabelCon 3, an eclectic convention of “Star Wars,” “Star Trek” and science fiction/fantasy fans meeting again today at the Holiday Inn Select, 4728 Constitution Ave.

Named after a “Star Trek” television episode about a diplomatic gathering on planet Babel, the convention has mushroomed from a single celebrity visitor and dozens of fans three years ago to a half-dozen celebrities and an estimated 1,000 or so fans this year.

The hostage, BabelCon 3 chairman Andrew Myers, was introducing celebrity host Bob May, the human inside the Robot in the 1950s TV series “Lost in Space,” to about 75 fans when a dozen pirates swarmed the center aisle of the “Imperial Senate Chambers” meeting room.

Their seizure of Myers lasted only a minute or two until Vader, played by Gary Breaux, and his storm troopers of the “501st Legion” overpowered the pirates.

Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, played by Wayne Dupree and Tommy Chaisson of the Red Stick Rebellion Star Wars Collectors Club, quickly defeated Vader’s squad. They released Myers to Queen Anne of the Society for Creative Anachronism and members of her court, who then knighted Myers and officially opened the event.

“This was the best opening of any ‘con’ I’ve seen, and I’ve been to a lot of them,” said Linda Anderson, an avowed “Trekker” who sat in the second row.

A librarian in real life, Anderson hosts science fiction and fantasy book clubs in the Jefferson Parish Public Library system. “Science fiction fans are the best — you know that ‘fan’ is short for ‘fanatic’ and we are fanatics!”

May, who attends conventions all over the world and was the lone celebrity at BabelCon 1, said the Baton Rouge meeting is one of his favorites. “Coming here is like seeing friends and family,” May said. “I adore these people.”

Josh Sonnier, 19, and Alex Louviere, 18, both from Jennings, were sitting on the front row and barely avoided several lightsaber blows during the hostage rescue.

“We’re fans — we came here on a whim,” said Sonnier. “We’ll be here Sunday, too.”

“I almost got hit by Vader’s sword,” added Louviere. “I’ve been to some comic cons, and this is just as good.”

Richard Hatch, who played Captain Apollo in the original “Battlestar Galactica” TV show, was happily signing autographed photos for a cluster of fans. Hatch has a recurring role as Tom Zarek in the current remake of "Battlestar Galactica."

Source

Fanboys to hit Theaters in September!

2008-07-21T15:37:00.001-04:00

Some good Fanboys news: the film will be screened at this year's San Diego Comic Con, and the first 300 people in line at the Lucasfilm’s 7th Annual Star Wars Fan Movie Challenge Awards, held on July 24th at 8:30pm in Ballroom 20 at the San Diego Convention Center at the con will receive free tickets. Additionally, the film will be released with the cancer plot, which is fantastic news.

Additionally, Cinematical, a movie blog, has reported that the movie will be released in September of this year. I can't wait - and it's about time - this movie has been in limbo for a while. It'll be nice to finally see it. Hopefully, there'll be a good 501st turnout for this!

Source: http://www.cinematical.com/2008/07/21/fanboys-to-screen-comic-con-and-hit-theaters-in-september/

501st Legion Patch Quilt

2008-07-21T11:23:00.004-04:00

This is a really cool thing: the 501st Legion Patch Quilt. Sewn together by Terri Hodges, wife of Honorary Member Tom Hodges, it features numerous patches donated by members of the 501st Legion. It'll be on display at the San Diego Comic Con later this week, and is currently up for auction:

Bid for it here.

Proceeds of the sale will all go to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. More pictures are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vmperella/tags/quilt/

Mission Report: Wareham Borders Opening

2008-07-21T09:18:00.002-04:00

My latest troop this past weekend was the grand opening in of a Borders concept store in Wareham, MA. All together, we had four TKs, a scout, a Republic Commando, a Vader, an officer, a Tusken Raider and a Rebel Pilot come out to attend the event, where we were on hand for pictures. Prior to the event, I went out and picked up new under armor. The Weird Al concert showed a need for new stuff, a new shirt (all black this time) and new pants that would fit better under the legs. The event was fun, pretty easy. Basically, all that we really did was walk around the store, meet kids and posed for pictures. I ended up losing my sniper plate a couple of times, but was able to keep everything else together, which was nice, for once. It was a low-key event, but a fun turnout, and we had fun afterward with dinner and a screening of The Dark Knight. Fun event, the highlight of an otherwise crappy weekend.

Major Modifications

2008-07-21T08:27:00.001-04:00

I've done three troops in quick succession in the past month, and as a result, I've had to do a lot of repair work on my armor, particularly the thighs, shins and ab plates, pieces that have a lot of mobility and experience a lot of stress as a result of regular activities and putting the armor on and taking it off.

At the Weird Al Concert, I had to use white duct tape to hold my legs together because the Velcro that I use has been coming undone. There, I talked to a fellow trooper, TK, who showed me the system that he used, and I've talked to troopers since then who've done similar things - snaps and glue. So, getting back from a recent event, I picked up a snap kit, Gorilla Glue, a thin plastic For Sale sign and a bottle of Goo Gone.

Step 1: Removing all the Velcro from the thighs, upper arms, shins, chest / back plate and soon, the forearms. I used my leatherman to strip everything out, and then have started using the Goo Gone to get rid of the residue from the Velcro that I've used over the past four years. Thus far, it's working pretty well, getting rid of all the crap that's built up.

Step 2: Once the armor's cleaned up, I'll do a little sanding to give the glue something to stick to. I found that I need to get some clamps for when I actually glue it. I've since glued one side of the upper arms, which I need the clamps for (once I get to the other side). I'm going to glue the fronts of the shins and thighs.

Step 3: On the backs of each leg part, and the shoulders/chest/back parts, I'm going to affix snaps. To do this, I've taken the sign and cut small squares out, to which I've started glueing the snaps to, using super glue, which I'll then affix to the tops and bottoms of each back. With the fronts glued, I can use snaps to keep it together. I'll do the same thing for the shoulder straps and upper body parts, which will hopefully keep everything together a lot better than the Velcro has been, making the entire suit easier to utilize and have it be lower maintenance.

Weekend

2008-07-18T10:02:00.002-04:00

Jump*Con, one of the events that I was planning on going to this weekend, was canceled when the big stars, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell pulled out because of money problems. Apparently the Con didn't pay anything. I'm a little relieved, because I'm not a huge person for conventions, more the charity events where we're actually doing things. And it means that there's more time to spend at the other event that I was planning on attending, a Borders Opening in Wareham, MA. Should be a fun weekend, and I've borrowed my dad's Navman to help me get in and out of Boston.

501st Caught on Film

2008-07-18T09:41:00.001-04:00

Some new videos from Youtube:

501st Fighting legion- Grupo Hokagi- Anime Friends 13/07/08

Star Wars.. Bagpipes!

Weird Al and the 501st Empire City Garrison 7/10/08

Weird Al Yankovic - The Saga Begins w/501st Legion (7/8/08)

Line Dancing Storm Troopers

FF2008 Cosplay (13/15) - Storm Trooperi tanci cast 1

FF2008 Cosplay (14/15) - Storm Trooperi tanci cast 2

501st Caught on Camera

2008-07-18T09:23:00.009-04:00

The latest pictures from flickr featuring the 501st:

Garrison Carida at a Relay for Life:

A Dewback created by members of the Japanese Outpost:

TK at Disney:

Unknown Garrison, event: festival fantazie

(I LOVE this picture, the way it's structure)

Unknown garrison, Forgotten Realms:

Great Lakes Garrison Trooper:

Old Line Garrison w/ Weird Al:

Garrison Carida, unknown parade:

More from Star Wars Weekends:

Chinese trooper?

Tie Pilot:

Garrison Excelsior w/ Weird Al:

UK Troopers having fun:

Troopers from Wizard World:

More next week!

A galaxy not so far away

2008-07-18T08:09:00.002-04:00

A galaxy not so far away
Hank Long Woodbury Bulletin

There’s no better time than the present to be a storm trooper. That is, if you’re Mike Hansen and Steve Carter.

The Woodbury residents are members of the “501st Legion,” an international Star Wars fan-based organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of those famous white armored suits.

Steve Carter of Woodbury, regularly dons the guise of “Darth Vader” from the Star Wars films to make public appearances at various events. Among these events is the Star Wars exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. Carter and fellow Star Wars devotee Mike Hansen are members of the “501st Legion,” an international fan-based organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of Star Wars-themed suits, such as those of Imperial storm troopers.

The idea behind the club, said Hansen, who lays claim to having watched the original Star Wars film in the theater seven times the summer it was released, is part nostalgia and part giving back to the community.
Steve Carter of Woodbury, regularly dons the guise of “Darth Vader” from the Star Wars films to make public appearances at various events. Among these events is the Star Wars exhibit at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul. Carter and fellow Star Wars devotee Mike Hansen are members of the “501st Legion,” an international fan-based organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of Star Wars-themed suits, such as those of Imperial storm troopers.

“It’s one of those things where if you didn’t know much about it, you’d think it was just one of those geeky fan groups,” Hansen said. “But when you find out about all the 501st does, it really is a great organization to be a part of.”

Already this summer, the only two 501st members from Woodbury have marched in a local parade, volunteered at the Woodbury Relay for Life cancer fundraiser and made several appearances at the latest touring exhibit to make its way to the Science Museum of Minnesota. All in the name of the Force.

The Science Museum exhibit, entitled “Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination,” has given the duo and a plethora of other Twin Cities-based 501st members the chance to don their vast array of custom-built Star Wars-themed costumes.

“That’s one of the key pieces to being a member of the 501st Legion,” Hansen said. “Everyone has to have a costume that makes it appear as if they just walked off the movie set. When we all get together, it really brings the movie to life.”

Those strict costume rules have meant a heavy investment of time, money and effort for both Carter and Hansen.

Each originally joined the organization as an imperial storm trooper. Each has an assigned identification number. Carter’s ID is No. 4999. Hansen is storm trooper No. 7517.

And each has had the chance to expand their repertoire and increase their standing within the group.

Carter, who is well over six-feet in height, said he felt compelled by the force of his fellow 501st members to become Darth Vader.

He eventually bought the parts to the suit and has since assumed the role at most of the events he’s attended in the last year.

“It’s funny, because you’d think Darth Vader would be the most intimidating of the Star Wars characters,” Carter said. “But one of the last times I was at an event a little kid came up to me, gave me a hug and said ‘I love you.’

“What is Darth Vader supposed to say to that?”

Hansen has devoted much of his time lately to supporting the Rebel Alliance (the good guys). In June, he unveiled for the first time a near-perfect, operating replica of R2D2 at the Grand Old Day parade in St. Paul.

The 501st and other Star Wars fans from around the Twin Cities marched at the parade to promote the current Star Wars exhibit that will run at the Science Museum through Aug. 14. R2 was a hit with parade attendees.

“R2 is not even human, but he is probably the most liked personality,” Hansen kidded. “The kids will chase him around and come up and talk to him before they interact with any of the other characters.”

Distinguishing reality from fantasy

Although Carter and Hansen said they are definite fans of the Star Wars franchise, each said they have plenty of other hobbies they’re into.

“I’m actually more of a movie buff in general than I am a Star Wars fan,” Hansen said. “I was eight years old when ‘A New Hope’ came to the big screen, and the special effects were what got me.”

Carter said he’s always respected the story line of the Star Wars movies, and didn’t actually decide to get involved in the 501st until his children were grown.”

“I’m really not a big Star Wars memorabilia collector or anything,” Carter said. “I just discovered this group online one day and found out about how community service oriented the 501st really is. I thought it would be a fun way to do something good for people.”

“When you’re dressed up as an imperial storm trooper or especially Darth Vader and see the looks on the kids’ faces and the adults’ faces, it makes you feel good. Everyone seems to love Star Wars on some level.”

Carter and Hansen are part of the local 501st Legion members who will continue to appear at the Science Museums “Star Wars” exhibit through Aug. 14.

For more exhibit details, visit www.smm.org/starwars

Source

Polka Fest is more than music

2008-07-17T08:59:00.000-04:00

The 501st made it into the papers once again:

Polka Fest is more than music
By Megan Hanson

SEAFORTH - Who knew that stormtroopers liked to Polka?

The 501st Legion of Stormtroopers (yes, like in Star Wars), will return to the Seaforth Polka Fest on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

"One of the men in the troop lives in Seaforth; the kids really enjoy seeing them," Maureen Bernardy, chairperson of the planning committee for Polka Fest said.

Maureen and her husband, Marv Bernardy, are both planning the 35th annual event.

They said the event typically draws 700 to 800 people, almost 10 times the number of the small, 80-person town of Seaforth.

"Some people who have lived here before have come back all the way from Colorado," Marv Bernardy said.

He said they see a lot of people from Iowa and the Dakotas.

The Bernardys said they also see a number of younger people attend the event, in addition to the polka lovers.

"Not a lot of them dance polka," Maureen Bernardy said, but they do come for the bean bag tournament, and the country and rock music.

"Sometimes the younger kids like to see how it's done," Marv Bernardy said.

"If they would come up to anyone and ask, they would dance with them," said Maureen Bernardy.

Maureen Bernardy also said they see a lot of polka dancers who want to learn the "Polka Hop," a variation on the classic dance.

There is much more available than just polka for people who want to attend.

"We are trying to program it this year toward a family celebration, so we have the bean bag tourney and the softball tourney," Marv Bernardy said.

"Don't forget about the tractor pull for the kids," added his wife.

Campers are also welcome to attend the event, but no hook-ups are allowed.

The event, which is put on by the Seaforth Booster Club, will raise money for replacing playground equipment in the park. If extra funds are available after that project is complete, the rest of the proceeds will go to the local firehouse.

Maureen Bernardy, who has been polka dancing for more than 30 years, says her favorite part is meeting people and seeing people who moved away from Seaforth come back.

"And, of course, the dancing," she said.

Source

Weird Al & The NEG

2008-07-16T13:43:00.001-04:00

Last night (July 15), the New England Garrison was invited to troop in Gilford NH for Weird Al's stop along his national tour. I've been wanting to do this for a long time, and I was so excited to be part of the group. I tried to get in on things last time around, but missed the cutoff. This time, I made sure I was on the list. The group included myself, Dave (a fellow VT guy who drove with me), TK, Chris, Derek, Elly, Greg, Jennifer, Adam Joyce, Dion, Carlos, Adam Scott, with Jamie as our wrangler, and Cy, one of our TKs, helping out with an R2-D2 someone had.

Dave and I arrived at the place early, around five, before anyone else. While hanging out and talking, I realized that I forgot my jumpsuit and underarmor, so we had to make a quick run to a local Walmart to find something to wear - I found a pair of sweatpants and a sort of underarmor top that worked fine - not the best, but it worked. We got back and found that we were still the only ones there. People trickled in over the next hour, and there was lots of greetings and chitchat while we waited for the rest of our group. Oddly, one guy didn't show up. I'm not sure what's going on with that. Around 7 or so, we got together, put our gear in the changing area and practiced what we were supposed to do during the performance, then were given tickets and we walked around the concert venue a bit. We got dinner (which was really good), then started getting our gear on. We didn't get to see the first half of the performance, but I did hear Bob, Weasel Stomping Day, and a couple others while we waited for our time.

That came up quickly, and soon, we were in line and marching up to the stage, where he played I'll Sue Ya. Buckets on, and we marched on stage.

The crowd went wild when we went on stage. There was a lot of cheering and screaming, and one of our photographers said that every cell phone in the place went up. It was a very surreal moment. Lights came up and Al started singing, and what we practiced started to kick in, and we were bobbing our heads and moving around for the first part of the song, then started dancing shortly there after. Then it was over. Man, it was such a fun experience.

After we got off stage, they played Yoda and Smells Like Teen Spirit, when we got out of our armor and went up to watch the rest of the show. He played Amish Paradise, Fat, White & Nerdy, before ending with We All Have Cellphones and Albuquerque. We went back stage, hung out for a little while and then got to meet him, and get some things signed. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get a group picture with him. He signed my bucket, and I need to remember to get some clear tape over it so it doesn't wash away.

Overall, one of the best troops that I've done thus far. Very memorable, if exhausting - I didn't get home until around 2 am!

Changing Hands to Host Star Wars Author Karen Traviss

2008-07-16T09:19:00.000-04:00

This article just popped up regarding the Dune Sea Garrison:

July 15, 2008
Author: Kathee Austin

In celebration of Star Wars’ Clone Wars (the movie) release, Changing Hands Bookstore presents Karen Traviss, author of seven Star Wars novels, who will read from and discuss her latest Star Wars adventure, The Clone Wars.

And yes, of course, Storm Troopers will make an appearance.

In The Clone Wars and across the galaxy, the Clone Wars are raging. The Separatists, led by Count Dooku, the onetime Jedi and now secret Sith Lord, continue to press forward, and more and more worlds are either falling, or seceding and joining the cause. Under the leadership of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine, the Republic heroically battles on, championed by its huge army of cloned soldiers and their Jedi generals.

Anakin Skywalker, believed by some to be the prophesied “Chosen One” destined to bring balance to the Force, is now a Jedi Knight under the tutelage of his Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Death is a constant possibility—but there’s no time for Anakin to question his latest orders: He and Obi-Wan have been assigned a new mission, and failure is not an option. Jabba the Hutt’s infant son has been kidnapped, and the vile gangster has sought to enlist the Jedi for help. Much is at stake: A grateful Jabba might allow the Republic access to the Hutt-controlled space lanes that the Grand Army desperately needs in order to beat the Separatists into submission.

It’s up to Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Anakin’s new apprentice Ahsoka, a brash and inexperienced young Padawan to track down the evidence and retrieve the missing Huttlet. But the Republic is not the only power that craves access to those space lanes. Count Dooku, determined to win the prize for the Separatists, has set a trap for the Jedi. When they find the Huttlet, they will also find Dooku’s master assassin, Asajj Ventress, and countless legions of battle droids waiting to spring a trap.

On Monday, July 28th at 7pm Jedi Knights of all ages are welcome to visit with Karen Traviss–who will be joined by the Members of the 501st Legion’s Dune Sea Garrison– as she signs and discusses The Clone Wars at Changing Hands Bookstore.

Changing Hands Bookstore
6428 South McClintock Drive
Tempe, AZ 85283
480.730.4828

Source

“When Fascism Comes to America it Will be Wrapped in White Plastic Armor and Carrying a BlasTech E-11 Blaster Rifle” — Sinclair Lucas

2008-07-14T09:31:00.004-04:00

Someone in my garrison posted a link up to this:

Suppose tomorrow the Bush administration announces plans to deploy thousands of Homeland Security Troops to American cities, to walk the streets armed in the search for un-American, possibly terrorist activities (such as taking photos where there isn’t anything obviously pretty to be taking a photo of, being overly swarthy, videotaping cops and Homeland Security Troops, etc). These guys would only be answerable to the DHS, and they would be recruited from the likes of Blackwater, Wackenhut, and so forth.

Obviously there would be some outrage, yeah? I mean, not as much as there should be, but a lot of folks wouldn’t care for this at all.

Now imagine that these troops are outfitted exactly like Stormtroopers from Star Wars.

What percentage of geeks would declare that this was awesome?

What percentage of non geeks?

What is it with Stormtroopers? How have we, as a culture, come to love the faceless face of oppression? Sure, in the movies they bump their heads and can’t hit a sidewalk with a can of paint and talk about that new BT-16 and do the Wilhelm scream and all, but it’s still pretty clear who they are and what they represent.

But people can’t get enough of them. Go to any sci-fi or comic convention and you’ll see several people in meticulously crafted Stormtrooper armor. In fact, there’s a group devoted to this, which is now also marching in things like Fourth of July parades (which is where the first image was taken). Seriously, someone thought Stormtroopers in a Fourth of July parade was a good idea.

This summer there’s a CGI “Clone Wars” movie coming out.

The guy on the left is Anakin Skywalker, who will become Darth Vader, right hand man to the evil Emperor. The troops in the background are the guys who will eventually become the Stormtroopers. Hopefully Anakin and the Clonetroopers can use all their cool ships and weapons and stuff to defeat…the bad guys? As with Attack of the Clones, are we really going to once again be expected to root for the people that we already know are going to enslave the galaxy?

But fascism isn’t just wicked awesome, it can also be dead sexy.

Once the helmet is on you won’t see the face of your oppressor but you’ll see her hot hot midriff and her thermal detonators. This is female empowerment.

It can also be fun! Here are some of the folks who kill for the Empire having a little downtime!

In that last photo, an argument can obviously be made for satire, for letting the context play against the characters as a way to defang and ridicule totalitarianism. It’s also kind of funny!

Still, here’s the 118th Rose Parade. What’s the satirical message here? These guys were trained by a colonel in the real Army.

I’m not suggesting there’s some kind of conspiracy afoot to make us more tolerant of (and, in fact, enthusiastic about) a fascist society.

I’m suggesting that such a conspiracy probably wouldn’t be necessary.

Source

I disagree with most of the entry, and posted up the following comment:

I’m going to jump in very quickly - the troopers at the Montpelier Parade (pictured in the first image - BTW, can you please credit us with the picture? Either 501neg or Keelia Liptak, the photographer) was my idea.

As has been mentioned, the 501st does a lot of charity work all over the world. On that day, the annual July 3rd Parade, we were helping out the Kellogg Hubbard Library’s children library - they had a walker puppet and a batman float, as well as some other things. That’s the sort of thing that we do.

True, the storm troopers from the movies do represent a faceless army of a somewhat oppressive government(keep in mind, all you see is in the movies), but 99% of everyone we come into contact with doesn’t make that distinction that Storm Troopers = Fascism. We represent, especially to children/teens, Star Wars. All the ideas, experiences, images and emotions connected to those movies, wrapped up in a person. Not only us - there are people who do this for the rebels as well. Storm Troopers, however, seem to be the most popular, probably because of how they look, but they’re very recognizable as well.

I’ve heard of people expressing concern over the fact that we do portray bad guys. Getting out on the street in the midst of people, for parades, events or anything else like that, people see us and think: Holy $4!t, a storm trooper!

You do bring up some interesting points - there is a cultural fascination with the ‘bad guys’. I personally chalk it up to them having the cooler uniforms, but I think that it’s a big stretch to extend a cultural interest such as this and extend that into a supposition that we are existing in a fascist culture - as far as things are? Politically, we could be, and have been, far worse off in our history. Some of our founding fathers introduced the Alien and Sedition act, which cramped free speech. Abraham Lincoln declared martial law, for example. I doubt that (and I don’t think that you are suggesting, at least too much) that the 501st parading around is the precursor to a political revolution…

I don't think that there's a whole lot more to add, but this is one reason why I hate political extremes. A number of the comments are incredibly close minded and pretty ignorant. It's a shame that some people can't see that we as a group can distinguish between reality and fiction, rejecting some of the connotations that the armor has.

The blogger does have some interesting points to raise, which is why I'm not advocating for his being raked over the coals by our members - there is an odd cultural fascination with the bad guys.

As I said in my comment, I think it's because we dress better.

Events Report - July 11 - 31

2008-07-11T14:38:00.001-04:00

The following events have been reported to the 501st Legion between July 3rd and July 31st 2008. Please contact the hosting garrison prior to attending any event.

Friday Jul 11
UK Garrison - Sandhurst 'Science Explosion' - Sandhurst School, Sandhurst
Alpine Garrison - Relay for Life - Idaho Falls
Old Line Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Baltimore, MD
Alpine Garrison - Relay for Life - Billings, MT
Canadian Garrison - Polaris 22 (Formerly Toronto Trek) - Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON
Old Line Garrison - Shore Leave convention - Hunt Valley, MD

Saturday Jul 12
Canadian Garrison - Polaris 22 (Formerly Toronto Trek) - Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON
Old Line Garrison - Shore Leave convention - Hunt Valley, MD
Florida Garrison - Party
Midwest Garrison - Surprise Party - Gurnee Mills, IL
Garrison Excelsior - RPO Concert at CMAC - Canandaigua, NY
Bloodfin Garrison - 3 Rivers Festival Parade 2008 - Downtown Fort Wayne, In
Old Line Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Washington, DC
Midwest Garrison - Adler Planetarium wedding reception - Chicago, IL
Golden Gate Garrison - Lenny Williams Golf Classic - San Leandro, CA
UK Garrison - Heroes For Sale - Heros for Sale, Inverness
Midwest Garrison - Old Settler's Day Parade - Rockton, IL
UK Garrison - Pirates of The Carribean Fair - Hartford Junior School, Huntingdon
Garrison Excelsior - Monroe County Fair Intergalactic Reception - Dome Arena, Henrietta, NY
UK Garrison - Frome Victoria Hospital - Frome Victoria Hospital, Somerset
Star Garrison - Meet the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers, Arkansas Squad - Sherwood, AR
Garrison Carida - Relay for Life - Pittsburgh, PA
UK Garrison - Macmillan Cancer Support Charity event - The Wulfrun Shopping Centre, Wolverhampton
UK Garrison - Royal International Air Tattoo 2008 - RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
Canadian Garrison - Paradise Comiccon - Holiday Inn on King Street, Toronto, ON

Sunday Jul 13
Canadian Garrison - Polaris 22 (Formerly Toronto Trek) - Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON
Old Line Garrison - Shore Leave convention - Hunt Valley, MD
UK Garrison - Royal International Air Tattoo 2008 - RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
Canadian Garrison - Paradise Comiccon - Holiday Inn on King Street, Toronto, ON
UK Garrison - Stanford Infant School fair - Stanford Infant School, Brighton
70th Explorers - ToyMan Toy Show - District 9 Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO
Southern California Garrison - Pre- SDCC Armor Party/BBQ

Monday Jul 14
Garrison Excelsior - Weird Al Concert - Verona, NY

Tuesday Jul 15
New England Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Gilford, NH

Wednesday Jul 16
Midwest Garrison - Party

Thursday Jul 17
Great Lakes Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Friday Jul 18
Florida Garrison - United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Florida Appreciation Event - Seville Quarter, Pensacola, FL
Costa Rica Outpost - Cinema Magaly 30th Anniversary GalA - San José Costa RIca
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - San Rafael, CA
Great Lakes Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - Sunnyvale, CA
Florida Garrison - Metrocon - Tampa, FL
New England Garrison - JumpCon - Boston, MA

Saturday Jul 19
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - Sunnyvale, CA
Florida Garrison - Metrocon - Tampa, FL
New England Garrison - JumpCon - Boston, MA
UK Garrison - The Entertainer Store. - The Entertainer, Staines
German Garrison - Jahrestreffen der 501st im Movie Park Germany - Bottrop, Germany
Garrison Carida - Medical Convention - Philadelphia, PA
UK Garrison - Summer Ball / Oscar night - MAYDENCROFT LANE, Herts
Carolina Garrison - Book Release - Wilkesboro County Library
Garrison Carida - Robot Block Party @ Carnegie Science Center
New England Garrison - Borders Grand Opening - Wareham, MA
UK Garrison - Breast Cancer Awareness fun day - rodmersham squash and fitness, Kent
Garrison Carida - Relay for Life - Erie, PA
Alpine Garrison - Days of '47 Carnival - Salt Lake City, UT
UK Garrison - Yeovil Hospital Summer Celebration Day - Ivel Barbarians Rugby Club, Yeovil
Midsouth Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Mississippi Outpost - Jackson Comic Con
MidSouth Garrison - WonderFest - Louisville, Kentucky
Star Wars Celebration: Japan - Tokyo, Japan

Sunday Jul 20
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - Sunnyvale, CA
Florida Garrison - Metrocon - Tampa, FL
New England Garrison - JumpCon - Boston, MA
Mississippi Outpost - Jackson Comic Con
MidSouth Garrison - WonderFest - Louisville, Kentucky
Star Wars Celebration: Japan - Tokyo, Japan
UK Garrison - Guinness Book of Records - London film and comic con, London
Ohio Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Monday Jul 21
Star Wars Celebration: Japan - Tokyo, Japan
Ohio Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Wednesday Jul 23
Garrison Carida - Weird Al Concert - Scranton, PA
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego

Thursday Jul 24
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Weird Al Concert - Rama, Ontario
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey

Friday Jul 25
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Carolina Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
UK Garrison - TRU Croydon - Toys R Us, Surrey
Garrison Excelsior - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - TENTATIVE - Greece, NY
Florida Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Weird Al Concert - Rama, Ontario
UK Garrison - TRU Medway - Toys R Us, Kent
UK Garrison - TRU Leeds - Toys R Us, West Yorkshire
Carolina Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release
Midwest Garrison - Party
Bloodfin Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Indianapolis, IN
UK Garrison - TRU Bristol - Toys R Us, Bristol
UK Garrison - TRU Ipswich - Toys R Us, Suffolk
UK Garrison - TRU Oldbury - Toys R Us, West Midlands
UK Garrison - TRU Southampton - Toys R Us, Hants
Northeast Remnant - TRU Times Square Midnight Toy Release
UK Garrison - TRU Glasgow - Toys R Us, Glasgow
UK Garrison - TRU Edinburgh - Toys R Us, Edinburgh
UK Garrison - TRU Warrington - Toys R Us, Cheshire
UK Garrison - TRU Metro - Toys R Us, Gateshead
UK Garrison - TRU Brent Cross - Toys R Us, London

Saturday Jul 26
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
UK Garrison - Blockbusters ~ Lincoln - Blockbuster Superstore,, Lincon
Costa Rica Outpost - Toy Collectors Exhibition - San Pedro de Montes de Oca, Costa RIca
Florida Garrison - St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa - Tampa FL
Empire City Garrison - Giant Kids Family Fun Day - Bedford, NY
Garrison Carida - Chrome Riders Cooper Fair - Mullica Hill, NJ
Garrison Cardia - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PAMonroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA
Midwest Garrison - Timber Rattlers Baseball-Star Wars Day *Make*A*Wish* benefit - Appleton, WI
Weird Al Concert - Greensburg, PA
MidSouth Garrison - North Stewart Spring Festival - North Stewart, TN
Terror Australis Garrison - Autosalon '08 - Perth, AUS

Sunday Jul 27
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Terror Australis Garrison - Autosalon '08 - Perth, AUS
70th Explorers - Camp Quality Greater Kansas City - Excelsior Springs, MO

Monday Jul 28
Dune Sea Garrison - Karen Traviss Clone Wars Book Signing - Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert

Tuesday Jul 29
Star Garrison - Karen Traviss Book Signing - Dallas, TX
Central Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Wednesday Jul 30
Karen Traviss Book Signing - Decatur, GA

Thursday Jul 31
Empire City Garrison - TBA
Karen Traviss Book Signing - New York City, NY

Karen Traviss Book Signing Tour

2008-07-11T13:02:00.001-04:00

Honor (or should it be Honour?) Member Karen Traviss has announced on her website a short, five stop book signing tour starting with the 2008 San Diego ComicCon.

No word yet on whether there will be any more dates added to this, but here's what we've got thus far:

- July 24 - 27 - check Comic-Con schedule for appearances.
- July 28, TEMPE, AZ - Changing Hands, 7pm
- July 29, DALLAS -Borders, Greenville Ave., 7pm
- July 30, DECATUR, GA, - Wordsmiths Books, 7.30pm
- July 31, NEW YORK - Borders, Columbus Circle NYC, 7pm

Source

501st Caught on Film

2008-07-11T12:11:00.002-04:00

Here's the latest videos featuring the 501st. Now that Weird Al is on tour, people are going to see a lot of us.

Weird Al Yankovic - The Saga Begins w/501st Legion (7/8/08)

SoCal Garrison : The Saga Begins (Weird Al 06/30/08)

FF Cosplay 08 - Dancing stormtroopers 1

Tega Cay Parade

Fun After the Tega Cay Parade

Outpost-42 At Auckland Armageddon 2007

501st Qtown '08

Star Wars @ Singapore Toy&Comic Convention 2008 Pics

501st Carolina Garrison, Hemby Children's Hospital Visit

Puerto Rico Star Wars Fan Club at TV Show Club Sunshine

Roger Carel et la 501st

Puerto Rico Star Wars Fan Club, 501st & Rebel Legion Outpost

Darth Vader and his Stormtrooper

iPhone 3G

L'empire à la Japan expo 2008

Stormtrooper em Sampa

501st Caught on Camera

2008-07-11T09:55:00.008-04:00

It's been a couple of weeks since I've done this - things have been incredibly busy lately!

I need to showcase the Montpelier parade first with us and the fantastic walker:

Me!

Other 4th of July parades:

Camp Pendelton Family Day:

Dune Sea Garrison Event:

Biker Scout:

Terror Australis Garrison at GenCon Oz:

Clone at Japan Expo:

More 4th of July:

Star Wars Weekend wrapup:

Random Scout:
This one's titled The Jedi Killed Oscar:

Random TK:
UK TK:

More next week. Weird Al pictures!

Stamford Symphony's music heads 'out-of-this-world'

2008-07-11T09:27:00.001-04:00

This article popped up from the Stamford Times, featuring the Connecticut Garrison:

Stamford Symphony's music heads 'out-of-this-world'

STAMFORD — The Stamford Symphony will perform "out-of-this-world music" at a free pops concert conducted by Maestro Eckart Preu in downtown Stamford on Wednesday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m.
"Pops in Outer Space" will be performed on the Heineken Stage at Columbus Park.
Presented by Seaboard Properties and HSBC, the concert is produced by Stamford Downtown Special Services District and the City of Stamford.
The symphony's music will fly with Superman, cross "Moon River," and travel the universe with light-hearted music from "Star Wars."
Returning to earth, they'll also play lively works by Scott Joplin, John Philip Sousa, along with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture.
Attendees can also take pictures with characters from "Star Wars," with members of the "501st Regiment" or "Vader's Fist" on hand.
"I invite everyone to travel with the Symphony into outer space," said the symphony's conductor, Eckart Preu. "This program is just the right combination of fun and classics for listening on a beautiful summer's night out-of-doors. Anyone who has seen 'Star Wars' will recognize some of the music, while classical music fans can look forward to music from Holst's 'The Planets.'"
"The Symphony loves that the audience in Columbus Park is always ready to have some serious fun," Preu added.
Audience members are also invited to bring a picnic to enjoy on the grass or to make reservations at one of the many restaurants surrounding Columbus Park.
The park is located at Main Street and West Park Place in downtown Stamford.
All listeners can also enter to win a Stamford Symphony prize package.
Upcoming performances of the free "Pops in the Park" music series include appearances by singer Barbara Cook on July 23 and Bowzer's Rock 'n' Roll Party on July 30.
For further information, contact the Stamford Symphony at 203-325-1407 ext. 14 or the Stamford Downtown Special Services District at 203-348-5285. More information can also be found at www.stamford-downtown.com.
Source

Become a Fan of the 501st Legion

2008-07-11T09:11:00.003-04:00

Are you a facebook user? The site has expanded greatly in the past couple of years since its introduction, going from colleges to global access, groups, etc. Now, you can become a fan of the 501st Legion, as it now has its own celebrity page. Here's a screenshot:

The following link will take you to this page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=70000497#/pages/The-501st-Legion/17637574751?ref=mf

In addition to this, there are a number of 501st Legion groups, not to mention a number of dedicated Garrison groups.

I'm thinking that the next feature that I write will be about the 501st Legion's presence in the online community, mainly through social networking sites.

501stCast: Detachment Briefing 02: First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment

2008-07-11T09:00:00.000-04:00

Welcome back to the 501stCast’s Detachment Briefing.
During these briefings we’ll be talking with 501st Legion members from the various detachments about the costumes they specialize in.

This episode, recorded on 16 June 2008, features an introduction to the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment which is the costuming detachment for the Stormtrooper (aka TK) costume.

Visit FISD online at: www.whitearmor.net

Hosts: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397) and Lor (TK-7883)

Guests: Paul (TK-8020) and Wyatt (TK-4205)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397)

Post-Production: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397) and Lor (TK-7883)

We welcome your feedback via our comment form below or by emailing podcast@501st.com

Detachment Briefing - FISD: Download

501stCast: Episode 19: July 10, 2008: Three Men and a Podcast

2008-07-11T08:16:00.003-04:00

The latest podcast is up! This episode features an audio report and an interview with Ben Matchstick, who did the cardboard walker. And, this site was featured! Give it a listen:

With Varza on vacation, the guys are on their own this episode as we preview Celebration Japan and San Diego Comic-Con, chat with the one and only Weird Al Yankovic, and discuss a youtube video that’s sure to shock collectors. All this, plus the mission reports and assorted news you’ve come to expect. Don’t forget to enter our trivia contest to win an autographed bookplate from Star Wars author and Honorary 501st Member Karen Traviss!

Show Notes: Episode XIX (July 10, 2008)

Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Lor (TK-7883) and Jumpin’ Joe Stevenson (TK-6064)

Post-Production: Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397) and Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Contributors: Andrew Liptak (TK-3220), Burr Martin (TD-9993)

Recent News

Imperial Public Service Announcement
Karen Traviss penning Clone Wars novelization (starwars.com blog)
Gentle Giant Snowtrooper Commander
“Storm Trooper Smash” (video) Warning: mature content.
Mini-Interview: Weird Al Yankovic (tour dates)
R2-KT Commemorative Coin (picture) (how to order)

Mission Reports

Florida Garrison: Star Wars Weekends (Weekend #3 video)
Midwest Garrison: Bartlett, IL 4th of July Parade
Garrison Carida: 4th of July Parades
Carolina Garrison: Tega Cay 4th of July Parade (gallery)
Aurora Borealis Outpost: Juneau 4th of July Parade (video1, video2, video3)
New England Garrison: Montpelier, VT 4th of July Parade (AT-AT video)
Midwest Garrison: Wizard World Chicago (gallery)
Carolina Garrison: Hemby Children’s Hospital Visit (gallery)
Nordic Garrison: Star Wars: The Exhibition (TV promo video)
Great Lakes Garrison: West Michigan Whitecaps Star Wars Night

Rebel Legion Segment

Upcoming Events

Japanese Garrison: Celebration Japan
German Garrison: Moviepark event in Bottrop
Toys R Us Clone Wars Toy Release (locations, press release)
Southern California Garrison: San Diego Comic-Con
501st Legion Patch Quilt (theforce.net coverage)

Other

Trooper Websites: TK-3220’s VT Trooper Blog
Contest/Giveaway
Honorary Member Birthday Wishes
- Ben Burtt (July 12th)
- Richard LeParmentier (July 16th)
- Kristen Bell (July 18th)
- Rena Owen (July 22nd)
FanBoys Movie News

Standard Podcast: Download

Obituary for Nicholas Robert Ring

2008-07-10T11:29:00.001-04:00

From Osprey Obituaries:

RING, Nicholas Robert - It is with extreme sorrow that we announce the sudden passing of Nicholas Ring, 22 years old, at Victoria Hospital in London, Ontario, on Saturday, July 5, 2008. Nick was the adored son of Ronald and Ray Ring. He was the greatly loved youngest brother of Andrew, Eric and Alexander, and the cherished twin of Graeme. He is also survived by several uncles and aunts; Norman and Marlene Ring; Harvey and Suzanne Ring; Eric Hood and Clarissa Barton; Alan Hood; and Michael and Margaret Dolbaczuk. He was predeceased by his grandparents Ivan and Ruby Ring, and Robert and Rita Hood; also by his aunt Aileen Hood and uncle Robin Hood. Nicholas leaves behind many special friends from around the world that he gained throughout his life. Nick attended Memorial School, Queen Mary School and St. Catharines Collegiate. He had just completed his third year at Brock University in Communications. Nicholas was an aspiring film maker, with a special interest in the Star Wars series, Nick actively pursued his fandom in several charitable organizations, always with the goal of benefiting others. Cremation has taken place. A celebration of Nicholas's life will be held at Pond Inlet, Brock University, St. Catharines on Saturday, July 19 from 2-5 p.m. The family welcomes visitation at 16 Gerrard Street, St. Catharines.

Upcoming Book Releases

2008-07-09T10:12:00.003-04:00

This is mainly to keep things straight in my head...

July 26 - The Clone Wars, Karen Traviss (HC)
August 19 - The Force Unleashed, Sean Williams (HC)
August 26 - Coruscant Nights, Michael Reaves (PB)
September 16 - Order 66, Karen Traviss (HC)
October 21, Millennium Falcon, James Luceno (HC)
November 18 - Star Wars Encyclopedia, Stephen Sansweet (HC)
November 25 - Untitled Clone Wars Novel, Karen Miller, (PB)
December 30 - Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor, Matthew Stover (HC)
January 27 - Patterns of the Force, Michael Reaves (PB)
March 24 - Fate of the Jedi, Aaron Allston (HC)

Of these, I'm guessing that we'll see book tours for Karen Traviss and Matthew Stover.

Toys R Us Midnight Events

2008-07-09T09:11:00.003-04:00

Want to see the 501st in large numbers? Go to your local Toys R Us on July 25th, where the each store will be opening at midnight. The 501st won't be at each one, but I know that there will be a number of appearances across the nation. I personally will be at the New York Time Square location.

Clone Wars Coming Soon to Toys "R" Us

To celebrate the highly anticipated August 15 theatrical release of The Clone Wars, Toys"R"Us and Lucasfilm Ltd. have partnered to create the ultimate Star Wars destination in U.S. Toys"R"Us stores nationwide. The adventure begins in July with the installation of countdown clocks in every store ticking toward the July 26 launch of the largest selection of toys, construction sets, role play accessories and more based on The Clone Wars.

"For more than three decades, Toys"R"Us has been the ultimate destination for kids and collectors interested in bringing home the magic of their favorite Star Wars films," said Greg Ahearn, Senior Vice President of Marketing and e-commerce for Toys"R"Us, U.S. "Our partnership with Lucasfilm will bring The Clone Wars to life with stunning in-store boutiques, an unparalleled assortment of products and exclusives, and up-to-the-minute countdowns to Star Wars excitement throughout the year."

"Toys"R"Us has been an ardent supporter of the Star Wars franchise since the introduction of the first toy line in 1977," said Howard Roffman, President, Lucas Licensing. "Generations of kids have found their favorite Star Wars toys on the shelves of Toys"R"Us stores, and we're thrilled that they will also be a major partner to Lucasfilm on The Clone Wars."

Full Article from Starwars.com

Clone Wars Novelization Cover and Updates!

2008-07-07T12:04:00.002-04:00

Theforce.net has posted up this cover for the upcoming Clone Wars novelization:

And, Karen has posted up this news about the book, which is apparently a 5 book series. Can you hear squealing? Yeah, that's me.

NEWS - new series, new books, new covers

Yes, there is a NEW SERIES out this month, and judging by the mail I'm getting, folks don't seem to realise what it is. There's a NEW FIVE-BOOK STAR WARS SERIES for adult readers based on the Clone Wars movie and TV cartoon show, and I'm writing three of them. But because the movie and the TV show are for the youngsters, and I write adult fiction, then you can deduce that the novels will show you stuff you won't see on screen. (This is separate from the young adult books that are also being published. ) With me so far? Good.

CLONE WARS, the hardcover based on the movie - loosely based, so no griping that it's different, please, because that's the whole point - is out on July 26. Full of the gritty, off-message, character-testing, question-raising, grey-area, military-oriented stuff you've come to expect from me. And clones. Plenty of clones. And familiar characters from the movies that you won't see quite the same way ever again.

My good buddy Karen Miller is writing the other two novels. She doesn't write predictable, lightweight stuff either, so stand by for a challenging series that will make you take another fresh look at the Clone Wars.

I'll be pimping the books at Comic Con in San Diego, July 24 - 27, with a short book tour immediately afterwards. I'll post cities and dates when they're all confirmed.

YAY! Can't wait to read them. Or this one. First book is out July 26th.

Celebration V news

2008-07-07T11:46:00.000-04:00

This article popped up online recently - it's looking like were going to see a Star Wars Celebration on the east coast, which is really good news, especially for the New England, Connecticut, Excelsior, Carida, Old Line, Ohio, Carolina and other east coast garrisons:

May the force be with Baltimore: City vying to host 'Star Wars' expo
Baltimore Business Journal - by Julekha Dash Staff

Baltimore has a shot of snagging a "Star Wars" fan convention that would rank among the city's largest gatherings, drawing as many as 35,000.

Lucasfilm Ltd., creator of the "Star Wars" series, is eyeing Baltimore for a four-day convention to be held either spring 2009 or spring 2010. Winning the convention would boost Baltimore's tourism business because of its size and media attention surrounding "Star Wars," one of the biggest pop culture phenomenons, local tourism experts said.

"It would be a great coup for Baltimore," said Melissa "Missy" Geppi-Bowersox, executive vice president of Geppi's Entertainment Museum. The Camden Yards pop culture museum houses many "Star Wars" collectibles and is expected to draw attendees from the convention. "We're talking about generations upon generations who loved the movies," Geppi-Bowersox said.

Baltimore is competing with Minneapolis, Chicago, Indianapolis and Orlando, Fla., for the fan gathering to be known as Celebration V, said Steve Sansweet, director of content management and head of fan relations for Lucasfilm.

http://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/stories/2008/07/07/story5.html

Montpelier 3rd of July Parade

2008-07-07T09:26:00.000-04:00

Members of the New England Garrison joined forces with the Vermont Cardboard Technical Institute and Kellogg-Hubbard Library for Montpelier's annual Independence Day Parade on July 3rd. Four troopers, plus four additional helpers were able to make the event, which featured the VCI's AT-AT walker. Troopers escorted the walker down the parade route to applause and enthusiastic grins from parade watchers. We posed for photos along the route, which was ideal - just over a mile, all flat.
In attendance was Andrew Liptak (TK-3220), Mike Anton (TK-2084 - His first official Troop), Brian Anderson (BH-7602) and Jodi Anderson (TA-7529), along with Recruit Hayes Johnson and two of his friends, and Keelia Liptak, who served as photographer and wrangler.

Group Shot

Walker in Action (Hayes in front)

My sister and I

Jodi and the Walker

Me and the Walker

Mike

Brian

Jodi

Overall, a very, very fun troop. It wasn't too hot, the rain that we had all day cleared off and we ended up having dinner at my place afterwards. Can't wait for the next troop with this walker!

501st In the News

2008-07-07T09:16:00.004-04:00

The 501st was in a rash of newspapers over the past couple of days with events all over the place:

Crestline festival draws thousands
CRESTLINE - Plenty of people lined Lake Drive on Saturday to watch a parade of small businesses, big bikers and others fly the American flag on floats, fenders and fire engines.

Thousands turned out to the Jamboree Parade and Festival, presented by the Chamber of Commerce.

The parade snaked to Lake Gregory, where vendors sold summertime staples - hamburgers, hot dogs, shaved ice and schwag.

Humberto Sandez set up shop under a flag-emblazoned welcome banner that hung from a street light. He sold Lucha Libre wrestling masks.

"Rey Mysterio is most popular," he said. "And Nacho Libre."

There were almost as many dogs as hot dogs. Boxers, bulldogs and mutts abounded.

Tina Taylor of Running Springs and her daughter, Danielle, took advantage of the crowd and sought owners for two 9-week-old mastiff and Australian Shepherd mixes, the last of a 12-puppy litter.

Corey Abrantes of Crestline took the fawn-colored one for his daughter, Adriana.

"My wife saw it," Abrantes said.

Attendees wore red, white and blue wherever they could. On buttons. On bikini tops. On beaded beards.

Plenty of tattoos, too. Baby boomers with ponytails, and tattoos. Generation-Xers with soul patches, and tattoos. Kids with ball caps, and rub-off tattoos.
Advertisement

The Star Wars 501st Legion of Stormtroopers made an appearance. They didn't cause any trouble. "Vader's Fist" was on a goodwill mission to raise awareness for various charities.

Scott Linting, also known as "Stormtrooper TK7971," arrived from Las Vegas. He and about 20 others from Arizona and Southern California signed autographs and took pictures with fans.

"In order for me to suit up, I have to have a higher purpose," Linting said. "I like to work with Make-a-Wish Foundation."

His suit costs about $1,200.

A chili cook-off starts at 8 a.m. today.

http://www2.sbsun.com/news/ci_9797815

METRO--CRESTLINE--LAKE GREGORY--JAMBO--Stormtroopers with the 501st Stormtrooper Legion walk the parade route as thousands of people turned out for the 2008 Jamboree Parade and Festival in the Lake Gregory area of Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains, Saturday, July 5, 2008.

METRO--CRESTLINE--LAKE GREGORY--JAMBO--Bounty hunters Jango Fett, Scott Chana of Phoenix Az.,right, pretends to put gas in Boba Fett's tank, Andy Forrester of Las Vegas, as the 501st Stormtrooper Legion unwinds after the parade. Thousands of people turned out for the 2008 Jamboree Parade and Festival in the Lake Gregory area of Crestline in the San Bernardino Mountains, Saturday, July 5, 2008.

Fourth of July/Mary Lou Retton parade Friday

FAIRMONT — The parade route for the Main Street Fairmont Fourth of July Celebration — Welcome Home Mary Lou Retton parade has been announced.

Lineup is at 4 p.m.. and the parade will start at 5 p.m.

The parade route will start at Third Street, turn down Fairmont Avenue/Adams Street, turn right at Jefferson Street, go over the Million Dollar Bridge, turn right onto Merchant Street and disband at Palatine Park.

The numbers below represent the parade line up and will be painted or drawn on the street and the location/direction follows. If you have any questions please call the Main Street Fairmont office at 366-0468.

37. Garrison Carieda of the 501st Legion — at corner of First Street and Virginia Avenue, face Virginia Avenue.

Full Article: http://www.timeswv.com/intodayspaper/local_story_185020258.html

Can't rain on our parade
By Michael Hays, mhays@pottsmerc.com

POTTSTOWN - Instead of sparklers, the wet masses along High Street held umbrellas as they watched a procession of cars and floats, horses and dogs, and people both young and old during Friday's parade.

The soggy Independence Day celebration ended Friday night, as thousands turning out despite the damp to watch the annual fireworks display.

Once again rain was an unwelcome blemish on Pottstown's Fourth of July celebration, but residents appeared to take it in stride. A light drizzle fell during the parade's early moments before falling more steadily after 11 a.m.

For a holiday honored with red, white and blue, a spattering of umbrellas in brown, black, green, orange and purple contributed to the sidewalks' visual diversity.

Tom Smoyer, a quarry worker from Bechtelsville, needed no such protection. Standing beneath a dripping gutter, a shirtless Smoyer took it all in with a cold drink in his hand.

"It ain't that bad. People take showers all the time. It's just a drizzle," he said.

Smoyer had a bit of the revolutionary spirit in him on this Independence Day, saying it might be time for another protest similar to the Boston Tea Party. He'd like to see gas prices drop to $2 per gallon, even if for just a couple of months.

"Give at least the working man a break," Smoyer said.

In 1978, Pottstown held its first community-wide Fourth of July celebration. Americans were in the midst of an oil crisis, complete with rationing and long lines at the station. The federal government set the national speed limit at 55 mph - in an attempt to help people conserve gasoline - only to lift the restriction in 1995.

With a barrel of oil setting new record highs in 2008, AAA predicted there would be 400,000 fewer vehicles on the road during this holiday.

Gasoline at $4 per gallon doesn't appear to bother everyone, as several cars sat idling on side streets throughout the borough, providing both cover and air conditioning for occupants.

People sought shelter wherever they could - under trees, storefronts, carports and front porches. A small crowd gathered under the drive-up window at National Penn Bank.

Winston Kelly and Kevin Wright were among them. Although happy with this parade, both men would like to see the annual Memorial Day parade grow in both size and significance.

"We should honor the vets, but we don't," Wright said.

A more visible Memorial Day parade would bring more recognition to men and women who have served their country, they said.

"What does Darth Vader have to do with the Fourth of July?" another man asked, in reference to the unit of "Star Wars" stormtroopers, members of the Fighting 501st costuming organization, that was a small part of the parade.

Full Article: http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=19831744&BRD=1674&PAG=461&dept_id=635482&rfi=8

Fallen Trooper: Nick Ring

2008-07-06T11:59:00.003-04:00

It's with great sadness that I post this: TK/TC 5986, aka Nick Ring, from the Canadian Garrison, passed away the other day at the age of 22. From what I understand, he underwent jaw surgery, and while in recovery, suffered from cardiac arrest. Legion members are asked to respect the family's privacy at this time - further details should be available at the Canadian Garrison forums.

July Events Report

2008-07-03T13:39:00.001-04:00

The following events have been reported to the 501st Legion between July 3rd and July 31st 2008. Please contact the hosting garrison prior to attending any event.

Thursday Jul 3
Golden Gate Garrison - Marin County Fair - Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA
70th Explorers - Salute to America Parade - Jefferson City, MO
Garrison Excelsior - Buffalo Bisons Game - Buffalo, NY
Bloodfin Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Great Lakes Garrison - 4th of July Celebration - Grandville
New England Garrison - Montpelier Independance Day Parade - Montpelier, VT

Friday Jul 4
Golden Gate Garrison - Marin County Fair - Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA
Central Garrison - Ralston Fourth of July Parade - Downtown - Ralston, NE
Garrison Carida - 4th of July Parade - Pottstown, PA
Southern California Garrison - Stormtrooper Olympics at San Diego County Fair - San Diego, CA
Alpine Garrison - Provo Freedom Days Parade
Carolina Garrison - Tega Cay parade - Tega Cay, SC
Midwest Garrison - 4th of July Parade - Racine, WI
Garrison Carida - Parade - Fairmont WV
Weird Al Concert - Louisville, KY
Neon Garrison - Parade - Las Vegas
French Garrison - Japan Expo - Paris

Saturday Jul 5
Golden Gate Garrison - Marin County Fair - Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA
French Garrison - Japan Expo - Paris
Florida Garrison - Stars of Hope at Regal - Regal
UK Garrison - The Percy Hedley Foundation Summer Fair 2008 - The Percy Hedley Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne
Southern California Garrison - Crestline Parade - Crestline, CA
Bloodfin Garrrison - Weird Al Concert - Merriville, IN
UK Garrison - Hardwick Primary School Carnival an Evening Social - Hardwick Primary School, Cambridge
UK Garrison - Derby Relay For Life - Moorways Sports Complex, Derby
French Garrison - Salon Collexion - Macon

Sunday Jul 6
Golden Gate Garrison - Marin County Fair - Marin Civic Center, San Rafael, CA
French Garrison - Japan Expo - Paris
French Garrison - Salon Collexion - Macon
Midwest Garrison - Independence Day Parade - Bartlett, IL
Ohio Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Tuesday Jul 8
Garrison Excelsior - Webster Public Library Comic Book program - Webster, NY
Garrison Tyranus - Weird Al Concert

Wednesday Jul 9
Weird Al Concert - Atlantic City, NJ

Thursday Jul 10
Southern California Garrison - Family Day at Camp Pendleton - Camp Pendleton, Oceanside California
Empire City Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Dune Sea Garrison - Bookman's Free Kids Summer Events - Phoenix, Az
UK Garrison - Sandhurst 'Science Explosion' - Sandhurst School, Sandhurst

Friday Jul 11
UK Garrison - Sandhurst 'Science Explosion' - Sandhurst School, Sandhurst
Old Line Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Baltimore, MD
Alpine Garrison - Relay for Life - Billings, MT
Canadian Garrison - Polaris 22 (Formerly Toronto Trek) - Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON
Old Line Garrison - Shore Leave convention - Hunt Valley, MD

Saturday Jul 12
Canadian Garrison - Polaris 22 (Formerly Toronto Trek) - Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON
Old Line Garrison - Shore Leave convention - Hunt Valley, MD
Midwest Garrison - Surprise Party - Gurnee Mills, IL
Garrison Excelsior - RPO Concert at CMAC - Canandaigua, NY
Bloodfin Garrison - 3 Rivers Festival Parade 2008 - Downtown Fort Wayne, In
Old Line Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Washington, DC
Midwest Garrison - Adler Planetarium wedding reception - Chicago, IL
Golden Gate Garrison - Lenny Williams Golf Classic - San Leandro, CA
UK Garrison - Heroes For Sale - Heros for Sale, Inverness
Midwest Garrison - Old Settler's Day Parade - Rockton, IL
UK Garrison - Pirates of The Carribean Fair - Hartford Junior School, Huntingdon
Garrison Excelsior - Monroe County Fair Intergalactic Reception - Dome Arena, Henrietta, NY
UK Garrison - Frome Victoria Hospital - Frome Victoria Hospital, Somerset
Star Garrison - Meet the 501st Legion of Stormtroopers, Arkansas Squad - Sherwood, AR
Garrison Carida - Relay for Life - Pittsburgh, PA
UK Garrison - Macmillan Cancer Support Charity event - The Wulfrun Shopping Centre, Wolverhampton
UK Garrison - Royal International Air Tattoo 2008 - RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
Canadian Garrison - Paradise Comiccon - Holiday Inn on King Street, Toronto, ON

Sunday Jul 13
Canadian Garrison - Polaris 22 (Formerly Toronto Trek) - Doubletree International Plaza Hotel, Toronto, ON
Old Line Garrison - Shore Leave convention - Hunt Valley, MD
UK Garrison - Royal International Air Tattoo 2008 - RAF Fairford, Gloucestershire
Canadian Garrison - Paradise Comiccon - Holiday Inn on King Street, Toronto, ON
UK Garrison - Stanford Infant School fair - Stanford Infant School, Brighton
Garrison Excelsior - Kid's Day @ Empire State Convention Center - Empire State Convention Center, Albany, NY
70th Explorers - ToyMan Toy Show - District 9 Machinist Hall, 12365 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO
Southern California Garrison - Pre- SDCC Armor Party/BBQ

Monday Jul 14
Garrison Excelsior - Weird Al Concert - Verona, NY

Tuesday Jul 15
New England Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Gilford, NH

Thursday Jul 17
Great Lakes Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Friday Jul 18
Florida Garrison - United Cerebral Palsy of Northwest Florida Appreciation Event - Seville Quarter, Pensacola, FL
Costa Rica Outpost - Cinema Magaly 30th Anniversary GalA - San José Costa RIca
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - San Rafael, CA
Great Lakes Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - Sunnyvale, CA
Florida Garrison - Metrocon - Tampa, FL
New England Garrison - JumpCon - Boston, MA

Saturday Jul 19
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - Sunnyvale, CA
Florida Garrison - Metrocon - Tampa, FL
New England Garrison - JumpCon - Boston, MA
German Garrison - Jahrestreffen der 501st im Movie Park Germany - Bottrop, Germany
Garrison Carida - Medical Convention - Philadelphia, PA
UK Garrison - Summer Ball / Oscar night - MAYDENCROFT LANE, Herts
Carolina Garrison - Book Release - Wilkesboro County Library
New England Garrison - Borders Grand Opening - Wareham, MA
Garrison Carida - Robot Block Party - Pittsburgh, PA
UK Garrison - Breast Cancer Awareness fun day - rodmersham squash and fitness, Kent
Garrison Carida - Relay for Life - Erie, PA
Alpine Garrison - Days of '47 Carnival - Salt Lake City, UT
UK Garrison - Yeovil Hospital Summer Celebration Day - Ivel Barbarians Rugby Club, Yeovil
Midsouth Garrison - Weird Al Concert
MidSouth Garrison - WonderFest - Louisville, Kentucky
Star Wars Celebration: Japan - Tokyo, Japan

Sunday Jul 20
Golden Gate Garrison - Toys "R" Us Grand Opening - Sunnyvale, CA
Florida Garrison - Metrocon - Tampa, FL
New England Garrison - JumpCon - Boston, MA
MidSouth Garrison - WonderFest - Louisville, Kentucky
Star Wars Celebration: Japan - Tokyo, Japan
UK Garrison - Guinness Book of Records - London film and comic con, London
Ohio Garrison - Weird Al Concert - Columbus, OH

Monday Jul 21
Star Wars Celebration: Japan - Tokyo, Japan
Ohio Garrison - Weird Al Concert
Garrison Excelsior - Orleans County Fair

Tuesday Jul 22
Garrison Excelsior - Orleans County Fair
Robot Chicken Star Wars Special Released to DVD

Wednesday Jul 23
Garrison Excelsior - Orleans County Fair
Garrison Carida - Weird Al Concert - Scranton, PA
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego

Thursday Jul 24
Garrison Excelsior - Orleans County Fair
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Weird Al Concert - Rama, Ontario
Northeast Remnant? - Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey

Friday Jul 25
Garrison Excelsior - Orleans County Fair
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Northeast Remnant? - Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Garrison Excelsior - Clone Wars Toy Release - TENTATIVE - Greece, NY
Weird Al Concert - Rama, Ontario
Midwest Garrison - Party
Bloodfin Garrison - Toys R Us Midnight Toy Release - Indianapolis, IN
Northeast Remnant - TRU Times Square Midnight Toy Release

Saturday Jul 26
Garrison Excelsior - Orleans County Fair
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Florida Garrison - St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa - Tampa FL
Garrison Cardia - Steel City Con - Monroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PAMonroeville Expo Mart, Monroeville PA
Midwest Garrison - Timber Rattlers Baseball-Star Wars Day *Make*A*Wish* benefit - Appleton, WI
Weird Al Concert - Greensburg, PA
MidSouth Garrison - North Stewart Spring Festival - North Stewart, TN
Terror Australis Garrison - Autosalon '08 - Perth, AUS

Sunday Jul 27
Central California Garrison - San Diego Comic Con - San Diego
Northeast Remnant - Redington Balloon Festival - Vader Balloon - New Jersey
Terror Australis Garrison - Autosalon '08 - Perth, AUS
70th Explorers - Camp Quality Greater Kansas City - Excelsior Springs, MO

Monday Jul 28
Dune Sea Garrison - Karen Traviss Clone Wars Book Signing - Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ
70th Explorers - Weird Al Concert

Tuesday Jul 29
Central Garrison - Weird Al Concert

Space Classics

2008-07-03T08:34:00.001-04:00

This is in from a couple days ago:

Space Classics | MSO Pops
Written by Jack Teiwes
Sunday, 22 June 2008

Having not been to an orchestral performance in quite some time and never to one of the “Pops” programmes, this collection of music with a celestial motif dubbed Space Classics was a delight.

Perhaps they should have called it “John Williams and Friends” though, since over half of the pieces they played were from Williams’ memorable film scores, and most of those in turn were from the Star Wars movies specifically. Actually, if there’s any criticism I could level at this rousing night of music it would be a mild conceptual fuzziness in its choice of works, using the theme of “space” to include scores from science fiction films and television (with the arguably tangential inclusion of Superman), some more classical material such as the pieces of Strauss used in Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, as well as three movements from Gustav Holst’s astrologically-themed suite The Planets. In theory it might have been more tidy had the programme either been restricted to film scores (or music used in films, thus encompassing Strauss) or had more of a balance with the inclusion of further space-inspired classics… but why quibble? No one was complaining of the delightful final product, least of all myself. Still, it might have been nice to have brought in a few other great sci-fi movie scores in lieu of some of the less iconic Williams pieces from the Star Wars sequels, such as “Jabba the Hutt’s” leitmotif, for example.

The whole show was a tremendously jolly event from the moment of arrival. A half-dozen fully armoured Stormtroopers from the local Terror Australis Garrison of the 501st Legion (google them!) greeted the audience at the door of Hamer Hall, under the watchful eye of a resplendent and suitably towering Darth Vader. All these good sports were more than happy to pose for photos with the delighted crowd.

Once in the auditorium, proceedings were off to an excellent start in the hands of the affable and quite funny conductor/presenter Anthony Inglis, who guided the audience through the programme with disarmingly unaffected charm. Able to discuss the pieces with equal enthusiasm as both a musician and a genre fan, Inglis managed to air his Trekkie pride (etc.) endearingly without becoming embarrassing.

The performance itself was splendid. I have heard it said that sometimes this sort of event (perhaps not MSO Pops specifically) will have the orchestra perform backed by a screen upon which is projected silent clips of the film from which the music originated. Fortunately it was not the case here, as that would have merely been a distraction.

The sweeping power of some of the works was very moving and wonderfully brought to life, with excellent performances of the indelible main title piece from Star Wars, Strauss’ “Thus Spake Zarathustra: Sunrise” and Jerry Goldsmith’s main piece for the first Star Trek film were high points. The only performance which struck me as a little disappointing was that of Williams’ powerful “Duel of the Fates” from the first Star Wars prequel, the arrangement here somewhat drowned out the strings and simply couldn’t quite compensate for the lack of a choir.

There was some additional showmanship, with a relatively unobtrusive lightshow that worked to thematically match the music, such as an ominous red for the “Imperial March” of the evil Empire. Towards the end Inglis engaged in some further theatrics, such as gentle audience participation in getting us to launch Thunderbirds with the famous countdown, yelling “THUNDERBIRDS ARE GO!” in unison. The final advertised item on the bill was Williams’ sublime theme from Superman in which our conductor half-heartedly tried to get the audience members to all enact the famous shirt-spreading moment of transition from secret identity to superhero, before declaring he’d show us “how it’s done” and, indeed, splitting his shirtfront to reveal the iconic S-symbol beneath, to much applause.

An encore was evidently anticipated, as after taking his bow and departing the stage, Inglis re-emerged a few moments later in full Jedi robes, brandishing a glowing lightsabre before ascending to his podium again and announcing that they would send us off with the full end-credits score to Star Wars. After a swelling phrase or two the audience chuckled with delight as a certain Dark Lord of the Sith made his reappearance, leading his squad of Stormtroopers down the isles in a processional march before taking up a perimeter at the foot of the stage. In what seemed an improvised moment, Vader turned around and pretended to conduct with his lightsabre for a few bars, much to the crowd’s amusement.

Finishing off with some small indoor fireworks, this thoroughly enjoyable evening had a very happy crowd spilling out into the foyers with many a grin to be seen.

Full Article

Legoland Star Wars Days Fast Approaching

2008-07-03T08:31:00.001-04:00

This in from Wired Magazine:

Legoland Star Wars Days Fast Approaching
By Dave Banks EmailJuly 02, 2008 | 8:49:39 AMCategories: Lego, Star Wars

We are on our annual pilgrimage to Legoland in California. While waiting in line in the new Land of Adventure section of the park, I passed the time by reading the list of upcoming events. My eye immediately caught the Star Wars Day event, coming to the park September 13 & 14.

Visitors on those days are encouraged to dress as their favorite Star Wars character. The 501st Legion will be in attendance. And Legoland will be featuring special product viewings, building activities, costume contests, scavenger hunts and - best of all - product giveaways. What's more, everyone who attends the park that day will receive a commemorative Star Wars brick.

So mark your calendars, call your travel agent and have a blast at Legoland Star Wars Days 2008.

Full Article

Transforming to ESB

2008-07-02T09:55:00.002-04:00

There are minor differences between the storm troopers between A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. They're hard to spot, but the Empire Strikes Back troopers are the most different from the ANH and ROTJ troopers. I've been wanting to go to ESB for a while now, and I've finally made the switch over.

There are two differences that really make a trooper ESB. The first is the helmet frown. Where the ANH and ROTJ frowns are a light gray, the Empire Strikes Back frown is black. So, I taped up my helmet all around the frown using duct tape and newspaper, and changed the color of that over. I've given it a couple of coats, just to be sure.

The end result came out pretty good, although I missed a couple of spots, which I've touched up with a sharpie marker. For the time being, this'll work just fine, although I would like to get some hobby paint and finish the job completely.

The second difference is in the hand plates. In ANH, they are flat and angular. In ESB, they are a bit smaller, and curved inwards a bit. I was able to aquire a set via one of our recruits, Frank, who's recently built a vacuformer and made some molds. He used a very lightweight plastic, polysyrene, which is very thin - much thinner than the ABS plastic that the rest of my armor is made of, but much cheaper. Because these plates don't cover the strap on my glove, I've painted that as well, although I suspect that I'll have to replace the strap entirely so that the glove is uniformly black. I'll see how it is for now though.

Hopefully, the inside of the helmet won't be too smelly from the paint...

Clone Wars Profiled in the New York Times

2008-07-02T08:10:00.002-04:00

This article just came up on the New York Times movie section, with an interesting look at George Lucas and how he's marketing the Clone Wars.

Free to Follow His Heart Right Back to ‘Star Wars’

FUTURE generations will never need to establish a George Lucas museum, because George Lucas has already built one for himself. On either side of the Golden Gate Bridge he has constructed himself two temples where “Star Wars” is made and worshiped: at his Skywalker Ranch in Marin County and his newer office complex, the Letterman Digital Arts Center at the Presidio, he has gathered all manner of relics honoring his six-film saga, from the imposing (life-size replicas of the villains Darth Vader and Boba Fett) to the self-congratulatory (a Yoda fountain) to the self-deprecating (a carbonite block encasing the much loathed Jar Jar Binks).

Like religious shrines, these buildings both consecrate and confine the man for whom they were built.

Using the freedom and the fortune he has amassed largely on the astronomical success of “Star Wars,” Mr. Lucas has accumulated unparalleled creative resources; his next film could be anything from a sweeping epic to one of the intimate personal narratives he has often said he would like to make. Instead his next two ventures will be “Star Wars” projects, no less ambitious than his previous films yet potentially less commercial. And they come at a time when even the “Star Wars” faithful wonder if Mr. Lucas’s continued mining of this fantasy world has anything more to yield.

A few weeks ago Mr. Lucas, who is 64 with a full white beard, was visiting his Presidio offices somewhat reluctantly, on a layover between the European and Japanese premieres of his latest “Indiana Jones” movie. “I love making movies; I’m not the biggest fan of selling them,” he said, seated in the librarylike Lucasfilm boardroom, stocked with books about real-world military history and novels like “Quo Vadis.” “But since I’m in the selling mood, that’s what you’re here for. I’m doing all my selling for two more weeks. Then I’m sold out.”

He was pitching a computer-generated animated movie called “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” which Warner Brothers will release on Aug. 15 and which will introduce an animated television series with the same title that will have its debut on the Cartoon Network this fall.

Despite his vows to the contrary Mr. Lucas did not conclude his “Star Wars” epic with his 2005 film “Revenge of the Sith,” the third in a trilogy of prequel movies that grossed more than $1 billion in the United States alone. As far back as 2002 he was contemplating an animated series that would take place between Episodes II and III of his prequels, fleshing out the adventures of the Jedi knights Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker (who is doomed to become the evil Darth Vader), and explore heroes, villains and planets glossed over in the prequel films.

For Mr. Lucas this was an opportunity to revisit imaginary turf that gives him great personal satisfaction. “Star Wars,” he said, is “a sandbox I love to play in.”

“It’s not a matter of trying to prove anything to anybody,” he added. “I don’t have to.”

Full Article

Where Storm Troopers Come From

2008-06-27T13:47:00.002-04:00

This is a really neat look at how Lego Storm Trooper helmets are made.

Clone Wars Novelization News!

2008-06-27T13:45:00.001-04:00

This in from the Official Star Wars Blog:

Del Rey & LucasBooks announce Novels Based on Star Wars: The Clone Wars Feature Film and Animated Series
June 25, 2008

This just in from the wire:

NEW YORK, NY – June 25, 2008 – LucasBooks and Del Rey, an imprint of Ballantine Books at the Random House Publishing Group, announced today that Del Rey will publish five novels to tie-in with the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars feature film, premiering on August 15, and the animated TV series that will air in fall of 2008 on Cartoon Network and TNT.

The first novel – Star Wars: The Clone Wars – is written by fan-favorite Star Wars author Karen Traviss, and will go on sale July 26, 2008. Popular science-fiction/fantasy author Karen Miller will write the second novel, to be published in December 2008. Both books will add depth, color and background to the screen stories and characters, making them must-reads for every Star Wars fan.

The story follows the heroic Jedi Knights as they struggle to maintain order and restore peace during the tumultuous Clone Wars. More and more systems are falling prey to the forces of the dark side as the Galactic Republic slips further and further under the sway of the Separatists and their never-ending droid army. Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan learner Ahsoka Tano find themselves on a mission with far-reaching consequences, one that brings them face-to-face with crime lord Jabba the Hutt. But Count Dooku and his sinister agents, including the nefarious Asajj Ventress, will stop at nothing to ensure that Anakin and Ahsoka fail at their quest. Meanwhile, on the front lines of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda lead the massive clone army in a valiant effort to resist the forces of the dark side.

Del Rey Editor Shelly Shapiro says, “It is a gift to all Star Wars fans to see the franchise continue to grow and develop under the watchful and ever-inventive eye of its creator, George Lucas. The Star Wars galaxy is one of the richest fictional “worlds” ever invented, and it is exciting to be able to explore this new area with novels, as we’ve done with so much success–and so much fun–with the original six movies.”

The Western Michigan Whitecaps Will Restore Balance To The Universe

2008-06-27T10:44:00.001-04:00

The Western Michigan Whitecaps Will Restore Balance To The Universe

Welcome to Minor Enterprise. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.

Saturday is Star Wars Night with the Western Michigan Whitecaps, where once again science fiction geek and baseball stat nerd call truce and come together for a night of revelry and excitement ("Hey, give me back my inhaler!"). Never before have so many costumed Star Wars characters descended on a minor league ballpark. Never before have your children witnessed Emperor Palpatine taking a leak in a trough urinal. Never before have so many adults been driven to the game by their parents. Plus, the players will be wearing Star Wars-themed jerseys (shown following the jump), Darth Vader will throw out the first pitch, and the National Anthem will be played on guitar by a Clone Trooper. And it's all for charity!

Many Bothans died to bring us this information.

To get you in the mood, here's an action-packed promotional video by the Whitecaps staff, featuring their mascot, Crash, in deleted scenes from Star Wars: A New Hope. (Even though he's wearing a mascot gopher head and can't change expression, he's still a better actor than Hayden Christiansen). Oh, and the young Anakin Skywalker will be there, bragging about his Midichlorian count and using his powers to get all the foul balls. This has become an annual event with the Whitecaps, with members of the 501st Legion, a Star Wars costuming fan group, showing up each year and helping to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation (last year's haul: $3,000). Whitecaps players will be wearing custom Star Wars jerseys for the game, some of which will be auctioned off afterwards for that same charity. Here they be.

Full Article: http://deadspin.com/5019790/the-western-michigan-whitecaps-will-restore-balance-to-the-universe

501stCast: Episode 18: June 26, 2008: Jumpin’ in with Both Feet

2008-06-27T08:49:00.001-04:00

Jumpin’ Joe Stevenson joins the 501stCast crew as we report the latest news on R2-KT, Honorary Member Katie Cook, Celebration Japan, and other 501st events around the world. The Rebel Legion also returns to give us a progress report on the RFT costume, and we conclude our exclusive interview with Gerald Home.

Show Notes: Episode XVIII (June 26, 2008)

Hosts: Dean Plantamura (TK-899), Varza (DZ-8772) and Jumpin’ Joe Stevenson (TK-6064)

Post-Production: Dean Plantamura (TK-899) and Lor (TK-7883)

Content Development: Nicky Blum (DZ-8397) and Dean Plantamura (TK-899)

Contributors: Andrew Liptak (TK-3220), Burr Martin (TD-9993), Chris Richards (TK-1073), Adam Scott (RC-6124), Bob Gouveia (BH-1171), Matt Hoffman and Chris Baker

Recent News

Imperial Public Service Announcement (videos)
New Honorary Member: Katie Cook (Blogs: MCCC, 501st, R2-KT)
R2-KT on the big screen (starwars.com gallery)
R2-KT Commemorative Coin (picture) (how to order)
Dutch Outpost: The Force Unleashed sneak peek

Honorary Member Interview with Gerald Home (part 2 of 2) (SWORA website)

Mission Reports

Great Lakes Garrison: Nick Jr. Kid Expo (Cupid Shuffle, Jaster & the 9 Volts)
Taiwan Formosa Outpost: Call for aid for Sichuan earthquake victims (World Vision Taiwan)
MidSouth Garrison: Night Stalker Family Fun Day (gallery, video)
Swiss Garrison: Zurich Comic Convention
New England Garrison: Hasbro Kids Carnival (gallery)
Florida Garrison: Star Wars Weekends
Golden Gate Garrison: Foster a Dream Gala
Great Lakes Garrison: Drive-In Movie Night

Rebel Legion Segment

Upcoming Events

Japanese Garrison: Celebration Japan
Weird Al Yankovic concerts (tour dates)
Nordic Garrison: Star Wars: The Exhibition
Midwest Garrison: Wizard World Chicago

Other

Trooper Websites: TK-8541 - Faithful Servant of the Empire
Contest/Giveaway - win an exclusive patch!
Honorary Member Birthday Wishes
- Steve Sansweet (June 14th)
- C. Andrew Nelson (June 22nd)
- David Prowse (July 1st)
- William Hootkins (July 5th)
- Bruce Boa (July 10th)
501stCast MiniCasts - Detachment Briefing and Stump the Trooper

Standard Podcast: Download