Grappling Hook

One of the more iconic scenes from 1977's A New Hope is Luke and Leia's swing across the Death Star chasm. Ironcially, the basis of this scene is one of the least-realized Star Wars props---the Stormtrooper grappling hook.


I posted some early reproductions of this item under Accessories on my original site, but here's a new one from Andy (TD-6372).



Although there are no clear shots of the original prop (please don't use the Star Wars Visual Dictionary as a reference since the grappling hook featured in there is a modern redux), Andy has done a nice job with this one, creating versions in CNC milled aluminum as well as a less expensive resin model. You still need to build your own grappling hook holster though.

TK-899 Fan Art

TK-899 celebrated 37 revolutions around the sun today. A somewhat mild day for a Stormtrooper, playing with the little clones on the farm and doing some financial planning. However, I did receive a very cool piece of fan mail from a listener of the 501stCast who illustrated me as seen on my Florida Garrison rookie card from 2005. Thanks, John!

Dragon*Con 2008

Dragon*Con 2008 was a blast, as expected. Of all the cons that the 501st is known to attend regularly, D*C is the most laid-back in terms of 501st costuming. Honestly, aside from the Saturday morning parade down Peachtree Street, it's difficult to find a plain ol' Stormtrooper or otherwise canon Star Wars costume. On the other hand, if it's FemTroopers or Darth Hello Kitty that you want, you've come to the right place. After last year's virgin voyage to downtown Atlanta's version of Mardi Gras, DZ-4009 and I were amped for a return visit...in fact, we had our tickets and hotel room at the Marriott squared away well in advance (and, yes, the Marriott is now the hotel of choice for many reasons). We also had new costumes planned to debut at the con, but Darth Real-Life has been a real bugger lately, so we were just glad that we were able to attend and I wore my AT-ST Driver as seen in the above pic. I assisted with the 10th Anniversary at Dragon*Con Meet the 501st panel and helped out at the 501st booth when possible---always fun to interact with fans and prospective members. I also captured a lot of audio and conducted interviews for 501stCast episode 23, too. Despite the fact that this is a 4-day con, one really cannot see it all. Of all the panels, tracks and events on the convention schedule (aside from the 501st-related activities) I only participated in one true session which was a Star Wars prop challenge scratch-building prop contest. Scott TK-408 and I thought it might be fun since we've not only built hardware props for years as part of the 501st, but also hosted seminars at MegaCon in Orlando and even Star Wars Celebration. It was a packed house (albeit a small room) and we felt a little guilty for being so overqualified for the competition---something like Emeril Lagasse entering the neighborhood bake-off. Our joint creation, the DS-71 Sniper Rifle, ended up winning third place in the adult category but it was clear from the audience reactions that we were the fan favorite.

If you've never been to Dragon*Con, I highly recommend it. Just click here for some images from Flickr and you'll get a sample of the amazing quality, creativity and craziness that people put into their costumes.

YouTube is Timeless

YouTube is interesting. Since it's user-created content, things will appear at seemingly random times without any regard for when they actually happened. I just came across a video uploaded this week that shows the Disney Star Wars Weekends parade from back in June. Check me out at 3:21 with my homemade "Go 501st!" banner...make sure you watch in high quality mode. Also worth noting is the chanting of "501! 501!" at the start of the video. Sounds goofy (no pun intended), but that kind of love from the fans can make a Stormtrooper tear up in white-armored pride.

Oh, the Humanity!

Attention: Owners of TE, AP, RT-Mod, SDS or even FX armor proceed at your own risk. The following images of the Rubies Supreme Stormtrooper costume are graphic in nature. TK-899's White Armor Chronicles assumes no responsibility for involuntary regurgitation or gouged eyeballs.











If you are searching for Stormtrooper armor to join the 501st Legion, please do not purchase this costume. If you are searching for a Stormtrooper Halloween costume, are you really willing to spend $595-850 US for this?

Kanye Glows in the Dark

The reason for this seemingly random post will be revealed at a later time.