Marching on the Mouse

Star Wars Weekends is upon us again and this year DZ-4009 and myself loaded up the family and made a trip to that wretched hive of sun and humidity known as Florida. This would be the third Star Wars Weekends troop for me as well as my first troop of the year (current home construction is occupying most of our time). The Florida Garrison did an excellent job of tightening things up this year and we had such a huge number of participants this year that Disney actually put a cap on our numbers! We only marched on Friday, June 6th, but watched the parade as spectators on Saturday, June 7th and supported the troops with a home-made banner. While keeping in character during the march, we got a few nods from our members as well as hoots and hollers from the three 501st Honorary Member celebrities in the motorcade (Jeremy Bulloch, Warwick Davis, and Daniel Logan). This was also the first official troop for my AT-ST Driver costume. Watch for me with the Imperial Gunners and DZ-4009 as Friday's only female Tusken in the videos below:

Zero-G Troopers

One of the most obscure and overlooked Stormtrooper variants from the original trilogy is the trooper type seen outside the Death Star docking bay as the Millennium Falcon is being pulled in via tractor beam (pictured above). Although some fans refer to this trooper as the "Spacetrooper", the official Star Wars databank already has that particular name reserved for another Expanded Universe character. As such, I'm calling this a Zero-G trooper to avoid confusion and to emphasize the spacewalking nature of these troops.

There are only a few photos known to exist that document this rare piece of trooper equipment, and none show a great degree of detail. We know that the basis of this costume is the Stormtrooper armor with some additions (much like the Sandtrooper is really a Stormtrooper variant). This trooper wears some kind of oxygen-supplying backpack with a hose leading to the front of the helmet, and also wears his gloves untucked and pulled up over the forearm armor (giving the appearance of really long wrists!)

An interesting thread on the RPF (which has been going since 2005) revealed an unproduced Marmit 1/6 scale Zero-G trooper:


Marmit is known for their attention to detail and realism, but what is interesting is that the backpack tanks on the figure appear to be based upon the tanker truck model parts that were kit-bashed as part of the Death Star trench seen here:

This was speculated by RPF members even before the awareness of the Marmit prototype and you can see the same tanks in this screen capture:

TK-8456 of the UK Garrison has made a fantastic effort in reproducing the space pack with little reference to rely upon. A groundbreaking first try:

Meanwhile, the hunt continues as, even 30 years later, new images continue to pop up from the Lucasfilm archives.

TRIVIA: The two Spacetroopers from Episode IV are believed to be Star Wars alumnus Joe Johnston filmed twice and superimposed. However, this production photo seems to suggest otherwise:

Special thanks to everyone on the RPF for helping to source this information.

Joined the Chicken Walker Club

Since my retirement as 501st Legion Webmaster earlier this year, one of my goals was to get back to finishing up some other Star Wars costumes that I've had in various stages of completion. One of them, started in 2004, is the AT-ST Driver from Return of the Jedi. Finally finished this one up this weekend after sourcing a decent jumpsuit with the proper stitching and color (I'm no seamstress!). The helmet comlink (which is composed of the carburator on a classic V8 engine model kit) was another "holy grail" for this particular costume...and now it's becoming more readily available from a number of sources. If you want to know more about this costume, visit the 501st Armored Cavalry Detachment (ACD) message boards by clicking here. I'll add more posts about this particular costume using the "AT-ST Driver" tag so you can view all of the posts at once. Can you believe this is only the second complete costume I own?!

MRCE+TK=$90 US!

I just found out that the Master Replicas Collectors Edition (CE) Stormtrooper helmet that I mentioned in a previous post is now available in the U.S. from a shop in California, and at 54% off retail (just $90 US!) it's quite a steal. If I wasn't already in possession of two TE2 buckets, an RT, and an FX, I'd be quick to jump on this one. If you are in search of a more accurate helmet for your FX armor, click here for this great price from Redford Films. (EDIT 1/29/09: Price has gone up to $110 with free shipping) You will also want to make some modifications to fine-tine this helmet. On a related note, they also have MR Clone Trooper helmets (not the Limited Editions) for just $199 US (but they were out of stock at the time of this blog). It may be worth watching this seller to see what other deals pop up in the future. Thanks to TK-5766 for the tip.

A World Record of Sorts

This is actually some older news, but I wanted to document it on tk899.com for posterity. The 2008 Guinness Book of World Records has declared the 501st Legion the world's "Largest Star Wars Costume Group." Page 174 of the annual guide features a write-up and photos of the Stormtroopers from the 2007 Rose Parade. Technically I'm not pictured (I think I'm just out of frame), but I'm still quite flattered by association. It lends an odd sense of credibility to the hobby when I can tell neighbors that dressing up in plastic en masse is now considered a world record category, and it was fun to do so at a recent party where I pointed to a copy of the book on their coffee table and said, "Hey, I'm in that!"
I haven't personally read the Guinness Book in quite some time, but it's apparently still popular with kids and it was, in fact, the Legion Founder's daughter, Allie, who first made the discovery that the 501st was included in the 2008 edition. Funny thing is that we have already gained more than 700 members since the publication date. I'd bet we also hold the world record for "Fastest Growing Star Wars Costuming Group."

Deal or No Deal

Tonight, 26 members of the Fighting 501st Legion will appear on NBC television's popular game show "Deal or No Deal" as custodians of the iconic mystery suitcases. The members involved with the production of this Star Wars-themed special episode have not been able to talk much due to confidentiality agreements, but we should get the behind-the-scenes scoop after today's air date. It's moments like these that make me think back to when it was a big deal to get the 501st name in Star Wars Insider magazine, let alone an hour on national television. Obviously, an appearance like this must be facilitated and approved by Lucasfilm, and I can't stress enough the importance of keeping up good relations with the hand that feeds you (or your fandom). I've said it before and I'll say it again: It is within the realm of possibility that you may see the members of the 501st in the upcoming Star Wars live-action TV series. Then all of us geeks can die in peace.

AA versus GL

It's all over the news lately, and inevitably friends and co-workers will ask us Star Wars fans if we have been following the story. British propmaker Andrew Ainsworth, the man who produced the original Stormtrooper armor (as well as some other costume parts) for Lucasfilm back in the mid-1970s is being sued in British High Court for making and selling replica Star Wars helmets and armor through his site Shepperton Design Studios. This is the second case LFL has brought against AA---the first was a 2006 case resulting in a California court awarding Lucasfilm $20 million in damages. Ainsworth claims that he is producing props "from the original moulds" (British spelling) but this is a hot topic amongst serious replica prop fans like those on the RPF, who argue that AA is speaking in half-truths, and that many parts of the armor have been reconstructed to fill in for broken or missing components (some mention of this on the SDS site). Furthermore, Ainsworth claims to be the original sculptor of some pieces, and therefore the artist who holds the rights to further produce the props. This point is now in debate as some photos of prototype clay sculpts are supposedly being brought as evidence against SDS. My personal take is that anyone who has the potential for financial gain based upon the popularity of Star Wars should have stepped up a long time ago (like 30 years ago) to ensure they maintained their intellectual property rights. I also think that Ainsworth, like other propmakers, could have continued his operation if he kept it on the down-low without placing advertisements and opening a full-blown website complete with pricing. Why put Lucasfilm in a position where they are forced to take action against you? I'm no law student, but I'd love to be a fly on the wall of these courtroom proceedings if just to see the surreal sight of a line-up of original Stormtrooper, TIE Pilot, Navy Trooper, Death Star Gunner, Rebel Fleet Trooper and Tusken Raider masks in front of judge and jury (see if you can pick them out of the court artist rendering above). You can also click here for miscellaneous media coverage. An odd side effect is the media's lack of relevant Stormtrooper imagery which has resulted in a lot of 501st members getting pictured in the news lately.

MR LE Helmet Returns...in eFX Form

As reported by Rebelscum.com, the short-lived Limited Edition Master Replicas Stormtrooper helmet will once again be available through new licensee eFX Collectibles. When Master Replicas somewhat unexpectedly ended their Lucasfilm license to produce Star Wars items, they apparently short-changed quite a few collectors who had pre-ordered the helmets. eFX will be making good on some of those orders with an edition size of 500 new helmets, but with a new display stand and base. I assume this is a good thing if you were one of those who paid for product you never received, but honestly, you can get a better helmet for much less than $399 US through underground channels. What the true fans really want to see is an American release of the MR Collectors Edition Stormtrooper helmet which is a great alternative for the FX kit helmet at a budget-conscious price point of about $120 US. (If you do manage to get this helmet, here's a nice tutorial from the 501st UK Garrison for fine-tuning it.) You can click here to visit the eFX site and sign up for e-mail updates for future products. And be sure to visit starwarshelmets.com for a great review of the LE helmet (MR version).

First Non-Promotional Rubies Pics

I blogged about the forthcoming Rubies Supreme Stormtrooper armor here, and you can see some of Rubies' official promotional photos on the excellent starwarshelmets.com. A fellow costuming fan happened upon the chance to see and feel a real prototype that's making the rounds at trade shows and here's a few photos they were able to snap before being asked to stop:






Does this off-the-shelf armor look warped to you? Well, the truth is that a lot of the armor in the Lucasfilm archives is warped, and as such, this Rubies suit isn't too far off from what you see in Return of the Jedi (with the obvious exception being the awful helmet). Our source says, however, that the material this suit is made from is very pliable and not the typical hard ABS, styrene or fiberglass that most fans are used to or would expect. What doesn't help Rubies' argument is the way this suit is poorly assembled and displayed on the mannequin. There are other issues with the belt, unpainted abdominal buttons, and drooping neckline on the chestplate, but the bottom line (so far) appears to be that this costume is not nearly worth the suggested retail of $850.00 US.

The Fanboys Controversy

Why is it that the media doesn't fact-check anymore? I'm not even going to go into the details about the current controversy surrounding the re-editing of the yet-to-be-released film Fanboys, but you can easily Google the story to play catch up. I'm just venting a little here as I feel that a few inconsiderate Star Wars fans (who claim to be 501st members), chose their words poorly and have now dragged the 501st Legion into this debacle. Blogs and/or entertainment "news" sites are running amok, exploiting the current events with a "geeks gone wild" theme, and naming the 501st as the group "spearheading" the grassroots anti-Weinstein campaign. Would it really kill them to just e-mail the 501st and ask if we, as an organization, are really behind this? Due to the overwhelming number of reports now slandering the Legion's name (and a phone call from NPR), we were forced to post an official statement which can be seen on 501st.com among other places:

The 501st Legion is not involved as an organization in any protests, boycotts, or movements related to the film Fanboys, nor do we have an opinion or position on the film (which has not yet been released). A few of our more than 4,000 members in 47 countries participated in the project, and accordingly may have their personal opinions about the current issues surrounding the project. But their participation in this film was not coordinated through or sanctioned by the Legion. Our organization is an all-volunteer costuming club that focuses on official Star Wars promotions and charity work. Mounting protests is counter to the Legion's mission and would detract from the time and energy that we currently devote to more meaningful causes. If you would like to learn more about the 501st and what we do, please feel free to contact us.

It's worth mentioning that the "masterminds" behind the Weinstein protests have not revealed themselves at this time, nor proven that they are truly members of the 501st. As for me, I'm anxious to see the film in any form. It's been years since we first heard news that some of our Legion members got a chance to participate in the film. For old time's sake, here's the movie trailer from 2006: