static burst by Kir Tikhomirov

Issue 5 - February 2008

Helping Our Own

Celebration Europe! Anthony Forrest Interview

Detachment Focus Roger Squadron Cynthia Cummens Made an Honorary Member

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Don’t believe the Rebel propaganda! Tune in to the 501stCast, the official podcast of the 501st Legion. Stay informed with the latest biweekly news, mission reports, celebrity interviews, fan feedback, and more. Plus, there’s a chance to win great swag with every episode! Listen, comment, and check out past episodes at 501st.com/podcast.

Attention 501st Members: Ideas and audio-based submissions welcome!

F e b r u a r y

2 0 0 8

The Rest is History

The Darth Vader Balloon Makes Its US Debut:

The Gift of Life

Interrogator Droid with Anthony Forrest

Celebration Europe, an Insiders View

Los Angeles Westside Children’s Center Benefit

Tatooine Death March of Bartlett, Illinois

San Diego Comic Con International 2007

Kiddieland Mission Report

Weird Happenings

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner

Prairie Air Museum

Detachment Focus

Sports Trooper

Just A Thought

Helping Our Own - Scott Rose

501st Legion in Star Wars Insider #96

Guinness Book of World Records

Cynthia Cummens Inducted Into 501st Legion

Bloodfin Photo Report

Notes from the Editor’s Desk By Kevin Christley (TK-1422)

It’s been a very, very busy summer for the 501st Legion and we have a whole lot to report in this issue of Static Burst. From CIV to Celebration Europe, to the surprise 501st Legion entry in the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records and the four-page feature in Star Wars Insider #96, we’ve all been very busy and it shows! We also have a detailed backstage report from the MWG’s participation with Weird Al and a very touching story about how the Legion banded together to help one of it’s own. All in all, it shaped up to be an issue that we were proud to assemble for you. Now, a short mea-culpa... This issue of Static Burst is a little tardy and we apologize for not getting it out sooner. The Static Burst Staff just wanted to ensure it was just as packed with Legion goodness as all the previous issues, and we’re certain you won’t be disappointed with it. The works of this great Legion are many and in each and every issue we try to get as much content as we can to show the works of it’s many diverse members. The magazine is only as good as it’s content and the works of our talented Legion members, so if you ever have anything you’d like to see in Static Burst, be sure to drop me a line at kchristley@gmail.com. I’ll do my best to see that it gets in a future issue. Hopefully you’ll enjoy this issue of the Burst as much as we enjoyed bringing it to you and look forward to our next issue that’s just around the corner! As busy as we’ve been, the next issue will be even better than the last.

Static Burst The 501st Legion Newsletter Issue 5

Editor-in-Chief Kevin Christley

Managing Editor Jacques Languedoc

Executive Editor Dean Plantamura

Layout and Design Richard Silva Jim Tampa Jacques Languedoc

Art Department Giancarlo Bockos Piero Bockos

Staff Nicky Blum Yvette Boxer Alyson Cupps Marc Martinez Sarah Pugliaresi Dianna Ronald Dion Rupa Matthew Smith Wayne Sullivan James Tampa Jorge Tirado Robert Tyrrell

Word From the Legion Commanding Officer As we see the sun set on the 30th anniversary of Star Wars, many of us have had the occasion to reminisce about the first time we saw the movie. We remember how stoked we were about it and how exciting it was to discover this new world and all of the media and collectibles behind the film. For most of us, seeing Star Wars for the first time was a life-changing experience to some degree or another. It is this “first time” aspect that I wanted to share a few thoughts about.

For those not old enough to have seen Star Wars the first time around, you may have caught the Special Edition releases. Or perhaps you saw it on DVD or even television. I have had the joy of seeing each of my five kids see it for their “first time”, and been delighted with how taken by the films each of them have been. But my point is, while we may be celebrating a 30th anniversary, each and every day someone sees Star Wars for the very first time. In all likelihood, they will feel a touch of what we each felt when we saw the film “a long time ago”. The magic that is Star Wars is rekindled every time this happens.

Star Wars lives, and is reborn on a daily basis. We are a part of that legacy. And while the films may be “old hat” for us, for someone today and for someone else tomorrow, it is a brand new deal. Let’s keep it special. Let’s fan their flame. In so doing, we will undoubtedly rekindle that fire in our own hearts and minds and be magically transported back to that moment when we saw Star Wars for our “first time”. Troop On! Mark Fordham LCO

The 501st Legion is a worldwide Star Wars costuming organization comprised of and operated by Star Wars fans. While it is not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., it is Lucasfilm’s preferred Imperial costuming group. Star Wars, its characters, costumes, and all associated items are the intellectual property of Lucasfilm. ©2008 Lucasfilm Ltd. & ™ All rights reserved. Used under authorization.

Helping Our Own - Scott Rose By Tom Schaefer, TK-118

started to set up the items that were donated in his living room. Among the items donated were hundreds of figures, both opened and unopened, dishes, clothes, DVDs, collectibles, gift cards, cash, checks, fax machine, blender, iron, books, as well as sets of Biker Scout and Stormtrooper armor! There was even a washer and dryer on the way for Scott from Jayne! Jimmy and J.R. were there taking photos, and video was done by Jim, Erin, and J.R. We set it all up and awaited his arrival. When he drove up, he knew something was up because there were all kinds of cars in front of his house, as well as several troopers standing outside. I hid in the bathroom as he walked in. His first words were “Holy $#!+” He was surprised all right. After he looked around a bit and saw all the items, he said he was blown away and started to tear a bit as he got a call from Tara who had called all the way from Australia to join part in it. She was a big help keeping him off the trail of what had been going on for the last few weeks. Then his friend Ryan Daval said, “Someone else wants to say Hi” and then I walked out. He looked at me and politely cursed with a huge smile on his face!

After weeks of collecting generous donations both of items and money, making calls to family and friends to set this all up, and tried to keep as much of it a secret as possible when everyone but him knew. On the morning of February 10th, 2007, Jim DeJan and I, as well as J.R. Presnell, Erin Mcbride and her husband Jed, Jayne Rodgers, Jimmy Burns, Amy and Ryan Daval, Alex Smith, Hal Clay and finally Anita Fussell all met at Scott Rose’s new home in Alpharetta, GA to set up for the surprise presentation of the items and money raised for him by the 501st, friends, and others to help him after his house was destroyed in a fire on January 19th.

Jim and I drove down from Chicagoland the previous day with donations collected from Illinois. As well as the check, J.R. brought donations sent to him.

I told him that the 501st Legion and others had pulled together and collected all these items for him to help him get back on his feet. I said, “Do you remember that donation you got last week?” He said “Yes.” then I handed him the big presentation check made out to the Rose family in the amount of $6,932.00! His eyes opened wide and again said “Holy $#!+” Then his daughter Savannah tried to walk off with the check!

Erin got the troopers locally organized and where they needed to be, while Scott and his kids were taken out at 9:30 am by Amy Deval, a family friend, to get family photos taken. While they were gone, we got into his place with help from a friend and former neighbor of Scott’s and

I also gave him a print out, as well as a CD with a list of what everyone had donated, as well as their names and email addresses so he would be

patches, sabers, etc. created to benefit Scott and his family.

a b l e to thank everyone. Donations came in from all over the world. The U.S., Mexico, Canada, Germany, Italy, England, Monaco, Costa Rica, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Norway, just to name a few, From 501st, Jedi Assembly, Rebel Legion, Atlanta Science Fiction Society, Fan Force, 118’s Groupies, Federation Toys, Prospect Height's Fire Department, a few of my coworkers, family, friends, even from the “Heart of an Empire” folks, Natalie and Jay. The story about what happened to Scott was posted on several message boards, as well as Sandtroopers.com, yackface.com and my site. There were also several auctions ranging from coins,

He said thanks to me for all I did, to which I pointed out this wasn’t just me; it was from everybody who’d read his story and cared. We then decided that since we were there and had video going, we would sing happy birthday to Albin Johnson, founder of the 501st. Albin wanted to join us for this but was unfortunately unable to attend. After a few words of thanks, we all went to a local restaurant called Bahama Breeze for lunch, where I stole everyone’s pictures and burned CDs for everyone. We sat, talked, ate, and had a good time. Scott said that he figured something was up when Anita asked for the house key and Amy insisted they go out, but he wasn’t sure what was up. He did say he had no idea that we were going to surprise him and especially not that I was going to be there. I had told him days earlier that I had to work

for 12 days straight to help keep him off guard. As we all left to head home, Scott, Ryan, Jim and I drove by Scott’s old home to look at the damage. Wow. Pictures do not do justice to the amount of damage to the home. On what was left of a entertainment center was a big black blob. That blob was at one time a huge flat screen TV. You couldn’t tell it was anything now. His burned out car was still in garage and the remains of his daughter’s laptop were still visible in her bedroom. Almost the entire roof and back of house was missing. We then headed back to Scott's new home where we relaxed a bit, went through some of the stuff and watched Savannah dig through the toys while listening to her ask Scott if they could go to the mall to spend the money. At 8 pm, Jim and I left to head back to my mother’s home so we could get some sleep to before the 13 hour drive back to Chicagoland the next morning. I want to give a huge personal thank you to each and every single one of you who helped out with donations, a kind word, showing up in armor, helping me organize this, or just putting up with me. You’re the ones that make the 501st what it is and who helped make this a very proud day for us, and more importantly turned a tragic event into a new beginning for a fellow trooper and his kids. I knew when I posted about what happened to Scott, people would step up. I never thought in a million years that the response would be as large as it turned out to be. There are still items coming in as we speak, thanks to all of you! I wish I could hug and thank each one of you personally for all you have done. It means a lot to Scott and his kids, but also to me.

By Jim DeJan

The Return of the Jolly Roger Squadron Though some would say that it never left, the truth of the matter was that the information a new pilot required to complete the TIE Pilot costume for Legion approval just wasn’t available through the Official Detachment for TIE Pilots in the 501st Legion. The information gap was being filled by Omega Wing, where pilots simply shared their experiences in making the TIE Pilot costume. Time and again, a new pilot had to reinvent the wheel and present his or her work for critique by his fellow pilots. Then, they could submit their pictures for approval to their GML, who for the most part, had no Costume Reference Library (CRL) benchmark to compare it against. Last January, when the previous detachment leader decided to step down as Detachment Leader, the door for change was opened. At the time, the JRS mainly existed as a thread on Omega Wing’s forum and for that we are all very appreciative. Otherwise, the detachment would have faded from memory. Upon taking the position as Detachment Leader, we formed a comprehensive Command Staff. We knew that the task before us was

daunting to say the least. The goal was to breathe new life into a detachment that was all but dead. The goal was actually three fold: First, rebuild a new gathering place for the membership of the 501st Legion to discuss the building and requirements of the Original Trilogy TIE Pilot costume. Second, determine the requirements for the costume so that a benchmark was set for all pilots to meet. Third, improve the recognition of the TIE Pilot in the public eye. How many times have we all heard “Look, it’s Darth Vader!” when the public is talking about us. We felt the way for us to do this was to build a web site that would provide the information to build the costume without requiring membership to the Detachment. To complete this goal, we recruited the “Faculty” of the “Imperial Flight Academy”. We broke down the costume into it’s components and supplied links to the real-life vendors who could supply the new recruit with parts of the costume that were readily available and keep those links updated and fresh. Then we created our own Forum that breaks down the costume into discussion groups. We did this not just for the TIE Pilot, but also for the Expanded Universe Baron Soontir

Fel and pilots of the 181st Fighter Group costumes. After we achieved our main goals, we knew that we deserved some fun. So the JRS Commissary was created on the forum for the pilot swag we all crave. Our Patch, the JRS Signet Ring in Sterling Silver, and the JRS Silver and Gold wings are now exclusively available to our membership who achieve their Legion TI numbers. The Ace of Aces program was begun to improve public recognition of the costume. A pilot who wears their TIE Pilot costumes to 25 events since 2005 are able to wear the coveted gold wings of the Jolly Roger Squadron Ace. For the female TIE Pilots of the Legion, our gal pals created the “Black Widows”, who have their own forum. They are working on their own patch and T-shirt too. Since our rebirth in May of this year, as of this writing, nearly 220 Legion TIE Pilots and newbies have joined our ranks. We are well on our way to achieving all of our goals. Our Command Staff and Faculty stand ready to help you achieve glory and fame in the ranks of the Imperial TIE Fighter Corps. Join us and your journey into the black will be complete.

501st Legion in Star Wars Insider #96 By Kevin Christley (RC-1422)

In June 2007, I was kindly volunteered by Star Wars author Karen Traviss to author a short article for the Star Wars Insider #96 as an update to the Star Wars Insider #58 article “Fighting 501st - A Legion of Fans”. Given just three short days to write over four pages of copy, quickly I enlisted the help of Legion Commander Mark Fordham and Mountain Garrison Commander John Orndorff to briefly interview members and get photos to accompany the article. Thankfully, troopers Brent McClay, John Erickson, Jennifer Peterson (unfortunately not used in the final article) stepped up to share their personal experiences in the Legion.

the first place, the Legion’s humble beginnings and the legacy it’s had on popular culture, the process of building a 501st-accepted costume, and trooper’s personal experiences while doing charity troops.

The Insider wanted a brief feature about everything you wanted to know about the 501st Legion but were afraid to ask. Accompanied by great professional photography by the Mountain Garrison’s Bill Blackburn, the article detailed what made members join the Legion in

While it’s not as in-depth as some Legion members would have liked, given the very tight time constraints, I think it serves as a brief primer on the Legion and it’s excellent charity work. Bill’s professional photography really made the 501st Legion members stand out. His pictures taken at Star Wars Celebration IV (featuring Matthew Richards, Harry Yung, David Raney, among others) were visually appealing and feature the wide range of professional costumes that the Legion has in it’s collective arsenal. I’d like to thank the Insider for the opportunity to portray the Legion in a good light and thank all the troopers who submitted their interviews to make the article the best it could be. If you get a chance to pick up the issue, you won’t be disappointed!

501st Legion in the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records In a category the 501st Legion is sure to hold for quite some time, the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records has declared the 501st Legion as the “World’s Largest Star Wars Costume Group.” Page 174 of the newly published book features a brief write-up and photos of the 501st Legion

Stormtroopers that participated in the 2007 Rose Parade. For more about the 2008 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records vistit their website at www.guinnessworldrecords.com. The world record was a complete surprise to the entire Legion and we’re very happy to celebrate our first entry in the book. As our Legion Commander has pointed out, we may also be the first Star Wars Costuming group to have members on every continent in the world as well. A very special thanks to Allie Johnson for making this exciting discovery on behalf of the Legion!

Star Wars Art ist Cynthia Cummens Inducted Into 501st Legion

Members of the Midwest and Bloodfin Garrisons joined forces to induct Star Wars Artist Cynthia Cummens as an honorary member of the 501st Legion during Wizard World in Rosemont, Illinois on Saturday, August 11th, 2007. Midwest Garrison Commanding Officer, Kathy van Beuningen (TK-9989) and Bloodfin Garrison Executive Officer, Charles Carlson (TK-709) gathered up nearly a dozen or more troops to surround the artist whose works were included at Celebration IV in Los Angeles, and Celebration Europe this summer. Her “How to Draw” characters from the Star Wars Universe have graced the pages of Star Wars Insider magazine. Caught thoroughly off guard by the onslaught of Imperials, Ms.. Cummens was reportedly thrilled by the honor of joining the ranks of the 501st Legion. The induction took place during the Legion’s activities during Wizard World, held at the Donald E. Stevens Convention

Center in Rosemont, Illinois from August 9th to 12th of this year. Members wowed the convention attendees as they stopped for photo opportunities every few steps. The award was sponsored by Kathy van Beuningen, Tom Schaefer (TK-118), and Mary Walton (BH-5202). You can view Cynthia’s web site at www.cynthiacummensart.com

Members at the presentation: Charles Carlson (TK-709) Bloodfin Jim Tampa (SL-1020) MWG Jean Dunne (TK-1145) Bloodfin Thomas Spanos (SL-1876) MWG Cheryl Whitaker (TI- 3127) MWG Chris Spice (TK-7306) MWG Kathy van Beuningen (TK-9989) MWG

“The Rest is History” An Interview with Harrison Ellenshaw

By Dianna Ronald

From the gaseous cloud formations of Bespin to the Ice world of Hoth, Harrison Ellenshaw’s artistic imagination and talent are truly limitless. Ellenshaw created various paintings for Star Wars, and then oversaw the matte department on The Empire Strikes Back at Industrial Light and Magic. Later, Ellenshaw was the head of Disney Studios’ effects facility: Buena Vista Visual Effects. He is not only known for his creation of futuristic and fantastical worlds for Tron, The Black Hole and Dick Tracy, but also for his fine art career, with many one man shows here and abroad. He was inducted into the 501st Legion in 2005 as an honorary member. What triggered your first interest in art?

Even though my father was an artist, growing up I never wanted to follow in his footsteps. It wasn’t until I got out of the Navy that my father suggested that there was a job opening for an apprentice matte artist at Disney studios. I thought I’d give it a try and went to work for the department head, Alan Maley, a man who had worked with my father at Disney a few years earlier. Alan was a wonderful teacher and real mentor. I grew to love art and films. Becoming a matte artist allowed me to work in both disciplines, it was my big break.

How influential was your father in your career path?

My father was wise enough to know that he couldn’t force me to go into his career. But he did recognize that I had some natural talent and by my early twenties I still wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. He thought that a trial period of six months with Alan Maley would help me decide if matte painting was right for me; as they say, “The rest is history.” With your stint in the Navy, did you ever think about another career besides artist?

I also had a bachelor’s degree in psychology, so I always thought I’d do something related to that.

But really I needed to get advanced degrees in psychology to do something meaningful in that field. I was bored by the world of academia and so after 4 years of college then the Navy I was not interested in going back to school at all. But I also had no idea what job I really wanted. In film, what difficulties do you encounter when working with other peoples’ visions?

Not all directors are skilled at communicating their vision to the artists involved in bringing that vision to the screen. Sometimes it takes a great deal of patience and work to get inside the director’s head. It can be very frustrating. Fortunately George Lucas is not like that. He knew what he wanted and he knew how to make you understand that. With the re-release of the original Star Wars trilogy, is there anything you would of liked to go back and change?

No. Even though George tinkered with his first three films, you can refine something forever. I like the original films as they are. With the CG moving into the forefront of pre and post production, will artists have to evolve as well?

CG is just another tool for the creative mind. Yes, artists must learn to adapt and the good ones do. We would like to thank Mr. Ellenshaw for taking time out of his busy schedule for this interview and wish him continuing success.

San Diego Comic Con International 2007 By Lesley Farquar Over 120,000 visitors converged upon the San Diego Comic Con International for 2007 and it was a fantastic time! The 501st Legion certainly had its hands full this year with many high profile events and lots of fan interaction. This year’s SDCC was planned and executed by the San Diego Squad of the Southern California Garrison, under the guidance of Sam Hornedo (TK-1064). As usual, SDCC went extremely well and offered fans many ways to interact with the Legion.

Los Angeles Westside Children’s Center Benefit By Lesley Farquhar The Southern California Garrison of the 501st Legion and the Sunrider Base of Rebel Legion went out on Sunday, October 7th on a joint mission at the Sony Motion Picture Studios to do a fundraising benefit for the Los Angeles Westside Children’s Center. This event was organized by Scott Rogers, TK-3959 of the Southern California Garrison. Almost fifty costumers came out for the day, including these members from the Southern California Garrison, Royal Guards (Jay Bloom and Lesley Farquhar), Biker Scouts (Cris Knight and Gabriel Biffath), Tie Pilot Kim Knight, Stormtroopers (Edgar Gallego, Mike Prestin, Tom Brink, Felixx, Dan Robinson, Andrea Hernandez, David Biffath, Roger Noe), Sandtrooper Tom Kirby, Mandalorian bounty hunter Brett Dennis, Clones/ Commandos (Sean Thompson and Andrew Page), and Darth Vader (Rob Estrada). Our Rebel presence included Princess Leia (Marie Prestin), Han Solo (Chris Evans), a Rebel Fleet Trooper Squad consisting of Donna Keeley, Lori Procopio, Don Trim, Rachel Williams), Endor Trooper Lloyd Mirafuentes, Anakin Skywalker (Liane Reznick, Dan Wolsey, Bryan Wynn), Luke Skywalker (Lawrence Green), Obi Wan Kenobi with Yoda (Shawn Crosby), Hazard Squadron Pilots (Jon Paulson, Stephen Campbell, Rob Howes, Gregor Sink), R2-D2 and his controller Mike Senna along with two Ewok Escorts, R5 with his Imperial controller/ Rebel Legion escort Vince Sanchez, amongst others! Working together, these folks entertained close to four hundred kids throughout the day with pictures, high-fives, handshakes, a Jedi Training Academy show provided by the San Diego Star Wars Society, and other activities, alongside those provided by the Center. The kids really enjoyed our presence and loved playing along with all of our folks. In addition, the folks at Sony Events were most impressed with both groups and our enthusiasm for the event and the exceptional professionalism exhibited by all the participants. As a result, Southern California Garrison was invited for a repeat event that will be taking place on October 30, 2007.

All four days of the convention, you could find different troopers and characters everywhere, interacting with the fans at the Lego booth, playing games at Wiz Kids, hanging out in the Lucasfilm Pavilion with R2-KT, hanging out with Jabba the Hutt at Gentle Giant, reading books with Del Rey and DK Publishing, wearing green happi coats at Kotobukiya, or even listening to the Hasbro presentation in Hall H. Members of the Legion could also be seen on the local and national news on Thursday and Saturday mornings and many members gave additional interviews throughout the weekend. Additionally, Legion members stayed out for a morning of picture taking on the back stairs of the Sails Pavilion/Convention Hall, and participated in the Droid Hunt where the fans either played mind tricks, ran, or got caught by our troopers, but all had a great time. If the troopers weren’t attending scheduled events, then they were often seen going through the exhibit hall just to take a walk, or in the middle of dart wars with the Rebel Legion and Fan Force, which was also a delight to the fans, as well as SDCC security!

A quick rundown of events and happenings: • Friday night was the 501st Dinner at Rock Bottom Brewery in the Gaslamp district.

For all the Legion members who attended SDCC, it was a chance to have fun, see old friends, and troop together with members from all over the world. A special thanks to all those who helped make this the best SDCC ever!

• Tom Hodges was inducted as an honorary member by Albin Johnson, our founder!

Prairie Air Museum

• Ryan Church and Darryl DePriest were also inducted as Honorary Members of the Legion.

501st Midwest Garrison Event

• Albin Johnson visited So-Cal along with his daughter Allie and with R2-KT to launch the new R2-KT action figure from Hasbro and stayed to hang out with the Legion through the weekend. • Group pictures were taken on Saturday morning on the back stairs. • The Droid Hunt ran on Saturday. Once again, the Golden Gate Garrison won with Southern California Garrison only a scant three droids behind them in the standings. Albin also presented the winning team with their fantastic prizes. • Sunday, the Legion gave away well over 75 prizes to the lucky Droid Hunt game winners including items from Del Rey, Sideshow, Master Replicas, and much more.

It was a bright and sunny day, about 70 degrees, when members of the Midwest Garrison arrived on the tarmac and scouted out the display area the folks from the Prairie Air Museum had set aside for us. We quickly set up and decorated the table and waited for the rest of our folks to arrive. The crowd began to swell and we continued to set up our tattoo station, as well as our laptop to play the Legion Rose Parade DVD. This drew quite a big crowd to our table! The Garrison used the pilot’s locker room of “Image Air”, a flight training company located next to the museum, as a staging area/changing room. We certainly appreciated a place to change. Our members moved amongst the crowd, stopping every few feet for numerous photo opportunities with a child or family. Then the droids arrived! Like the “Pied Piper of Hamlin”, the children closely followed the droids outside and laughed and giggled with joy as the droids chirped and bleeped all around. Children also crowded the table for tattoos, some coming back multiple times. Rebel infiltrators attempted to make off with the antiquated aircraft thinking that any technology might give them an edge in their rebellion against the Empire. Little did they know that Imperial technicians had already replaced the power systems of the aircraft with replica versions. After the day’s festivities, we were greeted by numerous members of the museum staff who were thrilled with the crowd reaction to our participation in today’s event. We then retired for a relaxing meal at the Flattop Grill in Bloomington.

Mandalore 13

Tatooine Death March of Bartlett, Illinois

march and then segued into the Cantina theme from the movies. He was soon behind us as the sound system aboard the float filled the air with Threepio, R2-D2, Wookiee sounds and soundtracks from the many Star Wars Films. As we moved through the streets of Bartlett, our membership handed (not tossed) one ounce bags of somewhat melted marshmallows to the children and adults who lined the parade route. It was fairly obvious the viewers were doing their best to stay in what shade was available. The parade moved slowly and stalled at times as one or more units dropped out as the heat took its toll. A mile and a half felt more like four as Rich Markle took pictures with multiple cameras and members moved back and forth between the marshmallow supplies and restocked the members who were handing out the sticky goodies.

Trooper Tom Schaefer woke at 6 am to start the day. Arriving at the cookout area at about 8:30 and waited for Greg Fischer to arrive with the NOT so EZ-UP 10’ X 20’ tent. Greg and Tom got the tent up most of the way before John Fitzsimmons arrived to help. Greg said this moniker for the Tent is false advertising! EZ-UP my sweet aunt! Greg also was able to persuade one of his vendors to supply the sound system for the float, which was used on this day as well as the previous Sunday at the Crystal Lake, Illinois parade. Rich Markle showed up shortly after and he and Schaefer moved to the staging area to secure and mark the site for those who were soon to arrive. Next to arrive was the Arc 170 with R2-S5 in his own trailer, piloted by Darryl Sorenson. Jim and Emily DeJan pulled up Skull One with the trailer from F&R Trailer Sales, Piper City, Illinois. We thank them for the kind use of their equipment. We began decorating the trailer with stands, fringe, and Imperial Occupation Tape. R2-S5 was unloaded from Darryl’s trailer to the float. Phyllis Schulte was already there decorating her jeep and started to decorate both the float and the Skull One float tow vehicle with hand stitched Independence Day bunting. Schaefer, seeing things well underway, returned to his home to meet with Joe Flores and his daughter assembling the 3000+ bags of marshmallows donated by Schaefer’s employer, Doumak of Bensenville, Illinois. R2-S5’s trailer was used to load the bulk of the marshmallows for the parade. The sun was high in the sky and bright, the clouds had evaporated as the heat rose to 95+ degrees but a strong breeze made the flags on Skull One flutter and wave. That breeze was the only saving grace as Tom Schaefer was sealed into his hot C-3PO costume, Lord Vader took his place on the float and Skull One pulled out into the parade flow. As the parade began and the float passed one of the many bands, a lone coronet player began playing the Imperial

Denizens of Bartlett called out to the marching membership. “Darth Vader” “R2!” (am not) “Threepio!” “Boba Fett!” and “Oh Look, there is the Red Fett!” as the characters waived back. Nearly all the members made it to the end of the parade. Kathy Van Beuningen had to seek relief in one of the support vehicles and Jason Patterson, our Vader, had to remove his helmet and sit with only a block or two to go or it may have not ended well. Tom Schaefer was losing water weight at an intense rate but survived his task as the intrepid golden droid. Unlike other costumes, the C-3PO has no room for fans or anything to relieve the heat. At the end, the float pulled up to the tent and unloaded and was greeted by Robert Hamilton, who began to serve up his now famous chicken shish kabobs and not-so Kentucky Fried Chicken cole slaw. Cookies and goodies of many types were laid out on the tables as members collapsed into their chairs and drank down mass quantities of water and soft drinks. Our tent was then visited by the Mayor of Hanover Park, Rod Graig, and Sherry She, Hanover Park’s Village Clerk.

Our thanks goes out from all of the members for all the ferrying done by Phyllis Schulte and others for their time and efforts to make this a parade to be remembered. Special thanks to Greg Fischer for the tent and sound system and every one who participated in this great event. This was our fifth year doing this parade. The sixth will be even greater!

Kiddieland Mission Report By Jim DeJan (TI-3853) Saturday, Oct. 13th - Kevin and Amanda arrived early at Kiddieland in Melrose Park, Illinois to find that not only were they the very first to arrive but that the parking lot gates were still closed. Quickly contacting Tom on his cell phone, Tom said it was OK and that he was just a few blocks away. By the time he arrived, the gates opened and they were allowed to park. Having organized the Kiddieland event twice before, Tom Schaefer was familiar with the routine. He, his son Austin, Kevin, and Amanda entered the employee entrance to the Imperial changing room. Kevin and Tom then got their Chewbacca and C-3PO costumes prepared. Amanda was not feeling well and was a bit low key, but smiled and made the best of it. Tom then went out to the parking lot to see if anyone else had arrived and grabbed some video of the Kiddieland scrolling marquee where the 501st Legion and Midwest Garrison were proudly announced. Aimee, with her daughters, had arrived slightly before he made it to parking lot. As did Jason Patterson and Alyssa, Jim and Emily DeJan, Joe Flores with his daughter Alex, and John Fitzsimmons. Andy Marsh arrived soon after, followed by Terrell Reber and his friend Gino Dipka from Michigan. We all started suiting up. Sadly, Aimee realized that her chest and back armor were not in her armor tub and couldn’t suit up. But being the great Legion member she is, she stayed and helped Tom get bolted into C-3PO and helped others get dressed as well. Jim and Emily set up the table that Kiddieland provided for us. The DeJans brought the 501st banner, as well as the big Midwest Garrison logo sign, as well as plenty of temporary

tattoos and supplies for the kids. Jason also brought along a laptop to play our propaganda videos as well as John Williams’ orchestral scores to set the tone for the day. He also played the DVD of the Weird Al show done on September 25th with members of the Midwest Garrison as well as the Midwest Garrison DVD that Tom brought. Several boxes of bookmarks provided by the Museum of Science and Industry to promote the Star Wars “Where Science Meets Imagination” exhibit were laid out for the public to take. While the DeJans were making many kids smile with the tattoos and allowing some of the more adventurous younglings try on Jim’s TIE fighter pilot helmet and informing adults about who we were and what we do, the rest of us suited up and started interacting with guests of the park. Shaking hands, taking photos, and wowing the crowds, the Garrison seemed to make the day of those attending the park in the first three hours. Amanda wasn’t feeling well and Kevin’s feet were hurting and Tom was understandably uncomfortable in the droid, so Aimee and Emily gathered everyone together for a group shot before Kevin and Amanda headed home for the day. Tom was paroled from C3PO and relaxed a bit before suiting into his trooper armor. Yes, TK-118 would actually suit up in TK armor for the first time in many, many months. The owner of Kiddieland generously provided coupons for the Garrison’s food. A huge thank you to Kiddieland for that! After eating. Jason got into Sith mode and suited up as Vader. Wow, did the kids love that! Vader was joined by three Stormtroopers and a TIE pilot as they walked around the park and then rode the diesel and steam-powered trains. Yes, they have a steampowered train that actually burns coal like the real ones! That was a must see, as they don’t run that one very often. They then took the customary walk out to the main intersection and slowed traffic by the amusement park. As the sun stated to set and the crowds slowly started to die down, we all suited down at about 6:30 pm and headed down the street to Ruby Tuesdays to have dinner. Sadly Aimee, Jim, Emily, and Jason couldn’t join us. Midwest Garrison Commanding Officer Kathy van Beuningen drove out from the city after working all day and picked up Quincy from a school event just to have dinner with us. Tom was happy Kathy came out, as it shows not only an interest in the Kiddieland event but support for those attending it, especially for our guest Terrell Reber and his friend Gino Dipka, who made time during his visit to Chicago from Michigan and Jim and Emily, who drove over two hours each way to attend it. After a lot of chatting, joke telling, food, drinks, and fun, it was time to call it a night. We all shook hands, hugged, and said goodbye and headed home. It was a great day and another very successful Kiddieland appearance. Once

again, they were very pleased with us and we hope to return again next season. Since this is a two day event and Tom could not attend on Sunday due to work, Jason is taking the reigns as Coordinator for the Sunday portion of the event at Tom’s request. A huge, huge thank you to everyone who came out! You all made it the fun and memorable event is was!

Weird Happenings by Tom Schaefer (TK118) On Sept. 25th 2007, members of the Midwest Garrison were not only able to attend a live show with singer Weird Al Yankovick, but be a part of it! I arrived at 4:45pm to find Darrel Sorensen, already there waiting. We unloaded R2 and headed to the back entrance. There we were met by “Hammer”, one of Weird Al’s people, who showed us to our dressing room and directed us where to place R2 on the stage. It was a cool experience being back stage seeing all of Al’s costumes on the side as we quickly set up.

acted to him. He said something to the effect that the surprised look on C-3PO’s face struck him as funny. After that, we suited down and headed home. It was a fun night and an evening none of us will soon forget.

MWG Participants: Tara Patterson as videographer Mary Walton as costume support Jason Patterson as Darth Vader Darrel Sorensen as R2-S5 wrangler Tom Schaefer as C-3PO Stormtroopers: John E. Fitzsimmons-TK6442 Jerry Budde-TK0084 Rick Wilson-TK1652 Chris Mazzoni- TK4117 Jeff Baron- Last Minute Stand-in

The rest of our group arrived by 6:30pm and did a very quick run through of our part of the skit with “Hammer” before assembling in the catering room and enjoying some good food. We sat chatted while Al started the show and then quickly got dressed and waited for “Hammer” to take us to the stage. We stood along the side of the stage behind the curtains for a minute or two while Al finished his number and the stage went black. This was our cue for our stage performance. We marched on stage as they played Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Toccata & Fugue in D minor”. The stage lights came on and crowd went crazy! Al started singing “The Saga Begins” and we all followed the instructions we were given. Slowly bobbing our heads then really getting into it, we started to rock out! Al walked up to me, dressed as C-3PO, and sang to him as I reacted to his serenade. He then approached Darth Vader. It was really a lot of fun and I think Al enjoyed it as much as we did. The stage went dark once again and they played the “Imperial March” as we marched triumphantly off stage to the immense applause from the audience. As we were leaving the stage and heading back to our dressing room, someone called out, “Wait! Don’t go anywhere yet!” The drummer/guitarist from “Anthrax”, Charlie Benante, wanted to get a picture with us. So we took some pictures with him and then proceeded back to the dressing room. Our dressing room was really small, so we sort of took over the catering room. Next thing you know, there’s Charlie once again, hanging out and asking questions about our costumes. We got to meet Al and everyone got an autograph and a chance to speak with him. We did a group photo and presented Al with his Honorary MWG membership. His response was “Wow!, Really? This is so cool. Thank you guys!” When I talked with him, he mentioned I was the first C-3PO he had used on stage and really liked it, but said he almost cracked up when he was serenading me and I re-

Wedding Rehearsal Dinner BY: Cheryl Whitaker (TI-3127) On May 25th, Michael and Donna (the Groom’s parents) happened to catch the guest appearance the MWG members made on the WGN Morning Show. As a result, they came up with the idea to request the appearance of a few 501st members to come and “troop” at their son’s wedding rehearsal dinner. Their son (Mike), Mike’s fiancée (Millie) and the Best Man (Chris) are huge Star Wars fans and the parents thought a surprise visit by some Imperials would be fantastic! Well, they were right. We were able to work it out and the rehearsal dinner was a great success! Even though the event was going to be held on a Thursday evening, we were thankfully able to come up with three participating members: Tom Schaefer (TK-118), Mike Olson (SL-3193) and myself (TI-3127). Tom was the Coordinator for this event and Chris (Best Man) was his contact. At first we

assumed that our “role” was going to be to greet the guests at the restaurant after the actual wedding rehearsal. We were wrong. When Tom spoke with Chris a couple of days before the event, he told Tom that we were going to be surprise guests that wouldn’t “appear” until after all the guests were already seated in the party room. Well… that changed everything! Now it was time to come up with a different plan with which to make an entrance.

We met at Finley’s after work on Thursday around 5:00 pm and had to be ready to go by 6:00 because that’s when the guests were supposed to start showing up. Chris came back to meet us in our “dressing room” around 6:00 to go over any last minute plans. The only people that knew about us being there was the restaurant, Chris, and the Bride & Groom’s parents. This was going to be fun! At approximately 6:15 pm the guests were all seated, Chris had Mike and Millie standing with him in front of everyone to make a toast to them when the Imperial March began playing. We got several strange looks as we made our way through the back of the restaurant to the velvet curtain that separated the party room from everyone else. As we got closer to the curtain, the restaurant employees parted them and Tom and I went straight for the Groom, with Mike as Lord Vader close behind. Everyone in the room went wild! We instructed Mike to kneel on the floor with his hands behind his head, while Tom read the Decree of Imprisonment aloud to everyone. Once Tom was finished reading the scroll, Mike turned to kneel in front of Lord Vader and asked him for Millie’s hand in marriage. After Lord Vader gave it a little thought, he gave his approval and Mike was aloud to stand tall again. The skit was a big hit, and the entire event was a great success! A very generous donation of $200.00 was given to Children’s Memorial Hospital for our appearance.

After some brainstorming and expanding on a great idea provided by Phyllis Schulte, a small skit was created. I went out and purchased some stationary that was scroll-like and some black ribbon and created a “Decree of Imprisonment” for the Groom.

Once the skit was over we stayed for many pictures with Mike, Millie and their guests. They were all so appreciative and even offered to have us stay for dinner. After we changed out of our costumes, we did end up staying for another halfhour to chat with everyone, but politely declined the dinner invitation. Tom received the following e-mail from the Best Man the next morning: Tom, I just wanted to say how grateful we are for having you guys attend Mikes rehearsal dinner..... After you left all anybody could do is talk about you guys... To be honest, the evening up to that point was going a little rough, but after you showed up it really put everyone in a good mood... I just wanted to thank you again, it was so awesome!!!! I am so mad that I forgot my camera, so if there is any chance, can you please send me a few pictures from your camera... Thank again Tom and I look forward to talking to you in the future. -Chris

Trooper TK-5115 giving the “thumbs up” to the Inaugural Launch of the Vader Balloon at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

The Vader Balloon crew, prepare for the imminent launch of the balloon.

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26 meters (86 feet) high including basket

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21 meters (69 feet) wide

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24 meters (78 feet) deep

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Hot air volume 3000 cubic meters (106,000 cubic feet)

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Weight 290 kilos (640 lb)

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Created in 2007 www.darthvaderballoon.be

Benout, Caroline and Michel don plastic Vader masks.

Benoit Lambert, aka TK-2054 of Belgium’s FanWars Garrison, came up with the idea for balloon back in 2005 during a joking conversation with his garrison commanding officer Nicolas Lelong. Lelong didn’t take it as a joke and quickly obtained permission from Lucas Film Limited to build the Darth Vader balloon. After rounds of design and critique, plus eight weeks of construction under the fake name of “Head One” to keep the balloon’s true identity secret, it was first inflated in March 2007. After appearances at various events in Europe including Star Wars Celebration Europe, Lambert was invited to bring Vader to the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

TK-7883 Speaks to the Media about “Rebel Propaganda” and declares that the “Empire is the lawful and legal government of the Galaxy”

The presence of the Vader Balloon and the 501st at the fiesta turned out to be a life-altering experience for one man. John Coppin and his wife Tina of Colorado Springs had been coming to the fiesta for fifteen years and had always come away with memories they thought couldn’t be topped… until this year. “When we saw the first stormtrooper, I said to my wife, ‘Wow… those costumes have to be LucasFilm issued because they look like they just stepped right out of the movie set.” We could not believe how perfect each of the characters looked whether they were troopers, scouts or tie pilots,” Coppin said. At that point, Coppin started taking photos. In between shots, he looked around and caught the faces of all spectators. “The smiles on those faces were unforgettable. Then I looked at my son’s face, and it was almost magical. For a few short moments, he was literally in another world. It was that look and the look of al the people that gave me the idea to find out more about those Star Wars characters.” A few weeks later, he bought stormtrooper armor and shortly after that, proudly became TK-1446. So far, he’s had a great time but he’s not the only one who became a fan. His four-year-old son Colin had his wishes filled at Christmas with two lightsabers, the voice activated R2 and a plethora of Star Wars figurines. “Like his father, he is hooked. And every time I wear my armor, I look at him, and my wife, and capture those looks in their eyes once again. It truly is magical.”

The Gift of Life

by Richard “Lor” Silva (TK-7883)

At a local convention in Albuquerque NM, we host a 501st Legion Droid Hunt, group photo, promote the Legion and hang out pretty much like any other convention that members attend around the world. On Saturday, our busiest day, we scheduled the droid hunt and group photo. After the Droid Hunt had ended, Varza (DZ-8772) noticed there was a Bloodmobile (a mobile blood donation van) parked outside the Convention and announced that she was going out to donate and welcomed folks to join her in giving blood. Never wanting to miss an opportunity for a cool photo-op and help out for a good cause, I decided to donate as well. I figured given forty-five minutes until to our group photo would leave us with plenty of time to donate. I patiently answered all of the screening questions, but it turned out Varza wasn’t able to donate because her blood iron count was too low, but at least she tried and that’s all that counts in my book. I passed the screening process and was prepared to donate. Did I mention I was still in armor from the droid hunt? Well, still in

TA-5115 stands proudly with the blood drive sign

full TK armor minus one vambrace and hand plate, with my underarmor rolled up. But I was ready to go! Donating blood in armor was a pretty interesting experience and since this was the first time I ever donated blood, I guess it was interesting for everyone involved and I got a bunch of really cool pictures out of it, some of which I didn’t necessary plan on, but more on that later...

cold. Varza was in the midst of changing for the group photo when she heard about me and she quickly got back into her street clothes and rushed out to see how I was doing. Needless to say I was fine. A few people jokingly said “I guess everyone in the squad gets a promotion” because I was out of commission. While I was out, the front of my breastplate was removed. I’m really glad I didn’t have the thing riveted on as it’s just held there by Velcro. I didn’t even notice it was missing until a few minutes after I woke up. Thanks to Wayne (TK-9963) who did his best to keep my armor intact while the techs were trying to keep me alive.

While I was donating, I inquired about getting a blood drive of our own going. I figured if one trooper in armor donating looked cool, a Bloodmobile full of troopers donating would be both an amazing and inspiring picture. So they said they’d get me more information when I was finished so we could TK-9963 Helps to cool down TK-7883 coordinate our own after his brief bout of unconsciousness. blood drive. The blood donation went fine, although the screening process took a bit longer than I had expected. I was in a little bit of a rush because I didn’t want to miss the group photo and even though I’m the local Squad Leader, we really couldn’t move the time of the group photo because we still had to hand out the prizes from the droid hunt at 5:01 PM. So despite my best intentions, I wasn’t going to rush - as if the United Blood Services people would have let me anyway. I felt fine when it was all said and done and still very eager to attend the group photo that was happening in about fifteen minutes. The technicians sternly insisted that I wait about ten minutes after giving blood before I got up and moved around. In retrospect, I guess that was a good call because the next part of the story I don’t really remember, mainly because I lost consciousness. I assume I passed out due to blood loss and I’m sure the fact that I had been in armor for the past four hours and participated in the Droid Hunt didn’t exactly help my situation. Being a small con, word spread pretty fast that I was out

us! I know what your probably saying as it was exactly what I said... “Meh... Star Trek”. But the way I see it, if they’re willing to come out dressed up in their costumes and support a joint charity event, why not work with them? Our hastily organized blood drive ended up becoming a huge success! They only had a few technicians there that day because we only had month or so to advertise the event and they weren’t expecting that big of a turnout. That turned out be very bad planning on their part, because in a few short hours we collected over twenty units of blood! They had to actually call in a few more technicians because the waiting line was so long and they actually had to turn a few people away, partly because when people asked for a picture with us, we jokingly said, “well if you donate blood you can get a picture”. Most of the time they said OK and got in line to donate! This time, Varza was able to donate blood and Vivian also tried, but for some strange reason the blood pressure machine couldn’t register her blood pressure as it kept reading zero. While neither of them donated in costume, the donation itself is what mattered most. Two visiting Rebel Legion members donated as well.

Needless to say, I missed the group photo, as did Varza, but it was a mostly fun experience and I did end up getting the pictures that I was looking for, as well as a few unexpected ones. But none were taken while I was actually unconscious, much to my dismay. I would have liked to see it. Thanks for missing that photo op, Vivian (TI-2332)!

All said and done, we had a very successful blood drive and we look forward to doing another in the near future. I hope this article both inspires and challenges other Garrisons to organize their own blood drives!

About a month later, we held a blood drive of own. I wasn’t able to donate this time because it was too soon after I had last donated. Otherwise I would have, in armor once again. We also had members of the Rebel Legion come out to both support the troop and to donate blood. Even the local Star Trek group came out and participated with Rebel Legion Member Elias Shows his pink Badge of Honor

your best memories from this huge May 2007 event (or other conventions)?

by By Dean Plantamura (TK-899) He was a weak-minded Imperial soldier at Mos Eisley and he was the coolest slacker on Tatooine. English-born actor Anthony Forrest has the distinction of bringing to life both one of the best and least-known characters from Episode IV, having portrayed the “Move Along” Sandtrooper and Fixer from the deleted scenes at Tosche Station, respectively. Having just been introduced to the Star Wars convention scene at Celebration IV, Anthony was one of a few lucky celebrities to jump into the 501st Legion group photo and now

there’s talk about making him an Honorary Member. After all, he did wear the armor. Static Burst caught up with the actor/writer/ director/composer to find out more about the talent behind two of the most legendary characters in the Star Wars saga. This is the interview you’re looking for. Static Burst: Was Star Wars Celebration IV in Los Angeles your first big Star Wars convention? What were

Anthony Forrest: Celebration IV was my rookie outing - My first convention ever. Like where have I been, these things are cool. It stoked my imagination, which can be pretty insane. I was impressed by the dedication to detail and knowledge that the fans and collectors have. It is pretty amazing. The costumers, the websites, the artists... there is a real pool of creative talent that comes from the fans in the conventions. As someone who has spent their whole life living in make-believe land, it’s comforting to know I am not alone. After 30 years, it was fun to hook up with Kenny Baker (R2-D2), Garrick Hagon (Biggs Darklighter), and Robert Watts (Producer) again. I also had a chance to chat with a number of actors from the other films. I have to say the fan support for my roles in A New Hope is a real treat. I now have 30 years to become jaded by which time, based upon my age now, I will be either ga-ga or dead! SB: What can you tell us about your character “Fixer”? AF: They killed him on the editing room floor. But (for the fans) he still lives. Now that’s what I call a hero’s journey. My personal back story on “The Fixer” is, he’s kick-butt. The dude is a sand-surfer, grease monkey, gets the hot chick kind of a guy. Fixer is a small town rebel. He’s content. He has a job and

a girl, the only girl within a 100 miles of Tosche Station. Being in a relationship with Camie (played by actress Koo Stark) has cooled his heels and Fixer is unlikely to move further a field as long as he and Camie are together. There is also an element of jealously Fixer has for Luke. Fixer, coming from the “lower side” of the moisture farms, never had the opportunity to attend the academy, has little sense of the greater galaxy or interest in events taking place in the distant skies. After running away from home, he lived alone in caves fighting off attacks by the sandpeople until he was taken in by Merle Tosche, the owner of Tosche Station. SB: As one of the few actors who has actually worn full Imperial

Sandtrooper armor, what can you tell us about the design, comfort, fit, and problems of the original costumes? AF: The design of the full body armor is very threatening, especially the helmet. It’s not exactly a happy-face. As for comfort, forget it! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. The costume I was wearing was a very

snug fit, so the rough interior scraped over my skin as I moved. And I had sun burnt shoulders to add to that. It wasn’t easy to move around, especially in the sand. I remember having to plant my feet into the sand to stop myself from falling over. There was also the issue of pieces coming loose if you moved around too much. Filming allows the luxury of cheating for the camera. SB: In what specific scenes did you appear as a Sandtrooper?

AF: I was in the Jedi mind trick roadblock scene or as it is also known, the traffic stop scene (at Mos Eisley). If you drive a car, or even as a passenger in that kind of situation, I’d love to be able to pull a real Jedi mind trick. SB: What was it like working on the set of Star Wars in 1977 before anyone knew how popular it would become? AF: I think a lot of people weren’t too sure how the story was going to fit together. For those on the front line of the production in Tunisia and England, you’re disconnected from what was being developed by the brilliant post-production team back in the States. Stanley Kubrick’s “2001: A Space Odyssey” made a big impact on the sci-fi motion picture industry and the technical ability to suspend belief. Star Wars took that and delivered us to a whole new galaxy. It opened a new door to motion picture storytelling. Side-note: Elstree Studios where Star Wars was filmed wasn’t that far from where Kubrick lived. As to popularity, it’s hard to gauge how popular something will become when you’re working on it. “Star Wars” (1977) had all the right ingredients, a really good script and an interesting feast of talent in all areas of the film making process. I idealistically hope that the main reason people work in the industry is for the opportunity to do something you love, and do it on interesting projects with talented people. To quote Joseph Campbell, “Discover your bliss.”

SB: Any funny or interesting stories about your fellow actors and actresses?

AF: The last film I worked on as an actor was “Riders of the Storm/The American Way”, and for television “Le Femme Nikita”.

For a number of years now I AF: I don’t kiss and tell. But I do vaguely remember Mark and I on have been writing, directing and the way back from Tunisia find- editing. I have an independent ing a box of the first Star Wars feature film called “Bob’s Gastickers and sticking them all over rage” that we shot a few years our clothes like badges. And I back and I am finally composing vaguely remember, there was the music for, and recently I directsomething about us sliding down ed a short called “Distrust” that is the baggage shoot at the airport being submitted to festivals. On a larger scale, I’m developing in London. “Fang Chewy”, a fantasy/horror No, apart from the wild par- comedy about vampirized denties, late-night gambling and tures and “Alien Graffiti”, a sci-fi horseback racing nothing really story about an alien bounty hunter happened. It was all work and capable of seeing who among us no play. are part of an alien species that is here to destroy mankind. SB: Which character did you prefer playing, Fixer or the Sandtrooper?

AF: Fixer is really the Sandtrooper in disguise or is it vice versa?

SB: What are your thoughts on the 501st Legion?

AF: The attention to costume detail is pretty amazing. There The Sandtrooper is part of mov- are quite a few Legion members ie history and Fixer has become whose talents could be used in part of movie folklore, that’s not the film industry. Honestly, I am bad going for one film. So many new to the 501st Legion but the people I meet have a “These members that I have had the oparen’t the droids we’re looking portunity to meet and spend time for” moment. It’s cool to be part with have been incredibly kind, helpful, and a lot of fun. I really of that connection. admire the work the 501st Legion So I would say the Sandtroop- does for charities. It says a lot for er, as it was so unexpected. The the 501st and all the people inspontaneity of the moment as an volved. I look forward to helping actor was exciting and to have out in anyway I can. it now be a part of cinema hisSB: Are you a Star Wars tory is humbling. fan in general and SB: What projects have if so, do you have a you worked on since collection? Any chance “Star Wars” in 1977 you have any original and what are you set pieces or props? working on currently? AF: I am a fan of some of the films, but I never got into collect-

ing. The only thing I really collect is stories. I love hearing about people and their lives. It has been a great resource for the characters in my stories. As to memorabilia, unfortunately an angry ex-girlfriend disposed of a bunch of my stuff and with it my copy of the original screenplay and a photograph album signed by George Lucas and Gary Kurtz. I can hear the groans. SB: Would you happen to have any rare, behind the scenes, or personal photos you could share with us? We’d be particularly interested in any pictures of you in the Stormtrooper armor (that’s our thing, as you know!). AF: The only behind the scenes picture I have is when we were setting up to film the “Jedi Mind Trick” scene. I have the Sandtrooper armor on, without the helmet. SB: Thank you for your time and we hope you are receiving 501st hospitality wherever you go. AF: Thank pleasure.

you!

was

Find out more about Anthony Forrest, get autographed photos, and send him a message at anthonyforrest.com.

CELEBRATION EUROPE, AN INSIDER’S VIEW By Andrew Walker, TB-5573, Nordic Garrison

rom 13th – 15th July, the

ExCel Centre in London was transported into our favourite galaxy far, far away . . .

Finally, after four Star Wars Celebration events in the US, Lucasfilm decided it was time for European fans to enjoy the same experience. 501st Legion troopers travelled from not only all across Europe, but from across the globe to take part in the biggest ever Star Wars event outside the US. From France, Belgium, Germany, Japan, America, and even some all the way from the other side of London! As usual for these big events, we started the weekend off with a Legion mixer at The Fox Bar located right next to ExCel. This would become our unofficial base of operations for the weekend with large number of troopers gathering there every night to tell stories of what they had done that day. As the official distributor of the Legion t-shirts and patches, I was the centre of attention and my three

huge boxes of merchandise were quickly whittled down to just one. As we met up with old friends in the bar, we noticed a group of people sitting at an adjacent table that we recognised but couldn’t quite place. Suddenly it dawned on me, it was Ian Liston who played Wes Janson and over there was Richard Le Parmentier, who played Admiral Motti. Oh and look, Jeremy Bulloch and Paul Blake, two of the galaxy’s best known bounty hunters, have just wandered in and are asking if they can share our table! I was totally unprepared for the warmth and interest the actors and artists who were attending the convention showed to the members of the 501st. Lawrence

Noble, renowned artist and soon to be Honorary Member of the Legion, and his daughter, Casey, sat with us and were full of stories about how troopers had helped him at this show or that show and how much he admired the great work we do for charity throughout the world. Too much travelling and a few too many beers quickly tired me out, so we decided to get some sleep so we’d be fighting fit for what was sure to be a long, hard day in armour. Day one started with a parade of all the troopers who had arrived in time. We marched through ExCel to where the public was waiting patiently for the doors to open. Two rows of troopers stood at rigid attention as Lord Vader inspected them to make sure we were looking our best for the public. After about half an hour, the troops headed back to our designated changing area to join up with our squads who we’d be working with for the next three days. Squad one was assigned to consist of 5 biker scouts and we immediately headed for our first post, the Autograph Hall. Since the event had not yet opened, we took the chance to say hello to some of the guests who had arrived early. This was great for us as we were able to take photos with Lightning Bear,

honorary commander of the Pathfinder Detachment. Our next post was as a patrol in the main hall, so we wandered around looking at some of the exhibits and posing for lots of pictures. Then came one of the highlights of the weekend. The Belgian Garrison had brought many of the fantastic life-sized props with them: a snowspeeder, a snowtrooper and e-web cannon, and best of all, at least for us biker scouts, a speederbike. They were kind enough to let each of us sit on it and take some photos. I’ve never felt more like a real biker scout than I did right then!

Next up was our first break, just long enough to get fully changed and check out some of the show for myself. I met up with my wife and we went straight back to the Autograph Hall and spent £200 ($400 USD) on autograph vouchers. Luckily, my wife had stood in the queue for Mark Hamill tickets that morning, as they were all sold out by the time I got there. I met Jay Laga’aia (Captain Typho), Michael Culver (Captain Needa), Daniel Logan (young Boba Fett), Anthony Daniels (C3-PO), Kenny Baker (R2-D2), and Matthew Wood (General Grievous). As well as signing photos for me, Jay, Matt, Kenny and Daniel also signed their 501st Legion Honorary Member trading card, which was really kind of them since none of them charged me anything extra for it. Luckily all this action had distracted me from what was to come next. I

was to join in as a presenter on the “White Armour” costuming panel to explain the details of the biker scout costume to people. I was joined by representatives of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment, Mos Eisley PD and Blizzard Force. After a few technical hiccups, we got started and the crowd seemed to really enjoy themselves. We were asked a lot of questions ranging from where could people buy armour to how fast does a speederbike really go?

Ian McDiarmid (Emperor Palpatine), Rick McCallum (Producer) and Steve Sansweet (Lucasfilm Fan Relations) onto a temporary stage and each spoke for a short while about Star Wars. Then the big screen above them lit up with those immortal ten words, “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away . . .” and the crowd cheered it’s way through A New Hope while drinking beer and eating picnics in the sun before retiring to The Fox for “refreshments”.

Once the panel was finished I was free for the remainder of the day, so went to meet Mark Hamill. I showed my ticket and tried to join the, by now, very short queue. To my horror, I was told that the queue was closed and no more people would be accepted. After much arguing I explained that I could not come earlier as I had been trooping with the 501st Legion all day. It’s amazing what that name does! I was immediately allowed to take my place and the guys thanked me for all the hard work we were doing. Just a few minutes later and I was standing beside Luke Skywalker himself, having my photo taken. I dreamed of this moment since I was four years old and now here I was, doing it!

Day two and three were more of the same, long periods in armour, having fun and posing for pictures and some mad dashes to collect all the autographs I wanted. As a “full participant” is was required to troop for five hours each day with the benefit of having my ticket refunded (although several of us chose instead to donate our ticket refund to the UKG’s charity collection). Our UKG hosts had worked out a great schedule with plenty of breaks but many of them were only half an hour or an hour long, which didn’t leave much time for de-kitting, seeing something, and then kitting up again. This meant that I missed many things at Celebration Europe. I didn’t get to see any of

As day one drew to close, everyone headed out to the small park in front of ExCel where the official opening ceremony would be held. Warwick Davis introduced Mark Hamill,

the actors on the main stage nor did I see “One Man Star Wars”, which I had been really looking forward to. I also did not manage to get involved in the Droid Hunt that the German

Garrison organised with great success and only saw the 501st Legion stand as I passed by in armour. On the other hand, one thing I did see, which I would not even have known about if I had not been trooping, was the fantastic Vader Project. Fifty artists were given Darth Vader helmets and asked to decorate them as they saw fit. My favourites were a map of Vader’s brain and a helmet which had been repainted to resemble the Lars homestead.

Other highlights include meeting Billy Dee Williams, seeing Disco Steve in action again, being in the official 501st Legion photo, and having lots of fun with the other troopers after hours in The Fox and showing my wife’s new slave Leia t-shirt to everyone, many of

whom immediately went and bought one for their wives or girlfriends. Another problem with the full participation was that I didn’t have enough time to have a really good look in the various shops, but I think my wife and bank manager are very happy about that! The absolute worst thing, however, was that after just three days the event ended and we had to pack up and head home. This was the second time I’ve been trooping with people from lots of different countries and I enjoyed it just as much as I did at the Rose Parade. It was very sad to have to say goodbye to everyone but lots of us are now trying to arrange international troops in our own respectivecountries. Members of the Nordic Garrison are heading to Legoland in Germany during October and members from the UKG will be visiting Stockholm for a convention in November. After that, I guess we should start the countdown to Celebration Europe II. I heard one person ask Steve Sansweet if there would be another CE and his only answer was, “No comment!” Read that how you will. . . .

Hoosier Trooper By Sarah Pugliaresi (TK-546)

With football season in full swing, we at Static Burst thought we would check in with more of our Legion’s Sports Troopers. By highlighting these exciting costumes and individuals, we are taking the time to acknowledge the spirit of fans from all backgrounds. In this issue, we’re focusing on Cole Horton, TK-9063 from the Bloodfin Garrison, whose Hoosier Trooper is a great combination of his love of costuming, sports, and his Alma Mater. How long have you been trooping as Hoosier Trooper?

The first time I made an appearance was two years ago, during my freshman year here at Indiana University. There was a big basketball game, and the school asked that everyone wear white to assembly hall. They were trying to create a “whiteout” effect on national TV in contrast to the normal crimson. I was trying to find a white Indiana T-shirt when it hit me... I have a pretty good white outfit sitting in my armor tub! I grabbed a few IU window clings and headed to the game where I had floor seats. The rest was history. What was your inspiration for the costume?

As far as a sports trooper I look up to, that would definitely be Joe Sauter, the Colts Trooper. He is a real sports team trooper and his gear looks simply amazing. I am just a college guy who wears the armor to a few IU games. The real sports team trooper in this state is Joe. How long have you been an Indiana University fan?

Being born right in between two basketball championships, I had always been surrounded by some IU excitement. Growing up, we always watched games wondering what

coach Bobby Knight would do next. When I started looking at colleges, and finally decided on IU, that’s when I started to become the more rabid fan. Since I came to Indiana, my fandom really took off. Half of my closet is IU gear and I work as an undergraduate recruiter for the school. I’m still trying to figure out a way to stay here as long as possible. Is there a particular sport you prefer to attend or watch?

Although I have attended more football games, basketball is definitely my favorite. In Indiana, basketball is king. Being in costume at a big game, standing under five NCAA championship banners is unbelievable. There h a v e been so many great teams to play on that court and so many famous moments have gone down there. Indiana basketball has few equals, so adding to the “Hoosier Hysteria” is without a doubt my favorite. Now if they would only make trooper friendly seats... How does your significant other and family feel about Hoosier Trooper?

My girlfriend doesn’t seem to mind and even helps with crowd control at games.

She often keeps a bottle of water and some white duct tape nearby for repairs. My friends love when I dress up because they discovered that fans will offer free drinks to a Hoosier Trooper when I walk past their tailgates. Since I won’t drink in costume, my friends happily take up my slack. Just passing by on the way to the stadium can be quite rewarding for my friends.

Who needs a cooler when you have a trooper? How often do you bring Hoosier Trooper out for an event?

I generally only bring out the armor for special occasions like whiteout games or the football homecoming. In total, I’d say I’ve only done seven or so games. It’s a lot easier to enjoy the game in a T-shirt. Last year, I had to suit up more for the school paper and news station than I did for actual games. This coming basketball season will be an exciting one, so I hope to make a few more Hoosier home games in armor.

What was your favorite experience as Hoosier Trooper?

It has to be the first basketball game I attended. When we walked onto the floor to head to our seats, the cameras swarmed. I guess I got the attention of someone important, because I was asked to run with the IU flags during the second half. The running of the flags has become an old tradition at IU Basketball games. Any advice for those looking to make their own sports trooper costume?

Remember to bring plenty of costume wranglers to help you out. It only takes one guy jumping on your back to take a trooper down. I always have a few friends who stay with me to keep the crowds at a safe distance. Other than that, just have fun and remember to sing the fight song loud. You want to be heard outside your bucket! Have you made a Hoosier Trooper Action Figure?

I don’t have an action figure, but I am working on a sidekick. I’m in the process of building an astromech droid in the school colors. His name is “IU-D2.” Anything else you want to say about being Hoosier Trooper?

This year will be a special one for all fans of Indiana sports. We have a very talented basketball team, some say better than any we’ve had in over a decade. But before the excitement of basketball season hits, all Hoosiers will be remembering our football coach, Terry Hoeppner. Coach Hep lost a battle with brain cancer this summer after bringing so much excitement to the football program. He is going to be greatly missed and he leaves some big shoes to fill. This season will hold special meaning for me as well as all of my fellow Hoosiers. Stay tuned, as in our next edition we will be profiling Joseph Sauter, also known as Colts Trooper.

It’s Just a Thought by Dianna Ronald

Well, so now we know or should know by now why we go out and troop with the Legion. However, comparing battle scar stories that happens at events interests me the most. I listen to the “post-battle” locker room stories and think, “What happens in the field stays in the field, right?” The things we do in the line of duty… We all have been thru doors in our lives, whether by choice or by accident, after a friends stag or stagette party, but somehow putting on the armor and peering thru that one square inch of lenses that isn’t scratched, fogged up or cracked, makes troopers into targets for vengeful doors. We have all these doors that are bent on world domination by fighting back. They seem to weigh 200lbs and take 30 seconds to push them open. Then, they take only two seconds to close at light speed. Now if you weren’t at the Imperial Pub last night, you might be able to jump out of the way gracefully, whether you are in armor or not, but your buddy behind you (whose mind isn’t where he left it this morning), gets face planted by the door. Unfortunately this face plant sends the shock waves down the line to all your unfortunate buddies behind him who didn’t know how the domino effect works. Oh, the carnage, oh the humanity, oh you hoped you marked your armor so you tell which pieces are yours when everyone becomes conscious again.

Worse still are the events where they ask you to perform stunts that would normally require CGI editing, and leave you hoping paid your life insurance premiums. Okay, what do I mean? At a recent event, the troopers faced unevenly spaced stairs, a dimly lit auditorium, and were required to march in step with everyone wearing a helmet that has tinted lenses. Listening to your own soundtrack of “Livin’ on the Edge” or “I Walk the Line” hum your own theme song as you cross your fingers and hope you don’t end up on You Tube as the next tripping trooper. This event I was just hoping that Darth Vader had his wits about him and made those stairs without mishap, or he would take out the woodwind section in one graceful flutter of cloak like a

TK-7883 Photo By Alyson Cupps

big black swan crashing head long into a bunch of terrified and confused penguins. Hey, that answers the question to the age old riddle of “What’s black and white and red all over?” Don’t you think? So, watch out for your fellow 501’er. Make sure they don’t miss a step and find out that plastic tends to leave odd looking scars on your knees that are hard to explain when you get home. Hold a door, so you don’t get a huge game of Imperial Pick up Sticks. Someone, please invent night vision units for our helmets so we are free to travel in low light conditions or suffer the injustice of ending up on You Tube as the “Imperial Dominoes.” So yes, what happens in the field stays in the field In theory, but with the invention of cell phone cameras watching our every move at least we can trip up with dignity. There are downsides to helmets but the upside is, at least they can’t see you blush. It’s just a thought...

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