Happy Halloween Troops!
I'll keep it short and sweet this month as the real news is all the articles. Halloween is a great time for us costumers, as it's the one time a year that the general public gets dressed up like we do on a regular basis, and some will find that they like it so much that they want to join us. So there are excellent recruiting opportunities as well as an excuse to let our hair down and have fun with our costumes. Did you do anything special for the holiday? If so, send in your pix to Shooter and show off what crazy things you did in armor this Halloween.
And in the spirt of Halloween we're proud to announce the approval of Death Trooper in the Legion. Love it or hate it, you can't deny it gives people an option for what to do when their armor wears out. 
Stormtrooperguy did an excellent job on his build and deserves kudos for his attention to detail.
Also - for you merch lovers - keep an eye out as the 12" patch sale will start soon as well as some neat t-shirt options for 501st members.
Lastly...EIB, EIB, EIB. I'm seeing a lot of folks just a mod or two away from hitting EIB. If you are in this state - let's get 'er done! There are tons of resources available on FISD to help you out, and even an FX kit can be made EI for ~$50 and a few hours of work. As Vader would say: "No excuses".
Even if you are not an Attache, helping other troopers get to EI is a worthy activity for us all and fully in keeping with the spirit of our unofficial motto "Troopers Helping Troopers".
Maybe we should have an "I brought a friend to EI" award? Let me know what you think!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul C. Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Founder
Article written by RogueTrooper
Back on October 13, 2009, a novel written by Joe Schreiber titled Death Troopers was released. It takes place about a year before A New Hope. The novel, Death Troopers encompasses two major genres, Star Wars and horror. A deadly virus has infected the crew of the Star Destroyer, the Vector. This deadly virus turns anyone into the living dead, and anyone that comes in contact with the Star Destroyers crew find themselves knowing the true meaning of horror….
For all you Star Wars fans, who are also fans of horror, I had the privilege of writing the Death Troopers requirements and I just finished tweaking the Death Trooper CRL in time for Halloween. So if you have read the Death Troopers and want to get your zombie TK on, now is your chance to, especially now that it is a 501st Legion approved costume.
And death is only the beginning….
The 501st approval requirements are listed in black.
FISD Defines two additional, optional levels of costuming excellence: Expert Infantryman and Centurion. Below, the requirements for Expert Infantryman are listed in blue. Centurion requirements are listed in maroon.
For 501st membership only the requirements in black need to be met.
Helmet
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look. If any large areas are missing from the helmet and skin is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Should have stains to emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Traps (trapezoids on dome of helmet) and tears (area beneath the corners of eye lenses) are gray.
*Rear traps and tears have vertical black lines.
*Lenses are flat material, green in color, sufficiently dark enough to obscure the costumer's eyes.
*The “ear†bars have three or four bumps and should be gray or painted gray, with a black outline. Painting the bumps with rank stripes (highlighted) in black is optional.
*Frown is painted gray and does not leave the teeth area. Eight total teeth on the frown are cut out.
*Tube stripes are medium blue, numbering between 9 and 16 per side with the curve bends extending backwards.
*Vocoder (vertically ribbed chin detail) is painted black.
*Aerators/Hovi mix tips (cylinders on either side of the vocoder) are black or painted black.
*Tears, traps, and tube stripes may be hand painted, decals, or decals that replicate hand painted.
*Mesh may be used behind the frown to obscure the face of the wearer.
*Note: The FX helmet is considered deprecated (to be avoided), though is acceptable for Legion requirements.
*Shall have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Ears shall have three screws per side, one above and one below the ear bar and one at the base of the helmet.
*Ear bars should have four bumps only, not three.
*Traps/tears and tube stripes shall have the correct ANH TK details.
*Correct 'Hovi mic' aerator tips.
*FX helmets are not allowed.
*MRCE and/or EFX PCR helmets are not allowed.
*ANHv2 helmets are not allowed.
*Ear bars shall have only one or two bumps painted in black (rank stripes).
*Neck trim shall be of an s-type profile rather than a u-type profile.
*Tears/traps shall be hand painted or use decals that emulate hand painted (with correct ANH TK details).
Neck Seal
*Black with horizontal ribs, fitted to the wearer, and extending from the base of the neck to the top of the Adam's apple.|
*Neck Seal shall be destressed/worn.
*Neck Seal may have some rips/missing areas in the material. If any skin is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
Shoulder Straps
*These shall be securely mounted in front and may free float in back. They may be affixed with rivets, Velcro, or adhesive.
*No visible rivets are allowed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*One Shoulder Strap maybe omitted from this costume (either left or right but not both) If a Shoulder Strap is omitted, then it should be replaced/tied with *Worn/old looking mummy style bandages to help hold the chest and back together.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*These shall free float in back.
*These shall be glued in front.
*The plastic shoulder straps need to be held down in the back via a white elastic band to the white fabric that connects/bridges the chest and back piece.
Shoulder Bells
*One on each shoulder. The shoulder bells are considered effectively symmetrical; they may be worn interchangeably on the left and right shoulders and should have a black elastic strap that wraps around the inside of the bicep.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood, Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
Biceps
*Biceps are fully closed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*One bicep may be omitted from the costume (either left or right but not both).
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
Forearms
*Forearms are fully closed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood, Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed.
Hand Plates
*Roughly pentagonal in shape, the hand plates are mounted securely over the back of the glove. As an alternative to plastic, these may be made out of latex or latex-like material.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*One Hand Plate may be omitted from the costume (either left or right but not both).
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Hand guards shall be latex or latex-like, painted white, affixed to rubber gloves in lieu of plastic hand guards.
Gloves
*Black in color, made of either rubber, nomex, leather, or leather-like material, with no visible straps or logos/designs. The fingers are enclosed, non-textured.
*Gloves shall be distressed/worn. If any skin is exposed it shall be covered with a zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Gloves shall be rubber or rubber-like chemical gloves, in black.
Chest Plate
*Chest plate overlaps the abdominal plate.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Chest plate may have one of the top corner/shoulder strap areas missing. If you are opting to damage/remove this area of the chest plate, then you should strap the remaining area with Worn/old looking mummy style bandages to help hold the chest and back together.
*May have blaster wounds.
*Shall have stains that emulate dried blood, Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Chest and back shall be connected with a white fabric or preferably elastic strap at the shoulders.
Back Plate
*Back plate contains a "O II" design.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have a few stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Back plate may have one of the top corners/shoulder strap areas missing. If you are opting to damage/remove this area of the back plate, then you should strap the remaining area with Worn/old looking mummy style bandages to help hold the chest and back together.
*Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate.
Under Suit
*Black non-textured material, either one-piece or two-piece construction with no visible zippers or logos/designs. |
*Under Suit shall be distressed/worn.
*The under suit may have some rips/missing areas in the material. If any skin is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Some area of the Under Suit should have Worn/old looking mummy style bandages.
Abdomen Plate
*The ab plate has a button area that matches the color pattern shown (3 blue + 6 gray); buttons are approximately 7/16" in diameter.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should have stains that emulate dried blood, but shall not use liquid / permanently wet fake blood.
*Should be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Any gap between the ab and kidney plate shall be no more than 1/2" wide. Any shims used to achieve this effect should be of a similar material and color as the ab and kidney plate. Shims shall fit flush and seams are allowed.
*Shall have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*The ab plate may have large missing/broken off area/areas. If any large area is exposed it shall with be covered with zombie-like prosthetic skin.
*Ideally there should be no gap between the ab and kidney plates, just a single visible seam line.
*Rivets on the left side of the ab plate: a total of three rivets equally spaced out along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. They may be painted white, or not.
*A single male snap on the top right corner of the ab plate shall be present.
*A single split rivet or brad shall be present on the crotch tab of the ab plate. It does not need to be functional.
Kidney Plate
*It is allowable to have a single kidney/butt plate for 501st requirements. If a separate kidney plate is used, it should line up with the ab plate, with the top of the kidney plate being flush to or under the back plate.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*A separate kidney plate shall be present, split from the butt plate.
*Shall be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*3 rivets shall be present on the left side of the kidney plate, equally spaced out along the depth of the armor and about 10mm from the edge. They may be painted white, or not.
Butt Plate
*It is allowable to have a single butt/kidney plate for 501st requirements. If a separate butt plate is used, it should be below the bottom of the belt and line up with the kidney plate, with a minimal gap between it and the kidney plate.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*A separate butt plate is required, split from the kidney plate.
*Shall be an aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Two male snaps shall be present on the crotch tab of the butt plate. They do not need to be functional.
Belt
*Belt face is made of plastic (TK ammo belt).
*Belt proper is made of canvas, canvas covered material, leather, or vinyl, 3†to 3.5†wide. The color is be white to off-white.
*The drop boxes dangle from the sides of the front plastic belt (ammo belt) via white straps and are aligned under the plastic tabs of the ammo belt.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Belt shall be canvas or canvas covered, and shall have a distressed old look. leather and vinyl are not acceptable.
*There shall be three square buttons, one centered in the middle and one on each end of the plastic ammo belt..
*One drop box may be omitted from the costume (either left or right, but not both). If opting to remove one of the drop boxes, the white strap that the drop box normally hangs from shall be ripped/torn.
*Drop boxes are closed in the back.
*The corners of the plastic ammo belt shall be trimmed at a 45 degree angle.
Thermal Detonator
*Attaches to the back of the belt. This is a gray cylinder between 2†and 2.5" in diameter with white end caps on each end, and a white control panel pad, with controls closest to the right end cap.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*The thermal detonator needs to be attached via metal clips approximately 1 inch wide, and shall be all gray without silver stickers or silver paint.
Thighs
*Thigh armor shall be closed in the back.
*The small ammo belt is installed on the bottom of the right thigh.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*The thigh ammo belt shall be connected by brads/split rivets only – but not by standard rivets.
*The bottom corners of the thigh ammo belt shall be rounded off.
Lower Legs
*Greaves close in the back. The trapezoid knee plate (sniper knee plate) is affixed to the left greave and may have two visible brads or rivets securing it to the greave.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*There should be no visible rivets or brads used to secure the sniper plate to the left greave.
Boots
*White leather or leather-like, above ankle height, with a flat sole with a short heel, and small U-shaped elastic sections on both sides of the ankle with no buckles or laces. Jodhpur/Chelsea-type boots or an equivalent style is acceptable. Elvis or Mariachi boots are not allowed.
*Shall have a distressed/cracked/damaged look.
*May have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Should be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*Should have some stains that emulate dried blood. Liquid / permanently wet fake blood is not allowed.
*Shall be aged white with some areas having a drab olive greenish and yellowed tint.
*There shall be no seam on the front of the boot (e.g. CABoots are not allowed).
Accessories
Holster
*Holster may be omitted from this costume.
*Made of black leather or leather-like material.
*Holster shall be distressed/worn.
*Holster shall be worn on the left and be attached to the belt from behind instead of front, with no loops covering the outside of the belt.
*The holster will be affixed with two fasteners at the bottom of the belt instead of none or four. These may be rivets, snaps, or Chicago screws.
Mummy style bandages
*It is optional to have some Worn/old looking (mummy style) bandages. The mummy style bandages may be wrapped loosely around some areas of the costume, but not over 30%.
Zombie prosthetic
*May be a latex or latex like Halloween mask, hands or body parts.
*Shall be profressional movie-like makeup.
BlasTech E-11
*Based on a real or replica Sterling sub-machine gun, scratch-built, or a modified commercial toy Stormtrooper blaster.
*Folding stock (does not need to function).
*No ammo counter shall be present.
*D-ring mounted on the rear.
*Correct style scope.
*No power cylinders on the magazine housing.
*Scratch-built, resin cast, Hyperfirm rubber cast blasters shall have a total of 7 U shaped channels on blaster (all holes on barrel shall be covered).
*If using the popular commercially available Stormtrooper blasters, you shall grind off the T-tracks and replace them with U shaped channels and cover the open rows of holes (total of 7 U shaped channels in all).
*Correct greeblies on the left rear area shall be present (door catch and two "hammers").
*Hasbro blasters are not allowed, even conversions.
*Forward D-ring shall be mounted underneath the front sight on the left side of the barrel.
*Use of the correct front sight (which differs from ANH and ESB).
*The scope rail is unique to ROTJ E11 and is not like the normal open ANH/ESB scope rails, but is a solid, one piece, with a unique sight design on the front. The scope connects to the notched out area of the solid rail. The scope shall be the correct design (as the ones seen in ROTJ), and shall attach to the scope rail via one scope mount.
*The muzzle will be unlike the normal ANH style. It shall be flat with two counter sunk Allen bolts (one located at the four o’clock position and one located at the ten ‘o’clock position).
*The door catch shall be correct, not a "close enough" attempt as seen on the Cinemastery blaster.
BlasTech DLT-19 Heavy Blaster Rifle
*Based on a real or replica MG-34 machine gun.
*A DLT-19 is an MG-34 with T-tracks on the barrel, ejection port cover added, and a small disk on left side.
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 “RogueTrooper“
Tactical Officer
Tips for Trooping Halloween
Some would say if you're a member of the 501st that everyday is Halloween, and it kind of is. However, Halloween or "Party Trooping" in general is a bit different than your everyday Troops. They are of course a great time, but they definitely present different challenges than going out with your Garrison.
So if you are planning on sporting your TK this Halloween, here are some helpful tips and tricks to help get you by:
Plan Ahead
When Trooping, there's generally a discussion going on over your local garrison forum, you get told what time to show up, where to go, what you're role will be for the day, and you do your bit. When going out on your own, that part is up to you; so when planning, make sure you have the following:
Check Local Weapons Laws - A good idea in general for anyone planning on sporting costume with a "weapon" at Halloween. More important for Public Events or Trick-or-Treating with the kids. You don't want your Halloween spent being brought down by local SWAT.
A way there - Most of us can't sit in armor, let alone drive, so make sure you have a plan on getting to and from the party, if you can't get a ride, see if you can at least get a place to change at your final destination. If that's impossible, drive in your undersuit and bring a change of clothes.
Get a buddy - Spotters are a must at any troop and at Halloween they are no exception. Actually, they may be more important as you run a greater risk of dealing with people that are intoxicated. Enlist a friend, spouse or family member to keep an eye on the things you can't see through your bucket.
Plan your time - Give yourself a time limit for the armor, especially if you have to unsuit to use the facilities. Know where the bathrooms and exits are, and if you're going to have to deal with stairs.
At The Event
Most of the time when in armor we are the centre of attention, however, at Halloween everyone else has the same idea. Also, they will more than likely be in a suit that's not as Field Tested as yours, so mind your company.
Secure Armor Storage - If the event can provide a locked room to keep your kit bag, great! If not, figure out a "Plan B" (your car or a friends) and make sure your Spotter has everything you need.
Have a "Home Base" - You definitely need a place where you can get some water and take a breather. Remember, at Halloween you can take your bucket off 
Be Nice - Remember, you're going to more than likely run into some intoxicated individuals and even though it's a "Non-501st" event, by donning that armor you are representing the 501st. Saying that, it's never acceptable for you to get belittled or disrespected.
I will quote one of my favourite movies Roadhouse: "Be nice, until it's time to not be nice." Be respectful of others as you would on a Troop, but don't be afraid to put a limit on it if someone is going too far. A good way to diffuse a situation that could escalate is by quoting a TK line from the movies like "Move Along!"
Avoid Alcohol - What? It's a party right?!? "Drinking and Trooping" go together about as well as putting a Rancor on a Cargo Barge - there's going to be a lot of banging around and you will probably end up crashing. Treat Trooping the same way you would driving a vehicle and know your limit. A drunk Stormtrooper is never any fun (especially if kids are present) and you don't want to damage your kit. Do yourself a favor and save the drinks until you're unsuited and can enjoy them.
Post Party
When it's time to call it a night, make sure you have a way home for you and your kit. If cabbing, make sure the Taxi can fit your kit bag and I would avoid the Bus entirely.
Remember, this is all about fun, so get out there an enjoy yourself! Have a great time this Halloween and remember to post pics of your event!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
As a special Halloween treat, and a reward for all your loyal service to The Empire, the FISD is proud to offer you these TK pumpkin templates for download.
Simply print the PDF files, copy the stencil to your pumpkins and you'll have a Halloween decoration sure to put a chill up the spine of any Jedi who come knocking at your door...
Just remember - if you make these or any other TK themed Halloween goodies be sure to post pics on the forums for all of us to see!
Click here to download the PDF's:
Crushing Dantooine, Tatooine and Halloween all at once
with unquestioned loyalty,
Lucas Bowers
ZeroRoom
Detachment Webmaster
Article By: tkrestonva
Love them or hate them, the release of the Blu-Ray edition of Star Wars made for a historic month for Star Wars fans in general and the 501st in particular. Not only do we get to see the films in all of their extreme hi-def glory, we got a TON of behind the scenes and other bonus footage to go with it! Regardless of how you feel about the movies and the “updates†made to them, the bonus features alone make it a must-have for any serious fan. Most notably, the collector’s edition included a hour long insider’s look at the 501st’s participation in the 2007 Rose Bowl Parade! Not that we aren’t visible enough as it is, but now fans from all over get an inside view of the 501st and how we support Star Wars fandom – can you say “new recruits for the Empire�
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Brian Robinson
TK 2918 "tkrestonva"
Provost Marshall
Below is a photo collection of stormtroopers around the world deployed to support and promote the Blu-Ray release:
What a week!!!!
The UKG were approached by Fox earlier in the year to help them promote the Blu Ray release of Star Wars. Of course we jumped at the chance and discussions ensued about proposed events that we could help them with.
We started earlier in the year with a huge Empire magazine event at London’s O2 arena where, along with Anthony Daniels, we did our best to draw attention to the upcoming release. We even featured quite heavily in the magazine! A definite success in my book and a great start to our relationship with Fox and their PR company.
This event gave the PR company and indeed Fox more of an insight into what we could do and off they went to make further their plans.
I’ll be honest, when they first approached us with some of the ideas I was a little sceptical and as CO I have to think of the safety of our members as well as our responsibility to LFL. Fox were great; they were happy to listen to our concerns and work with us to make the Blu Ray release into a very special week.
I arrived back from DragonCon on the Friday morning. The journey home was a complete nightmare with damaged baggage and broken down vehicle (twice!!) amongst other things, all this when you are dog tired. I knew we had a busy week ahead but I still don’t think anyone could have realised just how busy!!
I received a call from Steve Smith, one of our EC’s who had volunteered me for a 6.30am start the following morning at a TV studio in west London to again accompany Mr Daniels and start the promo week with a bang.
The show was an odd choice, a soccer magazine style show but which also covered hip cool stuff. Now you see where we fitted in!
Anthony was completely out of his depth. He confessed to us he knew nothing about soccer and cared even less! This did not, however, stop him from stealing the show. He was fantastic and really upstaged the regulars on the show and step one was complete.
Then step two:
Early Monday morning, the day of the release, several troopers and Darth Vader were all to parade the famous Changing of the Guard outside Buckingham Palace. I still can’t believe they got the permission for it!!
We all changed in a local hotel and then, through London rush hour, we marched the half mile to where the photo shoot was to take place. As you can imagine we caused quite a stir, with commuters chasing after us for pictures and buses stopping so that people could watch the Empire invade London. Marching along the streets of London with Lord Vader leading us was an awesome experience.
We arrived at the spot for the photo shoot and although permission had been granted, we still managed to draw the attention of the armed police; that is, they all wanted pictures!! Of course we obliged as it is always fun to arrest a Policeman!!!
The shoot went off without a hitch and seeing Vader and Stormtroopers with Buckingham Palace in the background was just amazing.
We were then, after getting changed and a short break, moved to a disused platform for Charring Cross tube station were a train awaited us for another photo shoot. We actually held up the new Angelina Jolie movie whilst we had various candid shots of us on an underground train with commuters (local students they had rounded up to help) looking on. This was great fun as it is not every day you see a TK on a train let alone ten of them!!
The rest of the day was taken up with various HMV stores and the usual promo stuff but when it is in the middle of London it is never really usual. We caused Oxford Street to almost come to a standstill at one point as onlookers and passers by stoped to have their pictures taken with us!! We attended a couple of stores and finished around 8pm. I, as everyone else, was shattered but in a very good way!!
The next day I accompanied two of our TK’s and a different Lord Vader to an afternoon magazine show where Mr Daniels was a special guest. They were so impressed with us that instead of the host coming to the fore at the top of the show, they asked Lord Vader himself. It looked great and was an impressive way to start a show. They then had our two TK’s flank the stage and they stood like statues throughout. They were amazing and looked stunning. They really did look like Stormtroopers and marched off exactly as rehearsed. Awesome work from the two of them.
The next event was on the Thursday morning, the day of the big stunt!!
Billy Haggis and myself were appearing on a Breakfast TV show. Anthony would also be on but he had rather smartly pre-recorded his segment and managed to stay home. Who can blame him with a 5am start!
As Billy and I started to get changed, a member of the production team asked us what we could do as they had no plans. We gave them some ideas and were ushered off for a run-through.
Unfortunately the presenters did not want to play ball and were more interested in trying to ridicule us. They clearly didn’t know it was Billy and me!!
As I am sure you know, when you are in armour you can take control of a situation and even without voice (new guidelines from LFL prevent us from speaking or being interviewed with helmets on) we still managed to come out on top ; )
Then the BT Tower.
To say the stunt was ambitious is an understatement. One of London’s most famous landmarks in London was to be turned into a giant Lightsaber.
We showed up early so we could get a good look around and we had all hoped to get to the top where the event was going to culminate so as to see, what I believe, is the best view of London. Stunning.
After we were changed we went straight to work as ‘security’ ushering in the celebrities and keeping out the riff raff. The camera flashes seemed to never stop with us being photographed more than most of the stars that had showed up. The appeal of Star Wars is a long way from dead. We featured on the BBC news that evening and in many periodicals after the event.
Then the big moment: Turning the building into a Lightsaber.
We were all taken to the main area upstairs and stood by whist the countdown began ..10..9..8... you could have heard a pin drop 3..2..1.. Anthony pushed the huge button and we saw a live feed to what was going on outside the building. You can see the pic’s but I assure you they just don’t do it justice!!
After mingling with the crowd and having more pictures taken and various arrests etc. we were finally allowed to go back down and finish after another exhausting but fun night.
Just as we were starting to get changed, a representative from Fox came running in and wanted to discuss an idea. They had found a vantage point outside with the Tower in the background, where they would be able to shoot a picture where it would look as though Vader were holding the tower as a saber.
But this would mean a half mile or so walk through central London past two or three pubs and it was dark.
I had to think very hard about this as safety was a huge concern but at the same time this was not an opportunity the UKG should not miss. After agreeing to get the Dark Lord a taxi (there was no way he could have walked) we got as many helpers together as we could and off we marched, no stopping!! We arrived at the location and a guy who was a little alcoholically worse for wear really couldn’t quite believe his eyes!!
We spent about twenty minutes making the most of this bizarre photo opportunity and then marched back in the same fashion.
These pics went all around the world and I am so pleased we did it!!
It was a very tiring week but an amazing experience!
Gary
UKG CO
Article By: RogueTrooper
This is a segment of the Newsletter, where we focus on one of our fellow FISD members. We know that all of us here are Stormtrooper enthusiast to some degree, but I thought it would be nice to find out about that person in and beyond their white armor. This has actually been done a couple of times before, but when we were looking for new concepts for the Newsletter, I kind of pulled this out, dusted it off, and said why not bring this back. Everyone on staff that saw it thought it was a great idea. So, hopefully, we will keep it as a staple in the Newsletter. So you may find yourself being interviewed in the future....
This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing Brian Anderson TK7602, who is known as the StormtrooperGuy. Brian has been a member of the 501st Legion since December, 2003. His Garrison is the New England Garrison and he is one of two LMO’s (Legion Membership Officer).
Brian has two TK designations, one of which is the new Legion approved costume, the Death Trooper. Brian did some outstanding, ground breaking work on this costume that truly captured what it is to be a Death Trooper and got me stoked about getting “Zombiefied†with some armor. Not only does he have the 2 TK designations in his repertoire of costumes, but also has 1 DZ, 2 BH, 1 CC, 3 TC, 1 CP and 1 TS. WOW! after writing that last sentence, I felt like I was writing some type of computer code instead of all the designations of Brian costumes. LOL!!
The photo collage above is of Brian and his costumes (collage designed by RogueTrooper)
Below is a photo of Brian beside a few Indiana Jones artifacts at Skywalker Ranch.
I asked Brian to tell us a little bit about his life outside of the 501st and what makes Brian, Brian.
Brian: I'm an open book really... nothing interesting enough to hide at least!
I've been an IT professional for 13 years now, but my original calling was the arts. I enrolled in art school after high school, but switched gears to technology when I started to think that "Internet" thing was going to be big. I figured having a job that could pay the bills would be good, and it would give me the resources I needed to fuel the artistic endeavors. I now subscribe to the theory that we should all do something we like for work, and save what we love for hobbies. That way we don't get burned out on it.
I am married, and we are expecting our first little clone in January. It's a girl. We were calling her "the dianoga" before we knew, so we're thinking that will be her first halloween costume.
One thing that surprises many people we meet is that my wife and I are both straightedge. No smoking, drinking or drugs. I've been in that camp my entire life, so at 36 years old I've never tasted beer or wine!
Further, to get to know a little bit more about our fellow trooper Brian, I sat down had a short Q & A session with him.
When did you first become a Star Wars fan? What was the first Episode that you saw? Which one was your favorite episode and why? Which one was you least favorite episode and why?
Brian: I was brainwashed as an infant. I don't remember it, but my mother brought me with her to see "Star Wars" at the drive in back in '77. The first one I remember seeing was ESB. The memory really stuck because the film reel broke during the Dagobah training scene so we had to sit in the theater for what felt like forever while they fixed it.
ESB remains my favorite. I think it's part because it's the first movie of any sort that I really remember, and part because it's so dark. The heroes just take a beating in that one, which is rare in a movie.
Continuing the fan cliche, Phantom Menace is my least favorite. Not because of Jar Jar or any of the classic reasons to hate it, but because it set up 2 very cool, interesting characters (Qui-Gon and Darth Maul) then killed them both! What a waste!
Were you into doing the costuming and props before you joined up with the 501st?
Brian: Yep. I've done renn faire / medieval costuming for years. I started making my own maile and boiled leather armor when I was still in high school.
How did you find out about and when did you get involved with the 501st Legion?
Brian: My first exposure to the 501st was an event at a local night club I was a regular at. They did a Star Wars themed night and the 501st was present. When I first saw an adult dressed like Boba Fett I knew I wanted in!
How many costumes do you have, counting 501stand non-501st? What made you pick certain ones? For instance, you have an AOTC male Tusken Raider. What made you pick that over the ANH version?
Brian: Wow... Let's see. 11 approved 501st costumes, 2 Rebel Legion ones, then about half a dozen or so non-Star Wars... so pushing 20 I guess. It might be 20... I could be forgetting something.
I started with the tusken raider thinking it would be a cheap and easy way into the Legion. I caught the accuracy bug right away... I went from scratch building the costume to getting a Godzilla mask kit, vintage bandoliers and a real gaffi stick! I started ANH style, but felt like the prequels weren't really represented well, so I converted him to AOTC style.
The Stormtrooper was next, because what kid from the late 70s / early 80s didn't want to be a stormy?
Boba Fett was the dream costume though, and he took years and thousands of dollars to get "right".
There have been a bunch of Legion costumes that have come and gone. I've had an Imperial Gunner, Royal Guard and Scout Trooper but sold them off at various points to fund other projects.
In recent times I've been hooked on the Clone Wars. I started with Rex, sculpting/casting/forming the entire suit myself. Once you have all the molds to make armor it's really easy to churn out suits for whatever you need. We did an event with the Boston Celtics so I made a 41st grunt (green stripes). For a blood drive I did an ARC trooper with red. It's a good thing I have an attic to store it all in!
Between all of the costumes that you have, which is your favorite? If your Stormtrooper is not your favorite, then how would you rank it?
Brian: It's really hard to rank them. Usually my newest is my favorite.
I think Boba Fett really wins the day long term though. No matter what I just keep adding on to that suit to get it just that much better! I just recently got some new Boba parts in the mail that need to be assembled.
To me the stormtrooper is the backbone of the Legion. It would be like trying to rank how important water is... I think everyone in the Legion should have one!
In the last year or so you built a Stormtrooper costume, was this your first? What made you decide to do one?
Brian: I built my first stormtrooper in 2004 (FX armor), just a few months after joining the Legion. My second event with the 501st was Mark Hamill's honorary membership induction as a TK. A few weeks after getting the FX suit I upgraded the helmet to a GF, which at the time was a pretty precious thing. I think that bucket cost me almost twice what the armor did!
I traded that in later for a set of AP armor, which I trooped in as a TK for a while then converted to a TD. I ended up selling the TD to help raise funds for my clone armor sculpt.
I recently got my 3rd set of white armor, an ATA kit this time. We got to a point in my garrison where we almost never had stormtroopers at events anymore, and that just felt wrong. So I decided it was time to suit up again! The TK world had changed a lot since my last time around. When I built my AP kit there still wasn't an FISD to be a part of!
You did an ANH Stunt, what made you choose that version over the other Original Trilogy
TKs?
Brian: My E-11
During one of the periods that I didn't have a TK, I built up a really nice replica E-11.
It's a deactivated Sterling with as many original parts as have been identified and good quality replicas of the things that have not. Since it is in an ANH configuration, that part of my decision was made for me!
Between Hero and Stunt it was the lenses. I don't like the bubble lenses, so flat stunt was the way to go.
What was the hardest costume that you have built? Which costume did you have the most fun building?
Brian: The answer to both would be Captain Rex. I sculpted and vac formed all the armor myself, and had never done anything like that before. It took a year of working around 40 hours a week on it. I would come home from work, have dinner, then be in the garage until 10pm - 11pm. On weekends I'd spend all day and night there when I could.
It was incredibly rewarding to see it come together, but it was exhausting!
What made you decide on doing the Death Trooper costume? With your Death Trooper costume being approved and since you are the first official one for the Legion, how do you feel?
Brian:That's an interesting one, as the Death Trooper has a very polarizing effect on people.
When the Death Troopers book came out my feelings were mixed. I wasn't entirely sure that I liked the idea of putting zombies in my Star Wars. I love horror, and take part in local zombie walks whenever possible, but I was skeptical.
I read the book and thought it was pretty cool though... I felt like the government experiment gone wrong angle worked within what we know of the Empire. They wiped out an entire planet to make a point, so the idea of them engineering bio-weapons didn't seem like much of a stretch.
In June of 2010 a couple of Death Troopers were submitted for approval. LMO Spanos decided that the costumes were within the realm of acceptable for the Legion, but asked that they be implemented differently.
As time went on, I kept thinking about them. Inspired by the work of the troopers before me and the direction that LMO Spanos had set, I felt like it would be an interesting challenge to put one together.
When it came time for submission, the opinions were just as split as the first time around. In the end, the decision was made to go ahead based on the fact that they had just as much a place in the Star Wars universe as any other Expanded Universe costume.
It's definitely not appropriate for most events. But, when those rare events come up, it is a huge hit! I've worn it to a zombie walk already and will be wearing it at a horror convention near Halloween. I'm sure the reaction there will be great!
I wouldn't recommend anyone joining the Legion with just a Death Trooper, but it's definitely a fun alternate costume!
With the Expanded Universe TK's becoming more popular, do you see yourself doing any of the other ones, like the Stormtrooper Commander (TKC), Incinerator (INC), Sky Trooper (SKY), Heavy Weapons Trooper (HWT)?
Brian:It could definitely happen. I really like the look of the Skytrooper, so I think that would be the next most likely one for me to build.
You can never have enough armor, right?
You have been the 501st since 2003 and you are one of two LMO’s. What made you decide to go for the LMO position and have you ever held any other position in the Legion, your Garrison, or a Detachment?
Brian: Everyone is in the Legion for a different reason. Some love the charity work, some the sense of camaraderie. For me, the main driver is the costuming. I love building things! I felt like the LMO position was the best way to use that energy in a way to help the club.
I've had a bunch of roles over the years: I became garrison webmaster shortly after joining. I've been GML and XO in the NEG in addition to that, and have been on the Legion web team since its inception. I was one of the initial crew that set up the Legion forum way back in the dark ages.
I currently help out on the staff of FISD and the Bounty Hunters Guild. Last year I was on the staff of Clonetroopers.net.
Outside of the 501st I'm a costume judge in the Rebel Legion, was the founding XO of the Clones of the Republic detachment there, and serve on the admin team at The Dented Helmet.
Wow... I think I need a hobby to get away from my hobby!
There may be some readers out there who do not know what the LMO does for the Legion. Could you give a brief synopsis of what the position entails?
Brian: The main things we do are:
* Review new / uncommon / undocumented costume to make sure they fit with the Legion and are well executed.
* Act as an escalation point for GMLs when they need assistance with reviews.
* Represent the membership of the Legion to the Legion council.
* Issue new Legion IDs to members joining the club.
* Work with the detachments to establish the costuming standards for the club.
Essentially we sort out all things related to costumes for the club.
What do you find most interesting about being an LMO?
Brian: Getting to see all the new and creative things people do! I think the one that struck me the most in recent times was Snoova, a wookiee bounty hunter from Shadows of the Empire. We're not talking Chewie with some new accessories here either, this is a full on Wookiee of its own with different fur colors and patterns.
An amazing piece of work to be sure.
Do you have aspirations for any other positions with the Legion?
Brian: No, this is it for me. I'm not at all interested in the political side of the Legion, so I don't want to go down any other roads. My term as garrison XO was enough of that for me! If the Legion will have me I'd love to stick around as an LMO for another year or two. We'll see how things go in the next election cycle!
Getting back to your Stormtrooper costume, I noticed that you have not applied for you EI yet. Is there a reason why you have delayed or not taken that step? If you are wanting to go to the next level, then are you considering going for your Centurion? If not, why?
Brian: *hangs head*
Lack of photos.
Seriously. The only thing holding me back from EI right now is not actually taking good pictures of the suit!
What is one of you most memorable troops? Also, what was the worst troop that you ever had, that made you wish you had never unpacked your costume?
Brian: The most memorable was when Revenge of the Sith came out. Lucasfilm put out a call to the Legion for TKs for a special event in Las Vegas, all expenses paid! I was one of the ones selected, and got to go out be part of an amazing event. This was my first LFL official gig, so I was completely star struck by it all. We ended up with a fair bit of time to hang out on the Strip too, which was awesome. The best part though was the flight back... due to an airline mixup they ended up having to upgrade me to first class! Just picture a tired trooper who hasn't slept in 2 days flopping down in a cushy first class seat. People didn't know what to make of me
Worst troop... I've had a few events where we show up and the organizer has no idea what to do with us. We end up just standing there in costume getting in the way of things, with people looking at us like we are crazy people. Thankfully I haven't had any truly horrible events.
You sometimes see members who lose interest, drift off, become burned out and then possibly become inactive. What has kept you motivated and a very active member of the Legion over the past 8 years?
Brian: I've been a Star Wars fan since I was a little kid. I don't see that going away any time soon. So as long as there's a group of people who revel in that, I'll be a part of it!
I truly enjoyed writing this article. I would like to thank Brian for taking time to be a part of it and to congratulate him and his wife on their soon to be little “dianogaâ€â€¦I mean, their little girl. At the time we did the Q & A, Brian was sick and coughing his head off. Hey, Brian, I hope you are feeling better now and get your EI photos done..
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 “RogueTrooper“
Tactical Officer
Expert Infantry Badge, Who's Next?
Article By: RogueTrooper
Everyone Chant: EIB!! EIB!!! E
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