That SW Costuming Thing
I’m just not sure what to make of it. Is it healthy? When does a SW fan cross the line into freakdom? I don’t want to be judgmental; I just want to understand the costuming culture.
I mean, I would have no qualms about dressing up as a Jedi for like, Halloween, but to go as far as to join a…a…a club?
These are a couple that I’ve come across:
The Rebel Legion
The 501st Legion
A requirement, apparently, is to have “professional”-looking armor, for the stormtroopers. There are even sites that provide instructions on what to use for armor and weapons: TK-409.com Do-It-Yourself Star Wars Props.
Also, there are sites on how to create a Jedi costume: Obi-Wan’s Jedi Academy.
So, is there anyone out there reading this? What are your thoughts?
August 27th, 2004 - 1:27 pm
Star Wars
Star Wars
So we meet again Mr Bond! Anyway, I have my own site thingy here.
Like I said, we got some fellows who have the whole stormtrooper kit. Strange.
August 27, 2004 9:15 pm
From Lord Valentai:
“We have some fellows at work that dress up as stormtroopers and go to conventions. Hmmm.”
———-
I can understand people dressing up for conventions, but I still don’t understand the seriousness in which costumers take this. That 501st Legion is really organized, with “garrisons” all over the world and everything. That’s a lot of commitment, it seems.
August 27, 2004 9:18 pm
Um…it’s Bond Girl to you, Lord V.
So what’s their deal? Do you know what motivates them? And have they crossed that line into freakdom?
August 27, 2004 9:39 pm
Mon apologies Madame.
I think it is a fine line. Like so many other things, there is only one step between going to conventions and believing you are a character. Hmmm.
Anyways, these fellows payed $550 for a lightsabre which made all the noises etc. Brought it into the office one day, odd.
August 28, 2004 8:20 pm
Hmm…$550 for a lightsaber does seem excessive. But I understand in a way, because there are all kinds of serious collectors of just about anything.
I collect SW LEGO sets. The discontinued ones, especially, are hard to find and expensive. I really want the Trade Federation MTT, which retailed at $49.99.
Several months ago, these were available on e-Bay and I kept getting outbid every time. The most expensive final price was around $80 (of all the ones I bid on/watched).
Now, there are two available in the U.S. that I know of, and they cost $199.95 and $125. I hate to pay that much, but I guess I could be considered a “serious” collector. I’m thinking of purchasing one, but not anytime soon. Also, the sets are brand new, which I prefer. I like opening the box myself. It feels like Christmas or my birthday.
August 28, 2004 10:11 pm
I’ve considered making a Jedi costume before. I’d probably only wear it to conventions (GenCon or Motor City Comic Con, but they have costume competitions) or Halloween parties. Maybe, just maybe, I’d wear it to the opening of a new Star Wars film. But I’d feel like a huge dork doing it.
Why? Hmm, not sure. To “play” at being a Jedi for a day? Because cloaks/robes are more fun to wear than jeans and a t-shirt? Would it be that much different than acting in a play? Without a stage, mind you.
What is the line between a “big fan” and a “freakdom”? Well, I’m not sure. Many of my hobbies can be considered really “odd” by some. I’m into board gaming and lego. Those are weird. I have ~300K lego pieces. That’s sorta freaky. I guess the closest I would come to calling someone’s hobby freaky would be if they had no other interests. If they did nothing except eat, breath, sleep, and talk Star Trek. When they correct everything anyone says about it. You know, the guys who try to figure out the physics of warp core drives and quote exact episodes for technical details. The ones who wear their uniforms to the grocery store.
But if you like something and even have a costume and have read every novel out there on the topic, so long as you enjoy other things and can hold a conversation with someone not interested in your hobby about something else then you probably haven’t crossed “that” line.
August 30, 2004 5:06 pm
Playing Jedi for a day seems perfectly reasonable to me, as long as it’s at a convention or party or something along those lines. If they dressed like a Jedi all the time and SW was all they could talk about, then that’s too much. I agree with you there.
BTW, I collect LEGOs, mostly SW and HP sets. I also sell on BrickLink.
August 30, 2004 8:57 pm
from plutospawn, posted 08/27/04, 8:46pm: Conventions I can understand. They’re like costume parties. I’ve got a friend who is part of a local Rocky Horror Picture Show cast and she’s super anal about how identical her Columbia costume is to the point that she was watching the movie frame by frame to get the position of the ribbons (in the right color order no less) perfect. It’s a hobby, as long as they don’t decide to wear the costume for anything other than a convention/halloween/
August 30, 2004 9:02 pm
Well, myself, I draw the line at conventions and Halloween. Conventions like Dragon Kon, AWA, Otakon and the like. Those things are meant to be a little silly, a place to express your obsessive-compulsive love of your favorite characters/shows/games/whatever.
I haven’t actually been able to get to one yet, but when I do, I will be dressing up. I think it’s fine if you do it at conventions, it’s almost expected. But having a club that meets often and requires you to come in full trooper gear is a little….abnormal.
September 2, 2004 11:02 am