Shooter
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Hey Folks,
We are 13 "Likes" away from 1,000 on Facebook, so hop on over and show your support for the Empire!
http://www.facebook.com/WhiteArmor
For those already supporting us, Thanks! Your contribution has not gone unnoticed!
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Great tutorial Mark! Thanks for sharing.
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That is interesting feedback, I was thinking of doing the same thing for my ESB PVC build. I had no idea the inner diameter was different.
Anyone know of any alternatives that would work?
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Are you butt-seaming, or overlapping? If you're overlapping you won't stand much chance.
I buttseamed, but still had to leave a gap and join with an inside finishing strip. I then used 20mm covering strips on the outside and 30mm on my legs (tree trunks.) It won't look off if you're consistent
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Yeah, they limit the forums to 501st only. If you reach out to the CO up there I'm sure they'd be willing to help:
try 501stquebec[at]gmail[dot]com
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Hey Laurent, Welcome!
Just to clarify, what did you mean "you were not accepted by 501st Montreal?"
We have a detachment up there, so there should be some local members willing to help out.
Research is key, so enjoy the forum, use the "search" function and ask questions!
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Quote
From The Detachment Leader
Women in White Armor
FISD "Set for FUN" Arcade
Skytrooper Approved!
Brian Muir Shares his Thought on the Recent AA v Lucas Ruling
Dragon Con Debrief
Troop of the Month - The UKG represents at the Blu Ray Release!
Trooper of the Month
Swag Alert!
Star Wars on Blu Ray!
I went to Dragon*Con this year planning on wearing my Battlestar Galactica costumes for the most part as they seemed pretty popular two years ago. However, costuming can be fickle and what was hot one year is not always the next. I think I had only one person ask for a photo while in my flight suit and no one recognized the tan BDU's at all. So off it went and on went the TK. Funny enough, while walking around with my garrison mate in armor we got tons and tons of photo requests. Two take-aways I learned this year:
1. The Stormtrooper never goes out of style. Unless you are doing something dramatic like a Darth Talon (showing cleavage can't be beat) or a Wookie, pretty much no Star Wars character is as instantly recognizable and in demand as the common Stormtrooper. Nobody ever asked if I was Darth Vader (sorry TI's) or was confused as to what movie I was from. Hanging out at the bar there was no shortage of attention from both female fans (admiring a man in armor) and male fans (admiring armor).
2. The real "Stormtrooper Effect" lies in numbers. The more Troopers, the more the desire for fans to take photos. Walking around by myself gets a few requests for photos. Walking with my garrison mate means we can't go 50' without an ask for a photo op. And the more TK's in the group, the cooler we become.
We should all take pride in the fact that the common white Stormtrooper costume is so iconic that 30 years after it's debut it's lost none of it's original appeal and is instantly recognizable by fans of all ages. And what's better, it truly is one of those rare costumes where the more Troopers are together, the cooler we look.
One other item I heard loud and clear at DragonCon was how many of our troopers rely on the newsletter to be kept up to date with the latest stormtrooper news. We understand that not everyone has the time to visit these forums regularly, and the team has pulled out all the stops this month to ensure you have everything you need at your finger tips. We hope you enjoy reading this issue as much as we did putting it together.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Leader
After the August Newsletter was published, Matt (Shooter), who heads up the Newsletter, called out to the FISD Staff for article ideas for the September Newsletter. My first thought was to do an article about the women who donned the traditional White Armor. Most of the time when you think of a female and Stormtrooper armor, the concept of “Femtrooper” comes to mind. For those who don’t know what a Femtrooper is, their armor is worn with high heels and uncovered midriff. I knew there were female TK’s in the Legion, but, after delving into and researching the subject, surprisingly there are quite a few women trooping in Original Trilogy TK armor. In fact there are over 164 active women TK’s in the Legion, with a couple having their Expert Infantry (EI) status. It doesn’t sound like a very large number compared to the 5,471 active Legion members, but if you took the 164 women in OT TK’s and put them into a single Garrison, they would be the 6th largest Garrison in the 501st Legion.
I had the pleasure of interviewing and getting insight from several of the women that are TK enthusiasts, to find out what made them pick the original Stormtrooper armor. While these interviews were going on, the FISD welcomed its first female Centurion, but more on that later . . .
The following ladies were kind enough to respond and help with this article:
Lisa Basham – TK6646, Badlands Garrison, Outer Rim Squadron
Lisa is a Chef and designs commercial kitchens. Her husband is a TX (Stealthtrooper) and her 5 year old son is a big Vader fan and loves wearing his "mini" Vader costume. Their favorite thing to do is Trooping together as a family.
Sarah Brownlee - TK9463, Star Garrison, North Texas Squad
Sarah is an office manager in her own company. She enjoys costuming, building costumes and props and breeding Ball Pythons. She says she sometimes finds time to read, or play her Xbox 360. Sarah’s husband and son are also into costuming. Her husband is a Clone Commander Fox and her son is planning to start his Biker Scout build very soon.
Leisa Knapp – TK2029, Canadian Garrison
Leisa is the GWL for the Canadian Garrison. She works in the IT industry. Lisa told me the following story, and I thought it was remarkable and wanted it to be shared with the readers:
“A year or so ago I was attending a leadership training course at work. The instructor had split us up in to groups for some icebreaking exercises and told us to tell the group one thing about themselves that had nothing to do with family or work. Of course I spoke of the 501st and the work we do for Make a Wish. Well, the lady sitting next to me gasped. Turns out her son had brain cancer and they were about to disembark on a trip to Japan courtesy of Make a Wish. She was so thankful. I'll tell you there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Before that point, I really didn't consider the good that the 501st really does and that brought it home in a big way”.
Crickette - TK4837, Alpine Garrison, Utah
Crickette is a teacher of the deaf and is currently teaching a 5th grade class in a bilingual/bicultural school (ASL/English) program. She says that “being a TK certainly helps with classroom discipline”.
In an effort to find out more about these ladies and what made them pick OT TK armor, I sat down and asked the following questions:
When did you first become interested in Star Wars?
Lisa: I saw "The Star Wars" in theatres when I was eight. I know, I can't possibly be THAT old! I have been hooked on Sci-fi in general and Star Wars specifically since.
Sarah: Oh gosh, I first became interested in Star Wars when the original movie came out. My brother, cousins, and I fell in love with it instantly. We had all the action figures, and one cousin even had the Millennium Falcon. Even back then I was on the side of the Empire, though. I cut off my Han Solo action figure's head, and still played with it.
Leisa: I think it was back in '77 when I was taken to see the movie. I can remember asking my Grandma to put my hair in buns like Leia's. I was hooked and haven't stopped loving the movies since!
Crickette: In 1977, I saw Star Wars. I ran straight to my grandmother's house to make a Vader costume from whatever I could find. I wore it all summer in the Southern California heat. Sometimes with roller skates. That was the beginning.
How did you find out about and get involved with the 501st?
Lisa: I'm not sure how my husband found out about the 501st but when he gave me my kit he explained the group, its members and its purpose. After a moment's hesitation (was I ready to leap out of the geek closet?), I jumped in with both feet.
Sarah: I first found out about the 501st at local Dallas sci-fi conventions. I didn't want to join until I found out about the charity work the Legion does. And when I saw a woman dressed as a Stormtrooper, I knew I had to do that, too.
Leisa: I discovered the 501st at DragonCon back in 2001. I met some folks from the Canadian Garrison in Atlanta and decided on the spot that I would make a Tie Pilot outfit and join. I then met Spat who sold me my first bucket and chest box kit and the rest is history.
Crickette: I had known about the 501st for years, but I didn't know there was a garrison in Utah until I accidentally found it online. I joined the boards immediately and was at my first armour party a week later.
How long have you been trooping in TK armor?
Lisa: joined the legion the minute my armour was done August 2010.
Sarah: Not very long, about six weeks now.
Leisa: Only for a year now. I started off with a Tie Pilot which I bought parts for from Spat back at DragonCon 2004. I reached out to the 501st CDN Garrison back then, but didn't find the inspiration to finish the costume till 2009. To my great surprise, my Garrison CO remembered me from 2004! It was flattering and welcoming all at once.
Crickette: My first troop in armour was 11/26/10. I've Trooped in armor 18 times in addition to 13 non-armour troops.
What version of the Stormtrooper did you do?
Lisa: ANH Stunt.
Sarah: ANH Stunt.
Leisa: I did the ANH, with hero bucket. I have the grappling hook belt in progress. Let it be known that Luke Skywalker rolled a girl for her belt!
Crickette: ANH Stunt
Are you considering becoming EI, or maybe even going for Centurion in the future?
Lisa: I am planning on working on EIB this winter and hope to have it by next spring. Centurion may be the next winter's project.
Sarah: I will soon be EI, and will probably go for Centurion as well.
Leisa: I haven't really looked at the requirements.
Crickette: I'm definitely considering it.
Was the TK armor your first costume and if not what was?
Lisa: I had never done anything like the TK before. I was so excited about my first troop that I couldn't sleep the night before.
Sarah: TK is my first 501st approved costume. I trooped as a handler and as a Sith Cheerleader while completing my TK build.
Leisa: As stated above, my first was a Tie Pilot. I spent many hours playing X-Wing vs Tie back in the day and I fell in love with flying the Tie Interceptors. When it came to making the costume it all just sort of fit in my head. That started it off.
Crickette: Yes, TK was my first.
What made you consider doing a TK, White Armor costume as opposed to any other 501st costume?
Lisa: The TK was a surprise birthday gift from my husband. I had never heard of the 501st and had no idea that there were bigger Star Wars fans than me (incomprehensible until I met them) out there!
Sarah: I saw a female Stormtrooper at Dragon*Con last year, and loved how she "owned" it. I've loved Stormtroopers since I was a little girl, so I was inspired to give it a try myself.
Leisa: I once borrowed a fellow trooper's gear to troop a wedding. They needed an even team and I was the only one available. I had a blast at the wedding reception and that kind of sealed it for me. From that point in, I knew I wanted my own set of armor.
Crickette: Since 1977, my first love has been Darth Vader and my second TK. At 5'10” and 128 lbs, I don't get to be Vader myself, but I'm engaged to one of our garrison Vaders, so I guess I'll have to settle for that!
If you do have other costumes, which one do you prefer to troop in more?
Lisa: Only the TK right now.
Sarah: I enjoy the TK more than any other costume I own.
Leisa: Well, it really depends on the situation. I have trooped as a Jedi, Slave Leia, TK and believe it or not, Darth Maul. Each costume has it's merits and the Leia certainly gets quite a bit of attention. When I put on my TK though, I'm part of something bigger. I'm there for the kids who need help and to see the adult kids light up when they see characters from a much loved movie from their childhood. Whatever costume is appropriate for the setting I am more than happy to wear.
Crickette: While I was building my armour, I had plans for all sorts of other 501st approved costumes. However, after my first troop as a TK, knew it was the only one for me.
Have you ever surprised anyone, when taking off your helmet, that you are not a guy?
Lisa: Every troop. There are a lot of photos out there that only she and I know I'm a girl. (I always say thank you after a photo.) It's amazing how many women will rest their hand just under my butt plate when posing for a picture!
Sarah: Oh, everyone is surprised, either when they hear my voice amp or when I remove my helmet. Everyone assumes I am male.
Leisa: Yes and no! I make it a practise not to take my bucket off when Trooping as much as possible. Normally, we're at functions that involve kids and I don't want to ruin the image or mystique they have of Stormtroopers. Some kids have figured it out when I've been quietly talking to handlers though and it's quite a shock to them.
Crickette: I've been told I “stand like a girl”, so most people guess I'm female with my helmet on. I've rarely surprised anyone. The armour does attract a lot of male attention, though.
With the legacy Jes Gistang costume maybe in the works, is that something that you might consider? Between the OT TK and the Jes Gistang, would you consider one as opposed to the other or maybe having both?
Lisa: Jes Gistang is a good looking suit. A legit female stormtrooper is a great thing but my heart belongs to the original trilogy. I love the anonymity of the original trooper.
Sarah: Oh, I would definitely consider having both.
Leisa: I really like the Jes Gistang figure. I keep hinting to a certain TD that it'd make an awesome birthday present! I'm not sure I'd want a set of that armour though; I like my ANH OT TK. I would consider doing a Zam before any form of Fem Trooper.
Crickette: Not interested in the least.
How long did it take you from the time you received your armor kit to the moment that you finished your build?
Lisa: About 30 to 40 hours. My husband and I worked on it together. The fit was the toughest part 'cause I'm very girl-shaped (i.e. small waist, round hip) and we'd never done anything like it before. And are any of us ever really finished with our build? I work on it for every troop.
Sarah: Almost 11 weeks.
Leisa: Three days!
Crickette: I bought another garrison member's armour. It took almost two months of work to modify it enough to fit me. I'm still having trouble. I'd like to get some fresh spanking new armour and start all over again.
What was the hardest part, or were there any problems that happened with your TK build, and what did you do?
Lisa: I think the most challenging part of the build was the fit. We bought a great kit right out of the box but hanging rigid plastic off a human form is tricky at best. The learning curve was pretty steep but once we got the hang of it, it wasn't too bad. We also relied a great deal on all the fantastic people of the FISD and 501st boards who are always ready with some advice. Our next build, my husband's TX (TX-5575), was a breeze once we knew what we were doing.
Sarah: The hardest part for me was painting the helmet. I asked my friend Tim (TK-3121), who is an artist, to paint it for me. He did an excellent job, which will help towards achieving EIB.
Leisa: I'm really lucky that I have such a talented boyfriend as I do in Ken Rice (TD-1125). He helped me trim the armour, paint the boots, and paint the pieces (the styrene had a slight pink hue, I didn't want to be the 'pink' trooper). I did all the fitting, fastener assembling, detail painting, bucket adjusting and assembled and installed fans in the bucket for comfort. Without his guidance I would have done things either the long and/or hard way. I think the hardest part was actually trimming down all the pieces; however, my Dremel tool made very short work of that and sanding the edges. White Armor.net provided the pattern for the E-11 holster, the leather I had kicking around from some other past projects. It was a relatively quick build with two sets of hands working on it.
Crickette: I had trouble with the chest plate popping up. I brought in the waist a bit and added some strapping. It worked pretty well most of the time. I've added a strip of plastic with velcro which connects the chest and waist pieces. It keeps everything in place really well. Thanks to bluehickey for the suggestion.
What has been your most memorable/favorite troop in TK armor?
Lisa: CCEE (Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo) was my first big Con. I spent two and a half days in my kit walking the floor and working our charity photo booth. I was exhausted and my feet hurt and I would not have changed a thing. I can't wait for next year!
Sarah: The troops to children's hospitals are the most memorable. I have been on one as a handler and one as a TK. My favorite would be the one as a TK. I love seeing the looks of surprise and awe on the kid's faces.
Leisa: I would have to say that wedding where I wore borrowed armour. While we were trooping the reception I had two girls sexy-pose with me while my fellow Troopers almost doubled over in laughter! Later that same reception an older lady posed with myself and another Trooper. Just as the photo was being taken she apparently grabbed a handful of our backsides, again my fellow troopers were doubled over in laughter! Later after we got out of our armor, it was suggested that I should have removed my bucket. I distinctly chose not to, in order to preserve the spirit of the wedding. Could you imagine what those women would have felt like if I had? Better for them to remember a good time instead of an embarrassing moment they'd rather forget
Crickette: Troops at the school I teach at or troops my students come to. They can pick me out of a line of white armour every time!
Do you have any words that may inspire or advice for women who are considering donning the TK armor in the future?
Lisa: I find freedom stepping out of myself on a troop. Feet apart, authoritative, confident stance, a big ol' weapon in your hands...great fun! Trooping is a chance to play, meet fantastic people and help others. What could be better?...did I mention I get to carry a blaster?
Sarah: My advice is to just go for it. I try to live life without regrets, and I would definitely regret not doing something that brings such joy to myself and others.
Leisa: I would say go for it! It's more fun than you can imagine and it's so heartwarming when small kids come running up to you and hugging you. The feeling of family within your garrison and the whole organization is beyond words. My garrison regulars are among my closest friends. The fact that we all do this for charity is like the icing on the cake. Hanging out with amazing people who have 24 karat hearts, having a blast is enough to have me hooked, but to also raise money for children in need at the same time is priceless. Best. Hobby. Ever.
Crickette: I would love to see more females in armour in general, but you can't beat a female TK. And keep in mind armour is not just for the young. Nothing wrong with a middle aged woman trooping!
At the beginning of this article, I mentioned the first female Centurion recipient. Her name is Olga Plaza, TK9061. She is in the Florida Garrison, Everglades Squad. Olga has been a 501st member since August 20, 2011. She, however, has been trooping with the Everglades Squad since 2010. She has also been a part of the Rebel Legion since April of this year and has had her Jedi costume since just before C5, which was her first troop.
Olga was not into Star Wars when she was younger. She first became interested when she was introduced to Star Wars by her boyfriend, Luis, TK-7164 "bobojuice" while making her Jedi costume for C5. She said she really enjoyed watching the Original Trilogy, but has not seen the Prequels yet..
Olga has her eye on many more Star Wars costumes that she would like to make. She is already been working for a while on a Boushh costume. She says the Boushh is a tough costume to make and to get it right, she is taking her time on it. She is planning on doing a Slave Leia costume for C6, and eventually wants to do a Zam Wessell. She has quite a few others in mind that she would like to do, but they have not gotten to the drawing table yet.
Out of the three different versions of the ANH Stormtrooper, Olga liked the look of the ANH Stunt the best and that is the one that she ended up building. But, it is not her first costume. Her first was the Jedi Knight, but she has also done a few non Star Wars costumes, as well.
Olga said she probably would not have gotten into costuming if not for the influence of Luis. She ordered her TK kit at the same time that Luis ordered his ESB TK kit. Olga said the TK was always a thought in her mind, because it was always her favorite costume. She has found her introduction to costuming, to be a lot of fun, whether going to conventions or doing trooping events. She said she definitely liked trooping more in her TK than her Jedi costume, but her favorite costume is her Leeloo Dallas costume (from The Fifth Element).
Olga is a very petite woman at 5’4”, but with her Stormtrooper boots with lifts, she stands at 5’ 7” and has a wait and see attitude as to whether anyone will know if she is a female in the OT TK costume.
Olga says that it took quite a bit of modding, because of here petite frame to make the suit fit right. There was a lot of cutting, heating and bending of parts. They ended up using a new ab and kidney plate because the first ones got trashed. But, all in all, it took less than a month to complete her ANH Stunt.
When asked, do you have any words that may inspire or advice for women who are considering donning the TK armor in the future, Olga replied; make sure to do a lot of research and get as much help as you can. It is not that difficult. Once you see the finished product it is totally worth all the effort.
When asked, how do you feel about being the first female Centurion, she replied; It’s amazing. I feel very thankful that I had Luis to help me with everything, because I really couldn’t have done it without him. It is nice to know there will be only one, first, female Centurion, ever, and it’s me.
So, congratulation to you Olga, for being the very first female Centurion!!! Have fun trooping in your White Armor!!!
I would like to thank the ladies in the White Armor that participated and provided information, so that I could write this article. After spending some time getting to know some of the ladies that don original Stormtrooper armor, I have to say guys, they seem to have a very good footing with their Positive-grip boots in a galaxy far, far away . . .
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 "RogueTrooper"
Tactical Officer
Tom (RogueTrooper) and Mason (Dashrazor) here, saying it’s Time To Get Your Game On!!!!!
It is pleasure to announce that the all new FISD “ Set For Fun Arcade” is up and running. Knowing that TK builds can be somewhat stressful we felt everyone needs a moment to take a break from cutting and gluing your suit together. So, Mason and I were brainstorming ideas for something fun to add to the NCO section of the forum. I mentioned the Arcade that the Clone Trooper Detachment has, and suggested that idea to Mason. So we started cloning an Arcade for the White Armor forum. We both worked on finding a Galaxy of Star Wars games to be linked into the Arcade. The ”Set For Fun Arcade” is jammed packed with some of the best online ”flash” Star Wars game titles like “Rogue Squadron”, “The Kessel Run“, “The Death Star Trench Run”, “Star Wars Trivia”, “Star Wars Puzzles”, “Stormtrooper Dress Up”, and for those people who are not a big fan of Jar Jar, there is even the ”Gun Down the Gungan”. We will be adding more to the “Set For Fun Arcade” as we find games. If you have any comments or suggestions, there is even a place in the Arcade for that. So if you find a game that you would like to see in the Arcade, post it and we will add it to the roster.
In the beginning the FISD “Set For Fun Arcade” was in beta form and only 501st members could enter and play. But, we have recently opened it up to all FISD members. So we hope that you will all find time to stop in and get your game on, when you are not hard at work on your armor.
The following warnings apply when playing in the "Set For Fun Arcade":
If your boss catches you, and you get in trouble at work for playing in the "Set For Fun Arcade", remember the Jedi mind trick may not work on your boss especially if your boss is a Toydarian or a Hutt.
The other thing to remember is, if you are playing against a Wookie, always let the Wookie win!
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK5940 "RogueTrooper"
Tactical Officer
Mason Carson
TK4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
New Legion Approved Costume
Look, up in the sky! Is it Boba Fett? Is it a Tie Pilot? Is it a Stormtrooper? or is it a Clone Trooper? No!, it is the newest Legion approved costume. It's the Sky Trooper!!!
The Sky Trooper is a new Star Wars character that is featured in Disney's newly revamped Star Tours, The Adventures Continue, 3-D attraction ride.
The Sky Trooper has combined elements from a Stormtrooper, Clone trooper, Tie pilot and Boba Fett however is still unique as it's own character.
The Sky Trooper has been Legion approved and is now an official costume, meaning that there is a CRL and GML's can approve it.
This project was no simple task: first I started out with my old Incinerator armor. I did a total re-paint and added all the Sky Trooper markings. This was a very tedious and time consuming task and I had to go back and make corrections. From the very few references that we have of this charcter, I took on the task of building the chest box and jet pack from scratch and tried to use primarily the elements from the screen grabs. I also had to build a DC-15 Clone blaster to finish it up. The next task was to put it forth for approval, but my first submission was denied the first time with elements needing to be tweaked. Finally after fixing the problems it was re-submitted and the Sky Trooper is now approved!!
However approval is not where the work ends. I actually started working on the suit before we had all the reference materials. Now with several variations to pick from I am making small improvements to the entire suit to get it to where I am happy with it. Then the CRL will be ready for action! Be sure to check out the new Sky Trooper section of the forums HERE,
I hope to see more people making this costume in the near future.
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
FISD Intelligence Officer: Pandatrooper / Terry
My opinion of the finalcourt ruling :- Ainsworth vs Lucasfilm by Brian Muir
My initial thoughts on the court case are that I’m glad it has now finally concluded. Once the judge had labeled the Stormtrooper armour as ‘industrial’ I very much doubted that it could have been overturned.
From my point of view, I’m satisfied that the judge found in his verdict that I sculpted the armour. I’m disappointed that as hard as I fought for Liz Moore, she did not get the credit she deserved for the helmet but at least her name and portfolio of work have now come to the fore.
Although Ainsworth continues to work the media-machine and put his spin on a ‘win,’ the judgement will always be there for all to read which discredits him and his reputation. It’s unfortunate that the media chose the David vs Goliath analogy, as although it may have made for a good eye-catching headline the story behind it is not such an outstanding victory.
Lucas had to bring Ainsworth to task because the licensees, who had paid $2.5 million to make replicas, had complained to them that he was illegally taking their custom. The witnesses for Lucasfilm including: - John Mollo, John Richardson (for Liz Moore) and myself had no choice but to ensure that our contributions towards the creation of the Stormtrooper were recognised and not stolen by Ainsworth.
Thankfully, many true Star Wars fans, who have followed this saga, know the truth but still far too many continue to be deceived. Hopefully, with the aid of the collation of facts and knowledge on great sites like this one, ‘the truth will out'.
Regards,
Brian Muir
- by "tkrestonva" FISD Provost Marshall
What an incredible experience! This was my third D*Con and by far the best of the bunch! Before I went to my first D*Con in 2009 I was told “the first time you go will blow your mind, the second will be a bit of a disappointment because the expectations are so high, the third and subsequent D*Cons will settle out into just being awesome.” Pretty much sums up my experience so far, although the fact that this year was Dragon*Con’s 25th Anniversary (and the D*Con Parade’s 10th Anniversary) I think added a bit more shine to it. Starting from Thursday:
Thursday, 1 Sept (Day 0):
I arrived at the Marriott Marquis at around 930pm after an exhausting 12 hour drive. As tired as I was, my energy level seemed to spike as soon as I pulled into the hotel driveway. It was clear that although the con wasn’t to officially start until the next morning, the party was in full swing. Checking into the Marriott and unloading my gear was a breeze, I can’t say enough about the level of customer service. Unlike some con hotels I’ve been to, they are genuinely glad to have you as a guest and will bend over backwards to accommodate your needs. They are definitely my hotel of choice, and the center of the con action to boot. Picking up my con badge over at the Sheraton (an absolute necessity – security is now such that the days of just “showing up” and hanging out in the common areas are over) was also a breeze, I was in line for all of about 5 minutes. I gave them my proof-of-registration postcard (which they mailed me months ago), they scanned it, had me sign for and handed me my badge, and I was done!
What to do first? Consult the Dragon*Con 2011 Guide – now in the form of a smartphone app! No more fumbling with paper guides and pen & ink changes. I simply downloaded the app onto my iPhone (also available for Android and BlackBerry devices) and had everything right at my fingertips. Maps, event schedules, speaker lineups, even a feature that allowed me to pick the events I was interested in and move them to my personal calendar! The app automatically downloaded the most recent schedule changes whenever it was opened, so I was always up to speed. Whoever thought of this was truly inspired. Many D*Con regulars I know go simply to drink, take photos, people-watch, and hang out with old friends. While I did plenty of that, I actually like going to the panels and other events – no better way to learn more about your favorite fandoms than to hear from the folks who live and breathe it.
Friday, 2 Sept (Day 1):
Today’s lineup (in addition to drinking, taking photos, people-watching, and hanging out with old friends while making new friends) – a William Shatner interview / Q&A panel, followed by an intro to the SW Expanded Universe, and a lightsaber dueling exhibition by the New York Jedi. But first, a morning shift at the 501st fan table. There are those who think I’m wasting my time actually “working” at a con (quote from a fellow garrison member: “so I see you got roped into working the fan table, eh?”) but the way I see it, the fan table is command central for the 501st at Dragon*Con. It’s where nearly every Legion member in attendance (and a good deal of fans & admirers) visits at least once during the con. Not to mention that being in the marquis level of the Marriott right next to one of the registration booths, we were occupying prime territory. Basically, the con comes to you. Plus, you get the satisfaction of contributing to someone else’s memorable experience, and you might end up being the one to recruit a few new members. After the panels and fan table duty ended, what next? You guessed it - drinking, taking photos, people-watching, and hanging out with old friends while making new friends. No armor today, saving that for tomorrow.
Saturday, 3 Sept (Day 2):
The Big Day. Today’s panels: “Meet the Stars of Star Wars (Fisher/Mayhew/Morrison/Eckstein)”, a entertaining panel with the cast of “Star Trek – The Next Generation”, an informative panel on NASA’s “Dawn” deep space mission to the Asteroid Belt, and capping it all off with the 501st Legion / Rebel Legion Mixer. But first – the Dragon*Con Parade! This is always the highpoint of my con experience and the main reason I’m willing to drive 650 miles each way in a loaded-down, gas-guzzling SUV. It’s hot, it’s early, and there’s a lot of “hurry up and wait”, but outside of a Star Wars Celebration convention, you won’t find a larger number of 501st and RL members gathered in a single location anywhere in the U.S. I got to meet troopers who I’d only known and interacted with via online forums. We chatted about trooping, armor, our families, trooping, armor, our professional lives, trooping, armor - you get the idea. Obviously I’m not the only person who thinks the parade is something special – all along the parade route, fans were packed three and four rows deep, standing on balconies, and crowded against windows. Many of them were there specifically to see the 501st Legion and weren’t at all shy about telling us how awesome we are, telling us how attending the Dragon*Con parade has become a family tradition, punctuated by the many children along the parade route watching while wearing their favorite Halloween costume. Even the local and national news outlets (CNN in particular) covered the parade. One moment that stuck out? Hearing a little girl on the sidelines exclaim “now this is a parade!” as we passed. Following the parade and panels (and some time to de-armor, get in a shower, some food, and even a short nap), came the 501st Mixer. It was great seeing old friends and making new friends in a relaxing environment, where we could kick back, swap stories, and raise our glasses. After the mixer – you guessed it: drinking, taking photos, people-watching, and hanging out. On Saturday night, the more risqué costumes are in full effect, with bustieres, fishnet stockings, and corsets being the preferred evening wear for the ladies. Definitely not a suitable environment for young children, but no complaints here. Camera ready – check!
Sunday, 4 Sept (Day 3):
A morning shift at the fan table (ugh – someone pass the coffee and aspirin), followed by some time browsing the dealer rooms (can you say “buy stuff”? I knew you could) and art rooms, and what would be the high point of the day – a Q&A panel with Carrie Fisher. For those of you who have never seen her being interviewed when the LFL censors aren’t around or didn’t catch her “Wishful Drinking” autobiographical one-woman show, the lady doesn’t mix words. Ten minutes into the panel, she had already dropped the s*** bomb twice, the f*** bomb at least that many times, commented on which fandoms were bad in bed and/or suffered from erectile dysfunction, and shared her thoughts on celebrity lapdancing. Throw in an on-the-lips kiss she shared with a random female fan, her experiences on trading choice four-letter words with George Lucas during filming, and some interesting stories on the hazards of wardrobe malfunctions while wearing skimpy gold metal bikinis (!!!) and the hour-long panel was over before I knew it. Despite the 1.5 hour wait to get in and see the panel, I would do it again in a heartbeat. After the panel and some dinner, time to armor up, hit the fan table for some guard duty (read – fan photo ops), and patrol the con, keeping the peace for the good of the Empire (read – more fan photo ops). One thing that struck me is what the FISD detachment leader referred to as the “stormtrooper affect”. What’s that? Simple, stormtroopers are most impressive when in numbers. One stormtrooper = “hey, that’s interesting”. Two stormtroopers = “that’s worth a quick photo or two”. Three stormtroopers = “can I get a photo of you guys arresting me?” A squad of four or more stormtroopers = Paparazzi City. Under those circumstances, a good handler and helmet lenses made of dark green welders shield are your best allies. Fortunately, there were other stormtroopers on duty besides myself, and we were able to successfully complete our mission that night, much to the delight and appreciation of the Imperial citizenry.
Monday, 5 Sept (Day 4):
Time to pack up, checkout, and hit the road for the 12-hour drive home. Although the con isn’t officially over until around 4pm today, somehow I don’t think my boss is going to accept the next morning “I was attending a pop-culture convention hundreds of miles away over the weekend while dressed as a Star Wars stormtrooper, and I’m pretty tired” as an excuse for curling up under my desk and sleeping the work day away. So time to get home, start some laundry, eat a late dinner, and get some real sleep. Goodbye to my weekend escape, hello to my weekday reality. Until this time next year, that is.
"Trooper Tim" was present and had his "Helmet Cam" in full effect for the Parade. To check out a real Trooper's point of view from the Parade, visit the following link:
http://www.youtube.c...h?v=LUEPyKsernI
Thanks Tim for this awesome footage!
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Brian Robinson
TK-2918 "tkrestonva"
FISD Provost Marshall
Congrats to "Rick330!"
A forum regular and all-around nice guy, Rich is always willing to help out when needed. No stranger to Armor builds (Rick has built 2 beautiful Troopermaster kits for himself and an AP kit for his partner) Rich needed an ROTJ kit to round out his ANH and ESB suits. Rich invested in the go-to kit for ROTJ and got himself a very nice CFO kit. However, instead of going the traditional "Weathered Endor" look, he went a different route and is emulating an ROTJ "Deathstar" Trooper.
Congrats Rich!!
Star Wars Blu Ray Release event
Thanks to "SW1" for sharing these great pics of the UKG at celebrating the Star Wars Complete Saga release on Blu Ray!
Swag Alert! - Trading Cards and 12" Patches!
With all the excitement in trading cards throughout the legion we are happy to be a part of that by offering our very own FISD trading cards. As an ongoing run of cards you can get your own FISD card anytime you want. We offer them in quantities of 1000, 2500 or even 5000 with the ability to get 10,000 cards is you so desired. You can even order more if you run out. They are great to give out and the kids love them.
You can see the whole collection so far here http://traynichols.c...sd/tradingcards. Come visit us and sign up for your card today. Don't miss out on all the fun. Be a part of the 501st Legion and the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment history. Get your cards today.
And from Albin:
As Albin was doing maintenance on the 501st archives he noticed there are a lot of FISD cards we're missing. Remember that you must send a set to Albin as part of the trading card process. Darth Vader *is* watching, and you don't want to make him displeased.
12" Patch artwork has been approved and we're getting quotes now. Look for the sale thread to come in the next few weeeks.
Hi All,
For the very first time, Star Wars will be coming out on Blu-ray.
On September 2nd I had the opportunity to get a sneak, full viewing of all 6 Star Wars movies on Blu-ray. Yes, I am disappointed that George Lucas has once again tweaked the beloved Saga. The major thing that has gotten news media attention and every Stars Wars fan in an uproar is the extra Darth Vader dialogue at the climatic scene of "Return of The Jedi". Not only did that have me upset, it was un-necessary to say the least.
Here are some of the highlight tweaks that you can look froward to seeing: "The Phantom Menace" Yoda puppet is now changed to a CG version, the Ewoks eyes now blink, the new thawing of Han Solo, the now 3 stadiums long front door of Jabba's palace, the added rocks that R2 hides behind in "A New Hope", a quicker pace of the showdown between Han and Greedo, (I guess they did this so you don't have time to think about being angry that they changed it from the original, where Han is and was the only one to shoot at the table). But, one of the worst mistakes is the re-re-revision of Old Ben's Krayt Dragon howl in "A New Hope". This will be the second time that they have tweaked Ben spooking the Tusken Raiders. LFL tweaked/changed it for the '97 Special Edition, but they have changed it once again and this time they have gone too far. Ben's howl no longer has a menacing sound but is now what I would compare to a guy hollering at a wet tee shirt contest "WOOoooOO Hotties!!" I guess old Ben was at the Cantina having himself a couple of Guinness beers and was coming back when he saw the Tusken Raiders.
I could keep going on and telling you about all the things that I saw that were un-necessary changes, but I know most of you will be purchasing it on the 16th.
However, here are some of the good points to buying "The Complete Saga" box set. All six movies are in outstanding high definition - I could literally count the pores in Luke Skywalker's face. Plus, all the archived and rarities that will be in the bonus material. One of the major things for the 501st members is that there is a documentary call "Star Warriors". This documentary is about the 501st Legion and their journey to march in the 2007 Rose Bowl Parade.
Some Star Wars fans want to collect action figures, the 501st members become the action figures! A tribute to the 501st Legion, a global organization of Star Wars costume enthusiasts, this insightful documentary shows how the super-fan club promotes interest in the films through charity and volunteer work at fundraisers and high-profile special events around the world.
Not only the founder of the 501st Legion, Albin Johnson, and over 200 Legion members from around the globe are in the feature, but our own Detachment Leader / Founder Paul Hoeffer TK8020 (Daetrin) is in it as well...
This documentary is only included in the Star Wars "The Complete Saga" Blu-ray box set on the ninth disc. "Star Warriors" has a run time of 84 minutes.
Even though there are a lot of good things taken away and a lot of un-necessary things added to the "beloved Saga", there are things to look forward to on September 16th. So, if you have a very bad feeling about this, and were going to say "NO.... NOOOOO!" to picking up your copy of the Star Wars "The Complete Saga" Blu-ray box set, just remember that you never know, you might see yourself or your Garrison mate in the "Star Warriors" documentary.
With Unquestioned Loyalty.
Tom Gardner
TK5940 "RogueTrooper"
Tactical Officer
Ask what you can do for the FISD!
Got info? ideas? or even a theory that you think might advance the quality of Stormtrooper costuming?
Don't be afraid to post your opinion or ideas!!!
I would urge all members to take a look at this shining example of what teamwork and open discussion can accomplish!
Take a look at this new thread: The Best Sterling Templates EVER!
This may seem like a insignificant endeavor to some, but for those who strive for accuracy this is a HUGE leap forward in costuming excellency! I would ask that anyone who has the ability to contribute to this project step up and give whatever help they can to achieve the ultimate goal of creating the BEST E-11 blaster templates in the known galaxy
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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Welcome Rob and Simon! We've been expecting you
I believe the flood gates are about to officially open . . .
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Welcome Rob! I'm in Guelph and we have a few members in KW. Glad to have you aboard, let me know if there's anything I can do.
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Haha, you didn't waste any time!
Glad to be of help
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Depending on your location, it is available locally. I buy mine at the local Harley Davidson Dealership.
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Hey Troops,
We're doing a feature on Dragon Con for the upcoming September Newsletter and are looking for some Special Correspondents who are willing to snap some pics and write a brief summary of their experience.
We're looking for 2 types of Combat Journalists:
1) View from a regular FISD (501st) member
2) View from a forum member who is on his journey to becoming an FISD (501st) member.
Responsibilities:
- Take photos and chronicle your experience, capturing as much as you can from "your own perspective."
- Compile into a brief article
- PM "Shooter" with your experience by Sept 7th at 12pm EST
Let us know if you're interested!
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I took a look around and unfortunately don't have any left. I could do another run if we had enough interested parties.
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Hey Guys, not sure if you're aware, but the EIB section is down.
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August is "Attack of the EU!" Month here at the FISD as EU's seem to be popping up everywhere! Don't worry though, while we love the new guys we will always stick closs to the "classic" troopers that we are all so fond of. On that note, I heard Uncle Palpy is doing lots of "surprise" Star Destroyer inspections so make sure that foot locker is in order Trooper! If you do get a spare chance, kick your feet up in the Mess Hall and enjoy another great month of Trooper News!
In this issue:
From The Detachment Leader
SPECIAL! - The TK's of the Expanded Universe!
FISD Code of Conduct
Siman Helmet Build
Forum Updates
Troop of the Month
Trooper of the Month
Swag Alert!
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From The Detachment Leader
When FISD started out – even before we had settled on the name FISD – our original charter was to focus solely on film canon stormtroopers. At the time it made sense as there weren’t any white armor based Expanded Universe TKs. Once we created a home for the Heavy Weapons Trooper (HWT) – which made sense as it is really just an ANH Stunt trooper with accessories – it was natural to welcome other TK based variants to FISD.
While not having the same level of awareness of the canonical classic stormtroopers, the Stormtrooper Commander (TKC) and Incinerator Trooper (INC) along with the HWT are excellent 501st approved options for those looking to branch out from the standard white. And if that weren’t enough, the Kashyyk Stormtrooper (KTK) and Sky Trooper (SKY) should be approved sometime this month. Both are based on standard TK armor with only one or two custom parts.
The Legacy/Joker Squad stormtrooper is truly in a class by itself, requiring many non-standard parts that will necessitate new sculpts. Anyone looking for a new challenge in Stormtrooper costuming should feel welcome to join in the process of bringing these troopers to life.
While film canon Stormtroopers are and will always be the heart and soul of FISD, EU troopers are here to stay. A vibrant and growing part of our costume category EU Troopers are worth your time to learn about, whether it be for something to do with your old white armor when it wears out or else having some other options to get some variety in to that basic white suit we all know and love.
It’s never been a better time to be a Trooper!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Leader
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The Expanded TK Universe
Hello Fellow Troopers and Stormtrooper Fans,
In the last few months, a lot has been going on FISD in the Expanded Universe (EU) for the TK’s. Here is what is happening:
Stormtrooper Commander (TKC) CRL, with visuals:
It has been awhile in the making, but with a lot of hard work and dedication, the task of the TKC CRL is almost finished. Finally the verbiage portion is complete, with the visual portion 98% done. Only, the images of the boots and full model are needed to complete the full CRL, which hopefully, will happen shortly.
So I invite you to take a hyperspace ride over to the Legion Board and see the latest CRL installment for the FISD: http://www.501st.com...ng:TK_commander
Getting to know the EU Troopers:
The original TK has been the structure and backbone of the FISD. We, as Star Wars fans and Stormtrooper aficionados, know the original trilogy TK’s very well. But, when it comes to the Expanded Universe Troopers (EU), there may be some that say, “what is that, that is just another Stormtrooper with a new paint job and some new add-ons, and nothing more to them".
Actually, each one of the EU Troopers has a unique story to them. To bring the characters to life, I have written a brief synopsis for each one and have added them to the CRL’s:
Incinerator Trooper (INC)
The Imperial Incinerator Trooper is an elite unit specially equipped for crowd pacification. Easily distinguished by the red flash on their armor. Their armor is exceptionally heat-resistant, able to withstand high temperatures. Incinerator Troopers are equipped with powerful plasma rifles (A.K.A. flamethrowers) that can burn through virtually any material. This elite unit is used to disperse unruly populations and overwhelm troublesome combatants.
Heavy Weapons Trooper (HWT)
Heavy Weapons Troopers ( A.K.A. Shock Troopers) are an elite unit of the Imperial Stormtrooper Corps, specializing in the use of various non-standard weapons and equipment. Their armor is extra heavy plated compared to the standard Stormtrooper armor. Some, equipped with rocket launchers, act as anti-vehicle units on the battlefield. They are trained to hit hard targets and to guard strategic locations. The Heavy Weapons Troopers operate as splinter units, backing up standard garrisons and fulfilling unique roles on the battlefield.
Stormtrooper Commander (TKC)
The Stormtrooper Commanders patrol hostile battlefields, leading their troops into fierce combat on dangerous worlds such as the fungus planet Felucia. With razor-sharp minds and steely resolve, these highly trained Imperial soldiers continue the reputation established by the Clone Wars’ fearsome ARC troopers. Clearly visible in their uniquely detailed armor, the Commanders confront enemies such as the savage Felucians with deadly heavy blaster cannons equipped with a devastating stun setting. They are rewarded for their loyalty with specialized armor fitted with an internal shield generator capable of deflecting nearly any attack, with the exeception of a lightsaber. Most importantly, the Stormtrooper Commanders are entrusted with command over the Empire’s elite Shadow Troopers, with authority to call in reinforcements and trigger ambushes without clearance from Imperial high command. Stormtrooper Commanders typically hang back and stun the most threatening enemy, who is then overwhelmed by Shadow Troopers.
Sky Trooper (SKY)
This newest TK from the Expanded Universe was brought to life in the Disney newly revamped Star Tours, “The Adventures Continue” 3-D attraction ride.
The Sky Troopers are a highly trained unit with specially designed armor, with distinctive gray unit markings. Their armor is very light weight, but can withstand high altitudes and the pressure from G-forces. They are equipped and trained with Z-7I Jetpacks. The Z-7I Jetpacks were especially designed with a more stable gyro, a larger fuel tank and higher thrusting power for the Imperial Forces, by Mitrinomon Transports. The Z-7I Jetpack, makes the Sky Trooper units extremely fast and maneuverable, enabling them to get behind enemy lines quickly, and to set up ambushes, when ground troops and large vehicles are unable to do so. Wielding the BlasTech DC-15A and DC-15S, the Sky Trooper units are well known for their marksmanship. They are also trained in the use of hit-and-run attacks and often provide Stormtrooper units with air cover during pitched battles. With the combination of the Jetpack and their marksmanship, the Sky Trooper units are a very formidable weapon for the Empire.
Requrements for the Sky Trooper
In conjunction with working on the other CRL’s, I have also been given the privilege and task of writing and honing the Sky Trooper CRL. So to give everyone a sneak peak into the newest branch of the EU Trooper, without further adieu, here are the Sky Trooper requirements.
The 501st approval requirements are listed in black.
FISD Defines two additional, optional levels of costuming excellence: Expert Infantryman and Centurion. In the page below, requirements for
Expert Infantryman are listed in blue.
Centurion requirements are in red.
Note: The Sky Trooper CRL is still in the draft form and is subject to change.
SKY Trooper CRL:
- The armor parts shall be made from one of these types of materials or like materials:
- White fiberglass, ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene), or HIPS (High Impact Polystyrene.
HELMET
- A unit stripe in a medium gray shall be present on the cap of the helmet. The unit stripe starts between the eyes and above the brow and flares out to cover the outer edges of both back traps. (trapezoidal indentations) and ends at the ridge of the cap where the back meets and extends below the bottom of each trap.
- Variant to the cap unit stripe: You may have a thin silverish white stripe running through the center of the medium gray unit stripe, from the front to the back of the cap.
- The two side traps (trapezoidal indentations) are kept white.
- Variant to side traps: You may have a small black horizontal stripe inside of the side traps.
- Lens may be flat or bubble, smoke or green in color, sufficiently dark enough to obscure the costumers eyes.
- Below the brow, and in between the ears and eyes, a gray trapezoid with a black outline shall be present. These maybe a decal or hand painted or decal that replicates hand painted.
- Frown is painted black and overlaps the teeth area, with the front of the teeth being highlighted in medium gray. Eight teeth on the frown are cut out.
- The chin area shall be painted gray.
- Vocoder (vertically ribbed chin detail) is painted black.
- Chin shall have two hose ports, one on each side of the vocoder, where the ribbed black hoses connect.
- Tube Stripes, there are two variations that you may have:
- Variant 1. A solid medium gray stripe, running the length of the tube, with tneds slanting toward the ear. These may be a decal or or hand painted, or a decal that replicates hand painted.
- Variant 2. Straight stripes, black in color, with medium gray in between the black stripes, numbering between 9 and 16 and slanting toward the ear. These may be a decal, or hand painted, or decals that replicate hand painted.
- The “ear” bars may have three or four bumps, shall be gray or painted gray, with a black outline. Painting the bumps with rank stripes (highlighted) in black is optional.
- Tears (area beneath the corner of the eye lenses) are gray with a black outline and have vertical black lines inside the gray area. These maybe a decal or hand painted or decal that replicates hand painted.
- Mesh maybe used behind the frown to obscure the face of the wearer.
- Note: The FX helmets is considered deprecated (to be avoided) though is acceptable for Legion requirements.
- Ears shall have no visible screws.
- The ends of the frown shall be rounded, not tapered to points (not like ANH).
- Ear bars shall four bumps only, not three.
- FX helmets are not allowed.
- MRCE and/or EFX PCR helmets are not allowed.
- ANHv2 helmets are not allowed.
- Lenses shall be bubble, green only.
- Ear bars shall have only one or two bumps panted in black (rank stripes).
- Neck trim shall be an s-type profile, rather than a u-type profile.
NECK SEAL
- Black with horizontal ribs, fitted to the wearer, extending from the base of the neck to the top of the Adams apple.
HOSES
- The hoses shall be ribbed, black in color, with a 1.25”/ 3.2 cm diameter and be 18” to 21”/ 45.7 cm to 53.3 cm in length. They shall connect from the helmet hose ports to the chestbox side ports.
CHESTBOX
- Main body of chest box shall be white.
- Rectangular box with a rounded bottom, approximately 7” high, 7.25” wide, 2.5” deep, or 17.8 cm high, 18.4 cm wide, 6.4 cm deep.
- The top edges of the Chestbox are angled at approximately 45 Degrees.
- Two round medium gray buttons are present on the left side of the top of the chest box.
- The front of the chest box has five 1” square x 1/8” thick detail pieces, or 2.5 cm square x 0.3 cm thick detail pieces.
- The configuration of the detail pieces from center to right is:
- white - center lower
- gray - top, black lower
- red - top, red - lower
- There are three rocker switches (one black, two red) on the left side. The configuration from center to left is: black, red,red.
- There shall be two small, round, white buttons on the bottom of the black and outer red rocker switches.
- At the lower part of each side of the chestbox, there shall be a black gear-like greeblie.
- From the center to the left side of the tube, there shall be 9 medium gray vertical stripes.
- On the bottom left side of the tube, just below the medium gray vertical stripes, there is a small angled protrusion, approximately 0.75” high x 2” wide, or 1.9 cm high x 5.1 cm wide.
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.
- Shoulder straps shall not have a flat end at the the ends of them. They shall be ribbed 100%.
- These shall be affixed in the front (no snaps, rivets or brads shall be visible).
- These shall be affixed in the back (no snaps, rivets or brads shall be visible).
SHOULDER BELLS
- One on each shoulder. The shoulder bells are considered effectively symmetrical; they may be worn interchangeably on the left and right shoulders.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, running through the center and flaring out at the top, shall be present.
- Shoulder bells are rounded at the corners.
- No shoulder bell straps across the biceps.
- Shoulder bells shall have foam padding inside.
- Shoulder bells shall be slightly pinched and should be worn slightly higher, compared to the ANH/ESB
BICEPS
- Biceps are fully closed.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, located on the outside of the biceps, shall be present.
FOREARMS
- Forearms are fully closed.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, shall be present on the raised design area that has indention.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, shall be present on the cover strip/overlapping areas.
- No return edge on the inside of the front of the forearm is allowed.
HAND PLATES
- Hand plates shall be medium gray in color.
- There are two variances of the hand plates. You may choose from one of the variances, but may not mix the variances:
- Variant 1. Clamshell or snowtrooper-style hand plates.
- Variant 2. 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.
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 rubber or rubber like chemical gloves in black.
CHEST
- Chest plate overlaps the abdominal plate.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, shall be present on the chest plate. It will start at the bottom of the center of the chest plate and flare out closer to the neck.
- A white flexible U shaped gasket or molded lip shall be present around all edges, bottom, both sides and neck area.
- Fabric or elastic strip connecting chest to back shall be either black or not present.
BACK
- Back plate contains a "O II" design.
- A white flexible U shaped gasket or molded lip shall be present around all edges, bottom, both sides and neck area.
- Back plate shall have no, or minimal overlap of the kidney plate.
UNDERSUIT
- Black non-textured material, either one-piece or two-piece construction with no visible zippers or logos/designs.
ABDOMEN PLATE
- The ab plate has a button area that matches the color pattern shown (3 dark blue + 6 black or all black); buttons are approximately 7/16" in diameter.
- The three dark blue buttons will be the three buttons closest to the belt.
- A white flexible U shaped gasket or molded lip shall be present around all edges.
- Ab plate button detail shall be inverted compared to ANH/ESB.
- There shall be no visible split rivet/brad on the cod/crotch and no visible rivets or brads on the left or right side of the ab plate, unlike ANH/ESB.
KIDNEY AND BUTT PLATE
- It is allowable to have a separate kidney/butt plate for 501st requirements. If a separate kidney plate is used, it shall line up with the ab plate, with the top of the kidney plate being flush to or under the back plate.If a separate butt plate is used, it should be below the bottom of belt and line up with the kidney plate, with minimal gap between it and the kidney plate.
- The crotch tab of the butt plate area may or may not have visible snaps.
- A separate kidney/butt plate is not allowed - the kidney and butt plate shall be combined/fused to a single plate/one piece.
- A white flexible U shaped gasket or molded lip shall be present around all edges.
- The edges of the hip area should be rounded/curved (not like the straight lines found on the ANH/ESB butt plate).
- There shall be no visible side rivets on the kidney plate, unlike ANH/ESB suits.
- There shall be no visible snaps, rivets or brads on the crotch tab of the butt plate tab.
BELT
- Belt face is made of plastic (TK ammo belt).
- Belt proper is made of canvas, canvas covered material, leather, or vinyl, between 2.25" to 3" wide. The color is to 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.
- Belt shall be tightly woven nylon/cordura style material, or may be canvas, or canvas covered, and the color is to be white to off-white. Leather or vinyl are not acceptable.
- Belt shall be between 2.25" and 2.5" wide, not 3" as in ANH/ESB.
- Belt shall be a tightly woven nylon/cordura style material, and the color is to be white to off-white.
- There shall be no square buttons covering the belt rivets (there shall be two rivets, one on each side of the ammo belt).
- Corners of ammo belt shall be cut at right angles, not 45 degrees as in ANH/ESB.
- Drop boxes are closed in the back.
THERMAL DETONATOR
- (a.k.a. O2 canister) attaches to the back of the belt. This is a gray cylinder between 2" and 2.5" in diameter with white end caps and a white control panel pad, with controls closest to the right end cap.
- 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.
- The thermal detonator control panel shall have correct ROTJ details, not ANH/ESB.
THIGHS
- Thigh armor shall be closed in the back.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, running vertically and center of the front and rear of both thighs shall be present.
- The ammo belt shall be installed on the bottom of the right thigh.
- The thigh ammo belt shall be medium in color.
- The thigh ammo belt shall be connected by brads/split rivets only - standrad rivets are not acceptable.
- 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.
- A unit stripe, medium gray in color, shall be present on the front of both greaves. The stripe is centered, running vertically, and flaring out as it gets closer to the knees.
- Trapezoidal knee plate (sniper knee plate) shall be medium gray in color, with the small ridge style pattern at the bottom of the sniper knee plate, left white.
BOOTS
- 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.
- Boots shall be medium gray in color (even the heel and side of sole).
- There shall be no seam on the front of the boot (eg. CABoots are not alowed).
- Boots shall be lightly scuffed.
Holster
- It is allowable to have a holster for the 501st requirements. If a holster is worn, it will be made of black leather or leather-like material
- Holster is not allowed.
ROCKET JETPACK
Mitrinomon Z-7I
- Based on the Mitrinomon Z-6 Jetpack, but the anti-vehicle homing missile/magnetic grappling hook was removed in the Z-7I and a modified, larger fuel tank was added.
- It is allowable to use the Merr-Sonn Munitions JT-12 Jetpack for the 501st requirements. But shall have the 9mm warhead removed and the modified, larger fuel tank added. The JT-12 Jetpack should have the bottom thrusters removed and replaced with the correct side thrusters.
- Note: The Z-6 is the model that Boba and Jango Fett used. The JT-12 Jetpack was the model that Mandalorians Death Watch and Jango Fett also used.
- The body of the Jetpack shall be white.
- A wide vertical strip, medium gray in color, shall be located on the center back of the Jetpack.
- Two, wide, black vertical stripes shall be located on either side of the medium gray center stripe.
- The two large indentions, just above the vertical black strips on the fuel tank, shall be a medium gray.
- Black horizontal stripes shall be present on each side of the Jetpack. There are two variances to the black horizontal side stripes. You may choose between these two variances, either 9 or 11 stripes per side. Each side shall have an equal number of stripes.
- The JT-12 model may be used, but the bottom thrusters shall be removed and replaced with the correct side thrusters.
- Jetpack shall actually work. Note: A man can dream.
Optional Accessories:
WEAPONS
BlasTech DC-15A
- Blaster rifle may be scratch built out of plastic, wood , metal or cast in resin.
- Total length should be approximately 56 “ or 142.2 cm.
- Hyperfirms are allowed
- Because of the scale, the Hasbro version is not allowed.
- A total of 10 radiator fins shall be present on the barrel.
- A power setting adjuster shall be present.
- The correct style of sniper scope shall be present.
- Charge magazine lock shall be present on the left side.
- Power setting adjuster, sniper scope and charge magazine lock shall be metal to gun metal gray in color.
- Sniper scope should be able to be removed from storage position (bottom of rifle) and be able to be attached to the top of the rifle.
- Parts of the spare igniter shal be copper in color.
- Front optical sight should be able to flip to the up position. Any bolts and screws should be a metal to gun metal gray in color.
- Should have some battle wear.
BlasTech DC-15S
- Blaster rifle may be scratch built out of plastic, wood , metal or cast in resin.
- Total length should be approximately 26 “or 66 cm..
- Hyperfirms are allowed
- Because of the scale, the Hasbro version is not allowed.
- Folding stock (does not need to function).
- A total of 12 radiator fins shall be present on the barrel.
- Spare igniter shall be present on both sides of barrel.
- Charge magazine shall be present on the right side.
- Charge magazine should be a metal to gun metal gray in color.
- Any bolts and screws should be a metal to gun metal gray in color.
- Parts of the spare igniter shall be copper in color.
- Should have some battle wear.
In the very near future, we should have the visuals and verbiage for the Sky Trooper finished. So get ready to strap on you Z-7I Jetpack and hit the sky.
Current EU costume counts:
4 - Incinerator Trooper
12 - Heavy Weapons Trooper
26 - Stormtrooper Commander
For reference:
13 - Stormtrooper: ROTJ
There are more TKC's than ROTJ, and we're one away from having more HWT's than ROTJ. For all people talk about film canon, ROTJ is aside from the ICN the least done TK variant.
With unquestioned loyalty,
Tom Gardner
TK-5940 "RogueTrooper"
Tactical Officer
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NEW Code of Conduct
The members of the FISD are a very passionate group of people who put their whole heart into this forum. And, many times their passion gets in the way of logical thought and being civil. In an effort to make the FISD a more pleasant environment, where everyone can enjoy discussing, sharing, and building white armor, a new code of conduct has been adopted to ensure that everyone is treated in a civil manner.
The quotes below are the basic foundation for the new FISD Rules of Conduct.
“How you say something can be more important than what you actually say.”
“Treat others the way you want to be treated."
FISD Code of Conduct:
We want you to feel free to post. But first, a lesson in this forum’s Netiquette (internet etiquette): the Do’s and Don’ts below boil down to the two small words “be nice.”
B. E. N.I.C.E. –BEFORE EXPOUNDING, NEVER INSULT, CONSIDER EVERYONE
So, please b.e. n.i.c.e. to each other! If you violate the Don'ts, your post may be removed and you may be banned.
Do:
- Start posting. Ask questions, let people know what you’re thinking about, be funny or be serious. You don’t have to write a novel, just break your thoughts down into easily understood bullet points or paragraphs. Don’t go crazy with the color coding, try to avoid one word responses, and don’t yell us by using all-caps.
- Be Tolerant. Show respect when anyone ask a question. Understand that not everyone, especially newer members, have had the time to acquire the knowledge that most seasoned members have acquired. Look at how many post the person asking the question has done. If they have a low number of post, consider that when and if you relpy to their thread.
- Spell check. We don’t expect you to be perfect, but make sure people can understand you. Run a spell check and make sure your grammar makes sense before you post. Remember, people from all parts of the world visit the FISD, so making your post easy to understand is a courtesy (excessive use of "slang" can be very hard for some people to understand).
- Use descriptive & interesting titles. Titles like, “I need help!” does not describe what you’re talking about. Make sure people know what you’re talking about just from reading the title. This will help get your post noticed. Using all-caps or l33t speak won’t.
- Report rule infractions. If you think a post violates the Don’ts below, help us by reporting it. The moderators notice who’s taking care of the community and those people are appreciated greatly. If you see something in a thread that needs to be addressed, please notify a moderator.
- Check the forums for the topic you want to talk about before you post. Someone may have already answered your question or started the conversation.
- Post about topics that don’t have a forum. Can’t find the right forum? Then head to the NCO Club area if you’re posting about a non-Stormtrooper-related item, or the Star Wars genre if appropriate.
- Get creative with your signature. There are some guidelines and rules below. Also huge signatures clutter up threads, Try to keep the size to a minimum.
Don’t:
- Troll, flame, or be offensive. We’ll remove posts that we think are ethically, racially, religiously, sexually offensive, insulting, demeaning, harassing, threatening or just non-constructively negative. We reserve the right to immediately delete any posting or ban any user at our sole discretion.
- Swear or post inappropriate, suggestive or graphic images or videos. Keep it clean. We have a language filter that *bleeps* swear words, but we can’t catch everything. Please don’t try to get around the filter. And, just because the offending word is gone doesn’t mean the sentence is appropriate. We’ll also remove graphic content featuring inappropriate material or language, as well as pornography or anything else the moderators think could be offensive and doesn’t belong on the forum.
- Violate anyone’s privacy or post your own identifying info. We take down public phone numbers, addresses and other personally identifying information.
- Talk about any kind of illegal activities. This is dealt with a strict no-tolerance policy.
- Spam. No advertising, solicitations or promotional material (that includes petitions, arranging boycotts, asking others to vote on a poll, and advertising your personal website or other forum that is not directly related to Stormtroopers or the 501st. No making off-topic or redundant threads, no posting multiple times in a row with nothing new, and no:
* Bumping: making a new post solely to bring it to the top of the thread listing and push down legitimate discussions.
* Quote for Truth (QFT): This applies when you quote someone you agree with, but only contribute a one or two word comment yourself. Try to add something relevant.
* Poll Threads: Polls can be a good way to jumpstart a discussion, but poll threads that don’t encourage any kind of discussion may be edited, locked or deleted.
- Use ASCII characters or capitals. Online, all caps is considered shouting. Doing so will annoy others in the community. Using ASCII characters in either your login name or your posts is considered childish by many. It also makes the administration’s faces hurt.
- BB-Code and Signature Help. You can use limited BB-Code to display graphics and text in your signature. As always, keep it clean – offensive or inappropriate language or imagery is not allowed. Check out the Don’ts above for what we consider offensive.
- Word association games: Just say no. Please refrain from starting and/or participating in word association and/or similar threads. While they can be fun, they do not really contribute (directly or indirectly) to the mission of the FISD. Any such threads will be promptly deleted by the staff.
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
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Forum Updates
Unless you've been on the far side of the Forest Moon of Endor this past month then you've noticed some "changes" on the forums. As always, The Detachment Staff are constantly trying to improve the user experience. Special thanks to newly appointed Admin "ZeroRoom" who did the bulk of the work (and by bulk I mean all) "ZeroRoom" is also the main man behind the 5th Anniversary Newsletter Banner, so you can say he's already earning double his Combat Pay. Welcome Aboard!
For a complete overview of the changes, visit here: http://forum.whitear...=0
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Trooper Awards - Congrats to "Matt Black" and "ZeroRoom!"
This month, we are privileged to have 2 Troopers who went above an beyond the call of duty.
"ZeroRoom" - FISD Achievement Award
For many of the reasons discussed above he really stepped up to the plate this month to make sure the Forum Upgrades went smoothly while contributing some wicked Art Work. Congratulations!
"Matt Black" - FISD Trooper of the Month
It's hard to think of a Trooper that defines "Troopers Helping Troopers" better than our very own "Matt Black."
Well, I remember when he was just a young pup, just starting out in the TK world all wide-eyed and gooey faced. Now look at him! A stone cold veteran with numberous kudos, but still keeping that warmth and goodwill that is so rare in the Empire these days.
"Matt Black" went above and beyond when a responding to a thread where a new trooper was looking to better his Blaster. "Matt Black" stepped up and GAVE him an SDS E-11. All in the spirit of giving back to the community that helped him so.
Congrats to you Sir, you set a great example we all should follow. You make us proud!
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Swag Alert!
The much anticipated 12" patch to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the FISD, is almost ready to go! We wanted the design to be really outstanding so it took us some time to get it finalized. In the end we could not be happier! Special thanks to Synaptyx for another AMAZING piece of Artwork!
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The FISD Needs Your Help!
Once again THE EMPIRE NEEDS YOU! We've received some feedback that as the forums have grown they've gotten too big and too confusing, e.g. it may be hard to know which of the forums to go to in order to find an ANH build thread. Is it in builds? ANH? Advanced ANH? We'd like to ask your suggestions on how we can re-organize the forums to make information easier to find. Let us know your thoughts!
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
With unquestioned loyalty,
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
-
Let me see if I have any left lying around. If not, Mason sells some of mine already pre-drilled.
-
Welcome Duncan, we have a few folks your way
-
Welcome Troops to the Special Edition 5th Anniversary Newsletter! It's hard to imagine how much we've grown and developed over 5 short years, but I think this chart sums it up best:
2006 2011 Total TK's Legion 2,266 Det. Members 10 550 Expert Infantry 0 172 Centurions 0 12 Costumes Covered 3 7* Forum Members 10 3,463 Total posts 10 190,225Some staggering results when you think about it, our Expert Infantrymen alone top the numbers of most other Detachments. Here are some interesting tidbits of FISD trivia that you may not be aware of:
- People thought there was no need for a "Stormtrooper Detachment" as the Legion was filled with Stormtroopers already and there was just *nothing new to learn*
- Our DL and Founder "Daetrin" was worried he could not get the 10 signatures required for a charter (he had also only been in the Legion all of a year.) "Daetrin" Quotes: "The only non-out-of-the-box-FX piece I had ever seen in my life was my own AP helmet, and I was the only one in my garrison who wasn't out of the box FX."
- TE2 had just launched
- ATA did not exist
- Mike Appling wouldn't join the 501st for two more years
- Our first CRL was published in 2006
- The original EIB award was called "Mark", e.g. "Mark IV" for an ANH Trooper Award
- The first EI program allowed FX helmets
So thank you for a fantastic 5 years - we couldn't have done it without you!
In this issue:
From The Detachment Leader
Advanced Tactics
New to the Expanded Universe! Jes Gistang, Skytrooper and Kashyyk Trooper!!!
Brian Muir - The latest installment from the Father of Stormtrooper Armor!
Attache Update
Troop of the Month
Swag Alert!
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From the DL
Celebration time! 5 years ago FISD was born and my how we’ve grown. We are now the largest unit in the Legion in terms of members, and even if we counted just Expert Infantryman we’d be #6 in size (and are on target to be #4 by end of year).
And if that isn’t enough this month there are more ways to Rock the White than ever before. And best of all, there’s something new for everyone.
Like the clean classics?
The Advanced Armor building techniques section is now online and there are more topics than ever to help you raise the bar on your kit. Do a little or a lot – the choice is yours! Proof indeed that there is always a new take on how to do something.
Want a dirty, rougher look?
The Incinerator Trooper and Stormtrooper Commander CRL's are posted and now Legion approved. Of course, Heavy Weapons works too. Speaking of which…
Want to sport cool gear?
With the Heavy Weapons Trooper you can rock a pack, pouch and BFG! No need to go sandy anymore. Heck, you can even use your clean TK as a base and have two costume options with one suit. Wicked!
Need some two-for (or three-for!) options?
There are more ways than ever to add some variety to base kit
* The ANH Hero option now has its CRL has posted, a great alternate to the standard ANH Stunt.
* Kashyyyk Stormtroopers only have one reference but can still be done. In short a second helmet is all you need to get started. For base CRL you can use any ANH/ESB suit, though ideally you’ll rock the ROTJ as a base.
Need something even more out there?
The SkyTrooper is a base TK with a TIE chest box, Fett pack and clone weapons. This suit is very close to Legion approval so keep your eyes peeled for more news and the CRL.
Want to make something never seen before?
The Jes Gestang / Legacy Troopers are more than just a helmet upgrade or a paint job. There are new molds being made across the board. Get your tools in order and help bring this costume to life!
Want the most accurate suit that’s Legion approvable?
Centurion standards are final for all TK costumes - see if you've got the right stuff to stand with your fellow Legion Centurions! 12 so far have been awarded.
Want to be help out your fellow troopers?
* Join the Attaché Program and get resources on how to be a mentor local members in your garrison, plus previews of new items in the works.
* Have great graphics or writing skills? Join the Imperial Propaganda Machine on FISD and help keep this site on the cutting edge of stormtrooper-dom!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Paul Hoeffer
TK-8020 "Daetrin"
Detachment Leader
Advanced Tactics
CRLs, EIBs and Centurions Oh My!
Body: The CRL's are currently undergoing a final pass by Tom (RogueTrooper) and the current status is that all film canon CRL's are now complete, and we're doing the last updates to those for the EU costumes. We're driving hard to have all of these wrapped up by the end of the summer, including updated pictures for the TKC and compltion of the SkyTrooper.
We're currently at 173 EIB recipients and 12 Centurions. Congrats to gazmosis (TK-4034) for bein the most recent.
There's always room for more and we'd love to see you take the plunge and join your fellows in the front ranks of costuming achiemement. Have questions? Feel free to ask on the boards anytime or your local FISD Attache. We bet it's easier than you think
New to the Expanded Universe!
We've brought in Special Correspondents "BananoPower22" and "Dionaly" to talk about the latest "soon-to-be-approved" Troopers!
Skytrooper - By Special Correspondent "BananoPower22"
This past month has been quite intense and full of research. Many troopers (myself included) have dedicated hours and hours of research in relation of our newest, soon-to-be TK, the Skytrooper. This particular trooper, featured in Disney World's attraction "Star Tours", is new to the Star Wars galaxy and our next addition to FISD's armory. Hasbro also made a figure of this trooper. Its designer, Glen McIntosh, describes it as a "hodge podge of a Tie Pilot, Boba Fett and a Stormtrooper." Both action figure and CG model presented in Star Tours were made according to the Glen McIntosh design.
You can read the whole description given by Glen himself HERE at the end of post #29.
The CRL, which is currently under construction, has been carefully inspected and reviewed countless times using references both from the action figure and Star Tours' version of the Skytrooper so that our representation here at FISD, as well as in the 501st Legion can be as accuratel as possible.
Its appearance in Star Tours is brief and using what the attraction gave us as references was a challenge, but that's what we all love to do here; work hard and make the FISD's armors look great!
I wish to personally thank TK-7100 for all the time he spent riding Star Tours, hoping that the Sky Troopers scene show up and taking multiple pictures, which aided us greatly in our research!
Congratulations goes to "Dashrazor" for his incredible dedication in replicating the Skytrooper, making him our new Skytrooper!
Jes Gistang - Special Correspondent "Dionaly"
Let’s face it, the first costumes that anyone notices at a troop are the Stormtroopers. They’re usually the most numerous and by far the most recognizable costume with that nice shiny, white armor. Even the average viewer knows that Stormtroopers mean Star Wars. For the 501st Legion, the vast majority of the approveable costumes are armored ones, even if they branch out from the iconic Stormtrooper. They are the backbone of every Garrison. Put on the bucket and you become a faceless pawn of the Empire: awesome, intimidating, masculine.
On the other hand for female costumers, the options for dressing as a bad guy are very limited. Its only face characters and frequently scantily clad ones at that (Darth Talon for example). What if you don’t have the body for it? What if you can’t do full-body makeup? Take it from someone who has a still incomplete Ventress, the female options for 501st membership are very difficult for most women. Many, like myself, branch out to the Rebel Legion where there are literally dozens of options for women because of main characters such as Leia and Padme. In order to become a member of the 501st, we would have to either sacrifice our femininity or put that femininity on an uncomfortable level of display. This all changed with the release of the new Gentle Giant figurine of Jes Gistang, the first named female Stormtrooper. This figurine provided enough resources for the “femtrooper†costume to be refined and eventually approved for membership.
There had always been non-canon “femtrooper†costumes floating around, but Jes Gistang’s armor is far closer to the male equivalent without sacrificing her femininity. Instead of having the masculine chest plate, Jes’s armor features a breast plate but clearly not a “boob†plate as made infamous by the non-canon “femtrooper†costume. The Gentle Giant statue features Jes in a custom set of armor from the Star Wars: Legacy comic series set 100 years after the movies. The armor is a mix of original and prequel movie styles. This armor, nicknamed the Legacy Trooper, is supposed to represent the evolution of Stormtrooper armor, so that it can fit any size or shape trooper, be they female or nonhumanoid.
Writing the CRL for Jes Gistang’s armor has been a challenge. The Gentle Giant statue is still in production, and we only have a few pictures to go by (most of which only show details from the front). The comic has a myriad of images, but as with all comics, individual details change from shot to shot. In order to even start making sense of each version present in the comics, I had to first separate the costume into its individual armor pieces. The established CRLs for Stormtroopers were an amazing resource for me to figure out how best to start that process. Once I had separated the costume into manageable pieces, then I started the long, tedious process of staring at picture after picture from the comics. I started with the leg armor. I sifted through picture after picture that showed the leg armor, trying to piece together every angle and detail, making sketches and taking notes as I went. For some of the pieces, this was remarkably easy, but for others this proved very difficult.
The helmet remains, for me, the hardest element of the armor to nail down. There are many different versions seen in the comic, each varying on the scale from Stormtrooper to Clone Trooper. Most of the other individual pieces can be described as “same as Stormtrooper, but with…†or “same as Clone Trooper, but with…â€. On the other hand, the helmet is an overall mesh of both styles and would require a completely new sculpt, rather than an adaptation of existing ones. Nailing down which representation to base that sculpt on remains the biggest task to finishing the CRL. Whether it's the helmet or other pieces, unity of design is key. For many pieces, we’ll just have to wait for the Gentle Giant statue to come out so that we can use that as a basis to decide between conflicting portrayals in the comics. For now, we wait and work on what we have. Once that happens, perhaps we’ll see an army of female Stormtroopers join the ranks of the 501st Legion.
Introducing the KASHYYYK STORMTROOPER!
This is soon to be a new addition to the EU ranks. The Kashyyyk Stormtrooper from The Force Unleashed.
New Kashyyyk Helmet
This helmet can be worn with a standard white TK, but the armor is a ANH/ROTJ hybrid such as the TKC or ICN. This helmet is a mix between a clone an a TK, with a one piece lens and is VAC formed by myself (after much trial and error.)
First off I would not have been able to do this without the help of Terrel (ATA) who allowed me to make the Kashyyyk molds from a ATA helmet. I started with a cast of ATA as the base and re-sculpted the molds from plaster, the entire faceplate and dome needed to be altered to make it possible to vacuum form. I tried to capture the look as closely as possible while keeping it formable and worn by a actual person.
Sculpted Faceplate Mold
With Unquestioned Loyalty,
Mason Carson
TK-4603 "Dashrazor"
Deployment Officer
Guest Editorial: Brian Muir
FISD Intelligence Officer: Pandatrooper / Terry
Welcome to another Q&A session with Brian Muir in regards to the design and creation of sculpting the original form for the Stormtrooper armor!
I can see there are some classic "sculptural" character forms and techniques on the Stormtrooper (the barrel chest, the slimmer waist, the broad shoulders, etc.) What was the inspiration for these elements, were they intentional - were these added to provide a more imposing / intimidating look to the character?
Well during the transformation from the 2D reference, it is the sculptor’s job to make the 3D sculpt work visually. Also, with the added input of John Barry and ultimately George Lucas, it was the menacing look that we all agreed was what the Stormtrooper required.
Can you describe the steps and materials used to create the original sculpture, before vaccuum forming? (eg: what type of clay was used? Was it directly applied to the plaster cast of the actor?)
Buff body clay was applied directly to the plaster cast of the body of the model for the Stormtrooper suit. The plaster was previously prepared with a coating of Shellac so that the clay would adhere. Each piece was sculpted individually with gaps – the edge of each part mirrored the edge of the next part., Then it was moulded and cast in plaster. Then I sharpened the lines in the plaster stage. The pieces were then remoulded and cast in fibreglass to use for the moulds (tools) for vacuum forming.
Did you sculpt / create the changes that George Lucas made from the Sandtroopers to the Stormtroopers (eg: new abdomen button box, the button strips, the sniper knee plate, etc.)
No, I sculpted the armour but none of the additions. The hand plates were originally simple plastic cut outs but then look to have been sculpted at a later date. All the other additions ie: ammo belt etc were made from wood by the carpenters for using as mould for the vacuum forming process.
I had read that the back of the Stormtrooper armor (the cog and boxes or "OII") was not in Ralph McQuarrie's original sketches. What was the inspiration for the back design? Was it found items in the shop, etc.
There was no inspiration as such it was just how it looked aesthetically and yes the back section ‘OII’ was made up of found pieces from many boxes that were stacked in the Props Dept.
Have you ever considered resculpting the armor or any other Star Wars item for yourself?
To date I haven’t considered resculpting the armour or other Star Wars items as I am still busy working in the film industry but it is something that may be a possible project for the future. Never say never
Did Liz Moore sculpt the ears? I always suspected that AA had created these...?
I can’t say for sure who sculpted the ears.
Your work has become iconic and I don't believe you have any originals (Stormtrooper helmet or armor). Do you have any interest in owning or displaying the replicas that are available?
Funnily enough I do have a small collection now but not Production pieces. I have a Vader helmet that came from the original Return of the Jedi mould and am honoured to have been given one of Troopermaster’s Stormtrooper helmets. They are both on display in my home and I take them with me to conventions to show on my table as they always generate plenty of interest.
Attache Update
We are still looking for FISD Attaches to represent the detachment at the local unit level. If you’ve benefitted from your experience here at the FISD and would like to see other troopers new and old reap the same benefits, this is the perfect way to do it! Remember - this is YOUR detachment. Not all troopers are able to spend time here, so we need you to spread the word on all the good things happening at the FISD to the garrison/squad/outpost level, and encourage them to check it out for themselves. Whether it’s the Advanced Costuming forums, the Centurion program, the FISD’s Facebook and Twitter pages, the abundance of available costuming supplies and FISD-branded merchandise, or simply the esprit de corps that is epitomized by “Troopers Helping Troopersâ€, there is a lot to be proud about. Don’t keep it to yourself – spread the word!
With unquestioned loyalty,
Brian Robinson
TK-2918 "tkrestonva"
Provost Marshal
Troop of the Month
In a Special Edition of "Troop of the Month" we're featuring "gazmosis" on his first troop. His heartfelt write-up of what his first troop meant to him was so good and hit so close to home that we broke our own rules and posted the whole thing instead of just a brief write up (hey, we can do that, we're the Empire) Enjoy!
It has been an epic last couple of weeks.
After a two year battle to fit into my armor, I was accepted into the 501st and was honored to receive EIB all in one week. This was just in time to participate in my first trooping event; Star Wars celebration weekend at Legoland in Schaumberg, Illinois(just west of Chicago.)
Up to the time of the opening night, I received information only through correspondence with my new local Garrison. I drove to the site in my undersuit and neckseal. I wore sandals and lounge pants to save the public from the sight of my well outlined backside. I walked in the front door with my armor in tow (a suitcase for now.) I was met at the front desk with a smile and a statement that made my heart soar...You are 501st....follow me.
I was lead to a large service corridor behind the store that would serve as our dressing area. To my surprise, I was the first on hand, but not for long. TK's, TD's, X-wing pilots and T.I.E. pilots soon followed. I was finally able to put faces to names and speak without punching a keyboard. I of course felt out of place initially, but with every friendly hand I shook those feelings quickly diminished. I was still a bit intimidated and kept a watchful ear to gather as much information so that I could successfully "unlearn what I have learned". Although I did not receive it, I expected more of a hazing.
After we were all suited up, we looked each other over and made the necessary adjustments to ensure that we all looked our best. We were lead to the main doors leading back into Legoland. That is where the meaning of my experience began to unfold. The doors opened and jaws dropped around us. We walked as a unit to the front of the store to receive a briefing and the rest of the night was up to us.
Although I am comfortable in front of people and have been waiting for 34 years to be a TK, I was not prepared for the reception that followed. It was difficult for me to remain in character for I was consumed by the level of joy, wonder and excitement we were providing to kids from 3 - 43. I watched (through green tinted lenses)as grown men turn 14 years old all over again. My emotions swelled as the smallest Star Wars fans told me of their adventures with their tiny, shaking little voices. I didn't know what was harder; for the child to stand still for the photo or the overexcited parent to take the photo.
I wish to thank Kevin "Rebeldoughboy" for allowing me to stick to his side and follow his lead, but soon, things were on auto pilot. Crowds gathered, traffic slowed, flashes went off and the store filled. We moved between floors inside and ventured outside from time to time.
Although the event was 4 days, I could only attend 2. Sunday was the same adventure except for 10 fold the amount of people and 3 times the amount of time I was able to be in character.
Just before our time was up, I was standing alone watching Boba Fett, a biker scout and a Rebel Endor soldier have their time in the spotlight. I began to think of all the big and little ones that we provided memories for them that will last them a lifetime. Then I thought of the fact that after I took off the armor and if I stood next to those same people, they would never know that it was me in that armor. Did that matter? Not at all! I had the honor of making someone smile that day. The honor of maybe fulfilling a dream for someone. The honor of creating a memory.
I will never forget these feelings. Nor will I forget the honor I feel to be part of all this. Just to hope that one day I can again make someone else smile.
Swag Alert!
- All Patches have now shipped. The next run will be in the fall.
- All 5th Anniversary coins have shipped with some exceptions to Canada due to the post strike there.
- EI Only Gold Coins are still available for order - 31 still up for grabs.
- As always t-shirts, hoodies, and decals are avaialble via TK-4510's website.
- FISD Trading cards are also available.
Don't Forget We're on Facebook and Twitter!
Facebook: www.facebook.com/whitearmor
Twitter: www.twitter.com/@FISD501st
Matt MacNeil
TK-4887 "Shooter"
Public Relations Officer
On behalf of the First Imperial Stormtrooper Detachment Command Staff.
End Transmission.
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Lookin' good guys!
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Happy B-day, Old man
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The AP is not symmetrical (as were the originals)
The contour of the front and back will correct itself after you add the ears.
The bottom looks a little weird, but I imagine that will correct itself as well once the ears are in place and trim is added.
Definitely need to trim the eyes out more.
So, far, good job, keep the pics coming!
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Other than the Internets, Novus is a little tough to comeby in Canader. The only place I've found it is at Harley Davidson Dealerships.
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Congratulations and Welcome!
As Mathias said, contact your local GML and get the ball rolling. Once approved and accepted into the 501st, follow these steps:
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Almost at 1,000 "Likes" on Facebook!
in Off Topic
Posted
Now at 1,003, great job everyone!