501st on Video

More delays, but here’s a couple of videos from the past couple weeks featuring the 501st:

Darth Vader and the 501st at SAC Museum

Stormtroopers dancing at SAC Museum

Star Garrison of the 501st 2008 Neiman Marcus Children’s Parade

WHNT Channel 19 News Story, Make-A-Wish & 501st Legion Alabama Garrison event, 12-6-08

501st

501st Mexican Garrison. Teleton 2008 en Guadalajara Jal.

Novus Ordo / 501st SSS Clone Wars Premiere TVS

Imperial March – 501st at NebrasKon

501st Caught on Camera

This week’s selection of images from Flickr.

Game Store Appearance

SputnikFest

TIE Pilot Portrait

Children’s Lit Fest, Bath

ToyMan Show

Chicago Clone Wars Opening

Aotea Centre

Phil 501st charity donation
http://flickr.com/photos/quinnzap/2900116112/

Storm Trooper and Rebel Trooper

Redeeming the Dark Side

The Midwest Garrison was featured lately in the news:

Redeeming the Dark Side
Darth Vader debunks stereotypes by Force
By Aaron Geiger

Never underestimate the power of the Dark Side.

What can be more striking than meeting, in person, the tall, glossy black figure of Darth Vader waving around a lightsaber, flanked by a couple of Stormtroopers with blasters?

You don’t have to be a fan of Star Wars to appreciate the globally recognized bad guys from the movie series.

Here’s something you probably don’t know: those who comprise the “evil” side of Star Wars fandom not only have the coolest costumes, but they do a lot of public relations (yes, it’s true), they work with kids, and they do a lot of charity work. They’re members of the 501st Legion – a costumed organization that spreads the magic of Star Wars and has become the leading force in fan-based charity events.

“Stormtroopers are just about the most iconic thing you can identify with. They’re one of the most recognizable (costumes) on Earth,” said Ryan Summers, of Champaign, who recently donned his suit for the Relay For Life (for the group “The Imperial Walkers”) and Taste of Champaign.

“We happen to scare more adults than kids. Kids aren’t afraid of Vader. They’ll run right up and hug me,” said Chip Childress, of Fithian, Ill., who has appeared as a Stormtrooper, Darth Maul, and lately, Darth Vader.

The popularity of Star Wars crosses multiple generations. On Green Street, a young woman squealed with glee, “I just love Star Wars!” She produced a camera and grabbed onto Childress, also known as Darth Vader, and Stormtrooper Tom Durbin, of Oakwood, Ill., and thrust her camera at some bystanders.

But stereotypes abound. Television shows like “Family Guy” have portrayed Star Wars enthusiasts as overweight geeks who memorize intricate details of the Star Wars universe, and who are unable to find a date.

“There was a time when a television crew wanted to get a bunch of us together … we got into our costumes, and got ready. A person with a microphone came up to us and said, ‘Who here is married, raise your hands.’ None of us raised our hands, because we were angry. That kind of stuff is just mean,” said Childress, who does have a family, by the way.

Childress, Summers and Durbin do a lot of public relations and charity work around the Midwest, and for no profit whatsoever. They spend a lot of time debunking the myths and stereotypes that have been formulated around their appreciation for what the world of Star Wars can do for the public good.

“We don’t take any money, but if people want to donate to a charity in our name, we’re happy to do that,” said Childress.

The 501st Legion features the “dark” side of the Star Wars saga and has an estimated membership of 4,000 fully garbed fans. The 501st has the organization of a blend of corporation-meets-military, splitting itself into garrisons, squads, outposts and detachments. The local men are from the Midwest Garrison, which encapsulates members from Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

“There are about 200 members in Illinois, and most of them are in Chicago,” said Summers.

All members are volunteers, and each volunteer spends months upon months handcrafting his or her costume. Childress has ordered some of the specific details to his Vader costume via eBay through a contact in Argentina. Original designs are considered the intellectual property of Lucasfilm, so an underworld of costume artisans has sprung up to help each other construct complete uniforms.

While recognized by the inclusion of the 501st name in official Star Wars material, such as books and video games, the organization isn’t affiliated with Lucasfilm; in short, they are exclusively fan-driven since their founding in 1997. The 501st welcomes new members. The requirements are for candidates to have a passion for helping others, to be at least 18 years old, and – this is the kicker – prospective members must own a professional-quality costume based on a “bad guy” from the Star Wars franchise.

While attitude and charity are fundamentals of the group, the costumes are what drive their organization. And the costumes can take time, money, patience and ingenuity to construct.

The most common uniform is the Stormtrooper suit. Outfits come in kits, which run about $500.

“We have to trim them down to make them fit our bodies, and that’s a bit of work,” said Summers. Some of the costumes can get pretty pricey when completed. Summers estimates that some Darth Vader and Boba Fett costumes can run about $5,000.

Unlike the movies, where Stormtroopers are clones, and are of equal height and weight, the same rule doesn’t apply to reality, where some of the costumed Stormtroopers are short, leading to teasing with the age-old Star Wars one-liner, “Aren’t you a little short for a Stormtrooper?”

“Yeah, we got some guys like that,” said Durbin.

“They get sick of hearing that line,” said Childress.

The “job” leads to some interesting situations and experiences for the 501st members. Summers, in addition to his costume, wore bunny ears and a pink cottontail for last spring’s Easter Extravaganza. “Next year I’m going to try to get Vader to carry an Easter basket,” he said.

The Midwest Garrison, overall, has done charity work for the American Cancer Society, the Indianapolis Children’s Museum, the Chicago Food Depository Hunger Walk, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and many others.

In addition, members have appeared on stage with ‘No Doubt’ and ‘Weird Al Yankovic’ in his latest appearance at the Assembly Hall. They even formed a cadre of marching troops behind George Lucas in the 2007 Rose Bowl’s Parade of Roses.

This weekend, Summers, Durbin and Childress plan on attending Camp Healing Heart from Carle Hospital. The camp is for children who have lost a sibling and takes place in Monticello.

Say what you will about the costumed fans, they are a great asset to the community, and have brought a lot of laughs and smiles to children and adults worldwide. And when they say worldwide, they mean it literally.

“We have a trooper on every continent. Even Antarctica. There’s a guy stationed there in the Army; he brought his trooper suit out and they got [a picture] of him out on the tundra,” said Childress.

Imperial requirements to become a 501st Legion member

Must have a passion for Star Wars
Must be 18 years old
Must have a passion for helping others through charity
Must possess a professional-quality costume of one of the “bad guys” in the Star Wars franchise

Source

Cartoon Network Celebrates the Premiere of STAR WARS™: THE CLONE WARS™ with 2,000 House Parties Across the Country

This came across this via Business Weekly:

Cartoon Network Celebrates the Premiere of STAR WARS™: THE CLONE WARS™ with 2,000 House Parties Across the Country

Luckiest Kid in the Galaxy Gets a Surprise World Television Premiere Event

ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–On Saturday, Sept. 27, in homes across the country, thousands of kids, along with their families and friends, will get a sneak peek at one of the most anticipated television series of the fall, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS. On that same day, one lucky youngster is getting his own world television premiere event in his hometown of Chicago, Ill.

Cartoon Network is partnering with House Party, a leading word-of-mouth company in the area of viewer engagement, to premiere the debut of the groundbreaking television series via 2,000 in-home viewing parties across the country. Each child who is hosting a premiere will receive a party kit that includes a lightsaber, character masks, glow sticks, tattoos, stickers, posters and balloons for all of their guests. Cartoon Network will also make the first two episodes of the eagerly awaited series available to hosts for their parties. STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS, the first weekly television series from Lucasfilm Animation, premieres on Cartoon Network Friday, Oct. 3, at 9 p.m. (ET, PT).

Calvin Rodgers, the lucky nine-year-old Chicagoan, meanwhile, will literally have the red carpet rolled out for him, his family and friends, and hundreds of other special guests, at the Park West Theater in Lincoln Park. He was recently surprised with the exciting news when a group of clone troopers came to his school, Edgar Allen Poe Classical, and delivered STAR WARS books donated by Penguin Books to help celebrate the debut of the series. Along with a screening of the first two episodes, guests at his premiere will also enjoy a fun-filled afternoon of STAR WARS-related activities and games. Several other kids hosting parties on that day will also receive surprise visits at their homes from clone troopers.

House Party, which engages a select group of consumer advocates to host House Party events where a brand, product or show is at the center of the party, gives fans an opportunity to host viewing parties for friends and family in their homes before a show airs to the general public. House Party provides the host parents and their kids with all the supplies needed to host. The company also asks its hosts to share stories, photos and videos about their party through the House Party microsite. Hosts can share their STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS party at www.houseparty.com/starwarstheclonewars.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS premieres on Cartoon Network and Cartoon Network HD Friday, October 3, at 9 p.m. (ET, PT) with a special one-hour presentation that anchors the Network’s all-new night of fantasy, action and adventure. New series The Secret Saturdays and the current hit Ben 10: Alien Force join STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS for a night of non-stop adventure, exciting storytelling and innovative animation.

In the signature style of Lucasfilm Animation, STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS chronicles the adventures of Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda, Ahsoka Tano and other favorite STAR WARS characters as they struggle against the dark side during the divisive, action-packed Clone Wars. Each week, a new story in the galaxy-changing Clone Wars comes to center stage, brought to the screen by supervising director Dave Filoni and executive producer George Lucas.

Dwindling numbers of Jedi fight to maintain freedom and restore peace to the galaxy, using their army of genetically engineered clones against the seemingly never-ending droid army. The terrible conflict grows wider as our heroes are swept into the turmoil of war, while the evil Count Dooku, his assassin Asajj Ventress, their master Darth Sidious, the mechanical General Grievous and a rogue’s gallery of never-before-seen villains scheme to defeat them.

About Cartoon Network

Cartoon Network (CartoonNetwork.com), currently seen in more than 91 million U.S. homes and 160 countries around the world, is Turner Broadcasting System, Inc.’s ad-supported cable service offering the best in original, acquired and classic animated and live-action entertainment for kids and families. Overnight from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday (ET, PT), Cartoon Network shares its channel space with Adult Swim, a late-night destination showcasing original and acquired animation for young adults 18-34.

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner company, creates and programs branded news, entertainment, animation and young adult media environments on television and other platforms for consumers around the world.

About House Party

Founded in 2004, House Party is a leading word-of-mouth and immersive marketing services company that engages a select group of consumer advocates to host in-home events and provides an exclusive, hands-on brand experience. The platform encourages brand credibility through peer-to-peer endorsement and a viral online community where consumer advocates can continue their conversation and excitement for the brand. Headquartered in Irvington, NY, House Party works with such industries as consumer packaged goods, food, entertainment and toy and game manufacturing. Current clients include NBC, Disney and P&G. www.houseparty.com

Pictures:

9 year-old Calvin Rodgers surprised in his classroom by clone troopers (Photo: Business Wire)

9 year-old Calvin Rodgers with clone troopers (Photo: Business Wire)

Weekly Flickr Pictures

Here’s some of the pictures from the past week:

Stormtrooper and Snowtrooper at Potter Barn Kids

Radio Wayne and the 501st

These are not the droids…

Overheard Parade shot

Sputnik Fest (Midwest Garrison)

DragonCon Parade

Stampeed Parade

Kid’s Fair

TK in Hollywood

Katie Cook & TB

Forbidden Planet’s 30th Birthday

501st Caught On Camera

Here’s a selection of pictures from Flickr of the 501st Legion:

Unknown Group Shot:

Weird Al Concert (Seattle)

Packed

Clone Bear

Metrocon (Florida)

FanExpo

Mini Trooper at GenCon

More GenCon

Clone Wars Releases

Clone at San Diego ComicCon

UKG TD in Scotland

Random Storm Trooper

Blackout Concert

501

Dundee Day celebrates UNO,

Article in from Nebraska:

Dundee Day celebrates UNO,
Mike Bell and Judy Rydberg
Issue date: 8/25/08 Section: Arts & Leisure

This Saturday, local residents set aside time to celebrate their neighborhood. Located at 50th and Underwood streets, the Dundee Day festival was alive with hundreds of people.

Local shops came out to the street to set up stalls filled with goods ranging from T-shirts to comic books and jewelry. Snow cone machines buzzed and balloons were twisted into funny looking, if not architecturally sound, hats.

The parade swung the day into full gear and was led this year by local radio talk show host Tom Becka.

“They asked me to lead the band this year, how could I say no?” Becka said.

Roaming the crowd was Darth Vader with a pair of Storm Troopers in tow.

“We’re part of the 501st Legion,” said John Jaeckel, one of the Storm Troopers, his voice muffled behind the helmet. “It’s a club dedicated to Star Wars fans, young and old, who like to get into costume. We go to anything – from science fiction conventions to neighborhood parties like this.”

all photos by Mike Bell

Full Article

501st Weekly Pictures

Lot of pictures this past week, with the Clone Wars Release:

Belgian Props

Clone Wars Opening:

A couple from an unknown opening:

Malaysia-Brunei Outpost:

Neon Garrison:

Garrison Titan:

Ohio:

Pacific Outpost:

German Garrison:

Midwest Garrison:

Southern California Garrison:

Unknown Garrisons:

Gen Con:

Southern California Garrison Speed Zone Event:

Unknown Event:

A lingering TRU Photo: