New Recruit in Chicago!

Post by **Fleetfang** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:28 am

Howdy everyone!

I'm a new Trooper-To-Be and I thought this would be the best place to announce my arrival. My name's Brian, and I'm currently assembling my TK armor from a kit that Mike Washko hooked me up with a while back.

I've actually met a bunch of folks from the Midwest Garrrison already --I would guess about four or five years ago-- through a friend of mine named Rachel Nacion (now Nacion-Ograyesnek), at both DragonCon and at Bristol Renaissance Faire. So really, my enlistment is long overdue!

In addition to announcing my intentions to join up, I'm hoping to link up with some fellow Windy City Troopers who might lend a bit of assistance in my build. I live in Chicago: North side, in the Edgewater/Andersonville neighborhood, near the Bryn Mawr Red Line El.
Are any of the Emporer's faithful within striking distance?

Looking forward to crushing rebel scum with all of you!
--B

Post by **TK 4813** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:09 am

Welcome aboard Brian.

Post by **iam8114** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 10:53 am

Welcome Brian.

Website · Post by **138** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 1:55 pm

GOOD TO SEE YA B>>

Post by **Sands** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 2:27 pm

Welcome. Some of us in and near Hoffman Estates that can help. If you ever want to change to TD let me know.

Post by **Imperial1971** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 4:01 pm

Welcome!!

Post by **TB 0101** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 7:11 pm

Welcome, Brian, glad ya finally made it!

Post by **Darth Raizzar** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 9:11 pm

Welcome to the MWG Brian

Post by **River** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:11 am

Greetings Trooper,

Welcome to the Midwest Garrison of The 501st Legion: Vader's Fist. Please make yourself at home here, look at the threads, and feel free to ask questions to any troopers. a lot Of us here are very helpful and quite knowledgeable to many costume/armor types. If there's anything myself or other troopers can do, feel free to tap us on the shoulder and ask.

Welcome aboard Trooper!
-River
CC-3166

Post by **Fleetfang** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:05 am

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Empire's Finest!

I've been talking with Damian and River off-line about a Chicago armor party happening late next month. I'll be sure to be there, but by that time, hopefully the only real issue I'll need to deal with will be wiring up my bucket. I'll certainly need some help with that.

I'm also working on discussing some "soft" outfit topics with TKvanB, since it simply wouldn't do for me to go trooping without my girlfriend along for the ride. Lindy's never been into costuming, nor is she a huge Star Wars fan, but I think we can bring her over to the dark side.

I know that Kathy is in Chicago. Is anyone else within the bounds of the CTA?

Post by **River** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:44 pm

Fleetfang wrote:Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone. I wouldn't expect anything less from the Empire's Finest!

I've been talking with Damian and River off-line about a Chicago armor party happening late next month. I'll be sure to be there, but by that time, hopefully the only real issue I'll need to deal with will be wiring up my bucket. I'll certainly need some help with that.

I'm also working on discussing some "soft" outfit topics with TKvanB, since it simply wouldn't do for me to go trooping without my girlfriend along for the ride. Lindy's never been into costuming, nor is she a huge Star Wars fan, but I think we can bring her over to the dark side.

I know that Kathy is in Chicago. Is anyone else within the bounds of the CTA?

If I may make a slight suggestion,

Knowing that people we care about may not be into this hobby, but appreciate and support what we do is one thing. However, to get said person into a costume is something totally different. I say this from hearing stories of how one person wanted their gf/bf to be a part of the trooping experience and got them a costume to wear, unfortunately it turned out bad and well, those parties are no longer bf/gf's anymore.

Now if Lindy is fine with wearing the costume you're getting for her, then cool. but if she really doesn't want to be a part of the experience I wouldn't go buying a costume for her.

Instead, we always need people as a photographer, Costume Wrangler, and to simply answer questions when people come up and ask. my gf is really not interested in getting into a costume but she does take great photos and has helped me get into costume. and that's cool with me.

I would hate to see you spending a lot of money on a really nice costume (TKVanB makes the best soft costumes in the legion imo) for your GF for her to wear it only once and never want to be a part of future events.

again just dropping a suggestion when it comes to that. Would really be sad if your gf not only hated the costume idea, but hated the group as well. wouldn't make for a fun experience.

that being said let's get you situated and ready to troop!

-River

Post by **iam8114** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 2:58 pm

Yeah like River said, take it easy and take it slow.

Post by **Arcturus1020** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:17 pm

Welcome to the MWG, Brian!

Post by **Fleetfang** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 3:41 pm

Good advice, guys. I think all is cool. The GF is totally backing me up on the TK build. All encouragement. She's actually the one who spurred me to finally get the kit out of the Big Brown Box and start assembling.

We're hosting what should be a pretty big Halloween party, and she definitely wants to do a paired costume. So it's either we get her an ANH Leia off the rack at a costume shop (which she would probably only wear the one time anyway), or I spend a little extra for her to go Imp Officer for something that she'd have the option to use again later - if she's into it.

And actually, my plan to dress our yorkie terrier up as an ewok is going over especially well with her.

It isn't that my GF is anti-costuming. She's just never been much of a 'geek' about tradionally geeky stuff. But I'm converting her slowly... Firefly was a gateway drug. Adult Swim really helped a lot, too. Futurama, Venture Brothers, Robot Chicken, Legend of the Seeker, Dollhouse...

A month or so ago, she said, out of nowhere, "We should go to San Diego ComiCon next year." ...I just about fainted.

Of course, if she doesn't find that she digs actually dressing up, then it's good to hear that there would be other 'jobs' for her at events. She's a professional photographer and the kinds of events that the 501st does might be a welcome change of pace from the wedding fare that she deals with in her day job. So that can be Plan B!

(As an aside, I haven't even talked to TKvanB about commissioning a costume. I'm sure that Kathy has a lot of things on her plate this time of year already, and I certainly respect that. Mainly, I've just got a few questions I want to run past her about options that might possibly pass muster. Gotta start small, like y'all said. Word.)

Post by **iam8114** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:06 pm

Fleetfang wrote:A month or so ago, she said, out of nowhere, "We should go to San Diego ComiCon next year." ...I just about fainted.

You sir are a lucky lucky man. lol.

Post by **Sands** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 4:14 pm

iam8114 wrote:
Fleetfang wrote:A month or so ago, she said, out of nowhere, "We should go to San Diego ComiCon next year." ...I just about fainted.
You sir are a lucky lucky man. lol.

Luckey @*%^@%%$@^@#!!!!!!! I think I have to pay my wife off with lots of shoes B4 I can go.

Post by **Remo** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:56 am

Welcome Brian.

Post by **Darth Raizzar** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:23 am

iam8114 wrote:
Fleetfang wrote:A month or so ago, she said, out of nowhere, "We should go to San Diego ComiCon next year." ...I just about fainted.
You sir are a lucky lucky man. lol.

darn, I SECOND THAT!!!

Post by **Fleetfang** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:31 am

iam8114 wrote:You sir are a lucky lucky man. lol.

Haha! I like to think so. Thanks, guys.

It looks like we're going to put off her enlistment in the 501st for now. She's opted to go with Senator Leia for Halloween this year since it has ten times better costume recognition with her non-geek friends than an Imp Officer would. So I'll be co-habitating with Rebel scum... Set for stun!

I still have hopes of getting her into a Juno Eclipse soon though.

After a trip to the burbs yesterday, where I hit about 12 different costume shops, big box stores, and hardware stores, I've finally got some industrial gray spray paint, which was holding up production on my TK.

With luck, I should have everything from the neck down done by the time my body glove arrives from Renaissance Dance at the end of this week. Then I'll have a good four weeks to assemble the bucket before my hard deadline of the 31st.
w00t!

Post by **iam8114** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 9:26 am

Fleetfang wrote: It looks like we're going to put off her enlistment in the 501st for now. She's opted to go with Senator Leia for Halloween this year

yeah, I talked my gf into that as well, although she doesn't want the film version and instead wants the "sexy" version (no not slave leia, I'm not THAT lucky)... So who am I to stop her?