My Star Wars Celebration VI experience
Not so long ago in a place pretty close to home…
Was awesomeness. I had a blast, stayed within budget and had a joyous time with friends, old and new.
I can’t say which I enjoyed more, Celebration V or this year’s Celebration 6. SWCV was my first so I remember being caught up in the excitement of that grand event in 2010. I imagine my eyes were open wide like an anime character. That was a good time.
And so was my experience at Star Wars Celebration 6. I had a couple of good buddies with me who were at their first Star Wars Celebration. Daniel mentioned these words a couple of times: Permagrin and Nerdvana. Mine were Nerd Heaven and Nerdgasm. We were pleased and with our own kind. It was like being home, a haven for people of the same views and of the same ilk despite our diversity.
The Star Wars Fan community is diverse but almost universally I noticed a kindness and friendliness not common. I was glad to be sharing my friends’ first Celebration experience. It reminded me of how happy my experience at SWCV was as a first timer.
About that community, I made some new friendships with some awesome new people. I do love the Star Wars Fan Community. I made friends at the last one and this one.
Lone jedi vs sith
I spent a lot of time at the creative panels, the authors of the novels and the model builders from the movies. The model builders panel, the guys who made the star ships in Star Wars and the original Battlestar Galactica was one of my favorites. There was a great retrospective documentary on Ralph McQuarrie. That man was so loved by his peers and was so much more than a great artist. He passed away this year.
I got to meet one half of the of the writing duo that went by the pseudonym Jack Mckinney. They also wrote the Robotech novelizations. The other half was the late Brian Daley. I got to meet James Luceno and shake his hand and converse with him.
So many of the Star Wars Celebrities were just around. All the Fetts that were on film were sitting next to me at my hotel. I had dinner with Felix Silla the guy that played Twiki from Buck Rogers and an ewok from ROTJ.
All the Fetts that were ever on screen, even one of the stuntmen.
Anthony Daniels greeted us in line, Warwick Davis was rolling around and I got to personally meet Peter Mayhew and apologize to him for the Megacon panel incident. Long story. Shook hands with Jake Lloyd and invited Daniel Logan to church. Also had Chris Gore’s iPod for a second and got to shout out to Chris Hardwick, The Nerdist himself, in the hallway
Chris Gore from Filmthreat.com
And the cosplay. So many costumes and So many good ones. Some silly too. A lot of mashups. Fem Solo. Steampunk everything. A few Indiana Joneses. Totally appropriate, if you were wondering.
New friends!
I started a new tradition: Dancing with Leia at the Celebration Mixer. Last time it was Leia in the classic white dress. This time was Slave Leia (It was my buddy’s girlfriend this year). Great time at the dance. I asked Aurra Sing to dance and made a couple of great new friends.
My Star Wars Celebration 6 album
Incredibly well done. I hope it is Orlando again. Heavily considering going to Germany for the next one.
Here is a great video of Star Wars Celebration VI from my buddy, David Mattox from Cinemattox Motion Pictures:
Funny thing happened to me. A few people recognized me from David’s video last Celebration. One had me take a video of him do the Nerrrrds thing and a couple of people asked me to take a photo with them. Lol indeed. Last Celebration’s vid: http://youtu.be/apkG2iOkbLQ
Rebel Award Ceremony sentinel
TIE Fighter pinup girl
Some Skywalkers
This is the guy that recognized me from the last Celebration video. Where are you Advocare dude?
The last day I could see people were really affected. This event means a tremendous amount to the people that traveled here from all over the world. I was turning a corner and I saw a lady with anguish obviously on her face and I called out to her. She told me that that she was suddenly overcome by the end of the Celebration.
There was a lot of of emotional investment in this thing. That may be hard to relate to. I definitely can, though. These are my people! I also see this as being a flaw. So much powerful devotion should be put elsewhere. Maybe shared a little with the Star Wars passion, but there is so much more that is precious and deserves more of such devotion. God, family, spouse.
It was a wonderful time. I was there all four days but missed do much as well! Missed the mass photo ops for the Rebel Legion and Mandos, astromech and the art shows. It has been almost two weeks and I am just posting this now because I have only stopped glowing from the joy of the Celebration. Heaven is going to be so much better, though. This was a nice foreshadowing of that grand event.
They announced that the next Star Wars Celebration will be in Germany. I want to go. You?
My buddy from Last Celebration, Matt aka Billy Dee Binks from tfn.net forums.
Steampunk fem solo. Steampunk everywhere!
More pictures here: My Star Wars Celebration 6 album
Edit: ‘I also see this as being a flaw.’ Perhaps these are strong words. As a friend put it, “Can’t a guy just enjoy himself?” Indeed you could. Indeed I did. It was an amazing , uplifting time and I consider it a major life event. Even so, it is just a hint of a reflection of the idea of what Heaven might be like. A lot to look forward to yet. Join me in anticipation, friends.
Pictures from 2 years ago at: My SWCV album
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- playrifts reblogged this from dante144 and added:
In honor of the anniversary of the the first theatrical release of Star Wars in 1977
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click the link!