Stood in front of me were 3 imperials (two stormtroopers and an imperial Royal guard) I actually backed off a bit in a coy, shy way (IM 30 YEARS OLD, FER FRICKS SAKE!) and just stared. It took me ages to realise I had my camera with me and I should take some pictures; I pulled myself together and started shooting. To my right, two more figures appear… OH, EM, GE … It’s a fricken Jawa and another Storm trooper. Then another two… BOBA FETT AND A SAND TROOPER! Then another.. A CLONE TROOPER! Pleasure overload, pleasure overload. The smile on my face was painful, I must have looked like an absolute goon just standing in astonishment at the spectacle in front of me; could this have been the best day of my life?
Apparently not! After talking to the organisers from the two troops involved ( The 99th Garrison (Paul) and The Mint Imperials (Stacey) ) I was informed that the next day R2D2 and Vader were going to be here. I was a ball of childish, unobtainable joy, I thanked everyone, numerous times, left and spent all night editing the pictures I took, hoping that night would come, sleep would take me and then I could see Vader! The next day came as a Christmas morn, I got up, put on my cloths, ran downstairs, grabbed my camera and my long suffering girlfriend (that’s right I have one)I who came on a promise of a movie and some dinner and then ran out of the house!
This time I strode straight in the front door of the event and was greeted with the imperial version of Santa Clause; It was Vader! Old Darth and his imperial elves…There’s A Snow trooper, Darth Revan, a Dark trooper, a Tie fighter pilot and R2D2! All together with the rest of the guys from the day before. I edged over to the 6ft 8 Vader and tapped him on the shoulder… “umm.. Mr..Vader..sir, umm.. can, you like.. umm, if it’s not too much trouble.. you know… like force choke me?” The Great man of black armoured sheen, looks down on me (im 6 ft 3!) and says “ok” (SCHWEEEEEEET!)
My girlfriend, shook her head and had to sit me down, I was getting that giddy.
There I sat, for a good hour and a half, watching people come in and interacting with the Imperials. I talked to them, I talked to the guys in costume, I watched as kids and grown up kids alike got photos taken; I watched the faces of hardened scallies turn to wide eyed children as they saw their childhood came back, just like mine, and in that instance we were all equal in our Geekdom, the unity provided by normal people who enjoy dressing up as storm troopers… How would have thought it would be that easy? Then I had an epiphany…
This was cool wasn’t it? I mean the fact that so many people, of all walks of life, were enjoying this, can only be a good thing right?. The fact that I was side by side with a troop of girls on a hen do and a scallie who had just got out of a souped up Vauxhall, seemed to make a lot of sense. an unattainable utopia, but one I was a part of for a day. There was no mockery, no judgment, no sneers and jeers. Just happy people, beeping their horns as they passed by, or taking photographs with their favorite characters. I honestly “felt the love” as cheesy as it sounds and was talking to people who generally wouldnt have time for a nerd like me.
I guess, in a roundabout way, that is what this blog, mind splurg, whatever you want to call it, is about. I thought I was an out of the closet Geek, who embraced who he was and where he came from, but it was seeing the 99th Garrison and the Mint Imperials at the weekend that showed me that I still had a little bit left inside. It showed me that EVERYONE, no matter who they are, has a little bit of that child, that… “Geek” and all it takes is truly awesome people, with a passion for their hobby and the ballz to dress up in a costume for the entertainment of others.
GEEK PRIDE SALUTES YOU!
Check out the Photos I took from the “Lost in Space Weekend” and in St. Helens with the Mint imperials on our Facebook or in our gallery
Matt Geary
15/06/2012
