Posts Tagged ‘fully operational fandom’



Fully Operational Fandom: Mom, I Just Called to Say “I Know”

Amy Ratcliffe | May 9, 2013

stormtrooperdaughter_fof

I’m sure there are holidays on every planet. Heck, even the Wookiees have Life Day. And wherever there are mothers, I’m positive there’s a Mother’s Day. From Coruscant to Tatooine, moms are being woken for a special day when their kids make them homemade cards and serve them blue milk and bantha breakfast steaks in bed. In our world Mother’s Day is just a few days away. Let this be your reminder.

Plenty of lucky kids out there have moms who love Star Wars. I caught up with a few of these ladies to discuss how they’ve shared their passion for the saga with their children.

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Fully Operational Fandom: How to Party Like an Ewok For May the 4th

Amy Ratcliffe | May 2, 2013

Wampa Arm-justjenn_logo

The pages of the calendar have flown past this year like starfighters going to lightspeed, and May the 4th is almost again upon us. It’s a little like Valentine’s Day. You might love someone all year long, just like you celebrate Star Wars all year long, but this is a special day devoted to your passion.
There is no right or wrong way to mark the occasion — you can have a movie marathon, make a R2-D2 cake, or wear a Han Solo T-shirt. Just do something! It’s easier than ever this year since May the 4th falls on a Saturday.

The pages of the calendar have flown past this year like starfighters going to lightspeed, and May the 4th is almost again upon us. It’s a little like Valentine’s Day. You might love someone all year long, just like you celebrate Star Wars all year long, but this is a special day devoted to your passion.

There is no right or wrong way to mark the occasion — you can have a movie marathon, make a R2-D2 cake, or wear a Han Solo T-shirt. Just do something! It’s easier than ever this year since May the 4th falls on a Saturday.

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Fully Operational Fandom: Tatooine Looks Awfully Bright to Me

Amy Ratcliffe | April 11, 2013

jabba

It was a chilly November morning in Death Valley National Park — not as cold as it had been the night before when I was snuggled in a sleeping bag-blanket burrito in my tent — but still cold enough. I’d visited the park before, but I’d returned this time with a purpose grander than sightseeing: I was going to find Tatooine. I’d only recently learned that pickup shots for A New Hope and Return of the Jedi were filmed in California.

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Fully Operational Fandom: All In The Family

Amy Ratcliffe | March 22, 2013

Liam Karpiuk Falcon_logo

One of the best parts about being a Star Wars fan is sharing it with the people you love. The films, comics, toys, books, and television series help the saga reach across generations. You’ll find fans in all age groups. To paraphrase another movie with Liam Neeson, Star Wars actually is all around.

This is evident at conventions and on Halloween when you see so many children dressed up as Darth Vader or Princess Leia. It has to be a blast to pick out costumes for your kids and even more fun when you get to join in the fun and dress up next to them.

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Fully Operational Fandom: Building Tiny Worlds

Amy Ratcliffe | March 7, 2013

Hoth diorama header with fof-400px

One must have patience to be a Jedi, and one must have even more tenacity to be a diorama builder. Legions of Star Wars fans are devoted to creating miniature replicas of scenes from the films, and I bet most of them could teach Obi-Wan a trick or two. Barry Riddle would surely be considered a master.

Riddle’s work caught my eye a couple of weeks ago. He used 140 square feet in his living room to re-create the Battle of Hoth — complete with stationary explosions and smoke. None of the images in this post are manipulated. I was impressed by the details, the scale, and the beauty of the diorama. If someone is putting in the effort to build a scene like this in his house, he probably likes Star Wars. Just a little bit.

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Fully Operational Fandom: Finding Love with the Force

Amy Ratcliffe | February 11, 2013

Leopold wedding fof header

Hello and welcome to my first edition of Fully Operational Fandom! I’m excited about my new column because it’s going to be all about the fans. Star Wars enthusiasts make up the most passionate fan community I’ve ever experienced, and I’m continually impressed with how people channel their love for the galaxy far, far away. A common appreciation for Star Wars has been known to bring people together and for some, it’s meant romance.

Though some believe opposites attract (and that can definitely work), it can be fun to share your love about a given topic with your significant other. Especially when the topic is a major part of your life. It makes for fun debates over dinner, it leads to possible couple-themed cosplay, and it means you always have someone to call when Episode VII news is announced. Even if you have a Hoth-like heart, you’ll appreciate these stories about couples who bonded over their excitement for Star Wars. Some even incorporated the saga into their wedding.

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