io9 
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San Francisco, 6:07 AM
Tue Dec 1
26 posts in the last 24 hours
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06/26/09
Thank you ISO girls, your support of we 501st troopers and our real troops fighting overseas and stationed around the world protecting us is very much appreciated.
06/26/09
06/26/09
06/25/09
[www.starwars.com]
[www.starwars.com]
Also, the ISO gals offer support for the 501st Legion who do a LOT of great charity work while in costume as stormtroopers:
[www.starwars.com]
Sorry to get snippy, but it sure would be nice if people at io9 clicked on a link and read the full story once in awhile instead of just snarking at the photos.
Dare the dream, I know.
06/25/09
Yes we help raise money for charities and such but this is why we were created.
We were created because the girls you see have either a boyfriend or husband in our Garrison who dress up for events but some of these girls don't want to do the same as their men and the women want to look like a girl and still support their men in costumes and be at events.
We are not prostitutes or women trolling around for men and or anything like that.
I for one is married for almost 14yrs.
For me I dress up in the ISO gear or sometimes I go to events in my Imperial Officers since I am a member of the 501st Legion.
We support not only our troopers in SW but also our Military Personnel, especially the ones that are deployed. Including one of our own who just went on his 3rd tour over there in Iraq.
As the article by Meredith says we do put together care packages and send it over to them.
We have done comic cons, some parades and such and have more events planned for this year.
Maybe the look we do might not be the liking for some of you as we enjoy the old look and that is fine if you don't but please don't call us names.
06/25/09
I think most of the io9 crowd supports you, the rest of the ISO, and those brave, sweltering fellows of the 501st.
Keep up the good work!
06/26/09
In other news, is there going to be a Gilmore Girls movie any time soon?
(sorry, sorry, sorry)
06/25/09
06/25/09
06/25/09
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06/25/09
06/25/09
01/27/09
01/28/09
01/27/09
What's happening is that cosplay as a term is co-opting the word costuming. I've seen a lot of internet writing that says "Battlestar Galcatica cosplay" or Klingon "cosplay." Members of these communities probably wouldn't call themselves cosplayers, but it's becoming a synonymous and interchangeable term.
I am like you guys. I see costuming as a term for dressing up outside of Japanese animation. You are also right about the origin of the term cosplay.
Now, not all cosplayers are poor. The trick is that quality isn't as important to cosplayers in general because they want to dress up first, and spend time on detail second. Again, there are some great cosplayers out there who make very elaborate, beautiful, and well detailed costumes, and do, in fact, win World Con and Costume Con masquerades. I could see where a generalization could be made, but there are notable exceptions.
One also begs the question about hard versus soft costumes. I imagine imperial uniforms that are well executed are as respected in the 501st? I hope they are, and that this isn't a question of materials. There are also cosplayers who vacuum form and transform.
What would I personally like to be known as? A costumer. It's a more versatile term, since I don't concentrate my skills only in anime, and I started a long time ago when costumer covered the field.
Catherine Schaff-Stump
01/27/09
Interesting, and I knew that it has been coming more popular with other franchises. The Browncoats for Firefly and the Colonial Fleet for Battlestar Galactica.
One thing that frustrates me, from both sides, is how groups of people can be identified with just a couple of people, and when you have a couple of poor representations, from both sides, the image of the group as a whole is tarnished. I know of a number of cosplayers who really put a lot of attention to detail, and that's just as good in my book as those who just want to be a character. The whole purpose is to have fun, and if you don't need the exact details, that's fine. People need to separate out personalities and not judge.
Yep, there's quite a few fabric costumes within the group, and they are required to have a comparable level of detail when it comes to accuracy. I don't know a whole lot about that side of things though, as I'm really only familiar with Stormtroopers and Clone Troopers.
I tend to go with the term costumer as well - cosplay does have negative connotations, but costumer sounds more professional in a way.
01/27/09
The 501st is very cool though.
Star Wars question: has their armor ever done them any good? I mean Storm Troopers are always all armored-up, but still always drop like a stone at the slightest blaster hit.
01/27/09
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01/27/09
02/02/09
Heh, thanks. I pays to know what you're dressing up as, IMO. There are some good books, and there are some bad ones. Shoot me an e-mail if you want some recommendations.
TK in the 501st is a designation for storm troopers, it comes from TK-421. Sand troopers are TD, Royal Guards are TR, etc.
01/26/09
How about a real story or something?
01/27/09
01/26/09
01/26/09
01/26/09
At the Halloween Air 'n' Scare at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Dulles, VA they have a great turnout and Some really great pics get taken.
01/26/09
01/27/09
1 storm trooper is just a dork in plastic.. 30 is a platoon!
01/26/09
A) Only own a Trooper Helmet
B) Could not fit into a suit.
C) Do not own said suit.
D) Could not afford the aforementioned suit.
E) Lack the Vacuum Forming machine and skills to make one.
BTW, I second the motion for Galactic Civil War Reenactments, I could probably get in as a Rebel Trooper.
01/26/09
01/26/09
I love Storm Troopers, but I don't think their costumes are necessarily any better than good cosplay costumes.
01/27/09