Curse that tapered buckle.
Michael Martinez's glove is a virtual doppelganger of the one gracing the
hand of Anakin Skywalker in the new and final "Star Wars" film, "Revenge of
the Sith." The color and stitching are meticulous, a $300 creation he
commissioned from Canada.
But a closer look reveals a flaw. The industrial buckles are tapered, not
rectangular like the real McCoy. He presents an action figure of the
character as evidence, noting this difference as proof.
Such heresy is unacceptable.
"That's not screen accurate," said Martinez, surrounded by walls of "Star
Wars" posters. "It drives me bonkers. No one would notice but me. Or
superfans."
Next week's theatrical release of "Star Wars Episode III --- Revenge of the
Sith," may have casual fans in a lather, but their excitement is pale
compared to the superfan.
It's an epiphany, a revelation, the culmination of nearly 30 years of
analysis, reverie and debate.
"This is the film that everyone has been wanting," said Paula Rosenberg of
Lilburn, president of the Atlanta-based "Star Wars" fan group the Hotlanta
Rebels. "This is Vader. It's mind blowing. Momentous."
They're toasting the event in style.
Beginning Monday, a tent city will be erected in the parking lot of the
Regal Hollywood 24 in Chamblee where "Star Wars" fans will camp out and
celebrate all things connected to The Force before the midnight Wednesday
premiere.
"For us, this is our big shining moment to do something," said Jimmy Burns
of Morrow, second in command of the Georgia 501st Garrison ---
www.ga501st.com --- a group of local "Star Wars" fans. "It is kind of the
key moment."
The appeal is obvious. Action, special effects, fantasy and fun. But what
inspires this consuming connection to a film series that began almost 30
years ago?
"Nothing resonates as personally and emotionally as 'Star Wars,' " said Carl
Cunningham of Canton, who runs the Web site StarwarsFan.org. "It's the
hero's journey, the oldest story ever told. What makes it different is it's
tapped into pop culture and wrapped with all kinds of cool."
And think twice before stereotyping. These are corporate trainers, Internet
executives, lawyers. Men and women --- yes, women --- who love nothing more
than to dress up as Boba Fett and toast the "Star Wars" glory.
"We have teachers, government workers, police officers, public relations
people, physicians," said Rosenberg, a public health adviser for the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention's bioterrorism program. "We're all over
the spectrum, and that's what makes it fun."
GOING TO ANY LENGTHS TO BECOME ANAKIN
The transformation began months ago.
Michael Martinez let his cropped hair grow long. He joined a gym, sculpting
his body to become more athletic and agile. A stylist then dyed his dark
brown locks to match the hue of actor Hayden Christensen.
Except for that maddening buckle --- it should be rectangular, not tapered
--- he's pleased at the likeness.
"It's beautiful," Martinez said, noting the Italian leather and belt
accessories while his dog, Chewie, roams nearby.
The dining room in Martinez's Marietta apartment is a shrine of sorts, with
replicas of spacecraft from the films and an arsenal of lightsabers.
His fancy began when he watched the first film as a child but kicked into
overdrive when "Star Wars: The Phantom Menace" was released in 1999. He
joined the Hotlanta Rebels as well as the Georgia 501st.
Then came the costuming.
Costumers are fervored fans of science-fiction and related-genre
entertainment who showcase outfits that are amazingly accurate to the
source.
His Anakin ensemble cost around $3,000.
"He's been working very hard," said Martinez's fellow Hotlanta Rebel member
Paula Rosenberg. "I've heard some great things about the costume."
So why has "Star Wars" so enraptured Martinez?
"It touches on so many familiar things in the human psyche, human soul, the
human struggle," he said, clicking the button on his new lightsaber. "It's
not about spaceships and special effects. It's about one family. Tragedy and
redemption."
His passion has a price.
Martinez said he and his wife are preparing to divorce. He says the "Star
Wars" obsession is a significant part of it.
Yet his affection, he said, is similar to a sports fan ripping off his shirt
and painting his face and chest.
"People either understand it or they don't," he said. "People are passionate
about baseball. There's no difference."
DARTH VADER AND THE STORMTROOPER
In 1977, a small, skinny 15-year-old from Jonesboro found a role model in
the face of evil.
Darth Vader. Tall, powerful, commanding. He couldn't shake this image.
"The armor and mystery surrounding him," said Robert Bean, now 42. "He was
the bad guy. No one had control over him."
He crudely fashioned an outfit out of cardboard boxes, electrical tape and
vacuum cleaner parts. Twenty-eight years later, Bean stands 6-foot-2, brawny
in polished black armor and leather. And the likeness has evolved from
coarse to uncanny.
"He's by far the best Vader around," said Carl Cunningham of Canton, leader
of the local fan group Grand Army of the Republic.
Bean is one of the premier Darth Vader costumers in the United States. He
even sells his own custom armor worldwide --- www.vaderpainter.com ---for
others eager to suit up as the fallen Jedi.
And this upcoming week promises to be chaotic with appearances at computer
stores, restaurants and movie theaters. And on his arm will be his other
half, whose fervor is nearly equal to his.
Kristen Caron, 26, began costuming to release "the creative energy I needed
to get out" in Alberta, Canada, she said.
In 1999, she found inspiration in another Darth --- Darth Maul, the
villainous figure in "The Phantom Menace," her first official costume.
Posting on a "Star Wars" Internet message board five years ago, she met
Bean. A mutual respect developed, and the two came face to face at the 2000
Atlanta Dragon Con science-fiction expo.
They married in 2001.
Bean's finally found a soul mate. His first wife, he said, despised his
hobby.
"You don't know how many people get divorced over 'Star Wars,' " Caron said.
The couple were recently invited to costume at a convention in Puerto Rico,
all expenses paid.
So even though the movies are ending with "Sith," Bean anticipates an
endless life behind the mask.
"It's hard to explain the feeling you get while you are in it," he said. "I
don't see much of an end."
THE PERFECT PADME
The garb looks deceptively simple.
A replica of the attire worn by Princess Leia in the Cloud City scene of
"Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back," it's one of Brandi Messee's favorite
pieces.
It appears a bit plain until one eyes the stitching. Two years of
painstaking embroidery was required to make this identical to the version in
the film. She settled for nothing short of perfection.
"I literally took pictures of the entire design because I wanted it as
accurate as possible," said 25-year-old Messee.
Her Woodstock apartment is flush with handcrafted costumes based on the
"Star Wars" films. Ten are based on Leia, five on the character Padme
Amidala, the lead female in the "Star Wars" prequels.
"I started reading the books and got into it," she said of her "Star Wars"
love, her face covered in the Kabuki-style makeup that Amidala wore in "The
Phantom Menace."
And her infatuation grew along with her wardrobe.
After moving to the Atlanta area from San Francisco in 1999, she discovered
she wasn't alone.
She joined the Georgia 501st, communed with other fans and even nabbed a
boyfriend in the process, 501st leader Jimmy Burns.
"We're both into the costuming and collecting," Burns said. "Her 'Star Wars'
collection blows me out of the water. It's like any relationship, but 'Star
Wars' made it all the sweeter."
Her detailed skill has become so admired that she's now making a living
sewing commissioned costumes for others.
Recently, she purchased 12 yards of silk velvet for her latest creation, a
gown worn by Padme in "Attack of the Clones." The anticipated finish date is
a year from now, work she calls "well worth it."
"You get lost in the universe," she said of "Star Wars." "It's so detailed,
it's like another life."
FORCEFUL FANS
Robert Bean and Kristen Caron
42, 26, Stockbridge
Costumed characters
Him: Darth Vader
Her: Darth Maul, female stormtrooper and several other guises
Why?
Him: "I just fell in love with the character."
Her: "It's really hard to pull off a stormtrooper at my height. It's easier
to do the female thing. Darth Maul is just cool."
Cost: Vader ensemble has a cumulative cost of $6,000, female stormtrooper is
around $1,000
FORCEFUL FANS
Michael Martinez
30, Marietta
Costumed character: Anakin Skywalker
Why: "I can identify with the character. He's a lot like myself where he's a
lot more complex than what appears on the surface. Arrogance on the outside
but inside is insecurity."
Cost: $3,000
FORCEFUL FANS
Brandi Messee
25, Woodstock
Costumed character: Padme Amidala and Princess Leia
Why: "She's a strong female and knows how to take charge."
Cost: Ranges around $300 as she sews them herself
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