One of our criticism of sci-fi fandom is that it's growing old and
gray. While the people at the Star Wars show were older than anime
convention fans, there were lots of parents - who likely were children
when the film series began - who brought their children to the
convention.
|
The convention wisely set up some activities for the children,
including this "Jedi Training Academy" where the young fans got brown
Jedi robes and light sabers, and a few got to "fight" a Darth Vader
costumer on stage.
|
Children of all ages got a chance to pose with this fan-built X-wing
fighter prop, one of the largest examples of the obsession shown by the
most intense Star Wars fans.
|
The most intense fan group has to be the 501st, the group of Imperial
trooper costumers who may be the largest group in history who dress
as bad guys and are proud of it (there's talk that the bad
guys are the big winners in Episode 3). Hundreds of these costumers
were planning to march to the steps of the RCA Dome for their big group
photo session at 7 a.m. (!) on the convention's Sunday.
|
But some of the members of "Vader's Fist" couldn't wait, and they
spread out through downtown Indianapolis on Thursday to secure the
territory for the Empire.
|
