501st Legion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 501st Legion is a fan-created organization dedicated to the creation and wearing of screen-accurate replicas of Imperial Stormtrooper armor, Imperial officer uniforms, and other villains and nefarious characters from the Star Wars universe. Formed by Albin Johnson and Tom Crews in 1997, the group boasts over 3,000 members in 21 countries (as of 2005). Members of the 501st Legion often make appearances at science fiction conventions and charitable events, sometimes at the request of Lucasfilm's Fan Relations department. The Legion helps coordinate volunteers at Celebration, the Official Star Wars convention.
Dubbed Vader's Fist, the group's honorary leader is David Prowse, the actor who physically portrayed Darth Vader in the original trilogy. Formed initially for the pristine white Death Star armored troops, the group now includes all trooper variations, as well as Sith Lords, bounty hunters and other villains from the series.
The trooper armor worn by the members is all fan-constructed and distributed, and is made out of ABS, vinyl or fiberglass. As the costumes worn by the 501st are often not licensed Lucasfilm products, George Lucas can (and has) sought legal action on those who sell armor. However, LFL has unofficially sanctioned the wearing and presentation of the costumes providing that the participants are not reimbursed financially for their appearances, and that they represent the franchise in a positive and respectful manner. In 2005, George Lucas accepted an honorary membership from the organization.
Some of the fundamental conditions of being part of the 501st Legion are that members must be 18 years of age or older and their costumes are of professional quality. Members must appear to have walked off of the screen when portraying characters.
The 501st Legion often attends charity and community events in full costume and character. The Legion does not charge for its services, although people are encouraged to make donations to a charity of their choice in the Legion's name.
The 501st Legion also publishes Static Burst, its own quarterly newsletter. The Static Burst staff is comprised entirely of volunteer members of the 501st. The Legion newsletter profiles current events, interviews, Trooper profiles, and efforts of 501st Legion members around the world. Lucasfilm's Steve Sansweet, Mary Franklin, Pablo Hidalgo, and Jeremy Bulloch have been past interviewees and the newsletter has been compared to the "Star Wars Insider" with an all-Imperial slant.
As a tribute to the loyal group, the legion of blue clone troopers in Revenge of the Sith that Darth Vader leads into the Jedi Temple during the Great Jedi Purge is designated as the 501st. Although not mentioned in the film itself, much of the support material and merchandising for the film make this reference, including Star Wars: Battlefront II. There are also minor references to the 501st in other Expanded Universe materials.
Over 200 501st Legion members and representatives of the Rebel Legion marched in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade, where George Lucas was the Grand Marshal.
