Few of us 30-40 somethings haven’t been impacted in some way by the Star Wars movies. Who didn’t play Luke Skywalker or Han Solo as a kid, saving their Princess Leia from the evil Empire? However, as most of us grew into our teens and on into adulthood we left a galaxy far far away, far far behind. Notice, I said MOST of us.
I was recently introduced to an entire community, many in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s, who haven’t left their childhood dreams behind and who continue to embrace the magic and wonder that is the Star Wars universe. Some people collect stamps. Some people work to fine tune their car. Others search for the finest whisky on earth. This group of individuals spends their free time reverse engineering the original costumes of their favorite characters from the Star Wars franchise and building their own Star Wars costumes. Some of them even wear these costumes to birthday parties and conventions such as Comic Con!
While the naive would dismiss these individuals as “geeks,” the artistry, talent, and attention to detail are undeniable. Take “The Dented Helmet” for example, a site that is primarily dedicated to the Star Wars character Boba Fett. This site not only explains that there were multiple Boba Fett costumes used throughout the films but has broken each costume down to its most basic components and identified many of these pieces and parts individually as a number of “found parts” were used to create the costume.
Found parts are real world items which have been re-purposed as a detail on a costume. Did you know that parts from record players, cameras, horse girths, army tents, calculators, dark room equipment, scuba gear, and dental equipment are all found on the Boba Fett costume?!? Neither did I, but The Dented Helmet not only know them but have them identified, categorized, and can even tell you where to buy them!
This fan group dissects the smallest details of the Boba Fett costumes, catalogs every last little detail and are a “family-friendly” group who just wish to pass on their love of Star Wars and passion for creating costumes to the next generation!
While you may be too “old” for this sort of thing, it is never too late to build a costume with your kids who can recapture the same passions you enjoyed as a child. If nothing else, give The Dented Helmet a quick look to see a whole world of creativity and talent that often is easily overlooked.
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