The life and times of a pop-culture junkie and music addict living in Arlington, Virginia
I’m on an August Break from my regular blogging schedule. Here’s today’s picture.
Bees and wasps are a routine part of any outdoor meal here these days. I haven’t had a single meal in the last two weeks that didn’t involve at least one visit from a yellow and black gatecrasher. Maybe I look like a tree or something.
These fellows will move on after a bit if you just ignore them, but it’s still kind of annoying.
I’m on an August Break from my regular blogging schedule. Here’s today’s pictures. There are 43 of ’em today, but I promise, this is still August Break. Most of these won’t have commentary.
I went to Star Wars Celebration Europe in Essen, Germany during the last weekend of July. There were cool panels with Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker), Carrie Fisher (Leia Organa), Anthony Daniels (C3P0), Ian McDiarmid (the Emperor), Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok), and many many others.
When it comes to conventions, everyone goes for different reasons. My friend Lorrie goes partly for the panels, but mostly for the vendor tables. Some people go to show off their costumes. Some go because they want to hear the panels.
I like the panels, and sometimes I come back with a fun geeky t-shirt or two, but the one thing I always do at a con is to walk around with my camera. I love seeing other people’s costumes, especially if they’re really creative or accurate or just funny. I took hundreds of photos in Essen. Here’s 43 of my favorite shots from the weekend.
This was before the event. I call this “Off-duty Bike Scouts.”
There were a lot of Leias around. And more than a few Padmes.
The Hasbro area had recreated several scenes from the movies in incredible detail using their action figures.
This half-scale model of Vader’s TIE-fighter was on display.
You could also get a picture of yourself in the cockpit of this snow speeder.
Bavarian clone trooper. This man had the most amazing mutton-chops under that helmet.
Wutini!
I thought about posing in this scene recreation, but I forgot my giant diaper.
The wampa was at least eight feet tall. And very fast.
This girl did an amazing Barriss Offee costume.
Even a princess has to eat sometime.
There were so many Mandalorians.
…not to mention Angry Birds.
I didn’t understand this gag at first- Lorrie reminded me of all the people fleeing Bespin toward the end of The Empire Strikes Back…
Lorrie shot first.
This was on the leg of the AT-AT in the main hall. I didn’t even notice the sign until the third day.
I only saw four or five slave Leia costumes. It was refreshing to see so many more Leia variants that didn’t involve the bikini. Don’t get me wrong; I love this look (as all heterosexual geek males do,) but it’s getting a bit overplayed.
One of these Imperials is just a mannequin. See if you can guess which one!
These two did a hyper-accurate cartoon Clone Wars version of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka Tano Very impressive.
Lots of droids.
An AT-AT driver! I was amazed at the variety of costumes people chose- it wasn’t all main characters.
“I’m a Mog!”
I snapped this picture because of the Dengar costume. I didn’t realize until I saw it on a larger screen that Kenny Baker (R2-D2) is in the corner!
Surprisingly few Vaders- only two or three all weekend.
All four of these men have played Boba Fett at some point or other. The youngest, Daniel Logan, was “Young Boba” in the prequel trilogy. The other three were from the original movies. The one wearing the costume is Jeremy Bulloch, the original Boba Fett, and the one who spent the most time in the role.
It’s a trap!
Ikea’s computer expert revealed:
I’m on an August Break from my regular blogging schedule. Here’s today’s picture.
Sometimes I look at the postcards in the Bahnhof. They often crack me up. Take this one, for example.
The translation is “Math is an asshole.”
Hang in there, kid. I feel exactly the same way you do about math.
I’m on an August Break from my regular blogging schedule. Here’s today’s pictures.
I love to see products that I’m familiar with in their German format. Here’s some board games you might recognize…
The Game Of Life.
Billy Beaver. Just kidding, this one isn’t familiar to me, I just thought it was funny. Especially since the word balloon translates to, “Hey, hands off of my wood!”
I am twelve years old.
Risk.
The Settlers From Catan. Here’s an interesting note on this one- Die Siedler vom Catan was first published in Germany, in1995. It started here. I had no idea.
Do you have any favorite board games?
I’m on an August Break from my regular blogging schedule. Here’s today’s picture.
This is from the middle of July, when I was walking through London with Neo. We had been walking in circles for a while, trying to find Paddington station. Paddington is really designed to be reached by public transport like a bus or the Tube. It’s surprisingly well hidden for such a large station, especially if you approach it on foot.
Anyway, as we were walking around looking for Paddington, this sign caught my eye. I don’t know of any Joe Strummer other than the noted British musician. If it’s not named after him- if it’s named after some other significantly less interesting Joe Strummer, I really don’t want to know.
London Calling is indelibly recorded onto the mix tape of my soul.
Whimsy. Tacos. The DMV. 