TK5911 Log Entries

Rose Parade 2007 - Part 1 - Preamble and First Day.

TK5911 — Sat, 13 Jan 2007 18:54:00 GMT

Normally I try and wait a bit for an event as big as the one I just experienced to percolate before I try to write about it. I’d really like to communicate exactly what it was like to be at the Rose Parade and experience the things I experienced. Alas I go back to work tomorrow and my guess is memories of the 2006-7 Pasadena experience will dull and fade quickly. So I’m going to spend the next few hours typing this bad boy up.

My personal experience began back in September when the DSG (Dune Sea Garrison) gathered in Papago Park to film our marching video. Lucasfilm had asked that all Garrisons and Outposts put together a video showing our marching skills and based on that video they would decide who they needed for the parade. Our garrison is filled with people who have military experience as well as marching band experience. I figured that these folks would most likely get picked but I wanted to go out and toss my name into the hat anyway. We marched around the parking lot for several hours first to Mara Jen’s whistle and then to Kevin’s cadence calling. By the end of the day I was pretty much convinced that although I could learn to march I was by no means the best marcher there. I went home satisfied that I had at least tried but didn’t expect much of any response.

On October 27^th, I was knee deep in pink while painting Molly’s room for her. The phone rang and since these days the phone calls are usually for Trudy, she left the room to go answer it. I remember distinctly that I was rolling another batch of pink on the wall when she popped her head in the door and said, with a big grin on her face, “It’s Lucasfilm!” Now, this is a surreal moment in the life of a Star Wars fan. You may fantasize about being called by Lucasfilm for something but you never actually expect it to happen. I took the phone in a daze and said “Hello?” Alexis answered and said that the current e-mail they had on file for me was not working and could she please have an alternate. I gave it to her and she told me to expect and e-mail any minute. Even then I was convinced they were sending me an e-mail saying “Thanks but no thanks”. But instead I got this:

“We are pleased to inform you that you are a finalist to be part of the international 501st marching squadron in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade! Final participant selections will be made in the next few weeks.

In order to participate in the marching squad, you will need to commit to traveling to Los Angeles, California, on December 27 for four days of rehearsal, which lead up to the Parade itself on January 1. Lucasfilm Ltd. will pay for the cost of your travel to/from Los Angeles on December 27 and January 2, as well as your lodging, meals and transportation during this time. The parade itself will require you to march 5½ miles in costume (approximately 9 kilometers) without a break; this will take approximately 3 to 3½ hours at parade speed. Before you agree to participate, please carefully consider whether you will be able to meet this requirement.

Additionally, you will need to ensure that you meet all requirements for travel to the United States, which in some instances may require you obtaining a travel visa (if required for travel from your country). We urge you to investigate the visa requirements for traveling from your country. If you are living in a country that needs a visa to travel to the United States of America, please begin the application procedure now. Lucasfilm Ltd. will reimburse you for the cost of your visa application; you will receive instructions for receiving reimbursement at a later date.

Please also be aware that Lucasfilm Ltd. and Prometheus Entertainment will be videotaping a great deal of the 501st activity for a planned documentary. You should expect to be videotaped for this documentary, which will focus on some members more than others. In order to participate in the marching squad, you will need to allow your image and likeness to be used for this production. Some of you may hear directly from Prometheus regarding your participation in the documentary.

If you are able to accept all of the conditions listed above, please respond to this e-mail (our e-mail address is (removed)). We must receive your reply via e-mail NO LATER THAN Tuesday, October 17.

In your response, please be sure to send us your current contact information, including a postal address at which you will be able to receive mail within the next 10 days, as well as the best phone number and e-mail address at which we can reach you. Please also indicate what costume you plan to wear. We would prefer that you wear an all-white stormtrooper costume if you have one, but will also accept the costume you wore in the video.

Once all confirmations have been received, we will notify you of our final selections. If you are one of the 501st members selected to march in the parade, you will receive a packet with detailed travel and participation instructions.

Thank you again for submitting your application. We hope you are as excited as we are about Lucasfilm Ltd.’s participation in the 2007 Tournament of Roses Parade! We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,
The Lucasfilm Ltd. Rose Parade Team”

I have to admit that I did a happy dance when I saw the first few lines of the letter. Trudy was smiling ear to ear and my kids and my wife all gave me huge hugs. Even though the letter said that I was only a finalist I was still pretty excited. I tried to tell myself not to get my hopes up. I tried to keep the information contained as I didn’t want to suffer the embarrassment of telling everyone I knew, not being selected and then turning right around and telling everyone I couldn’t go. Still, it’s very, very hard not to get excited over the possibility of going doing something that cool.

Then the day came when everyone on the legion message boards was announcing that they had received their final packets from LFL with travel instructions etc. Everyone in my garrison who had received the initial finalist letter go their packets…except me. Undaunted I called FedEx and asked them if they had a package for me. The guy on the other end began to confirm that indeed they did and then stopped. “Oh it looks like Lucasfilm printed off a label for you, but they never gave us the package.” I was crushed. I had let my expectations rise and now it was evident that I was not going to go. In a last ditch effort I sent an e-mail to Lucasfilm asking if maybe there had been a mistake and FedEx was never given my packet. They responded almost immediately and told me that I was not selected. I don’t mind saying that I was pretty bummed. I really wanted to go and being the only one in my garrison to receive the finalist letter and not get selected was horrible feeling.

It took me about a week but I let it go. I moved on and tried to focus on the Make-A-Wish event that I had organized for the Garrison. This is what the 501^st is about after all. As cool as the Rose Parade would have been, this was to be my end of year focus. The plans for the Make-A-Wish year end party went forward and I was in almost daily contact with them. There was some confusion about the water we requested and Make-A-Wish could only afford water for 10 of us (since the arena was charging them concession prices) but we already had nearly 20 troopers attending.

On December 8^th I had exchanged voicemails with Make-A-Wish several times. I was still at work and ran out to get a bite. As I sat in my car wolfing down a sandwich I got a call on my cell. Assuming it was Make-A-Wish I answered and the female voice on the other end asked to speak with Neil Hetzel. I was a bit dumfounded because I was on a first name basis with the girl from Make-A-Wish. I responded that this was indeed Neil Hetzel and the woman on the other end of the phone introduced herself as Alexis from Lucasfilm. She was calling to see if I was still available to march. That moment is stamped in my brain for the rest of my life. Here was something that I wanted to do very badly and I thought the chance had gone. Now the opportunity had presented itself again. I said yes of course I was still available. She said “Great, I’ll send out a packet today.” Immediately after hanging up I jumped out of my car and hooted at the top of my lungs. People in the parking lot thought I was insane.

Day 1

I arrived in LA about 4:00pm. I found my room, and got a bit nervous because the bed was tiny. Lucasfilm had slotted us 4 to a room at the Universal Sheraton Hotel. But I wasn’t complaining…at least not yet. I was lucky to be here right? I wandered around the hotel trying with futility to find Mara Jen and aware that Lance and Kevin were still on the road. There were other troopers milling about (you can tell, even without the armor) but nothing much happening. I wandered down to the ‘Lani’ rooms where Lucasfilm had directed us to register. I did so and received my cool Roseparade swag, a 501^st George Lucas/ Rose Parade action figure and a Rose Parade pin. It’s worth mentioning that without my garrison mates around I felt a little out of place. The reason that’s worth mentioning is that after a few hours that completely changed. Oh and I also I got to meet R2-D2.

How kind of her to take a pic with a sweaty geek.

After registering, I met up with Lance, Kevin and Jen and we went to dinner. It was held in one of the Universal Sheraton’s large banquet halls and it was done buffet style. Still, the service was excellent. But enough about the service. We were told to bring our right shoulder bell to the dinner so that we could affix the official Rose Parade patch.

Our Table on the first night. Armor is all ready to get the patch.

It was just the four of us sitting at our table when we looked up and saw what appeared to be either the reincarnation of Motörhead or a biker gang. The four of them were looking for a place to sit so we offered our empty seats. Thinking we had just invited members of the Texas Shit Kicker Garrison to dinner with us we were shocked and pleased to find out that these guys, dressed in leather, cowboy boots and hats, chains and with mutton chops that would make Lemmy proud were from Italy. Italy! How cool is that? I’m sitting next to Stormtroopers from firkin’ Italy. Later we would find out that you can call Italy either a) Italia or b) Italica or Italian. I’ll let you guess which we used to refer to the four of them.

After chatting and listening to speeches from both Steve and Mary from Lucasfilm, Albin Johnson, founding member of the 501^st spoke. Then Mary spoke again. Then Mark Fordham, current Legion Commanding Officer spoke. Then Steve spoke again. And just as we began to think about getting up and heading back to the rooms Steve jumped up again and warned us all that we’d kick ourselves if we left now. Apparently Lucasfilm was stalling for time. Hmmmmm. And then of course after a few more filler speeches Steve got up to the podium. He started in “Ladies and Gentlemen..” and I knew Lucas was there. I looked to my right and coming in the side door was the man himself. I thumbed my camera on and shot this hasty pic before it was fully focused.

George walks in.

Lucas spoke to us for a bit. He seemed a little nervous believe it or not. Later, I mentioned this to Mark Fordham and he said that Marry and Steve told him that for George, that was sticking around for a long time. He must have been pleased.

George walks out and TD-0013 gets his hand shake.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully. Except for the part where I realized that I had to share a twin sized bed with a guy that was my same size. And the part where I tried to curl up on the edge of the bed but then realize that there was no way I could sleep because he was a loud snorer. And that part where I went to a grocery store in LA at 1:00am to find earplugs and an air mattress. And the part where all they could find for me were ear plugs and a pretty, pretty princess blanket. And the part where I slept on the tile with the pretty, pretty princess blanket and all of my broken dreams…ok that part was bullshit. I did sleep on the floor but I didn’t care. I was just happy to be there.

Next up. Day 2.

501st-ers in Iraq

TK5911 — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 14:05:00 GMT

Hello,

I just found out that a fellow 501st member from our group is back in Iraq fighting. In his words “back enjoying the sun, sand and godawful stench.” If you have a moment just drop him a line and thank him for his service. I'm sure it would mean a lot to him. His name is Andrew and he has some of the best millitary movie costumes I've ever seen. He's a really nice guy too.

andrew.jeffrey.camp@us.army.mil

Thannks,
Neil

A thank you to a thank you.

TK5911 — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 08:14:00 GMT

Back in May the DSG was prepping for the premier of Episode III. Back when Episode II came out it is my understanding that Dan Harkin gave free passes to the DSG in exchange for having troopers and Vader at the premier. So, it wasn’t too much of a leap to expect that the same thing would happen this time around.

I’m not sure exactly how it all happened but in the end there was mass confusion in our ranks over a) if the tickets were free or not and b) if not, who was buying them all so we could all sit together etc. When we found out that Harkins was not going to be providing us with comp tickets and that some folks had bought tickets to the sold out show earlier there was a lot of confusion and a lot of people got mad at one another and things just started to go into melt down.

As far as I’m concerned there was no malicious intent in anyone’s part. I just think there was a lot of assuming and bad communication going on so when things did not go as expected people got upset. In any event, I rather selfishly wanted to make sure that I saw the movie with all my fellow Star Wars freaks so I decided to buy tickets for everyone. There really is no substitute for seeing a movie with fellow fanatics and I wanted to secure this memory because chances are there will never be another opportunity with regards to Star Wars.

I’m not patting myself on the back. In fact I never would have even posted about it if not for what happened last night.

Last night we had a Halloween party and it was a blast. There was lots of food and drink and good friends and good costumes. I didn’t feel like being a trooper so I went as Winnie the Pooh which seemed to please everyone.

About half way through the party Lancer, our current XO, stopped everyone and said he had an announcement. I was kind of listening from the couch just expecting to hear him thank everyone for coming out etc. when all of a sudden he starts bringing up the confusion around the tickets for Episode three. Suddenly he’s saying that the group got together to thank me for buying the tickets and before I know it I’m being handed a big box wrapped in black cloth.

I have to say I didn’t know what to say. I was sort of stunned. Like I said, buying the tickets for everyone was about me securing a memory for myself in addition to helping out my garrison so I had long ago stopped thinking about it. When I pulled the black cloth off I was even more surprised, and really very touched. They had special ordered an absolutely beautiful Kotobukiya Storm Trooper.

What do you say to that kind of generosity? It sounds sappy but even now I’m misty eyed over it. It really means a great deal to me that they would do something like that. I don’t know how to say thank you properly or really express how cool it is. I never know how to say thank you the way I mean it. I suppose that maybe a really good way to express it is to say that this thing is now one of my most prized possessions. It will never leave my desk. Ever.

So if you guys read this, thanks again. I'm very moved by your generosity and I know without a doubt we have best damn garrison ever!

Sincerely,

Neil

P.S. I had to laugh when Kevin (our CO) handed me the box wrapped in black cloth I was so focused on what was under the wraps that I didn’t pay attention to the wraps. I thought it was just some cloth. (Afterward Kevin said “You know I didn’t just hand it to you in a pile of my dirty laundry” HAHAHA!) But it was a special shirt made by Master Replicas specifically for the DSG. You can see a picture of the back below and on the front it reads “Master Replicas: Mobilization 5.19.05”. Evidently it’s a shirt that MR made just for us for helping them advertise their wares during the premier weekend. I probably won’t wear it much because it’s so cool.

NASCAR Promo

TK5911 — Sun, 25 Sep 2005 11:27:00 GMT

On April 23 Phoenix hosted the NASCAR\Subway Fresh 500 at Phoenix International Raceway. From what I understand Lucasfilm contacted our garrison and asked us to provide some PR because two of the drivers were going to be sporting Star Wars colors. Dale Jarrett was going to be racing the “light side” car while Elliot Saddler would be racing the “dark side” car. The M&M PR people told us that they could only accept 4 people on each side. Since the vast majority of the garrison was out of town at CIII I was able to attend the event as one of the stormies.

I have mixed feeling about the event but there were some cool high points. One was being escorted to the M&Ms suite. There was food and drink and because the walls between the skybox's are glass, there were tons of people oogling us which is always fun. The best part though was walking out to Pit Road and taking promo pics with our Dark Side driver Elliot Saddler. He was a very nice guy and after the pictures were taken I was able to talk to him and his chief mechanic. They let me take my helmet off and peek inside the car which was cool too.

Anyway, the reason this post was is so late is because I just got my hands on some of the higher rez pics that the M&Ms folks took. Here they are:

Us with Elliot Saddler and a HGH overdosed yellow M&M. That helmet was HUGE. It took up and entire 6 seater golf cart and that ain't no lie! 3 guesses which Stormtrooper I am :)

We heard that Uncle George was there that day but we did not get to meet him. Evidently we came very close a few times but kept missing him. I'm sure he had no desire to meet some sweaty Star Wars geeks anyway but it would have been a cool story. Its funny how un-billionaire he looks in this picture. I think that rocks. If I were a billionaire I would wear jeans and Payless shoes too.

So unless I get more pics that's it for the NASCAR adventure. I have to admit I've been able to do some really cool stuff with this Halloween costume. I never thought that would happen and I'm really glad I invested in it. Although, I have to admit smiles from kids at PCH are way more rewarding than M&M chachkis.

-Neil

St. Joe's

TK5911 — Mon, 20 Jun 2005 23:32:00 GMT

Last Friday the DSG had the opportunity to visit another hospital here in Phoenix, St. Joseph’s. It’s hard to really express how good these hospital visits make me feel. I’ve said it before. When we were stuck in the hospital (we = the whole family) it was a major relief for all of us to be able to take our minds off of the fear and pain and just have fun for a bit. It’s really a great feeling to do that for other kids and parents.

Just before our visit Tom called me up and told me that his back was still hurting and that he wanted me to be Vader. I agreed solemnly…on the outside. On the inside I was jumping around and pumping my fists. Wearing the Vader rig is hot and heavy and after a while it can actually hurt. But it’s so much fun you can’t help but enjoy it.

We spent the first part of our visit at the Children’s Rehabilitation building and that’s where I was Vader. When we moved on to the hospital proper Josh took over as Vader and I snapped pictures for the rest of the group. I must have taken around 120 pictures. Since I don’t feel like captioning 120+ pictures I decided to take some highlights from the day and let you fill in the rest with your imagination.

That's me. He bugged his eyes out for the pic.
Me with a bunch of troopers (Mark is on the left and James is on the right. I think that's Lance behind us)
I just thought this was a really cool pic. Darth Vader and Darth Maul waiting for the elevator. We got in the elevator and the doors closed about an inch and a half from my tusks. The elevator stopped at the next floor down and when the doors opened some poor woman was standing right in front of them expecting to walk right in. Instead she got a face full of Darth Vader and screamed out loud. Despite the fact that she freaked out it was really funny. I can only imagine what I would do if the elevator doors at work opened and there stood Vader with about eight Stormies right behind him. Classic...wish I would have had a camera :)
This little boy could only communicate through blinking and is legally blind. He wasn't moving or saying and thing but his mom kept telling me that he was really excited. She was able to tell by the way he blinked his eyes. I walked over and stroked his arm and chest and she said he really liked it.

This next pic is the highlight of my day. The little boy below is named Nicholas. When I walked into the room I walked over to Nicholas and started talking to him. He answered questions by nodding his head or shaking it and he handed me the pen in his hand. Basically he acted just as you would expect a two year old to act. While I was doing this the nurse behind me was freaking out...all she could say was “Oh my God!“ and “That's amazing!“ The nurse holding Nicholas started to cry a little (you can see it in the pic). I was a bit confused when the nurse to the side (not pictured) pulled me over and told me very excitedly that Nicholas had not spoken or interacted with anyone for around three weeks. She said I was the first person he had shown any interest in as the only other interaction he had had for the past few weeks was to tell people to “go away“. She just kept telling me how amazing it was and then she called me a hero. That's when I pretty much went to Jello in my suit. Its a good thing that I have a mask on in this pic because for the first time at one of these children's hospital gigs I actually broke down. It was brief and no one knew at the time but I really had to struggle to regain some composure. It meant a lot to me because when Molly was in the hospital for nearly a month she reacted in much the same way as Nicholas. She stopped talking all together and would scream at people to get away from her if the got too close to her bed. It was truly awful and I will never forget the drive home from the hospital after that month long stint. I told her we would go and get chicken nuggets (those were her favorite food at that time) still wary of using words she made a screeching noise and then started to giggle. When she started to giggle Trudy and I started to laugh. The she giggled more and we started to laugh and cry at the same time. It was like the clouds parted or something. It felt like someone had taken my girl and that I had just gotten her back. So, needless to say little Nicholas' reaction meant a great deal to me.

Me with Nicholas.
People amaze me. This young woman was in obvious pain when we arrived. When she saw Vader and Maul she struggled to sit up just so we could get a picture of her (we gave her a Polaroid).
The DSG in the hall at St. Joes. Left to Right: Back: Robb, Kris, Lancer, Josh (Vader), Mark, Zenis (Mace Windu) and James. Front: Jen (Mara Jade), Steve (Darth Maul) and Bill.
Josh makes some sick child's day (and his brothers' day too).
I believe this young man's name was Charlie and he obviously was going through chemotherapy. The nurse was tearing up when we came to see him because she said it was the first time she had seen him smile in a long time. How awsome is that??? It made me tear up too.
The trauma girls have an obvious crush on Darth Steve :)
Josh greets a young girl.
Assuming the position.

After the hospital visit the DSG headed for Rosie's for some good pub food and even better beer :)

The middle finger means something different in Aurabesh (and if you got that you're a geek).
Well, not exactly the note I was looking to end on but it'll do. Darth Steve shows me his high degree of respect brotherly love while Josh undresses me with his eyes.

I bought this suit of armor for Halloween. I had always wanted one and was looking for a good excuse to finally break down and get it. Somehow I've ended up meeting some of the coolest people, having some of the best times and most memorable experiences because of it. It is without a doubt some of the best money I have ever spent. I'm just really thankful that I get to give back a little in this particular way. Its very satisfying. End of ramble.

-Neil

More Rumors

TK5911 — Tue, 31 May 2005 01:44:00 GMT

Robert Sanchez from IESB.net followed up on the Cinescape report regarding a new Star Wars movie and was able to confirm that although there is no "official" talk of a new movie there is "plenty" of unofficial talk. The truth is I doubt Lucas knows what he's going to do but I still lay bets that any new movie would be contingent on the TV show doing well and that it probably won't be out for another ten years or so. Also Sanchez confirms what Roger Ebert stated at the end of his Revenge of the Sith review...that 20th Century Fox is bound to start applying as much pressure as it possibly can to Lucas to create another film. After ROTS amazing opening weekend and the fact that it still stayed strong this weekend there's no doubt that Fox will want more films to cash in on.

-Neil

Another Star Wars movie? Really?

TK5911 — Mon, 30 May 2005 08:07:00 GMT

Just before the premier of Revenge of the Sith the thought crossed my mind that all this farewell, last Star Wars ever business might be a bit like Cher's farewell tour(s). What if a few years from now Lucas decided that he wasn't done?

Later, as we were enjoying the hype the very night of the premier it struck me like a thunderbolt: Who could possibly turn away from all this? Not that Lucas enjoys being personally involved with all the fan nuttiness but who could actually turn away from a $2 billion + empire that as of this latest movie has it fullest head of steam in 22 years? Yes there will be a TV series and no doubt the Clone Wars cartoon will have at least one more season in it. But TV series are not movies. Star Wars is a saga that is embedded in the language of film. Comics, books, cartoons and even TV series are mere excursions from the core of what Star Wars truly is. Those other mediums have life because of the bright centers of intensity generated by the movies. Lucas may be done with Star Wars but he does not want Star Wars to be done and none of those other mediums have the power to maintain what Star Wars is.

A week or so after the premier rumors hit that Lucas was planning another film. I groaned out loud when I read this because there's no way he's hard at work on another movie after dedicating the last 10 years or so to making the prequels. The man is in his 60s. I wrote it off to typical Internet speculation. After all it seemed that Cinescape was basing their report on speculation that they had encouraged Lucas to make. Then I hit TFN today and read this. Now this makes sense in terms of the $2 billion empire. Lucas gets the ball rolling on the TV series and steps aside. The TV series runs for 5 years. There's a one to two year gap after then end of the series and then a new movie is announced. The movie won't be directed by Lucas but I'll bet money that if he's still alive he will be the executive producer. Of course this is all speculation. I don't claim to “know” what's going to happen and to be honest I'd rather it didn't. I like Star Wars being over and done with. And I like that the all 6 movies chronicle the rise, fall and redemption of a single man. Adding one more Star Wars film will be money making decision and it'll feel tacked on as obviously it will have nothing to do with Darth Vader. But in terms of keeping the franchise alive it makes total sense. And I'll bet money that Spielberg will get first crack at the next one. Lucas and Spielberg are best friends and although Spielberg has said that Star Wars is “George's baby” rumor is that he had a bit of involvement in this last film. If George has had is say with Star Wars and has no interest in directing a SW movie again I can't see Spielberg turning it down.

Well, that's enough nerd speculation for now.

-Neil

My Star Wars Week

TK5911 — Wed, 25 May 2005 00:07:00 GMT

How the heck do I even begin to cover what went on last week? I guess I should start by saying that I took the week off. About a month ago I started to look at my schedule for trooper appearances and realized that there was no way I was going to be able to do all the different events we had planned and still work. Only in America can you realize that your goofy hobby is just taking up too much time and the thing that puts bread on your table and a roof over your children’s heads is just going to have to take a back seat for a week.

The first event I had was on Tuesday morning at 8:30am. We had agreed to help KSLX with a promotion they had thought up called “Spot the Stormtrooper”. This involved me changing into a dive skin in assorted parking lots across the valley (I know ladies, try and contain yourselves), putting on the white plastic and pacing up and down a sidewalk on a busy street waving at drivers. The idea was that the 8th caller would win tickets to the movie. Normally we only do charity related events with the possible convention thrown in here or there. We agreed to do this for KSLX because they agreed to promote us as a charity organization and get the word out that we like to do hospital appearances etc. Ultimately there were three appearances a day for three days. I only did one appearance for each of those three days. My first was 8:30am on Tuesday, then 11-ish on Wednesday and back to 8:30am on Thursday (which was an unbelievable pain in the ass after staying up to watch the 12:15am showing the night before…didn’t get to bed until 4:00am). Anyway, the high point of all of these KSLX gigs was John, the promotions manager who was there with the van every morning. He’s just a super nice guy and big Star Wars fan to boot. I tried to talk him into joining but wearing armor just wasn’t his thing. He however did show me pics of his huge Star Wars collection which was very impressive. I thought it was interesting that John collected Star Wars cans (cola, beer whatever) from around the world. Anyway, he was kind enough to snap these pictures of me from Thursday morning.

The Kiss Army wants you!

After my KSLX romp on Tuesday morning I went back home, got cleaned up and headed strait for Phoenix Children’s Hospital. PCH has such a special place in my heart and I was reminded of just how grateful I am when we spent nearly 5 hours in costume and visited nearly every corner of the hospital. This is the reason why I troop. It’s fun to be on TV. It’s fun to get attention. We all love it. But my experience with staying at the hospital (and my wife can vouch quadruple for this as she is the one that did most of the staying) for long periods of time is that it’s an enormously boring affair punctuated my moments of pain and fear. Perhaps that isn’t everyone’s definition but without a doubt the majority of people who are stuck in a hospital would describe it as boring. Now imagine being a child, whose natural state is one of high energy, play and inquisitiveness. Imagine how *extra* boring it is to be a child in the hospital. We were so grateful for the brief respites from the boredom and fear when Mickey Mouse or Spider-man would show up to visit Molly. I am so happy that I get to give that back to some other family going through some other trial. It’s a very small way of giving back. How can you ever repay the men and women who saved your kids life? I would do it more if they would have us.

This was taken in the main foyer of the hospital. I don't know how many pictures we took but it was a bunch.
This young man was in intensive care and extremely happy to see us.
Me shaking hands with a young boy too shy to look at me.

The next day (Wednesday) I had another KSLX appearance around 11:00am and then later that night we all gathered at the Cine Capri for opening night festivities. To say it was crazy would be an understatement. There were tons of people in line, tons of people in costume, tons of TV cameras and interviews. At one point Harkins had us stand guard as they allowed the 12:01 showing to being seating. They didn’t want anyone cutting in line so it was our job to flank either side of the line as the patrons walked in. I have to imagine that was fun for them…having Stormtroopers flank them as they walked into the theater. We spent about four hours in costume and then it was time to see the big show. As we all de-geared Harkins allowed (in exchange for our “guard duty”) some of our significant others to cordon off a section of the theater for us. I have to say it was such a blast watching the film with my family and a ton of other Star Wars geeks who love the series as much if not more than I do. What a great memory.

Steve and I before we head out.

Steve and I with the Channel 3 lady (I still don't know her name).
Anyone who watched Empire closely will appreciate this costume. What do you grab when fleeing an Imperial occupied city? Why your Ice Cream maker of course.
Jen, Me and Steve in front of the Cine Capri. Behind us you can see the outline of Josh as DV with Trey in front of him.
GQ Vader meets ANH Vader. Tom(left) and Josh(right) pose together. Despite the fact that we strive to keep two Vaders separate from one another at any given event the crowd really seemed to enjoy seeing them both.
I just love this pic because of the way the Little girl on the right is ogling Josh.
Mom, Ian, Me and Trudy. Can you believe my wife stayed up past 10:00pm?! She must love me.
Klaus (Royal Guard), Steve, me and Channel 3 news lady right before we went on TV. They guy with the ball cap on the right was annoying and kept trying to hit on the Channel 3 lady. She's got a ring you giant Tool. And nobody cares if you're a journalism major. Jeez.
Steve shows off the benefits of the Imperial dental plan.
This is what I love to see. Can you imagine how cool that must have been for this kid? Lancer (left) has handed the little boy his FX Lightsaber (aka $100 toy) so he dual Darth Steve.
My wife took this picture and then got my attention and forcibly rolled her eyes at me. I deserved it, but you know you only live once. Thanks honey ;)
Steve and Lancer put on a mini-dual. These two performed a dual on stage at the PSO and rocked the house.
Klaus, Fernando, Lancer, Gabby, Craig and Steve with Ch3 lady (I'm sorry but I don't know the name of the female imperial officer back there). I was on some other channel when they were doing this.
This is where I was. Channel 15 news. From left to right me, Josh and Jen. I actually got to speak in this one!
Click here to check out the Interview That's Dan Harkin in the foreground with his back to the camera.
We flank the line as the patrons enter for the 12:01am showing.
Me with Dan Harkin. Dan is one of my Valley heroes. He's not just a business owner but a true film lover who has done a ton to enhance film going and bring more film events to the Valley than anyone. It was an honor to meet him.
The whole group with Dan.
The DSG de-geared and ready for the show!

Thursday morning came way too early. We got to bet around 4:00am and then got right back up around 6:00am. Then it was off to do the last KSLX appearance and then right back home. When I walked in the door Trudy looked half asleep at her desk so I told her to go get some sleep and I would watch Luke. Luckily right after Trudy went and laid down one of her girlfriends showed up unannounced and asked if Luke could come play with her son. “There is a god.” I thought to myself and my son shot out the door to go play with his best friend. I immediately jumped in bed and Trudy and I both got a bit of nap.

Later that evening I was told that we were being invited down to Channel 3 for some in studio blah blah blah. I drove down to the Channel 3 studios and got suited up. The folks down there were incredibly kind and fun to work with. The only slightly annoying part was being asked to wait in a very small foyer as they spent 5 minutes filling it with smoke from a smoke machine. I can’t see out of my helmet anyway so as more and more of my vision was obscured by the billowing smoke I told Gabby (our princess Leia) to find a spot to stand and I would just follow the bright white blur of her dress. I was petrified that I would trip over some cables or something but in the end it worked out fine and was fun memorable experience.

Steve points at Channel 3 news lady.
Tom Sholar (PhoenixVader) and his son Eric and the Channel 3 news studios.

Steve and I at the studios. Chicks dig guys in improvisational dancewear...right?
Tom's sweet ass ;) The people that work at Channel 3 must have wondered what in the hell was going on.
Click here to check out our appearance on Channel 3.

Friday morning Trudy had several errands to run and Molly had school so it was just me and Luke all day long. Now, I have to be honest that I’ve dreamed about taking my kids to go see Star Wars for a long time. When the last one came out Luke wasn’t even one and Molly had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Although I went and saw the film I don’t remember caring much about it and I sure as heck couldn’t take any of my kids to see it. When such an obvious father and son opportunity presented itself on Friday morning Trudy and I sat down and discussed whether or not we thought Luke could handle the film. We decided that with the exception of the immolation scene Luke had seen all the other bits of violence in other Star Wars movies and wasn’t affected by them. Trudy was worried about the scene with the younglings but since Luke isn’t really old enough to con on the inference of that scene it rolled over him without the impact that it may have on older kids. We decided that he was too young to actually see the immolation scene so when it got to that point in the film I distracted him and wouldn’t let him watch until it was over. What really surprised me is that he was not afraid of any of it at all. I expected him to be a bit nervous about the big screen and the loud sound system but he ate it all up and wanted more.
I suppose it’s a bit a silly and sentimental but I one of the biggest rewards of last week was taking my boy to go see this final film. I saw the first one when I was four. I saw the last one with my four year old son. What a wonderful book end this long 30 year infatuation. Silly? Maybe, but I’ll remember it for the rest of my life.

Luke with his BK Jabba he insisted on taking to the movie.
This pic is getting framed :)

Friday night we were asked to come by Phoenix Children’s Hospital to help present some award to a parting staff member in one of the departments at PCH. Evidently this man was well loved because he had a large turn out and they (the organizers) agreed to donate some money back to PCH on our behalf. That’s the only reason I did it but I’m glad I did. Basically my rule of thumb with PCH is “I’ll do whatever you want.”

Waiting out in the hallway to present.

After PCH I trooped the Cine Capri again and picked up some pointers for my big night…

Saturday.

Now, being a Stormtrooper is really, really cool. Very few things compare with putting on that armor for the first time and traipsing around Mill Ave. on Halloween. But somehow I managed to get lucky enough to do something that very, very few people get to do. I got to be Darth Vader.

I just want to stop here and say thanks to Tom Sholar who called me up on Thursday and *volunteered* to trust me with his $5,000 costume on Saturday night. That’s just amazing to me because I don’t know if I would be trusting enough to do the same. Not only am I thankful that he trusted me but that he gave me a chance to do something I’ve dreamed about since I was 4.

I GOT TO BE FRIGGIN DARTH VADER Y’ALL!!!!!

Can you hear my wife groaning. I can. :)

The suit is hotter than the hinges of Hades but that didn’t stop me from having a blast! Unless you’ve worn one you have no idea how powerful the suit makes you feel. Not powerful in terms of violence but in terms of effecting the people around you. As a Stromtrooper people feel relatively safe approaching to you. As Darth Vader people are much more reticent. I noticed after I walked out the Cine Capri in full gear that a ring of people had formed around me but no one was willing to actually approach me. I had to slump my shoulders a bit and take on more of a “friendly” posture in order for people to feel safe coming up to me. After that people kept coming up and asking for pictures and you could really see how happy people were to be standing next to Darth Vader. It was a great feeling to shake the kid’s hands and see them freak out that they were meeting DV. Anyway, childhood dream #465…check

We walked into the theater just before the show and people went wild. I was expecting to shake hands etc but within 30second I was mobbed by a bunch of kids who wanted autographs. One poor kid got a 'Neil Hetzel' autograph because I signed it that way out of habbit...hopefully my scrawl looked like Darth Vader. Lord knows I couldn't see what I was writing anyway.

Back: Zenis, me, Klauss, Sean, Gabby Steve Front: Craig and Kevin

And that, in a nutshell is my Star Wars week. When I started out the week I told myself that no matter how tired I got I was going to do every single event that I was asked to do. I did. And I am so grateful that I did. Star Wars was a big deal in my life and I will always be grateful for its influence on me. I was determined to make the most of this send off as I do believe that this is the end of the franchise. There may be TV shows and cartoons for a few more years to come. But the story of Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie, R2-D2, C-3P0, Yoda, Obi-Wan and Anakin is over. It was a great send off and I’m glad I got to be a small part of it.

-Neil

My son is hooked.

TK5911 — Fri, 13 May 2005 10:30:00 GMT

When Trudy started labor with Luke we still didn't know what we wanted to name him. I had always had the idea that I would name my first boy Luke because Star Wars had such a huge influence on me as a kid. I figured that Luke was tasteful and with its biblical roots didn't necessarily connote Star Wars. My biggest fear was that I would be branding my son with a name that would forever link him to something that he may or may not have any interest in. I didn't want to force anything on him. That's why I never considered any of the other Star Wars names...there's just no getting around where a name like “Anakin“ comes from. I figured that if I named my son Anakin or my daughter Leia that was a sure fire way to get them to hate Star Wars and possibly resent the hell out of me.

So as I sat (and Trudy lay) in the delivery room and we debated names we just couldn't come up with any that sounded good. My Grandfather's name was Herbert...but that just wasn't going to fly these days. We thought of naming him Tanis for a bit but those familiar with the Dragonlane books realize that put me in much the same situation as the name Luke did. Finally we decided to go get a baby name book out of the hospital library. I brought the book back and we began to flip through the names.

After about a half our of flipping through the baby name book it became clear that nothing was sounding right. I got frustrated (my wife never gets frustrated...she's perfectly awesome and never gets stressed. Hard to imagine that a woman in labor could be less stressed than I was) and got up to take the book back to the library. As a joke I stopped at the foot of her bed and said “Ok, let's just try a random pic one last time.” I started flipping the pages of the book with my thumb and as they flickered by I suddenly stabbed my index finger down trying to randomly pick out a name.

This is a true story.

The name I was pointing to was Luke.

I looked up at my wife in a stunned sort of way and said “You're not going to believe this.” She said “It's Luke isn't it?”

Me: “Yes.”

Trudy: “Well, I guess he's a Luke.”

And because I knew this was just too cool a story *not* to name him Luke I put my minor fears aside and we named our boy Luke. Every once in a while I wondered if he would like Star Wars or even care about it but it was nothing more than a passing thought and to tell the truth the name Luke has ceased to conjure any images of Luke Skywalker for me. Luke is now Luke, my boy. I think of Luke and all I think about is little dimples and his cute chuckle.

Two days ago I walked into the kitchen and my kids were eating breakfast. Trudy had recently picked up and box of Corn Flakes with Darth Vader on the front and all kinds of Star Wars characters on the back. I'm usually in the shower when Trudy feeds the kids in the morning, so Trudy had told me for the past few days that Luke had demanded Darth Vader Corn Flakes. As I walked into the kitchen neither of my kids noticed me. But I noticed Luke.

He was sitting facing forward (which he never, ever does...this kid can not stop moving and we have to tell him to get back in his chair about 30 times at each meal) just staring at the back of the Corn Flakes box. I ran down to my office, grabbed our camera and took a few pics. He had no idea I was behind him snapping away.

he was just sitting there, staring at the box, examining every detail. a few seconds later he just started pointing at the Darth Vader and whispering to himself “That's Darth Vader”.

This wouldn't be so cool if it wasn't for the fact that I did this *exact* same thing when I was a kid. Sears catalogs, cereal boxes, magazines you name it. If it had Star Wars on it I would examine it over and over. Luke, I am your father and it looks like you're hooked :)

-Neil

Kevin Smith raves about ROTS

TK5911 — Thu, 28 Apr 2005 09:36:00 GMT

In a pretty spoiler laden early review Kevin Smith has given his unreserved thumbs up to Revenge of the Sith. It appears he was invited to the ranch for an early viewing. If you don't want to read the spoilers I've cut out some of the better quotes that don't give anything away:

http://viewaskew.com/news/sith/

"Revenge of the Sith" is, quite simply, fucking awesome. This is the "Star Wars" prequel the haters have been bitching for since "Menace" came out, and if they don't cop to that when they finally see it, they're lying."

"this flick is so satisfyingly tragic, you'll think you're watching "Othello" or "Hamlet"."

" Look, this is a movie I was genetically predisposed to love. I remember being eight years old, and reading in "Starlog" that Darth Vader became the half-man/half-machine he was following a duel with Ben Kenobi that climaxed with Vader falling into molten lava. Now, twenty six years later, I finally got to see that long-promised battled - and it lived up to any expectation I still held. I was sad to see the flick end, but happy to know it's not the end of the "Star Wars" universe entirely (I've read stuff about a TV show...). "Sith" doesn't happen;

"Sith" rules. "