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Smallest, and Newest Member of the Empire’s Finest

Olaf — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:21:19 +0000

Guess who has the coolest costume on the block? Balthazar does! His best (and only) Uncle-figure went all out and got together a suit of youth Storm Trooper gear for Balthazar this year. He’s been working on it for a while now and it’s finally finished. Sunday, he brought it over and we had an event of fitting it to him. It took all day of Jeff sitting on a partially constructed floor in our garage fitting, grinding, shaping, and gluing PVC armor components for a perfect fit. Balthazar was a real trooper and went back and forth for component fittings the whole time. He was so excited about it, I don’t think he even noticed the minor discomfort of ill-fitted plastic pieces. After hours of labor, the costume was finally ready for him and by dinner he was able to dance around the house in his new Storm Trooper costume. The whole thing is constructed exactly the same as the screen-accurate versions adults where. All the details are there, though he’ll need a smaller blaster to fit the scale issue a bit better. Jeff and I are going to try and throw together the remaining Star Wars costumes this Halloween to take him out on the town. I’ll be Chewbacca, Jeff might be C-3PO, and we’ll have the littlest Storm Trooper ever. It ought to be a hoot! We’ve got to hit every spot in town possible to get full use out this before he out grows it…in a week! Actually, there should be enough material for him to grow into it a year or two. After that, we’ll have to make a fancy display of it on a little mannequin.

Oh man, he’s going to have a real ball at Halloween this year!

Feliz Día de los Muertos!

Olaf — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 19:20:51 +0000

The main Halloween party we attended this year fell on the second Day of the Dead, November 2nd. As such, my wife had the fantastic idea to paint ourselves up as celebratory sugar skulls from the Mexican holiday. She went with the customary decoration of a beautiful sugar skull, complete with flowers and various stylistic elements. I shot for realism. Balthazar wanted to get in on it too, and chose daddy’s likeness. It’s been so long since I’ve painted faces; what fun it was! My wife would have preferred that it took less time, but I’m not very good with a brush and I take meticulous care in painting with my fingers.

Dragon*Con 2007 :: Wrap-Up

Olaf — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 14:58:54 +0000

Upon arrival at DragonCon Friday evening, I was met by a frantic Jeff at the Hyatt hotel. It would seem that the hotel doesn’t actually guarantee two beds in reserved rooms. A curious approach, as we had booked the room for quad occupancy. To make matters worse, the room presented to Jeff had a window between the main room and the bathroom. Even if this room were used for an individual, It can’t justify a large window into the bathroom. So Jeff put the manager to task on finding us an alternative…and another bed. The hotel was out of beds, so after some time we made do with what they provided. It was actually a nice enough deal, though the time it took to straighten everything out took several hours. They did finally find another bed, but it was a single (small) roll-out bed and not incredibly useful to us. The ladies, arriving later than Jeff and I, picked up an air mattress on their way and saved the day.

Having spent the next couple of hours working around impetuous security personnel at the Hyatt hotel (you’d think it would be a little easier for actual guests to check-in), Jeff and I had fully unloaded three cars worth of supplies and costumes. It was a grueling effort even though we were parked only two blocks from the hotel. Finishing that, we had time enough to grab a quick dinner before the wife and I hit the DragonCon drum circle scene. I usually enjoy this very much and this was my inaugural jam to start the weekend off. As such, it was a little lame. The circle was in full force, but diametrically opposed. There was a small niche on one side that seemed to be taking it upon themselves to run the group. This is all well and good, except that they had formed a sub circle of their own – one that was not large enough to accommodate any dancers. That, and the other side of the room was cut-off and unable to hear their rhythm through the throng of dancers in the room. So they attempted to follow along only to create a contrast to the rhythm. It was also proving difficult running the circle on the star drummers that had taken the lead. Burn-out drummers, I can say. The type that crank up a really great sound up front, but drive everyone else to play faster. It just creates a chaos in the end that is destined to burn out. The larger the circle, the more definition needed to highlight the rhythm distinctions. The group that puts this on is in discussions on the subject for next year.

DragonCon in general proved to be more than the three hotels could manage under heightened security measures. Security was tighter than in years past and the con suffered for it. Despite there efforts however, some people did manage to slip through and attend the panels they had paid to see. We didn’t manage to see many panels ourselves, but only because we were busy doing other things. We did catch the Star Trek Reunion panel in which the audience asked some questions that the celebrities didn’t answer. Some of the questions were kind of lame, but the three cast members of Star Trek attending the con this year should have made more of an effort to answer the questions. Humor the geeks, mkay. If they do something like this in the future, the coordinators should really work up some questions before the panel and present them to the talent beforehand. That way proper answers can be prepared, and good questions often lead to more.

Masquerade this year was really good. Grant and Kari hosted the annual costume ball this year. They did a good job together. Grant was showing off his over-the-top nerd trivia. The guy knows his Sci-Fi! Spazz and Fox were also in the masquerade this year. A first for any of us! They dressed as the Duct Tape Pirates – also a first at DragonCon as far as any of us know. Their costumes were perfect! When they first entered the stage, the crowd gave them complimentary “oooohhhh’s” to the detailed description of their ornate costumes. Feathers, ornaments, lace, etc. At the end – we planned the description just right – they dropped the duct tape bomb on the crowd. It was smooooooth. They went wild. It was one of those roars of excitement that can only build from thousands of people. The girls got kudos everywhere we went that night and they deserved it. If not for the fantastic effort they put into their costumes, then for walking around in uncomfortable duct tape costumes while smiling for their adoring audience.

There’s too much for me to get my mind around, so I’ll just close this up with a link to the pictures. This year, Flickr really exploded after the event with DragonCon photos. If you want to see thousands more, check the tag dragoncon2007.

Flickr: Olaf’s Dragon*Con Set (Multiple Years)

Costume Parade on Peachtree St.

Olaf — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 16:45:18 +0000

Wake-up, coffee, parade, lunch. The morning just flew by, but being a drummer in the parade was a blast! We all took a part in it; Fox dancing, Jeff as PeeWee Herman, and Amanda as Ms. Yvonne.

I was able to work with the crowd more this year and give out some nods and smiles as I saw their faces. It doesn’t sound like much, but I find it really hard to do much of anything while I’m improvising on the dumbek.

Fox worked hard to keep up with float *and* entertain the crowd with a spot of performance here and there. It’s hard to walk at parade pace and belly dance. PeeWee and Ms. Yvonne were very unique in their costumes. Definitely an original idea, and one that got a lot of attention!

If you were in the 5th annual DragonCon parade, or an on-looker, leave me a comment with a link to your pictures or video! See you at the con!

DragonCon 2007

Olaf — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 18:12:49 +0000

It occurred to me half-way through this week that I hadn’t really said anything about DragonCon on my blog. Well, it’s that time again! The wife, and our surrogate siblings have been extremely busy – staying up into the wee-hours – to get things ready for the event. Whether it was finishing up other work or directly working on costumes, none of us have logged many hours of sleep this week. And that is good preparation for Labor Day weekend, as it’s unlikely we’ll get a lot of extra sleep in Atlanta at the biggest Sci-Fi/Fantasy/{insert genre here} conference in the world! If you aren’t going, you should at least swing into Altanta (Peachtree St. at the Big Three hotels – Hilton, Marriott, and Hyatt) for the parade. Last year saw 1400 costumes and this years promises more. Once again, I’ll be on the drummer’s float with my wife dancing on the street. It should be a good time…

See last year’s pictures (and this year’s as they come), here.

Geeked Out at 1:00am

Olaf — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 07:39:03 +0000

It’s now 2:30am Saturday morning and I’m finally getting home to get some sleep. Soon, anyway. I was with Jeff McClure working on a Ghostbusters Proton Pack replica. He got some new parts for it and had since lost the sound and light synchronization. I wasn’t sure what I was in for, but Jeff pulled out a wad of wires, circuit boards, and LED’s tangled into a complex piece of machinery that was the Proton Pack. Using a multimeter and some cryptic diagrams from Hyperdyne Labs, the maker of the electronics for this prop, I slowly began figuring out how everything was supposed to be powered. After two days of working with this thing and one very long night, we finally got it working and we were able to start blasting various appliances in the kitchen. The whole kit is really impressive. When I get some pictures and video, I’ll post them. As it is, the pack is still in many pieces and only temporarily wired. I have a few questions left before we seal it back up. We should have the pack together by DragonCon in a couple of weeks.

Playing around with this high tech toy was really a lot of fun. It has been a long time since I was playing with circuit boards and the soldering iron. It really got my brain churning on some ideas, though I tend to be more interested in creating unique costume props rather than screen-accurate ones. Unfortunately, the market for such things are more interested in screen-accuracy; you can’t sell custom stuff until you make a name for yourself as a replica designer. Bleh. Oh well, I’m all geeked out this weekend.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

Olaf — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 04:26:57 +0000

We’re doing the Harry Potter book release event for book 7 at “Bound to Read” in East Atlanta Village. It’s an exciting venue – it’s the last one as far as we know. We should have hit this market sooner – it’s a blast! The first one for us was in Gainesville at Chapter 13 Books. I think they actually filed chapter 13. “Bound to Read” is a cool little place right on the main drag in EAV. We’re getting quite the crowd of locals here, mostly in costume. The wife has put together a nice display including such props as the Sorting Hat, arcane books, and a large cow’s skull. There’s an interesting story around that last item, but it’s for another time.

Of all the dorks we’ve been associated or formed numbers with, Wizard dorks are some of the more tame. They’re about having fun, dressing up in wizardry garb, and reading books. Nothing too serious. I think a lot of them aren’t even really Harry Potter fans, they’re just interested in going to book parties and having a good time.

The only real problem with the deal was that they sold out of books from pre-orders and we didn’t get a chance to get a copy. That, and it’s like a million miles from Gainesville to East Atlanta Village. But this is good business for Celestial Studios.

*UPDATE Whoa! Just as I wrote that last piece, they wound up with three copies to spare. Sweet!

Easter Weekend

Olaf — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 18:58:09 +0000

Spring hit northeast Georgia with a bang this year. The kind of bang where everything gets very uncomfortably hot just before a good week’s worth of freezing temperatures. Saturday morning, it was 31° F. Last week, I think we saw days in the mid-80′s. But comfort aside, the cooler weather will preserve the brightly colored, ovular objects hidden amongst the dewy grasses. That is, of course, only necessary if the ovular objects are actually organic in nature rather than cheap, plastic reproductions filled with cheaper reproductions of something that might be edible save for it’s completely ridiculous hue of blue. I do love Robin Eggs though!

Balthazar really got into the Easter Bunny, egg hunting, and candy this year. 4 years in the making, we’ve managed to finally introduce the boy to holiday marketing. Odd thing about his situation; he knows all too well about costumes, so the Easter Bunny isn’t so mysterious to him. He enjoys the bunny regardless, but he knows there’s a person inside. He’s in on the secret, but so far seems to allow everyone around him to enjoy themselves blissfully ignorant.

We also did the customary family get-togethers. I had lamb. Delicious lamb. I tried to drum on Friday, but it was severely cold in the wind. I tried to drum Saturday afternoon – too cold. I drummed Sunday evening…inside. If the weather regulates itself, I’ll be on the square at a minimum of once a month to drum. Join me and we’ll make up for the lack of drumming around Easter.

Birthday Cheers. Skål!

Olaf — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 16:40:15 +0000

…And upon the third decade of life, such an elaborate scheme was laid upon the woolen eyes of their victim.

Never before have I been so bewildered and pleased in the same breath. Here’s the skinny on one of the greatest sting operations of all times.

Jeff calls me early in the month of February to schedule me for a stilt-walking gig on the Saturday after my birthday. He asks me if I’m doing anything then and I tell him that it’s the day after my birthday, so not that I know of. Jeff is sketchy on the details as usual, but it’s nothing unusual. Amy even feigns irritation at Jeff’s inability to offer up all the details of an engagement. When my birthday finally rolls around, nothing much happens. I mean nothing. I turn 30 and there’s no recognition, no hazing, no free coffee at Starbucks. “Oh well,” I think – not a big deal. I planned to leave early Friday because it was my birthday. I got out at 3:30pm – big whoop! Traffic was painful, but I get home in time to have daylight that I need to work on my brakes for the Mazda3. It doesn’t go well and I’m stuck in the end with a caliper that I can’t fit back on the rotor. But that’s another story. We meet Jeff and Amanda for dinner, ice cream, and a Darth Vader costume fitting (in that order), but I tell them I need to get back home to work more on the brakes. If I don’t get the brakes done, I won’t have a way to get to the stilt-walking gig Saturday evening. Saturday morning breaks early and I’m off to AutoZone to equip. The boy insists on “helping,” which any parent of a 4-year-old understands the purpose of air quotes around that, so it takes a bit longer than it should. I prepare all my stilt-walking gear and costume and head out to drop Balthazar off at the in-laws for baby-sitting. Pick up some coffee, grab a bite to eat, and drive like the wind to make it to StarTime for a supposed corporate event in which I will be entertaining drunken employees. I call Jeff as I arrive in the parking lot to coordinate logistics. He tells me he doesn’t know where we’re going to be setting up and that he’s looking for the client to get information – wait outside and I’ll come to you. I’m game, because that means he’ll help me load gear into the building. While I wait, I notice a red Toyota Prius near my car that looks just like Isi and Missy’s car. I didn’t check the license plate, which proudly reads “LORAX,” but I don’t really assume it’s their car. I even have half-a-mind to call them to see if they happen to be at StarTime where I’m doing a stilt gig. When Jeff finds me, he tells me that we’re an hour early instead of 30 minutes early so decide to just go in and check the place out – maybe play some games while we wait. As we enter the building, I start eying the ceilings and flooring to gauge the relative ease of transitions and where I can and cannot walk with stilts. We get to the Funny Farm, where everything is going down, and I see a girl taking pictures through the door that looks like my wife…and she’s a photographer…how ironic is that? Even as my mind slowly realizes that it is my wife, I continue to structure my perverse reality and include her in it. Hmmm…that’s weird. Jeff must’ve hired Amy to come out and take photos at the party. Even as thirty people scream “SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY” from across the room, my mind is still sizing up the room and my obstacles for the night. It’s not until I see Missy’s hot pink hair that I finally realize I’ve been duped. The cogs in my brain slam against each other and break a few teeth before finally reversing. I can’t believe how oblivious I was for weeks! I can’t believe how well my friends kept their major secret. Turns out, I almost broke Amanda at the Dairy Queen on my birthday. I told them it was my birthday at the DQ and they had to act like they didn’t remember. Amanda didn’t want to be the asshole friend and it nearly stripped her of her secrecy.

So kudos to everyone in on this – especially my esteemed wife! Thank you one and all for my birthday surprise…and thank you for not making it a Batman costume gig in favor of stilt-walking. I couldn’t have hoped for more than a room full of friends and laughs for my 30th birthday.

And now I will seek out the people of the world that share a wonderful day with me to wish them well on whatever year they have successfully reached…

Chewbacca 2007 Calendars for Sale

Olaf — Fri, 24 Nov 2006 03:52:11 +0000

My wife’s wookie calendars are on sale through eBay just in time for the holidays (and the new year). I played the wookie, so I can recommend them for their charismatic character. If you’re a Star Wars fan (or a fan of 6′ 6″ red heads in wookie costumes), you should head over and buy a calendar. They’re a really nice quality – nice enough for Peter Mayhew himself. We met him this past summer and he took one home.

Chewbacca 2007 Calendars