Reverse Angle: A celebration of “Star Wars.”
It is a time of great nervous anticipation in the Galaxy ... The fans awaken. If you’ve never been to a fan convention, Reverse Angle recommends it. Whether Comic-Con or the Star Wars Celebration at the Anaheim Convention Center in mid-April, these are multicolored slipstreams of good vibes.
Perhaps the biggest cheer during the “Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens” panel April 16 came when director J.J. Abrams touted the film’s practical effects.
This would be a major break from the prequel trilogy, which was known for its too-clean virtual environments — among its many other cinematic deficiencies. The stills Abrams and producer Kathleen Kennedy presented of the new film’s beaten-up vehicles and actual, physical locations in Abu Dhabi positively set hearts aflutter.
Although nothing compared to the reaction at the end of the premiere of the second teaser trailer: a white-haired Han Solo ( Harrison Ford) says to Chewbacca ( Peter Mayhew), “Chewie, we’re home!”
And the crowd goes wild.
Casting votes with their clothes
If any tacit — but telling — confirmation were needed that even “Star Wars” faithful all but disregard the prequels, the devotees wore it on their sleeves. And backs. And everywhere else, even tattoos.
At fan conventions, the energy is positive — as opposed to, say, political gatherings, where attendees are often united by common enemies. Here, the absence of love replaces hate.
Most of the many characters represented among cosplayers on the celebration’s first day were decidedly old-school. Amidalas and even Darth Mauls were hard to find. There were as many costume nods to Abrams’ production company, Bad Robot, as to Anakin Skywalker.
By far the most prolifically represented character (apart from the generic robed-Jedi look) had to be Boba Fett, or at least all kinds of distressed mercenary variants.
And that dude is probably still being digested by the sarlacc.
And not a Jar-Jar to be found.
Love is more than skin deep
You thought we were kidding about those tattoos.
Marc Draven, owner-director of Inkfusion Empire, the only tattoo concern licensed by Lucasfilm, said he had 45 artists around the world working on “Star Wars” images that weekend. He also said the most popular were Darth Vader, Yoda — and Boba Fett.
Jen Yee of Sunnyvale has eight “Star Wars” tattoos, including a 9-year-old Virgin Mary Darth Vader and a bird-droid called “Owl2-D2,” all by the same artist.
“It’s awesome when the tattoo artist loves ‘Star Wars’ as much as you do,” Yee said.
Inspiration is a powerful force
While the prequels seemed dangerously low on creative fuel, the fans — and cottage industries — inspired by George Lucas’ wondrous worlds are not.
Rancho Obi-Wan, a nonprofit museum in Petaluma showcasing Steve Sansweet’s 500,000-plus-piece memorabilia collection (the world’s largest, according to Guinness), had a booth displaying gorgeous fan art, including a stunning epic painting by Robert Burden.
General Manager Anne Neumann said, “The purpose of the booth is to inspire people. There are paper cutouts, things made of Popsicle sticks; anybody can come in and say, ‘Oh my gosh, I can do that!’ ”
Elsewhere were even Darth Vader Toasters by Pangea that brand the “Star Wars” logo on your lucky, lucky bread for only $49.99.
And finally ... a panel of experts
On the “Force Awakens” panel, Kathleen Kennedy introduced Oliver Steeples and Lee Towersey, two enthusiasts whose homemade R2-D2 at a German Star Wars Celebration so impressed her that the studio hired them. They seemed the two most excited guys in Hall D when they walked onto a stage they had not long ago watched as fans.