Photo Coverage - Counting by Empire

On This weeks photo coverage we visit a recent photo taken during the Lehigh Valley Autism Walk in April 2010.

The photo was taken from the ground looking up at 10 of us with numbered signs assisting with the 10 - 1 countdown to start the walk. It's a Where's Waldo of where I am, the answer will be at the end of the post :).

Obviously Chewbacca had to kick things off with 10 also being the tallest we put him down in the incline so the number 10 wouldn't be several feet higher in the air then all the rest. Though it sort of ended up that way has some of the middle numbers got a bit shy and didn't hold theirs up over their helmets.

It was a fun way to help kick off the autism walk and a good photo capture of the Empire doing its best to present the numbers of the day to you like Sesame Street.

For those playing at home, That Stormtrooper Guy is Lucky Number #3! ;) thanks for playing :)

Troublesome Tuesday - Range of Motion

Today on Troublesome Tuesday, yours truly will cover Range of Motion. Stormtroopers have never been known to be the most agile of the galaxy's workforce. The protective armor of a Stormtrooper can be very restricting. It's no wonder a scared Han Solo can easily outrun a battalion of us standing in the Death Star.

To give you an idea of the restriction of the armor, I challenge you to stand up right now and see how far back you can bend your leg at the knee. Can you get your foot the whole way back so your heel is touching the small of your back? Well even if you can't I guarantee you've far surpassed the range of a Stormtrooper. At best, most Stormtroopers can barely bend their leg back 45 degrees before the shin armor and the thigh armor touch behind the knee thus preventing further movement.

By the above restrictions, I pose a question to you... What is a Stormtrooper's worst enemy? If you said Jedi, Ewok, Rebel, or the Boss' Force Choke... you'd be very wrong. The correct answer is STAIRS!!! Requiring usually more range of motion than our legs in armor will allow, it takes full body movement sometimes to take down stairs. Often shifting weight and repositioning the back to get a foot up one step. Now this is not the same for everyone, some stormtroopers have an easier time than most. I personally can annihalate stairs like a stairmaster. But it took practice and technique that could have better been put towards increasing my "precise aim".

The same range of motion is restrictive in the arms and torso. The wait the ab armor restricts a greater range of spine movement, bending over to pick an object off the ground is practically impossible (but has been done). Shoulder and Chest Armor often prevents the arms from reaching too high up or too far to one side. Asking a stormtrooper to itch his left shoulder with his right hand is like asking a Gungan to be less annoying.

In closing, the restricted movements of a Stormtrooper is definitely due to the armor. Someone moving very slowly in armor could be an Olympic gold medalist in track. Every trooper has their different speeds, but none are any where near as agile or fast as they are in normal civilian clothes.

Hope you've enjoyed this installment of Troublesome Tuesday. Plenty more to come because as Stormtroopers... we definitely have our fair share of Troublesome quirks to deal with.

Photo Coverage - Earth Day

On this week's Photo Coverage, we go Earth-friendly in honor of Earth Day today! This photo was taken at the Erie Zoo in Erie, PA back in May 2009. We found a lovely little photo op on a bridge overlooking some excellent natural scenery in the zoo.

As a Galactic Soldier from planets far away, I am quite impressed by the beautiful habitat of this planet you live on known as Earth. Seeing such wastelands as Tattooine and Geonosis... This planet is quite rich with life. So on this holiday of Earth Day, a Public Service Announcement from That Stormtrooper Guy. Keep your planet clean, healthy and green!!!

OR ELSE... I'll be back with a Death Star ;)

Troublesome Tuesday - TK-Kiss

I know it's a day late but I was unable to get to my blog yesterday so on today's (yesterday's)edition of Troublesome Tuesday... We talk about the TK-Kiss!

I know what you're thinking... no TK-Kiss isn't a KISS themed Stormtrooper (though I have seen 1 or 2 of those running around)... The TK-Kiss is a term used to describe an armor pinch. Most commonly, the TK-Kiss will surface around the primary joints such as elbows and knees. It happens when someone bends their appendages too much in armor causing the upper and lower halves of armor to touch, sometimes catching skin in the middle.

Often a Stormtrooper doesn't even feel the constant pinching and rather than 1 sharp pain pinch, it'll develop over hours of trooping and irritation. Not everyone gets them, Yours truly happens to be slim enough that usually my skin is not in the way of pinches but nonetheless, it can happen all the same. What results is a very red and painful mark almost like a hickie or rash.

Next time you see a stormtrooper out there for hours, think about how the poor fellow or lady might be getting pinched everytime he/she takes a step.

Autism Double Header Weekend

This past weekend was a Double Header of Autism Awareness events in support of April as Autism Awareness Month. Yours Truly, alongside brothers and sisters of Garrison Carida of the 501st Legion, made appearances at both the Lehigh Valley, PA Walk Now for Autism Speaks event on Saturday 4/17 and the Philadelphia Zoo Autism Awareness Day Festival in Philadelphia, PA on Sunday 4/18.

The weather held out for both events and brought a little taste of Spring back out in support of these great events. Both events were phenominal and received amazing support from the community.

Saturday's Lehigh Valley Walk Now for Autism raised over $300,000 towards the fight to help wage war on the Galactic War on Autism. Several thousand people in attendance, great festivities to make the atmosphere enjoyable and fun for all ages and of course... Star Wars!

The walk was great and we were so well received by the public it was truly amazing once again. Many heart-warming scenes were witnessed that showed that the Galactic Empire truly does have a heart of gold.

Sunday's Autism Awareness Day at the Philadelphia Zoo wasn't as much a fundraiser as it was just a fun day for Families with an autistic member to come out and enjoy a fun festival of shows, games and of course... the zoo itself. We were once again a hit for all ages and had even more heart-warming scenes with some members of the autistic community. One of my particular examples was a young boy with Autism (I'm guessing around 10 years old) basically latched on to me and didn't want to go. He wanted me to follow him into the one pavillion to watch him get a temporary tattoo and his parents were doing the whole "it's ok buddy he's got to stay out here to say hello to all the other kids too". I could sense the smiles on their faces as I took their sons hand and said I'd love to accompany him and spent the next 15 or so minutes with him.

As mentioned before, Autism Awareness is a very near and dear cause to me so this weekend was definitely well worth it to me personally. Take a moment to find a local Autism event to you and go out in support of it if you can. The Empire will graciously appreciate your support in our war on Autism.

8702 out

Autism Awareness

As mentioned before, the Empire does have a heart of gold. We are not the bad guys as you may be led to believe. I wanted to take this moment to recognize something very near and dear to me, Autism.

April is Autism Awareness Month and I will be doing my part to help spread Awareness of Autism this month and challenge everyone out there to do the same. You can come visit That Stormtrooper Guy and all his Stormtrooper and Sith Lord friends this weekend for a Double header of Autism Awareness appearances.

Saturday April 17th: Walk Now for Autism - Lehigh Valley, PA (Near Allentown)
http://www.walknowforautismspeaks.org/lehighvalley

Sunday April 18th: Autism Speaks - Philadelphia, PA (Philadelphia Zoo)
http://www.philadelphiazoo.org/zoo/Visit-The-Zoo/Calendar-of-Events/Autism-Awareness-Day.htm

I will be wearing my Scout Trooper armor both days. Hope to see you there in support with me! Reports from both appearances to come in the next few days.

Photo Coverage - A Magic Trick

This weeks Photo Coverage comes from the Great Allentown Comic Con 2 weeks ago on April 3rd, 2010.

I was just minding my own business when this two bit wack job in a purple coat and makeup started in on his craziness. I decided to stand toe to toe with him. I pulled out my E-11 Blaster Rifle and he pulled out a Pencil. I chuckled and asked what he planned to do with that. He asked if I wanted to see a Magic trick. The rest as they say is history.

Lesson to everyone to be learned out there? Be careful who you ask to do a magic trick.

Troublesome Tuesday - Armor Transportation

It's not all wine and roses when it comes to toting stormtrooper armor around. This week's edition of Troublesome Tuesday is Armor Transportation!

Often overlooked or never even thought of is how that Stormtrooper you see showed up where he is. As this isn't Star Trek he most certainly didn't "beam" there. You might have seen him arrive and never thought twice. Looking just like an ordinary guide except for one crucial difference. the sound of plastic wheels rolling around on the floor.

What you might refer to as the "Home Storage" section of your local department store is a Stormtrooper's Armor Storage and Transportation Paradise! Those big "tupperware totes" often found in someone's attic or storage unit are ideal for armor storage. Many have wheels on the bottom so they can easily be drug behind you and roll along with your steps. 4 or 5 people walking together all dragging home storage totes behind them is a sure sign of a Stormtrooper Squad about to get ready.

Consider the size of the totes, car pooling also becomes a careful game of jenga... how many troopers and their armor can be fit into each vehicle. Sometimes a trooper goes through nightmares to get themselves and their armor to an appearance. There are even horror stories of troopers flying and having the airlines lose their armor for days or weeks.

So if you expected a stormtrooper to just drive up in his car, lock the doors and march into a convention or event.... you are 99.5% mistaken (some can). Almost all Stormtroopers will have to tote their armor behind them and change on-site to entertain you and the public. That's this week's Troublesome Tuesday... got a request for a future Troublesome Tuesday? don't forget to email me at thatstormtrooperguy@gmail.com

Why the Empire is better...

Top 10 Reasons why the Empire is better than the Rebel Alliance:
(a Top 10 List by That Stormtrooper Guy)

10) Star Destroyers are Aerodynamic - true this doesn't really give the ship any better maneuverability in space.... but it just looks cool!!! Like a giant gray slice of yummy pie floating around blowing stuff up!

9) Health Benefits - The Empire truly does have an amazing Health Benefit plan. Granted most Imperial never get injured... only killed. Now that I think about it, it would be better if we had an amazing Life Insurance plan. But the Rebel's sure don't have a good Health plan!

8) The Bosses have Red Lightsabers - Yeah you know you're jealous... there really is no cooler color for a lightsaber than Red.

7) Comfort on base - I mean other than that whole Death Star fiasco... Imperials don't need to keep looking over their shoulders in their own base. Rebels?... you have to hide on the most unfit for life planets known to man, bith, and hutt.

6) Ease of Language - It's allll Galactic Basic for us my friends. With the Empire's strict No Alien policy... you don't have to worry about learning all different alien languages just to go about your day to day work. Take that Horse Head Rebel Pilot Guy!!

5) AT-ATs - I mean come on... Who doesn't love giant robot camels that rebel lasers can't shoot through (except at the neck... hmmm we should look into that)

4) Climbing the Corporate Ladder - How long do you sit at your desk hoping for a promotion some day. In the Empire... your boss could get strangled any day and you could be instantly promoted. The Empire has the highest # of promotions in the entire galaxy! Also the highest on the job casualty rate but that's just details.

3) The DEATH STAR!!! - I mean... come on... that's no moon... that's a moon that will blow you up! What's that? the Death Star. What does it do? It does DEATH!!!

2) Galactic Domination - Rebel Alliance may be a group of freedom fighters rallying support for their geurilla tactics... but the Empire has control of the Galaxy! We are stationed everywhere keeping the peace. We are THE POWER!

AND FINALLY...

1) The Armor baby Yeah!!! - After all, what did you expect me to put down for number 1? I'm That Stormtrooper Guy... of course it's the sleek, shiny, sexy and awesome STORMTROOPER ARMOR! Take that Rebel Scum with your camo or flightsuits!

Fangirls

The General Public loves seeing Stormtroopers out and about. But what does the Stormtrooper have to look forward to? You though I was going to shout FANGIRLS! didn't you? Well I won't shout it because we also look forward to bringing smiles to children, entertaining the public, and doing good work for the community. However, you still can't help but smile at Fangirls.

We are all fans of a collective geekdom, Star Wars. But nothing is cooler than some of the fans having fans of their own. So to all the fangirls of Star Wars, we salute you! Continue turning our stormtrooper frowns upside-down!