| A young woman politely clears her throat to get the attention of a group of people excitedly chatting around her in a northwest pub. It’s the monthly meeting of Calgary’s Star Wars Fan Force – a social club of diverse people representing the biggest Star Wars fans in the city.
This evening, the chairperson of the Fan Force meeting is an outgoing 34-year-old court runner, Yrol Perera. Standing slightly over 5 feet tall and resembling a prettier version of actress Raven-Symone, Perera calls over one more group lingering by another table. The cool object of their attention is an intricate diorama of a scene from one of the Star Wars films that a member just finished constructing. The glue is still drying. Once they take a seat and beer and soda are dispersed, the meeting begins.
The cause of the pre-meeting chatter happens to be the first item on the agenda – "Celebration 4 (C4)." C4 is the fourth annual Star Wars convention taking place in Los Angeles from May 24 to May 28. Along with thousands of other people from around the globe, Calgary’s Fan Force will make the pilgrimage to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the first Star Wars film, which opened on May 25, 1977.
Forbes Magazine claims that Star Wars is one of the most successful franchises of all time, with revenue nearly reaching the $20 billion mark. This year’s C4 festivities include a rare speaking engagement by Carrie Fisher, appearances by celebrities from all six films, an authentic prop and costume exhibition and a collectibles store open 24 hours each day. With tons of interactive events, there will be heaps of opportunities for the Fan Force to meet other enthusiasts and discuss the epic George Lucas series that is so dear to their hearts.
"I've always been a Star Wars fan, but there was no turning back since Halloween night 2002 when I went to the advance screening of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones at Chinook Imax," explains Ryan Manson, a friendly 33-year-old purchaser for an air and gas compression manufacturer. "They advertised it as ‘Come (as) Your Favourite Star Wars Character.’ So, here I go in full Jedi robes, homemade EL lightsaber in hand, thinking this is going to be awesome, there should be tons of people all dressed up.
"I walk into the theatre and the crowd of people all stop talking and stare. As I look around, nobody is dressed up. Then, I hear from the back of the crowd, ‘At least somebody else dressed up.’ It was Yrol sitting near the back of the theatre. From that point on, there was no turning back."
The affable Manson would do it all again for a good laugh between himself and Perera. The entire gang is a light-hearted group who – like music nerds or sports fanatics – enjoy obscure trivia and exchanging stories about the best film series and pop culture phenomenon ever.
The Calgary Fan Force officially began in March 2005, as an organization belonging to a greater constellation of other Star Wars fan clubs. The membership currently hovers at 35 to 40 people and welcomes new members with open arms. Its activities span lightsaber and martial arts classes to charity work. Like any enthusiasts, they’re keen experts on their subject. One of them has successfully turned his hobby into a profession. With the encouragement of his loving wife, 29-year-old Ryan Dooks extended his passion for collecting Star Wars memorabilia. He opened Red 5 Collectibles – a store in southwest Calgary selling an array of sci-fi, fantasy and comic merchandise. Like other members, part of Dooks’s home is a shrine to Star Wars (two rooms in his basement, to be exact). Of all his collectibles, his favourite item is the wedding cake topper of Han Solo and Princess Leia that his wife had custom made for their wedding.
"What people need to realize is that our love of Star Wars is no different than anyone who loves the Flames. People eat, sleep, breathe Flames and people don’t bat an eye. But if I tell people that’s how much I love Star Wars, they think that’s weird. They say, ‘well, Star Wars isn’t real,’ but then you have to explain that the actors are real, the story came from a real person and it’s just something that’s fun and makes people happy."
Perera concurs. "Whether you’re into Star Wars, Star Trek, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, comic books, hockey, football, it doesn’t matter. Nobody thinks twice about people walking down the street in their hockey or football jersey. They paint their faces and they go out in the freezing cold and they think it’s perfectly normal.
"But somebody puts on a costume and walks out for a good cause – like we join (another club) for their AIDS Walk and to raise awareness for different charity events and they think it’s weird. We don’t see the difference. It’s the same thing, we’re doing something for the community if we can."
The Calgary Fan Force is always looking for future Jedis to join. Contact the group through its website CalgaryFanForce.com. Klingons or Vulcans need not apply. |
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