• How To Join The 501st Legion

    What is the 501st Legion?
    http://www.501st.com/mission.php


    How to begin your journey:
    • You can contact Star Garrison at info@stargarrison.com
    • Decide what costume you want to build.
    • Create an account on your detachment forum. You might be able to find people in your area who are building their costume too.
    • Contact our Recruitment Officer to find troopers in your area and start meeting us.
    • Attend armor parties to see costumes in person and get assistance on your build.
    • Go to an event and see us in person. You may be able to act as a handler. Handlers help us put on our costumes, take pictures, be our eyes and ears - it's hard to see out of these helmets.
    • 501st members usually attend conventions and sometimes have a booth with info. If you spot a Star Wars character at a con, talk to them.
    • When your costume is being assembled you can apply for membership at 501st.com.
    • The Garrison Membership Liaison (GML) will contact you, tell you what needs to be completed for membership, and review your costume for approval.
    • When your costume requirements are met, you'll be approved as an official 501st member.


    First and foremost, decide the character you want to build then research it. Local 501st members are a great resource. Your detachment forum is a manual for your costume. Tutorials, w.i.p. costume builds, and items for sale will be posted there. If the costume you want to make has never been built before, and there is enough official Star Wars media to reference from, you can still join the 501st with it so long as you work closely with the GML and the Detachment to ensure accuracy.

    Go to WWW.STARWARSHELMETS.COM to view comparison pictures of original and fan made costumes. It's a fantastic resource; use it!!!

    A Detachment is simply the costume or character you portray. Detachments organize same type characters to consolidate a niche knowledge base. For example, Clone Troopers from the films and TV show including Commander Gree, Bly, Rex, and Fox are all part of the Clone Trooper Detachment.


    Where can I find my Detachment?
    http://www.501st.com/resources.php


    What is a Costume Reference Library? (CRL)
    This is a reference guide that contains pictures of the costume, a detailed description of the parts, and requirements for 501st membership. You can use this as a checklist when building your costume. CRLs are organized by Detachment. If the CRL is not posted yet for your costume you can get it by 1) contact the garrison's GML or 2) go to your detachment forum and send a Private Message to the armor chief. There will be a staff listing thread on the forum.
    http://www.501st.com/databank/Costuming:CRL


    How do I make my costume?
    Officially licensed Star Wars costumes may not be acceptable for 501st membership "right out of the box." Modification may be needed to custom tailor it to the wearer.

    Some people have the time, talent, and resources to fabricate everything; others need to commission the main part of a costume but can make all the accessories by themselves; and some need to commission their whole costume. Stormtrooper or Clone armor can be complex to produce and is more conveniently attainable by buying an armor kit.

    In this hobby there is usually a wait to receive what you commission or buy, sometimes a very long wait. Costumes are not sitting on shelves waiting to be bought. Most are custom made. Many times there are production runs on Detachment "For Sale" or "Interest" threads where a pre-sell is started, a batch is produced, then everyone will receive what they ordered. Keep in mind that most sellers have regular day jobs as well.

    Do research on the seller before you commit to buy! Do they offer a good product and are reputable? Ebay is not usually the best place to buy your main costume parts from. On rare occasions a 501st member will sell their costume on that site. There are a few Ebay sellers who are reputable and sell quality accessories but it's rare. Talk to other costumers, people on forums, or contact the detachment armor chief. An honest, reputable seller will be well known within the community and usually posts a For Sale thread in the detachment forum.

    The #1 issue with a person starting their costume build is the fear of making a mistake. After all, you spent a lot of money on your new costume and don't want to ruin it. Have no fear! Look at pictures of what others have done before you and ask lots of questions. Most mistakes are repairable.

    What happens if I want to buy a costume from a 501st member?
    It does not guarantee membership nor allow approval to wear at official 501st events. You need to go through the approval process with your GML to make sure the costume fits you. Buying a costume from someone with a similar body type will help because only a few size modifications may be needed.

    How is the 501st leadership organized?
    http://www.501st.com/orgchart.php


    How is the 501st geographically organized?

    501st Legion: An international fan club.


    Garrison: Large amount of members in a region, like a country or a US state; sometimes multiple countries or multiple states.


    Squad: A group of members in a large city and surrounding suburbs, like Houston; or sometimes a state.


    Outpost: A small group of people, or just one, who does not have enough people to form a Garrison or Squad. For example, as of this writing, just one person represents the 501st in Bolivia.
    This article was originally published in blog: How To Join The 501st Legion started by TrooperTim