Dressing up's no longer just for kids
Many adults go to great lengths to fashion exotic and costly costumes
For Mark Fordham, the process is a little more in-depth. Over the course of more than 20 years, this 44-year-old from Provo has been slowly piecing together and improving his Vader ensemble, beginning with a simple jumpsuit/vampire cape combo. Today, the outfit weighs more than 40 pounds and features a real electronic panel with blinking lights and voice mike, a vacuum-molded helmet and a cape Fordham made himself from $30-a-yard wool crepe.
He relies on musical vocal training to get the voice right because, he says, "There's no voice box in the world that's going to make you sound like James Earl Jones."
As the commanding officer of the 501st Legion, an international organization of Star Wars enthusiasts that functions somewhat like a painstakingly costumed Kiwanis Club, Fordham leads hundreds of fans dressed as Imperial storm troopers in charity work — from Make-A-Wish Foundation appearances to Salvation Army bell-ringing.
His love of costume-making isn't unique among science fiction and fantasy fans; dressing up as beloved characters has been a part of sci-fi get-togethers for decades. Today, the genre attracts a diverse crowd drawn together by shared interests in imagination and often mind-blowing levels of craftsmanship.
Marty Gear, a 69-year-old from Columbia, Md., wasn't quite old enough to be there. But as a founding member of the International Costumers Guild, with more than 25 years of experience, he's known as the unofficial historian of sci-fi and fantasy costuming.
Gear says the first costumed fans were Forrest J. Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas, a California couple who arrived at the 1939 convention dressed in their interpretation of the finest in 25th century fashion.
"Costuming is the second oldest tradition in sci-fi fandom," Gear says. "The first is drinking beer."
Sci-fi and costumes go together like elves and pointy ears for two reasons. The first, and probably most obvious, is the unabashed fun of getting to spend a few hours playing pretend.
"Whether it's Star Trek, Star Wars, Harry Potter or anime, lots of people enjoy the concept of dressing up for a weekend as their favorite character and living a part," Gear says. "It's just plain fun, and many people don't get enough of that in their day-to-day lives."
For some fans, it's fun enough wearing a mass-produced costume or something assembled from old clothes. Others, however, have another motivation: They love the challenge of turning a 2-D image into a 3-D outfit and the creative outlet of doing it all yourself.
Recent comments
Mr. Fordham and other members of his costuming group (in cooperation…
Anonymous | Oct. 14, 2008 at 6:19 p.m.
I think this is cool. Unlike most Americans, this guy wasn't lazy…
anonymous | Oct. 13, 2008 at 10:36 p.m.
loooooooosers - what could he have accomplished that was worthwhile…
Anonymous | Oct. 13, 2008 at 10:18 p.m.
