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In 1977, Star Wars revolutionized the film
industry with its timeless tale of good versus evil, coupled with
groundbreaking special effects. George Lucas' epic space fantasy
firmly entrenched itself in popular culture and spawned the mammoth
licensing vehicle which opened up a new trend in movie merchandising.
Twenty five years later, the saga celebrates its Silver Anniversary
and the release of the latest installment in the franchise, Episode
II: Attack Of The Clones. To mark the momentous occassion, Lucasfilm
along with Wizards of the Coast and Hasbro, organizes an event in
the mammoth Indianapolis Convention Center from May 3-5, 2002 dubbed
Star Wars Celebration 2. The second event of its kind, following
in the tradition of the first Denver Celebration for Episode
I in 1999, C2 promises an experience like no other for fans
of The Force. Featuring various exhibits and panels, autograph signings
by your favorite Star Wars celebrities, a 25th Anniversary
concert, art and memorabilia shows, and every imaginable aspect
of fandom, including an exclusive
action figure, Celebration 2 will be an event to remember. Team
Rebelscum provides you with comprehensive coverage of the event
beginning Friday. Don't forget to stop by our booth, sponsored by
Ultarama, to say hello and
receive your FREE limited edition collectible Rebelscum pin made
by Pin
USA! May The Force Be With You!
Downtown Indianapolis was virtually attacked by multitudes
of Star Wars fans. The initial projection of 15-20,000 people
per day based on advanced ticket sales was well surpassed, and reached
critical mass on Saturday. The estimated final tally was a little
over 75,000 people for the three day event. But Star Wars
fans were undaunted by the long waits and packed hallways. Jedis,
Stormtroopers, and many more costumed fans were everywhere to be
seen as the Convention Center was transformed into a scene straight
out of a busy Tatooine spaceport.
The
two places that received the most traffic (and some notoriety) were
the Fan Club store and the autograph section, specifically for Carrie
Fisher. Everyone knew the exclusive Jorg Sacul X-Wing Pilot would
be special, but little did they know that it would be a source of
frustration for many. Lucasfilm fully intended to have this figure,
as well as other C2 Logo merchandise, available only at the event.
The goal was to ensure that fans attending the convention would
be able to get the figure. But greed and opportunism tainted the
event as some fans purchased much more than the 2 per person limit.
Certain dealers even saw it fit to offer to buy figures right off
of conventioneers hands at $20-30 a pop and then turn around to
resell it for twice the amount. Even the plan to sell a fixed amount
per day fell short…way short. Inventory that was supposed to
be sold on Sunday was instead sold with the Friday stock, leading
to immediate sellouts and the item completely gone by 9:30 AM Sunday
morning. Needless to say, a good number of fans returned home without
the elusive exclusive Mr. Sacul.
The autograph
section was packed with fans wanting signed photos and memorabilia of their favorite
Star Wars actors and actresses. Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian),
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett), and David Prowse (Darth Vader) were popular stops.
But the busiest was without a doubt Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia). Fans braved
lines with waits over 3 hours just to obtain Carrie's autograph. But I guess if
you're a Star Wars fan, long lines are part of fandom culture.
Highlights
of the event included the Rick McCallum Spectacular and Saturday
nights Star Wars 25th Anniversary Concert, performed by the
Indianapolis Philharmonic Orchestra. The fan favorite and colorful
McCallum, Episode II's producer, treated audiences to an
8 minute digital trailer of the film as well as an astounding new
trailer featuring Yoda exhibiting his fighting prowess against a
sinister opponent. The sold out concert, hosted by C2 Master of
Ceremonies Anthony Daniels, featured music from the 4 Star Wars
movies sans Clones (much to the disappointment of a few fans).
The concert even had special surprise appearances by Darth Vader
and a platoon of Stormtroopers during the performance of "The
Imperial March". A twisting and beeping R2-D2 also joined in
on the festivities.
All
in all, the event was a tremendous success, despite the fiasco with
the exclusive figure and some flawed logistics on the part of convention
planners. It makes a strong case for the viability of the franchise
and the loyal following of fans, both old and new, who will always
carry with them the love and passion for that galaxy far, far away.
