Twi'lek Pam

. Visas Marr Visas Marr is a Miraluka from the planet Katarr. She lived there until the Sith Lord Darth Nihilus arrived, drawn by the Force presence of the Miraluka. After Nihilus destroyed the planet using the power of the Dark Side of the Force, only Visas Marr was left alive. Darth Nihilus took Visas Marr from the ruins of her home and made her his apprentice. She remained in this role until she was sent to kill the Exile. Unable to fulfill this task, Visas found herself fighting alongside the Exile as they worked to halt the destruction Darth Nihilus was causing throughout the galaxy. Visas Marr Image Gallery http://www.theflagshipeclipse.com/galle ... p?album=16 Visual Reference Sources These are the sources for LFL image resources. The purpose of this section is to show costumers where the character has appeared so far, and to tell them where they can look to get more information about the characters. Book Titles -Star Wars The Ultimate Visual Guide Special Edition. Page 29. (headshot only.) Comic Titles - ?Unseen, Unheard? from Star Wars Tales issue 24, published by Dark Horse Comics. Action Figures or Miniatures - Star Wars Miniatures, Champions of the Force Set, piece --4. Jedi Sentinel. (Note, this figure is not identified in the game as Visas Marr, but it clearly is based from her design.) Games That Include the Character - Knights of the Old Republic 2: the Sith Lords by Obsidian Entertainment Official Background Information Sources This is a listing of links or sources that will provide more information about the character. They may or may not have images. Star Wars Books - Star Wars: Jedi vs. Sith, The Essential Guide to the Force. Page 23. Unofficial Background Information Sources NOTE: While wiki sources can be interesting and informative to read, they should NOT be considered accurate sources for character backgrounds or costume images due to the fact that anyone can go in and edit the text or images, regardless of accuracy. - Wookiepedia Entry for Visas Marr http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Visas_Marr - Wikipedia Entry for Visas Marr http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visas_Marr - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia Entry for Visas Marr http://theforce.net/swenc/newdescr.asp? ... 8058&tab=d .

. Darth Revan Revan was a Dark Lord of the Sith who lived around the years 3,963?3,956 BBY; roughly 40 years after the Great Sith War and the fall of Exar Kun. Revan sought what many considered to be the complete annihilation of the Galactic Republic, a tendency later followed on by Revan's apprentice Darth Malak. Revan and Malak led a breakaway faction of Jedi Knights into war alongside the Republic against the Mandalorians during the Mandalorian Wars. This action was taken against the will of the Council and caused a schism within the Order. After Revan led the Republic to victory, Revan and Malak left known space and returned "changed." Following their return, the two new Sith Lords waged war against the very Republic they'd fought to save. Interestingly, however, Revan waged war in a very particular way, seemingly wanting to preserve the infrastructure of the Republic and to strip away the "dead weight." It is theorized that Revan believed there was a greater threat than the Mandalorians lurking outside of Known Space and was seeking, in fact, to force the Republic to strengthen itself, rather than actually seeking the Republic's outright destruction. Because Revan's first (and main) appearance is in the Knights of the Old Repubic videogame, the character's appearance and even gender is variable. However, more recently, canonical sources dictate that Revan was, in fact, male - in spite of the fact that in the second Knights of the Old Republic game, the character is first referred to as female and it is decision of the player whether or not to contradict this and "set" the character as male. Darth Revan Image Gallery http://theflagshipeclipse.com/gallery/t ... p?album=22 Visual Reference Sources These are the sources for LFL image resources. The purpose of this section is to show costumers where the character has appeared so far, and to tell them where they can look to get more information about the characters. Action Figures or Miniatures - Hasbro Action Figure, 3.75 inch size. (Note: the mask used for the sculpt on this figure is a fan based sculpt instead of the mask belonging to the character in the game.) - Star Wars Miniatures: Legacy of the Force Set. Piece --1. Darth Revan. Games That Include the Character - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic by BioWare. - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords by Obsidian Entertainment. Official Background Information Sources This is a listing of links or sources that will provide more information about the character. They may or may not have images. Star Wars Books - Star Wars The New Essential Chronology. Pages 21, 22, 24. - Star Wars Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. Pages xix, 22, 23, 30, 56, 57, 91, 131-133, 154, 163, 164. - Star Wars The Ultimate Visual Guide. Page 28. Unofficial Background Information Sources NOTE: While wiki sources can be interesting and informative to read, they should NOT be considered accurate sources for character backgrounds or costume images due to the fact that anyone can go in and edit the text or images, regardless of accuracy. - Wookiepedia Entry for Darth Revan http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Revan - Wikipedia Entry for Darth Revan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Revan - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia Entry for Darth Revan http://theforce.net/swenc/newdescr.asp? ... 8510&tab=d .

. Darth Traya Darth Traya, previously known as Kreia, was a Sith Lord during the second Sith War. She first trained the Jedi who went on to become Darth Revan, and then the Sith Lords Darth Nihilus and Darth Sion. She also traveled for a time with the Jedi Exile, seeking to understand his power. Darth Traya met her end in battle with the Exile at the Traya Academy. Note: For the purposes of 501st membership, the Jedi Master Kreia is not an accepted character. Her costume consists of traditional brown Jedi robes. When Kreia becomes Darth Traya, her costume shifts to all black. After that change, the character is accpted for 501st membership. Darth Traya Image Gallery http://theflagshipeclipse.com/gallery/t ... p?album=11 Visual Reference Sources These are the sources for LFL image resources. The purpose of this section is to show costumers where the character has appeared so far, and to tell them where they can look to get more information about the characters. Games That Include the Character - Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic 2: The Sith Lords by Obsidian Entertainment. Official Background Information Sources This is a listing of links or sources that will provide more information about the character. They may or may not have images. Star Wars Books - Star Wars Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. Page 23. (Mistakenly referred to as Darth Kreia) - Star Wars The New Essential Chronology. Page 24. (Mistakenly referred to as Darth Kreia, in addition to being called Darth Traya) Unofficial Background Information Sources NOTE: While wiki sources can be interesting and informative to read, they should NOT be considered accurate sources for character backgrounds or costume images due to the fact that anyone can go in and edit the text or images, regardless of accuracy. - Wookiepedia Entry for Darth Traya http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Traya - Wikipedia Entry for Darth Traya http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Traya--Kreia - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia Entry for Darth Traya http://theforce.net/swenc/newdescr.asp? ... 2187&tab=d .

. To see the official Legion CRL entry and a downloadable PDF file for this costume, please click here: http://www.501st.com/databank/Costuming:SL_marr_kotor2 Legion CRL Entry for the Knights of the Old Republic II Visas Marr Costume components: 1. Veil: The dark red veil covers the back and sides of the head to the shoulders, and it covers the front of the face to midway down the nose. The veil's fabric matches the fabric used for the under dress. The veil sits closely against the face to hide the costumer's eyes. A pattern of gold embellishment borders the bottom hem and front of the veil. 2. Lipstick: The lipstick has a soft violet tint. 3. Overdress: The fitted overdress is made from black leather or leatherette with a low gloss finish. The overdress includes a faint gray pinwheel pattern. The fitted bodice has a high turtleneck collar and small capped sleeves. The skirt is ankle length and has a split on the left side that starts just below the waist, revealing the red dress underneath. The arm holes and split in the skirt are hemmed and seamed. The back side of the leather or leatherette is also black in color. 4. Underdress: The dark red under dress is made with a matt fabric that has a blue tone, rather than an orange tone. The dress has a fitted bodice and a full skirt that falls to ankle length. The full sleeves are gathered just below elbow length. 5. Gloves: The fitted leather gloves reach nearly to the elbow. There are four evenly spaced gray bands on the forearms that go all of the way around the gloves. A section of gold embellishment circles the top of each glove with a pattern similar to the design on the veil. 6. Belt: The dark red sash style belt is wrapped twice around the waist. The two wraps of the belt come together on the right hip, and then drape to form two separate layers on the left side, one above and one just under the split of the overdress. The sash has a slightly redder shade than the rest of the red components of this costume. There is no visible connection where the ends of the belt come together. 7. Boots: The undecorated black leather boots have low heels. Costume Accessories: 8. Makeup: Darkside makeup that includes purple lips and pale skin with broken veins may be worn to replicate the physical deterioration of Visas Marr. 9. Lightsaber: A lightsaber based on the generic KOTOR designs may be carried, but the preferred design is the Visas Marr design that includes a banded design at the emitter. If bladed, the lightsaber's blade is red. 10. Blasters: Twin small blasters based on art from game illustrations may be carried. Optional holsters must be concealed, as there are no holsters seen in game.

Which style of goggles you get really depends on which version of Mara you want to portray. There is a considerable amount of variety when it comes to the goggles in Mara's reference images, so you've got quite a bit of leeway when you pick your goggles. Since my first Mara costume was based on the cover art from the Emperor's Hand comics, which had little more than a splash of color to represent the goggles, I got a rather plain pair off ebay and repainted them brown. But, now that I've reworked my costume to match the interior art from the Zahn trilogy comics, I need to replace my goggles. In those books, she wears goggles based on the aviator or motorcycle split-lense style. Those are pretty easy to pick up on ebay or through aviator or motorcycle shops.... but they tend to come with a lot of padding around the eyepieces, which you have to remove. I got a pair and started reworking them, but never finished. (Too many projects!) And then, of course, there is the round and thin Decipher version, and the round goggles that she wears in the Emperor's Hand books... Pam

I had been hoping to finish my Visas costume in time for WonderCon, but I don't think it is going to happen. Visas needs to go back into her storage tub for a while because I'm having a hard time balancing work obligations, our farm's upkeep, detachment projects, and everything else. I have made some more progress, but it's not going to be enough. (Especially when I only have one week left, and that week is also going to include a week-long visit from an out of state relative, report cards due by Friday, prep for parent conferences the following week... and a lot of general stress and grumpiness!) I'm still planning to go to WonderCon, but I'll be taking my Mara costume instead. Sometimes the tried-and-true option can be the best choice, even if it's a bit disappointing. I am happy with the progress I've made on the veil. I couldn't figure out how to shape the material while it was on my own head, so I dug an old clay self portrait out of the closet, and that helped a lot. We've been joking that now Mother Mary is watching over the project for me. I was holding this a bit off-center, but it was just a test to see if my eyes would show through the mesh during flash photograhpy. I'm happy with the gold design and the opacity... and the color match between the mesh and the upper fabric was a lucky break, too! Pam

. Guri The character Guri is a human replica droid who belonged to Prince Xizor, leader of the Black Sun criminal organization. Programmed by Imperial scientists to be an assassin, she killed on command and also served as Xizor's personal bodyguard and assistant. She was introduced in the Shadows of the Empire novel and comics, which are set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Guri is a central figure in the Shadows of the Empire: Evolution novel and comic series, which take place after the death of Prince Xizor. Guri Image Gallery http://theflagshipeclipse.com/gallery/t ... p?album=12 Visual Reference Sources These are the sources for LFL image resources. The purpose of this section is to show costumers where the character has appeared so far, and to tell them where they can look to get more information about the characters. Star Wars Databank Entry http://www.starwars.com/databank/droid/guri/index.html Book Titles - The Art of the Brothers Hildebrandt (This book has many images of Guri!) - The New Essential Guide to Characters - Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force - Secrets of the Sisar Run (A supplement to Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game published by West End Games, this book has Guri on the front cover.) - The Rebellion Era Sourcebook (A supplement to Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast.) Comic Titles - Shadows of the Empire - Shadows of the Empire: Evolution (The costume worn in this comic cannot be used for 501st membership, because Guri is no longer a villian.) Trading or Game Card Series - Topps Shadows of the Empire Card Series - Reflections II: Expanding the Galaxy Customizable Card Game Action Figures or Miniatures - Star Wars Miniatures: Universe - Star Wars Miniatures: Attack on Endor Games That Include the Character - Shadows of the Empire Insider Magazine Issues - Issue --89 "Underworld: A Galaxy of Scum and Villainy" Official Background Information Sources This is a listing of links or sources that will provide more information about the character. They may or may not have images. Star Wars Books - Shadows of the Empire Sourcebook - The Essential Guide to Droids - The New Essential Guide to Droids - The New Essential Chronology Star Wars Novels - Rebel Dawn (A.C. Crispin) - Shadows of the Empire - Specter of the Past Unofficial Background Information Sources NOTE: While wiki sources can be interesting and informative to read, they should NOT be considered accurate sources for character backgrounds or costume images due to the fact that anyone can go in and edit the text or images, regardless of accuracy. - Wookiepedia Entry for Guri http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Guri - Wikipedia Entry for Human Replica Droids http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_replica_droid - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia Entry for Guri http://www.cuswe.org/search.asp?t=guri&no=10&EandD=EyDn .

. Mara Jade Mara Jade began her career in the Star Wars universe known as the Emperor?s Hand. She was a skilled assassin who could hear the Emperor from across the universe and would do his bidding. She was highly self-sufficient and a very strong woman. She participated on many evil missions and one of her last missions was to assassinate Luke Skywalker. While on that mission, she posed as a dancer in Jabba?s palace (Arica) but missed her chance to kill Luke. After this missed opportunity, the Emperor died and Mara continued her work for awhile. Eventually Mara began to respect Luke?s Jedi abilities and later turned good and became Luke Skywalker?s wife. Mara Jade Image Gallery http://theflagshipeclipse.com/gallery/t ... p?album=13 Visual Reference Sources These are the sources for LFL image resources. The purpose of this section is to show costumers where the character has appeared so far, and to tell them where they can look to get more information about the characters. Star Wars Databank Entry http://www.starwars.com/databank/charac ... index.html Shannon McRandle?s Website (She is the actress/model who portrayed Mara Jade for the official Lucasfilm photographs and events. The biographical information may or may not be accurate, but the photographs on this site were used by LFL and can be considered official reference images.) http://www.shannonmcrandle.com/gallery_mara.htm Book Titles - Star Wars : The New Essential Chronology (D. Wallace) - Star Wars : Panel to Panel (R. Stradley) - Star Wars : The Comics Companion (R. Windham & D. Wallace) This book references the comic books and gives brief synopses Comic Titles - Mara Jade: By the Emperor?s Hand 1-6 (T. Zahn & M. Stackpole) - Heir to the Empire (T. Zahn) - Dark Force Rising (T. Zahn) Includes imagry of the back of Mara Jade with holster - The Last Command (T. Zahn) - Star Wars Tales --1 (T. Zahn and R. Marz) Good blaster and lightsaber shots - Union (M. Stackpole) The image on the cover of her black jumpsuit is acceptable. All of the other images represent costumes worn after she turned good. Trading or Game Card Series - CCG : Mara Jade, The Emperor?s Hand (--1) - CCG : Mara Jade?s Lightsaber (--1) Action Figures or Miniatures - Power of the Force ? Expanded Universe ? Mara Jade (action figure) - Star Wars Rebel Storm Miniatures : Mara Jade, Emperor?s Hand (--30/50) - Gentle Giant Star Wars Busts : Mara Jade - Star Wars Comic 2 packs ? Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker w/ Heir to the Empire comic Novels Wth Character on the Cover Allegiance (T. Zahn) image of Mara Jade on back cover Sacrifice (K. Traviss) image of Mara Jade on front cover Games That Include the Character - Star Wars : Masters of Teras Kasi - Star Wars : Empire at War - Star Wars : Empire at War, Forces of Corruption - Star Wars Galaxies Insider Magazine Issues - Issue 47 (Dec/Jan 2000) Shannon McRandle photo spread as Mara Jade Official Background Information Sources This is a listing of all links or sources that will provide more information about the character. They may or may not have images. Please do NOT link to fan art, modified game renders, or fan fiction websites. Star Wars Books - Star Wars : Jedi vs. Sith, The Essential Guide to the Force (R. Windham) - Star Wars : Panel to Panel volume 2 (R. Stradley) background information - Star Wars Encyclopedia (S. Sansweet) Star Wars Novels - Heir to the Empire (T. Zahn) - Dark Force Rising (T. Zahn) - The Last Command (T. Zahn) - Dark Apprentice (K. Anderson) - Champions of the Force (K. Anderson) - I, Jedi (M. Stackpole) - Children of the Jedi (B. Hambly) - Darksaber (K. Anderson) - The New Rebellion (K. Rusch) - Ambush at Corellia (R. Allen) - Assault at Selonia (R. Allen) - Showdown at Centerpoint (R. Allen) - Specter of the Past (T. Zahn) - Vision of the Future (T. Zahn) - Vector Prime (R. Salvatore) - Dark Tide : Onslaught (M. Stackpole) - Dark Tide : Ruin (M. Stackpole) - Agents of Chaos : Hero?s Trial (J. Luceno) - Balance Point (K. Tyers) - Edge of Victory : Conquest (G. Keyes) - Edge of Victory : Rebirth (G. Keyes) Unofficial Background Information Sources NOTE: While wiki sources can be interesting and informative to read, they should NOT be considered accurate sources for character backgrounds or costume images due to the fact that anyone can go in and edit the text or images, regardless of accuracy. - Wookiepedia Entry for Mara Jade http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Mara_Jad ... references - Wikipedia Entry for Mara Jade http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mara_Jade - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia Entry for Mara Jade http://www.cuswe.org/search.asp?t=mara+ ... EandD=EyDn .

. Darth Nihilus Darth Nihilus is a character from the Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords video game by Obsidian and Lucasarts. He was a student of Darth Traya and part of the Sith Triumverate along with Darth Traya and Darth Sion. Darth Nihilus is revealed to be something of a Wraith in nature, his physical form having perished long before the events of KOTOR II. The mask we see contains what is left of his essense, tenaciously holding on to this reality with a body composed of shadow and hunger. Darth Nihilus Image Gallery http://theflagshipeclipse.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=9 Visual Reference Sources These are the sources for LFL approved images. The purpose of this section is to show costumers wehere the character has appeared so far, and to tell them where they can look to get more information about the characters. Comic Titles - Star Wars Tales --64 "Unseen, Unheard" - Star Wars Legacy --5 "Broken, Part 4" Action Figures or Miniatures - Star Wars Miniatures: Champions of the Force by Wizards of the Coast - Upcoming Hasbro Evolutions "The Sith" action figure pack Games That Include the Character - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords Official Background Information Sources This is a listing of all links or sources that will provide more information about the character. They may or may not have images. Please do NOT link to fan art, modified game renders, or fan fiction websites. Star Wars Books - The New Essential Chronology - Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force. Other Sources - Evil Never Dies: The Sith Dynasties. This is an online suppliment to Star Wars Insider issue --88 and is available to Hyperspace members only. - "Heritage of the Sith" - An article in Star Wars Insider --88 Unofficial Background Information Sources NOTE: While wiki sources can be interesting and informative to read, they should NOT be considered accurate sources for character backgrounds or costume images due to the fact that anyone can go in and edit the text or images, regardless of accuracy. - Wookipedia entry for Darth Nihilus http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Darth_Nihilus - Wikipedia entry for Darth Nihilus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darth_Nihilus - Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia entry for Darth Nihilus http://www.cuswe.org/search.asp?t=nihil ... EandD=EyDn .

Correct! We also figured out that the reason you often see the pattern messed up down the very center of the front and back of the outer dress is because they only rendered one side of the pattern and then made a mirror image of it for the other side. The center line of those mirror images doesn't line up perfectly, so you see the pinwheel pattern distorted down the center. Thanks for the link fix, Izzie! Pam

. Costume standards for the Knights of the Old Republic II version of Darth Nihilus This image shows the game renders for Nihilus. It is considered the prime source of KOTOR II Nihilus reference material. Click to see the image at full size. Costume components: 1. Cowl: The cowl is made of opaque black fabric with a suitable drape. It includes a correctly sized triangular over each temple, and the back of the head is unusually square in shape. These effects are best produced by attaching a support structure to the top of the white mask, which the cowl may then be draped over. The cowl is attached to the upper edge of the white mask in order to block the top of the head from view. The cowl drapes downward and rests on the costumer's chest, creating a closed oval frame around the face. The cowl does not have to be attached to the cape, but a connection is acceptable. 2. Mask: The stylized skull-like mask is white or off-white in color. The mask extends from the lips to at least the top of the forehead, and may continue further beneath the cowl. The mask has two red stripes. Located over the eye holes, each red stripe extends upward with a slight taper. The mask has a metallic silver forehead design. The design consists of a two layered bar that goes from the top edge of the nose to the top of the forehead. It includes a silver oval in the center of the forehead and a fan shaped silver design at the edge of hood. 3. Face Covering: The costumer's face is blacked out behind the white mask. This may be accomplished with black body paint, a sculpted black mask, or a tight-fitting fabric blackout mask. The eyes are hidden with black sclera lenses or the fabric of a blackout hood. 4. Cape: The cape is made of an opaque black fabric. It is sewn to the outer tunic at the front of the shoulders, using a gathered seam with very large stitching. The cape hangs back over the shoulders, reaching nearly to the floor. 5. Inner tunic: The inner tunic is made of opaque black fabric. The tunic is form-fitting and has long sleeves. 6. Outer tunic: The outer layer is made of opaque black fabric. It consists of a somewhat fitted sleeveless tunic and a layer of heavy padding or armor hidden under the fabric of the chest area. High loft quilt batting or a more rigid material may be used to create the padded look of the tunic chest. The outer fabric is not sewn to the base of this padding; instead it hangs loosely over the stomach. 7. Gloves: The black gloves reach at least halfway up the forearms. The gloves do not have any straps, buckles, snaps, or extra decoration, and they should not have a large flare at the opening. 8. Obi: The obi is made of opaque black fabric and is approximately 4 cm in width. The obi is worn at the waist to gather the outer layer in tight to the body. If desired, the obi may be incorporated into the waistband of the skirt. 9. Skirt: The skirt is made of opaque black fabric that reaches nearly to the floor. The skirt is made with enough material to create a gathered effect around the body, and is not tight or form-fitting. 10. Boots: Plain black boots are worn. They do not have visible straps, buckles, or laces. Costume Accessories: 11. Lightsaber: The hilt resembles the Knights of the Old Republic II single handed lightsaber hilt. If the lightsaber has a blade, the blade is red in color.

Thanks for sharing the photos... I was curious to see how the pieces would look as they were modified and disassembled. Making a production mold is a lot of work, but I think in the end you are going to be VERY happy that you put in the effort! Pam

Here's how my new lekku sculpt is coming out so far. I'm still in the roughing-in phase, which is frustratingly slow for me. (I spent three years running photo developing machines, and brought home a nice case of tendonitis in both hands as a souvenir.) I'm pleased with how the sculpt is coming out so far. Once I have the overall shape looking the way I want it to, I'll be starting the smoothing process. This is a foam casting of my head, which was poured around a welded frame that will be able to handle the weight of the 50 pound mold later on. A length of rebar goes down each lekku, which is then covered with aluminum foil to bulk out the shape of the lekku. On top of that is a thick layer of oil clay. Pam

Thanks! Be sure to invite your friend to share her progress here on the boards... I'd love to see how things work out for her! Pam

. We need to get back to the standards discussion for this costume so that we can get it finished up and voted on by the detachment. This is the standards format that we need to use: Must Have: (All components needed for said costume, no costume can be approved if one of these items is missing.) Should Have: (Not needed for legion approval but highly stressed upon to have anyway.) May Have/Optional: (Not needed or stressed upon but can really set a costume apart from the rest.) Here is the draft that was presented earlier in this thread. Does anyone have any additions and/or suggestions? Would anyone like to start the process of putting it into the standards format? Hair: I think that black and blonde to strawberry blonde should be the colors. Not red. Especially since Zahn has stated in person that her hair isn't red. It is strawberry blonde (that is his meaning of red-gold). Black hair should be straight and around shoulder length. The strawberry-blonde is shoulder length or longer. Bodysuit: Black fishnet bodysuit without sleeves. There may be a privacy lining under the black fishnet as long as the nude effect is preserved. The neckline of the bodysuit comes at least to the base of the neck and may extend slightly above the base of the neck. There should be a blue double hand-like applique with 5 "fingers" to each half. The applique should have the following details: a. Two triangular topstitched details from the top edge on each side b. A circular topstitched detail containing 2 concentric "circles" and central line Skirting: Same blue material as the "hands." It should consist of a front and a back drape that are open at the sides to the waist. The drapes should extend below the knees. The two drapes are connected to each other by a strip of the same blue material as the drapes no less than 3/4 of an inch wide. Stockings: Black thigh-high stockings with or without feet. A thigh band with silver decorations as in the comic image/reference may be added. Footwear: Officially no shoes as shown in the comic. However, due to convention ease sandals (such as seen in the Emperor's Hand version Arica) may be worn. Alternatively boots made in the Slave Leia style woud be acceptible. Accessories: Headband: silver, with circular or swirled details as in the comics Ear Rings: no ear rings (as in the comic) or trianglar irridescent/mother of pearl would be acceptible Scarf: There is a single long rectangular scarf made of the same or similar material as the rest of the costume. It is attached to either black or silver tubular elastic at the upper arms and at each wrist with a sliver bracelet.

I discussed this issue with Thomas, and have some answers concerning Guri. First, Guri is already an accepted 501st character. No worries there. As for her costumes.... Blue/Yellow dress: Already accepted for 501st membership. Red/Olive dress: Not yet accepted. There are sufficient front and back refrences, however, so if someone makes a quality version of this costume, it should be accepted. Purple/Yellow jumpsuit: This costume will NOT be accepted for 501st membership. By that point in her life Guri no longer wants to be an assassin. She escaped from the Empire (blowing up a Star Destroyer bridge in the process) and is trying to plot a new path for her "life." Pam

. Designing a new costume is always a long-term goal for me. I start out by spending a month or two collecting reference images, drawing sketches to help me understand the costume from every angle, and figuring out how to convert flat images into a three dimensional creation. Then it's time to start shopping. I try to search out the best materials I can find, and that usually takes another month or two of hunting local stores and the internet. Once I have all of the supplies, it's time to really get to work! I am nearly finished with the shopping phase of my Darth Talon endeavour, so I thought I'd share what I've collected so far. Like I said, this is a long term goal. It'll take me a while, but if everything goes as planned I will (hopefully) have an accurate Darth Talon costume ready to share by summer of 2008. My goal is to wear the costume at Dragon*Con, to go with the Shado Vao costume that we're making for Scott. (I loved Cade's "Finish her or marry her!" line. Scott and I went for option B. ) For the costume, here are the supplies I have so far: - Lekku headpiece with the thinnest latex I could manage on the forehead. I plan to make a new mold and better lekku in the spring, but if I don't manage, this headpiece should do the trick. - Incubus style contacts (The yellow-red coloring is backwards, but they have that wonderful black outline that is so prominant in the eyes of Legacy's Sith characters.) - Black High Tech Performance Spandex from Sew Sassy Fabrics. This stuff is really thick, and has a nice gloss to give the impression of tight fitting leather while still letting me bend my knees and elbows. - Kwik Sew Bikini Pattern 2968 (For the bottoms. The top will have to be made from scratch.) - Black Lambskin (For the bikini) - Black cow hide (For the straps on the belt) - Black low-heel boots - Black leather gloves - 2" leather belt strap from Tandy, dyed black - Buckle blank that will be integrated into the larger belt design - Fiberglass and styrene supplies for the armor, headpiece, and belt sections - Red and black Reel Creations Body Ink The Darth Talon costume is bringing a brand new element into the costuming process for me. I am going to make a lightsaber from scratch with Talon's distinctive saber handle and a red LED. My intention is to sculpt the saber handle in oil clay and make a mold, then cast the handle in resin over the top of a 1.25" pipe. I'm also going to experiment with sculpting a handle with Apoxy Sculpt to see how that comes out in comparison. It's amazingly hard when cured, and has a couple hours of working time. Since I don't want to use a kit, it has taken quite a bit of time to learn how the electronics work and to figure out which supplies to track down... but I'm finding it to be quite an adventure. I love having an excuse to learn something new! Here are the supplies I have so far: - Luxeon III Star Red Lambertian LED - Luxeon 10 degree Collimator Lens - 1400ma driver (regulated circuit board normally used for LED flashlights) - Low profile push button switch - Battery recharge port and charger (the port will be hidden in the handle design... I hope) - Corbin style 34" saber blade (the film inside gives the impression of a lighter core) - Assorted wiring, heatshrink tubing, solder, etc. - UltraFire Li-Ion 18650 rechargeable batteries - Two lengths of 1.25" pipe. (One for the sculpt, one for the casting) I still need to acquire a few more important things.... such as a machined aluminum blade holder that won't be available until January, a body casting that I can use for creating tattoo design stencils, and enough self confidence to wear this outfit in public! Pam

As far as I know, Talon has not yet been accepted for membership. I haven't asked the leadership folks directly, but my conjecture is that there are two main issues that we are waiting to see resolved. First, there aren't enough references for her yet. There is a Darth Talon figure due out in 2008, however, which should provide us with sufficient references. And, while there are some terrific Talon costumes out there, we don't yet one that is truly accurate to the references. Both are issues that can be resolved in time, and I believe that eventually Talon will become an accepted 501st character. In the meantime, I'll repeat what we've said many times: If you really want to make a certain costume, then make it! I don't think membership in any group should dictate what we as costumers truly want to create. If your friend wants to ensure that she WILL have a 501st accepted costume, then I recommend that she should consider an already accepted costume. There are some great options out there that she might enjoy. Besides, the Talon costume won't be appropriate for all events (and she won't want to do all that painting all the time!), so it's good to have a less revealing and less time-intensive backup costume for events where slinky outfits aren't welcome! Pam

Great pics! Thanks for posting them. (But your avatar will always be my favorite... I LOVE that darling photo!) Pam

I only use polyester resin, simply because that is what is most readily available here, and I'm used to working with it. I don't think there would be a weight difference between the two. Since fiberglass is so durable, you won't have to worry about the weight of the pieces. As long as you don't get carried away and make the piece too thick (too many layers of fiberglass and resin), the weight shouldn't be a concern. My Mara shin guards are very light, and they've held up to a LOT of trooping! I have bonded leather strips into fiberglass armor pieces, but I've never tried it with velcro. It would certainly stick well if the fibers are able to soak up enough resin to form a bond... but my concern would be that the resin might soak through and render the velcro useless. The best thing to do is to make a test piece. Just lay up some fiberglass, and try applying the velcro. If it works, then your'e free to move ahead. If not, then you can always apply the velcro to the back of the armor once it cures. Happy costuming! Pam

My garrison trooped at a comic shop this weekend, so I looked for the rest of the Shadows of the Empire comics while we were there. They had the whole set, but they were priced at $10 per issue, so I didn't buy them. I did flip through the comics, though, and I found that Guri's red costume IS consistent throughout the rest of the series. I had been wondering if the shoes being the same color as the tights was just a coloring error in that one image... but that detail remains consistant through the rest of the images. The shoes are always the same olive color. Pam

. The character Guri is a human replica droid who belonged to Prince Xizor, leader of the Black Sun criminal organization. Programmed by Imperial scientists to be an assassin, she killed on command and also served as Xizor's personal bodyguard and assistant. She was introduced in the Shadows of the Empire novel and comics, which are set between The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Guri is a central figure in the Shadows of the Empire: Evolution novel and comic series, which take place after the death of Prince Xizor. This is the most common costume for Guri, and it is one which has already been accepted for 501st membership. These paintings were created by the Hildebrandt brothers after they were commissioned by the Topps company to create a series of 100 card illustrations. Most of the paintings are scenes from the Shadows novel. This is the comic book version of Guri from the Shadows of the Empire series. Unfortunately I only have Issue 1, so I do not know if her wardrobe remained consistent throughout the series. The first image is also used for Guri's entry in the Star Wars Encyclopedia. The comic images were obviously the source of insipration for Gui's costume when she was added to Decipher's Star Wars card game. These images were also used for Guri's entry in the Star Wars Database. (Sorry for the low resolution on the second image... I couldn't get the higher resolution picture to load for some reason!) This is the outfit worn by Guri in the Evolution comic book series. I do not know if this costume will qualify for 501st membership, as she is attempting to recreate herself at this point. After Xizor's death, Guri decides that she no longer wants to be an assassin, so she seeks out the scientist who created her. She gets him to wipe her memory, allowing her a fresh start without any of her previous programming.

They took one of the old lekku molds they still had on hand and cast the headpieces in hollow latex. That latex shell was then filled with expanding polyfoam. You mix the two parts of the foam in the correct ratio, pour it into the headpiece, and it expands to fill the interior of the lekku. They used that because they felt it would hold up the best to 5 miles of marching... though really, I think that fiberfilled lekku would have been just as durable, and a lot lighter and more flexible! I might have missed out on the parade... but one of my favorite memories from that week will always be Scott calling me after the girls' first in-costume practice to give me a critique of their lekku! Pam

While I have never tried this method, I have seen it done. The look was fairly good in the lekku themselves, but they were completely stiff and had no lifelike movement at all. At first the extra weight of the foam caused the joint area between the head and the lekku to sag and stretch, so the girl reinforced it somehow... but then the whole thing was terribly stiff and the lekku stuck out behind her in an odd way. She joked that there was a "stiff breeze" blowing that day when she took the photos for me. Overall, my assessment would be that while you CAN make lekku that way... you will most likely be unhappy with the results. The lekku that were used for the Rose Parade were made with latex that was filled with expanding polyfoam. It is a reversed process from what you are describing, and uses a flexible foam... but it is still similar in the finished result. You can see that while those lekku are very stiff, they do wiggle a bit as the girls jump around. Pam

. Who am I behind the mask? I am.... She Hulk! I am.... Happily Married. I am.... an artist, a farm girl, a perfectionist, and a member of a Star Wars writing group that has been stunningly prolific over the years. And, I am.... not afraid of a little rain when I have a chance to spend some time with good friends! Pam