Dress up in costume, they do, and as The Force Awakens is set for release tonight, Star Wars fans are suiting up to showcase their fandom. Among those excitedly awaiting the latest installment, we sat down with four of T.O.’s biggest Star Wars junkies to better understand their passion for this galactic empire.
Jedi Master
Mike Brown, senior system engineer
Why is Star Wars so important to you? “I was introduced to Star Wars at such a young age, so it shaped my love of all things sci-fi and fantasy. It also provided weekly escapes from boring reality.”
Mike’s quirky Star Wars fact: “I have a Millennium Falcon schematic tattoo on one calf and Death Star II on the other.… Also, I did a count, and I own more Star Wars shirts than non–Star Wars shirts.”
Trooper for the 501st
Phil Babroni, camera operator/live truck operator
How did you get involved in the 501st Legion? “I joined the ranks of the 501st Legion Canadian Garrison in 2010. We are the ‘bad guys doing good,’ raising thousands of dollars for charitable organizations, like Make-A-Wish Canada, each year.”
Phil’s quirky Star Wars fact: “I’m a huge fan of Star Wars Lego. I have a rather large collection of Star Wars Lego sets on display throughout my home — some still in mint condition!”
Sandtrooper
Kipling Harrop, filmmaker
Why Star Wars? “Star Wars has been a longtime passion of mine. I got into it because I like to live in my head, and Star Wars provided such an expansive playground for me to run around in.”
Kip’s quirky Star Wars fact: “I legally changed my name to Kipling after my favourite Star Wars character in the expanded universe: Kyp Durron.”
Lady Lightsaber
Lori Kufn, youth program organizer
So, you’re the woman behind Toronto’s lightsaber battle! “Yes! I am the co-creator of Newmindspace, and we are running a total of six lightsaber battles this year. We've been doing these lightsaber battles in N.Y.C. and Toronto for eight years now, and this year we’re taking it to more cities throughout the U.S.”
Lori’s quirky Star Wars fact: “I once based an entire theatre clowning act on the Ewoks’ native language!”
