A few days ago in a galaxy not so far away, an estimated 65,000 “Star Wars” fans from across the globe quested their way to the biggest convention center in the country. Their mission: To be one with the Force that has fueled the franchise since 1977.
Then there’s the commercial flip side of Star Wars Celebration, where unabashed brand synergy can test the patience of the cynically minded.
It’s more intimate and navigable than the all-encompassing geek mecca of San Diego International Comic-Con, and there’s only one universe to deep-dive into. That’s one draw that enticed longtime “Star Wars” fan Alexa Border, 38, of Woodland Hills, to travel to Illinois for this year’s Celebration. He came to his first in 2005, in Indianapolis, in search of exclusives. A few years later he joined the ranks of the 501, an international fan group whose members cosplay as screen-accurate Stormtroopers and other “Star Wars” villains at costume and charity events.it’s got to be screen accurate, but we don’t care who’s in it. Kids don’t see the differences like adults do. They just see, ‘That’s Darth Vader. That’s Rey!’ And we love it.
“I think it’s very easy to be a troublemaker when no one can see your face,” said Border. “I think it’s all about people hiding behind their screens.”Toxic fandom “is definitely an online thing,” added Villarreal. “And it’s kind of gotten out of control. I think people need to remember that [“Star Wars”] is something that brings people joy.”All corners of the galaxy
Committed Celebration attendees were so hyped for a peek at “The Mandalorian” Sunday morning, they waited in freezing conditions as unexpected snowstorms blanketed the city and grounded flights at O’Hare, with nary a tauntaun in sight to climb into for warmth. Clad in jeans and a T-shirt and casually carrying a lightsaber as he walked into his first Celebration was 14-year-old “Star Wars” fan Carlos Rio, who traveled from Mexico with his parents and 9-year-old sister, Tania, as she sported Carrie Fisher’s classic “Episode IV” dress and buns, to attend the convention.
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