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The Lightsabre Interview Albin Johnson
Welcome to Lightsabre. Our latest guest is
the founder of the legendary 501st Legion, the definitive Imperial costuming
organization, ever active charity fundraisers and stars of Battlefront 2. So, please say a
big hello to TK-210 Albin Johnson. Q -Albin, welcome to Lightsabre. A - Hello and thank you for
having me. Q – Star Wars has had a profound effect on all of us
– it’s why we’re here talking about it, but what was it that started you off
on your Star Wars journey? A – Star Wars was only the second movie I'd ever
seen in the theater and like everyone else it blew me away. The 70's had
little to compete with that in a kid's imagination. For that reason, it
became iconic in my mind - the big, dark bad guy, the intimidating armored
soldiers, the enormous death machine hovering overhead, the knight with the magic sword, pirates, bandits, aliens,
princesses, etc.
It had it all. As I passed into adolescence I felt a strong pull in my
Christian faith and the underlying message about Good and Evil really helped
the movies grow with me. So it had a lot to offer, for fun and for
reflection. Q – The 501st Legion was started back in 1997 and has spread
throughout North America and Europe, bringing Star Wars fans together through
their costuming and raised thousands for charity. What made you even
think of the idea to set this up, and when did the decision to raise charity
money come into play? A –Well to be fair it has spread into South
America, the Middle East, and Asia as well. It's a worldwide concern
now. "The sun never sets on the Empire" as they used to say.
The origin was simple - when the re-releases came out in a conversation with a friend of mine, Tom
Crews, that the stormtroopers were the coolest thing and wouldn't it be cool
to own an actual set of armor. We did some digging and found some out of California - it was
styrene, it was crude, and it was terribly expensive. But NOTHING had been
seen like that in the public so the impact at the premieres was enormous. And
I noticed that when Tom joined me that the effect was exponentially greater
with another trooper present. We started posting the pics online and found
dozens of fellow 'troopers'. It made me think how cool it would be to do this in numbers. I figured if I could appeal to the imagination of the
costumed fan, it would build enthusiasm for
the effort. So I created a backstory for a fictional unit that would fit in with the universe
George Lucas created. The natural 'sweet spot' for a unit of that kind would
be to serve the Dark Lord himself, Darth Vader. I kept noticing that
everywhere Vader went, there were some troopers just ready to serve him. So
why not make them a 'special' unit no one ever hears about? The idea took off
like gangbusters. Everyone wanted in. Once we got big enough to be
nationwide, I knew it would become unwieldy and begin to fragment. So keep the group stable, I broke down
the club into chapters, or Garrisons, so people could not only support the
Legion but they'd take pride in their own communities. Again, direct hit.
Everyone loves to serve their local Garrison or Squad, but they take special pride in being a part of an
enormous Legion. The Charity component of the club came early as troopers
began investing their spare time between conventions to do anything to appear
in their armor. Charity made the most sense - you could 'perform' as a
trooper and justify the time spent in costume. As soon as we saw how
successful it was, it just took off. I can't take credit for that. That is
something every Garrison does on its own. It's a beautiful expression of the
love we have in this club.
Q – Which of the six episodes stands out as your favourite? A –Empire. Completely. Luke's inner battle with
good versus evil, the overwhelming might of the Imperial army and space fleet, Han and Leia's burgeoning romance,
this one did it right. They've never nailed Yoda like they did in Empire Strikes Back - he is the consummate sage in this
one, wise yet irreverent. And the music and sound effects were sublime. This
was the last time we felt threatened by Vader because he was still a brooding
mystery to us. Everything since then has been a dissection of the man, but at
that point he was the most ominous figure of evil we'd seen yet. I still get
excited during the duel in the carbonite chamber. Q – What is it like to become such an integral
part of the Star Wars phenomenon? The 501st has been immortalized in film,
as a key element of Battlefront 2 and in the imaginations of Star Wars fans
across the globe. Did you ever imagine it would take off this way? A-Nope. Not at all. I'm just a regular fan. I wish
I could have written a book about the 501st and it had become famous and I
could take credit for it. I really do. But I tell you straight this is the
product of the hard work and enthusiasm of thousands of Star Wars fans. I
knew of the potential behind the Legion concept, I knew how excited someone
like me could get about being a Stormtrooper and a part of something bigger. But we never know if our theories
will pan out. As it is, it was the right time and place for a club like this
to gather speed. I am so proud of our group and what they've done. To think
that the Legion is a bona fide component
of the Star Wars universe is more than I could have ever imagined. Few people
get to say 'thank you' to George Lucas. I feel like if he's approved this,
then he's accepted my tiny 'thank you'. Besides, he can probably relate to
having a good idea take root and affect countless thousands. He did it first. Q – As a fellow fan you must have many golden
Star Wars memories. Tell us about some of them. A –I remember hitting the Cinema
7 in downtown Charlotte, NC in 1977 and there were costumed characters
outside. They enthralled me - like they'd stepped right off the screen.
I'm sure they were crude costumes
but as a child I didn't care. They embodied the universe I wanted to visit. I
never forgot the impact that made on me as a kid and I hope to do that for someone else every time I
suit up. Q – Which of the Star Wars characters is the
closest to you? A - Probably Luke. Sure, I enjoy the evil Empire and all, but what has
held my interest more than anything
is the heartbreaking tragedy of the Skywalker family and Luke's search for
truth. I'd like to say Obi Wan, but I'm not as smart as he was - as a kid I
was more of a clueless whiner like Luke. I would also like to say a
Stormtrooper, because say what you will - they did serve dutifully. I've
always regretted never serving my country in the military - if I had, I could
say a Stormtrooper and mean it as a good thing. Q – What would you change about Star Wars if you
could go back in time and make alterations? A – Battle of Endor. Not just
for the obvious reasons, Ewoks, but the
whole scope of the battle. It's hard to believe the fall of the Empire came
down to a dozen stormtroopers and some fuzzy teddy bears. The Emperor mentioned a Legion of troops on the planet
- where are they? And I can easily embrace Mr. Lucas' vision of a peaceful rural people defeating a heartless, faceless
mechanized army, but the Ewoks are too busy being cute for me to identify
with. I'd recreate that battle with the same fervor that Lucas used in the
fall of the Jedi in Episode III. Q – You have amassed an amazing array of Star
Wars talent into your Honorary Members list, and it has truly become
something for cast and crew to be proud to be a part of. Which ones
gave you the most pleasure? A – Timothy Zahn, Peter Mayhew, and Peter Diamond most of all. Timothy Zahn
was the first person we inducted and it was out of heartfelt thanks for
keeping the Star Wars flame burning. Little did I know that he would honor us
with a book. God bless him. In Peter's case, I am so
glad to have met him and his wife Angie and befriended them. Every chance we
get, my wife and I join them for a pub crawl and we have the best time. Just
lovely people. When they heard of my daughter's Make-A-Wish trip, they
personally helped us with making sure the trip was fun for the girls. I love them
dearly. And lastly, Peter Diamond's presentation struck me the as the most poignant. The man was the original
Stormtrooper. When we presented him with the plaque at Celebration II in
2002, he had tears in his eyes in gratitude for us recognizing some stuntman
from the UK. A wonderful man, Peter. I felt he appreciated the labour of love
we in the Legion practice when we're in armor. After all, he lived it. I am
so glad he accepted our thanks before he passed away.
Q – Tell us a little about the charities that the
501st raise money for. A - We've done charity work for The Candle Lighters,
The Jimmy Fund, Dana Farber, March of Dimes, Make-A-Wish, St. Jude's, Toy's
For Tots, The Ronald McDonald House, Aids Walks, and countless other smaller
operations and local hospitals and charities. There is no strict accounting of the good
we've done.
But our track record is solid and we're ready to do more. Q – Now that Revenge of the Sith has been
released, where do you think Lucas will take us next on our trip through the
Star Wars galaxy? And would you like to be a part of it, on the other
side of the production with the rest of the 501st? A –I think Lucas still has a great vision for
adventure and is a good storyteller. I think he'll relax and have fun with the
yarns he can spin in the universe he's created, without so much of the burden
of finishing the arc he started. I see tales of Boba Fett, tales of the Jedi
academy, tales of colonists on the rim worlds, things like that. I would be
surprised to see the Empire feature prominently in his future stories. The
Empire was more of a device for one story arc, not for other stories. But I'd
love to see stormtroopers return, naturally, and I'd love to actually
contribute if at all possible. If Mr. Lucas ever needed a professional cadre of stormtroopers, I know some
people I can call (wink). Q - What do you foresee for yourself and Vaders
Fist in the future? A – I see the club
continuing on for quite some time. True, our success and growth has owed
tremendously to the new films. But the concept of a Star Wars fan club is
ages old. Now that we have a solid base for people to join, have fun, and
socialize, I can't help but think that's got enough appeal to last. I don't
know if we'll have hundreds of troopers in one place like we've done before,
but we'll be around for years to come. If I have to, I'll hold down the fort
by myself, and be ready to welcome new fans into the fold! Q – A quick question about our site,
Lightsabre. Any comments? A – I was impressed. I've seen it once or twice
and read the articles you posted and it was a fun and informative site. I love browsing Star Wars fan
sites. The movies have created their own distinct subculture and it's a
positive and fun thing to get into. I particularly liked the tone and
professionalism of your contributors.
But since you've let me chime in I might have to start questioning your
taste. LOL Q - It's been a great interview, and thanks for
being our guest on Lightsabre. Just one final question. Lord
Vader, Lord Maul and Lord Tyranus are coming to inspect the 501st, but you’ve been on a bug hunt
on Felucia and your armour is filthy. You just know that you’ll be in
terrible trouble if you’re not ready for inspection, and you only have 20
minutes to prepare.
What do you do? A
–I'd
program a droid to inform one of them that the other two are plotting to kill
him. Then I'd sit back and watch the show. |
