Star Wars fans dressed to thrill

Aug 17 2008 by Pauline Holt, Sunday Sun

AS Star Wars: The Clone Wars animation hits UK cinemas this weekend, PAULINE HOLT meets the North fans who have brought back a little of the big-screen action into their homes . . .

THERE aren’t many people who can claim to have stolen the limelight from soccer god David Beckham, but then Chris Pearson has The Force behind him.

By day, the mild-mannered 30-year-old from Middlesbrough has a respectable job as a building surveyor.

But he spends his spare time dressing up as one of the most iconic villains in film history . . . the Dark Lord of the Sith, Darth Vader, left. And it’s a hobby that’s taken him all over Europe, including Poland, where he recently made front-page news.

He laughed: “It was when David Beckham joined LA Galaxy . . . and I had a bigger front page picture than Becks!”

Chris wasn’t born until the year after the launch of George Lucas’s first Star Wars movie in 1977, but that didn’t stop him falling under its spell.

He said: “I was hooked as soon as I saw it. I think it’s because it’s just a good old-fashioned good against evil story. It’s nothing particularly complicated but it did revamp the entire sci-fi genre.”

He admits to being “quite upfront about being a geek”, although he says it took him a bit of time to “come out” to his mum and dad about his fetish for this particular kind of fancy dress. He explained: “Once they realised it was doing some good, though, they’ve been really supportive.”

Chris is one of around 15 Star Wars fans in our region who use the power of The Force for fundraising. He belongs to two costuming groups, the “baddies” of the 99th Imperial Garrison and the “goodies” in the Rebel Legion, both of which stage free personal appearances to help charities raise cash.

“It’s fantastic fun,” said Chris. Last year, they helped raise £19,500 for different organisations. The Butterwick Hospice in Stockton and Saltburn Animal Rescue are just two who have enlisted their help.

Costuming is addictive, said Chris . . . and expensive. His Darth Vader outfit is worth more than £1000, but he also dresses as Obi-Wan Kenobi. He said: “I have the Obi-Wan Kenobi hair and beard. People say I look like him, and I don’t suppose it’s too bad looking like Ewan McGregor!”

His girlfriend Georgina is an artist who helps put the finishing touches to his outfits. Chris said: “She’s very understanding. She knows it’s my hobby and a big part of what I do.”

And height isn’t a problem. He’s 6ft 4in and packs his Darth boots with an extra three inches. But he’s still perfecting the famous Vader voice.

“Unless you have a really booming voice, it sounds a bit pathetic,” he said. “But I am trying to rig up a sound system that will be hidden in the chest plate. The outfit already has a breathing system on a switch. It’s quite good sneaking up behind people, towering over them and doing the heavy breathing.”

Chris’s pal, Jason Fox, is also a committed fan. Since seeing the first movie at York Odeon aged eight, he has been on the Rebel side. He recalled: “I remember coming out of the cinema pretending to be an X Wing fighter pilot.”

Now the personnel manager from Chilton, County Durham, lives that dream. He said: “It’s fantastic we can support so many charities. It’s always great to see the smiles on the kids’ faces when we turn up.”

Jason says all costumes must be submitted for “enlistment” to LucasFilms to ensure they’re “screen accurate”.

This isn’t a problem for Katherine Daley, of Sunderland, who is an accomplished dressmaker and made both her and her twin sister Claire’s Jedi costumes, and their friend Lynn Watson’s Princess Leia outfit.

Katherine, 24, an administration assistant for City of Sunderland College, said: “It’s just a lot of fun, and seeing the kids’ faces light up gives you an overall good feeling.”

To find out more about Star Wars costuming, go to www.rebellegionuk.com or www.the99thimperial.com

To book Chris and friends for an event, contact him on 01642-809194.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS Pages 34 & 35