The discussion of the Alien series of films and the props used in them is the aim, but if it's got Big Bugs and Big Guns, then they are welcome too!





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 Post subject: The Interview Thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 2:49 pm 
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I mulled over this idea for some time, especially since I run a similar thread on AvPGalaxy (Renovated Members' Studio Thread). There was an older "Members' Studio Thread" and I liked the premise so much that, with permission from Corporal Hicks, I revived it. I haven't seen anything similar here, so I figured, "Why not?"

The basic format is I send ten-eleven (or more) questions to a willing participant via PM. Take as much time as you need replying, and when you're finished, I post a completed interview for the rest of AL to read. It's kind of a way for people to get to know each other (I know the environment of AL is different to AvPG, which is why I'm wondering if this is a good idea or not), and it was fun while it lasted on AvPG.

I will not send random people PMs if they haven't given me permission to do so. If you wish to not answer a question because it's too personal, I'll change the question. Overall, I'm posting this to see if there's any interest among the members in such a project, and if the administrators are OK with it.

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Last edited by TheSailingRabbit on Fri Aug 09, 2019 5:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:04 pm 
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I think it would be neat! Might deepen the sense of community and get people a little more connected with each other.

This is just my personal opinion though :delta:

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PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:38 pm 
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I agree with Moosh. Getting to know the people behind the screen names could be fun (within reason of course! Can't fault anyone for leaving personal info off the web). Sometimes it seems the community is sort of drifting lately, so anything that might get us more connected couldn't hurt.

Plus, I know there are some on here that I am certain have some stories to tell! Imagine asking some of the old timers questions like "craziest story while dressed in costume", "worst interaction with a celebrity", "favorite 'drop' experience", etc. If anyone is willing to partake I am sure the content would be solid gold.


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 Post subject: Re:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 3:58 pm 
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bigbisont wrote:
I agree with Moosh. Getting to know the people behind the screen names could be fun (within reason of course! Can't fault anyone for leaving personal info off the web). Sometimes it seems the community is sort of drifting lately, so anything that might get us more connected couldn't hurt.

Plus, I know there are some on here that I am certain have some stories to tell! Imagine asking some of the old timers questions like "craziest story while dressed in costume", "worst interaction with a celebrity", "favorite 'drop' experience", etc. If anyone is willing to partake I am sure the content would be solid gold.


I can personalize and tailor questions per person. While responses are different, and I'll keep some repeat questions, I'll throw in some different ones to keep things interesting (for example, I'd ask you about the 1/6 scale Hot Toys Marines).

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 Post subject: Re:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 4:03 pm 
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bigbisont wrote:

Plus, I know there are some on here that I am certain have some stories to tell! Imagine asking some of the old timers questions like "craziest story while dressed in costume", "worst interaction with a celebrity", "favorite 'drop' experience", etc. If anyone is willing to partake I am sure the content would be solid gold.


Hahaha, no kidding, remember Calgary 2014? I'm still a "newb" as far as going to events goes but getting "kicked" out of Calgary Expo was wild. :lol:

I'd be a willing participant, anyway.

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 Post subject: Re: Re:
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 4:33 pm 
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Moosh89 wrote:
bigbisont wrote:

Plus, I know there are some on here that I am certain have some stories to tell! Imagine asking some of the old timers questions like "craziest story while dressed in costume", "worst interaction with a celebrity", "favorite 'drop' experience", etc. If anyone is willing to partake I am sure the content would be solid gold.


Hahaha, no kidding, remember Calgary 2014? I'm still a "newb" as far as going to events goes but getting "kicked" out of Calgary Expo was wild. :lol:

I'd be a willing participant, anyway.


You were absolutely one of the people I had in mind when I said that!


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 Post subject: Re: Inquiry About an Interview Thread
PostPosted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 4:43 pm 
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Awesome. I'll compile some questions and send them sometime before this evening.

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 Post subject: Re: Inquiry About an Interview Thread
PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:01 pm 
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First, a big thanks to Moosh89 for volunteering. I thoroughly enjoyed reading her responses to each question, and I hope the rest of AL does, too.

1. What is your story behind finding and falling in love with Aliens?

My Mom is a scifi fan and I have 3 older brothers (and an older sister) so I was influenced by what my brothers watched or played with. We used to watch the Alien movies every time they were aired on TV. I was drawn to them because of Ripley. She was tough and smart. I also likened the character of Ripley to my Mom, who I am incredibly close with, because when I was young, they appeared very similar. We knew our Mom wasn't Sigourney Weaver or a movie star but we still had fun with the resemblances. Every time Alien3 was on, we'd say "It's bald-Mom!"

Attachment:
Mom Ripley.jpg


2. How has the franchise and fandom influenced you?

As I got older and better understood the themes and stories from the movies, I drew inspiration from them to cope with my physical disabilities. There were a lot of strong women, in Aliens especially and I always thought that Vriess from Alien: Resurrection was awesome because he too was in a power wheelchair and I secretly (OK, maybe not so secret) wanted a hidden shotgun stashed on my wheelchair :lol:

3. Who are you and what do you do outside the fandom?

My name is Melissa, but everyone close with me calls me by my nickname "Moosh". I live in rural northern Saskatchewan and we finally found out definitively what my medical condition is after nearly 30 years. I was born with Central Core Myopathy, a type of muscular dystrophy. From the age of 6 months the only disease that my doctors knew of that resembled what I had was Myotubular Myopathy, which is what I had been officially diagnosed with for most of my life. Technology has only very recently reached a point to where we could get my proper diagnosis late last year. We still aren't entirely sure how I got it.

Outside of Aliens, I like to do graphic design (self taught) and some 3D modeling (also self taught). I enjoy playing video games with my family and friends. I hope to get involved in game design, but lately I'm getting involved in video game accessibility.


4. Who was the first Aliens actor/actress you met, and how was that experience?

Well, back in 2012 during the development of Gearbox's "Aliens: Colonial Marines" video game, it was mentioned that there would be no playable females in the game's multiplayer mode. The developers often referenced the game's authenticity and that you would "step into the boots" of your own custom Colonial Marine. This didn't sit right with me because I knew that in Aliens the force of the USCM was near-equal men AND women. Therefore it wasn't authentic if you didn't have badass women like Vasquez, Dietrich and Ferro on your team. I decided to create a small petition online in effort to appeal to the developers. I gained quite a few signatures but it wasn't getting us anywhere.

I decided to get the opinions of whatever actors I could be lucky enough to get into contact with. Nearly all of the Colonial Marine actors signed my petition such as Ricco Ross, Trevor Steedman, Cynthia Scott, Al Matthews, William Hope and Jenette Goldstein (who signed it in character as Vasquez with two words... "Pendejo jerkoffs :lol: !")

Cynthia Scott and Ricco Ross both responded with personal letters and told me some cool behind the scenes stories from filming, like Ricco mentioning that originally they were to have a shower scene after waking up, but it was scrapped because the women didn't have nudity clauses written in their contracts despite them willing to do it, and Cynthia said that the set dressers went as far as to place in-universe items around the colony sets out of camera views to make the actors feel like they were in a real place. She recalled once opening a desk drawer and finding a written Colony PX shopping list.

Trevor even sent me a personalized video message AND made a public video plea for the developers to add playable females to the game's multiplayer.

It wasn't until 2013 when I went to my first convention in Edmonton that I got to meet actors personally. I met Ron Perlman first.


5. Overall, what has been your best, and worst, experience at a drop?

Best experience was definitely the Calgary Expo show "Aliens EXPOsed" in April 2014. Most of the cast
of Aliens were guests including Bill Paxton and for the first time, Sigourney Weaver. It was a wicked fun trip, being my second ever convention and meeting so many of the actors at once. The Aliens Legacy was going to show up in numbers for the monumental event, so I was doubly-lucky to finally meet some of the board members from the US and overseas.

Attachment:
IMG_1454.1.jpg


I was asked by members to present Sigourney Weaver with her Aliens Legacy Gold Award which was so cool to do. What a remarkable and humble lady. A true hero. I also was able to use my "wheelchair cred" to zip to the front of Bill Paxton's autograph line and was able to warm him up to the idea that he was about to be presented with a Gold Award a little later by members further back in his line hahaha

Then almost all of us got kicked out by a powertripping show director because we took ONE photo of Sigourney Weaver with her award for the Gallery, which she was more than pleased to pose for. It was funny to be lead out of the expo on the last day by security and have them cut off our wristbands, all 90 lbs of me in my power wheelchair and about 5 or 6 more of us. We were so hot and tired anyway haha. Only thing we missed out on was Sigourney's panel.

Later that night, the other members caught me off guard and presented me with my own Gold Award. A huge honour I'm still not so sure I deserved!


6. What were your most memorable experiences with the late greats, Bill Paxton and Trevor Steedman?

Meeting Bill for the first and sadly only time was embarrassing but funny haha. I think I still have audio saved from that moment. I love my Mom dearly and she was awesome for helping me be heard over the crowd by saying things a little louder than me, except she referenced me, being about 24 at the time as "this little girl", which made me react by shouting "i'M NOT A LITTLE GIRL, DAMN IT!" which made Bill do that AWESOME cheesy grin as he laughed about it hahaha. He along with the rest of the cast remembered my name WAY later on that day for our group photo, and I still hear his voice going "Hey, Melissa!" upon seeing me.

Attachment:
IMG_1451.1.jpg


Trevor, I was lucky enough to chat with him a few times on Facebook. He had added me as a friend along with Al and Ricco. Trevor was great to chat with! He even sometimes checked in on me as I try not to "pester" the actors who have added me.


7. What is your favorite piece of Aliens memorabilia/merchandise that you own, and what single item do you wish you had?

Ohhh, this is a mean question! :lol: I'm gonna play it by my rules and list multiples! My favourite pieces of memorabilia are my two real parts Motion Trackers I'm currently having built by a friend. I lucked out and got one tracker a Noble sling signed by Bill Paxton at Calgary from another member who attended. I sourced all of the parts myself which was super fun. I also have a Monsterroom Props Aliens xeno suit for whoever in my family is cool enough to wear, otherwise I have a mannequin to put it on. I have a Matsuo Smartgunner's chestplate signed by a bunch of the cast, including Cynthia Scott, who I didn't get to meet in Calgary. I have a screen used miniature Sulaco floor tile from the Queen vs. Powerloader scene. And my Alien Anthology bluray set is signed by most of the Aliens cast on the Aliens page, and Ron Perlman on the Resurrection page. I hope to add more like Winona Ryder and Brad Douriff someday soon!

An item I wish I had. Obviously any hero props like Ripley's pulse rifle or Vasquez's M39, but a unique item has got to be Vriess' power wheelchair, complete with shotgun! :twisted:


8. What was the most interesting thing that happened while you were in-costume?

My BEST, most "interesting thing that happened" costume was actually one I put the least amount of time/effort into hahaha. I was always like a ghost at shows, nobody ever stopped me or commented on my costumes before but with my last costume, I got stopped SO many times and got my pictures taken, high fives, you name it. I wore a Nostromo hat that I pieced together myself, a blood stained white "zombie apocalypse" tshirt my brother got me and jeans, but on my chest strap of my wheelchair, I had 3D printed a chestburster that clipped on, which I painted to look real. I also had a plush facehugger stuck on the back of my chair too.

Attachment:
DSC_1172.1.jpg


9. Who among the fans, costumed and non-costumed alike, has been your favorite person to interact with?

Everyone I met in 2014 at the Calgary Expo, Andy, Darren, Gareth (and Abe!), Terran, Tyler… I’m probably forgetting people’s names now. My good friend Rebecca who is also from Saskatchewan, but has to be located on the opposite end! And all of my gaming friends who love Aliens too, like Aaron, Rob, Daniel, etc… I hope to convince some to join up here someday.

10. What would you like to see out of the next Alien film or extended universe story?

I’d actually really like a new AvP film but set far into the future and not on Earth. Something new and exciting. I really enjoyed 3 of those Tongal short films for the 40th Anniversary earlier this year, Particularly Ore, Specimen and Harvest.

11. Best advice for newcomers who haven't been to a drop, or made a costume?
Hand sanitizer and superglue for drops, and relax and have fun for costumes/props. Sometimes the costume with the least time and effort is the best!

(I forgot to mention last night in regards to graphic design that I saw and loved the touched-up pictures of Wierzbowski and Crowe . . . but now I have to go back into my writing and change Wierzbowski's eye color from dark-blue to brown. :lol: )

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PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:28 pm 
"Have you met me?"
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Sure, why not? I should try and get my ass active again.

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 9:33 am 
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I thoroughly enjoyed the interview with Moosh! :D I've known of you for so long, but not really known you, so I really appreciated that read. Good shout doing this over here, Rabbit. :)

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PostPosted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 3:35 pm 
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trouble wrote:
Sure, why not? I should try and get my ass active again.


I'll send a PM with questions soon.

Corp_Hicks wrote:
I thoroughly enjoyed the interview with Moosh! :D I've known of you for so long, but not really known you, so I really appreciated that read. Good shout doing this over here, Rabbit. :)


If you want an AL edition interview, let me know.

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 Post subject: Re: Inquiry About an Interview Thread
PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 12:31 am 
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This is, in my humble opinion, a brilliant thread/discussion. I'm not one for talking, but feel this has to be said.

We're a costuming group, but there's TWO very important ingredients to any such group. Costuming is - obviously - the first, it's what brings us together. But the other half of the equation is the second word - group. If all I wanted was costuming, I could just put on my costumes and stay home. I'm in this group not so much for the costuming, but instead I'm here more the group, and I suspect I'm not the only one.

So thanks to TheSailingRabbit, Moosh, and everybody else that's popped into this discussion, and thanks to everybody else in this great group. It's amazing what happens when people get to know each other individually, and I know great things are still to come from this discussion.


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 Post subject: Re: Inquiry About an Interview Thread
PostPosted: Tue Aug 06, 2019 12:56 am 
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Blivet wrote:
This is, in my humble opinion, a brilliant thread/discussion. I'm not one for talking, but feel this has to be said.

We're a costuming group, but there's TWO very important ingredients to any such group. Costuming is - obviously - the first, it's what brings us together. But the other half of the equation is the second word - group. If all I wanted was costuming, I could just put on my costumes and stay home. I'm in this group not so much for the costuming, but instead I'm here more the group, and I suspect I'm not the only one.

So thanks to TheSailingRabbit, Moosh, and everybody else that's popped into this discussion, and thanks to everybody else in this great group. It's amazing what happens when people get to know each other individually, and I know great things are still to come from this discussion.


That is one of the reasons I made this topic. I currently can't do the costuming part, but I'm still a big Aliens fan and express that through writing and cartoons. The best part about this forum is that I can ask weird Aliens-related (more specifically, Marine-related) questions, and no one's going to think it's weird.

I'm going to try and not have the majority of interview questions focus on costuming. AvPGalaxy is a much more general forum and I had already gotten to know a lot of people before doing the interview thread I had there. With Aliens Legacy, I haven't had that time yet, so if I struggle with more personalized questions, I'm sorry.

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 Post subject: Re: Inquiry About an Interview Thread
PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 1:33 pm 
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Thanks to Erik_MAA for volunteering.

1. What is your story behind finding and falling in love with Aliens?

I saw Aliens in 1986 on a 35-foot Cinemarama screen - the same theater I saw Star Wars at in 1977. I'd seen Alien on VHS, and I expected this to be more of a horror film like the first one. I was surprised to see it was an action film.

I was into war movies and 1980s action stuff - Miami Vice, Commando, Rambo, etc. This had a lot of that, along with the sci-fi elements I was already in love with. I grew up on Sci-Fi: Star Trek, Outer Limits, Twilight Zone, Buck Rogers, Battlestar Galactica, Quark, etc. and of course Star Wars. My Dad was a big scifi fan and we watched a lot of it together.

The Alien universe presented Sci-Fi in a new way: dirty, gritty environments with leaks, steam, wear and tear. It was something I hadn't seen a lot of before. I went back and saw the movie again over and over, and it was the first VHS I ever bought (for like $90!)

2. How has the franchise and fandom influenced you?

I stand by Alien and Aliens - everything from there on, not so much. I'm glad to see the franchise progressing, but I'm not real pleased with the films we are getting. In print media like comics and books, I think it is doing better.

I suppose Aliens has influenced my interest in military sci-fi stories like The Forever War, Ender's Game, Armor, and Starship Troopers (one could also argue that these stories influenced James Cameron). I'm also very into the Hammer's Slammers, Honor Harrington, and War Against the Chtorr series.

I joined the Army in 1988 and stayed in for 12 years. I'm not sure that Aliens inspired me to do it, but it certainly didn't discourage it.

I like to collect prop guns and do military sci-fi themed costumes and the USCM is great for that.

3. Who are you and what do you do outside the fandom?

I was in the US Army for 12 years, left on disability. I worked as a Police Officer and Corrections Officer before going into Emergency Management. I've worked for the State of Minnesota for 17 years in that capacity, with a total of just over 30 years in my profession. I also do security consulting and training, mainly firearms training. You can check us out at http://www.qsitraining.net

4. Who was the first Aliens actor/actress you met, and how was that experience?

I met Michael Beihn, Lance Henricksen, and Daniel Kash at Crypticon Minneapolis a few years ago. Michael Biehn and I talked about the Blomcamp spec script and signed my "Close Encounters" shotgun prop. Lance Henricksen and I talked more about Millennium than Aliens – I was a big fan of that show. We also talked about a movie called “Stone Cold” where he starred as the leader of a biker gang opposite Brian Bosworth. Daniel Kash was a lot of fun, he came out to the parties and really liked my USCM gear.

A couple of years ago I met Carrie Henn at Crypticon. She was super nice and also really liked my costume. She signed my helmet for me, and did a Q&A that was very fun. Did you know she hated Casey? Even as a kid, she didn't see the point of carrying around just a head.

5. Overall, what was your best, and worst, experience at a drop?

My first drop in full armor was Marscon in 2015 and we had a fantastic time. Everyone really liked the costume and it was a lot of fun showing it off. I'd done USCM costuming before that, but never in armor. Armor really makes the costume.

We have a much larger local con called CONvergence which was my worst experience. I attended the con every year since its founding in 1999, but in 2002 it was very crowded and the security presence was draconian and oppressive. We actually left early, went and saw 28 Days Later. Had a really good time after we left.

I've gone back since, but it was always super crowded. They have a new venue now and word is they have relaxed their prop policies so I am thinking about checking it out again.

6. What is your favorite piece of Aliens memorabilia/merchandise, and what single item do you wish you had?

My collection has grown a lot over the past years as my career has advanced and I've been able to afford stuff. My favorite thing I own is probably my Smart Gun rig. It's really cool, very detailed and always turns heads at conventions.

I have a lot of stuff that I've organized into a traveling display with the Minnesota Prop-A-Torium. Two things I don't have (but want) are a Welder and a Motion Tracker - but my big project I'd like to tackle is a Sentry Gun with the GRIDcase. It's just a lot of work!

7. What weapon/armor build are you most proud of and why?

I love my Smart Gun rig, because it's got a lot of detail and the rig is fully functional, which is really cool. I'm also really proud of my Incinerator because it's literally the last one Shawn Morgan made.

8. What was the most interesting thing that happened while you were in-costume?

One year at Crypticon I was in my Smart Gun rig when I ran into a ten-year old kid who had a Xeno costume. We took a bunch of pics together and I think it really made his day.

9. Who among the fans, costumed and non-costumed alike, has been your favorite person to interact with?

Matsuo and Spat have both helped me out a lot with prop building and collecting stuff. I've also talked a lot with with Moosh and she's been awesome. She's a true fan.

10. Best advice for newcomers who haven't been to a drop, or made a costume?

Don't get too hung up on costume details. Most people won't notice if you're not 100% screen accurate. If they recognize it as being from Aliens, or don't recognize it but think it's cool, then you're costume is successful.

On a drop, drink plenty of water and beforehand practice moving and sitting in your gear. Think about hallways, party rooms, bathrooms and elevators and how you would negotiate them. Wearing armor or carrying a Smart Gun requires some careful manuvering.

Bring a repair kit – I've never been to a drop where something didn't break or come loose from my armor or a prop. And bring spare batteries for your Pulse Rifle counter.

Make up some business cards with your social media contact info and hand them out to people who take your picture. This makes it easy for them to send you a copy.

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 Post subject: Re: Inquiry About an Interview Thread
PostPosted: Wed Aug 07, 2019 9:35 pm 
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Might be time to change the name of the thread from "Inquiry" to just "The Interview Thread." Thanks to bigbisont for volunteering.

1. What is your story behind finding and falling in love with Aliens?

I was 8 years old and my dad started watching a movie on TV. He told me this was a movie about soldiers fighting aliens. Of course I plopped down and joined him not really knowing what to expect. Little did I know, this was the first time the "Special Edition" of Aliens aired on CBS (1989). The next day I was leading my 'squad' of friends and my little brother on to our "drop ship" (the playground Merry-go-round) I was shouting "what are you?!" with them answering "mean!!!" as we jumped off it with our weapons and sticks. I also became obsessed with building things like lego APCs for my lego guys, smartguns for my GI Joes out of drinking straws, and cardboard pulse rifles for myself. 30 years later, I still have the feeling like I still want to make stuff (but the materials sure have changed!).

2. How has the franchise and fandom influenced you?

The fandom has been a lot of fun. Even though the forum isn't as active as it used to be, I still check this site multiple times a day for my 'fix'. I have gotten my family involved in the events and they are kind enough to tolerate my nonsense (a couple times a year anyways)! I can't really say that my life has been dramatically impacted (other than hours/money spent on projects that I am terrified to actually add up). The franchise is just kind of always near the surface of my mind. From my long-time running fantasy football team "The Ultimate Badasses", to constantly looking at ways to add to or improve some prop/costume I am working on, to just sharing a knowing nod with strangers when someone recognizes themed shirt I am wearing. All just good clean fun really.

3. Who are you and what do you do outside the fandom?

Basically I am a part time 'jock', near-full-time sci fi geek, and full time father of 2. When I am not coaching my son's youth teams in the evenings, I try to stay active playing basketball a couple times a week. We like to travel, which is good because my family is pretty spread out. Always up for a party.

4. Who was the first Aliens actor/actress you met, and how was that experience?

The first 'convention' I ever attended was the Calgary Fan-boy Expo in 2014. There were 9 actors from the film there and I must say the entire thing blew my mind. It was all a blur so I don't truly remember who I met first. Everyone was 'as expected' (aka- great) except for a few noteworthy interactions. I know I tried to compliment Paul Reiser by telling him his portrayal of Burke as a slimy weasel was so good that I never trusted him in his comic rolls, such as 'mad about you'. He looked at me funny and I realized I just told a career comedian that I didn't enjoy his comedy. Yikes. Luckily it happened after I already presented him with his Legacy Gold award, so I could mosey along quietly! Biehn was a bit surly that day, as I have come to learn he sometimes is. I had a true nerd moment quizzing Rolston on the status of his flame thrower in the hive before I realized his answers were flip flopping because he didn't remember and probably didn't care. He was just humoring the gigantic nerd in front of him! He was great about it, but I had an awkward self realization moment there, standing in costume, quizzing a movie star about things that happened 3 decades ago...wowza. Had to pull myself together!
Everyone was great though. I've seen a couple again since then and they are always great.

I would like to hear more about your Mark Rolston experience. Believe it or not, Shawshank led me to Aliens, so he's number one on my list of actors I want to meet.

5. Your customized Hot Toys Drake is probably the closest thing we'll get to a screen-accurate Drake until NECA releases one. What's the story behind building the 1/6 squad, and how are the little guys doing?


Well thank you. Coincidentally, my squad started modestly with just Drake. He was the only one I could get for around retail price in 2007 (and even at "just" $90 ea, I thought that was absurd). With the only other marine figures being the Kenner ones, I just wanted a 'realistic' figure for the book shelf (or so I thought). Eventually I got a great deal on another, then another. Then I wanted the full set. Then I realized how people were modifying them to be more movie accurate and it just steamrolled from there. Eventually I needed every character and started doing expanded universe customs from the video games. It became quite the obsession to make everything perfect including stripping all the parts down to repaint even the camo more accurately. Unfortunately when it came time to re-do everyone's heads, I got sidetracked by 1:1 scale projects. I still have a full squad in Ikea glass cases, with most having no head! I do have the upgraded heads, I just keep telling myself I need to practice the head painting more and get to them later. That was 3 years ago! I still love them, but I haven't had time to finish most of them (at least not to my liking). Soon! Soon I'll finish them and update my long dormant "full squad rebuild" thread...

6. Overall, what was your best, and worst, experience at a drop?

Best was probably Fanboy Expo 2017. There was a great group of actors from the film, but the real fun was my family interacting with them. My dad actually came with us to this event and rocked the Smartgun rig I had built. He looked great and represented well. My wife had her "Vasquez" costume and had a great moment Jeannette Goldstein herself. My son was sporting his recently upgraded Hicks costume/armor and had a great moment with Michael Biehn. I discovered later that Ricco Ross was impressed enough to sneak a pic of our group and post it to his twitter. I wish he had approached us because we were all looking weird directions and not looking at his camera, but it was cool to know he noticed us and wanted the pic. Just a great time with my whole family involved.

Worst was also directly related to family! :wink: My mom has been after us for a "big" family vacation together for years, so finally in 2016, 11 of us agreed to meet up at DragonCon in Atlanta. I got the bright idea to sign us up for the big parade, so we all needed costumes. I worked like crazy to get 11 (Eleven!) family members respectable costumes. My sister-in-law and her husband promptly flaked on participating. My brother and his wife misjudged how much time it took to get dressed and waiting on them made us very late. 9 of us, ages 1 to 60, were basically sprinting in full gear to the group meetup only to arrive having just missed everyone. Then with the 'fun factor' quickly evaporating, we sprinted to the parade start point where security wouldn't let us in because we didn't have wrist bands (distributed at the meet up that we missed). We finally caught a group members attention and instantly realized that after a half hour of frantic rushing in the Atlanta heat, some of the gear started coming unstrapped, so I was trying to fix that stuff on the fly while everyone was hot and tired. Not to mention that the parade prep area only had 2 port-a-potties to service a dozen or so groups (all of which were extra hydrated in anticipation of the heat). When the parade finally starts, it only lasts maybe 20 mins then everyone just sprints to the air conditioning not realizing we are missing the forum 'group picture' because everyone couldn't wait to get out of their gear. Weeks of prep just to be sprinted through. Suffice to say, it was not what I expected and a darn shame.

7. What would you say is the best and worst parts about being a moderator?

Being a moderator really has no downside. My duties are pretty low key and more like maintenance really (delete spam threads, issue service numbers, etc). Occasionally I'll get 3 or 4 PMs on the same topic, but that isn't a "bad" thing. I am happy when people want to help out and bring things to my/our attention. I will say the most "fun part" for me was tackling the archived section. Most of that stuff was archived more than 10 years ago and either had outdated info or had lost all their images (making many fairly useless). Freshening things up was an exciting challenge and I know I need to continue that work. There is so much great info on this forum from so many great members (past and present). I feel like I am still learning new things every day that someone else had already known, but the info is just buried. So I just need to mine the content and bring it back to the forefront. That is def the best part.

8. If you could change anything about Aliens Legacy, what would it be?

I think the main changes I could hope for have already been covered pretty heavily. I'd like the participation to jump back to the levels of a few years ago. I know some old members have faded out for various reasons and others are still here but just don't post as much. All that is understandable with the way life goes. We can still make up for that with new members though. We need to figure out how to best draw them in. Gotta find and retain that talent!

9. What were your most memorable experiences with the late greats, Bill Paxton and Trevor Steedman?

I was indeed lucky enough to meet Mr. Paxton in 2014 in Calgary. I didn't get to speak much with him but he was a engaging and very friendly. I asked him to sign his pic "I am the ultimate badass" and he rolled his eyes, but did it with a smile and promptly got to work. Whether he thought the line was played out or if it was simply a looong thing to write, I couldn't tell but he was chuckling as he did it. During the panel he seemed a genuine fun loving guy. It was easy to tell that he was a dude you would have loved to party with.

I never got to meet Trevor, but I contributed a fairly silly video to be added to his "get well card" of sorts from the forum after his first stroke. Truly that video is rather embarrassing (being acted out with 1/6th figures and terrible British accent"), but the member who delivered the final cut told me Trevor loved it. Supposedly he has personalized an autograph photo for me to thank me for my part, but very sadly he passed away before I ever got it. I wish I could have actually met him. I've always considered Ski to be an underrated and underutilized character and love the way Trevor has embraced the community.

I actually saw the get-well video a few months before joining AL, and thought the figure skit was adorable. 10/10 would watch a full-length film of them.

10. What weapon/armor build are you most proud of and why?


Even thought I sold it to help pay for a Terry English set, I think hands down I was most proud of the metal armor I made. All I had was an assortment of hammers, a small anvil and some crap I found that could clamp into a vice, but I think I did a darn good job. In fact when the TE set showed up I hand't finalized a sale of mine yet so I could compare them side by side. I was like "man, I got reaaaally close on that one!". I'd like to tackle that project again some day.

11. Best advice for newcomers who haven't been to a drop, or made a costume?

Regardless how much work/money you pump in to this hobby, you will still get mistaken for "GI Joes" (I was once told my "halo costume wasn't very good"), so don't let the details ruin your good time. Have fun and don't be shy about starting small. Also for those people that want to get their kids/significant others involved, I highly recommend you go COMFORT OVER ACCURACY. It is pretty unlikely anyone will appreciate the accuracy like you/we do, and regardless how good they look, if they aren't comfortable they won't want to play with you. :wink:

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PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 2:55 am 
Mobile Mayhem
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Location: Rapid View, Saskatchewan
Service Number: A10/TQ1.O.32157E1
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Erik_MAA wrote:
9. Who among the fans, costumed and non-costumed alike, has been your favorite person to interact with?

Matsuo and Spat have both helped me out a lot with prop building and collecting stuff. I've also talked a lot with with Moosh and she's been awesome. She's a true fan.


Didn't expect to see this! haha, thanks for the kind words!

This thread is great, I'm learning new things about everyone :delta:

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 Post subject: Re: The Interview Thread
PostPosted: Sat Aug 10, 2019 8:52 pm 
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I'm honestly happy (and even a little surprised) with the results so far.

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 Post subject: Re: The Interview Thread
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 2:47 am 

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This is a cool thread. And great idea sailing rabit.

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 Post subject: Re: The Interview Thread
PostPosted: Mon Dec 09, 2019 3:34 pm 

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This is a great thread. Don’t know how I missed it! I met bigbisont at the Fanboy Expo in 2017, when I brought my family down to meet the cast of Aliens! It brought back memories of that amazing day. Here’s a picture of his family and my daughter, also dressed up as Vasquez!!

AAFBC9D3-7395-4644-89D1-F21C56401D15.png
AAFBC9D3-7395-4644-89D1-F21C56401D15.png [ 1.46 MiB | Viewed 5684 times ]

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 Post subject: Re: The Interview Thread
PostPosted: Fri Dec 13, 2019 8:45 pm 
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If anyone does want an interview, feel free to PM me.

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