Those who know me know that I focus on "visual clues" vs screen accuracy. With that said, I have come a long way from my PR carved out of a 2x6.
I just got done with WW Chicago. As a reminder, most people will not recognize a Colonial Marine. Some will and will be very excited.
The USCM now looks just like a modern day SF fighter. Body armor, camera, headset. Over/under weapon.
25 years ago these were "rocket science" items. Now they are Call of Duty.

The egg and hugger were the big stars of the show. We could have charged for pictures with the egg.
My 2 cents;
If you are trooping just to be a USCM and are unconcerned with the spotlight, it is all good.

If you want to be the person who stops traffic with pictures, you need to focus on the items that make Aliens unique; the egg, the facehugger, the Alien, the stasis tube, the chestburster...

To be clear, I went to DC as the USCM right out of Hypersleep. Safari camo pants, t-shirt, EKG suction leads, towel, toothbrush. Very few people understood.

If you troop as a USCM you have to decide if getting attention is important to you. If it isn't, don't worry. Enjoy yourself.
If it is, make sure to have the peripherals; egg, facehugger, chestburster, alien...

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No, they are not going to see this coming...

i went with the good old plush face hugger on my back to a local con . it definately made people draw the connection , to what i was .

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Cpl Matthew Rendar. M56 smart gun operator. 2nd bat 7th colonial marines "Rendars Raiders "

It is all a matter of how much attention you want. Some people don't want any. Other people crave attention like crack. They are the ones with the painted on whatever...

I just wanted to point out that in 25 years, the military has actually adopted a lot of the USCM stuff. Skateboarders have helmet cams.

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No, they are not going to see this coming...

Put together a full size colony wall complete with dead colonist with exploded chest to go with the egg....I think we got about 10 requests for photos all weekend.

Now remove the egg, place it on an elevator at 2am and send it down a few floors....people went crazy.
D*con you get odd responses to odd things....but it's all about having fun for me

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Location is important too. If you hang out in areas where there are a lot of cosplayers, you'll get a better response than in the middle of a crowded aisle.

Though when you run into that one person who loves aliens just as much as you or in a costume from aliens, it is one of the best feelings at a con.

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PFC Mike Rizzuto MVM
USS Blackhawk
3rd Batt 12th Regt

"Though when you run into that one person who loves aliens just as much as you or in a costume from aliens, it is one of the best feelings at a con."

Yep you nailed it.

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No, they are not going to see this coming...

I plan on carrying a Halcyon facehugger with me when I troop for my first time. Not that I crave attention, it would just be nice for people to draw the connection and not think I'm CoD or GI Joe as I've heard is often the case with USCM.

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"Awww, someone tell me that's a boot!

It's a boot!"

III drops

Joe, I remember that... "I" didn't even get it before you told me.


However Joe is bang on correct with everything he has mentioned about doing a convention (or especially the Halloween bar scene) as a Colonial Marine.


Aside from the Alien itself, I think the second most iconic thing about the series would be the facehugger; it's probably also the easiest item to have attached to your armour (back, shoulder etc). Getting a vinyl model or plush facehugger would be fairly easy, and much less cumbersome than carrying a full sized egg around.


And yes Hunter nailed it as well that all it takes is "one" person to instantly recognize you and yell out "ALIENS! I LOVE THAT MOVIE!" to make it all worth it!




PS... "This" is how you do a hypersleep impression ---








Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Ha! That's awesome!

Hey Kev, you want me to bring your slippers to you?

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"A writer needs a pen, a painter a brush, and a filmmaker an army." - Orson Wells.

http://www.rookscastle.com
http://www.alchemyarms.com

Hey. Give me my scowl back.

Put your clothes back on, white boy!

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-Spat

You want to pinch them... don't ya.


Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

I think you should have to wear Pasties just like the women folk do.

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-Spat

Okay just for you...














Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Much better!

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-Spat

Well, that's put me right off my breakfast.

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2nd Lt Jon "Jaylo" Lopez
A11/TQ1.0.72144E1
USCM Quality Assurance Division- Aerospace and Space Products- Earth
"Checklists Save Lives- No Service Stations at 30,000ft"

Uh, that's nice. Here is how it's done.

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No, they are not going to see this coming...

OMG, Kev. Had to pull up the old pics. Remember when the girl scouts showed up and you started reverting back to your alien form? That was hilarious. People were freaking out thinking you were turning into a plant.
That got people's attention.

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No, they are not going to see this coming...

It happens when I get "excited."


Now shhhhh! Don't give me away anymore!





Kevin

_________________
I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

At least his was female !

By the way, are they screen accurate ?

Most likely not as no one wore slippers in the "waking up from hypersleep" scene.


Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!

Please tell me what the hell is going on in this picture!?! I needs a caption, and a story.

Is this at a DCon, and is this an example of the "drugs and hookers" Spat is always referencing?

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Si vis pacem, para bellum
SFC Steve "Fireball" Parsons - A08/TQ1.0.52150E1
69th Regt. 1st Batt. Homers Heroes

Okay here goes... (Sorry Joe )

This was D-Con 2004 so my memory is a "little" hazy. These two girls are dressed as "Naughty Girl Scouts."

I "believe" the "Naughty Girl Scouts" have been photoshopped into the picture of us. I kind of remember this pic being shown back after D-Con, and "not" remembering it being taken "with" the Scouts (because I would damn well remember something like this ).

I'm pretty sure there is a "larger" version of this pic that aside from having the usual photoshop "tells," the fact that "none" of us in the pic are in any way "distracted"... is enough to claim the girls are shopped.


Oh and here's another pic (albeit definitely not the exact same picture minus the Scouts):




Anyway about the "Scouts", these sort of shenanigans usually occurred late at night when the kiddies would be in bed. The Scouts were back at least for a couple more years in a row. However I believe even something like this pushed the envelope a little too far and the Scouts were eventually told to cover up by the DC/Hotel staff.


Kevin

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I told you I'd shoot, but you didn't believe me! WHY DIDN'T YOU BELIEVE ME!?!