Other Side of the Planet dot com

Star Wars: Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker (2)

Posted on December 3rd, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Mara Jade, Star Wars.

This is my “Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker Creeping Around a Coruscanti Corridor During a Crisis” scene.  Undoubtedly this has happened at some point during their 30~40 years of teamwork.

I need to stop playing with photoshop and start getting some work done…my foot is starting to get better, so that excuse won’t last much longer…

On a random note, it’s very frustrating…my pictures always look funny when I put them up…they’re better on my computer…I’ll just assume that the world hates me and get on with life.

0 comments.

Star Wars: Mara Jade and Luke Skywalker (1)

Posted on December 2nd, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Mara Jade, Star Wars.

Because I can’t be a responsible adult 100% of the time…

I get bored and frustrated with YouTube because people use the same images to make almost identical slideshows of Mara Jade.  I have found only one truly creative video, Skin, which uses Luke ROTJ footage with Satine Moulin Rouge footage to make a live-action video - brilliant.

And while I don’t do videos (yet), I can certainly photoshop a Luke/Mara image (but using my own image and not Shannon McRandle, because I rather dislike her…they could have done so much better…sigh…)

Note the proper lightsaber colors too…no pink lightsabers for Miss Jade - she had the blue Anakin lightsaber, as is proper, and by this time, Luke of course has his own green lightsaber.  They’re on a mission on a spaceship orbiting a planet somewhat closer to the bright center of the universe that we are so very, very far away from…

3 comments.

Star Wars: Mara Jade Costume (part 3)

Posted on November 21st, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, Mara Jade, Star Wars.

[Myself as Mara Jade at the Big Apple Con, Nov. 2007 - many thanks to Shad for taking the photos and doing the lightsaber effects]

Got the leather; got the belt with thigh holster; then just grab a lightsaber and throw on a nice, green cloak…I give you: Mara Jade!  I admit I’ve always been opposed to Mara wearing a cape, cause it’s just something to get in the way in a battle, but it’s getting cold out so I made this winter adaptation.  Besides, it looked good, and it was fun to wear.  Now what I really need is a good blaster and mayhaps a vibroblade, for good measure.

[I can’t believe I got into this stance in those pants - I am amazing!]

I’m having a great time being Mara, though I admit I may be slipping into deeper levels of Geekdom than ever before.  But you have to understand: Mara has been my favorite character and my role model since I was 14 years old.  She’s intelligent, witty, and sarcastic, with a good dose of bitterness in there.  She’s loyal, dedicated, and strong-willed.  She’s a talented martial artist and pilot, among other things.  There’s nothing I can think of that Mara can’t do, and while I’ve never met a person in this world that I wanted to emulate, Mara has always inspired me to be an individual that I both respect and admire.

10 comments.

USA: NYC: Big Apple Con: Stormtroopers

Posted on November 19th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, Mara Jade, NYC, Star Wars.

[Mara Jade (me) with two stormtroopers, a scout trooper, and Boba Fett]

I was just running into Sbarro’s for a slice of energizing pizza when I saw the stormtroopers.  I was fascinated to find out that the scout trooper was actually a girl.  “It works as long as I don’t speak,” she said.

So girls CAN be stormtroopers!  That means that I, too, can be a stormtrooper!  (Though I enjoy being Mara Jade so much…I’m not sure if I’m ready to put this costume away yet…)  Still, it got me thinking about how to get and make the armor.

[The idea of wearing stormtrooper armor inspires some odd, but important, questions…methinks separate pants and shirt may be a better choice than a full-body wetsuit…]

Then I found something AMAZING…followed by something stupid.

         
 [AMAZING:                                [STUPID:
  Hot Female                                 Skanky
Stormtrooper                           Semi-Armored
    Armor]                                 Femtroopers]

If anyone knows WHERE I can get the awesome female stormtrooper armor, or knows someone who has it, please, please, PLEASE leave a comment.  Is SO want to do this.

8 comments.

USA: NYC: Halloween 2007: NY Jedi

Posted on November 5th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Mara Jade, NYC, Star Wars.

[Myself as the infamous Mara Jade]

This picture, which was taken while we were getting ready to line up for the Village Halloween Parade, was taken with Rebekah’s cell phone camera.  It really amazes me how far these things have come.  I had an early cell phone camera, where the camera was actually a separate accessory that could be attached to the phone.

[NY Jedi group photo at the end of the Village Halloween Parade]

In addition to marching in the parade, ABC News also did a short piece on us for Halloween, which you can also view on YouTube.  You can see me several times, in full Mara Jade costume, either dueling or sneaking around in the background, causing mischief.

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USA: NYC: Halloween Parade 2007

Posted on November 1st, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Mara Jade, NYC, Star Wars.

 
[Mara Jade, aka me, and Obi-wan Kenobi at the Village Halloween Parade]

My first year in New York City, and my first Halloween Parade.  I was actually in the parade, appearing with the NY Jedi.  Lacking a float, we walked the parade, holding battles in the middle of 6th Avenue.

[Amazing dragon costume]

I saw some of the most bizarre and amazing costumes, most of which I have no pictures of - I was busy being all Jedi-like, of course.  But I’ll list a few I think deserve credit:
Most Amazing: Dragon (above), est. 12-15 feet tall, huge wings, beautiful
Most Disturbing: Decapitated Ronalf McDonald carrying his own head
Geekiest: ATST Walker (below) with working parts that moved appropriately
Best City Spirit: An N-line NYC Subway train (Boo Ave/Non-Stop)

[Star Wars’ ATST Walker]

It’s fun to walk the streets of Manhattan.  There are some beautiful buildings lit up at night, and, of course, people-watching in Manhattan is always a great sport, even on days when people don’t have an excuse to dress up.

[Forgive the poor quality - it’s a clock tower in lower Manhattan with a huge inflatable spider hanging off the side, and two people at the top watching the parade]

4 comments.

Star Wars: Mara Jade Costume (part 2)

Posted on October 14th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, Mara Jade, Star Wars.

[Myself, in my Mara Jade costume, getting ready for Halloween]

As promised, more costume photos with the addition of the belt with thigh holster, which I bought off a costumer in Singapore who runs an e-Bay store (costumebase).  He’s honest, helpful, offers a high-quality product, and ships super fast, even though he may be on the other side of the planet.  He’s got a ton of costumes: Star Wars, Star Trek, Battlestar  Galactica, Pirates os of the Carribean, Superman, Lord of the Rings, Indiana Jones, etc… 

    
[The new belt!  Technically a Han Solo belt, but it serves the purpose.]

Above is a picture and close-up with the new belt, which I admit I’ve ghetto’ed together with binder clips and a fabric scrap.  Nothing wrong with the product - it’s just designed for someone taller than me, such as your average American man.  So I shortened the side.

9 comments.

Star Wars: Mara Jade Costume (part 1)

Posted on September 13th, 2007 by Anna Zhan.
Categories: Blog, Costumes, Mara Jade, Star Wars.

I have a habit, when I have free time, of hanging around the house and playing dress-up, which I was never really interested in doing as a little girl.  But hey, now my clothes are so much more fun!

My $26 sleeveless leather shirt finally came - I’m quite happy about that.  Along with my $31 leather pants, they bring a large portion of my Mara Jade costume together - I can’t wait for Halloween!  I’ll be wearing my knee-high leather space boots, of course, and carrying my Anakin lightsaber, which Mara eventually ends up with.  The red hair and green eyes are already taken care of - now all I need is a leather belt with thigh holster (I may make it, I may buy it off e-Bay) and a lightsaber clip (gonna check Radio Shack before I shell out for the Covertec clip.)  I will post pictures once everything comes together.

Also, rather randomly, I had to try on a corset with the leather pants…  I got a ride back to Brooklyn the other week when I got my leather pants, and somehow corsets came up…it’s Ren Fest time…and somehow the need to wear the leather pants with a corset.  It’s a bit tight to wear to a martial arts class, but here’s the look.

And then…no reason really…I guess this is the beginnings of a pirate costume.  You never know when you’ll need to dress up as a pirate.

4 comments.