| My name is Mike Harrison, aka TK/TD-1536. Ever since I was a young kid, around the age of five, I recall in my kindergarden class having a assignment to draw a picture of what you wanted to be when you grow up. At the time, it was probably 1979 and Star Wars mania was still strong, especially with Empire Strikes Back soon to come out. I was an avid drawer and would constantly draw my toys and sharpen my skills. I had gotten good at drawing a Stormtrooper and when my Kindergarden teacher gave us the assignment, I immediately knew what I wanted to be... a Stormtrooper, of course! Now, I don't know if it was because my career choice was highly original or just plain silly, but the teacher picked me out to give my little speech in front of the entire school on the auditorium stage, along with about ten other students. When I got up to the podium I whole-heartedly (at the age of five) said I wanted to be a Stormtrooper. The crowd of elementary students began laughing, of course. The interesting thing is, I don't know if I was always a little different than all the other kids or not or if I thought I was really serious when I did stuff like this. My father took me to see all the sci-fi movies of the time and I was highly influenced and fascinated by all of them. Throughout the next 25 years of my life I would find myself doing and saying equally as strange stuff - everything from growing my hair out and personifying a proverbial rock star, to shaving my head and wanting to become a social outcast xenophobe, to leading a normal computer career lifestyle in suburbia to full-circle again...a Stormtrooper. Call me silly, but I obsess over things that most people take lightly or not at all. I'm either naturally weird and inquisitive or I have a severe mental condition. I wonder if all Star Wars/computer geeks are like this? |
| Anyway, now at the age of 32 - I've finally realized my lifelong dream of becoming a Stormtrooper (three times now!)... or at least acquiring the armor and having a good time putting it together. I've been building and painting model airplanes and tanks all my life and this has become an extension of that creative outlet. However, the fact that it's roots run deep into my child hood, give me a strong emotional camaraderie with the project that other people might see as nerdy or plain stupid. The most exciting part was finally finishing the armor and submitting my application for entry in to the 501st Legion, a world-wide organization of Star Wars Imperial costume owners. I was then admitted to join my local Garrison, Maryland's Old-Line, as TK-1536. 501st Garrison's meet often to take part in charity events, sci-fi trade shows, parades, etc. If you're at all serious about becoming a Stormtrooper or another Imperial bad-guy, check it out! I've since gone from being a casual trooper, to diving full-bore into replica prop creation and collecting. In the Summer of 2005 I started making my own Clone Armor sculpts and molds. In the Winter of 2005, I acquired my third set of Stormtrooper armor. |
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| Aside from all this trooping, staying consistently productive and creative are life-long pursuits. I've been a prominant metal musician for almost fifteen years, playing guitar, bass and vocals. Throughout the ninties, I played in various local death metal bands and recorded a few albums both with bands and as solo projects here and there, nothing too notable. In 2001, I started the band Misery Index with former Dying Fetus members Jason Netherton and Kevin Talley. We recorded two albums after which time, both Kevin and I quit to do other things. in 2003, I recorded the vocals for Psychotogen's second CD - The Calculus of Evil. In 2004, I finally finished my second solo album since 1997 - the project was called Kommissar, and picks up where I left off with Misery Index, but with many more influences from bands such as Emperor and Opeth. If trooping and music wern't enough, I've also done freelance graphic design for numerous bands, etc. You can check out my artwork HERE. I've done numerous CD covers, t-shirt designs, web site design and numerous published ads and other design tasks. |
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