SYDNEY SKYFORCE - JEDICON 2002
OCTOBER 20

There are Skyforce meetings, and then there are SUPER BLOWOUTS like this epic uber-celebration just passed! Twice the size of your average garden-variety Skyforce and chocked up to the eyeballs with enthusiasm, JediCon was designed to be a blowout of Ozcon proportions to reward all the Sydney fangoers for their support and loyalty, especially in the kind of post-natal emptiness that inevitably comes after the release of such an anticipated new film.

With a delightful crowd of about 110, and our mates from Melbourne making the road trip up as well (those who were prepared to share a bus with Darren Maxwell for 10 hours; we salute you!), it was busy enjoyment from 11 through till 6. Aside from all the usual Sydney flavour, there was a stack of extra treats such as support and displays from Nintendo, Hasbro, CCG and Lego. If the AV program and fan films were a bit much after a few hours, you could pop next door and play some ROGUE LEADER or help build a Lego Yoda!

Having there been a bit of time since our last meeting, there was plenty of choice new multimedia tidbits to show off over the AV programming for the day, the highlights including Nintendo's sizzling teaser for BOUNTY HUNTER, the world premiere trailer of FanForce's upcoming tablethumper HIGHLIGHT TO READ, and (drum roll) a bit of an ogle at the national template copy of EPISODE II on DVD, the only copy in the country! This last treat stirred the masses up a bit and it was decided not long after that in the interest of security, the DVD be whisked away by its personal minders.

One of the TOTALLY GROUSE STANDOUTS of the day was the attendance of two friendly guests, Zac Jensen and Mary Oyaya, better known as chop-socky Jedi KIT FISTO and LUMINARA UNDULI fresh from the Geonosis arena. While Mary is quite the fandom veteran, Zac's attendance was a world-first and priveleged exclusive. Void of all tattoos and tentacles, these champions stayed the whole day and enjoyed themselves amongst the fandom frenzy, and in the end they both emerged unscathed and all the better for it! Nice one.

Other regular travesties included the usual Pictionary and Trivia Debacles with that insufferable goon Christian. Despite the most swanky upgrading of the Trivia to POWER POINT status, ol' Flathead still found himself the usual target for good-natured mockery and the occasional SPIKE-ENCRUSTED PROJECTILE. Hats off once again to the FAN FORCE bunch who cleaned up the prizes, and the good people of CASE FRESH COLLECTIBLES who won a PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED PIC of Christian in all his egomaniacal glory. One must ponder: are they winners or losers?

Who could forget the usual AUCTION?? Over time, the Sydney team has polished this grueling section into a system that ACTUALLY WORKS. Before the main event kicked off, though, resident loudmouths Dax and Matt hosted a special CHARITY AUCTION, with all funds raised aimed squarely at the coffers of that UPWARDS OF SENSATIONAL charity, BEAR COTTAGE. An airtight good cause always brings out the green, and all who attended will be proud to hear that the Bear Cottage kids benefited from your contributions to the tune of $510.

We could GO ON FOR DONKEYS about all the big and little quirks we enjoyed, but basically it was a top success and a really happy day to remember. Basically, if you missed it, YOU SHOULD TOTALLY BE KICKING YOURSELF in INCONSOLABLE GRIEF. JediCon was a Grade-A, choice-cut, trimmed and chilled bloody tops slice of pure enjoyment. It was about fun, and mateship, and bad Late Show impressions. It was about teamwork, laughs, good-natured stupidity. It was all about g'day tiger and hello Australia. It was, sniff, it was PRETTY DAMN GOOD. And it was CHOCKERS with two things we're all bonkers about: STAR WARS and GOOD MATES.

The Sydney team, that dodgy-looking pack of characters you all know too well, are a proud credit to the Star Walking name and intend to stay that way. They couldn't function, however, without the support of the shmickerrific dealers who always turn out for them, the ENDLESS STAX of company contacts and venue champs who PUT UP WITH THEM, and the mateship of EACH OTHER. More importantly, a GIANT MEXICAN WAVE to the wives, girl and boyfriends, parents and parole officers of these CLOWNS for their understanding, patience and long-suffering acceptance of what will probably not improve. :)

But at the end of this monstrous recap, it's once again the greatest THANKS that we always save for last, and it goes SQUARE KER-BLAM at all the fangoers and general champions who came and had a buttload of fun on the day. Sydney has a great base of regular attendees and always a bunch of newcomers at each meeting, and it's always a SIMPLE AND MOST EXCELLENT PLEASURE to meet, greet, share with, laugh with, hang out with, argue with, breakdance-fight with and enjoy the company of all you top people. STAR WARS is fantastic but when the sun goes down, they're just toys, it's just a poster, and it's the people you meet and the friends you make that matter. And thus, it's why STAR WALKING in both Sydney and Melbourne rock on and accumulate a bundle of top memories in the process :)

JEDI-CON PHOTOS