Calvin Carter is so passionate about Star Wars cosplay—or costume play—that he once completed the 12K Bay to Breakers footrace in San Francisco while wearing a TK Stormtrooper costume that he acquired half-finished on Craigslist. The crafty founder and CEO of Addison-based app developer Bottle Rocket got to work, and eventually submitted that costume for official approval by The 501st Legion, a volunteer organization that “brings together [‘Star Wars’] costume enthusiasts.” (He was still waiting to hear back at press time.)
Carter got into cosplay five years ago after attending a Dallas Symphony performance of music from “Star Wars.” And after watching costumed members of The 501st tread the aisles to Darth Vader’s ominous “Imperial March,” he was hooked. Shortly after finishing the Stormtrooper, he started from scratch, building a screen-accurate Commander Cody costume (pictured) from “The Clone Wars” animated TV series.
Carter’s wife, Kelly, and their 6-year-old twin daughters have also gotten in on the action. These days, the Carters now attend Comic Cons as a family.
“This is a way for me to kind of teach them to be more comfortable with themselves,” Carter says. “Usually at Cons there’s a fairly high density of people who may not have walked the beaten path. They’re people who are doing this because they love it. … They’re genuine and authentic, and they’re geeking out about something they love.”
