Cardboard Dawn

So, like, last year we (the cardboard troopers) discussed something “new” (and socially disruptive) that we could do at Dragon*Con. The activity that rose to the top of our pile at this year’s Dragon*Don was to crash the Dawn Look-a-like competition, a costume contest devoted to one comic book entitled “Dawn”… a dramatic series about a “goddess” who dresses in lace and armor, which we all know to be important elements in any elemental struggle between good and sexy. Always a T&A show, the Dawn competition is the brainchild of a fellow named Joseph Michael Linsner, and was rife for a raid by those merry pranksters of merriment, whose only goal at Dragon*Con is to make people smile and remember that the weekend is supposed to be about genuine fun. While Dawn may come in every shape and color, we knew that our Dawn would be BIG, BOXY and far too unwieldy to manage lingerie… chiefly, that cardboard trooper known as “Gallo Whirlpool”… with big pink balloons taped onto his chestplate… but then, I explain too much… take a look at the video!!

Cardboard Stormtroopers 2006

Box Robot Troopers
Update: Now there are videos about us on YouTube! Take a look at us in the DragonCon Parade, here’s a closer angle and here’s the news report where Alfeo and I are interviewed. Track all the new photos of our costumes on Flickr! If you’ve missed earlier posts about my cardboard robots don’t miss reading about how it all started, our 2005 box costumes, the cardboard underwear I made for a friend, and the challenge that led to this year’s hijincks.

DAY ONE
Alfeo, Elliott and I suited up in the parking garage of the downtown Atlanta Hilton on Saturday morning and headed upstairs to begin walking down to Woodruff Park. I was bitching everyone out, telling them to hurry up. That went over famously.

Exiting the elevator, I figured that the first 20 people we ran into would provide us with a good idea of how we’d be received elsewhere for the rest of the day. We were particularly worried that the “real” stormtroopers would take demonstrable umbrage at our cardboard costumes, which was never my intent.
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Box Robot : Full Report

Box Robots and Hot Girls Go Together
Well what do you know, the whole box robot thing actually happened. Back when I was finishing my first screenplay in 2003 I added a bit about a guy wandering around the background of a scene in a badly made cardboard robot costume… who knew it might be funnier in real life? Heck, we even won a prize. But I’m getting ahead of myself. If you don’t know what I’m talking about click over and read the article “Box Robot Flashmob Challenge” first. The rest of you who are up to speed can do a slam cut to: The Marriott Marquis, downtown Atlanta, Labor Day Weekend, Dragon*Con. I found myself sitting on the Garden Level lobby of the remarkable Marriott Marquis hotel…
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