Meet the one-man show behind the helmet

AmericanTK

(1:1 Scale)

“You don’t realize how many people you made smile that day and how much that meant to them.
You aren’t a villain, but a hero.”

Message received after walking around Houston during the early days of lockdown.

Super Trooper

Instead of writing about who I am, I thought I’d take a different approach and tell you why I am who I am.

At an early age, I recall driving down the highway, getting into deep thought with myself, and having these epiphanies wondering why things happened the way they did. Two of which would follow me from my late teens and become my truth. I’m not certain if everyone does this, but I wouldn’t be me had it not.

The first promise I made was that if I wanted to be treated fairly and not be discriminated against, then I needed to strive to treat others fairly and not discriminate either. It’s a simple notion and one everyone should embody. But it hits differently when your perception of yourself is of always being on the verge of being shunned.

The second promise was that I needed to experience as much as I could during life to fully live. This is likely why no matter how many years go by I’m actively trying new things to absorb more of this life energy.

These two promises have complimented each other. One with its sense of humanity and the other with experience via participation. The more you experience, the more you understand yourself. The more you understand yourself, the more you can understand your fellow troopers.

With each new day and each new experience, you evolve slightly. For me, the realization of the journey of change is just as important as the experience. It’s an added level of experience. Living the experience isn’t enough. You need to comprehend its impact. To know one without the other feels like you’ve used a cheat code to unlock an achievement you didn’t deserve.

So, this is why I am who I am. I’m this Trooper who wants a fair world where we all can live.

Canon

October 2004

Starts kitting his armor after having received it as a birthday/Christmas present from his parents. When asked what he wanted as a gift that year, he requested a Stormtrooper uniform not thinking he would receive it. To his surprise, a large package was delivered and begun the clothes worn had.

2004 - 2008

Marches around the city of Atlanta during Halloween each year showing off his shiny white suit. Notices how popular Stormtroopers are with children and adults alike. Realizes making people smile is a bonus and a reward all of its own. Must find opportunities (excuses) to get into character to continue spreading this joy.

2008 - 2017

Transfers to the coast of North Carolina. Adds an Imperial Blaster to his uniform by completing a customization and conversion to a vintage Kenner blaster. The blaster has realistic sound, bright LEDs, and vibration effects. After completion of the blaster, he adds static voice effects to his helmet to have a better setup than the other Stormtrooper in the area. During this time, he volunteers to attend events hosted by area small businesses to help promote their stores. The highlight is working a Meet & Greet to usher in the new season of the Raleigh Symphony Orchestra for their Celebration of John Williams.

2018 - Present

Makes settlement in Houston and quickly adopts the go big or go home attitude cause everything is bigger in Texas. Continues to upgrade his armor by replacing his voice changer with a newer version as well as adding in microphones to better hear his surroundings and speakers to raise the volume on his voice. Decides you don’t need a reason to wear the armor. You can wear it whenever the notion hits. Decides in April ’20 that the community needs their spirit lifted and traverses through town bringing smiles to people driving through the city. Look for more pop-up sightings in the months and years to come!