This Star Wars fan dresses up as Wookiee!

MANILA, Philippines — If you have a favorite movie or book, you probably want to do something to celebrate your fandom. Some people go to conventions, and they stand in line for autographs and photos. Others cover their walls with posters, and line their shelves with memorabilia. Those with artistic talent might create fan art, write songs or even make fan films.

And then there are the fans who design and wear costumes.

One such fan is Norman Lopez, who absolutely loves Star Wars. And exactly how does he show his love for the saga set in a galaxy far, far away?

He dresses up as Han Solo’s best friend and co-pilot on the Millennium Falcon, the Wookiee Chewbacca.

You’re probably wondering, “Why did he start dressing up as Chewie? It’s so hot in this country!” But for Norman, it’s all about the love. “Chewie is my favorite Star Wars character, and the best way to really appreciate the character is to be him! Yes, it’s a bit hot to don the costume, but as they say in Tagalog, ‘tiis-ganda.’”

Norman started dressing up as Chewbacca as far back as 2006. “My very first Star Wars costume was a Rubies Chewbacca costume.” But it wasn’t until 2016 when he built and wore a fully accurate, looks-like-something-out-of-the-movie costume. With that, he joined the Rebel Legion, an international fan-based volunteer organization dedicated to the construction and wearing of screen-accurate Star Wars Rebel Alliance costumes, and he debuted his costume at the first Asia-Pop Comic-Con in Manila.

What is the costume made of? “The base costume is made of mesh fabric that allows air to pass through. Chewie’s hair is made of Kanekalon hair that is glued to the fabric. Then, there are the stilts, predominantly made of wood to make me taller like Chewie.” The actor who played Chewbacca, Peter Mayhew, is about seven feet tall, so the stilts are pretty important for the Wookiee costume!

With stilts, fur and a full mask, it can’t be an easy costume to wear. Norman shared just how challenging it is. “I can’t put on the suit alone. I wear arm extenders, so I can’t use my hands either. I also need to have a hairstylist and a make-up artist.”

Chewbacca needs make-up? Norman explained, “I wear make-up behind the mask. I need black face paint around the eyes and on the eyelids, so that my skin doesn’t show up when someone looks at my eyes. That’s just like how they do it in the movies!”

With all that fur, it’s not really surprising that Chewbacca needs a hairstylist. “My hairstylist will need to fix the hair, he or she needs to be familiar how Chewie looks. I use a hairspray called fudge cement, which is same as what Chewie’s hairstylist uses in the movies — yes, even my hairspray is movie accurate! This is to keep the hair in proper form. Sometimes, I reinforce it with a single stretch of brown sewing thread, wrapped around the head, so that the hair on the side of the face doesn’t fall off.”

It sounds like a lot of effort, but is it worth it? “Short answer: I feel like a rock star!” Norman laughed. But he admitted that there were some unforgettable moments. “One that really stands out is that when a kid hugged me and never let go, it sums up why we do what we do. I wish I had a picture of that moment. I got a hug from Slave Leia, too, but that’s another story.”

There are a lot of Star Wars fans out there who absolutely love Chewbacca, too, and Norman has some advice for anyone crazy enough to attempt the costume, too. “If you are aiming for movie accuracy, prepare to invest a very significant amount of time, money and effort. Expect that you are going to make adjustments to the costume every now and then, to improve the experience. Investing in Wookiee sounds also enhances the authenticity of the costume.”

There’s more to it than the costume, though. “With all his might, being Chewie is a rewarding experience, but you should know your limitations. So far, I have worn the costume for two hours max, and it is really nice to see people get excited and line up to get a photo of them with you. But sometimes it can be really exhausting. You should know when it is time to stop. Health comes first. Don’t wait until you feel exhausted or tired, keeping in mind that you still need to save some energy to walk back to the dressing room.”

Between building the costume and trying to move and act like Chewie, Norman had to think about the Wookie’s life experiences. For instance, does he think Chewbacca needs to blow dry his fur every day? “Between smuggling and piloting the Millennium Falcon, I do not think he will have time to blow dry his fur every day. But Chewie’s hair can easily get tangled up, so I think he should at least use conditioner.”

If Chewie were to dye his fur, what color does Norman think he would choose? “Uuuuuuurhhange!”

Good idea. Hopefully, there’s a salon that can do a full fur color on May the Fourth.

May has always been an important month for Star Wars fans. The six live-action movies of the Star Wars saga debuted in May, starting with the original Star Wars on May 25, 1977. “The Maker” George Lucas was also born on May 14, 1944. But the phrase “May the Fourth Be With You” was coined in 1979, when Margaret Thatcher won the elections and became Britain’s first woman prime minister. To celebrate the victory, her party took out a half-page ad in London Evening News, saying, “May the Fourth Be With You, Maggie. Congratulations.” With the advent of the Internet, May the Fourth soon became a grassroots tradition each year, with fans online and offline proclaiming it “Star Wars Day.”