Replace the Catsuit: Costume Entry From Ellen

With less than two weeks to go in our Replace Mara’s Catsuit contest, we’re starting to see a flood of new entries. Earlier this week we got a submission from Bria and today, we’ve got another costume entry from reader Ellen. I’ll let her describe it for you:

Here’s my entry for the contest to replace Mara’s catsuit. This is inspired by her outfit on the cover of Vision of the Future, but I made several changes to it, so I hope it still counts as a redesign. I tried to take the look of the cover illustration and combine it with the look of Jedi robes–this is definitely a Jedi outfit for Mara, not an Emperor’s Hand outfit! I plan on making a few additions/changes to the costume before Dragon*Con, but I don’t think I will have a chance to do that by the contest deadline, so my entry is just as it appears in the photos here. Unfortunately the green light from the saber tones down the red in her hair, and makes it look pretty blonde, but it is a red-gold, I promise!

Thanks for submitting the costume, Ellen! Who says Mara can’t rock the robes?

Remember, you’ve got until the 15th to submit your entry!

Replace the Catsuit: Costume Entry from Bria

Reader, podcast listener, costumer, Pop Culture Shock writer, and all-around-awesome-person Bria sent us another costume for our Replace Mara’s Catsuit contest. Her inspiration for this entry came from the Allegiance and Choices of One covers.

Sleeves! Pockets! A jacket! Armor! To see other pictures of the costume, head on over to Bria’s photobucket.

We really dig the costume, Bria. Thanks for sending it in! Remember, you’ve got until August 15th to submit your art and costume entries for a chance to win some books featuring Mara Jade.

Replace the Catsuit: Art Entry from Beth

We’ve got another submission for the Replace Mara’s Catsuit contest. This art entry comes courtesy of Beth W.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Click to enlarge)

I’ll let Beth describe this one for you:

Hello,
My name is Beth, and this is my entry for the “Replace Mara Jade’s Catsuit” competition! Mara Jade and Luke have been my favorite Star Wars characters since my father passed his old and worn Timothy Zahn paperbacks down to me. She was confident, courageous and relentless, all good characteristics for the role model of a 6th grade girl to have. I am now a college student, and looking back I am confused and quite disturbed by “The Catsuit”. It does not serve Mara Jade at all and I could never see my heroine putting that on everyday. It’s too much. Mara’s wardrobe should be comfortable, useful, flattering (but not flashy), and simple. Here is what I always pictured Mara Jade in when I read my beloved books:

Her top is a bit loose, with buttons just under her elbows reigning in the thin fabric so it doesn’t get caught by anything. It is a muted shade of purple, the color of the lightsaber strapped to her waist. Over the top, she wears a khaki vest with black lapels, each featuring a single stripe of Rebel Alliance Orange around the borders. Her pants are just your average beat up khaki flight suit pants, tucked into her Jedi issue boots. At her waist is her weaponry belt, with a silver buckle very reminiscent of the one her husband wears. At her right hip is her blaster and lightsaber, and at her left hip is a carrying pouch and the stabilizing strap for the knife sheath that straps around her left thigh. She also wears a pouch on a cord around her neck. She has two small pockets in her vest and a large pocket on her right pants leg, and each zips closed to prevent loss of equipment. She also wears a pair of black fingerless gloves and ties a black headband low on her forehead to keep sweat and hair out of her eyes. Her hair is loosely braided and tucked under her left ear.

I wish I could send you a better picture, but I don’t have access to a scanner right now. I just took a picture of my pencil sketch with my camera. Thank you so much for this opportunity! It’s so nice to get to see Mara Jade being set free from the catsuit by some of her loyal fans!

Beth

***

Thanks Beth! Remember, you’ve got until August 15th to submit your entries.

Replace the Catsuit: Art Entry from Blizz

Reader Blizz sent in a piece of artwork (and functional diagram!) for our Replace Mara’s Catsuit Contest. I have to say, I’m really digging this entry.

I’ll let Blizz describe it for you:

You want practicality? I offer an outfit that I tried to keep compatible with novel descriptions, Star Wars paraphernalia, and basic Stormtrooper and Jedi equipment.

I kept some elements of her “canon” appearance. The belt and knee pads, for instance. I did away with the shoulder harness. Why, oh why, is Mara always portrayed with a shoulder harness with no holsters? What is the point? What does it do?

Anyway, I think this fits a balance of traveling light but being prepared. Thank you for your consideration.

Ink on paper.
Digitally colored using GIMP

Thanks for sending this in!

For more information about the contest and to view the other entries, head to the contest page.

Win A Copy of ‘Time Traveled Tales’

Good news: Authors like Janine Spendlove, Mike Stackpole, Aaron Allston, Tim Zahn, and Bryan Young teamed up to put together a nifty anthology of short stories centered around time travel!

Bad news: The anthology was limited to a 500 quantity run and was exclusive to the Origins Game Convention, so you can’t buy it.

Good news (for one lucky person): I went and bought an extra copy to give away!

How can you claim it? Simple! Follow our Twitter account and retweet this message. We’ll select a winner at random.

 

Replace the Catsuit: Costume Entry from Blizz

Over the weekend, we got our first costume entry for the Replace the Catsuit contest. This one comes from reader Blizz. She says that this outfit was based on Mara’s appearance at the end of The Last Command graphic novel.

Lightsaber? Functional yet good looking jacket? Coruscant background? Nanci and I talked about this entry on the latest podcast episode we recorded and we both agree, this costume is great.

Thanks for submitting, Blizz!

Replace the Catsuit: Art Entries from Victoria

We’ve got another pair of entries for the Replace the Catsuit contest! These come from Victoria and I’ll let her describe them for you.

The first picture (“Rogue Skywalkers”) is an illustration of Mara and Luke in Rogue pilot fatigues heading to/from their star fighters. I knew Mara was a talented pilot and even though she was probably not of Luke’s caliber, I’m sure the two of them had plenty of flights with one chasing the other, trying to prove which one of them was the best. And even though I don’t think she was ever officially a part of the Rogues, it’s hard for me to think that the members of the Squadron would not consider her at least an honorary member. 

The second picture (“Formal Jedi Gown”) came to mind when I thought of Mara being the type of woman who didn’t mind being a girl and wearing pretty gowns every once in a while. This dress would be something she would wear if she needed to attend a formal event as a Jedi – not necessarily in her robes or flight suit – and she wanted to impress others. Also, it could be something she would have worn to her Jedi wedding in the comic “Union” (I know, she’s wearing something different in the illustration, but this is my vision haha) when she and Luke had their private wedding. 

Thanks for submitting these, Victoria! I dig both of them, but I really love the flightsuit.

We’ll have another entry up tomorrow morning. Remember, you’ve got until August 15th to submit costumes and art for the contest.

Replace the Catsuit: Art Entry from Gorram Girl

We’ve got the first entry for the Replace the Catsuit Contest! Gorram Girl checks in with a lovely piece of fanart.

Now doesn’t this look way more functional than a banthahide catsuit? Love the jacket. Really, really dig the headscarf.

Thanks for submitting this entry! And remember, the new deadline to help costumers out is August 15th. That should give you plenty of time to get something put together for the late summer convention season.

‘Essential Guide to Warfare’ Giveaway Winners

Who wants a free copy of EG to Warfare? All of you, I imagine! Unfortunately, only two of you will be getting them. The following two people! Who were randomly selected from a hat.*

*Red Dixie cup

  • From the Twitter pool:  @Aelinwen
  • From the Facebook pool: Daniel Laws

Congratulations winners! E-mail your address to staff.toschestation@gmail.com and we’ll send you your copy.

Thanks to everyone who entered and helped us make the first week here at Tosche Station a success. Keep your eyes open, I imagine we’ll have more contests in the future.