Fully Operational Fandom: A Jawa Meets BB-8 in This Brilliant Cosplay

Remember when I said they don't shy away from complex projects? I think the above description of the rig makes my case, but to present further evidence: aside from the framework, the costume includes fabric elements and a paper mache BB-8. They spent a month putting it all together. The logistics alone were a challenge. "Getting the structure and silhouette right was definitely the hardest part," Jen says. "John is the visionary of the two of us, so he never doubted, but I needed LOTS of sketches and PhotoShop mock-ups to be convinced the illusion would work."

With the structure figured out, they had to make it all settle in a comfortable and practical way. That was just as hard as it sounded. Jen says, "After that, getting the rig's foundation to sit right was pretty tricky. My eye slot is only about an inch high, so if BB-8's body sat too low or too high by even a few millimeters, I couldn't see. Then we had to adjust things so I could comfortably move my head and -- believe it or not -- scratch my nose, because little comfort things like that are monumentally important when you're spending many hours on the convention floor. Now I have enough room in there to touch my face, scratch an itch, and even drink a bottle of water -- though I do need a straw."

It's especially good that Jen was comfortable, because while she was in costume at Celebration Orlando, she stopped for a lot of interactions and tons of photos. Jen mentions pausing for pictures "posed an interesting problem (pun intended)." As she explains, the costume looks best when in it's in motion, but she had to stay stationary for photos. "I tried to find a good balance between standing in one place and moving forward a few steps, just so folks could see how it moved and that there was, in fact, a real person in there," she says.

When she was stopped by fellow fans, Jen tells me she was most surprised by two things: "One: how much children loved my costume, and wanted to interact with the Jawa. Two: how often adults assumed the entire thing was a robot! I got a real kick out of hearing the crowds try to figure it out. My favorite was when someone would ask John, who was always beside me, to 'make it move!' Naturally I would move on cue, just to keep the befuddlement going. It was great fun."

And sometimes, they really accomplished an illusion. "The other common assumption was that the Jawa was a real person, so I had several awkward 'high-five' moments," she says. "Oops. Still, talk about the best compliment: every person fooled was another mark of success!"

Amy Ratcliffe is a writer obsessed with Star Wars, Disney, and coffee. Follow her on Twitter at @amy_geek.