Back in October 2011, Hasbro ran a contest called "Join the Jedi," in which one lucky fan would see his or her custom lightsaber move incorporated into an episode of Star Wars: The Clone Wars. As it turns out, this morning's episode of The Clone Wars, "A Test of Strength," was the one that featured the winning move -- and the winning fan was the son of one of our readers.
Here's what TFN reader Christopher Lake told me about his son Brendon winning the contest:
We actually first learned of the contest through TheForce.Net, so a BIG THANKS to you guys. I check out your site everyday to keep up on all the latest Star Wars news.
Hasbro and Lucasfilm flew Brendon and me out for the big premier of the Young Jedi Arc in August. It was an AWESOME experience that two HUGE Star Wars fans will remember forever. We got to meet Dave Filoni backstage, Ashley Eckstein and Dee Bradley Baker at the Cupcake Wars party, and we got to meet and get autographs from Mark Hamill, Ian McDiarmid, Carrie Fisher, and Anthony Daniels. We also ran into Dennis Muren in the elevator hallway at the hotel. (What do you say to an Academy Award winner of Visual Effects that you never expect to meet???) We also had a lot of fun hanging out with fellow Star Wars fans and seeing all the displays and costumes.
?My dad told me about [the contest],? says Brendon, ?and I knew for sure that I wanted to do it. So I started practicing and practicing, and finally I came up with the move.? Dubbed ?The Whirlwind of Destiny,? Brendon?s saber technique is a fast, flashy strike, featuring spins and twirls ? and it looks 100 percent Star Wars. In addition to the impressive look of the move, it also sounds epic and powerful. ?Because I was doing a whole bunch of spins,? Brendon explains, ?I [wanted] one word, like ?whirlwind? or ?tornado.? And I picked whirlwind.? Brendon decided to add ?of Destiny? to the title, giving it even more of a Star Wars-vibe.
Here's a video of Brendon Lake performing his lightsaber move:
And here it is in animated form in "A Test of Strength":
Congratulations to Brendon and thanks to his dad Christopher for writing in to let us know the good news!
Rebelscum Breast Cancer Awareness Charity Patch Posted By Philip on November 25, 2014: Thanks to everybody that ordered patches. I sent a check for $1,600.00 to the National Breast Cancer Foundation on Monday. While it's not as much as I hoped for, it's still very much appreciated. They will remain for sale in the store for anybody that still wishes to purchase them. Details after the jump.