WHAT is Grand Army of the Republic?:

We are a Star Wars fan group that's focus will be celebrating the characters and costumes of the Star Wars prequel era.

Grand Army of the Republic will share information on making and/or obtaining costumes, helmets, and armor of prequel characters and will soon be organizing group functions at prequel-related events and conventions.

We will not be selling any costume items directly through the group. However, we have already networked with fellow fans who can help others in these matters and will often link to official Star Wars costume and replica licensees and retailers.

Our name is obviously taken from the references to "the Grand Army of the Republic" that is commissioned during the events of Attack of The Clones. This includes the Clone Troopers in their many various forms, as well as the Jedi... who lead the Clone army during the Clone Wars. The goal of this group is to focus on these characters and the others (Senators, Guards, etc) who make up the color and depth of the prequel trilogy.

WHO is Grand Army of the Republic?:

We are simply other Star Wars fans and costumers who have joined together to create a network of peers who wish to create a group focused on prequel character costuming. Like others, we are not an officially-sanctioned or licensed group. We are doing this simply out of our love for the franchise and to share this hobby with our fellow fans.

WHY Grand Army of the Republic?:

The "Why" is simple: We simply noticed a lack of organized focus on costuming in regards to the prequel films and these characters, which is a shame given the rich tapestry of these new movies.

Other fan costuming groups (The 501st Legion, in particular) have done an outstanding job of bringing attention to and growing this fan hobby, and the Classic Trilogy characters are well represented. However, we feel there could be more costumed fans representing Clones, Senators, and the like... and that is what we are setting out to do.

Are you affiliated with The 501st Legion?:

No. We are not directly affiliated with them. Some of our members are and will also be members of their well-known and well-established group, but we are a completely separate entity that will be run by different people. We also have no intention of "competing" with the 501st in any way. As stated above, we feel they are very good at what they do... and we have no desire to focus on characters and costumes from The Original Trilogy because the 501st, Rebel Legion, etc. have that more than taken care of.

I'm a member of another Star Wars costuming group. Can or should I join Grand Army of the Republic?:

Of course you can! Whether you "should" is entirely up to you and how interested you are in becoming part of a group dedicated solely to costuming characters from The Phantom Menace, Attack of The Clones, The Clone Wars, Revenge of The Sith, and the pre-OT Star Wars era.

But the new movies stink. Why dedicate a group to them?:

Well, there are many differing opinions on the quality of the prequel trilogy films. In fact, not all of the members of this group (even the founders) agree on them. However, in spite of what you think of the flicks it's easy to observe that they include some very interesting characters... many with cool costumes and/or armor.

What kind of things can I expect from G.A.R. and this site soon?:

Right now, we are focused on recruiting new members. Once we get a nice roster together we will quickly move forward with new features, such as an Online Newsletter/Mailing List, Message Boards, etc. Our focus will always be on network and direct communication between fellow fans/costumers/prop replica enthusiasts. We will do everything we can to make sure someone interested in costuming as one of these characters has access to the information they need. Furthermore, we plan to contact Lucasfilm, movie theaters, conventions, retailers, etc about organizing events that feature group members costumed as prequel characters.

For more immediate information, EMAIL US.