TRITON Magazine Fall 2017 | Page 56

AND ON

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Don ’ t call him Darth — when Christopher Canole ’ 69 dons the costume he started three years ago with a kid ’ s toy helmet and a Hawaiian shirt , he abides just one name : Dude Vader .
The Revelle graduate calls his creation a “ continual reinvention of myself , stimulated by UCSD ’ s encouraging creativity in all fields of science and art .” Canole ’ s backstory for the Dude involves Vader spending his retirement on the beaches of La Jolla , recycling kids ' Star Wars toys into his ever-evolving outfit . Over the years Canole has added countless action figures , an octopus and even a bubbleblowing TIE Fighter as accoutrement .
Dude Vader gives the legendary villain a “ steampunk ” spin , an aesthetic that involves Victorian era fashion and steam-powered machinations . With his fellow costumed “ cosplayers ,” Canole and the Star Wars Steampunk Universe have appeared in 37 magazines , on countless web pages , and have been awarded “ Best Costume Group ” by the Hollywood Costume Designers Guild at a past Comic-Con International convention . Dude Vader was even on the arm of actress Felicity Jones at the red carpet premiere of Rogue One : A Star Wars Story .
Celebrity aside , it ’ s Dude Vader ’ s charity work that keeps Canole suiting up . He ’ s partnered with local hospitals and the Make-A-Wish Foundation to light up the lives of children in pediatric wards , and encourages his other cosplayers to do the same . Canole has teamed up with the San Diego Star Wars Society and fellow Triton , Dr . Justin Wu ' 89 ( a . k . a . Doc Vader ) to visit several local hospitals a month .
“ The kids ' pure joy in seeing my outfit brings a tear to my eye and a smile to my face inside my golden helmet ,” says Canole .
View Dude Vader ' s costume in detail at : tritonmag . com / dudevader
52 TRITON | FALL 2017