Lucasfilm has long enjoyed the closest interactions with its fans, from the 70’s through the start of the Celebration era and right up to today, but don’t be fooled into thinking that Star Wars is the only Lucasfilm adventure that gets fandom into costumes. Indiana Jones has also seen fans try to craft Henry Jones Jr costumes, along with a slew of other characters and as Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny prepares to hit Disney Plus on 1st December and Blu-ray and 4K Ultra on the 5th, Lucasfilm take a look at one such group of costumers, California Jones.
Peter Cacioppo, a fan and cosplayer, explained that their group’s regular meetings “are really all about celebrating Indiana Jones and celebrating what the films mean to everybody…. To me California Jones is all about…a sense of community more than anything…. One of the things about the Indiana Jones character is he kind of treats everybody in the films the same (obviously except for the bad guys). You know you never see him act any differently toward anybody who he ends up on an adventure with. He’s very kind and he’s very protective of his inner circle.”
Indy’s compassion for others is just one of the many facets that fans adore about the character. “He’s human,” explained Bryan Long, a co-founder of California Jones. “He’s not a superhero from another planet. He’s you. He’s me. He’s her. He’s everyone. So, he’s like an everyman.” Cacioppo added that “Indiana Jones’ vulnerability is what makes him relatable to most people…. There are things Indiana Jones is afraid of in life. But you know you watch him go on these adventures and be the hero…. He never gives up. It’s that perseverance where no matter what he’s afraid of, he faces those fears.”
Fantha Tracks were at the UK premier of Dial of Destiny, where plenty of costumed fans congregated to welcome the cast led by Harrison Ford onto the red carpet at Leicester Square.
