DUNEDIN, Fla. — Deon Blackwell loves "The Mandalorian" TV series for a lot of the same reasons the rest of us do: The Star Wars anti-hero is a little good, a little bad, a little bounty hunter, a little Grogu dad.
In other words, Mando is incredibly, universally human.
"[On that show] you get lots of different characters fighting for what they think is right in the universe," Blackwell said.
Where Blackwell's love for the Star Wars character differs, however, has to do with talent. The Dunedin Fine Art Center's director of adult education is also a brilliant cosplayer, creating Mandalorian-inspired "kits" that rival Lucasfilm's costume department.
"This feeds into the artist side of me," he said. "I get to express all my creativity."
And now Blackwell and his Mando Mercs Costume Club are leading an all-ages free event at DFAC on Saturday, Jan. 27.
The must-see event will feature the area's top Star Wars cosplayers sharing their creations—and guiding you through making your own—before they head off for Orlando's Megacon pop-culture gathering in February.
"We'll show you how to make the costumes, and we might even try to recruit you," Blackwell said.
For more on "Star Wars at DFAC: The Last Spaceport Before Megacon," go here.
