Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus

The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is a science fiction–themed Mardi Gras parade organization.

at the 2013 Chewbacchus parade

Based in New Orleans, Louisiana, The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is made up of over 500 dues-paying members[1] who call themselves "BacchanALIENs". The group was founded by self-styled "Publicity Stuntman" and conceptual artist Ryan S Ballard[2] and curator/events director Kirah Haubrich in the fall of 2010. They were soon joined by local attorney Brett Powers and together they comprise the three "Overlords" of the Krewe. Chewbacchus marched for the first time during Mardi Gras 2011.[3]

Their signature parade contraption and mascot is a 7-foot tall "Bar2D2" that dispenses alcoholic beverages pulled by a "XXX-Wing" tricycle.[3] The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus honored New Orleans local Cynthia Scott, from the movie Aliens, as the Queen of Chewbacchus in 2011 and "Lil Doogie" (a locally notorious foul-mouthed comedic puppet rapper) was celebrated as the "Ad Hoc Puppet Government".[4] Giorgio Tsoukalos, consulting producer of the History Channel's Ancient Aliens series, was the King in 2012 and was crowned "Lord of the Chewbaccalypse".[5] Zach Anner rolled with the Krewe as King of Chewbacchus in the 2012 Mid-Summer Mardi Gras parade. In what the media described as a "Cosmic Triumph"[6] actor Peter Mayhew, who played the character of Chewbacca in Star Wars, rode in an oversized Wookiee Throne on top of a spectacularly detailed Millennium Falcon contraption[7] as the Krewe of Chewbacchus' "Emperor for Life" in their 2013 Mardi Gras parade on January 26, 2013.[8][9][10]

All of the Krewe's parade contraptions are environmentally friendly, made with recycled materials, and are human and electric powered.[11] These contraptions are either pushed, pedaled or pulled and are built onto bicycles, homemade trailers, and shopping carts.[12] The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus' ethos is defined by satirical jabs at pop culture and multi-layered science fiction references.[13] Its official slogan is "Saving the Galaxy... One Drunken Nerd at a Time".[14]

The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is responsible for some notable hoaxes and publicity stunts and has been praised for its clever pranks.[15] It kicked off its 2012 season with a guerrilla marketing campaign centered around an elaborate Bigfoot hoax[16] by a fake organization, the New Orleans Bigfoot Society (N.O.B.S.), that claimed that Sasquatch lurked in New Orleans City Park.[17] After generating controversy among both the media and the Bigfoot research community,[18] the creature was eventually revealed to be a "Drunken Wookiee".[19] During the summer of 2012 the Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus expanded its fan base beyond Science Fiction to include Fantasy and Horror and announced it with a publicity stunt by organizing a fake protest by the "Mystik Krewe of P.U.E.W.C. (People for the inclusion of Unicorns, Elves, and Winebots in Chewbacchus)" at its second annual Alien Beach Party at Tipitina's.[20] In late November 2012, the krewe was responsible for a prank website that quickly drew the ire of NASA by announcing that the Curiosity rover had located Mardi Gras beads on Mars and that the famous Martian "face" was in fact a Wookiee temple.[21][22] As a gesture of goodwill the Overlords of Chewbacchus offered the entire Mars Rover team free memberships in the Krewe.[23]

The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is also remarkable for its rapid pace of growth and popularity among local New Orleanians, gaining momentum from a small core group in its first few weeks to over 300 dues-paying members in its first year (2011). Membership grew to 400 members in 2012. Over 500 dues-paying members marched in the 2013 parade and estimates place audience attendance at approximately 20,000 people.[1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Waller, Mark (11 February 2013). "Mardi Gras 2013: In a New Orleans newly praised for its entrepreneurship, Mardi Gras provides a model". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
  2. ↑ MaCash, Doug (August 9, 2012). "Chewbacchus is conceptual artist Ryan S. Ballard's masterpiece". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Thier, David (February 18, 2012). "As Mardi Gras Nears, Watch Out for Wookiees". The New York Times.
  4. ↑ MacCash, Doug (March 6, 2011). "Chewbacchus science-fiction Mardi Gras parade rolls today". Times Picayune, New Orleans. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  5. ↑ Rhines, Brad (January 18, 2012). "Wookiee Win". NOLA Defender. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  6. ↑ Maccash, Doug (2013-01-27). "Chewbacchus 2013 Mardi Gras Parade Was A Cosmic Triumph". Times-Picayune. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  7. ↑ Watercutter, Angela (2013-01-25). "Worlds Most Wired Float Builder Ryan Ballard". Wired Magazine. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  8. ↑ "P. Mayhew rides with Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus Jan 26, 2013".
  9. ↑ McCash, Doug. "Chewbacchus 2013 Mardi Gras parade was a cosmic triumph". NOLA.com. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  10. ↑ Greenspan, Jesse. "9 Things You May Not Know About Mardi Gras". History.com. Retrieved 18 February 2013.
  11. ↑ Powell, Alessandro (February 3, 2012). "Intergalactic Krewe takes off". Tulane Hullaballoo, New Orleans. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  12. ↑ Smith, Liz (February 2, 2012). "Chewbacchus: The Krewe is Out There". gonola.com. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  13. ↑ O'Bryan, Cooper (March 1, 2011). "Alternative Krewes: A-Krewe-ing Interest". Offbeat, New Orleans. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  14. ↑ Wallace, Lewis (March 2, 2011). "Chewbacchus Krewe Brings Sci-Fi to Mardi Gras". Wired.
  15. ↑ Varney, James. "Hail, Chewbacchus and the lost art of pranks". New Orleans Times-Picayune. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  16. ↑ Ortega, Javier (June 28, 2011). "New Orleans City Park Bigfoot Video: Hoax!". Ghost Theory. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  17. ↑ Graves, Kandace (June 28, 2011). "Bigfoot in New Orleans: real or imagined". Gambit Weekly, New Orleans. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
  18. ↑ "Sass-Quatch: Paranormal Vet Blasts N.O. Bigfoot Society". NOLA Defender. Retrieved 22 January 2013.
  19. ↑ Graves, Kandace. "Hoax revealed: Bigfoot is Chewbacca". Gambit Weekly. Gambit Publishing. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  20. ↑ Rhines, Brad. "Pax Chewbacchus: Nerds Unite as Sci-Fi, Fantasy Krewes Announce Accord". NOLA Defender. Retrieved 21 January 2013.
  21. ↑ Plait, Phil (November 29, 2012). "No, NASA Didn’t Find Plastic Beads on Mars". Slate. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  22. ↑ MacCash, Doug (December 3, 2012). "Krewe of Chewbacchus perpetrates Mars rover hoax, NASA not amused". Times-Picayune, New Orleans. Retrieved 8 January 2013.
  23. ↑ Boyle, Alan (November 30, 2012). "Plastic beads on Mars: The short life of a NASA spoof site". Retrieved 8 January 2013.

External links

Official website