Who We Are, And Where We Come From

The Dallas Ft.Worth FanForce is ‘THE’ non-official Star Wars fan club in Dallas/Ft.Worth, Texas. Over 7 years old, DFW FanForce is a community and resource for every kind of Star Wars fan in North Texas. We host regular fan club meetings, RPG games, attend and help out with local Star Wars related conventions, as well as other special activities, events and trips.

To find out more about an upcoming meeting and other activities in the works, visit our forums and look under “DFWFF News & Events”.

This website, administered by local area fans, includes club information, Star Wars news of regional interest, club events, and more. We also discuss many other sci-fi and non-Star Wars topics as well. 

Membership in the DFW FanForce is free – we do not have member dues. However, only North Texas Star Wars fans are eligible for membership. To become a member, simply create a free forum account and start chatting.

LEGAL: DFW FanForce is in no way affiliated with LucasFilm Ltd., ., Lucas Licensing or any other company associated with Star Wars.  DFW FanForce is no way affiliated with TF.N, LCC or any other company associated with Philip Wise.

Star Wars, the Star Wars logo, all names and pictures of Star Wars characters, vehicles and any other Star Wars related items are registered trademarks and/or copyrights of Lucasfilm Ltd., or their respective trademark and copyright holders.

DFW FanForce Today

A number of exciting things are taking place for the DFW FanForce.

Currently, the DFW FanForce is partnered with All-Con  www.all-con.org , the only Dallas based fan organized sci-fi convention.  Not only do several of our veteran staff members volunteer with All-Con activities, but we also founded it.  Which gives us full creative control to provide our convention goers with the best fan driven fantasy convention experience possible.  We are fans providing other fans what we all love most,  the all-format sci-fi convention experience.

We also provide professionally designed commemorative entry badges for local conventions.  These have been seen as collectable among many fans and are sometimes used for autographs from the characters and actors they depict.

We created and host the annual Ms. Star Wars contest each year at All-Con.  <What men really want are girls who are into Star Wars! Guys like girls who can hold their own in a blaster fight, who enjoys dancing like a Twi'lek, and who will disguise themselves as a bounty hunter in order to save their man.>  www.msstarwars.com for more information.

A History Of DFW FanForce

Some of you might remember us under the old moniker of “Countdown Dallas.” Well, the name has changed but the heart and soul has stayed the same. We are still the crazy bunch of fans, from all walks of life, united by the love for everything Star Wars. But that’s not where it stops. Our love for Star Wars is what brought us together; our friendships are what keep us going. This is our story.

Countdown Dallas, now DFW FanForce, was originally started in early 1999 in preparation for the release of Episode I. A few friends got together, and spread the word that they were planning a massive line up for what was sure to be one of the greatest motion pictures of all time. We had a few meetings, and went away with a lot of enthusiasm for what our organization could be. We also found a bunch of buddies that were as crazy as we were about Star Wars and films in general.

In the initial meetings, we decided that not only should we be an organization devoted to fun and developing camaraderie between fans, but that we had a unique opportunity to help out a worthy charity organization, Hope Cottage, with fundraising. A spot in line for Episode I was determined by two factors---number of hours spent in line, and amount of money raised for Hope Cottage. In months after our initial forming, we had more meetings, and we all began to realize that we had all found a group of people with very similar interests as ourselves. Movies, music, and books were all subjects we could talk about with each other and not have to explain every other word. But the common factor with all of us was our love for Star Wars. And whacking the crud out of each other with plastic lightsabers because everyone, deep down, wants to be like Luke.

About a month before the premiere of Episode I, we began to set up ‘Echo Base’ in an empty lot next to the UA Galaxy 9 Theater. The lots next to the Galaxy were owned by Sam’s Wholesale Club and Fry’s Electronics, both of whom were kind enough to let us camp on their property. Additionally, Sam’s provided us with wooden pallets to keep the mud factor to a minimum, as well as electricity, and always a friendly relationship with the management. We started out in a mudhole, but hey, our home it was!

We braved storms, and supply problems of every kind, and labor difficulties, and ....hey, what’s so funny?

But nearly every evening, there was a number of people out at the line, near the pavilion tent, sitting in lawn chairs, and just talking. We all quickly bonded, and started friendships that will last a lifetime. Games of trivial pursuit were played. A Playstation was brought, and there were tournaments of the Star Wars fighting game, Teras Kasi. Frequently, the campsite would be active with discussions of every shape, size, and form until sometimes 3 or 4 in the morning.

Episode I came and went, and we ended up with about 1500 people there for the opening shows. Everything went wonderfully, with no problems, and everyone went away with one of the most memorable experiences of their lives.

But after the movie, our organization did not just fade away, as some might have suspected. The friendships made in line did not disappear. Instead, they grew stronger, and we would frequently get together for other movies, or just to hang out sometimes.

This went well for a while, but we knew that there were other cities out there that did not have the benefit of knowing other fans near them, and there was no organization available to bring them together.

So, a few members of our organization that helped run things during our own line made a proposal to TheForce.net to set up a worldwide fan-based organization that would allow members to start city clubs, have meetings, and a place to chat online in a very organized and safe manner.

Fanforce was born. Nothing really changed with our organization, we just became more visible and had a name change. And since then, we have been trying to bring in more members, and start new, fun activities, as well as working with other cities’ members for larger events.