Thanks to everyone who has volunteered so far and shown a willingness to help. 

We are really looking for all sorts of help, so everything is appreciated.

Here’s a list of our priorities.

* Mechanical engineers and builders: Our first priority is going to be coming up with realistic plans and some cost of cost estimate.

* Project managers/general contractors: Each of the build sites is going to have to have someone in charge. We need some leaders to step up.

* Legal/accounting: Once the Kickstarter fundraising happens, I’d like to set up a 501c non-profit. Need help with that. A legal eagle would be cool too.

* PR: We want to spread the word far and wide. If you can help pass along press releases in your city, that would be great.

* Con contacts: If you are connected with a convention, I’m eager to speak about this. Let me know if you can get me on the guest list.  

* 501st contacts: I would love for the 501st to show up in a big way during the fundraising. If you are a trooper, let me know. 

* Welders, electricians, motorheads, etc.: One we know what the pieces will be, we can understand more the type of specialists we will need doing the nuts and bolts work.

* Everyone else: The more the merrier, that’s the whole point, right?

For any of this, email us at: atatforamerica@hotmail.com  

Be sure to include your name, hometown and skills.

Thanks everyone!

Here’s the Attack of the Show mention. Still wowed by this. 

One of our great volunteers has put together a Facebook and a Twitter.

You can follow the effort on Twitter by going to @atatforamerica.

The Facebook page can be like’d right here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/At-At-for-America/195917690443973

You can follow me on Twitter at @mkokc

Also, if anyone wants to put together a real web page, feel free, but I am planning on our real HQ page to be the Kickstarter.com launch page once we’re done with a video for it and some other features.

- thanks. 

mike

OK, so I clicked it over to G4 on the off chance that they’d mention something.

AND THEY DID! 

I’ll try to track down a clip soon.

Also, news.com.au, one of Australia’s biggest news websites just posted a dandy article stressing the need for anti-ewok AT-AT technology. 

Thanks so much for all the volunteer support and donations. 

One step closer to reality! 

If you have some technical material or other practical content to share, go ahead and shoot me an email at atatforamerica@hotmail.com. 

Just a quick update for everyone.

Thanks for the great support so far!

We got a great writeup on TheForce.net with this story.

If you want to volunteer, please email me at atatforamerica@hotmail.com. Be sure to include where you are in the country and if you have any area of expertise.

We are working on the kickstarter fundraising page. I would like to launch that in early May and fundraise through July 4.

I don’t know how to say this, but this may actually happen.

Kickstarter has accepted the pitch for fundraising for AT-AT for America.

Some PR friends are going to start spreading the word, as are some Star Wars superfans I know. 

I will post a link to the Kickstarter page when it’s done. It will have a video, levels of support and all sorts of cool stuff.

The only question: How much does a 50-foot-tall Imperial vehicle cost?

NERDS OF AMERICA:

We were once a country that made things: giantmetal cars, Hoover Dams, non-AutoTuned popular music. 

But now we are stuck in an economy in limbo, surrounded by our Internets, our hipsters and our arguing politicians.

Nerds, I have a great idea to make America great again. We can show our brain power, our manufacturing prowess, our organizational skills and our geek-fueled eye for detail.

That idea: an AT-AT for America.

Now I have an idea, but no money and a total lack of mechanical aptitude. 

That’s why I am hoping this project spreads like wildfire, inspiring the nerds, makers, geeks, motorheads, sportos, dudes, steampunks, Jedis, halfwits, greasers and geniuses to band together for one goal.

To build a fully fuctional, full-scale model of an AT-AT Imperial Walker from The Empire Strikes Back.* 

Impossible? Perhaps. Inspiring? Of course.

The AT-AT would become an instant monument of America’s obsession with popular culture and our ability to be awesome.

I’ve already shared this idea with some of the kings of geek/make culture. Adam Savage of Mythbusters, Mark F. of BoingBoing and Make Magazine and Ken Denmead of Geekdad.com.

Now the rest is up to you. Spread the word. Get organized. We can get this done.

If America can put a man on the Moon, we can bring a little bit of Hoth to the Earth.

To volunteer to help, email ATATforAmerica@hotmail.com

* - Yes, there’s a model at Disney’s Hollywood theme park. But it’s not fully functional and not nearly as cool as this one is going to be.