“I turned myself into a Stormtrooper, Morty!"

Everyone, meet @tk_ricksanchez.

Half Star Wars Stormtrooper and half Rick Sanchez of Rick and Morty, this mashup cosplayer has captured the hearts of CultSub staff and fans fo' life.

This dude is dope, and we’re a little star struck n' stoked he agreed to have some fun with us in an Ask Stormtrooper Rick Anything session via social. 

This post is basically a fun summary...although we definitely left/lost some questions in the chaos. DERP!

Why Stormtrooper Rick (aka Chris) Is KINDOF A Big Dill

Get it? Big dill? Since Rick, “turned himself into a pickle,” but in this case he’s a Stormtrooper...so he's "kindof" a big dill? No?

Photo Creds: CultSub T-Shirts

Chris Is A “Bad Guy Doing Good” With The Official 501st Legion

Although Stormtrooper Rick is a total badass, the guy underneath (aka “Chris” @tk_biggulp) is a proud, active member of the Star Wars’ 501st Legion (aka “Vader’s First”). This group of bad guys and gals who volunteer to “do good” has three primary goals;

• To Promote Interest in Star Wars
• To Facilitate the Use of Costumes
• TO CONTRIBUTE

Yes, the legion has a HUGE mission to volunteer their time to community and charity. 

We can’t lie to you, until we met Chris through a social media fandom overlap we just kinda thought they were running around in approved Star Wars costumes. WRONG! 

Check out Chris...

...and here he is on @azcentral news getting the shit kicked out of him by a Jedi Master.

...and who doesn’t love a picture of this Stormtrooper (Chris) holding a wiener @dogfestphx?

...But "Stormtrooper Rick" Is A Misfit Trooper

Although he's out doing good with one group, Chris is also a Misfit Trooper. 

What’s a Misfit Trooper you ask? We had the same question...

The  Misfit Troopers are only some of the most accepting folks around as they define themselves as "a group of non-uniform troopers that express themselves in different ways."

Here's a sampling for you...

We can’t pick a favorite! Follow them on Instagram @misfittroopers. They're all friggin' hilarious and have an awesome mission supporting diversity. 

Ok, ok. Let’s get to know our bad/good guy through our Ask Stormtrooper Rick Anything recap.

A Long, Long Time Ago We Asked Stormtrooper Rick Anything

JK, it was last week. However, it started a little something like this…

@cultsub.tshirts: What do you think people are going to be concerned about? How do you manage to pee in that thing or something more existential?

@tk_ricksanchez:I feel like people might be concerned if I can still get schwifty in my armor! Usually I just swallow a centipede and it takes care of my pee for me...unlike Morty who was a pussy and didn’t want one. 

Hit or Miss? Questions About Accuracy

Of course, even before Stormtrooper Rick’s origin story we went immediately to jokes about Stormtrooper accuracy.

@Sam Guyett: Day-to-day which one’s accuracy are you using? A Stormtrooper’s or Rick’s? Cus there’s a massive difference?

@tk_ricksanchez:I’ll definitely say it’s a mixture of both, depending on how much liquor is in my flask! Don’t forget that some Stormtroopers were able to hit some of the rebel scum, but this scientist gets every portal he shoots, but is still lousy at blaster fire.

@cultsub.tshirts: Speaking of accuracy...how DO you pee in that thing? Walk us through that. We’ve attempted some demonstrations at the office and kindof have a bet going that it's a “whole thing” vs. you have some contraption that turns your pee into drinking water so you never have to take that cosplay gear off - EVER.

We’re, of course, picturing this classic shot (and miss)…

Photo Creds: @ClassicStarWars (Twitter)

@tk_ricksanchez: Like I said, I usually have the centipede on hand that will eat my pee. When I don’t have any of the trillion legged fellas present, I have to literally take off my entire chest and abdomen piece otherwise I’m as smelly as playground park bathroom.

@cultsub.tshirts: Any portal misfires to Buttworld? How do you make sure THE RICK part of you leads and THE TROOPER follows? Easy? Hard?

Photo Creds: @adultswim with the addition of a hiiiilarious @cultsub.tshirts caption. [bows]

@tk_ricksanchez: Sometimes there are drunken misfires to Buttworld. But the worst misfire is one to Endor...those little bears love the taste of troopers! Generally speaking, Rick is always in control but my ass cheeks pucker up when Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, the Emperor, or Lord Vader show up. In that case I usually offer them my flask or I get a death stare after I berate them for being prude. 

Stormtrooper Rick’s Origin Story (Dun! Dun! Dun!)

@cultsub.tshirts: How did you even initially get into the whole cosplay thing? Were there any personal challenges?

@tk_ricksanchez:My interest in cosplay started back in 2014 when I joined the 501st Legion as an ANH-Stormtrooper. From there I went to several “troops” with my Garrison and also attended a lot of cons - so you could say it awakened a new hobby.

The personal challenges usually are time and money when it comes to cosplay for me. The building or constructing of the costumes is never really done alone, I always have fellow Garrison friends or fellow cosplayers help me and I do the same for them too.

@cultsub.tshirts: What’s Stormtrooper Rick’s origin story? Drunken and/or stoned convo with a friend? Did you run into a MisfitTrooper at a convention?

@tk_ricksanchez: Stormtrooper Rick has a very intricate start and origin. So a few years back I was actually in nursing school. Needless to say it was extremely stressful. I worked 2 part time jobs during it, while studying nonstop, endless assignments, clinical hours, no sleep and sadly a relationship that was struggling already while I was in school.

Rick and Morty was a coping mechanism to get through school. Long story short and after 2 different nursing programs, I was unable to meet the exam average needed and I was dismissed from both. As a personal way to move past it and as a goal for Star Wars Celebration Chicago that occured in 2019, I decided I wanted to take my anguish and channel it into a cosplay I loved and surprise everyone at Celebration with an original idea.

I had seen a pin that Instagram user @getalifedesigns created in which it was Rick and Stormtrooper combined. Both of them struck me as meaningful because I loved my Stromtrooper for the 501st and I loved Rick and Morty. I decided to create the cosplay from the idea of the pin and come up with the rest of the ensemble myself.

I actually live in Arizona while all the other @misfittroopers live in other states so sadly I don’t get to see them much. However I am planning to travel to more cons in the future as there is a likely chance I’ll get to see them again and GET SCHWIFTY!

@adamferenzi: Why not Darth Rick? Can there be only one?

@tk_ricksanchez: Darth Rick would be quite a challenge and quite expensive. Being that I am in the 501st, I have an attentiveness to detail that plagues my creativity but in positive ways. If I did Darth Rick, he would have to be an “accurate Vader/Rick” if that makes sense. 

To be quite honest, I am extremely welcoming if others decide to do a “Rick” anything with star wars including another Stormtrooper and in fact if anyone asked for help or advice on how I did it, I am totally down for that! Regarding if there can be only one, there isn’t just only one...but if there is a Rickest Stormtrooper Rick...I’ll have to say that I’ll take THAT title for sure! :P

Video Creds: Vlad Dark

@cultsub.tshirts: Who was first on your cosplay journey? @The501stLegion or @misfittroopers?

@tk_ricksanchez: I actually started back in 2014 with joining the 501st Legion first so my passion at the core with cosplay has always been charity work and making people smile. So even though Stromtrooper Rick is not an official legion thing, I love making people laugh and have fun with me while in costume.

The @misfittroopers stuff came after Star Wars Celebration Chicago back in 2019 and was formed by a few core troopers who creatively took a star wars cosplay or bucket and mashed up their own thing with it. I created Stormtrooper Rick before that group formed so naturally I fit right in being that I wasn’t your average Stormtrooper!

@kferenzilla: Who would win in a fight? @The501stLegion or @misfittroopers? What tactics do you think would give them advantage?

Image Creds; Fever Arts

@tk_ricksanchez: I could definitely see a close tie if they had to go toe to toe. Not gonna lie that I’d be a bit biased by saying my legion would kick some serious ass considering they have the entire Galactic Empire and First Order leading the way. But the Misfits have some creative differences that come from all corners of fandom that could make things rather interesting in a battle!

@cultsub.tshirts: Like this guy's sweet, sweet guns...

Random Questions From The MultiVerse

@gator0009: Would you say the Misfit Troopers are the company that lives off Four Loco?

@tk_ricksanchez: Well, the secret is I pass my flask around to everyone in the group so they can taste what it’s like to GET SCHWIFTY. But most of the Misfits have their own preferences to get riggity riggity wrecked and I’m sure someone would load up on Four Loko!

Video Creds: Mah0ba

@zjhgrooming: What happened to your Morty and how do you feel about a Morty being president of the Citadel of Ricks?

@tk_ricksanchez: My Morty was lost in the Battle of Endor and eaten by the locals there so I’m on the hunt for another one, preferably a Scout Morty because that would be awesome! 

@cultsub.tshirts: Dayum, what a way to go.

@tk_ricksanchez: As far as a Morty running the Citadel of Ricks, as long as the little turd doesn’t make me pledge “Aww Geez” or decree a “Jessica” tax, I’m good with him in charge. He can’t fuck it up worse that I could.

@adamferenzi: Have you met any other Stormtrooper Ricks in the multiverse? If so, are you either the “Stormtrooperest” or the “Rickest?”

@tk_ricksanchez:I haven’t met any other Stormtrooper Ricks, but I welcome them and any other who do Star Wars/Rick and Morty crossovers. So far though, I’m the Rickest Stormtrooper there is,*urrp* biiiiitch!

@ehindescooks: What’s your favorite Rick and Morty episode and why?

@tk_ricksanchez: My favorites are a close tie of Rickmancing the Stone and Rest and Ricklaxation. I love Rest and Ricklaxation because it is extremely clever in its approach to the character development and also has some great parallels to mental health and the traits we consider toxic. Not to mention it does get dark at times which I’m a huge fan of dark humor.

I love Rickmancing the Stone because it also gets dark and violent and taps on some issues which I love regarding the divorce, relationships, healthy or unhealthy outlets, escapes from reality, as of course the E.B. White reference! ;)

@cultsub.tshirts: Us toooooo! Agreed. So many good episodes, but that Rickmancing the Stone warranted a nerdy AF CultSub deep dive blog post.

Image Creds: CultSub T-Shirts

@cultsub.tshirts: Oh, we’ve got one. What’s your favorite (toxic) Rick and Morty fan theory out there? Do you have more than one?

@tk_ricksanchez: I wouldn’t really call it a theory but I think somewhere we lost track after they left their one reality when they Kronenberged the world. So I think if we trace a few things back and tie that reality with what’s happening now, it could be a serious mind fuck! I trust the writers have a grand plan to blow everyone’s mind here soon!

@Gabriel Erlam: How many Lightsabers did you tell Morty to shove WAYYY up there?

@tk_ricksanchez: Well I have been trying REALLY hard to get a hold of Supreme Leader Kylo Ren’s lightsaber for him to shove up there along with Yoda’s, Mace Windu’s, Count Dooku’s and Qui Gon Jin’s. I seem to be having trouble finding out where the late General Grievous kept his collection to acquire more but if I do, I know Morty will really start complaining and bitching more even though I have the technology to make his anal cavity much bigger.

Image Creds: TV Quotes

@ehindescooks: Favorite of ALL the Star Wars movies AND favorite within each of the 3x generations?

@tk_ricksanchez: I think I’ll sound generic by saying that my favorite out of all of them is Empire Strikes Back. It’s a classic, it’s deep and so pivotal in the galaxy far far away. For the prequels, I love Revenge of the Sith, the classics I’m partial to Return of the Jedi after Empire, and the sequels is a close tie between The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Image Creds: ScreenRant

@cultsub.tshirts: Which Star Wars movies do you hate? Did you hate “the first” ones? AND which do you consider “the first” ones? ANSWER YOU MUST!

@tk_ricksanchez: To be honest, I don’t HATE any star wars film. I am thankful for any and all Star Wars films we get including the animated ones. I do have ones I like less than others for sure but hate is such a strong word.

If I had to say though, Episode 1 is probably my least favorite of all of them but I’d still watch it if it’s on TV. I actually like the “first ones” mostly in part due to watching the Clone Wars show. I feel like the show brought more depth to the movies and helped people like them more! Regarding timelines and what I consider the “first” ones, I still consider them all chronologically including Episode 1.

Let’s Get Personal! Personal! We Wanna Get Personal!

via GIPHY Gif Creds: CultSub T-Shirts

@cultsub.tshirts: Ok, now this next chick submitted a ton of personal questions. Thanks, @ehindescooks! Hey, maybe she wants to “get to know ya” if you’re pickin' up what we’re puttin' down [nudge]. Come to think of it...are you single?

...asking for a friend.

@tk_ricksanchez: HA! Funny you should ask, I actually am recently single. The troubled relationship I mentioned earlier ended a few months ago - so now it’s just me!

Gif Creds: CultSub T-Shirts

@cultsub.tshirts: ....sorry, not sorry. 

@ehindescooks: What’s your greatest achievement and was it as a Trooper, Rick or both?

@tk_ricksanchez: I personally think my greatest achievements are my Stormtrooper (recently turned Sandy), and Rick. I love any and all cosplay projects I do and I don’t really have placeholders for which is better than the other. I love all my cosplays!

@ehindescooks: What’s your personal mantra or catchphrase?

@tk_ricksanchez: Naturally Wubba Lubba Dub Dub is my go to, for a while it was “Never Give Up...Never Surrender”.

Video Creds: Mah0ba

@ehindescooks: Cake, pie or something else?

@cultsub.tshirts: ...perhaps souls of your enemies? Human bicep?

@tk_ricksanchez: Cookies! Always cookies! And pretty much anything from Blips and Chitz! Oh and anything Mexican...after all my last name is Sanchez!

@a_sign_of_life: How are farts vented? Or do you allow the scent to roam freely within your suit?

@tk_ricksanchez: My farts actually get sucked up into my suit and are used to power it! And trust me...this scientist is full of shit so I can run in it for a LONG time! 

Video Creds: MANSON HANSON

@ehindescooks: What song is the soundtrack to your life?

@tk_ricksanchez:Oh man it’s impossible to pick just one song, but if I had a go-to one (an not really one that tells my life) I’d have to choose Depeche Mode-Policy of Truth.

@vinz11: How much do you need to watch your figure?

@cultsub.tshirts: OH, perfect question! We’ve been meaning to ask if this is you…

Photo Creds: MemeBase

@tk_ricksanchez: Well, as of late I’ve been bad at watching my figure, mostly due in part to the pandemic and the restrictions associated with it, but usually I try to stay in shape and keep a general weight near 200 or a little less considering how tall I am. Rick is flexible so I can wear him even if I gain a little but my Sandtrooper is a different story and I need to lose the weight so I can fit better in that one.

@ehindescooks: Any other fandoms besides the obvious?

@tk_ricksanchez: Other fandoms I love are the Lord of the Rings/Hobbit series, Matrix, X-Men/Deadpool, Avatar: The Last Airbender series (not the movie), Halo, Disney stuff, several other adult swim cartoons, a few Anime movies sprinkled in with it all just to name a few. 

@cultsub.tshirts: Ok, we all have lives. We’re calling it! But first...

....a quick and shameless plug of  CultSub's Rick and Morty Deep Cut Collection. Ok, now that's done. 

HUGE THANKS to Stormtrooper Rick for being a friggin’ champ and to EVERYONE who participated in our “Ask Stormtrooper Rick Anything” session via social! ‘Twas a blast.

We hope you enjoyed reading, and if not...

Gif Creds: Steam

PLEASE SHARE THIS POST and COMMENT with your questions! We’ll keep this session going awhile as we love to have civilized chats or online brawls. 

Whatever you’re in the mood for you son of a bitch, we’re in!