DREW YOUNG: PROPRIETOR , ARMOURER (BIOGRAPHY - INTERESTS)
Drew Young is not entirely sure which came first: his love of knights, armour and castles or his passion for jedi, stormtroopers and star destroyers. Both the cap-a-pied armoured warriors of yesteryear and the 'plasticlad' soldiers of a "long time ago" seem strangely akin in futuristic design. Somewhere between the pomp and pageantry of gleaning suits of armor, whirling capes, brash swordplay, and an oddly familiar narrative...the distinction of preference was forever blurred.
Drew's origins in history and archeology began in 1988 after returning home from an extensive trip to Europe. After seeing castles and armour in person, he was introduced to several Medieval-esque organizations whose primary objective was actual, non choreographed hand-to-hand combat using metal and leather armour, heavy wooden weaponry, a little duct tape thrown in and plenty of willingness to 'walk-off' the welts and bruises. At the tender age of 15, Drew realized (perhaps even "felt") that part time jobs after school were hardly enough to afford the expensive of superior steel armor. In 1989 his life would irrevocably change that year as a result of missing bed linens.....
Two nights before a freshman Latin class banquet was to be held, otherwise replete with togas, cheese and non-alcholic beverages (milk or coke) , Drew discovered there were no 'spare' bed sheets a la togas to be had for the impending party. With a pair of aviation snips, a hammer, a railroad track piece, and a desire to be a little different, he surreptitiously disassembled some (poorly placed !) heating duct and began to make something vaguely reminiscent of a muscled breastplate....and the rest is history, sort of.
Drew continued to research and build scores of armour pieces until college at which point he discovered the interlibrary loan process! Through several years he began to identify and collect rare and out-of-print archeology, museum, armour and history books; a library that now exceeds over 2500 texts. During this time, Drew also become indirectly involved in a number of highly academic living history groups with an aim to understand multiple periods in history; multiple perspectives. The emerging existence of extremely well forged (and expensive) suits of armour precisely fitted to the wearers body, replete with accurate buckles, straps and hardware generated an obsession in Drew that drove him to elevate his own work when and wherever possible. Doing so also gave Drew a unique insight into how hard and soft components can truly integrate with physiology and kinetics of the human body. This is an insight he is able to translate into many of his costumes as well.
In his early 20s, Drew began receiving invitations from museums and universites to display his work and lecture on topics such as technology, history and the creation and evolution of arms and armour. The list of notable patrons includes the Smithsonian Institution: International Gallery in conjunction with the Imperial Austria exhibit. Other notable institutions included the Washington National Cathedral, the Corcoran, Longwood College, George Mason University, Georgetown University, MCI /wc Headquarters, and hundreds of schools annually. Since 1994 he has given approximately 1000 lectures and programs on history, technology and culture to all manner of audiences on the East Coast.
In the early to mid-1990s, Drew was formally asked to work on several films. Most notably a TNT production of Joan of Arc. The film was slated to compete with several already in production. Like TNT's Gettysburg, the underlying objective this time was to produce a film which did not stray from known accuracy and highlighted unparalleled high fidelity costumes, equipment, actual fitted steel armour and so forth. Working closely with friend and fellow armourer, Master James Arlen Gillespie, Drew specialized in making both body casts and armour building. Despite farming out some projects to qualified persons, the project was scrapped in late preproduction due to an overwhelming workload in such a short production time given the key objective: hard core accuracy. Needless to say, it was a tremendous learning experience not soon forgotten.
In 1997 and the 20th anniversary of Star Wars: A New Hope, Drew had ironically enrolled in a college Latin class and a Roman history course. Imperial symbolism and the 20th anniversary nare the lost, Drew fancied the idea of making a Darth Vader costume, largely out of metal. At an enthusiastic friend's suggestion, he began experimenting with a Boba Fett costume and an Imperial Royal Guard. Before long, he was inundated with requests to make virtually every costume or suit of armour known and it has remained a passion to translate many of those characters into a longer lasting, more durable medium for posterity: metal. Since 1997, Drew has learned the art of 'rubber' mold making, fiberglass, plastic forming, and a range of other more modern materials. He still continues to work on his anvil and fire up the forge whenever possible.
Drew Young has remained active in the film and TV industry as well. Early in 2004, Drew was cast as a primary actor in a commercial for Toyota. In October 2004, Drew was commisioned to create pieces as part of a Lord of the Rings promotional event for the Return of the King extended DVD. He continues to pursue another seemingly distant passion; becoming an Olympic weightlifter. At about 335 lbs and just under 6' 8" he remains committed to his love of body building, running and the Euro-asian martial arts. In his off hours, you can find him dabbling with some new invention, reading, enjoying a documentary on some obscure or arcane subject, or antique hunting...when nobody is looking, he might slip in a missed episode of the X-files while casually sewing a new costume.
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Luke Benavides: Assistant
Luke, 25, recently arrived here from a tour in the Air Force. There he spent much of his time fixing aircraft that didnt fly very well or seemed to be vertically challenged. He and Andrew actually met some 5 or 6 years earlier at Luke's framing gallery job; while Andrew was hunting for his Star Wars movie poster frames no less. Both kept in touch over the years until Luke was discharged from service; making his next move to Andrew's Maryland workshop.
Lukes keen abilities stem from his interest in armour. His almost obsession for precision and exceedingly strong talent for reproducing object in metal and other materials has added to the strength of Parts and Technical. His skill at troubleshooting and creative problem solving has given the shop a great edge in constructing and producing all manner of creations from historical armour to the occasional movie costume or prop.
Mr. Benavides has a true talent for metal working, such that Drew Young is constantly looking over his shoulder. Should Luke ever become better than Drew (the slow poison seems to be working), he may strike Drew down with a final blow (Wagner playing loudly in the background). Until then, the two often think in sync; brothers of the anvil.
In his off hours, Luke can be found making chain mail or spending time making some odd widget. Alternatively, he and Drew might be researching motorcycle designs or designing a new tool.
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Brian D. : Inquiries and Ordering (our electronic savior)
Brian spends several hours a day helping to answer our many emails, faxes and phone calls. He spends considerable time helping to research sources and materials. We typically receive 1000 emails per week. Brian is an indispensable member of Parts and Technical.
Originally from Washington DC, he remained here after college. Brian loves the perks of working for Parts and Technical. He receives new reproductions almost weekly and is allowed to use the shop in his off hours. He enjoys working on furniture and researching historical armour. He lives nearby with his wife and pets.
