In this photograph, Eric Olds is portraying a Colonial Warrior from the 1978 television show, Battlestar Galactica. This science fiction series was one of his childhood favorites. As is the case for most fans, his favorite character was Starbuck. The jacket he is wearing is the fourth one he has made. Making the shoulders of the jacket was the most difficult part of the creation process as finding a faux-suede of the correct texture, weight, and color is extremely frustrating. Although Eric admits that the jacket is not perfect, he feels that the materials used are the best that are currently available. The laser pistol is also scratch-built. Eric points out that the pistol is intended to serve as a costume piece instead of functioning as a display model. The costume piece details have been simplified and the pistol is made mostly of wood—making it lighter than resin cast versions. That reduced weight can make a big difference to someone carrying a pistol all day at a convention. The laser pistol also features lights simulating an energy blast. The pistol belt was dyed to match the range of colors seen on the show, although Eric is now considering making the belt slightly darker.
.When Eric isn’t busy pursing his costuming and prop-building hobby, he passes the days as an accomplished aerospace engineer. In fact, he’s a real rocket scientist as he has been responsible for electronics packaging as well as mechanical and mechanism design on Mars Rovers, Earth orbiting spacecraft, and instruments that have flown on the International Space Station. His proudest moment was being part of the successful Mars landing of Curiosity. Even he admits that the Entry, Descent, and Landing plan looked pretty scary. In his remaining free time, Eric enjoys inline hockey, tinkering on engines, and watching endurance sports car racing like Le Mans (he mostly roots for Porsche). Some of his favorite films include 2001: A Space Odyssey, Primer, Blade Runner, and Aliens. His favorite television shows are Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and The Walking Dead. And when it’s time to spin up some tunes, he loves The Church, Radiohead, and Hot Hot Heat. When he was growing up he was a child of the 80's and a fan of alternative, and he still has a soft spot for groups like Duran Duran and The Cure. He grew up in the Central Valley area of California but now resides in Los Angeles. Eric is recently married to Jean, the love of his life.