Guns.
Johnny Rico's Portable Nuke Launcher (Eric Speiser)
That very word generally stirs up a variety of emotions amongst Americans. Everyone has an opinion and everyone believes the other is wrong. It’s a commonly discussed topic and one that rarely finds a common ground.
But we’re not here to get political today. No, no. Instead, we’re going to take a look into the world of prop guns. And let me tell you, it’s pretty badass.
Don’t think so? Then you’ve never met Eric Speiser.
Eric is a long-time prop collector whose main focus is on prop gun and memorabilia from Starship Troopers. And simply put, nothing about his collection is in any ways ordinary.
Dan Benton: “Although cliché, it’s always important to start from the top so that people get to know you better. And with that said, I have to ask…why prop guns and why Starship Troopers?”
Eric Speiser: “Prop guns and firearms in general have always been my passion. Having grown up in a household with guns, but with a family that at first refused to acknowledge their existence, I found it necessary to investigate and learn about firearms on my own, simply because it was always considered taboo. I fired my first gun in the Boy Scouts and quickly progressed from a simple plinker .22 caliber rifle to a full bore 12 gauge shotgun, where I quickly earned both merit badges in one day. Shooting came naturally, and distance target and skeet shooting progressed into an art form, so well in fact that I became the youngest range officer to operate a firing line for other scouts in the 65 year history of the Boy Scout camp we were attending. With each round and shell fired I honed my skills, while growing ever aware of firearms safety and the essence of responsible ownership.
Around that time, at the age of 14 or so, Starship Troopers was released in theaters, and it had become the first R rated movie I had ever seen and so I naturally gravitated to what I consider to be Paul Verhoeven’s best. I easily associated with the young troopers wanting to do their part, and I myself later joined the United States Army after 09/11/01 a year early on my 17th birthday.
In between high school and my physical training for the army, I quickly began collecting props from the film and purchased my first working long Morita rifle from the movie with the help of my father. Unfortunately, at the time I only had 10 blank 5.56 rounds for the rifle and quickly learned that obtaining the very loud and very rare ammunition that was used for the production was going to be quite difficult. However, in my search for the ammo I needed, my pursuit of firearms and movie props in general began to grow and I never looked back.”
Dan Benton: “What is it about Starship Troopers that captured you eye more so than, say, Star Wars or Battlestar Galactica?”
Eric Speiser: “For me, Starship Troopers was pure action: big bugs, big [boobs], sans for Dina Meyer, big blasts from huge weapons and lots of death scenes. Really, can it get any better? Aside from that, it was a more original idea, unlike the two recent Hulk films; unless it’s just me that’s getting tired of unoriginal ideas and poorly done remakes. As for Star Wars, nothing can compare to the originals, but when it comes to the most recent three, my gag reflex starts to choke me and whatever flaws others see in Starship Troopers easily fade away. The characters in Star Wars for my generation seem more distant, and given my general interest in the military and weapons, the cap troopers of SST make it easier for me to identify with.
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About Dan Benton
It was such an honor to be one of the first interviews for your page! I’m so glad everything is taking off so well!