It might be surprising that a busy restaurant owner and entrepreneur would spend more than three hours
transforming himself in support of his team, but that’s exactly what Maximilian Ortiz does on game day.
Born in 1978, Ortiz grew up a Saints fan and was inspired by the likes of Da Pope and Mack the Quack. Starting
with a playoff game against the Rams in 2000, he began painting his face in different ways. Then, just before the
2009 season, Ortiz was watching a Star Wars episode and realized that Darth Maul was the perfect Super Fan
costume for him. He purchased the outfit online and set to work, perfecting his makeup and affixing ten horns to
his head. It’s a lengthy process that means getting up at 5:30 a.m. on game day to make it all come together and still allow Ortiz a couple hours to socialize as he makes his way to The Dome.
The very first time he debuted Darth Saint, Ortiz sat in the front row with some friends. After the game, Drew
Brees came over to their section to celebrate with a high five. A photographer snapped that moment and it
appeared on the front page of the Times-Picayune the next day. If that’s not a sign that your Super Fan costume’s working, what is?
