I took a stab at making my own crossword puzzle, complete with thematic clues and even thematic grid shapes to match. Have fun, and if you want the solution, drop a note in the comments.

Across

1. Battleship, for example
5. Like hydrochloric and nitric
9. Chit chat
12. Madison and Park, e.g.
13. Paradise dweller
14. Lounge
15. Has notoriety, for a herpetologist?
20. “Things Fall Apart” author Chinua
21. Castles may have them
22. Name in waffles
25. Narrow cut
26. Game play, to a subway hooligan?
32. Support group introduction
33. “Cool!”
34. Many Canada-residing First Nations
36. Nuisance pest
37. Dutch town
38. Some cereals
39. One may be viral
40. Insufficient
42. Assault vehicle of Star Wars fame
43. The wealthy elite, for a statistician?
46. Botswana’s House of Chiefs: _______ ya Dikgosi
47. Rocket Craig
48. Activewear brand
49. City in Argentina
54. Police command, for an interior decorator?
57. Lot of mine
58. Mon follower
59. Ones in a casino
60. Put on a swim cap, perhaps
61. Home of “Woodstock for Capitalists”
62. “Aw, ______!”

Down

1. Lady born Stefani
2. May be part of a café order
3. Controlled crystal
4. Elementary Latin verb
6. Roadside threat: abbr.
7. TiVo, e.g.
8. Looks like it does
9. Film set
10. Troubles
11. Meet for a spell
16. Settle ________
17. Started
18. College dept.: ____ Sci
19. Jacket style
23. Country that writes a 26-down
24. Rashly, perhaps
26. Letter from the people of 23-down
27. Big ring name
28. Periodic lamentation of “Arrested Development”‘s Buster
29. Trademark lawyer admonition
30. Odor
31. Where Cortés sailed
35. List ender: abbr.
40. Expected to, à la Ricky Ricardo
41. AT&T, e.g.
44. Moose, to Bach
45. Film style
48. With a draft
50. State of Zion
51. “No _______.”
52. Actor Baldwin
53. Student’s turf
54. In
55. Giant word
56. Open land