According to billingsgazette.net, fans will soon see a lot of Indiana Jones promotional artwork coming from Russell Walks, an artist who Star Wars fans may recognize from the Star Wars Celebration Art Shows and the Topps Galaxy trading card series. For Indy, it looks like Walks will be illustrating for Dr. Pepper, Kellogg’s, and others.

His work for the film includes a life-size cardboard standee of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones – yes, the one featuring an expression with “slight undertones of happiness.” Using promotional shots provided by LucasFilm and poses from members of his fan base, Walks created the piece after a little bit of struggle, mostly with those slight undertones.

He did 10 or 15 sketches until he was finally satisfied with the expression. From there he did a value drawing, with a full range of tonal values in black and white. Walks usually prefers to hand paint his artwork, but because of the tight deadlines on the “Indiana Jones” project, he did most of the color in Adobe Photoshop, then added brush strokes and “the twinkle in (Ford’s) eye.”

Check out the full story here, and learn more about the artist in starwars.com’s official artist profile.

Brit band Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan shelled out some serious dough to add replicas of R2-D2 and C-3PO to his growing sci-fi film memorabilia collection.

According to The Sun:

Tom has paid 8,000 British pounds to have the life-size R2-D2 and C-3P0 models made and they are both exact replicas from the film. They now have pride of place in his flat, which is full of cool stuff from cult movies. Tom spent around 10,000 British pounds earlier this year on the actual BMX they used in E.T. – and he also has a life-size model of E.T.

Read more about Tom’s collection here:
Singer’s £8k on C-3PO & R2-D2

Learn more about why Tom loves Star Wars in our interview with him here:
Britpop Band Kasabian Reveals Love for Star Wars

Be sure to catch the rest of Kasabian taking a tour of Lucasfilm in the Presidio here.

——————–
SOURCES:
The Sun, ClubJade.net

USA Today’s Pop Candy blogger and one of our favorite Star Wars fans — Whitney Matheson — blogs about her favorite movie props. Along with David Bowie’s crystal ball in Labyrinth and Indiana Jones’ fedora, Darth Vader’s trusty lightsaber tops the list.

1. Darth Vader’s lightsaber, the Star Wars franchise.
Maybe I should’ve picked Luke’s saber, but let’s face it: Vader’s is red, it’s rebellious, and it’s way cooler. Of all props, to me, this might be tops.

Read the full list here on Pop Candy:
Talk back: What are the most awesome movie props?

As previously reported, this Imperial stroller was quite a hit at Celebration IV. So we tracked down the proud owner of the baby AT-AT — Rick Russo — to find out how he tricked out his child’s stroller making it one sweet fan kid ride.

Why did you decide to transform your baby stroller into a mini AT-AT?

We have a new baby, so it was like I had a legitimate excuse to do something fun and geeky. The AT-AT is one of my favorite vehicles from the saga and it really lends itself to the shape of the stroller. I had other ideas, like doing a tauntaun or a dewback, but did not have the time to design something that would be safe and not tip the stroller.

What materials did you use to make it?

Foam board, a boat-seat cushion, sponge-type material used for packing fragile equipment, dowels, zip ties, modeling putty, floral wire, a tube from shrink wrap roll, BBQ skewers and the best thing — ballpoint pens for the chin guns.

Can you describe how you did it in case other fans want to make one?

I used pictures from the Cross-sections book and the toy for reference.

BODY PANELS: Make sure it doesn’t obscure the baby’s vision and that they don’t stick out too far to the front or the rear. I used zip ties because of time, but ideally, Velcro straps would be better.

FRONT PANEL: This is the panel that the head attaches to. Cut a hole for the tube for the neck piece. Use a wrapping paper tube if you can’t find anything larger, but you’ll have to layer it to make it sturdier. Remember to leave room for the baby’s legs.

HEAD: Cut the different sections out. Since most people don’t have access to the spongy foam stuff I used, you can use that green block foam used for floral arrangements. Either before of after you glue the panels on, make a hole so the tube can go in a little for added stability.

LEGS: That’s the easy part. Cut them out to the shape of your stroller or the pose you want.

FEET: These are a little trickier because you might have to cut away part of them so they fit straight and not make the walker look bow-legged. I just cut circles in the padding, glued them and used foam board for the toes.

Describe some of the other cool add-ons — like the mobile.

The snowspeeder mobile is my favorite part and that was a last minute add-on. That required a few trial and errors before I got that right. Even though I wasn’t going for movie-accurate, I did want them to be in scale with the walker. Cutting tiny pieces of foam is painstaking. The four speeders were dangling from a piece of cushion cut into the shape of Rebel logo. There was also a crashed, smoking speeder under one of the walkers feet. A lot of people didn’t notice, but the underside of the speeders were painted different colors with different shapes painted on them as well. So daddy geeks out and Reed gets educational stimulation. Baby Einstein eat your heart out!

What was the reaction you got from fans at CIV?

From what I could tell, people really got a kick out of it. It took us about 30 minutes to get from the main doors to the entrance of the main hall! People were asking where I bought it, which was a nice compliment.

Was that where the AT-AT stroller debuted?

Yes, built it just for CIV. I would’ve liked to have it repaired for Star Wars weekends at MGM Disney but the baby kicked the front panel apart, so I didn’t get the time.

Any plans for more Imperial baby mobiles?

Oh yeah! Definitely. I wanted to do Vader’s TIE-fighter and swap them out on different days, but time was tight. I might go back to the tauntaun or dewback idea. I also have some other ships in mind.

Additional tips for fans wanting to make their own Star Wars stroller modifications?

Buy a craft glue gun! I used plain white glue. It works, but dries slower and isn’t as strong. Use your imagination. It’s all about having fun!

Over 70 fans competed in the Star Wars Tattoo show at Celebration IV, showing off skin art featuring everything from full-back portraits of the Sith to funky Tiki-inspired Jed Masters. The contest’s organizer, Star Wars fan, tattoo aficionado Shane Turgeon talks about the contest, tattoos and his new Star Wars skin art book The Force in the Flesh.

Why did you decide to have another Star Wars tattoo show at Celebration IV? Was it in a large part due to the success of the show at CIII?
The popularity of Star Wars tattoos has been rising over the years and has entrenched itself as a major part of Star Wars fandom. Lots of people have them, and those that don’t generally love to see them. The response to the tattoo track at CIII was overwhelming so it was natural to bring it back, better than ever, for CIV.

How did this show differ from the tattoo show at CIII?
This time around we made our exhibit a little more visual. Instead of having Star Wars art done by tattoo artists hanging up behind us, we had a big plasma TV running showing images of Star Wars tattoos, Star Wars tattoo art as well as footage of a 30+ hour Star Wars tattoo being done from start to finish, sped up to be shown in 15 minutes. CIII was the first time anyone had run a Star Wars tattoo competition and we learned a lot there which we took into consideration for this year’s event. The stage crew in the Celebration Theatre did an amazing job this year and really helped put the event over the top.

Talk a little about who you picked to be guest judges and why.
The two Star Wars celebrity judges are picked by Mary Franklin from LFL. This year we had actress Femi Taylor (Twi’lek dancer Oola) and Industrial Light & Magic artist Howie Weed (and sometimes Wampa) on board and they were a lot of fun to have involved. The third judge, our friend Hannah Aitchison, is a renowned tattoo artist who will soon be starring in Kat Von D’s (formerly of “Miami Ink”) new reality show “LA Ink.” Hannah was one of our judges for CIII and is a huge Star Wars fan so with her being in the Los Angeles area, it was a no brainer to have her back. And the fourth judge was myself.

Which tattoo work surprised you the most?
There were a few. Ky Odore’s Clone Wars ¾ sleeve was a stunning large piece there were a lot of great smaller pieces as well, such as Jim Sharamitaro’s 16 bit Boba Fett from the Super Nintendo games. There was some killer black and grey work as well.

Did you have a personal favorite out of all the winners?
Ky’s sleeve really stands out as does Rick Russo’s Tiki Yoda but there were a lot of stellar pieces that didn’t win that I would count as personal favorites as well.

Why do you think some fans love to show their Star Warss pride
in the form of tattoo art?
To be honest, I think there has to be an appreciation of tattoo art in general before people make the big leap into getting a Star Wars tattoo, especially large pieces. (I just can’t see Steve Sansweet deciding that he’s got to have a full Star Wars backpiece one day, just because he’s a huge fan). If you have a love for tattoos, then you’ll
recognize the things that make a good tattoo — like great imagery, solid artwork and to a lesser extent, even a good story — are also the backbone of the Star Wars saga. The really do go hand-in-hand.

What Star Wars tattoos do you personally have?
I have some Aurbesh writing across my lower back and along my inner biceps as well as a full calf-sleeve on my left leg dedicated to The Empire Strikes Back.

Why did you decide to do a book — The Force in the Flesh — all
about Star Wars tattoos?
After running Tattoosandtoys.com for so long, attending conventions around the world, and meeting so many great people, I felt that a book showcasing not only the finest Star Wars body art there is but also the stories of the people behind that art would be an excellent way to give something back to everyone who has come to be a part of this growing community. I’m also a big fan of art books and I felt that this was a subject deserving of such immortality.

Why do you think Star Wars is so pervasive and iconic in pop
culture and underground art?
It’s funny because when I started out collecting Star Wars memorabilia in 1991, Star Wars was in and of itself “underground.” It had fallen from the mainstream and, in many circles, was revered by people involved in a lot of counter-culture scenes. As those people grew older, some of them became the driving force in media, and their enthusiasm was ripe to ride a wave of new Star Wars excitement stemming from the Special Editions. As mainstream as it is now, there’s still something punk rock about Star Wars that draws people from all walks of life to it.

Will there be a tattoo show at Celebration Europe?
We are currently working on plans to bring the world of Star Wars tattoos to our friends in Europe. We have a tattoo collecting panel ready to go as well as an exhibit and competition.

What’s next for you?
I’m really excited about the positive response the book is receiving. If it continues to do well, I’m going to go ahead and work on other books and hopefully one day we might just see a second edition of The Force in the Flesh.

Check out our CIV Tattoo Show Photo Blog here.

CIV Tattoo Contest Winners List

Small/Med Color
Winner – Rick Russo – Tiki Yoda
Runner Up – Erik Chavez – Quinlan Vos

Large Color
Winner – Ky Odore – Animated CW 3/4 Sleeve
Runner Up – Pete Sharland – calf-sleeve

Small/Med Black and Grey
Winner – Joe Morton – 21B
Runner Up – Rick Russo – Star Wars symbols

Large Black and Grey
Winner – Jean Paul Albor – Luke and Crashed AT-AT back piece
Runner Up – Mike Garcia – portrait work on his thighs.

Read more about Star Wars tattoos and the fans who love them here:

“Fandom is More Than Skin Deep: Star War Tattoos at CIII”

On May 28, while most fans were packing up their hard-won figures and prints to make the trip home from Celebration IV, a few hardcore collectors stayed back to battle it out for rare toys and other items pulled from Lucasfilm’s Licensing Archives – including a rare Kenner shipping carton that originally held four remote-controlled Jawa Sandcrawlers.

Now, while the Sandcrawlers themselves are quite valuable and among the most coveted of early Kenner Star Wars toys, what made this somewhat non-descript shipping carton so unique was who it was addressed to back in 1979: one George W. Lucas Jr. of San Anselmo, CA. Final price paid for the empty box: $950. All proceeds benefitted the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Feeling blue because you missed out on eating Star Wars 30th Anniversary cake with a room full of fans at Celebration IV Opening Ceremonies? Well, thanks to an industrious fan, you too can capture that lost moment in time with this oddly endearing collectible — a slice of Star Wars cake preserved in resin.

Pieces of cake were distributed to 7,000 attendees of the Opening Ceremonies. “Everyone was served their own piece of cake and each piece was topped with a Star Wars character — I got the piece with C-3PO,” Brae Wyckoff (aka Jedi Brae) says. “I took my piece of cake and kept it so I could capture the moment forever if possible. It took me several weeks to figure it all out but it was a success.”

“I have seen so many weird things for sale on eBay, so at the time of the event I thought it might be possible to capture this epic moment by petrifying the cake,” Wyckoff continues. “I did not know if it would be possible because I couldn’t find any good evidence online, so I ventured to the craft store and discovered the Resin casting material. All I could do was try it and see what happened.”

The result is a one-of-a-kind tribute to a very special evening at Celebration IV. “I think this is an ultimate collectible because it captures that exact moment in time when everyone could enjoy 30 years of Star Wars and sing ‘Happy Birthday’ with 7,000 fans and a stage full of so many contributors to the saga,” Wyckoff says.

Find out more about the cake collectible here.

SOURCE: eBay

Even younger fans like to travel in an Imperial fashion. Spotted at Celebration IV, these parents tricked out their stroller to show off their love for Star Wars.

Read all about it here.

SOURCES: Thingamababy; BoingBoing; ClubJade

A showcase of some of the amazing astromech droids crafted by the R2 Builders, including clips from the Extreme Droid Challenge and proof that R5-D4 should have been a daycare supervisor. Kids love him.

As the winner for the Best Action Award with his film Essence of the Force for the Fan Movie Challenge presented by Lucasfilm and AtomFilms, Nevada-based filmmaker Pat Kerby discusses the challenges of making an impressive action film on a tight schedule when your Sith Lord has a day job.

What prompted you to make a Star Wars fan film? How has George Lucas and his films influence your work?

George Lucas’s films were a big inspiration to me. Once I decided I was going to be a filmmaker I paid close attention to what he did. I learned that good casting and a good story are very important. I admired his independent spirit of filmmaking, for the most part working outside of the Hollywood system. I hope he continues to work to revolutionize filmmaking. The distribution system needs revamping!

What is the backstory regarding your film? Where did you get your idea?

One day my wife asked me to do something and I told her that I’d try. She said, “There is no try, there is only do” — butchering the quote from Yoda. As I started to explain what Yoda actually said, it hit me that that phrase would be a great punch line for a Mountain Dew commercial. I pitched the idea to some friends, and we decided to do it. I had met Thomas Dupont, a brilliant swordsman who worked at the King Arthur’s Tournament show at Excalibur in Las Vegas at the time (he has since become the sword master on Pirates of the Caribbean, and your very own Indiana Jones 4), and had been wanting to work with him. He loved the idea, and after that everything just fell together. The Las Vegas filmmaking community came together to support the project, and after a month or two of pre production, three nights of shooting, and about six months of post (between regular jobs), we had a product that was a nice demo for myself, Thomas, and the whole Vegas filmmaking community.

What is your background in film? Did you both make films as youngsters?

Someone owed my dad some money, and gave him a Super 8 movie camera. It sat in the closet for a year or so before my brother and I gathered some friends and went out to make a film. We had a lot of fun, but it didn’t really click for me until we got the film back and I edited it together. That was the summer of 1980. I separate my life into the time before that day, and the time since. From the first time I saw that silly film edited, I knew I was going to be a filmmaker. My brother and some close friends set out to learn the craft. You can see an early film “Red Rock Canyon”, and our old stunt and special effects demo on Youtube.com. Since then I’ve learned almost every aspect of Motion Picture Production. I have worked professionally as a producer, director, stunt, and special effects coordinator, cameraman, director of photography, jib operator, and editor.

What are some of the technical aspects of your film? What did you shoot and edit with?

We shot on 16mm film, using an Arri SR II, an Eclair NPR, and a couple of Bolex cameras for the slomo stuff. We had a Steadycam operated by Lynn Nicholson, the inventor of the Steadycam Alien) and a Jimmy Jjib triangle operated by me as camera support. We had a 10-ton grip and lighting truck from J.R. Lighting in Vegas, and had the best SFX makeup person in town — Ron Wild. We transferred to DigiBeta, stripped 3-2 pulldown and made Targa frames of the whole film. SFX post was done on Aftereffects, Combustion, and Lightwave 3-D. Audio post was done on Vegas Video on my home computer, and laid back in to the DigiBeta master.

What were some of the challenges and surprised that happened to you as you were creating your movie?

Nights in May in Las Vegas are only eight hours long. This was a challenge, and on our first day, the set painter got lost and didn’t arrive on set until right before dark, so we started a very tight schedule several hours late. Our Sith Lord was working the Tournament of Kings show and couldn’t get to set until midnight each night, so we had to schedule around him. In post, the guy who had volunteered to do the sound design ended up getting a good gig and had to bail on us. I ended up doing it on Vegas Video myself A similar thing happened with the visual effects team, although they got us off to a good start, Bart Anderson came in and was instrumental in finishing the film.

Who were all the principle people in helping get the film made? Who would you like to thank?

I’d start my Production Designer, Brad Hill, who was really the guy who pushed me to do it, and set the standard for the level of quality. Thomas Dupont, who coordinated the fights and starred in the film. Mary Skrenes from JR lighting, Lynn Nicholson, who put up with me mounting the Eclair NPR sewing machine on his state of the art Steadycam,. My wife Liz Kerby, who really inspired the idea in the first place. Chuck Bejarano, who did the 3-D animation sequences as well as a multitude of other tasks, and Bart Anderson, who came in late and really salvaged the aftereffects work on the project. And finally Frank Klepacki, who did a great job on the original score. There is more — oops, they are starting to play me off at the Academy Awards!

Why do you think recognizing fan films is important?

Fan films keep the Star Wars legacy going. George Lucas created an entire universe of “what if” possibilities. The imagination and creativity of Star Wars fans is quite impressive. No one wants to see it come to an end.

If you could meet George Lucas, what would you say?

There is a lot to say. I’d thank him for always pushing the technological art of filmmaking. He has stayed on the bleeding edge for many years, and many of the visual tools we enjoy today are because of his visions. I’d like to ask him what is next for him, and I would ask him who I should contact about pitching a script to him about my idea on how to save the world.

Head over to starwars.atomfilms.com to watch all the winning films.