When my colleague Matt Martin asked if I would reach out to fans all over the world and ask them to submit pictures with their local landmarks as part of our May the 4th festivities, I knew the results would be good.
But I had no idea just how good!
Author Archive
Bantha Tracks Art Galaxy, April 2013
Bantha Tracks, the newsletter that has been “By the Fans; For the Fans” since it was reintroduced almost eleven years ago in 2002, receives contributions of Star Wars art from fans of all ages. We wanted to share submissions here as well as in Star Wars Insider magazine, where Bantha Tracks is a regular feature.
To learn more about Insider go to http://titanmagazines.com/t/star-wars-insider/.
To submit your art, photographs, and Star Wars fan stories to Bantha Tracks, follow the submission guidelines below.
Bri Young, age 10, from Ohio wrote, “I have always been a fan of Star Wars. After seeing Ahsoka’s destiny, I wanted to draw her from the beginning.”
4 Comments » | 
Tags: ahsoka, Art Galaxy, Bantha Tracks, star wars, Yoda
Fans and Community | 
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Great Moments Behind the Scenes at Celebration, Part II
“C-3PO is on the run without security.”
“Mary, your boyfriend is in the next aisle.”
“Hide him with a Stormtrooper helmet.”
As my blog of January 22 states, there are always moments at Celebrations that sound not of this universe, or else completely unlikely, as in “You are going to serve cake to 7,000 people.” (For more on the Great Celebration Cake Adventure see Celebration IV: The Entertainment Capital of the Star Wars World.)
4 Comments » | Tags: Celebration, star wars celebration behind the scenes
Events | Permalink
The MVPs of Celebration
There’s a sort of superhero vibe that surrounds my Elite Squad at the Star Wars Celebrations. You know how it happens in the movies when all hell breaks loose, and it looks like there is no hope for the good citizens. Suddenly Batman shows up, and you know that everything is going to be all right. The Elite squad is like Batman — or more appropriately, like Obi-Wan Kenobi. They are so capable and calm that once I have put a stage or area of the show in their hands, I turn my mind to other parts of the show.
It doesn’t occur to me to worry about the Elite Squad’s responsibilities once they have their marching orders. I know they will figure it out, whatever comes up. I can be free to turn my attention to disappearing marching bands and hanging Death Stars and queues that wrap around the building full of fans who are getting covered with snow.
Who are these Elite?
4 Comments » | Tags: "Star Wars" Celebration, Celebration Europe, Crew, Elite Squad
Events, Fans and Community | Permalink
Star Wars Celebration IV: The Entertainment Capital of the Star Wars World
One million square feet saturated in Star Wars. Six days of events, including a six-movie marathon of the entire Star Wars big-screen saga. Seven live stages. Celebrity guests from the movies, television, and animation. Live Star Wars laser tag featuring Stormtroopers to target. Three hundred members of the media. More than 35,000 individual revelers. If Celebration III was billed as the party of a lifetime, Celebration IV might have been the party to make fans forget all other parties.
6 Comments » | Tags: Anniversary, Celebration Europe, Celebration IV, Los Angeles, star wars, The Clone Wars
Events | Permalink
Star Wars Celebration III: Welcome to the (Surprising) Star Wars Party of a Lifetime
We were back in Indianapolis. We were celebrating the release of another Star Wars movie with tens of thousands of fans. We were working with many of the same staff and crew. What could surprise us? What could possibly go wrong?
Heh. Honestly, I’m both an event production person and a naturally suspicious person, so I would never think for a moment that I could not be surprised, nor that nothing could go wrong. If you ever get the pleasure of speaking with Este or Kristen from my events team, they will vouch that I am all about backups and backup plans and Plan B and even Plan C.
No Comments » | Tags: Celebration, celebration iii
Fans and Community | Permalink
Star Wars Celebration II: The Summer’s Biggest Action Hero
Of the many memories and impressions that are dear to my heart from Star Wars Celebration II, these two come to mind immediately: what Star Wars fans contributed to the show, and Yoda.
First, about Yoda… What we at Lucasfilm knew, and what the audience in the Indiana Convention Center had not seen, was that Yoda would have his first real lightsaber fight in the upcoming Attack of the Clones. We’d not released any clips of the Jedi Master in action before the show, having saved the excitement for those seeing it first on the big screen.
3 Comments » | Tags: Celebration II, Indiana, star wars, Yoda
Events | Permalink
Star Wars Celebration I: The Real Insiders’ Club
I am not a part of the tribe.
I have worked on every Star Wars Celebration since Celebration II, but no matter, I am not a member of the elite echelon of fans who traveled to Star Wars Celebration I in Colorado back in 1999. Not able to claim I had anything to do with the show at all, I do not possess even a nostalgic attendance badge.
9 Comments » | Tags: Celebration I, Denver, star wars
Fans and Community | Permalink
Great Moments Behind-The-Scenes at Celebration
“This rancor will need to travel across Florida.”
At each and every Star Wars Celebration I find myself either saying or hearing phrases that sound completely out-of-this-galaxy.
“Can we get this landspeeder in the freight elevator?”
“We are going to build a Death Star and I want you to find out how much.”
Either they sound out-of-this-galaxy, or they sound completely impossible, as in “I just lost an entire marching band.”
Typically the responses sound much more in-galaxy than the original statements:
“We can’t get Darth Vader off the ground.”
“That is because the wind is coming too strongly from a direction that threatens to blow the Darth Vader hot-air balloon right into the ExCeL Convention Center and impale it on the roof.”
9 Comments » | Tags: Celebration, Darth Vader, Death Star, landspeeder, marching band, rancor
Events | Permalink
Hang On to Your Helmet — The Holidays Are Over!
For roughly the past month it’s been the same:
- “We can rethink that floorplan after the holidays.”
- “I can have the answers you need after the holidays.”
- “We’ll send those links after the holidays.”
- “After the holidays we’ll be ready to revisit this.”
- “The document will be completed for you after the holidays.”
- Etc. etc. etc. “after the holidays.”
Honestly, it’s a good tradition that people in the world disconnect and focus on something other than work for a few weeks each winter. Family, friends, travel, avoiding cliffs, a few good books and movies — whatever it is that refuels us, it’s probably healthy for humankind.
1 Comment » | Tags: celebration europe II
Events, Fans and Community | Permalink
