Can Artoo cook, or can he?
Rebelscum.com and TheForce.net webmaster Philip Wise is drumming up excitement for summer barbeques this year with his newest Star Wars-inspired creation, R2-BQ.
Called an “ugly drum smoker”, this barrel-style barbeque is all the rage in the bbq smoking world. Need proof? Check out the 500-plus-page forum currently thriving on the subject over at bbq-brethren.com.
Check out more pix of R2-BQ here.
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Tags: Food, Humor, TheForce.net
Creativity, Fans and Community | 
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When Twitter goes down for maintenance or unexpected outages, many a social media addict frantically tries to refresh their screen to see something other than the dreaded Fail Whale.
But artist and Star Wars fan Le Kemp did a different take on the Fail Whale which makes the whole wait more tolerable. Nothing beats TIE fighters on Twitter! tweet tweet!
Be sure to follow Star Wars on Twitter.
5 Comments » | Tags: Art, Twitter
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Building IKEA furniture is a cinch thanks to easy-to-follow instructions. But what if those same crafty hieroglyphics were used to show you how to make a lightsaber… er we mean Litsabbur?
Check out this funny IKEA parody showing us how to assemble a lightsaber, TARDIS, dinosaur and more here:
Sci-Fi Ikea Manuals (via CollegeHumor.com)
1 Comment » | Tags: Humor, Parodies
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Artist Kelly Kerrigan shows off a soft spot of Boba Fett that we don’t normally see. Makes you wonder if the Slave I has a rabbit hutch. StarWars.com chats with Kelly about her Star Wars bounty hunter bunny art.
Why did you decide to pair up bunnies with Star Wars characters?
This new series of artwork is how my creativity has responded to the death of my husband, Paul. He died on December 18, 2010 after finding out in August the he had a rare cancer. We both loved Star Wars and he had a particular connection to rabbits as they are portrayed in movies, books and gaming.
He would often dress as a Pooka for LARP events. I started painting about 2 weeks after he died and the ideas for new work keep coming. I have always been a painter, but I think this is the best work I have ever done. I am certain that He is the inspiration for all of this and the reason I feel so good about what I am painting.
What is it about bunnies that make even the most ruthless bounty hunter look like a softy?
I think therein lies the answer. The softening of the ruthless: The unlikely care and cuddling that a hardened clone warrior would have to undertake to handle a delicate bunny seems as it would be an act of extreme patience on his psyche. Perhaps his trainers are putting him through an exercise to engage those parts of his brain that define the opposite of his purpose.
5 Comments » | Tags: Art, Interviews
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We might not have a droid army at our beck and call…yet, but in real life we can still watch robots battle each other for our amusement during the international battle bot competition RoboGames!
While 250-pound robots fought in the arena, R2-D2 was on the sidelines watching all the action like a real robo-celebrity. R2-D2 also visited backstage to say hello to the robot builders, to cheer students on at Bot Ball, and to hang out out with the next generation of robot overlords.
WATCH VIDEO: R2-D2 meets Teddybear Bot
Check out our favorite photos of R2-D2 in action at Robogames:
Check out more photos here:
RoboGames 2011
2 Comments » | Tags: R2-D2 Builders, Robots
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In the wake of the recent earthquake disaster in Japan, fans from across the Pacific have received authorization from Lucasfilm to create Jedi-themed t-shirts to aid in the relief effort — a cool “We Are Jedi” banner with the country’s signature hook-shape forming the “J”. From the “We Are Jedi Project” website:
While many charity activities were made around the world, we, Japanese Star Wars fans were thinking what we could do. And then we decided to start our fundraising project. The 1st mission is to make “We are JEDI” T-shirts.
While our T-shirt project is not sponsored by Lucasfilm Ltd., we got authorization and cooperation to use some Star Wars phrases and images.
These T-shirts will be developed under the supervision of Lucasfilm and all the profits that we got from the sale of them will be contributed to the Japan Red Cross Society.
Payments can easily be made through Paypal so head on over and count yourself among the Jedi in Japan!
2 Comments » | Tags: Charity
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Hate shoveling snow off your sidewalks and driveway? You’re not alone. In this amusing little video, Chewbacca is tasked with shoveling a sidewalk after a big storm.
WATCH VIDEO: Chewbacca Hates Shoveling Snow
2 Comments » | Tags: Fan Films, Videos
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Civil War re-enactors are joined by pop culture cosplayers including members of the Rebel Legion and the 501st Legion who got into the fun at the Ohio Statehouse lawn to mark the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, Sunday, April 10 , 2011.
18 Comments » | Tags: Cosplay, Costumes, Rebel Legion, The 501st Legion
Fans and Community | Permalink
The Rebel Legion group shot at WonderCon.Death Trooper posing for photos? Pint-sized Ahsoka Tano and Clone Trooper hanging out? Jabba the Hutt lurking in the food court? Yup, it’s that time of year for WonderCon in San Francisco. Three full days of comics, movies, TV shows, costumes, celebrities, artists, droid builders and more!
18 Comments » | Tags: Ashley Eckstein, Costumes, Dave Filoni, The 501st Legion, WonderCon
Events, The Clone Wars | Permalink
Amongst the cosplayers, droids, and comic book fans attending this year’s WonderCon in San Francisco, California, MythBusters Build Team member Grant Imahara was inducted as a 501st Legion Honorary Member by the Golden Gate Garrison (with special help from the Southern California Garrison.)
WATCH VIDEO: The 501st induct Grant Imahara at WonderCon
Grant is well-known on Discovery Channel’s hit show Mythbusters, but he started at THX then went on to make some amazing sets, droids and props at Industrial Light and Magic as a modelmaker. His robot-building skills are legendary — not only for his work on R2-D2 alongside ILM’s Don Bies, but for the lovable Energizer Bunny, his intimidating fighting robots, and his latest creation of first robotic talk show sidekick Geoff Petersen, for Craig Ferguson on The Late Late Show.
In 2004, the ILM rock stars were asked to compete in Junkyard Mega-Wars: At The Movies. Grant and his ILM team made a gigantic, flame-throwing R2-D2, and of course won the competition.
You can see that awesome R2-D2 in action here:
WATCH VIDEO: Junkyard Mega-Wars: At the Movies
Grant has also been featured over the years on StarWars.com for Putting Star Wars to the MythBusters Test, for being a big fan of The Clone Wars and for his w00tstock spoken word performance about dressing up as C-3PO.
We chatted with Grant about his induction into one of the coolest Star Wars groups in the galaxy — The 501st Legion — and whether this means we can expect his droids to be moonlighting for the Empire…
Was it a complete surprise?
Actually yes! You kept hinting at a surprise during WonderCon, with a specific time and place that I needed to be. If you watch the video, I don’t actually realize what’s happening until they announce it! You know, I talk on camera all day long and I’ve done tons of public speaking, but I was so surprised and overwhelmed in that moment that I feel like I was a bit tongue-tied.
If you’re now in the 501st, does that mean all robots you build will be secretly working for Darth Vader?
Ha! I think all my robots secretly work for me! Think about it: the Energizer Bunny, Geoff Peterson (the robot skeleton sidekick from The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson), my combat robot Deadblow, and certain R2 units… that would be a pretty formidable army!
Why are you proud to be part of the 501st Legion?
It’s a real honor to be inducted into a group that not only strives for accuracy in representing these characters from a saga that I love, but also does volunteer community service and is considered a part of Lucasfilm’s “extended family.”
Be sure to follow both Grant Imahara and The 501st Legion on Twitter.
19 Comments » | Tags: Celebrities, Grant Imahara, ILM, Interviews, The 501st Legion, WonderCon
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