Archive for ‘Fans and Community’



Star Wars Collector’s Lofty Ambitions

Pete Vilmur | June 12, 2009

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Flickr blogger eyeSPIVE recently posted a fantastic image series of his Star Wars collection, which is effectively displayed in a loft. We like this series because it shows what clever collectors can do with limited space (even the ceiling is covered!) and that several of the pieces appear to be from the UK (where we suspect this blogger lives).

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Yub Jub Means “Devour the Weak”

Bonnie Burton | June 12, 2009

For all of you fans who think Ewok are cuddly, cute teddy bears you might want to remember that when the Ewoks first met Han Solo on Endor he was considered more like dinner course than a dinner guest.

Thank goodness naturalists have decided to take a closer look at the habits and habitats of Ewoks so you don’t have to risk becoming part of their diet. The naturalists take notes on Ewok Celebratory Rituals and Honorific Terminology, Societal Structure and Dispute Arbitration, Adolescent Transition Rites, and Breeding Practices and Mate Selection.

Here’s an excerpt that best features their bloodlust:

Our first exposure to unvarnished Ewok behavior occurred at the victory celebration following the Battle of Endor. We were surprised to discover that the gathering was not just simply a boisterous feast-activity fostering communal bonds and egalitarian resource distribution, but also a ritualistic devouring of 34 captured Imperial stormtroopers, who were spit-roasted alive in their armor for seli beli (”to seal in the flavor”) and tanga tiru (”divine tang of mortal fear”) — a delicacy to the Ewok palate.

Read the full article here:
Yub Jub Means “Devour the Weak”: An Authoritative Study of Ewoks, From the Field Notes of Davi Atten-Boru and Pladdo Cardigan, Exo-naturalists (via McSweeney’s)

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SOURCE: TheForce.net

Remodel Darth Vader’s Kitchen

Bonnie Burton | June 10, 2009

Constructing a Death Star is no easy feat, but imagine how hard it is to remodel a kitchen after the Rebel Alliance trashed it! Now imagine what that work order request would look like. Darth Vader isn’t the easiest client to please, so he’s posted some requirements on Fixr.com for contractors who dare to take on the task.

And to those contractors who want something a little extra for their work, you’re in luck. Destruction of the Rebel planet of your choice for the manager who comes in under budget and ahead of schedule. Plus Ewoks for your kids!

Here’s a few of the tasks we liked best:

Force-proof dishwasher and blender. Hardware must be solidly secured in case of use of Force. If the Boss gets mad, staff would prefer nothing can be ripped off the walls by his temper tantrum.

Non-droid self cleaning sinks. Since they’re getting sarcastic as the war against the Rebels progresses.

Refrigerators that double as hibernation units. Freezer combos to be installed on farthest wall from entry way. Bonuses to be granted to any contractor who can find units that double as hibernation units.

Read the full work order here:
Darth Vader Kitchen Remodel (via Fixr.com)

Star Wars Guide to the Stanley Cup Finals

Bonnie Burton | June 9, 2009

Anyone who can draw a connection from Luke Skywalker to Pittsburgh Penguins Sidney Crosby is aces in our book.

Check out this fan’s guide to the Stanley Cup Finals where he compares the Galactic Empire to Detroit, the Rebel Alliance to Pittsburgh, Darth Vader to Detroit Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg, Han Solo to Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin and C-3PO to sports commentator Pierre McGuire, among others.

Click to read the entire guide:
(some language not suitable for Jedi younglings)
Star Wars Guide to the Stanley Cup Finals

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SOURCE: ClubJade.net

Los Angeles Steam Plant Responsible for Obliterating Alderaan

Pablo Hidalgo | June 8, 2009

Most people peg the retro blinking lights and switcher lever seen in A New Hope’s Death Star control room as belonging to some sort of video production facility. An intrepid fan, however, found the Death Star control room in Los Angeles last Christmas, and snapped a bunch of reference photos for his Flickr account. Here’s what he’s got to say:

Last year I spent Christmas Eve joining a friend of mine at his work party at his steam plant near LAX.  One of the control rooms of the plant also happened to be used as the set for the Superlaser Fire Control Room on the first Death Star!  I just posted some photos from my tour.  Not much has changed there in the past 30+ years.

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Check out the ominous blinkiness over at this link here!

Get hopping, diorama builders! This is valuable reference material.

Star Wars Fan Site Receives Webby Award

Pete Vilmur | June 8, 2009

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Joshua Budich, whose “My Star Wars Collection” website hosts 564 images from his personal Star Wars action figure collection, has been awarded both a Webby Award and the People’s Voice Winner in the category of “Personal Web Site” for the 13th Annual Webby Awards!

The Webbies have been recognizing “excellence on the Internet” since 1996, and is comprised of a 550-member body of “leading Web experts, business figures, luminaries, visionaries and creative celebrities,” according to the official website.

Here’s a little more information on the awards themselves:

The Webby Awards presents two honors in every category — The Webby Award and The People’s Voice Award — in each of its four entry types: Websites, Interactive Advertising, Online Film & Video and Mobile. Members of The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences select the nominees for both awards in each category, as well as the winners of the Webby Awards. However, you, the online community, determine the winners of The People’s Voice by voting for the nominated work that you believe to be the best in each category. Each year, the People’s Voice Awards garners hundreds of thousands of votes from the Web community all over the world.

Head on over to the Webby Awards site for a full list of this year’s winners, and also make sure to stop by Joshua’s website to check out the 500-plus figures posted, all accessible from the homepage via a staggering array of tiny 8-bit sprite thumbnails.

Chad Vader vs. Keyboard Cat

Bonnie Burton | June 4, 2009

Our favorite grocery store Sith Lord Chad Vader and the awesome Internet sensation Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat finally have a duet!

WATCH VIDEO: Play Him Off, Keyboard Chad (via YouTube)

Read more about Keyboard Cat here.

Han Solo, P.I.

Bonnie Burton | June 3, 2009

We just can’t get enough of these fan-made Star Wars TV intro mashups! Here’s a side by side comparison of a fan-made intro of Star Wars re-imagined as the hit show Magnum, P.I.

Han Solo as Thomas Magnum is a no-brainer, but Old Ben Kenobi as Jonathan Quayle Higgins III is a completely brilliant match-up. Personally, I was hoping R2-D2 and C-3PO would be represented by Higgins’ dobermans.

WATCH VIDEO: Han Solo, P.I.

WATCH VIDEO: Magnum vs. Solo: sequence comparison

Check out more Star Wars TV intros here:

Conservatives Want to Talk Star Wars

Bonnie Burton | June 1, 2009

The love for science fiction isn’t limited to political affiliation. Conservatives love to talk about Star Wars, Star Trek, Doctor Who and more; and now they can read all the sci-fi news and rumors without any liberal bias with Republibot.

Republibot describes itself as “the science fiction site for people who aren’t Drooling Kneejerk Liberals!”

Why a conservative SF website? Because pretty much all the ones out there right now are extremely hard left. In fact, as a genre Science Fiction itself is generally rather leftist, which is not something we here at Republibot take issue with. In our minds, Science Fiction is all about asking questions and being open minded to the answers. Sometimes the answers are reassuring, sometimes they’re disturbing, and sometimes there are no answers at all, but the point is to keep asking the questions.

Read more about the site here:
Republibot Sends Sci-Fi News to the Right (via Underwire)

Darth Jackson’s Got Talent

Bonnie Burton | May 28, 2009

Singing sensation Susan Boyle isn’t the only one who can impress a crowd. A British fan who calls himself Darth Jackson entertained the audience with his outrageous dance number (complete with stormtroopers) for his performance on the reality show Britain’s Got Talent.

Michael Jackson and Darth Vader impersonator 37-year-old Philip is a postal worker from Birmingham. He has been dancing for 30 years, but Britain’s Got Talent was his first real public performance. He is entirely self-taught and has dreamt of being a Michael Jackson impersonator since he was a child. The Darth Vader element was added to Philips act following a fancy dress party two years ago.

Judge Simon Cowell may not have appreciated the Dark Lord’s moves to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” but the audience sure did.

Check it out here:

WATCH VIDEO: Darth Jackson on Britain’s Got Talent