Rancho Obi-Wan: From Dream to Reality (with Some Help from the IRS)
What a difference a year makes!
It was just last November that we finally finished building my dream — or, at least, the foundation of it. After 18 months of planning and lots of hard work from countless contractors, friends who volunteered a bazillion hours of their time, and lots of patience and luck, we incorporated Rancho Obi-Wan Inc. as a California nonprofit public benefit corporation. And then we had a Grand Reopening party for 180 people including 30 volunteers.
7 Comments » | 
Tags: Rancho Obi-Wan
Collecting | 
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Star Wars Thanksgiving Weekend Deals and Coupon Codes
For those hoping to save on Star Wars merchandise this Black Friday, Thanksgiving weekend, and Cyber Monday, you’re in luck. There will be sales and savings on almost everything Star Wars-related, from comics to toys, and StarWars.com has compiled a guide to some of the best discounts available. Check out the list below and consider your search over: These are the deals you’re looking for.
2 Comments » | Tags: black friday, coupon codes, cyber monday, dark horse comics, Her Universe, star wars, Star Wars Insider
Around the Web | Permalink
The Birth of the 501st Legion, Part Five: Build It and They Will Come
One day something unexpected happened. I got an email from a bloke in Canada named Scott McArthur. He said he’d seen my web page and loved it. In fact, he had a Stormtrooper costume of his own! A picture was attached, showing Scott in gleaming white TK armor standing next to a picturesque shore with a sunset behind him. I almost fell out of my chair. Not only was there another crazy armored fan out there, but he’d found my page. And his picture was awesome! Much better than Tom and me hanging around a Suncoast Video store.
6 Comments » | Tags: the 501st leg, The 501st Legion
Fans and Community | Permalink
Returning to Star Wars: A Convergence in the Force
Twenty-two years ago, in the breakfast room at the Main House at Skywalker Ranch, I sat down to lunch with George Lucas and Bob Iger. Bob was then head of ABC, and George was pitching him on a new TV series called The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. ”It’s an educational show, Bob,” I remember George saying. “Nobody will watch it.” I cringed. Not exactly the best way to sell a show. But Bob said, “I don’t care. I’ll take that chance.” True to his word, Bob Iger stuck with Young Indy for two seasons, through critical success and ratings failure. In the process he won George’s trust and forged a relationship that would pay huge dividends far in the future.
26 Comments » | Tags: disney, episode vii, Howard Roffman
Lucasfilm | Permalink
StarWars.com Weekly Roundup: November 16, 2012
Wondering what’s been happening at StarWars.com? Here’s a quick roundup of what you might have missed this week!
7 Comments » | Tags: star tours, the clone wars season 5, weekly roundup
News | Permalink
The Empire Strikes Back Uncut: Jedi Pets in Space
Scenes for The Empire Strikes Back Uncut are still rolling in and they are full of vegetables, minerals, and many animals.
One of the best parts of watching each new scene is seeing how fans bring their own personal touches in the creative process. And nothing’s more personal than pets. Man’s best friend(s) pop up in the best places: as a floppy eared Yoda, a downed Tauntaun, or the classic Chewbacca stand-in.
But it’s not just Chewie dogs acting in Empire Uncut — there are many scenes featuring different members of the animal kingdom. Here are some great performances so far.
2 Comments » | Tags: Chewbacca, empire, Fan Films, Pets, Star Wars Uncut, the empire strikes back, Videos
Fans and Community, Uncategorized | Permalink
Celebration Europe: The Great Building Game Begins!
Yesterday, for a good part of the day, I took over one of our big conference room tables here at Lucasfilm and started playing a big puzzle game with the floorplan of the Messe Essen in Germany.
My task: To look over all kinds of different ways to pack as much fun and excitement into our space as possible. Star Wars Celebration Europe next summer will be the biggest Star Wars event ever in Germany, and we want to make sure all the very best in Star Wars fits in the best possible way.
8 Comments » | Tags: celebration europe II
Events | Permalink
Star Wars Meets Ink Master
Watching the Star Wars trilogy was one of the defining moments in my childhood. Up until that point, I had been raised in a strict, religious household: no TV, no secular friends. I identified with Luke — no control over his life, wanting to escape, trying to make a difference in the world (or universe). With Star Wars, I became caught up in the music, the imagery, in the possibility of other worlds and space! I fell in love with all the characters and their struggle against the Empire, and even when all hope seemed lost, they kept going and kept fighting. I learned that for the underdog, if they have enough heart, they can overcome the biggest obstacles life can throw at them. “Size matters not” was one of my favorite quotes. Star Wars opened the floodgates into the fantasy universe for me, and opened a world of possibility. My mind was blown!
6 Comments » | Tags: ink master, Tattoos
Creativity, In Pop Culture | Permalink
Star Wars: The Essential Atlas — Mapping a Living Book
In August 2009, a book I had dreamed of became a reality.
The book was Star Wars: The Essential Atlas, which I’d worked on over a couple of years with my friend and co-writer Dan Wallace. But the dream was much older than that — in fact, it dated back to the early 1980s, when I was a Star Wars-obsessed tween.
2 Comments » | Tags: atlas, Essential Atlas, geography, maps
Books and Comics | Permalink
