Boingboing updates today with a catchy little ditty called “Tatooine” by Jeremy Messersmith — a short two-and-a-half-minute piece which recounts the entire original trilogy in a Paul Simon-like song illustrated with paper cut-out animation.
Be warned — you might find yourself whistling this one all afternoon.
Check it out here.
UPDATE: Wired has just posted an interview with Messersmith that you can read here.
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Move over fellas, the geek gals & gamer girls are in the house! The ladies of the award-winning Star Wars fan film Saber are back with a few of their friends including actor Seth Green, comics legend Stan Lee and Starbuck herself Katee Sackhoff — in a music video to celebrate geek girls everywhere.
“G33k & G4M3R Girls” — sung to the same tune as the hit song “California Girls” by Katy Perry — features Team Unicorn which includes actresses Michele Boyd (The Guild, How I Met Your Mother, Cold Case, Sons of Anarchy), Clare Grant (Walk the Line, $5 Cover, Black Snake Moan, Saber), Milynn Sarley (EA, TheGamerChick, LTA, Street Fighter High School), Rileah Vanderbilt (Hatchet, Frozen, Saber), and actor Seth Green (Robot Chicken, Family Guy) remind us all why geek girls rule!
There’s plenty of shout outs to Star Wars, Doctor Who, Marvel comics, Halo and more!
WATCH VIDEO: “G33k & G4M3R Girls Song”
StarWars.com chats with the ladies of Team Unicorn (they answer as a single unit cause that’s how they roll) about their awesome music tribute to geek goddesses everywhere!
(Milynn Sarley as Psylocke, Clare Grant as Lara Croft, Rileah Vanderbilt as The Baroness and Michele Boyd as Han Solo)Why did you decide to do such an awesome remake of Katy Perry’s song “California Girls” but as “Geeks and Gamers?”
We’d all become friends because of our shared love for geeky stuff and bonded even more cosplaying as Sailor Scouts during Comic-Con this year. Milynn, Rileah and Michele actually all play in the same guild in World of Warcraft!
Milynn and Michele were on the way back from the beach when they started singing along to the Katy Perry song and had the idea for the parody! We all know geekery the best, so it seemed a natural idea for the new version. They started coming up with lyrics in the car and then got Rileah and Clare involved, and it all snowballed from there!
11 Comments » | Tags: Celebrities, Fan Films, Interviews, LEGO, Team Unicorn, Videos
Fans and Community | Permalink
Tattoo artist and Star Wars fan Jacob Walsh has the kind of tattoo that makes listening to John Williams’ soundtrack even more special. StarWars.com chats with him about his unusual tattoo.
Why did you decide to get a Star Wars tattoo… on your ear?
I am a tattoo artist and was sitting at work on May 4th thinking, “I have to get a Star Wars tattoo today.” It was originally gonna be some sort of design on the inside of my lip but I couldn’t decide on something that would work. After the idea of getting the Death Star popped up I decided to go with the ear just because it fit better.
How did you decide on the design?
It needed to be something that didn’t need a lot of detail to be recognizable. The original idea was a lightsaber inside my lip. When I thought that wouldn’t work I just started doodling and came up with a Death Star. It’s a very simple image and everyone knows what the Death Star is. When I decided on the Death Star my artist suggested that it would fit better on the ear. We just went with it and thought it would look cool with a TIE fighter thrown in.
4 Comments » | Tags: Art, Interviews, Tattoos
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Artist and illustrator Chris Bishop has a knack for drawing pretty girls with robots, but it’s his whimsical Star Wars art that caught our eye recently.
StarWars.com chats with the artist about his latest illustrations of bounty hunters, Jedi and droids that make us smile.
What’s the story behind the Han Solo illustration?
My childhood friends and I all grew up to be artists. We started drawing Star Wars characters in our own styles for fun as a little diversion from work. I went with a shaggy, tattooed Han Solo holding the head of IG-88, my favorite robot bounty hunter. It never happened in the movie, but I imagine it might have sooner or later.
What are all of Han’s tattoos?
He has a bunch of tattoos but the most important ones are a heart with an “L” on it for Leia, an “MF” for the old Millennium Falcon, and two little crossed out Death Stars. I love putting tattoos on my drawings because it’s a fun way to add little symbols and details to a character.
2 Comments » | Tags: Art, Interviews
Creativity, Fans and Community | Permalink
Photos: Jenny Elwick
For the first time at Star Wars Celebration, fans got a rare chance to be tattooed during the show by a talented group of artists. StarWars.com chats with tattoo pavilion co-organizer and The Force in the Flesh author Shane Turgeon about the live tattooing that happened during Celebration V.
This is the first time we’ve had live Star Wars tattooing at a Celebration. How was the overall reaction from fans getting tattoos and lurking about wishing they got tattoos?
The reaction to the Tattoo Pavilion was overwhelming and both myself and my co-host Marc Draven were really pleased. People were really excited to get tattooed or to experience the area without getting tattooed themselves.
I heard or overheard from numerous people that the Tattoo Pavilion was the most interesting thing at Celebration this year and while I’m not sure I can agree (there was soooo much cool stuff to see and do) it’s great to receive that sort of feedback.
What was the most unusual Star Wars tattoo given at the convention?
My friend Chris Botkins got what was, in my opinion, the best and most unusual Star Wars tattoo. It’s pretty obscure. Only the most hardcore of vintage prototype collectors would understand but here’s the story.
When Chris started dating his now wife, Amy, she bought him a dynacast hard copy Rebel Commando head for his focus. Now unless you’re down with the prototype lingo, you might not have any idea what I just said. In a nutshell, a hard copy is an early prototype stage where a resin cast is made from the original wax sculpt.
A number of different resin compounds were used during the vintage era to make hard copies but arguably, the most desirable and visually striking, is dynacast. It’s a beautiful green compound that really stands out. So, in tribute to his wife, his Rebel Commando focus collection and his love of prototypes, Chris had Heather Maranda tattoo the deep green dynacast head against a background of bright oranges and reds along with a banner for his wife reading True Love. Epic.
3 Comments » | Tags: Celebration V, Interviews
Events | Permalink
Photos: Shane Turgeon & Jenny Elwick
Fans who attended Celebration V this year were not only treated to a Star Wars Tattoo Contest, but also had the chance to check out skateboard decks painted by exceptional tattoo artists. The decks were auctioned off during the Make-A-Wish Auction
The Force in the Flesh author Shane Turgeon, who organized the event called “The Empire Skates Back,” contacted some incredible talent to transform the decks into one-of-a-kind works of art for a good cause.
StarWars.com chats with Turgeon about the artistic decks.
Can you describe the gist of the Star Wars Tattoo Art show for fans who didn’t get a chance to see it?
The show was called “The Empire Skates Back.” In celebration of the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, 30 tattooers were each given a blank skateboard deck to paint, sculpt, or build their homage, rendition or interpretation of this amazing film. Unfortunately, only 22 decks arrived in time for the show, but they were all unbelievable works of art.
Why did you decide to have a tattoo art show at Celebration this year?
What many people don’t know is that many tattoo artists are accomplished fine artists as well, and their canvas ranges from the skin to more traditional art mediums. After seeing The Vader Project at CIV and CE, I thought it would be a great idea to involve tattoo artists in a similar project. As skateboarding and tattooing as still somewhat underground, it seemed only natural to combine the two.
No Comments » | Tags: Art, Celebration V, Charity, Interviews
Creativity, Events | Permalink
Photos: Jenny Elwick
As expected the Star Wars tattoo contest at Celebration V was a huge hit with fans who prefer to go under the buzz of the needle to prove their love for the saga. Fans competed in a skin art contest showing off some of the most impressive tattoos on this side of the galaxy.
StarWars.com chats with tattoo pavilion co-organizer and The Force in the Flesh author Shane Turgeon about the contest which has become a fan favorite at Celebrations past and present.
Out of all the tattoos in the contest which one were you most impressed by?
That’s a really hard question to answer! Jeff Menz had a killer Hildebrandt full back piece, Ron Stein’s leg was totally mind blowing, Jim Sharamitaro’s Vintage Free Boba Fett Offer tattoo was totally epic, and so many of the tattoos done over the course of the weekend were just to die for. There’s no way I could pick just one from such an overwhelming amount of quality work to choose from.
How was this tattoo competition different than other Celebrations?
This year we added the fifth category, Tattoo of the Weekend, which celebrated the work that the artists did at the show. I think it was one of the most interesting categories which allowed us to really help showcase the Tattoo Pavilion as well.
What was your favorite moment during the contest?
I think when one of the contestants, JP Morgan (no kidding, JP Morgan) was showing his tattoo to our host Dave Collins and referencing why R2-D2 was his favorite character — notably being that they’re both short and round, make funny noises and love to party.
1 Comment » | Tags: Art, Celebration V, Interviews, Tattoos
Creativity, Events | Permalink
At this year’s Star Wars Fan Movie Awards presented by Lucasfilm and Atom at Celebration V in Orlando, Florida, Star Wars ’70s Animation won the Spirit of Fandom Award.
Starwars.com chats with California-based filmmaker John Kolesar about his award-winning film.
What is your background in film? Did you study it in college? Did you make films as a youngster/teen?
No film background. I made this Star Wars film back in the ’70s with the help of my younger brother Jim and friend Anthony. I also made a few other stop-frame animated films using clay animation, modified plastic models and other fun stuff.
What prompted you to make a Star Wars fan film? How has George Lucas and his films influenced your work?
We were creative kids, and my parents let us use their video camera. Once the Star Wars figures and ships started appearing in stores, I guess we thought it would be fun to make a film using those things. I read all the sci-fi magazines back then, and found the “making of” and special effects articles fascinating.
What is the backstory regarding your film? Where did you get your idea for your film?
We had quite a collection of figures. Our film is loosely based on a few scenes from Star Wars. We added some characters, modified some scenes, added new ones, etc.
No Comments » | Tags: Celebration V, Fan Films, Fan Movie Challenge, Interviews
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At this year’s Star Wars Fan Movie Awards presented by Lucasfilm and Atom at Celebration V in Orlando, Florida, The Unconscious Sith won George Lucas Selects Award.
Starwars.com chats with Texas-based filmmaker Adam White about his award-winning film.
What is your background in film? Did you study it in college? Did you make films as a youngster/teen?
I have been making movies my whole life. I studied film in college, my degree was called Media Production at the University of Houston. I now work as a freelance video editor and I write and make short films as often as my schedule allows.
What prompted you to make a Star Wars fan film? How has George Lucas and his films influenced your work?
I have been a huge Star Wars fan for as long as I can remember. My first memory of being at a movie was seeing Star Wars at a drive-in. I’m guessing it was the summer of 1978 for the first re-release as I had Star Wars figures in the station wagon with me. George Lucas’ films have been a huge influence on me, particularly the fun and lighthearted tone of many of his films. I have found that many of my films have tried to emulate this aspect of his films.
No Comments » | Tags: Celebration V, Fan Films, Fan Movie Challenge, Interviews
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Liz Lee, the star of MTV’s hit show My Life as Liz, waves her geek flag proudly. She likes hanging out with stormtroopers, has lightsaber battles with her pals, reads comics, and constantly tweets about her love for Star Wars.
Liz came to Star Wars Celebration V for a quick trip to co-host the “Thirty Years Later: A Conversation with the Masters” panel with David Collins, go shopping for Star Wars toys and clothes, hang with fans and immerse herself in the Force in Florida.
StarWars.com chats with Liz about her favorite moments during Star Wars Celebration V.
What was it like co-hosting a panel for Star Wars Celebration?
It was a little nerve racking because I for some reason I’m better at speaking in front of a camera, than a live audience. But as soon as I got up on that stage, I realized that I was talking to an audience about Star Wars, who shared the same level of love for Star Wars that I did, and I was immediately comforted.
I had always dreamed of going to Star Wars Celebration, and now I got the opportunity to not only attend it, but be a part of it. It was a dream come true. Not to mention, The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite.
5 Comments » | Tags: Celebration V, Celebrities, Interviews, Liz Lee
Events | Permalink
