There’s been plenty of news from last weekend’s Celebration V event floating around the net, but everyone seems to be talking about the upcoming Star Wars Blu-ray release, set for 2011. As you can imagine, I wasn’t too excited about the prospect of having to purchase yet another set of these films, no doubt remastered with more pointless and potentially annoying edits by George Lucas — let’s face it, Han shot first. Fortunately, I can justify the purchase as the discs will include never released deleted scenes. While the exact number or content of scenes have yet to be revealed, a short clip of Luke building his lightsaber in Return of the Jedi was shown during event. The clip was subsequently uploaded by fans to YouTube, but Lucasfilm was quick to have it removed from the site. If you’d like to try and catch a glimpse of it while you still can, you click here.
Any proper Star Wars geek (or Japanophile) knows Danny Choo, aka the Tokyo Stormtrooper. Choo famously shoots videos of himself in Stormtrooper attire dancing around Tokyo, including in geek-town Akihabara, on a Tokyo subway…you get the idea.
But now a few others have gotten into the act. Read more…
Plan on visiting Hoth anytime soon? Can’t afford a Taun Taun? Don’t worry, Adidas has you covered. The latest addition to their Star Wars inspired Adidas Originals line happens to be a Wookie inspired jacket. I’m fairly certain that no Wookies were harmed in order to make these, but they definitely look warm enough. I just wonder if it actually comes with Chewie’s signature bandolier, as pictured above. Sure, it seemingly served no purpose, but you have to store your thermal detonators somewhere, right? The jacket will be available later this year, and while there’s no current price listed, expect to pay handsomely.
I, for one, never really cared for Star Wars: The Clone Wars. The art aesthetic never really spoke to me, and I suppose I can understand why — it was being marketed to kids after all. To me, trying to sit through an episode is like having to experience Jar Jar, or the Ewoks, for extended period of time. My personal tastes aside, the series certainly has its fair share of fans, both young and old. Given the current climate of social networking and the subsequent move toward casual gaming, it was only a matter of time before someone decided to cash in. Read more…
Posted by Michael Pinto on Aug 9, 2010 in Star Wars
In the disco era this mural is what every sci fi fan would have loved in their bedroom (well every sci fi fan who still wasn’t hoping that Star Trek would come back): This Star Wars Classic Full Size Wall Mural is a huge nine-by-fifteen feet and will be available later in August. While the price tag is a bit high (over $250) what’s nice about this mural is that it isn’t peel-and-stick but is “water activated” so it’s easy to take down. Although if you’re looking for a more traditional fanboy decoration you might check out this place that offers these nifty uncut printers proof posters (which are just a tad more expensive): Read more…
Okay, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s popular line from Predators isn’t used in this clip, but hey, “chopper” kind of rhymes with “father,” right? An enterprising Star Wars fan decided to attach some of the Terminator’s dialogue from a variety of his films, from Twins to End of Days, which puts a nice and remarkably different spin on Vader. Read more…
It was only a matter of time before someone decided to print the Empire’s precious Death Star floorplans. Available via ThinkGeek, this set of 5 double-sided posters will provide you with some of the highest detailed diagrams from the series to date. Ever wonder what Vader had going on under that suit? How about a hyperdrive? That’s right, it has all of that and more. While I can’t personally vouch for the validity of these diagrams — I hear the Death Star plans were actually found on the floor of Gourmet Haus Staudt in Redwood, California — I’d like to think the novelty of claiming you own them should be worth the purchase. Besides, you never know when you’ll have to make a trench run.
I recently read about some new Street Fighter sneakers from Nike, only to be disappointed by how little the shoes seem to resemble the characters they’re supposedly “inspired” by. I can understand Nike’s desire to aim for subtlety rather than an out-and-out declaration of geekdom, since they could sell plenty of these shoes by “accident” and still probably hit a few sales among the Street Fighter fans, but that Chun Li shoe looks like it could have been sold by them for years and just decided to slap Chun Li’s name on the tag. BORING.
Posted by Michael Pinto on Jul 30, 2010 in Star Wars
As publisher of Fanboy.com I’m the eternal marketing target of every entertainment company from small one man indie comic book publishers to major Hollywood studios and after many years I’ve come to see that the master of the industry is George Lucas. While everyone in the entertainment trade can learn something from him I think there are broader lessons that he can teach anyone in business about salesmanship. Here are the lessons I’ve been able to draw from one of the most financially successful independent producers of all time: Read more…
It’s the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs! I am of course talking about the Millennium Falcon — and this Millennium Falcon Auto Sun Shade allows you to give the illusion that our rebel alliance buds are about to take off in your automobile. Of course make sure to avoid any “Imperial entanglements”…Read more…
The Han Solo SL72 sneakers are the latest addition to the Adidas x Star Wars footwear line that was announced last year. The silver scheme, and tongue design is inspired by Han’s carbonite coffin from Empire Strikes Back, but the shoes also feature small details from his costume, including his signature belt and the red trim from his pants. Pretty slick if you ask me. No word on how much they cost, but they’ll be available later this fall. Until then, you’ll have to make due with Hoth-inspired Rebel duds, and a pair of sneakers fit for the Dark Lord himself, which currently retail for $167 and $133, respectively. Check the Adidas online store for more details. Read more…
As a Japanophile of some record, when I first heard the words ‘Super Shogun Stormtrooper,’ my first mental image was of the samurai Darth Vader swag and costumes I’ve seen around over the years. I further extrapolated that a Super Shogun Stormtrooper would be something along those lines: a Japanese-inspired Stormtrooper redesign. How cool is that? Might go nice in a glass cabinet, right? Geeky, but with a bit of class!
As any well-trained fanboy (or fangurl) should know, Comic-Con International— also known as San Diego Comic-Con –is right around the corner, running from Wednesday, July 21st to Sunday, July 25th. Those five days are jam-packed with programming, and as usual, some of those days are…special. Read more…
You know, it seemed inevitable. C-3PO and R2D2 always seemed so inseparable, so it would stand to reason that they may or may not have given birth to an illegitimate lovechild-droid. At least, web dev and caricature artist Jon Plante, seemed to think so — I just never imagined it’d be so hilarious or horrifying . That said, it sure makes for an awesome t-shirt. The shirt is currently available at teefury.com for only $9 plus shipping, but if you want one, you’ll need to hustle. Due to the format of the site, the shirt will only be available for the next 24 hours and once they sell out, they’re gone forever. If you’re worried about the quality of the shirts, I can actually vouch for them as I order from the site quite often. For more of his work, you can also check out Jon’s infrequently updated web comic Celebrity Skinned. Read more…
I really got a kick out of this short film titled AT-AT Day Afternoon by Patrick Boivin. Boivin is a French Canadian director and special effects artist who started drawing comic books fifteen years ago and the gradated to video. Read more…
The late 70s wasn’t the best of time for the comic book biz so Marvel took a look at Dynamite magazine and Starlog magazine and created their own youth culture magazine called Pizzazz. The magazine was an amazing mirror of pop culture during the disco era of 1977 until 1979 and lasted a total of 16 issues. The inside of the publication featured articles on popular films, a Star Wars comic and even a one pager by Harvey Kurtzman. Read more…
Ever wonder how things would have turned out if Luke Skywalker’s cocky attitude during the mission briefing ended up causing his trench run to fail miserably? Well, now you can see how that would have probably played out in this hilarious short. As you’ve probably guessed, a fan edited together the final moments from Episode IV: A New Hope, re-cut to tell a slightly different story. Instead of saving the day, Luke shows up late to the party, ignores the force, and ends up missing his shot while trying to destroy the Death Star. Han, on the hand, has much better luck having managed to shoot down Vader. In the end, Luke’s a bit of a poor sport, but at least the good guys still prevail.
Check out this awesome “Super Trooper” graphic t-shirt from the guys over at ThinkGeek. Based on the original stormtrooper helmet, it might seem a bit minimalist, but honestly, wasn’t that sort of the point of stormtroopers in the first place? Sure they were a bit too utilitarian, and seemingly incapable of actually hitting anybody they shot at, but you have to admit their armor looked pretty sharp — not to mention being color-coordinated. Then again, I guess it’s kind of hard to go wrong with black and white, it certainly makes for a great t-shirt at the very least. You can pick one up for roughly $20-21. Click here for more details. Read more…
A long time ago — well it was really really only a few years ago in 2007 that the post office started decorating postboxes across America by making them cosplay as R2-D2. And it was a cool event and then we thought it was all over, however Heart Art Collection in Japan has decided to make a collectors edition Star Wars R2-D2 Seikai no Post Collection model to celebrate that magical moment. And best of all this isn’t just a model but it also doubles as a piggy bank as well.
I wasn’t sure what I should title this post, but I was toying with the idea of calling it Abercrombie and Sith. I’m sure some of you are staring at these fantastic water-colored illustrations and wondering what exactly you’re staring at. Believe me when I say that I’m still kind of wondering about it myself. The various illustrations feature a variety of masked villains from the Star Wars Universe — and Jar Jar, regrettably — posing in designer clothing from labels like Viktor & Rolf, A.P.C., Band of Outsiders, Thom Browne. New York and more. The artist responsible, John Woo, not to be confused with the film maker, is actually quite a talented guy. If you want to check out more of his work — and trust me, you do — visit his website. Read more…
Last week, famed comic-artist and illustrator Al Williamson passed away at the age of 79. I do find it difficult to sum up my feelings regarding his passing, but perhaps I can provide some perspective for those of you who may not already be familiar with the man. As both an artist and inker, Williamson’s work meant a great deal to both readers and fellow artists alike, and I feel it’s safe to say it has had a tremendous impact on comics as we know them today.
I really can’t get behind massive multiplayer gaming, at least when it requires large portions of my free time and an exorbitant monthly fee. Occasionally, however, a title catches my eye long enough for me reconsider that stance, and it would seem Electronic Arts and BioWare may have accomplished that very feat here. Their upcoming installment of the Star Wars:Knights of the Old Republic saga, Star Wars: The Old Republic, will be the first MMORPG in the series. I thoroughly enjoyed the first game — I wish I could say the same for Obsidian Entertainment’s second installment of the franchise — and this recently released E3 trailer definitely looks promising, but now I’m left wanting more. Until then, I can only the game ends up being as good as its cinematics might lead us to believe.
The coolest thing about about the Star Wars Light Saber Hikaru Ballpoint Pen is that not only does it light up — but the possibles for office antics are endless! Although my fear that most fanboys will afraid to embrace their inner Jedi and instead leave these magical writing instruments in their original packaging where no doubt they’ll sadly catch dust on a bookshelf.
I secretly suspect that Avatar will be seen as a future classic film when this next generation of fanboys comes of age: And this very clever Avatar Stormtrooper Helmet proves the point! The artist behind the amazing helmet is fangurl Denise Vasquez who created it for the 501st Legion: Read more…
