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Archive for ‘Celebration IV’

Tilt-shift Star Wars

January 22, 2009

(501st group shot from Celebration IV — original photo here.)

When we first read about TiltShiftMaker.com on BoingBoing.net we were so impressed with how easy it was to turn any photo of a real-life scene into what appears to be a toy diorama. Living, breathing 501st members look like custom action figures, the Lucasfilm campus looks like a model, and crowds at conventions like Celebration IV and Celebration Europe look like intricate dioramas.

Check out some of the photos we’ve made so far:

(Crowd shot from Celebration Europe — original photo here.)

(more…)

3 Comments » | Celebration Europe, Celebration IV, The 501st Legion, fan fun | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Slave Leia Belly Dancer in Underwire

September 10, 2008

(Photo by Jenny Elwick)

Whenever I’m asked what one of my favorite memories of Celebration IV happens to be, I’m always quick to mention Amira, a professional belly dancer who mesmorized fans as she danced in a Slave Leia outfit. At C4, she also brought fans onstage with her to teach them the basics. It’s always amusing to watch someone dressed as Boba Fett shake and shimmy to the beat.

So it’s no surprise that Wired magazine finally caught wind of her talents and profiled Amira in Underwire. She talks about the first time she danced as SLave Leia:

“I danced in the outfit for the very first time at a Halloween show at the restaurant I perform at here in Orlando,” Amira said. “I then wore the costume to dance at a 2006 sci-fi convention in Connecticut. It was hit.”

Read the full profile here:
Belly Dancer Turns Sci-Fi Fantasies Into Career (Underwire blog)

You can watch Amira in action at C4 here:
VIDEO: Slave Leia Belly Dancing!

See more photos of Amira here:
C4: Slave Leia Bellydancing

No Comments » | Celebration IV, costumes, fan fun, in the media | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Obi-Wan Sculpture to Appear in Manhattan Exhibit

July 2, 2008

Artist Lawrence Noble, who sculpted the stunning Obi-Wan bust before convention-goers at Celebration IV last summer, has been selected for membership in the prestigious National Sculpture Society and will have a selection of his works showcased in the Society’s headquarters in Manhattan starting July 14.

Here’s their official site’s description of the exhibit:

The Elected Members Invitational showcases the sculpture of some of National Sculpture Society’s finest artists. The open-theme exhibition alternates annually with NSS’s Fellows Invitational and the works on display reflect a level of excellence in figurative sculpture which has become the benchmark of the 115-year old institution. Elected Members from as far away as Ecuador, England, Mexico and Africa submitted work as diverse in subject, style and discipline as their home countries. Highlights include bronze portraits of familiar and fictitious individuals; whimsical characters made of marble, terra cotta and wood; and creatures, both real and imagined, in unexpected settings.

For more information about the exhibit, check out the official National Sculpture Society website here, and also Noble’s official website here.

No Comments » | Celebration IV, Star Wars Art, in the media | Permalink
Posted by pvilmur

Dave Seeley Talks: Mindor’s Got Back

June 16, 2008

Oh sure, you’ve seen the front cover to Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Everyone has. Dave Seeley’s great artwork showcasing Luke Skywalker. (The book, by the way, has swapped places on the publication calendar with Jim Luceno’s Millennium Falcon. So expect Mindor in hardcover in December ‘08, while Falcon is due out in October from Del Rey Books).

But have you seen the back? Artist Dave Seeley explains how it came about after the jump. (more…)

12 Comments » | Celebration IV, Del Rey | Permalink
Posted by Pabawan

Russell Walks to Illustrate Indy Promos

January 17, 2008

According to billingsgazette.net, fans will soon see a lot of Indiana Jones promotional artwork coming from Russell Walks, an artist who Star Wars fans may recognize from the Star Wars Celebration Art Shows and the Topps Galaxy trading card series. For Indy, it looks like Walks will be illustrating for Dr. Pepper, Kellogg’s, and others.

His work for the film includes a life-size cardboard standee of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones – yes, the one featuring an expression with “slight undertones of happiness.” Using promotional shots provided by LucasFilm and poses from members of his fan base, Walks created the piece after a little bit of struggle, mostly with those slight undertones.

He did 10 or 15 sketches until he was finally satisfied with the expression. From there he did a value drawing, with a full range of tonal values in black and white. Walks usually prefers to hand paint his artwork, but because of the tight deadlines on the “Indiana Jones” project, he did most of the color in Adobe Photoshop, then added brush strokes and “the twinkle in (Ford’s) eye.”

Check out the full story here, and learn more about the artist in starwars.com’s official artist profile.

2 Comments » | Celebration IV, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones IV, Star Wars Art, in the media | Permalink
Posted by pvilmur

DIY AT-AT Baby Stroller

June 29, 2007

As previously reported, this Imperial stroller was quite a hit at Celebration IV. So we tracked down the proud owner of the baby AT-AT — Rick Russo — to find out how he tricked out his child’s stroller making it one sweet fan kid ride.

Why did you decide to transform your baby stroller into a mini AT-AT?

We have a new baby, so it was like I had a legitimate excuse to do something fun and geeky. The AT-AT is one of my favorite vehicles from the saga and it really lends itself to the shape of the stroller. I had other ideas, like doing a tauntaun or a dewback, but did not have the time to design something that would be safe and not tip the stroller.

What materials did you use to make it?

Foam board, a boat-seat cushion, sponge-type material used for packing fragile equipment, dowels, zip ties, modeling putty, floral wire, a tube from shrink wrap roll, BBQ skewers and the best thing — ballpoint pens for the chin guns.

(more…)

24 Comments » | Celebration IV, crafts, fan fun | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Star Wars Ink: Shane Turgeon Talks Tattoos

June 22, 2007

Over 70 fans competed in the Star Wars Tattoo show at Celebration IV, showing off skin art featuring everything from full-back portraits of the Sith to funky Tiki-inspired Jed Masters. The contest’s organizer, Star Wars fan, tattoo aficionado Shane Turgeon talks about the contest, tattoos and his new Star Wars skin art book The Force in the Flesh.

(more…)

2 Comments » | Celebration IV | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Bidder Pays $950 for Empty Box

June 22, 2007

box

On May 28, while most fans were packing up their hard-won figures and prints to make the trip home from Celebration IV, a few hardcore collectors stayed back to battle it out for rare toys and other items pulled from Lucasfilm’s Licensing Archives — including a rare Kenner shipping carton that originally held four remote-controlled Jawa Sandcrawlers.

Now, while the Sandcrawlers themselves are quite valuable and among the most coveted of early Kenner Star Wars toys, what made this somewhat non-descript shipping carton so unique was who it was addressed to back in 1979: one George W. Lucas Jr. of San Anselmo, CA. Final price paid for the empty box: $950. All proceeds benefitted the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

label

5 Comments » | Celebration IV | Permalink
Posted by pvilmur

Let Them Have Star Wars Cake!

June 20, 2007

Feeling blue because you missed out on eating Star Wars 30th Anniversary cake with a room full of fans at Celebration IV Opening Ceremonies? Well, thanks to an industrious fan, you too can capture that lost moment in time with this oddly endearing collectible — a slice of Star Wars cake preserved in resin.

(more…)

6 Comments » | Celebration IV, Collecting | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl

Stroller of the Dark Side

June 20, 2007

Even younger fans like to travel in an Imperial fashion. Spotted at Celebration IV, these parents tricked out their stroller to show off their love for Star Wars.

Read all about it here.

SOURCES: Thingamababy; BoingBoing; ClubJade

4 Comments » | Celebration IV, crafts, fan fun | Permalink
Posted by bonniegrrl