My Sad Chewie Artist Visits UK Campus to Inspire Students

Luke McGarry, an award-winning cartoon artist, hopes his visit to the University of Cumbria's Brampton Road campus will inspire the next generation to succeed.

McGarry is best known for his witty approach to cartoon animation, possessing a talent that has seen him displaying his wares across the world.

His Sad Chewie cartoon series shot to internet stardom in 2016, with his humorous interpretation of how Star Wars character Chewbacca would react to the death of his life-long friend Han Solo, in the aftermath the The Force Awakens.

Read more at News & Star.

Warwick Davis Helps UK Boy Spread Message: "It's Alright to Be Different"

Hove boy Oscar Clitheroe made an inspiring film with a Star Wars actor and a galaxy of celebrities.

Clitheroe, who has a rare condition (Ring 5 Chromosome) which affects his growth, decided he wanted to share his story with his fellow students when he started in Year 7 at Hove Park School.

Check out the video and more info after the jump.

Jon Favreau Digs Deep into Star Wars Lore

Jon Favreau is digging deep for his latest production photos for TV series The Mandalorian. He posted images of two different objects that reach way back into the pre-Disney days of the Star Wars Expanded Universe. Harcore fans of Willrow "Ice Cream Maker Guy" Hood, The Star Wars Holiday Special's cartoon version of Boba Fett, and 2008 video game Star Wars: The Force Unleashed have reason to celebrate.

Check out the images and more info after the jump.

Chuck Wendig Penning Star Wars: Shadow of Vader Miniseries

UPDATE: Chuck Wendig, a Marvel comics writer for the Star Wars comic books and extended universe has been fired, allegedly because of “uncivil” tweets.

He said via Twitter that he was let go after posting a number of explicit tweets attacking Republicans and the GOP over the confirmation of Associate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Wendig claimed in his tweets that “It was too much politics, too much vulgarity, too much negativity on my part.” He later blamed Comicsgate, a campaign by artist Ethan Van Sciver to allegedly stop so-called social justice warriors from injecting liberal activism into stories. Critics of the movement have called it harassment.

Read more at Deadline.

The Force Was with This Shawano, WI Star Wars Wedding

The power of love was in full force on an overcast, crisp autumn Saturday in Shawano, WI.

During a short wedding ceremony, Grady Magee, 36, and Sarah "Star" Marquardt, 38, confirmed their love of two things: each other and Star Wars. The outdoor wedding was held at the Magee family farm and the wedding party carried lightsabers as they walked down the aisle to "Across the Stars" by John Williams.

Read more at Greenbay Press Gazette.

Check out a video of the festivities after the jump.

Jawa, Ewok Actor Andy Herd Shares Set Photos

When he was living in Hertfordshire in 1983, Andy Herd noticed in the local paper that a film production at Elstree Studios required the services of dwarves. Little did he know he’d go on to feature in George Lucas’ fantasy epic, playing both one of the Ewoks in Return of the Jedi as well as Jabba’s Jawa servant.

Read and see more pics at Top 10 Films.

ILMxLab Makes Project Porg a (Virtual) Reality

I love Porgs. It probably has something to do with the fact that my two-year-old daughter loves them so much. She chirps and squeaks every time she sees one on TV or on a shelf in a store. I know there are plenty of Last Jedi haters out there that detest the little creatures, but I am who I am.

ILMxLab’s latest experiment in the world of mixed and augmented reality is coming in the form of a new experience dubbed, of course, Project Porg. Set to be officially unveiled at the upcoming Magic Leap Conference in Los Angeles, Project Porg tasks users, at the behest of C-3PO, with corralling a murder of Porgs (the official collective noun!) around their own real-world environment.

Read more at Gizmodo.

Kenneth Cobonpue Unleashes Star Wars Furniture Collection

Mark your calendars as Kenneth Cobonpue releases his much awaited “Star Wars” furniture collection next week.

In an interview on ANC’s “Headstart” on Friday, Cobonpue said the collection consists of “three chairs, a stool, and a light,” and will be available in the Philippines starting October 10.

“It’s all done. We’ll be launching it on Wednesday in our store, on October 10,” he said.

Read more at ABS-CBN News.

Check out a video interview with Cobonpue after the jump.

Check Out New Resistance Toys from Hasbro

Hasbro gave Star Wars fans a preview of their upcoming Resistance action figure line and new entries into their Vintage Collection at NYCC. The Resistance figures definitely have a more juevenile look to them and are obviously geared at younger toy enthusiasts. I can't imagine their will be much appeal for older fans, aside from those who have to collect evry single Star Wars toy that is released. Check out the original press release by Bria LaVorgna and more pictures after the jump.

Knott's Scary Farm Maze Dark Entities Influenced by Star Wars

Knott's Scary Farm is one of the most popular Halloween attractions in California, giving thousands of attendees something to scream about. One of the "haunted" walkthroughs this year is a science fiction-based maze called Dark Entities. Maze designer Timothy “Gus” Krueger couldn't be more vocal about how a Galaxy Far, Far Away influenced his work.

Official Announcement for The Mandalorian - First Photo, Director List, Etc.

The first official announcement from Lucasfilm about Jon Favreau's live-action streaming show The Mandalorian has arrived. We also got our first photo of our lead character and he definitely looks like a blend of Boba Fett and father Jango mixed with Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name. The directors of the show have been announced as well, and there are some very exciting names on the list.

One big surprise was Bryce Dallas Howard will be helming an episode or two of The Mandalorian. Known mainly as an actor, Bryce is the daughter of Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard. She's no stranger to working behind the camera and has directed four short films that played film festivals.

You can read the official announcement and see the entire photo for The Mandalorian after the jump.

Jon Favreau Announces Details on His Star Wars TV Series - Including the Title!

The first details on Jon Favreau's Star Wars TV series have been released!

Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy Book Coming Oct. 30th

Author Amy Ratcliffe's Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy hits stores October 30th. The book celebrates the women of the Star Wars galaxy from the films, cartoons, novels, comics, and video games. It covers 75 characters from the Star Wars Universe and contains artwork by 18 incredible artists.

You can check out Amy Ratcliffe's description of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy and pictures from the book after the jump.

Russian Trolls and Political Motivation Aimed at The Last Jedi

According to an academic paper entitled "Weaponizing The Haters: The Last Jedi and the strategic politicization of pop culture through social media manipulation," Russian trolls had a whole lot to do with the negative critcism launched at Rian Johnson's middle chapter in the franchise's trilogy sequel.

Peter Cushing's Purley Home Gets English Heritage Plaque

The Purley home where Peter Cushing resided has FINALLY been awarded an English Heritage blue plaque, which commemorates the former residences of famous figures in the UK. The James Road Property is now occupied by Paul and Jenny Camlett and their daughter, Indie.

Adam Driver Tried to Spoil Episode IX on SNL [VIDEO]

Saturday Night Live Host Adam Driver tried to spoil Star Wars: Episode IX and even give away the location of where the real Ewoks live when he delivered the opening monologue to the show's September 29th episode. However, he was constantly interrupted by rude SNL cast members who wanted to do nothing but share what they did for the summer. Check out the video after the jump.

Kathleen Kennedy Reigns Supreme at Lucasfilm Through 2021

The Force is still strong with Kathleen Kennedy. Millions of angry fanboys and fangirls may think Lucasfilm needs a new president after the "disasterous" releases of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and Solo, but obviously Disney CEO thinks she's got what it takes. It was announced through the Hollywood Reporter that Kennedy has renewed her contract and will remain president of Lucasfilm for another three years, which puts her reign over a Galaxy Far, Far Away through 2021.

Star Wars Robot Vacuum Strong with the Power of the Dark Side [VIDEO]

The automated "robot" vacuum revolution has forever changed how we think about home cleaning. No longer must we trek to every corner of our house with a broom in hand to ensure that the floors stay spotlessly clean since these friendly, automated gadgets are more than happy to do the work for us.

New VR Experience Vader Immortal Teaser Trailer [VIDEO]

With all of its Star Wars-related projects, ILMxLAB has changed the way we experience a galaxy far, far away.

Vader Immortal, written and executive produced by David S. Goyer (The Dark Knight, Secrets of the Empire), will be a three-part VR series set between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It connects to Secrets of the Empire (though we don’t yet know how), and sends fans to the iconic Sith Lord’s castle on the lava-world of Mustafar first seen in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. As shown in the teaser trailer, we’ll encounter Vader himself and wield a lightsaber. No other details have been disclosed, except that it looks to be the next step in Star Wars VR.

Blu-ray Review: Solo: A Star Wars Story

Writers Lawrence Kasdan and his son, Jonathan Kasdan, construct an entertaining origin story for Han Solo that doesn't try to recreate the wheel and brings to life all the key moments fans have always heard about the character and his co-pilot Chewbacca. Borrowing camera angles and setups from everything from old westerns to chase films and even the original trilogy, Solo: A Star Wars Story is an elegantly shot film that wears it's technical influences on its sleeves. Ron Howard does a great job of balancing lightheartedness and humor with the darkness of The Empire Strikes Back and fresh excitement of its 1977 predecessor.

See The New "Stormtrooper" Tesla Roadster

An image of Tesla’s upcoming supercar shared on Monday, pictured in a sleek white edition, has drawn comparisons to Star Wars. The second-generation Roadster, set for release in 2020, is expected to redefine expectations for a high-end electric car with new levels of performance.

Read more at Inverse.

See the picture after the jump.

Check out This Star Wars Anime Trailer

Dmitry Grozov created this very cool Star Wars anime trailer for A New Hope.

You can check it out after the jump.

Star Wars Producer Gary Kurtz Passes Away at 78

Gary Kurtz, the legendary producer of Star Wars (1977) and The Empire Strikes Back (1980), died on Sunday, September 23.

He was 78.

A key figure in the history of Star Wars and Lucasfilm, Kurtz’s gifts for storytelling can be felt in all his work.

Read more at StarWars.com.

Guinness World Records' Largest Hexapod Inspired by Star Wars

A British engineer whose walking hexapod robot was certified as the world's largest by Guinness World Records said he was inspired by Star Wars.

Guinness World Records said the robot built by Matt Denton of Hampshire, England, is officially the world's largest rideable hexapod robot -- a walking robot with six legs. Denton's robot, which measures 9 feet, 2 inches by 16 feet, 6 inches, is named Mantis.

See a video after the jump.

Read more at UPI.

Few Details / Artwork Released for Marvels New Age of Star Wars Maxi-Series

Lucasfilm Publishing revealed the Age of Star Wars line during San Diego Comic Con 2018, where it was announced that there would be 30 issues in total for the project, with each focusing on one hero or villain from each specific era.

The maxi-series is split up into three sections - Star Wars: Age of Republic encorporates the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: Age of Rebellion the original trilogy and Star Wars: Age of Resistance the current sequel trilogy.

 Read more at IGN.

Meet the Aces of Star Wars Resistance in New Video

The skies belong to the Aces.

Star Wars Resistance is an exciting new animated adventure series about Kazuda Xiono, a young pilot recruited by the Resistance and tasked with a top-secret mission to spy on the growing threat of the First Order.

Featuring the high-flying adventure that audiences of all ages have come to expect from Star Wars, Star Wars Resistance — set in the time prior to Star Wars: The Force Awakens — will feature the beloved droid BB-8 alongside ace pilots, colorful new characters and appearances by fan favorites including Poe Dameron and Captain Phasma, voiced by actors Oscar Isaac and Gwendoline Christie, respectively.

Get to know the platform's most daring pilots when Star Wars Resistance premieres Sunday, October 7 at 10pm ET / PT on Disney Channel.

See the video and meet the Aces after the jump.

Battle the Dark Side in These Glow-in-the-Dark Underwear from MeUndies

Star Wars geekery has been taken to the next level.

Underwear brand MeUndies just unveiled a new pattern that bears the likenesses of several of the space opera's most iconic characters and glows like a lightsaber when it gets dark outside.

The original pattern was hand-drawn by the MeUndies team, and it features Chewbacca, Yoda, R2-D2, C-3PO, Darth Vader, and a Stormtrooper.

Read more at Mental Floss.

Star Wars Meets Dukes of Hazzard in LAWRENCE-BURG

If you're in the Atlanta, GA area, you might want to check out this little piece of weirdness being presented by Dad's Garage.

Star Wars meets Dukes of Hazzard in our new version of the classic intergalactic tale, Lawrence-Burg! From the mind of Travis Sharp -- creator of last year's hit musical Wicket -- comes a brand-new take on a beloved movie, now presented smothered and covered in Southern charm. Since we're changing things up, who says the Luke Skywalker character has to be play by a man?

Star Wars Meets Pixar in This Awesome Mashup

Besides being owned by Disney, Lucasfilm and Pixar have one major thing in common: a penchant for memorable and timeless characters. With this in mind, artist Mark Chilcott has come through with the holy grail of fan art—merging the two universes into one with an image that will surely have your imagination working overtime.

Read more at Fatherly.

Dallas, TX Folks! Experience Hyper Reality and Unlock the Secrets of the Empire Inside The Void

What is the VOID?
It’s hyper-reality. It’s technical achievement. But mainly, it’s fun! THE VOID is a whole-body, fully immersive VR experience, full of surprises at every turn; with you, your family and friends inside the action. One second you’re standing on solid ground, the next you’re stepping deep into darkness, looking at unimaginable beauty – or fending off danger from another realm. Did you see it? Did you feel it? What’s next? You’ll just have to experience it to understand.

Dave Prowse Announces His Retirement from Signing Autographs

Dave Prowse, the bodybuilder-turned actor who played Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, is retiring from all autograph signings.

Clone Wars Voice Actors Officiate "Party Wedding" at Comic Con

From left to right, voice actor Anna Graves, Jessica Schmidt, Chris Payne and voice actor James Arnold Taylor take part in the Star Wars-themed wedding ceremony at FanX Salt Lake Comic Convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018.

Utahn Chris Payne and Californian Jessica Schmidt first met while watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and their bond grew from there. As avid members of two Star Wars costuming clubs — the Rebel Legion and the Mandalorian Mercs — Payne and Schmidt had met voice actors James Arnold Taylor and Anna Graves at Salt Lake's FanX convention in the past couple of years. Taylor is the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, while Graves voices the Duchess Satine of Mandalore.

Star Wars Ends Alcohol Prohibition at Disney

No self-respecting remote outpost on the edge of the galaxy would call itself a smuggler’s planet without a cantina, and Black Spire Outpost is no exception. Today, I’m pleased to share more details for Oga’s Cantina, which will be serving pilots, bounty hunters, smugglers, locals and galactic travelers alike, when it opens in 2019.

Lucasfilm Releases Publicity Stills From THAT 'Solo' Cameo (SPOILER)

Lucasfilm has given Star Wars fans an early treat, ahead of the digital release of Solo: A Star Wars Story this Friday.

Promotional stills of a particular character who had a cameo in the film have been released - of course, spoilers apply, so check them out after the jump, if you dare to!

Kathleen Kennedy to Become First Woman to Receive Academy's Thalberg Award

Prolific producer Kathleen Kennedy will be the first woman to receive the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

The Academy’s board of governors voted Tuesday night to present the honor to Kennedy and her producing partner, Frank Marshall (who is also her husband), at the 10th annual Governors Awards on Sunday, Nov. 18.

The honorary Oscars are given “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.” The Thalberg Award, a bust of the motion picture executive, is presented to creative producers “whose body of work reflects a consistently high quality of motion picture production.”

Read more at Entertainment Weekly.

Rian Johnson Found 'Last Jedi' Inspiration in 'The Clone Wars'

Rian Johnson has revealed that he was inspired by the TV show "The Clone Wars" when he was writing The Last Jedi.

Just How Many People REALLY Hate Star Wars' New Diversity? Survey Says!

Who hates Star Wars for its newfound diversity? Here are the numbers.

I [Bethany Lacina] collected thousands of tweets from Star Wars fans and used computer algorithms to characterize fan conversations. With tools developed at Cornell University, I examined tweets for positive or negative attitudes, “offensive language’’ (profanity and belligerence), and “hate speech,’’ which includes ethnic, misogynistic, and homophobic slurs, as well as threats of violence. Cornell’s algorithm also classifies extreme slurs against political and ideological groups as hate speech.

I [Bethany Lacina] found that in a keyword search for “Star Wars” or “The Last Jedi” (including variants and abbreviations), about 6 percent of tweets used offensive language. I removed false positives in which the algorithm misunderstood the context. On the other hand, the algorithm cannot detect politely worded attacks, so it’s possible that it underestimates abuse. Nor could I count tweets deleted by their author or for violation of community standards, which disappear from Twitter’s archives. (Twitter’s data suggest about 5 percent of tweets are deleted.)

Read more at The Washington Post.

Billy Dee Williams Training to Reclaim His Title as Lando Calrissian [VIDEO]

Star Wars fans are excited that Billy Dee Williams is coming back to the franchise, and he's getting ready for that return the way he does everything - in style. The 81-year-old actor recently released a short video of himself getting into the physical shape he needs to be in to play Lando Calrissian again. Billy Dee is so cool, he even punches bags in shades. Check out the training clip below. The only thing missing is the Rocky Theme playing over it.

Read more at Cinema Blend.

I can’t think of a better to start my day. Feeling fit, healthy and better than ever. Taking care of body and mind go hand-in-hand.😎@Gunnar pic.twitter.com/4YGkzwknqu

— Billy Dee Williams (@realbdw) September 3, 2018

Star Wars Vehicle and Cosplayers Race to Raise Money for Teenage Cancer Trust

Star Wars characters from a Bosham company are all set to drive a 20-year-old car converted into an X-Wing Fighter from Margate to Corfu to raise money for charity.

This is the second year industrial equipment supplier Heat Load has taken part in the Dumball Rally to raise money for Teenage Cancer Trust.

The Dumball Rally is a non-profit event that takes place once a year. They raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust by attempting to drive old bangers (vehicles) as far as is humanly possible in just a week.

Cars and their drivers must be in fancy dress and Heat Load has chosen Star Wars as their theme.
Heat Load's target for their car is £10,000 but they 'hope to exceed this'.

Read more at Chichester Observer.

Rumor Mill: John Williams and Michael Giacchino Might Provide Music for Disney's Star Wars Park

There's a pretty interesting rumor being floated by Making Star Wars. They claim John Williams and Michael Giacchino are collaborating on scoring music to be played at Disney's new Star Wars theme park land, Galaxy's Edge.

Mark Hamill Has a New Padawan and Hero in Bullied Child

Luke Skywalker has a new Padawan.

10-year-old Aiden Vazquez of Desert Hot Springs, California, was punched in the face and ended up getting stitches above his right eye when his backpack was taken by bullying boys at his elementary school. When 5th grader Vazquez's mother asked him why he didn't fight back, he told her, "I got it from Star Wars, it's not the Jedi way."

Mark Hamill repplied to Vazquez's strong moral beliefs via his Twitter:

SHOUT OUT to Aiden Vazquez for his courage & wisdom in the face of adversity. I'm so proud of you for showing that you can be a Jedi in real life. Congratulations, Aiden- The Force will be with YOU... Always!!!
Your fan, mh https://t.co/jkWqrhMaC0

— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) August 29, 2018

Watch the New 'Star Wars: Resistance' Featurette 'Meet Team Fireball'

In case you haven't heard, we have a new animated Star Wars series coming this October, and Lucasfilm just released a featurette introducing you to all the new characters.

Get Groovy for #MichaelJacksonDay

Check Out Fan Film Bucketheads Trailer [VIDEO]

Every side has a story worth telling.

Bucketheads is an independent Star Wars short film about a squad of storm troopers caught behind enemy lines.

Discover the story of Nova Squad on December 8th on the Transmute Pictures YouTube channel.

The full film stars Mark Meer — perhaps known to many as the voice of the male version of Mass Effect protagonist Commander Shepard — and even has input from the iconic 501st Legion of Star Wars cosplayers, lending it a nice level of Star Wars authenticity.

Out now at select festivals.

I have to say that this looks pretty entertaining and well-crafted for a low-budget production.

Watch the trailer for Bucketheads after the jump.

Take a Look at the Star Wars Resistance Poster

A new poster for upcomig animated series Star Wars Resistance has popped up online courtesy of Disney. The anime-styled artwork has BB-8 rolling out front-and-center followed by series lead Kazuno Xiono and his team of other pilots.

You can read more at Comic Book Resources.

See the trialer for Star Wars Resistance after the jump.

Matt Smith is Joining the Cast of Episode IX

Doctor Who star Matt Smith will appear in Star Wars: Episode IX, reports say.

Get Ready for a Star Wars Christmas with This 8-Foot, Inflatable AT-M6 Gorilla Walker

The neighbors will have a hard time competing with your Christmas display this year if you have an 8-foot, inflatable Star Wars AT-M6 Gorilla Walker in a Santa hat looming over your lawn.

Read more at ComicBook.com.

See video after the jump.

Did Qi'ra Know Who She Was Talking Too at the End of Solo?

Solo: A Star Wars Story has much more intriguing connections to Star Wars’ recent past beyond just telling the tale of a younger Han Solo. But the upcoming novelization of the movie, just like other recent Star Wars adaptations, is adding more—including an intriguing wrinkle left unstated by the film.

In the last act of the movie, Qi’ra, Han’s former paramour and current operative for Crimson Dawn, makes the decision not to flee with Han after the death of her boss, Dryden Vos. Instead, she contacts the Dawn’s leader and works her way up the criminal underworld’s career ladder, leading to a frosty holo-call with none other than [Darth] Maul himself. He snarls a bit, twirls his double-bladed lightsaber (just so you really know it’s Maul), and tells her to meet him on the planet Dathomir, promising that they’ll be working very closely going forward.

Maul’s name isn’t mentioned in the scene, and while he makes it clear that he knows Qi’ra well enough, the encounter is shrouded in enough mystery that you might assume Qi’ra herself already knew who Maul was, and was just making a shrewd move in contacting him, like the many other decisions she’d made throughout the film. But according to a StarWars.com interview with Mur Lafferty, the writer of the Solo novelization, the book will make it clear that Qi’ra had no idea who was on the end of that call when she made it.

Read more at io9. 

Happy National Bowtie Day!

Pilot Gets Fired After Using Jabba the Hutt as A Job Reference

Credit: Mike Chua.

46-year-old pilot Nigel Francis McGann lost his job when his bosses found out he named famed Star Wars villain Jabba the Hutt as a reference on his application.

McGann was accused of putting lives at risk with his bogus attempt at being captain with cargo firm West Atlantic UK.

Read more at Deccan Chronicle.