The following are all the best feature articles and key news posting of the 2003 year. The goal of the SWNZ website, as well as being to bring you regular Star Wars news and stories, is to establish and evolve an archive of all things pertaining to that Galaxy far, far away, that have particular relevance to the various incarnations of Star Wars fandom in New Zealand. This page is a portal to such content...
Matt G
Coming soon to the NZ Collection section, a feature article explaining the origins of the above set of New Zealand exclusive stickers.
But first, a bonus... ...MORE
Updated :: Competition closed. We have a winner. Or two, actually. In the spirit of the season, I'll give away two Silver Fetts to the two fastest respondents... ...MORE
Matt G
This final installment adds new closeup images, and describes the remaining elements of the Toltoys cardboard Death Star.
Two important compartments complete the playset. Arranged vertically, we conclude the tour with a visit to cell number 2187 (of Detention Block AA-23), and the famous Trash Compactor (number 3263827, for those of you interested in numerical trivia). ...MORE
Related article: New Zealand Toltoys Death Star.
Matt G
The feature article on New Zealand-specific vintage figure cardbacks has been updated with new images of the unique 48-back card... ...MORE
Matt G
This story comes from the 'Way Out There' files...we apologise in advance for any Silly Season...silliness...
This just in from our roving food service reporter...Yoda lives!
The above images are of a recently discovered piece of abberant popcorn, clearly reminiscent of a famous green Jedi Master. ...MORE
Robbie the Robot
An International Internet-based Star Wars Imperial Costuming Club
I, like many others, will never forget the first time I saw Imperial Stormtroopers. Blasting through the door into the Tantive IV they were unstoppable. So ruthless, and well, they just looked so COOL! I was six years old, and ever since have harboured a secret desire to become one.
This dream became a reality back in 1997 when I first hooked-up to the Net and found that you could actually buy Stormtrooper armour. ...MORE
TK-102
Ready for a nostalgia overload? I just received full-colour versions of the wrappers from all 3 of the vintage Tip-Top Ice Cream products (thanks to Nick TePaa). Click on the above thumbnails for the full versions. They are, from left to right, R2-D2 Space Ice wrapper, the Darth Vader ice block wrapper, and the Return of the Jedi ice-block (with "Jedi Jelly"...more pictures and story coming soon) wrapper.
Related article: R2-D2 Space Ice stickers.
Related article: Empire Strikes Back Masks.
Matt G
It is Tem's birthday today (December 10th). Happy Birthday Jango Fett!
Related section: NZ Connexion.
Related feature: SWNZ Calendar.
Matt G
The Mainland Cheese 'Taste the Magic' article, in the NZ Collection section, has been updated with photos (thanks to Michael Moulden) of one of the display stands used in the promotion. ...MORE
Matt G
The Official Star Wars website has just run an article, in its Hyperspace section, pertaining to New Zealand actors Temuera Morrison and Bodie Taylor in Episode 3. The article tells of using both Tem and Bodie's respective faces (or more correctly, digital replicas thereof) on different batches of Clonetroopers... ...MORE
Matt G
We have a randomly-selected winner in the B'omarr Monk and Clone Wars Anakin Skywalker figures contest.
Due to the ever increasing audience of the SWNZ website, there was an unprecedented number of entrants...making the task of sorting through them all to prepare them for a random drawing bigger than ever. But, without further ado... ...MORE
Matt G
Last week saw the unexpected passing of a good friend, to myself and to many others involved (one way or another) in SWNZ.
Ross C. (aka RXC, aka TK-4211) had many outward facing facets, such that those who knew him, knew him in different ways. A number of features shone through to all: was respected as an intellectual, an artisan, and a man of good humour.
RXC, you will be missed by the 'brotherhood': more than you would have known.
Matt G
I didn't honestly think I would find myself saying this, but...I like the new Clone Wars Durge figure. I really like it. ...MORE
Matt G
With about 6 months still to pass before the big-screen release of 'The Phantom Menace', the anticipation of a whole new world of action figures and related toys was not insignificant. And what better way to tease the eager public than with an exclusive figure of one of the best characters from the prequel series: Mace "this party's over" Windu. ...MORE
Related section: New Zealand miscellanea.
Matt G
12-inch stormtroopers: can't shoot straight and can't stand up by themselves! How many do you have to have to call them an army? ...MORE
Robbie the Robot
Presenting the cardboard Death Star in all its aged glory. Replete with a cast of 25 vintage figures, this is a closer look at the Toltoys/Palitoy Death Star the way it was meant to be remembered: vintage-style! ...MORE
Matt G
Nowadays, the backing cards of most international Star Wars figures, and related (Hasbro) toys, have the contact details of all regional offices, although all originate from a single source, in Hong Kong (the exception to this rule are those distributed in non-English speaking or bilingual countries). A quick trip in the 'way-back' machine reveals a world of vintage figure cardbacks and toys with regional variations ranging from the subtle to the very obvious, attributable in the large part to the much more fragmented licensing arrangements in place at that time. ...MORE
Matt G
As well as New Zealand exclusive or unique items, it is interesting to note that a number of Star Wars collectibles that were available elsewhere, additionally had versions made in NZ. Typically these have made use of the fact that there were preexisting local production facilities allied to those in the original country of manufacture. One such example is 'The Empire Strikes Back' narrated story on vinyl LP. ...MORE
Steve Burgess
2002 was a big year for New Zealand in that, with the opening of 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones', we saw Kiwi actors playing Star Wars characters on the big screen. Coincidentally, one of the marketing campaigns that preempted the movie's screening can stake a claim as of one of the biggest New Zealand-exclusive collectible releases. ...MORE
Matt G
"Star Wars Vintage Action Figures, a Guide for Collectors" by John Kellerman, is a new encyclopaedia of vintage figures, which can be purchased online from the publisher... ...MORE
Matt G
It's one of the biggest Star Wars playsets ever. It's arguably the most sought-after Star Wars playset ever. It's not the most accurate of Star Wars playsets ever, but it certainly packed a whole lot of adventure into one item. And the really interesting thing is that there were 4 subtly different versions, with a New Zealand iteration, released under the 'Toltoys' brand, coming straight from a factory in Auckland. The vintage cardboard Death StarTM! ...MORE
Matt G
The NZ Connexion section of this website highlights the contributions (of all types), of New Zealanders to the Star Wars Universe. To date we have included biographies and information on actors and artists, and have a few more to add in the future.
It is interesting to note that there are also a number of behind-the-scenes New Zealanders playing their part... ...MORE
Matt G
Plenty of Star Wars, Sci-Fi and other collectables at the Christchurch swap meet on Saturday. The pictures tell the story! Click on the above thumbnails to view the full-size images, and follow the 'MORE' link to see the rest of the photos... ...MORE
Related article: Promoting the Swap Meet.
Centuri Chan
If you are auctioning (on www.Trademe.co.nz) Star Wars merchandise that is a little different or hard-to-find, we are happy to consider giving it a plug here. We can't list every item that goes to TradeMe, of course (and hence, reserve the right to be a little selective in what we post), and don't endorse 'scalping' in any way, but are certainly interested in hearing from from you if you are selling any really interesting items. ...MORE
Matt G
The next Christchurch swap meet is on its way. The date is set for 25th of October (Saturday, Labour weekend) and it will be held in the same place as last time, Phillipstown School Hall. ...MORE
Centuri Chan
Here are a few more pictures of the special guests at Armageddon (and the ANZ Garrison dinner), and fans enjoying the event. ...MORE
Related article: Armageddon photos and final report.
Nick TePaa
The first Confection Concepts Postacards has been updated, and a couple of supplementary images (of the poster, and the chocolate bar wrapper) have been added. ...MORE (please note, graphic-heavy page follows).
Matt G
The response to the Ephant Mon and B'omarr Monk competition has been great. Thanks to everyone who took the time to fill out the survey form: the information has already been invaluable in ensuring that the SWNZ website focuses on the features and content that is the most useful and interesting to you.
But most importantly, we have a winner, randomly selected from the entries: congratulations... ...MORE
Matt G
The queue to get in must have started growing pretty early on, because it was well over a couple of hundred people long by the time the doors opened. Hobbyists of all ages were efficiently ushered in (and entry fees were taken) shortly after the clock chimed 11. ...MORE
Matt G
This series of 50 "Postacardz" was issued by a New Zealand-based company called Confection Concepts International Ltd., who produced a few licensed collectables... ...MORE (please note, graphic-heavy page follows).
Matt G
Not enough Star Wars merchandise in the retail stores for you? Itching to fill out your vintage action figure collection? Have you tried buying/selling via New Zealand's preeminent auction website TradeMe.co.nz? If not...you ought to!
TradeMe has grown significantly since its inception, and recently (early July) underwent a major revamp ...MORE
Matt G
Jamie, from the newly opened online store www.AriseSirToy.com, sent in the following introduction. Check out their range of Star Wars product.
Myself and partner (Fiona) have set up Arise Sir Toy as a business that helps our customers to find rare and elusive items that enable them to start or complete their collections. ...MORE.
Jamie Westropp
Well, that's it for another 6 months! Monday was a little quieter compared to the first two days, but the overall increase in foot traffic definitely... ...MORE
Matt G
5,000 people passed through the doors in the first 2-and-a-half hours yesterday, exceeding the total for all of the first day (Saturday) of last year's Wellington Armageddon convention. ...MORE
Matt G
Up on the third floor, it was all sweat, halitosis, and testosterone with no hint of deodorant or breath freshener as the young lads battled each other for Yu-Gi-Oh supremacy... ...MORE
Robbie the Robot
The NZ Herald reports (yesterday) on the Keisha Castle-Hughes in EP3 story...read it here.
Matt G
A few quick pics from the opening hours of Armageddon Wellington, of the ANZG Stormtroopers in action, and the Weta Workshop LOTR display (just low-res stuff while I do this in my hotel room across from the Convention centre...full reports with better pics will follow). ...MORE
Matt G
George Lucas continues his tradition of casting young actors as young characters in roles of political power by adding Aucklander Keisha Castle-Hughes to the EP3 cast list. 13 year old Keisha will be known to many as Pai Apirana from the highly successful, and multiple award winning, local film 'Whale Rider'... ...MORE
Matt G
Feedback we have received is that one of the more popular features so far has been the 'Collector spotlight' articles. It seems that we all get inspiration from seeing what other people have collected and how they display it. Although the competition that started them off is no longer running, we'd really like to encourage people to keep sending in photos and descriptions of their collection, even if you have already done so once.
To kick things off again, here is a full eighteen photos of the rest of TK-102's impressive collection... ...MORE
Matt G
Another reminder that the Wellington Armageddon convention is only a little under a week away (Michael Fowler centre, September 20-22nd).
Stay tuned to SWNZ for reports and photo-essays (the above images are from previous years/conventions)...this one's definitely not going to be just 'more of the same'. ...MORE
Matt G
There's a little bit of an interview with Rena Owen in issue 70 of the SW insider (which subscribers should have received late last week) in an article about the Aliens of Episode 2, and her picture (Kaminoans are the first species in the article).
Related article: International availability of SW Insider.
Anaria
It is 2 months exactly since SWNZ was relaunched (see article here), and I wanted to take the opportunity to thank those that have helped, and, even though 2 months is a fairly short amount of time, wanted to take a quick look back at the highlights, particularly for those who you who may have only started visiting recently. ...MORE
Matt G
The 'e.g.' magazine that came with yesterday's NZ Herald (Thursday, 11 September) had a favourable review of the Xbox version of 'Knights of the Old Republic'. Click here to read the online version at the NZ Herald website.
Buzz Bumble
Today is Jay Laga'aia's birthday. Happy Birthday Captain Typho! Read more about Jay in the NZ Connexion section.
Matt G
For this addition to the NZ Connexion section, Bodie Taylor, special guest contributor, gives us an exclusive account of his past accomplishments and tells how he was lined up for the Star Wars productions.
I was brought up in the district of Waikato. It was there that I was cultivated in the culture of the Maaori.
I was about 14 and started to dance the indigenous dances of our ancestors. Haka, and staff manipulation, were components of the dance and they fascinated me... ...MORE
Bodie Taylor
Thanks to everyone who got into the spirit of the 'Show us your Collection' competition. The prize package (Light-up Hologram Darth Maul and B'omarr Monk figures, as shown above) goes to a randomly selected contributor...and the winner is... ...MORE
Matt G
Hi, my name is Keith Davies. I'm 17 years old from Invercargill. The people from the NZ FanForce Forum will know me as ACERIMMERROCKS. I have been collecting star wars memorabilia since I was about 8. ...MORE
Keith Davies
Hi, my name is Michael Moulden.
I am 19 and have been collecting Star Wars memorabilia since 1997, when the trilogy special edition was released. My first purchase was a 1996 deluxe Boba Fett. ...MORE
Michael Moulden
I am a young fan and first saw the Trilogy on the original videos when I was about 4; I first started collecting Star Wars figures when I was the same age and later sold them when I moved to NZ from England as I was not as interested then and now regret it. ...MORE
Pera Tuapawa
My first Star Wars memory in life is also my first memory, full-stop. I was 3 and my Mum bought me Power Droid from the supermarket (!) I didn't know what the heck it was but knew it was the coolest thing I'd seen. ...MORE
Cam Beech
Many of you may be aware that this game went on sale in North America in June, but has yet to be sold in any other part of our particular galaxy. That hasn't stop some people who are already playing it, even though Sony and LucasArts don't think they should be... ...MORE
Robbie the Robot
The first wave of the new 'Gold' card figures has made its way into New Zealand. Included are new figures of Luke Skywalker (Throne Room Duel), Darth Vader (Throne Room Duel), and Snowtrooper (with E-Web Cannon). ...MORE
Matt G
Chris Slane knows what it means to be a Sith Apprentice. In 2001 he contributed the artwork to a story entitled 'Nameless', published in 'Star Wars Tales' issue 10... ...MORE
Matt G
This set of 12 Episode I character cards had to be cut from the packaging of Pepsi multipacks. The cards are round (about 58mm in diameter): not the best configuration for a card that needs to be cut out by hand! ...MORE
Matt G
UPDATE 13 Aug 2003 :: the word is out that Temuera Morrison will be playing the older clone troopers, and Bodie Taylor plays the younger ones. He has started filming at time of writing.
11 Aug 2003 The Official site reports today that "Episode III has half completed principal photography, and a familiar face [Temuera Morrison] will return for the final installment of the Star Wars saga".
More information here: ...www.starwars.com/episode-iii...
Matt G
The images above were kindly supplied by Tip-Top Ice-Cream customer services. They are photocopies of wrappers from the 1977 R2-D2 Space Ice ice-block, and the 1980 Darth Vader ice-block... ...MORE
Matt G
Hi my name is Nick. I am 34 & have been into Starwars from the age of 8 when my Mum took me to see it at our local cinema (I still have the original tickets). Growing up I only had 2 Star Wars figures as my Dad thought they were for kids!? ...MORE
Nick TePaa
Following on from the success of the R2-D2 Space Ice ice-blocks and collectible sticker set, the Tip-Top Ice Cream company released a second Star Wars themed ice-block/collectible run in 1980, in conjunction with the screening of 'The Empire Strikes Back' movie. This time around though, instead of stickers the giveaway item was a paper cut-out mask. ...MORE
Matt G
My collection includes a wide range of Star Wars and non-Star Wars 12" scale figures, a near complete vintage 4" figure collection, and an array of action fleet vehicles... ...MORE
Robbie the Robot
"Molly Hawking" is a serious compulsive behaviour. Dragging yourself out of bed on Sunday mornings looking for that plastic treasure is the highlight of the week... ...MORE
Steve Burgess
The Official Star Wars Fact Files from De Agostini Publishing just keep on coming! They have already surpassed the issue 75 cutoff that was nominated when they started publishing... ...MORE
Matt G
Here are a couple of collectible stickers that came in conjunction with a petrol station advertising campaign. As far as we know, they were not licensed by Lucasfilm (no reference to 20th Century Fox is made on the stickers, as would be expected were these officially endorsed), but... ...MORE
Matt G
How many of you were around when these came out? These 15 small (73x50mm) stickers, released at the time of the first Star Wars movie (1977) are likely the earliest New Zealand-exclusive collectibles. ...MORE
Matt G
The 24th Great Auckland Hobby and Model Swap Meet lived up to its name and reputation earlier today, opening its doors at midday to a flood of keen collectors. ...MORE
Matt G
Jay Laga'aia was born in Auckland (birthday: 10 September, 1963) to Samoan parents. He grew up (in South Auckland, and then Ponsonby) in the age of the original Star Wars trilogy, and returned to the Star Wars audience with his son, at the opening of Episode I. ...MORE
Matt G
My name is Centuri, and as a member of SWNZ from the early days its great to see it up and running again. I've been a fan of Star Wars since I was a youngster. ...MORE
Centuri Chan
Two news articles have surfaced recently describing the NZ manufacture of lightsabre blades for Episode 3 production in Sydney, by a Rotorua company called Kilwell fibretube... ...MORE
Robbie the Robot
My name is Matt Glasgow (I just go with Matt G for convenience here on this website), and here's the short version of my story... ...MORE
Matt G
The following is a bit of an introduction from the crew over at SWG Down-Under.
We started a site called www.SWGDownunder.com over a year ago to bring all NZ & Australian timezone players onto the same server in preparation for when Star Wars Galaxies went live. ...MORE
Azymis
(aka Aron Sijbrant, Wellington)
Rena Owen is the actress that voiced the character Taun We in Episode 2: Attack of the Clones. One of New Zealand's most well known actresses, she rehearsed the character on-set... ...MORE
Anaria
Welcome to the new SWNZ website. The goal of this new design and functionality is to maintain a strong New Zealand focus and... ...MORE
Matt G
My name is Kristy Ross, and I'm a relative newbie in Star Wars fandom. I was born in 1983, a few months before Return of the Jedi came out... ...MORE
Anaria
Another reminder that the Wellington Armageddon convention is only a little over a month away. Peter Mayhew and David Prowse have both been confirmed as attending. Peter, who was in Auckland for the April Armageddon convention last year... ...MORE
Matt G
A couple of interesting trivia points have surfaced recently. As well as the well publicised fact that Jay Laga'aia is returning to EP3 as Captain Typho, recent information confirms that Rena Owen is returning, and Bodie Taylor, who played the unhelmeted versions of the clone soldiers in EP2, returns to play the clonetroopers. ...MORE
Matt G
Nick TePaa from Christchurch sent in a couple of photos to remind us that there are imperial troops in the South Island too. Great pics, thanks Nick. For more information on 'trooping' in New Zealand, visit the Outpost-42 website. Great pics, thanks Nick. ...MORE
Nick TePaa
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