The following are all the best feature articles and key news posts of the 2009 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
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from SWNZ, Star Wars New Zealand! We hope you have a great break, and safe travels if you are on the road.
Matt G
The time is almost up to deck the SWNZ website with a bit of Star Wars festive cheer...and go in to the draw for a JediCon 2008 convention exclusive Shadow Troopers 2-pack? If you've put up any Star Wars decoration for the Christmas season, store-bought or, even better, home-made, take a quick photo, send it in and we'll get it online as a virtual ornament for the website straight away (full competition details).
Matt G
Want to help deck the SWNZ website with a bit of Star Wars festive cheer...and go in to the draw for a JediCon 2008 convention exclusive Shadow Troopers 2-pack? If you've put up any Star Wars decoration for the Christmas season, store-bought or, even better, home-made, take a quick photo, send it in and we'll get it online as a virtual ornament for the website straight away (full competition details).
Matt G
Want to help deck the SWNZ website with a bit of Star Wars festive cheer...and go in to the draw for a JediCon 2008 convention exclusive Shadow Troopers 2-pack? If you've put up any Star Wars decoration for the Christmas season, store-bought or, even better, home-made, take a quick photo, send it in and we'll get it online as a virtual ornament for the website straight away (full competition details).
Matt G
If you are looking for something different to decorate your Christmas tree, K-Mart stores have Clone Wars fruit flavoured candy canes for less than $4.
Matt G
To celebrate the imminent holiday season in Star Wars style, we're going to, once again, herald in the revelry with Star Wars website decorations. You too can help deck the SWNZ website with a bit of Star Wars cheer. If you've put up any Star Wars decoration, display, or greeting card for the festive season (store-bought or, even better, home-made) take a quick digital photo, send it in (to [email protected]), and, as well as getting it online as a virtual ornament, you'll go in the random draw to win a JediCon 2008 convention exclusive Shadow Troopers 2-pack. Fun and easy!... ...MORE
Matt G
As it has steadily grown, the long-running Armageddon convention has experienced a few shifts in venue since its inaugural gathering in December 1995. The Auckland event first opened at the Avondale Raceway, before spending three years at the Freemans Bay Community Centre. For the vast majority of its history, Auckland Armageddon has occupied the Aotea Centre, but recently it matured in size and popularity to the point where a move to the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane was required.
The new locale offered many benefits...and suffered a few minor but noteworthy hiccups. An official attendee count of 40,000 undoubtedly pleased the organisers, although that volume resulted in the dubious honour of lining up "the longest queues in ASB Showground's history" on the opening day. The logistics of ticket sales and fan entry were resolved by Sunday, and I am sure that the lessons learned from that episode will mean improved traffic flows in coming years.
The single-floor layout meant that it was easier to navigate... ...MORE
Matt G
A message in from the staff at NiubNiub's Universe: "2010 is NiubNiub's 10th Anniversary!! Building up to that, we are happy to tell the fans that the 'Making Of' instructions to the DEATH STAR RED ROOM are now online. This has been the most asked for update since Celebration III's Death Star Workshop.
Fans can now recreate this iconic room at home for their Hasbro Star Wars figures: NiubNiubsUniverse.com/making/DeathStar/Control_Red/Make_dsRed_01.asp".
Matt G
Star Wars themed computer or gaming consoles have shown up around the web from intermittently, but I recently received some pics and details about a clever and good-looking PC case in the form of the Empire's ultimate battle station, that was made in NZ.
Derek explains his interesting build: "the Death Star is made from two old perspex lamp shades that I originally brought for building an R2-D2 (I still might build one, as I have 1 dome left). I had another dome which I cut the bottom off to make the channel around the middle then I cut the dish out and inverted it. I then drilled hundreds of 0.8mm holes to allow light and air out... ...MORE
Matt G
Yeah, it's a cheesy title, I know...but the Auckland Armageddon convention is just around the corner, at it's new venue: ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane, October 24-26th 2009. Full details are on the official Armageddon website.
Stay tuned to SWNZ for reports, pics and videos over the course of the weekend, and in to next week.
Related article: 09 Apr 2009 :: Armageddon Wellington 2009 Report
Related article: 02 Apr 2009 :: Armageddon Christchurch 2009 Report
Related article: 31 Oct 2008 :: Armageddon Auckland 2008 Report
Related article: 24 Sep 2003 :: Armageddon Wellington 2003 Report
Matt G
Hannah Clarke, the daughter of a long time contributor, got heavily into supporting this year's SPCA cupcake day. As well as raising $960 from sales of cupcakes, she entered the two photo competitions. "What's this got to do with Star Wars?" you may ask. Well, she won the Extreme Cupcake Eating competition with this photo (above) of her eating a cupcake (actually a prop, was a patty tin filled with bread with some icing on it) on the Death Star backdrop among selected Star Wars characters (she's the human, lower centre with the cheesy expression). Although Hannah isn't a true Star Wars enthusiast, she felt that it was hard to be more extreme than in space, on the run from the Empire. The photo was clearly the best of those entered in the competition (heck, we aren't biased). Hannah won a digital camera and some SPCA merchandise for her efforts.
Thanks go to Matt and Kristy for making their time available for the photo, which would not have been possible without their cooperation.
Robbie the Robot
The following items and deals have been confirmed in store at the Henderson Toyworld. Other branches may have similar products and savings.
- SW Guessing Game - save $5, now $24.99 each.
- Galactic Heroes - $12.99 each.
- Force Action lightsabers (Darth Vader or Obi-Wan Kenobi) - save 50%, now $29.99 each.
- Clone Trooper blaster (foam dart) - $59.99 each.
- Deluxe figures - Battle Droid with armoured scout tank, Crab Droid, Clone Trooper with Barc speeder bike and Anakin with Can-Cell, $44.99 each.
- New wave of the Clone Wars action figures, including - Whorm Loathsom, 4A-7, Obi-Wan Kenobi (space suit), ARF Trooper, Jawas, Clone Trooper with space gear, Admiral Yularen, Super Battle droid, $19.99 each.
- SW Plushies - Yoda, General Grievous, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, R2-D2, Boba Fett and Chewbacca, $19.99 each.
- Commander Rex electronic helmet, $109.99.
- Turbo Tank (with action figure), $289.99.
- Action figure scale vehicles, $64.99 each (seen on shelf - Darth Vaders TIE Advanced, Anakin's modified starfighter, AAT, V-19 Torrent, Vulture droid and Obi-Wan's starfighter).
- Action figure 2 pack with comic - usually $39.99, now $14.99 each (seen on shelf: Princess Leia and Tobbi Dala, Antares Draco and Ganner Krieg, Fenn Shysa and Dengar, Asajj Ventress and Tol Skorr, Darth Talon and Cade Skywalker).
- Titanium Vehicles - $14.99 each (seen on shelf: Magnaguard starfighter, Malevolence, TIE Defender, Dengar's Punishing One, Neimoidian Shuttle, Shadow Trooper Gunship, Y-Wing Starfighter, and others).
Anaria
DragonCon is the United States' largest (and probably the world's largest) "multi-media, popular culture convention focusing on science fiction and fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music, and film". The real theme that shines through, tying these genres together, is costuming, and one of the core components of this annual event is the Saturday costume parade down the main streets of Atlanta.
DragonCon is spread over four neighbouring hotels (with rumours of a fifth being added in 2010), most of which are joined together directly, and through shopping malls, by "sky-walks". The convention programming is a mix of official DragonCon events, and information and entertainment opportunities put on by a wide array of fan organisations. All imaginable genres and hobbies are represented, including Star Wars... ...MORE
Matt G
A couple of online articles worth sharing have recently been bought to our attention. MegoMuseum.com have a transcript of a 1980 magazine article which asks the question "Will the Empire Strike Back?" and takes an analytical look at the toy market in the context of TESB's theatrical release. It's a great flashback to the time when action figures and related merchandising were a novelty concept, and information regarding ROTJ was still pretty much non-existent: "Some product pertaining to installment three of the saga, The Jedi's Revenge, may be introduced in '82, although the movie is not due to open until '83."
And for a more visual link, cast your eye's jealously over the displays in the Ultimate Star Wars Apartment, as reported at Gizmodo.com!
Matt G
(with thanks to Robbie the Robot)
A gallery of Star Wars-related photos from the Dragon*Con 2009 event is starting to take shape here. More will be added soon, and we'll be getting some summarised articles online too. In the meantime, you might like to sign up to the the SWNZ Facebook page and/or Twitter page in order to get the up-to-the-minute reports.
Matt G
In but a few days, Star Wars New Zealand will be doing all of its near-realtime reporting on the DragonCon 2009 convention on Facebook and Twitter. We'll follow-up up with images and summarised reports here in article form, as well as links to picture galleries etc, but you might like to sign up to the the SWNZ Facebook page and/or Twitter page in order to get the up-to-the-minute notifications.
Matt G
In a little over a week, Star Wars New Zealand will be doing all of its near-realtime reporting on the DragonCon 2009 convention on Facebook. We'll follow-up up with images and summarised reports here in article form, as well as links to picture galleries etc, but you might like to sign up to the the SWNZ Facebook page in order to get the up-to-the-minute notifications.
Matt G
These are the t-shirts you're looking for: 202 Star Wars t-shirts. 'Hide Your Arms' is a blog about t-shirts and related clothing...a recent post is a comprehensive look at creative and unique Star Wars-themed t-shirts. The list is presented over four pages, and includes links to online sources, where available...your can check them out starting here (HideYourArms.com/2009/07/16/list-ofstar-wars-tshirts).
Matt G
STAR WARS ACTION NEWS PODCAST CELEBRATES 200th EPISODE WITH SPECIAL VIDEO PODCAST
Highlights include a behind-the-scenes look at writing a comic book by Star Wars Tales author Nathan P. Butler, a spotlight on several collections with focus on how display, a montage by Star Wars Galaxy Series IV artist Artbot138, and an appearance by Jango Fett himself, Temura Morrison!
Beginning in August of 2005, Star Wars Action News has brought weekly collecting news and reviews to Star Wars fans. This week they reach their milestone 200th episode, and to make the episode extra-special for audiences they have released it as a full-video vidcast.
Join hosts Marjorie & Arnie as they look back on almost four years of Star Wars history, and bring you segments from all corners of Star Wars collecting, including:
- For fans of Star Wars comics, Star Wars Tales author Nathan P. Butler gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the making of his Star Wars story "Equals and Opposites", which will be included in an upcoming Hasbro figure & comic pack.
- For vintage fans we look at loose vintage figure collections as well as the iconic Kenner TIE Fighter and X-Wing vehicles.
- For modern Hasbro collectors we review the new, smaller red cards Hasbro will be using for the remainder of their 2009 figure releases.
- For high end collectors, we review the latest releases from Sideshow Collectibles Premium Format and 1/6 scale line.
- For fans of Star Wars art, Star Wars Galaxies Series 4 artist Artbot138 shares some of his original Star Wars works.
- For fans of all ages, we look at the collections of young Star Wars fans, both boys and girls.
With a few surprises including an appearance by Jango Fett himself, Temura Morrison, this is a Star Wars Action News that no Star Wars fan should miss!
This episode is available at our web site www.swactionnews.com or on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/.../viewPodcast?id=80411951.
Matt G
CRICKEY!! Mousedroid.com, the only Australian Star Wars News Site, today celebrates 6 years online. Whilst leaving coverage of International new and exclusives to the realm of others, they focus purely on Star Wars collecting in Aus, supporting a small but loyal collecting community by presenting a unique Aussie view of the Star Wars Universe.
Mick
www.MOUSEDROID.com
The latest news reports to come in from www.lightsabre.co.uk follows:
"It's been a big week for us here at Lightsabre Towers as we celebrate our 10th anniversary on the net as Lightsabre. We've made some brilliant friends, met some amazing people and interviewed some genuine legends of film, TV, art and writing. I can't tell you how much it�s meant to get so many lovely messages and well-wishes from some good pals, and continuing forward we�re making our best efforts to keep the site fun, informative (very British) and unique.
To help celebrate our 10th anniversary we bring you our third and final part of our chat with Star Wars legend Anthony Daniels. Anthony was a joy to interview, funny, insightful and very open about his experiences, and that final part can be found on the site today.
Our Blast from the Past continues, as does Setnin Select and our weekly chronological look into Lightsabre stories past. In our 10th anniversary week it's good to focus on our fiction as the site started out as a fan fiction site and has grown to become what it is today.
Last week we chatted with Craig Spivey, the owner of an amazing collection here in the UK and our chat with him can be found on the site.
Finally our good friend and site composer James Semple has composed some stunning music for our forthcoming return to Setnin Radio, and that can be found at JamesSemple.com/ls/bed1.mp3"
Matt G
HowStuffWorks.com is an educational website that explains, as its name suggests, what goes on behind many things we take for granted in day-to-day life. It was invented by Professor Brain (real name!), and is now owned by the same company that manages the Discovery Channel. As well as content on all manners of science, it has sections related to the entertainment world, wherein it also describes "How Stuff Works" in terms of their respective fictional universes. Inevitably, therefore, there is coverage of Star Wars topics...the following articles are interesting dissertations that will enhance your knowledge of Star Wars trivia... ...MORE
Matt G
Reminder - this promotion/competition kicks off today: Hasbro NZ is running a Star Wars promotion with Farmers department stores, which starts 1st June and runs for 3 weeks. All you have to do is purchase any 2 Star Wars figures, or a battle pack, pick up an entry form in store, fill it out and post to Hasbro � and you can win 1 of 200 General Grievous limited edition holographic figures.
Matt G
Newsplayer.com is a "web and mobile based service providing newsreel footage spanning the last 100 years". Its coverage include cinema and entertainment topics... fans might be interested to check out this documentary based on interviews with actors from the Star Wars movies: The Stars Of Star Wars. Their full Sci-Fi section can be found here.
Matt G
Friends of SWNZ, Galactic Voyage (Galactic-Voyage.com), have just undergone a website facelift, to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of The Phantom Menace. Follow this link to check it out!
Matt G
Fringe Trader is a growing New Zealand-based network for trading Star Wars miniatures, including the new Force Unleashed series. Check it out, and join in if you're interested in the Star Wars mini scene.
Matt G
Hasbro NZ is running a Star Wars promotion with Farmers department stores, which starts 1st June and runs for 3 weeks. All you have to do is purchase any 2 Star Wars figures, or a battle pack, pick up an entry form in store, fill it out and post to Hasbro and you can win 1 of 200 General Grievous limited edition holographic figures.
Matt G
Wellington-based stormtrooper Shane Cornwell gets the spotlight on the official StarWars.com blog this week, as a consequence of a YouTube video of him dancing the streets in full armour - StarWarsBlog.StarWars.com/.../wellington-dance-trooper!
Matt G
The article on the Empire Strikes Back postacards, from Confection Concepts, has been updated with images of a couple of the prize redemption cards.
Although the 'A New Hope' companion set contained 50 cards, this set of 'The Empire Strikes Back' "postacards", from Confection Concepts International Ltd., numbers only 45. Curiously, they are also of a different physical size: the ESB series are larger at 89 x 64mm compared to the 90 x 60mm dimensions of their ANH cousins, making them barely recognisable as being from the same manufacturer.
As with their predecessors, these trading cards came packaged with confectionery, one postacard per chocolate bar. Some lucky purchasers would have found more than just a trading card inside, however: randomly inserted amongst the standard cards were "Special Prize Cards", offering, with the following ratios of finding such an instant prize, limited edition uncut sheets (1:2500), Star Wars Trilogy Special Edition videos (1:5000), complete set of 45 postacardz (1:500), or Star Wars action figurines from Kenner (1:250)... ...MORE
Matt G
We've recently mentioned the Hasbro/Farmers Clone Wars colouring competition under way for kids these school holidays...it's worth passing on that we've had reports of some branches of the Farmers stores going through their allocated piles of the competitions pretty quickly. If you can't pick up an entry form at a particular branch, do consider checking out other branches if you have that option.
The colouring competition runs until 27 April 2009. Age categories give even the younger kids a fair chance. All you need to do is go in to your local Farmers branch and get an entry form (no purchase needed), do the colouring, and send your entry to Hasbro. There are 4 prize packs to be won (4 x $250 worth of toys).
Matt G
A couple of image updates have just been added to the New Zealand Collection section which, as many regulars will know, contains articles on NZ-exclusive Star Wars collectibles over the last 3 decades.
First up is the Kellogg's Cornflakes Return of the Jedi stickers article. Today's pictures are close up shots of a sealed sticker, untouched by human hands since the day it was printed, wrapped and packed in cereal... ...MORE
And secondly, Tip-Top ice-cream's Return of the Jedi promotion featuring Ewok stickers and "Jedi Jelly"! We've upgraded the sticker images on this page with much larger scans, and for completeness have included a scan of the rear of one of the collectible stickers... ...MORE
Matt G
Hasbro NZ is currently runnning a promotion with TV3 for The Clone Wars. The promo runs for 8 weeks (and is about half way through) � there are amazing prizes of Hasbro toys and other Star Wars product each week. At the end of the promotion there is a grand prize draw which includes a film cel from The Clone Wars signed by George Lucas! It is really exciting!
All you have to do is watch the episode on TV3, 3:30 Friday afternoons, and then go online and answer a multi-choice question that relates to the show.
The question is on the website from 6am the morning of the episode, until 5am the following Friday...so you have a whole week to enter. The online entry form can be found via the TV3 website, or at the CloneWarsWatchnWin.co.nz.
Related article: 02 Aug 2008 Clone Wars Toy Launch - Auckland Report
Related article: 01 Aug 2008 Clone Wars Toy Launch - Wellington Report
Hasbro New Zealand
As well as their Clone Wars competition in conjunction with TV3, Hasbro NZ is now running, through Farmers department stores, a colouring competition for younger Star Wars fans. This launched on 7th April and will run for 3 weeks. All you need to do is go in to your local Farmers branch and get an entry form (no purchase needed), do the colouring, and send your entry to Hasbro. There are 4 prize packs to be won (4 x $250 worth of toys).
Related article: 02 Aug 2008 Clone Wars Toy Launch - Auckland Report
Related article: 01 Aug 2008 Clone Wars Toy Launch - Wellington Report
Matt G
Get your very own Star Wars New Zealand collectible postcard for free in our first completely unofficial SWNZ postcard promotional event. Featuring a design celebrating and based on one of New Zealand's first confectionery-related merchandise lines, the Allens and Regina Trading Cards, the colourful and nostalgic imagery on these cards has been completely re-created for high-definition clarity.
How do you get in on this giveaway offer?... ...MORE
Matt G
Sunday evening saw the close of a very popular, and by all account both successful and fun, Armageddon convention weekend at the TSB Bank Arena in Wellington. Official counts put the event population at 14,000 over the two days; the queues were strong on the Saturday, and although they had diminished somewhat by Sunday, the convention floor remained packed with enthusiasm.
I'm sure I've spoken before of the increasing prevalence of costumers at Armageddon events - this trajectory continues with not only strong numbers for the cosplay competition and the official presence of the Outpost-42 (501st) Garrison and Rebel Legion costumers, but a growing trend of attendees creatively mimicking the appearance of fictional characters, just for the fun of it. The other theme that stood out for me was a general upturn in the quality of the shopping. Not that there has been a dearth of relevant merchandise in the past, but I personally found a lot more to catch my attention this time around. We had, for example, SWNZ affiliate Reel Collectibles with their usual impressive array of high-end product from all the popular movie franchises... ...MORE
Matt G
This weekend I had the opportunity to drop by the Armageddon Expo in Christchurch. It was the third time the convention has visited the South Island, and it is definitely gaining momentum, with larger crowds than previous years.
Special guests included Peter Davison from Dr Who, and Flash Gordon's Sam Jones, both enjoying their first visit to New Zealand. Despite the lack of any Star Wars-related guests, the folks from Outpost 42 and Reel Collectibles made sure there was plenty for the Star Wars fans. Reel Collectibles had the latest collectibles from Acme Art and Gentle Giant on display, as well as items from other popular movies and comics including The Dark Knight, Twilight and Watchmen (products which will also be available at the Wellington Armageddon convention, April 3-4 2009).
The troopers from the local 501st Legion garrison had a great booth, with costumes and props on display... ...MORE
Anaria
Wellington stores have had some new Star Wars action figures appearing in stock in the past couple of weeks.
The Warehouse in Rongotai had new Clone Wars figures including Count Dooku, Plo Koon, Ventress, Threepio and the IG-86 droid. These figures have also been reported from some Farmers branches, though personally I have only found new Saga Legends figures popping up this past weekend at Famers in Lyall Bay.
New Galactic Heroes packs have appeared too. I spotted a large pack including an X-Wing, General Dodonna, Jek Porkins and an R5 droid. Go get 'em folks!
Daniel F
Hasbro NZ is currently runnning a promotion with TV3 for The Clone Wars. The promo runs for 8 weeks (1st week finishes today) � there are amazing prizes of Hasbro toys and other Star Wars product each week. At the end of the promotion there is a grand prize draw which includes a film cel from The Clone Wars signed by George Lucas! It is really exciting!
All you have to do is watch the episode on TV3, 3:30 Friday afternoons, and then go online and answer a multi-choice question that relates to the show.
The question is on the website from 6am the morning of the episode, until 5am the following Friday...so you have a whole week to enter. The online entry form can be found via the TV3 website, or at the CloneWarsWatchnWin.co.nz.
Related article: 02 Aug 2008 Clone Wars Toy Launch - Auckland Report
Related article: 01 Aug 2008 Clone Wars Toy Launch - Wellington Report
Hasbro New Zealand
The Where Science Meets Imagination event is a traveling Star Wars museum exposition that started in October 2005 and, initially, moved around the United States. Although it didn't make it to New Zealand, it came pretty close, setting up at one non-US venue - the Powerhouse museum in Sydney, Australia (from December 2008 through to April 2009). It is a two-part exhibit, with separate section focusing on the subjects of transportation and robotics. Earlier, we examined the displays from the latter topic...today we look at the vehicles.
The entry to this floor of the exhibition illustrates the engineering behind pioneering transport modalities such as Paul Moller's VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) M400 Skycars, and Scaled Composite's SpaceShip One, to conceptual technology such as... ...MORE
Matt G
Stuff.co.nz is reporting that "Kiwi actor Jay Laga'aia is talking to George Lucas about a role in a live action Star Wars television series next year.
Lucas, one of the richest and most powerful film-makers in Hollywood, is already familiar with Laga'aia, having cast him as good guy Captain Typho in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
The series for United States cable television will follow the Rebel Alliance as it slowly gains strength against the the evil Empire."
Read the full article on Stuff.co.nz/../Kiwi-eyes-role-in-Star-Wars.
Related article: Jay Laga'aia biography
Thanks to Anaria and Robbie the Robot
GalacticBinder.com has just reported in to share some of their new content..."Top 15 Star Wars Venture Brothers References" (if you enjoy making fun of Wookiee Life Day, or if you ever hope to attend a tag sale at the Venture compound...then this list is for you!) and a great interview with Lucasfilm's own Bonnie Burton. Lucasfilm�s senior editor of online content, Bonnie Burton, recently dropped by to answer some questions about all things Star Wars. Come see what the woman who's been called, "the czar of Star Wars fan culture" had to say and why she feels working for Lucasfilm is like a certain scene in the movie "They Live"!
Matt G
The following is a press release/announcement from the Documentary Channel (channel 74 on SkyTV):
HEART OF AN EMPIRE
New Zealand Television Premiere
Saturday 9 May, 8.30pm
The Star Wars films are known and adored the world over - for many they are the greatest movies of all time. For Albin Johnson - they became a way of life.
In 1997, Albin founded a small club for fans of the Star Wars Trilogy, inspired by what he saw on the movie screen as a child. They created authentic-looking costumes of the film's Imperial forces, including iconic figures icons such Darth Vader and the Storm Troopers. Albin called his fan boys the "Fighting 501st Legion".
Within 11 years, the club�s membership had nearly 4000 active members representing over 40 nations globally, from all walks of life, ages, social backgrounds and cultures. Albin led the group to become a high profile media sensation. What sets them apart from other Star Wars obsessives is an unwavering commitment to using their iconic characters for charity work. They visit children's hospitals and participate in public events, often going to extremes such as running the New York Marathon in full regalia to raise money for those in need.
As they fully immerse themselves in their obsessions, this documentary explores the reasons why these adults choose to dress in costumes of science-fiction characters. What do they gain from it? How do the general public and media receive them? What is the social impact?
We hear from the club's members, representatives of Lucasfilm Ltd., actors of the original trilogy, and a professor of Psychology who all try to shed light on the phenomenon.
Finally we bare witness to an incredibly ironic twist of fate that will reveal what really lies at the heart of the Empire.
"a sweetly clear-blue sky piece of filmmaking, and encapsulates a rare breath of gee-whiz, irony-and-politic-free perspective that could do the world some good." DVDtalk.com
Matt G
The individuals who make up the talent pool behind New Zealand's movie-making reputation are often a modest bunch, despite contributing significantly to some of the most spectacular cinematic epics of the modern age. Daniel Falconer is an an example of this. An accomplished conceptual artist who has been working at Weta Workshop for over a dozen years, his resume includes a degree in graphic design (majoring in illustration), spans a number of disciplines - creature, prop and environment design; sculpting; writing - and encompasses a number of movie project titles that need no introduction beyond their name - The Lord of the Rings; the Hercules and Xena series; Peter Jackson's King Kong; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and its sequel Prince Caspian; he's even crossed paths with an occasional Muppet!
It's his illustration work that is auxiliary to the silver screen that, in particular, brings Daniel's story to the pages of SWNZ, though. Daniel unabashedly describes himself as a "Star Wars nut" - he is a fan, like the rest of us, but through skill and hard work has achieved what many of us have aspired to, and now contributes on an ongoing basis to the official Star Wars universe. If you are a follower of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game and its associated library, chances are that you've already seen Daniel's depictions of clones, droids and aliens without realising the kiwi connection.
It is with pleasure that Star Wars New Zealand has been able to steal some of Daniel Falconer's time, in order to put to him a few questions on Star Wars and related matters... ...MORE
Matt G
Coming up very shortly, we'll be publishing a conversation with kiwi Star Wars artist Daniel Falconer, who has contributed to Wizards of the Coast's Star Wars Role Playing Game and the Star Wars Miniatures Game. The thumbnails above link through to a selection of teaser images.
Matt G
The latest news reports to come in through the S.W.O.R.A (Star Wars Outer Rim Alliance) network arrive via www.lightsabre.co.uk in England:
"Firstly, today we present our interview with Sound Designer David Acord, who very kindly chatted with us about his career, work on the Clone Wars and
other assorted topics.
Since our last email we've managed to get face time with Clone Wars author
Karen Miller and prequels Production Designer Gavin Bocquet. Believe me
when I say our list of forthcoming guests is just as exciting!"
Follow this link for the current list of S.W.O.R.A websites. Or, for an interesting perspective on the locations of S.W.O.R.A websites, check out the clickable S.W.O.R.A world map.
Matt G
The February 2009 issue of the Star Wars Insider (no.83 for the UK edition, no.107 for the US edition) is hitting bookshop shelves and subscribers' mailboxes. This time around, it includes an extended article on Anthony Daniels - C-3PO himself, a feature interview with Clone Wars animation supervisor Rob Coleman (well known for his work on the Star Wars prequels), and a flashback installment that reviews the events of 1984 (...theatrical release of Caravan of Courage: an Ewok Adventure). One of my favourite pieces is a "peek behind the toymaker's curtain" - this is an article that manages trump the internet sources and debut images and design sketches of some of the action figures that we can expect to see in toy stores in 2009... ...MORE
Matt G
The Where Science Meets Imagination event is a traveling Star Wars museum exposition, featuring over eighty props and costumes from the Lucasfilm Archives - spanning all six films - that started in October 2005 and, initially, moved around the United States. Although it didn't make it to New Zealand, it came pretty close, setting up at one non-US venue - the Powerhouse museum in Sydney, Australia (from December 2008 through to April 2009).
In the not too distant past, displays of actual Star Wars props and costumes were rare events. The Art of Star Wars, in the United Kingdom, opened the door on such behind-the-scene treasures from 2000-2002, and the Magic of Myth exposition traveled the US for a number of years before a final stop in Sydney in late 2002. Now, items from the Lucasfilm archives are shown all around the world at a number of different types of events, including more touring exhibitions, fashion shows (eg, the FIDM Museum Dressing a Galaxy costume extravaganza), and conventions such as Celebration III and Celebration IV. Where Science Meets Imagination continues in that tradition, but has been officially described as not focusing on Star Wars per se; rather, "...it's about our world, and our future...Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination uses the science fantasy of the Star Wars films to inspire us to examine different future possibilities, even if they may seem impossibilities today."... ...MORE
Matt G
The following message has come in from the Customer Service Manager for eFX Collectibles: We are now offering the AOTC Clone Trooper Captain Helmet (1:1 scale replica) to our international friends. This helmet is a StarWarsShop.com exclusive but they have been gracious enough to let us sell a small amount(50) of their helmets to our international customers. New Zealanders can now order directly from us. If anyone would like to order one, they can send us an email to [email protected].
We are also having a sale on our AOTC Clone Trooper Helmet. It was originally US$429.00 but is on sale now for US$349.00. To make it easier for our international friends, we are now offering USPS shipping.
To view pics, please check out our blog at myspace.com/efxcollectibles.
Amy Blanchard
Customer Service Manager for eFX Collectibles
Very soon we'll be posting a full gallery and report from the "Where Science Meets Imagination" Star Wars exhibition currently on in Australia. In the meantime, above are a couple of photos to whet readers' appetites.
Related article: 17 Aug 2008, Where Science Meets Imagination Exhibition, Sydney
Related link: Powerhouse Museum exhibition page
Matt G
Starting very soon we'll be taking a look, in a couple of instalments, at the "Where Science Meets Imagination" Star Wars exhibition currently on in Australia. The "Where Science Meets Imagination" event is a traveling Star Wars museum exposition that has been moving around the US since October 2005. Although it won't make it to New Zealand, its current venue is the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney...given the rarity of such opportunities in this part of the globe, this is definitely close enough to consider trying to get over to from NZ! Expect to see props, costumes from all of the Star Wars movies, and interactive displays as a tool to introduce modern science and technology as it relates to that seen in the Star Wars universe.
Related article: 17 Aug 2008, Where Science Meets Imagination Exhibition, Sydney
Related link: Powerhouse Museum exhibition page
Matt G
IGN.com is abuzz with new Battlefront III material: Two more leaked pieces of character art made their way onto our desks this morning, and they're likely the most exciting thing we've seen from Star Wars Battlefront III (including the leaked YouTube footage from yesterday). They show a design for someone named Dark Obi-Wan. There's a description in the upper-left of one of the images that reads: "An old man, gnarled by the corruption of the dark side. Mostly a hermit, he wanders searching for places and things with strong connections to the dark side. Any artifacts he finds, (e.g. force crystals, talismans, bones) he keeps about his person in pouches or threaded through his clothes. Currently, found in the swamps of Dagobah."
Read the article at au.xbox360.ign.com/articles/945/945832p1.html.
And check out the leaked footage - youtube.com/watch?v=azxGBYm41Z8 - before it disappears.
Freddy C
Adrian "Adywan" Sayce is the fan responsible for STAR WARS: Revisited fan edit, and after his two years of labor, he has succeeded in producing everything we expected and more. His cut of the film runs for 127 minutes, as opposed to the 121 minutes release on the SE DVDs. His cut also re-works all of the audio, incorporating several new lines from Mark Hamil's role of Luke in the Radio Drama and the original mono video release. This reworked audio plays in true 5.1 surround sound with no more nasty channel flipping (in the SE release various voices would start out on the left and then randomly flip to right, or vice versa). The hum of the lightsaber, which has become so iconic to the film, has also had its sound drastically improved with a subwoofer track to give it a nice, deep, vibrating hum. For those of you who do not speak English as your native language, I've been told the subtitles have been redone to properly portray what is being said rather than directly translate phrases that may not make sense in another language.
STAR WARS REVISITED: FanEdit.org/517/
and currently in progress:
THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK REVISITED: youtube.com/watch?v=mTUQJmgWUsQ
Great to see the Original Trilogy is alive and well :-)
Freddy C
The January 2009 issue of the Star Wars Insider (no.82 for the UK edition, no.106 for the US edition) came out during the holiday break - it's worth taking a quick look at, and Clone Wars aficionados in particular will want to track it down via their local bookstore. Key amongst the feature articles is an eight page guide to the first season (10 episodes) of the Clone Wars television series, which systematically summarises the plots and characters involved (I realise that New Zealand still does not have access to it via public channels, but it looks like the first four episodes will be released on DVD sometime around March).
Also noteworthy is reference to the new Old Republic massively multiplayer online PC game, an interview with The Force Unleashed sound designer, David W. Collins, and a five page flashback to famous/infamous Star Wars Holiday Special of 1978... ...MORE
Matt G
SWORA (Star Wars Outer Rim Alliance) International member Galactic-Voyage.com has send a communique to announce their "Droid Week"
In the past, they have had week long informational events like TIE Week, Empire Cut Scenes Week, Death Star Week, Obscure Characters Week, and Bothan Week. Along the same vain, they are offering Droid Week...be sure to stop by every day next week to learn information about lots of different droids.
Follow this link for the current list of S.W.O.R.A websites. Or, for an interesting perspective on the locations of S.W.O.R.A websites, check out the clickable S.W.O.R.A world map.
Matt G
GalacticBinder.com has just posted a new feature interview with Gus Lopez, one of the original Star Wars 'super collectors'. Gus maintains one of the largest and most diverse collections of Star Wars memorabilia in the world and is a true authority on the hobby. Click here to jump straight to the interview.
Matt G
SWNZ wants to recruit your help to spread the word amongst Star Wars fans... above are a selection of buttons that can be downloaded (or hotlinked) to link in to Star Wars New Zealand. Feel free to use them on your websites, blogs, forum signatures etc, to help support SWNZ. The image URLs to choose between are:
- http://SWNZ.Dr-Maul.com/images/linkswnz.jpg
- http://SWNZ.Dr-Maul.com/images/linkswnz2.gif
- http://SWNZ.Dr-Maul.com/images/linkswnz3.jpg
- http://SWNZ.Dr-Maul.com/images/SWNZ_120x75a.gif
The website URL to link to is www.SWNZ.co.nz... ...MORE
Matt G
This site is in no way sponsored or endorsed by: George Lucas, Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts Entertainment Co., or any affiliates.
Star Wars and all its characters are � and TM by Lucasfilm Ltd.
Website content � SWNZ, 2003-2011.
Website design by www.Dr-Maul.com.
Home Page
Recent News
Archive 2010
Archive 2009
Archive 2008
Archive 2007
Archive 2006
Archive 2005
Archive 2004
Archive 2003
The NZ Connexion
The NZ Collection
Calendar
About/Contact
Links
Buy, Sell & Trade
Mailing List
Stella Nova
Armageddon Expo
TradeMe.co.nz
