Art Department Weekly | Issue 81 Vol. 11

ADW art department weekly issue 81 Vol. 11

YOU ARE HERE

Ed lETTEr

CoVEr

Mini Board

Mini Board

NOT EVERYONE IS A FAN 3

all STarS

BoX arT

FaShion

2

War rEPorT

Joy ridE

5

4

ThE SPoilEr

SKETChinG STarS

luiS’ liST

6

STar SoundS

12

7

STar SoundS

13

nErd holiday nErd holiday

34

THAT TIME WE CELBRATED STAR WARS AT SCHOOL

35

9

8

all around

14

all around

...

31

11

10

noT in ThE Toy aiSlE

32

noT in ThE Toy aiSlE

33

FiVE ThinGS

36

LUIS’ NEW STYLE

Art Department Weekly is published by Dinosaur Girly Productions, 184 Bay 26th Street, Brooklyn, NY 11214. The entire contents of ADW are protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without expressed written consent of the publisher. ADW accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. ADW reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature same in other mediums for any and all purporses.

In this issue 3 Editor’s Letter 4 Mini Board 6 All Stars

Favorite toys and clothing pieces

8 War Report

Fans answer quick questions

9 Joy Ride

Would you ride it?

10 The Spoiler

What this franchise is missing Mike Posillico

11 Sketching Stars

Artwork by Luis Vega

12 Star Sounds

John Williams creates credibility and takes the storytelling to another level, John Villanova

14 All Around

Movie merchandise hides in plain sight throughout the Vega home, Madeline Vega

32 Not in the Toy Aisle

Wal-Mart has plenty of Star Wars merchandise if you know where to look, Madeline Vega

34 Nerd Holiday

Throwback to that time we celebrated May the 4th with the whole school, Madeline Vega

36 Five Things

An battle for the backyard

Art department weekly Luis Vega Chief content officer Madeline strum Managing Editor Credits Madeline Vega (Cover and pages 3, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14-31, 32-33, 34-35, 36), Luis Vega (Page 11) along with images from 20th Century fox, Lucas film, and disney as well as manufacturers

fan for life For as long as I can remember, Star Wars has held a special place in my life. I remember having the figures as a little boy before I ever saw the film. I remember my brothers talking about the movie and telling me how amazing it was. Needless to say, Star Wars is a big deal to me.

The first Star Wars movie I ever saw was Empire Strikes Back right before I saw Return of the Jedi (see the handy “War Report” on Page 8 for this and many more fun facts) as part of a doublefeature. It made such a mark on me, that I drew the characters for months and vivdly remember writing a “What I Did Over My Summer Vacation” essay centered around watching Star Wars, complete with an illustrated cover of Darth Vader with the Emperor high over his head. From the first moment I saw it, I knew I was smitten.

As I stormed through school, it was easy to find like-minded fans. We were like a big geeky tribe. As the movies became a thing of the past, and the comics and the toy lines dwindled, the tribe started to fade. Without any movies to support, new material became scarcer.

That started to change a bit in the early ’90s as a series of excellent Timothy Zahn books started to get adapted into comics at Dark Horse. Dark Empire was a particularly excellent trilogy of books which continued the saga of the

Skywalker clan. Sadly, those books are completely out of canon now as they were all erased when Disney purchased the property. On Page 10, I examine a bit of Star Wars history in comics.

With the success of the comics line, Hasbro (which had purchased original toy line producer Kenner) released the Power of the Force figures in 1995. These figures sold like gangbusters. The initial waves featured very muscular sculpts, but it was apparent that the interest was there.

Hasbro continued to pump out tons of new excellent products (they still do to this day, as evidenced by the excellent Black Series light sabers pictured above).

With comics and toys making huge waves, George Lucas took notice and announced that he was going back to “A Galaxy Far, Far Away”. A series of prequels were released which provided even more new tie-ins and licensed merchandise.

While the movies weren’t critical hits, they were massive box-office hits. More than that, Star Wars was back in the public eye and has stayed there ever since.

As I’ve entered fatherhood, I have shared Star Wars with each of my kids. I can only hope that they love it as much as I have.

Year in Review 2017 • Art

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mini board Results may vary The first Star Wars-branded cooking companion I ever noticed was Wookie Cookies and Other Galactice Recipes, but no one I talked to would recommend it.

Unlike other fantasy series where the characters seem to really enjoy say Butter Beer, good food isn’t a big part of the story for Luke and friends.

I tried to make pancakes with Star Wars molds from Williams Sonoma, but they were pretty unrecognizable. The cookies on this page are absolutely beautiful, but I have no faith in these Williams Sonoma cookie cutters. It’s not like they paint on the icing for you.

When I threw a Star Wars-themed birthday party, we didn’t serve any Star Wars foods. It was all crab dip and buffalo wings. I guess we really weren’t inspired to try even Blue Milk.

Everything from slow cookers to coffee presses are online, though, for more adventurous fans.

—MV

trail of emotions During Star Wars Celebration 2019, Disney released the first trailer for the final episode of the Skywalker Saga. Luke’s voice narrates, “No one’s ever really gone.”

We see Rey holding a newly welded Skywalker lightsaber. Kylo Ren’s helmet in the process of being rewelded. New droid D-O beside beloved droid BB-8. Billy Dee Williams reprising his role of Lando Calrissian, piloting the Millineum Falcon.

The late Carrie Fisher as General Leia hugging Rey. The ruins from the Death Star. We hear the maniacal laugh of Emperor Palpatine.

—Megan Vega

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D

r A e rh

t r yA

ove

b

“Stay on target.”

–gold Five

“Mind tricks don’t work on me.”

i’m A JeDi like my fAther before me

–watto

I love memes, and I love just about anything Star Wars. As a father raising young Star Wars fans, these two specific memes speak to me.

—LV

“Great, kid. don’t get cocky.”

Best daddy Issues

“This is a new day, a new beginning.”

Jango Fett’s clones, including Boba Vader’s twins, Luke and Leia

–han

–ahsoka

Han’s son, Ben, better known as Kylo Ren

“So this is how liberty dies… with thunderous applause.”

–padmé

“i find your lack of faith disturbing.”

– darth Vader

“in my experience there is no such thing as luck.”

–obi-wan

When 900 yeArs you reAch, look As gooD you Will not

“Somebody has to save our skins.”

–leia

Yoda’s words come to mind when looking at young Warwick Davis and other cast. —LV

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All stArs

Old-school figgahead and once upon a time my figure-hunting companion, I asked Jase for his Top 5 Star Wars figures of all-time 1. BoBA fett So much mystery around him which made his figure even more

interesting.

2. BespIn hAn solo Great figure and attitude to match, just like in ESB! Classic dark blue and brown pants are a great color combination with the yellow stripe.

3. 2-1B Always loved the colors and the clear body to this figure and plus he fixed Luke Skywalker.

4. BIker sCout These guys were a favorite part of ROTJ. The speeder bike scenes

were super exciting after seeing them for the very first time.

5. dArth mAul Such a great character that was killed off way too soon in the prequels. Good thing they brought him back. The detail of his tattoos and his various builds are out of this world.

luis’ list As a companion to Jase’s list, I had to create a list of my own.

1. og dArth VAder The figure that started it all for me. Telescoping lightsaber,

plastic cape… From these humble beginnings an empire was born.

2. sIdeshow toys dArth mAul In the early days of these figures, they were

pretty affordable. This 12-inch figure was unreal.

3. BlACk serIes BoBA fett I have lots of different versions of this Mandalorian bounty hunter. This early Black Series figure is the most perfect of them.

4. lego tIe sIlenCer Kylo Ren’s ship from The Last Jedi is perfectly recreated in

this Lego build. Great, great set.

5. Boush leIA One of my favorite figures from my youth, this bounty hunter-

disguised Leia with removable helmet (I loooovvvveeee removable helmets) was hands down my favorite ROTJ Kenner figure.

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1

wrapped up in fandom Megan’s favorite pieces include...

2

The Star Wars jacket from Her Universe

8

box art Here’s a collection of Luis’ modern collectable favorites

1. Yoda’s Hutt I’ve wanted this set for about 20 years. Originally available packaged with an x-wing back, it was my most sought after new Lego.

3

7

Teeturtle A New Hope T-shirt

2. Sideshow Toys Darth Maul See the sidebar on Page 6.

3. Doctor Aphra An amazing original comic creation by Keiron Gillen.

4. Brick Headz Vader This adorable Vader is the best of the line.

4

6

5. Black Series Kylo Ren Available at SDCC 16, this figure was the first unmasked Black Series Kylo.

6. Range Trooper My favorite Star Wars figure of 2018.

Perfect sculpt.

Star Wars The Last Jedi galaxy premiere sweater

7-8. Boba Fett I have tons of Fett figures. These are two of my most recent favorites. Both are Disney store exclusives.

5

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WAr report Luis asked some fellow fans to rattle off answers

tell us your...

John

David

Jose

laura

kal

BIggest surprIse

Vader is Luke’s father

“Luke, I am your father...”

“I’m your father”

Darth Vader reveal as a kid/ Luke as a hologram as an adult

“No, I am your father”

Best moment

Vader turning on Palpatine

Luke taking out Jabba’s forces— he’s all grown up...

Luke Vader first lightsaber battle

Obi-Wan dies (a tear)

When Luke appears to fight Kylo Ren

“Never tell me the odds!” — Han Solo

“I know.”

I love you. I know.

“No, I am your father.”

Best lIne

“I love you/I know” followed in a close second by “It’s a trap”

Best epIsode

Empire Strikes Back followed by Rogue One

Empire Strikes Back

Empire Strikes Back

Empire Strikes Back

The Last Jedi

My dad took me to see Return of the Jedi in the theater when I was 7 years old.

A New Hope, the first scene of the Star Destroyer shooting at the smaller ship blew my mind

A New Hope on TV around Christmas

fIrst tIme

Saw the first one in 1977 at Times Square when I was 4, with Mom and Dad...*

A New Hope on Fathers Day with my dad

fAVorIte ChArACter

Always had a soft spot for Chewbacca

Darth Vader

Princess Leia

Kylo Ren

fAVorIte produCt

My Bobba Fet action figure

Light-up light saber

Princess Leia action figure...**

Star Wars Battlefront II

*...the opening weekend. Also, met Vader with my Mom at Macy’s when the toys came out in I think 1978. He signed a black and white promo but the pen ran out of ink. He threw the pen on the floor, it bounced up and hit my mom, and I promptly pissed my pants. True story and probably my most vivid early memory.

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Joy Ride Talking about animals in Star Wars

Given the opportunity, which animal would you hop on from the Star Wars movies? Kal, Boom, and Luis sat down to discuss some of the options. Check out all their opinions previewed here from the podcast’s order at https://soundcloud.com/madeline-vega-644153653/ adw-star-wars-creatures-would-you-ride-it —MV

Madeline

Boom

Luis

The end of ReyLo—realizing they won’t be friends

The Death Star exploding

Han Solo’s death

“No, I am your father.”

When the Ewoks help the Rebels

Vader reveals he’s Luke’s father

“No, I am your father.”

“May the Force be with you.”

“I’m a Jedi like my father before me.”

Tauntaun Episode V

Boga Episode II

Boom: Yes, ‘cuz they are really fluffy.

Kal: They’re kind of scaly so you could grip on while they’re doing all that wild stuff.

bantha Episode IV Luis: I would ride it even though I think they would be smelly.

Happabore Episode VII

Betty: No.

Dewback Episode IV

The Last Jedi

The Last Jedi

Empire Strikes Back

Return of the Jedi on VHS

A New Hope on Fathers Day

Empire Strikes Back before Return of The Jedi at a double feature

Leia

BB-8

Han Solo

Boush Leia

Star Wars Battlefront II

One of the first figures I ever had was the Darth Vader with the telescoping...***

Boom: Their skin would be easy to grab.

Rancor Episode V

**...but all the figures with the gray container/platform. We lost Princess Leia’s cape, so we took the sand guy’s cape and turned it inside out ***...light saber… Still to this day one of my favorites.

Luis: A Rancor does what a Rancor wants to do.

Eopie Episode I Boom: They seem like tiny goats.

Fathier Episode VIII

Boom: It seems like it could jump off a mountain.

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the Spoiler WARNING: Angry Man Writing

by Mike Posillico

Back in my day, there were three Star Wars movies and Disney only made cartoons!

I

will be the first to admit that few things happen inside a movie theater that are more exhilarating than when the title card “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” appears on screen; followed immediately by the great cosmic jolt that is the strong brass opening of the Star Wars “Main Title Theme”, courtesy of John Williams. Boy, that introduction really does get the audience amped up and ready to go. But where is that audience going? At this point, no place they haven’t already been, over and over… and over again.

What is left for Star Wars to accomplish? If you ask me, a whole hell of a lot and I wish they would start doing it!

It’s great big space opera with limitless possibilities, yet the franchise seems incapable of deviating from the same basic plot line: A big evil machine commanded by the “Empire” is poised to destroy something important and The Rebel Alliance must stop it or be wiped out forever. This is the plot of A New Hope, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, Rogue One, and The Last Jedi TWICE (first with the “dreadnought” and later a laser-based siege engine on Crait). As that’s going on, you have the standard B-story regarding “The Force” and someone’s moral conundrum over whether or not they will turn to evil.

Pepper in a few light saber duels and

you’re well on your way to making another billion at the box office.

I’m not sure if focus groups are to blame or studio executives, but whoever they are, they are afraid to deviate from the formula in any way, which I suppose I would be as well since there is such an astounding amount of money to be gained by producing a hit. What’s frustrating is that it’s Star Wars! Good or bad, it’s going to be a hit, everyone knows it’s going to be a hit, so you might as well be daring and do amazing creative things! Write some new story lines about people we actually care about instead of shoehorning needless characters into a film just to kill them off later because you’re scared of consequences that would impact the bottom line. Sorry, Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern), but you didn’t need to be in The Last Jedi and I certainly didn’t give a flying *#$% when you sacrificed yourself for the greater good. Maybe if you let a few rebels in on your brilliant plan in the first place you wouldn’t have had to pilot a spaceship doing lightspeed straight up Snoke’s dead ass! It could have been avoided… that’s all I’m saying.

I’m not one of these people that believe Stars Wars is for “nerds.” I grew up on A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi, and I have seen each of them dozens and dozens of times. My

star stories Star Wars has had many comics iterations over the years, here are a few of the most important books and landmark moments over the past 5 decades

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Star Wars Marvel 1977 Launched in April 1977, this book started out by first adapting the original movie then leading the cast into often off-the-wall adventures. The series carried on for nine years.

issue with a majority today’s fans is that they are somehow satisfied with the current product no matter how deeply they know it’s just not good enough. To quote Darth Vadar, “Search your feelings, you know it to be true!” This latest trilogy, and subsequent spinoffs, are so tired and predictable that they’re making me long for the days of Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker) and Jar Jar Binks (one of the most hated characters to ever hit the silver screen). The reboots are so insulting that they’re actually ruining the originals. If you claim to be a “diehard” fan of the franchise and you’re okay with this, then I need someone to explain to me how you can sit by and allow it to happen year after year. I used to believe it was mostly nostalgia, but now I’m not so sure. I think it’s actually approaching a serious mental condition that apparently millions of people need to seek treatment for.

I will concede this one last thing though. Luke lecturing Rey about the Jedi’s entire history, as being a history of failure, is the most accurate and wonderful thing ever said in any Star Wars movie, because it’s 100% true.

One last thing, the latest trailer for Solo looks pretty boss, so I’ll make the same wish I’ve made many times since Attack of the Clones premiered: “I hope this is the one that turns it around!”

star wars Dark Empire dark horse This epic 1991 Dark Horse story continued the saga of the Skywalker clan shortly after the events of ROTJ. An excellent story that has been retconned.

A

sketching

stars

To commemorate each new Star Wars movie, Luis loves to create a piece of art. Here are few he created based on the Disney releases

s a little boy I would constantly try to draw Darth Vader and Han Solo, my two favorite characters from the original trilogy. When the prequels came around, I remember trying to put together pieces on Qui-Gonn and Obi-Wan. After watching the excellent The Force Awakens, I knew I had to take a stab at the lead protaganist, Rey. I’m a huge fan of Rey and think she is a Mt. Rushmore Star Wars hero. Daisy Ridley matches the raw naivete of farm boy Luke with just the right amount of technical know-how a la Han. I knew I wanted to put together a shot of Rey with her staff, but I also wanted to draw Rey on her speeder. I decided I would merge the two pieces, and thus my new signature style was born: a larger face/bust of a character with a smaller action or detail shot in the foreground. This Rey piece started the trend.

While watching Solo, I was completely captivated by the character Enfys Nest. I loved everything about the look of this character. The mask, the fur, the entire costume. Then she removes the helmet and you see a freckled young woman. This made my choice for who I wanted to capture in my signature art style easy. With my new materials (thank god for the Micron pens) I feel like I was able to capture the power of the character’s mask, and the humanity of her bare face.

For The Last Jedi, I knew I wanted to draw my oldest son’s favorite character, Kylo Ren. While I love the look of the Kylo mask in my illustration, I feel like the likeness on the unmasked face left a bit to be desired. Also, the quilting on the costume was truly hard to capture in a relatively flat black environment.

Some of you may be wondering why there isn’t a piece for the excellent Rogue One... Simple, I didn’t like how my Jyn turned out. I hope to redo that one soon in a piece I’m prouder of. - LV

star wars dark horse 1998

star wars marvel 2015

darth vader Marvel 2015

Basking in the glow of the prequels, Dark Horse launched a new ongoing series focusing on some of the lesser known jedi.

Ki-Adi Mundi was the main star of the original story arc.

After almost 30 years away, Star Wars came back to their original comics home at Marvel. Actionpacked tales featuring the original cast were told with A+ comic talent.

The jewel of the Marvel line is the Keiron Gillen written Vader. Epic in scale, the story revolves around Vader and his partnership with Doctor Aphra.

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star sounds

JV Explains the hidden musical signals in the films’ scores

by John Villanova

I

n my humble opinion, you can’t talk about Star Wars without talking about the score. Composed largely by the legend (and recent Kobe Bryant collaborator) John Williams, the music of Star Wars is in many cases as iconic as its characters and “wow” moments. If you don’t trust me, consider this quote from the Wookieepedians: “The music for the films [is] especially distinctive as it has been known to paint musical pictures of such accessibility and precision. Williams’ invaluable contribution to the tripletrilogy and story films stands as an unsurpassed feat in the history of film scoring in terms of breadth, thematicdevelopment and cultural impact.”

That’s high praise, sure. But Star Wars scholars (AKA huge nerds) have connected the score to the Late Romantic period of classical composition, suggesting that Williams intentionally included nods to important composers like Richard Strauss and Igor Stravinsky throughout the films. This grounded them in a kind of sonic framework where a musical gesture—strings, horns, drums— could foretell what was coming. Williams once suggested that these connections helped the film speak become a kind of “cross-cultural myth.”

These gestures are called motifs (or if you want to get really technical,

leitmotifs), and they’re the lifeblood of a film or operatic score. They tailor our viewing by acting as the types of musical cues we’ve learned through our consumption of film, TV, and even radio, emblematic of the “show-not-tell” rule of good storytelling. German composer Richard Wagner* is credited with popularizing their usage, where a particular melody or instrumental would denote the entrance of a character or an upcoming major plot development.

Films of the Seventies seized upon this idea, as the dawn of the Hollywood blockbuster meant everything was bigger, including the budget for film scoring. With those budgets came composers willing to use motifs to add to the sense of drama. Jaws is the quintessential example—that two-note signal is a surefire way to create anxiety, isn’t it?

Further, in the case of Star Wars, I’d argue that the score serves an even more important purpose: It gives the series a level of seriousness or gravitas it would otherwise lack. In a world where Ewoks (read: Muppets) manage to defeat the heavily-armored stormtroopers on Endor in Return of the Jedi and Jar Jar Binks somehow breathes, the series has always had to walk a tightrope between mass appeal for kids and the serious stakes of intergalactic

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war. The music, I’d argue, enriches and deepens the feelings of excitement, fear, and wonder that are why people return again and again to the original trilogy of films despite their age.

So for this issue, I thought I’d do a kind of musical primer, unpacking some of the most important Star Wars motifs and their meaning.

Star Wars Theme “Dun DUN…

Dundundunduuuun Dun.” This sad facsimile—which probably looks like a transcription of a college a cappella group’s beatbox backing track to “Let Me Clear My Throat”—is my best attempt at writing out the main Star Wars theme.

You know the one I’m talking about: It plays as the credits scroll and at times of high adventure or stress. The strings swell, the bass drums bomb. This, my friends, is an intergalactic opera. There are stakes. It matters. This fanfare pops up whenever the stakes rise in that galaxy far, far away. I don’t know about you, but even after dozens of viewings, I still get goosebumps sometimes.

“Imperial March” Let’s try one more phonetic exercise. “Dun dun dun dundundun dundundun. DUN DUN DUN dundundun dundundun.” This military march with snare drums and horns usually plays when Darth Vader is doing anything—

Sounds funny

Star Wars’ music, like its characters and best lines*, has taken on a life of its own in the 41 years since A New Hope debuted. These are some of my favorite appearances of Star Wars music outside of the series itself.

—JV

The Simpsons

(Season 10, Episode 9)

After quelling a riot at a sci-fi convention and saving Mayor Quimby and Mark Hamill in the process, Homer becomes the mayor’s personal bodyguard.

Never ones to waste a guest appearance, the creators had Hamill pull double duty, starring in a dinner-theater performance of Guys and Dolls featuring a stirring performance of “Luke Be a Jedi Tonight” and a “use the forks” joke.

Saturday Night Live (Season 3 Episode 10)

it’s essentially the anthem of the Empire/ First Order/bad guys. What’s fascinating is that if you listen throughout Episodes I, II, and III, you’ll hear callbacks to it, growing louder and more realized as Anakin Skywalker descends into fear, anger, and hate that characterize the Dark Side.

“The Force” Theme As our young hero

Luke Skywalker stands alone on Tatooine, cast against a double-moon “binary sunset,” a single French horn introduces a mystical melody before swelling strings repeat it as our hero stares out across a desert landscape. In a piece on the series’s music, The New Yorker’s Alex Ross suggests, “This may be the point at which Star Wars steps out of the adolescent-adventure arena and into the realm of modern myth.” What’s cool is that it happens before we ever learn about The Force in the first place, so by the time we start hearing Ben Kenobi sharing its ways, we’re already primed for it. That’s great storytelling.

“Rebel Fanfare” This is the shortest and hardest to describe—a quick burst of

horns that plays whenever we check in with Admiral Akbar (he of “it’s a trap!” fame) and the rest of the Rebel Fleet.

Someone who knows more about music than me says, “the theme itself is constructed out of brassy major block chords that progress in parallel motion through intervals of a third, resulting in an appropriate heraldic flavor,” which is an appropriate way to describe it for all intents and purposes.

“Duel of the Fates” One might argue that this piece of scoring—which first appears during the menage-a-lightsaber duel between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon, and Darth Maul—is the only good thing to come out of Episode I. Between the tense strings and the choir chanting a Celtic poem translated into Sandskrit, this piece really sums up the darkness of the prequel trilogy. “Duel of the Fates” actually crossed over into the mainstream: Its music video debuted on TRL, the only classical piece to have done so. This is the gothic high drama that works every time.

Starring as Nick the lounge singer, Bill Murray stretches out the Star Wars theme and adding lyrics that still make me laugh every time I hear them. “When these Star Waaaars come to an end?!”

“Star Wars Cantina” The satirical crooner Richard Cheese (yes really) released a parody of “Copacabana” in 1997 that is definitely worth a listen.

Set in the Cantina of Mos Eisley,*** the song introduces all of the characters and is full of in-jokes for serious fans. Try it at your next dinner party—there’ll be “Music and blasters and old Jedi masters at the Star Waaars...” * This is about the only thing we should credit Wagner with—he was a pretty evil dude. **The best Star Wars line is “That’s not a moon.

That’s a space station” and this is not up for debate. ***Han shot first.

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all around Photos by Madeline Vega

We could have gone around and looked for specific things to set up studio shots, but would that really capture the magic of how Star Wars fits in every day with all the other toys?

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Like midichlorians, star wars merchandise is everywhere

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collectibles of all shapes and sizes and textures

Shelves of “Don’t play with that”

A lot of this stuff actually was stacked up this way as we unpacked bags and boxes. Few of thes things were actually collected with an intent to display like this.

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From games to containers

Pilot Luke on a Play-Doh container; the DS Lego Star Wars game; Mickey, Angry Bird Vader, and talking Chewbacca; a mailbox for storing Transformer Botbots; a battle droid statue

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Varying degrees of girliness mixed into the mess

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Mostly leia and rey

A Hallmark Itty Bitty version of Princess Leia; Ahsoka on the Clone Wars cover for the DS next to Itty Bitty Rey; Lego Rey and Leia; a novel verion of how Leia ascended from Princess to General; a tiny rubber dress for Leia; an unopened Forces of Destiny Rey

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so many legos

The M&M Mace Windo is in a container of other tiny-but-not-Lego figurines; old man Obi Wan and Luke surrounded by more sets; a Tie ship; old man Luke greeting Rey; Brick Headz Chewbacca; Queen Amidala surrounded by more of Betty’s tiny toys; a busted ship; a Rebel ship

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there will never be enough shelves for the whole beautiful disaster in the mix A droid in a tub of random Lego

people; the Ghost from The Clone Wars; a storm trooper and droid with Maui; Tsum Tsum Boba Fett and troopers; Lego Yoda; Kylo Ren’s Command Shuttle parked near a castle; a tie fighter; Lego tauntaun; a Star Wars pen in a box that needs to be unpacked

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so many pieces

Chewbacca and other Star Wars-inspired cars; a land speeder for Play-Doh; a storm trooper coin from the Loopin’ Chewie game; Mr. Potato Head as a storm trooper; a marker where my kids left it; Hera Syndulla as an Angry Bird

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Secret compartments

A USB drive and Pez dispenser; a trading card; more figures from various series; Kal’s favorite Rebels T-shirt in his drawer; Obi Wan and Rey play with Shopkins

use it you may

(Opposite page) A coffee mug; a frame from the Star Wars Celebration event; unopened Black Series figures; unopened Lego sets; unopened Forces of Destiny Jynn Erso; an unopened Brick Headz surrounded by more unopened things

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here to remind us of good times, past and future

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action packed

A storm trooper and Darth Vader book; Golden Books editions; drawing tutorials; movie previews; companion titles; video games

May 4, 2019 • Art

Department Weekly 29

More ways to play

A storm trooper mask; Angry Birds to fling; Star Wars Guess Who; plans for Vader’s helmet and a Pig Star to knock down; Angry Bird storm trooper; a forgotten board game

30 Art Department Weekly • May 4, 2019

where they lay

Rey in a pile of Monster High and Super Hero Girls; Tsum Tsum R2-D2; Leia wearing Senator Amidala’s dress

May 4, 2019 • Art

Department Weekly 31

not in the toy aisle More than six months from the next movie’s release, Wal-Mart’s collection of Star Wars toys can easily fit in one frame. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing on the shelves...

When walking around the store, I would expect to find Star Wars socks and T-shirts as well as action figures, but a tour of nearly every department left me with a better sense of how far we are from the release date for Episode IX. Disney has more Marvel properties to push before Star Wars. The tour also paints a picture of how Disney is positioning Spider-Man and Paw Patrol as the masculine options for bubbles or bikes or plush characters. However, Rey and BB-8 show up everywhere as the faces of the franchise on bottles of vitamins and toothbrushes.

Luis has been following all of the announcements for ways Hasbro plans to fill stores with Star Wars toys later this year.

This is clearly a temporary situation.

—Madeline

knock-off

This light-up Space Sword for less than $4 easily won Betty’s approval.

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Practical fans

Toothbrushes, underwear, vitamins, bath towels, waste bins, toothpaste, and containers to collect Easter eggs were all examples we found of Star Wars branding.

May 4, 2019 • Art

Department Weekly 33

nerd holiday for the last cultural celebration of the ’15-’16 year, we convinced the school to fly their geek flag Photos by Madeline Vega

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Community Circle

The principal shakes everyone’s hand to start every school day, but on May 4, 2016, the Star Wars theme played before Chewbacca shook hands. Then everyone gathered in the gym.

younglings and masters

By the end of the half-day, Kal’s hair color was all over his face; Chewbacca, Princess Leia, Boba Fett, Han Solo, Darth Vader, and Rey (all staff members) posed with some of costumed scholars.

May 4, 2019 • Art

Department Weekly 35

five things Action series to test out the Hasbro Black series Light Sabers

ready, set, fight!

Once the batteries are installed and the on switch is flipped, the saber not only lights up but also starts to make noises.

There is no longer a need to fake sound effects. This of course fuels the drama.

36 Art Department Weekly • May 4, 2019