After pondering my options, you can see I went in the more character-focused direction with this piece...
I struggled with this one a lot. And I think it's mostly because I just absolutely love this one shot from Empire Strikes Back:
But then I was thinking... if I redraw that shot, what am I doing other than just redrawing that shot? How would that be my artwork? So it became clear - imminent impact is the way to go!
With all my pieces post-Zuckuss, I've always treated the figure as the "source of truth" rather than the character they're based on. With the vehicles I'm a bit more squishy. I mean, the interior of the Falcon doesn't look like this. The toy Sandcrawler doesn't look exactly like this. And the toy AT-ST doesn't look exactly like this. However, the toy Speederbike does look exactly like this, so I'll do it when it works for the piece. I'm trying not to feel too bad that the Snowspeeder cockpit and the AT-AT itself aren't great representations of the toys here. A sparse windshield with no controls and a red line across the face of the AT-AT would be pretty boring!
Next week I should be finished with the final pencils, and maybe I'll even have some inks done. I hope you're excited!
It's been a long, grueling task... but I think I've finally landed the irrefutable evidence I've been looking for.
Right now you're thinking: "Huh?" Alright... let's go back to the beginning. July 6, 2022 I got an unsolicited FB message from a guy from Peru:
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Click here to read the WHOLE story!
I have put pencil to paper!
So what's going on here? I suppose a little background info is in order. I had not planned on AT-AT Commander to be one of the figures in my upcoming batch. It was supposed to consist of 8D8, Dengar, FX-7, Klaatu Skiff, Nein Nunb, Weequay, Death Star Droid, Rebel Commander, General Madine, and Max Rebo. But back in February I received a package from Robert Coleman containing 20 loose, complete AT-AT Commander figures. Back in 2020 I told him if he provided the figures I'd make AT-AT Commander, totally expecting that ridiculous suggestion to be ignored. Joke's on me, I suppose!
Since he sent the figures, I asked him if he had any preference what the art should look like. He requested something with the AT-AT Walker. I've featured the AT-AT in two previous Droids Customs, so I had to come up with something different. After brainstorming, I decided on a Snowspeeder pilot's view of the attack on Hoth. I still need to decide on how big I want the AT-AT to be. I could do just the vehicle from afar. That'd be quite different from any of my previous Droids Customs, where are always character-focused. Alternately, I could do a massive close-up... General Veers reacting to an imminent impact! Not sure which I want to do. Maybe you'll find out next week which way I went...
At long last CreatureCantina will be returning to its stated purpose - collecting news! My application to attend Toy Fair 2023 has been approved!
We were supposed to go back in February 2022, but the reemergence of COVID forced that cancellation. I still went to New York then, but in an unofficial capacity. The last actual Toy Fair in 2020 was a weird one. I mean, not super weird. A bit less crowded. But what we really noticed was the entire "independent Asian toy manufacturer" section in the back-right corner was abandoned. We were aware of the virus, but it wasn't really cataclysmic at that point so we just kinda chuckled about it. How could I have known it'd be the last major gathering I'd attend for two years?
Now Toy Fair has been moved to late September, which I'm super pleased about since New York weather in February is generally miserable. I'm looking forward to seeing a bunch of my Internet Media friends for the first time in ages. And I'm honored that this little goofy site is still welcome in the Javits Center! Now if only the folks at Hasbro would rediscover the value of unconventional news coverage...
SIGNATURE EDITION NIEN NUNB REPLICA FOR ROTJ'S 40th ANNIVERSARY!
Regal Robot's adding Nien Nunb to their Archive Collection of rare collectibles scanned from the original artifacts. This new maquette is based on the original concept sculpture by ILM's Dave Carson when designing the fan-favorite character!
In celebration of the 40th Anniversary of "Return of the Jedi", this special Anniversary Signature Edition will only be available for 40 hours, starting at 4pm EST on May 25th.
Don't miss your chance to bring home a truly unique, hand-painted collectible from the artists at Regal Robot.
See photos and learn more about how to reserve yours here: https://regalrobot.com/custom-star-wars-busts-statues/
Now you can buy as many of these as you like, but you don't have to buy more than one. I asked Tom if people had to buy these in quantities of nine and he replied: "Nein, nein!" I wasn't sure why he was speaking in German, but whatever. He also confirmed that the collectible does not play "Comfortably Nunb" by Pink Floyd.
So as this is only available for less than two days, don't miss out on this Land-o opportunity that only comes around once a Millennium. I'm sure your wallet can Endor(e), or endure this purchase. I heard there's one collector who wants one so bad, "Ewok"ed all the way to the "RR" offices on foot, and is standing outside of the building as we speak, waiting for this to go on sale. If you miss out, it could be a sticky Wicket indeed trying to procure one from a secondary market.
Have a great Memorial Day weekend one and all!
Well, this is a pain in the butt...
As part of a new security initiative, my employer is now blocking "dangerous" websites like Gmail, Google Drive, and Google Sheets. All of which I use extensively for managing the PSWCS.org charity drive and CreatureCantina.com. This in an effort to prevent large data transfers (presumably of private patient information). And I'm still trying to find ways to navigate these changes.
I mean, I can understand the rationale. But IMO, you either trust your employees or you don't. If a bad actor wanted to export sensitive data, these blocks would be easily circumvented. If a stupid actor might accidentally upload sensitive stuff, that employee was improperly trained. Though I couldn't say how... PHI is something they drive into our heads constantly. So all this really does is cause headaches for little to no benefit.
So now not only does CreatureCantina.com SUCK, managing CreatureCantina.com SUCKS...
We're just getting our FIRST LOOK EVER at a living Mythosaur! Using reference provided by Lucasfilm, the detail-obsessed artists at Regal Robot have crafted a magnet based on the beast's appearance in season 3 of The Mandalorian.
Though only shown in the shadows in the show, this new mini-sculpture showcases all of the monsterous details of this mythical creature.
Also released today is Bo-Katan's Signet as a magnet. She encountered the Mythosaur within the Living Waters of Mandalore during the rescue mission where she earned her signet.
Fans can find these and all of Regal Robot's Mandalorian related creations here:
https://regalrobot.com/product-tag/the-mandalorian/
These are truly collectibles that are not to be mythed. Perfect for the mythter or mythus Star Wars-collector in your life. If you feel your collection is mything something, look no further. So don't let these slip away and end up mything out! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to my late-night double-feature viewing of "Gorillas in the Mythst" and "Manhattan Murder Mythtery" while I peruse the latest issue of PentHutt Magazine, and ogle the pics or Myth May.
These puns may Reek, be Ran-corny, and may not be the Kraytest, but at least I'm not dragon my feet to get you all the news that's fit to print! You can always count on anything I write to not be sar-laccing in bad jokes. I'd better stop before Bill Ack-lays down the law about how many puns I can put into a piece, so I'll see each and every one of you Nexu week!
Last November I placed my order for bubbles for my next run of Droids customs. They arrived a few days ago.
Fantastic timing, as I'm ready to begin working on my next one! But there was an issue. A few weeks ago I got the following message:
The current batch is now done , have an issue though in that Hoth Rebel Commander POTF bubble was listed as a stormtrooper Bubble on my reference list, but when I've come to finish them off and do a final figure fit its the wrong size.
So no Rebel Commander for this wave. He apologized and gave me a discount on them, saying they'd fit Death Squad Commander, Luke X Wing Pilot, and Imperial Commander. Perhaps others. Don't know what I'm gonna do with them, but I'll do something.
For now, my focus is on my next one - AT-AT Commander! Seeing how the figures fell into my lap how could I do anyone else??
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Return of The Jedi", various theater chains brought it back for 1 week only, and I was not about to miss that as I don't remember when I last saw that film in a theater (I know it was part of the nine-movie marathon ...
Click here to read the WHOLE story!
For the many of you who have been following my travels on Facebook, this won't be breaking news. I recently returned from a trip to Tunisia, where I visited many Star Wars filming locations. Among them was the inspiration for this very site!
That's right - I visited the original filming location for the exterior shots of the Mos Eisley Cantina! The building still stands to this day... barely. It's abandoned and partially collapsed. But it still draws tourists so they haven't torn it down. My entire trip was amazing, and I figure I'll tell some tales over the coming weeks. But for now, I'd like to share the photo album I put together from my time in Tunisia. Enjoy!
Google Drive Gallery: Tunisia 2023
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