The only thing that a geek could like more than Star Wars or Space Invaders merchandise is a clever mashup of the two. And that’s exactly what this ‘Space Invaders Strike Back’ tee, designed by artist Steven Castaneda, does perfectly. At a quick glance it looks like a screenshot of classic Space Invaders, but upon closer examination you’ll discover your ship is actually the Millennium Falcon, while the invaders are TIE fighters, bombers and interceptors. Not to mention the Death Star hovering at the top for bonus points. It’s available from Tshirtbordello.com in any size you could need for just $14.99, but is limited to just Navy when it comes to color choice.
A few years ago Haynes, a once respected creator of detailed technical handbooks for cars and other vehicles, published an owner’s workshop manual for Apollo 11 and other 1969-era Apollo mission spacecraft. It made for a humorous gift for spacecraft enthusiasts, but also provided a unique glimpse into the technical aspects of the vehicles, for those who were engineering inclined.
However, they’re now releasing a manual for modified YT-1300 Corellian Freighters, the most famous of which being the Millennium Falcon from the Star Wars films. Now I know it’s not the first fictional vehicle they’ve created a manual for. That would probably be the USS Enterprise from that other ‘Star’ franchise. But I just hope they don’t get too carried away with this trend, and sully their well respected name. This particular workshop manual was written by Ryder Windham who already has some 50 Star Wars books under his belt, so I guess if anyone knows what they’re talking when it comes to fictional engineering, it’s him. And while it’s not available for sale just yet, Amazon Canada does have it listed for a little over $23.
So here’s the backstory. Since traveling to a far-off planet to location shoot the Tatooine scenes from the original Star Wars film would have been cost-prohibitive, the filmmakers built and shot the sets in Tunisia instead. Including the Lars’ family home, commonly known as the ‘igloo’. Unfortunately the conditions and temperatures in the Tunisian desert have slowly weathered those sets over time, to the point where they’re close to being completely destroyed. So a group of fans has planned an expedition to Tunisia to restore them to their original glory, but in order to do that they need money. And as Lucasfilm has proved time and time again, the best way to get money is with Star Wars merchandise.
Taking a page from the Romain Jerome design playbook, the restoration team has created a collectible watch that features actual sand from the Tatooine sets adorning the face. The numbers surrounding the watch face are printed in Aurebesh, the official language of the Star Wars universe, and each timepiece is made from solid 316L stainless steel, machined brass and Seiko mechanisms. According to their Kickstarter page the watch has a suggested retail price of $112, and you can get one with a donation of just $77. However, it looks like the project has already reached their $22,760 funding goal. So not only will the sets hopefully be preserved, but they’ll have a few extra credits to head into Tosche Station to pick up some power converters too.
Some people throw steaks and burgers on the barbecue, others set off fireworks, but we here at OhGizmo! feel that the best way to celebrate the 4th of July is to promote rampant consumerism! And if there’s one thing we’ve found people love spending money on, it’s Star Wars merchandise. Technically, Adidas Originals’ new Fall & Winter 2011 Star Wars gear has only just started hitting their online store with a few pieces already available for sale this fine 4th, but the rest should be available soon.
Highlights, at least according to me, include a snazzy, puffy winter coat with a shiny black sheen and strategic stitching designed to look like the only outfit Vader wears, and a thick winter jacket with fur-lined hood that’s not unlike the ones worn by rebel troops on their Hoth base. So in case you haven’t caught on yet, this particular collection seems to draw its inspiration from The Empire Strikes Back.
Other highlights include this flight jacket inspired by “Corellian bad boy Han Solo” according to Adidas’ online store where you can grab it now for $130. And some much deserved love for one of the most overlooked and under-appreciated characters in the Star Wars universe, the Wampa, which gets its own pair of kicks with a fur-themed design.
While there have been many books over the years that contained blueprints of the fictional ships and weaponry in the Star Wars universe, this is the first to include the original blueprints used for the creation of the sets and props of all six films. Pulled from the Lucasfilm Archives, the blueprints are accompanied by commentary from author J. W. Rinzler and provide an in-depth look at the art and science behind the filming and post-production of the epic sci-fi series.
Most importantly, Blueprints shows how in bringing this extraordinary epic to life, the world of special effects as we know it was born. For the first time, here you will see the initial concepts behind such iconic Star Wars scenes as the Rebel blockade runner hallways, the bridge of General Grievous’s flagship, the interior of the fastest “hunk of junk” in the Galaxy, and Jabba the Hutt’s palace. Never before seen craftsmanship and artistry is evident whether floating on the Death Star, escaping on a speeder bike, or exploring the Tatooine Homestead.
Star Wars: The Blueprints will only be available in a limited edition, hand-numbered run of 5,000 copies. The first 125 are signed by the Academy-Award winning Art Directors for the original Star Wars film: Norman Reynolds, Les Dilley and set dresser Roger Christian, and will set you back a cool grand. While the remaining 4,875 copies are just $500 each.
I almost feel bad about posting this amazing Millennium Falcon bean bag chair because as far as I can tell it was a one-off custom design created for an Adidas’ pavilion at the 2010 Sónar Festival. Made by Woouf!, masters of the fine art of bean bagging (that’s what it’s called right?) this version of the Falcon measures over 8 1/2 feet long, and looks a lot more like the ‘real’ thing than this Falcon bed we brought you a few years ago.
The chair was created to tie-in to Adidas’ line of Star Wars themed sneakers they came out with a while ago, but sadly I see no indication that it’s available for sale to the public. Which is too bad because I suspect Woouf! could demand a hefty pile ot republic credits for them and still easily sell out.
It’s hard to fault any product that incorporates the Star Wars Universe’s most lovable astromech droid. But something tells me this R2-D2 themed planetarium from Sega Toys isn’t quite scientifically accurate. It still looks like a fun way to light up a kid’s room, just as long as you’re ok when they ask you why they can’t see the Death Star looming overheard when they stare up at the real night sky. Available in Japan sometime in September for under $87 (¥7,000).
We certainly love us some over-the-top LEGO creations, and even though the Jawa Sandcrawler certainly isn’t the most exciting vehicle in the Star Wars universe, the attention to detail Marshal Banana has put into his LEGO model has us lusting over his creation. Built from 10,000+ pieces over 9 months, Marshal’s Sandcrawler could almost pass as a movie model, since it comes complete with a working crane, a fully completed interior with a moving conveyor belt and working treads allowing it to be driven remotely. Check out his Flickr gallery for some equally impressive photos of his creation. And weep when you look over at the rainbow colored monstrosity of a house your meager LEGO skills let you construct.
If you’ve ever seen pictures of the Hells Angels, you’ll notice that there is a certain look required to not look ridiculous on a big Harley. If you’re like me, you could probably do with an intimidating mask befitting a soldier of an evil galactic empire.
There is something about the Stormtrooper mask that makes the troopers stand out from the common soldier type shown in many sci-fi works. In fact, the helmet design featured in the movies has barely changed from the earliest concept art depicting these white-clad soldiers of the empire. Fortunately, an Etsy seller, EpicLeather, has incorporated this classic, lasting design into a leather motorcycle mask.
The mask shown in the picture is of the tanned leather variety, but, by special order, the mask can be made in 10 other colors, including, most notably, the original white. These $200 dollar hand-crafted leather masks are lined with foam and suede leather for comfort. As far as practical uses are concerned, it will shield your face from the wind and protect against the occasional swallowed bug.
Related Tags: Clothing, Retro, Star-Wars
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