EPISODE I PREVIEW SCREENING COMPETITION WINNERS...

The French poster for the upcoming EPISODE I re-release in 3D.

THE PHANTOM MENACE makes its return next month, and we're pleased to announce that the winners of tickets to the upcoming London preview screening were Mariana Camacho and Jason W.

Congratulations, and enjoy the film back on the big screen- where it belongs!

CLASSIC INDY: MUSICAL GIFTS...

Harrison Ford returns to play an older version of Indiana Jones, wearing his beard well and revealing his saxophone playing history, for the feature length 1993 YOUNG INDIANA JONES TV series episode Young Indiana Jones and the Mystery of the Blues, designed as a second season launcher to win viewers back into watching the young audience educational series, of which Ford filmed all his snowbound scenes near his home in Jackson,Wyoming as a favour to George Lucas.

Clip: Young Indiana Jones & The Mystery Of The Blues (better Quality w/ tv preview) - YouTube

"THE CLONE WARS" SEASON FOUR: INTO "THE BOX"

An early helmet design rendered by Ralph McQuarrie for a "Super Commando", conceived by George Lucas for STAR WARS II in 1977, and eventually becoming THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK's iconic and disreputable character of bounty hunter Boba Fett in 1979. This excellent original design is finally becoming an animated reality, for another of Fett's kind, Raco Hardeem, master marksman of Concord Dawn, who appears as part of Count Dooku's assembled force in next week's US premiere episode screening of THE CLONE WARS Season Four, titled The Box.

Clip: The Clone Wars The Box - Episode Preview 4.17 +melkor(SWP) - YouTube

GOODBYE, IAN ABERCROMBIE...

The sad news has come in States-side that popular British actor Ian Abercrombie, most well known to STAR WARS fans as the voice of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (above) and Darth Sidious in the long-running THE CLONE WARS animated series, has passed away. He was 77. Amongst a diverse body of work, primarily in America, his popular fantasy genre credits would include TV series like TWIN PEAKS, BIRDS OF PREY, BABYLON 5, STAR TREK: VOYAGER, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA and BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER, whilst noted film work included THE LOST WORLD: JURASSIC PARK, ARMY OF DARKNESS and THE ADDAMS FAMILY VALUES. Abercrombie's distinctive voice also see in a very popular career in numerous animated series, including THE CLONE WARS and films like the recently released, Johnny Depp starring RANGO.


His friend and Supervising Animation Director on THE CLONE WARS series, Dave Filoni, posted this lovely tribute to the fine actor on his FACEBOOK page:


Today is a very sad day for Star Wars fans, as we lost a dear friend in Ian Abercrombie. You know him better as the voice of Supreme Chancellor Palpatine on The Clone Wars. I cannot express how thankful I am to have had the opportunity to work with Ian. He was extremely passionate about his role on the series and he was brilliant at it. I always called him “Chancellor” no matter where we were, in the studio or out at a restaurant. I think he enjoyed that a great deal. I learned so much from him about directing actors, and working with dialog. His advice and mentoring will be sorely missed by all of us. Though he played a villain on our show, you would be hard pressed to meet a kinder person. He loved to laugh and his sense of humor always lightened our record sessions. I will miss his stories, I will miss his performances, and I will miss his contribution to our show. 

My friend, the Force will be with you, always, and you will never be forgotten. 

Farewell

Dave

Ian Abercrombie: 1934 - 2012

Our condolences and best wishes go out to Mister Abercrombie's family and friends in this sad time.

CLASSIC IMAGE: A HAPPY GAMORREAN!

A bulky and distinctive Gamorrean Guard poses for an iconic publicity image for REVENGE (later RETURN) OF THE JEDI, against the red sails and mighty laser cannon on the top deck of Jabba's incredible Sail Barge, an exterior set constructed in all its visual grandeur on location in Yuma, Arizona during 1981/early 1982.

CLASSIC ART: GRIN AND BARE IT!

Darth Maul gives us his best feral grin on the cover of Ryder Windham's latest young readers STAR WARS biography book: The Wrath of Darth Maul. The title is out now in the US and has had positive word of mouth reviews. Sadly, British SW fans will only be able to get it on import from Amazon and the like as we heard yesterday that SCHOLASTIC's UK book line will not be releasing it, nor any other future STAR WARS titles, despite the imminent release of EPISODE I in 3D at cinemas next month.

A real shame, and an end of an era, especially after the enjoyable run the publishers had with the Classic Trilogy's REBEL FORCE series written by Alex Wheeler...

BEHIND THE SCENES IMAGE: COVER-UP!

It's head and mount protected from the cold winds and inhibiting snow of the Finse winter, one of the two Stuart Freeborn created beasts of Hoth-the full sized, and sadly barely working animatronic Tauntaun- is transported to and fro from its various required shooting destinations, during March 1979 filming of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

STAR WARS AT 35: THE LOST "STAR WARS" STRIP ADAPTATION

Back to the beginning for Al Williamson's never completed STAR WARS adaptation.

Before he and iconic comics writer Archie Goodwin fully collaborated on the LOS ANGELES TIMES SYNDICATE STAR WARS newspaper strips set between STAR WARS and EMPIRE, and then later between EMPIRE and JEDI, the late, great artist Al Williamson had worked with his scribe compatriot on some B/W test strips for a 1978 adaptation of the original STAR WARS, their involvement in the saga specially requested by George Lucas, who particularly loved the duo's prior work over the years. Sadly, due to other more pressing project commitments by Williamson, a full strip adaptation was never completed or officially released, but in his 1983 Art of Al Williamson book a few examples of this great work did eventually see the light of day (of which two weeks worth of art had been completed before the project died).

As far as I'm aware, DARK HORSE comics never published this material when they did their popular publishing strand of the LATS material, so here's hoping that someone showcases this great art at some point in the not too distant future...

For more on Al Williamson's superb work, in both STAR WARS and comics mediums in general, check out this great Blog feature: FRED EGG COMICS

AFICIONADO COMPETITION: 2 PAIRS OF TICKETS TO AN ADVANCE LONDON SCREENING OF "EPISODE I: THE PHANTOM MENACE"!

The STAR WARS SAGA is back on the Big Screen. Where it belongs. And now in 3D, too!

To celebrate the release of Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace 3D which arrives in cinemas February 9th, we are giving away two pairs of tickets to an exclusive advance screening on Wednesday the 8^th February. The screening will take place at a West End venue (this will be revealed once you receive your ticket), in a galaxy far, far away. Storm Troopers will open the doors at 5:30pm, followed by action in the foyer. The saga will begin at 6:30pm.

Star Wars® and all characters, names and related indicia are trademark of & © 2012 Lucasfilm Ltd.

To enter the competition, just tell us the name of Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn's Padawan learner from Episode I, and send your answer by email to: (email address now removed to avoid spam messages) subject marked EPISODE I COMPETITION.

The closing date for the competition is this Thursday the 26th January.

Winning names will be picked out from our favourite 1977 Don Post Studio Darth Vader mask!

Good Luck, and May the Force be with you!

With thanks to our friends from 20th CENTURY FOX and SUBSTANCE.

DELETED SCENE AND RE-SHOOT: THE MEDICAL FRIGATE FINALE OF "EMPIRE"

Luke's new hand is tended to by medical droid 2-1B on the Medical Frigate for the closing scenes of THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK. What's interesting about this image is that it's from the original version of the sequence, filmed at ELSTREE from July 12th 1979, which didn't make it into the final film. Note the facial bruising Luke has (not seen in the finished film) and the prosthetic interior mechanisms that would have been located within his palm. At the recent US STAR WARS Where Science Meets Imagination exhibition in California, AFICIONADO contributor Ian Trussler took these images of the hand/palm to have been partially used for the sequence.

Above two pics by Ian Trussler.

The original filming rehearsals of the finale scene in July 1979 at ELSTREE.

During that original July filming, Anthony Daniels was keenly aware that the final scene, in whatever scripted/storyboarded form it was in, might not prove satisfying to audiences when cut together, and vocally expressed his opinion that the sequence would need to be re-shot. His instincts would prove right, as new storyboards were drafted by ILM's Nilo Rodis-Jamero on 21st November 1979 (and listed as "added" shots) for filming of the interior scene, presumably done later that month (in the US (ILM) or at ELSTREE?) or into December 1979 with Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker and the robot controlled Artoo. AFICIONADO assumes the shoot was actually done in December, near Xmas (that would account for the image below of Fisher with the Xmas party decorations around 2-1B!). In the re-shoot used in the completed movie, Luke has a new hairstyle and no facial bruising, with insert scenes of a new hand, instigated at the request of Irvin Kershner (as noted in J.W. Rinzler's MAKING OF EMPIRE book), presumably shot later or around the same time with an unknown hand double.

In the re-shoot, Luke no longer has any bruising and his haircut is different. Threepio watches 2-1B presumably make the final seal on Luke's new hand-a scene not in the completed movie. The palm scene was eventually abandoned with a new insert.

The less gruesome new insert scene for Luke's hand.

Carrie Fisher on the Medical Frigate set with 2-1B, presumably for the re-shoot during either November or December 1979 (near Xmas?-note the decorations around the droid).

Luke and Leia as they appear in the re-shoot seen in the final scene of the movie.

A further couple of exterior model effects shots, to clarify who was where on the Medical Frigate and the about to depart Millennium Falcon, were also added to the film at break-neck speed by ILM in March 1980.

For more information on the making of EPISODE V, why not get hold of our exhaustive, info-packed behind the scenes PDF back issues on THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO "EMPIRE" BEHIND THE SCENES COMPANION and here: STAR WARS AFICIONADO DOUBLE ISSUE 11/12-THE MAKING OF "THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK"