Star Wars Artist Spotlight: Cat Staggs

The Art Show at Celebration V was one my favorite areas at the convention.  More than 40 artists created original Star Wars art for the show.  Each of the pieces was exceptional and I found myself wishing that I had enough money with me to buy prints of all the work displayed.  Fiscal responsibility won the day however, and I decided to select one piece of artwork that I felt I could not live without.  That piece was "To Hoth and Back" by Cat Staggs (left).

This print was the third in a series of prints Staggs has painted for Star Wars Celebrations. From my initial viewing of this piece I was immediately drawn to Staggs ability to capture the style of the propaganda posters from years past. I immediately bought into the concept of this print as the type of recruitment poster the Empire would have used.  I could easily imagine Imperial citizens standing in lines outside recruitment stations on Corellia and Coruscant after the destruction of the Death Star, eager to sign up and do their part to fight for the Empire.  The viewers perspective of looking up at the Stormtrooper and AT-AT add a sense of scale to the work that makes seen larger than life

In other works, Staggs has shown she is equally adept at bringing Star Wars over into the style of the old pulp fiction magazines.  She created a series of badges in this style back in 2007 for Star Wars Fan Days Covention.  Her style choices fit in very well with the Star Wars mythos and Lucas's vision of capturing the movie serial feel of the 1930's and 40's. 

Staggs artwork is not limited to the Star Wars Universe. She has also created many beautiful pieces for both DC and Marvel Comics, Indiana Jones and Lord of the Rings.  This upcoming weekend, she will be appearing at the New York Comic-Con.  Well worth the time if you're in the New York area.

In the meantime, I highly recommend checking out her work on her website:
http://www.catstaggs.com/

She is also featured on the Deviant Art Site at the following link:
http://gattadonna.deviantart.com/

Finally, Techland has a nice interview with Staggs at the following link:
http://techland.com/2010/08/31/cat-staggs-talks-star-wars-and-comics/#WordPress#ixzz0yEJzdxXr

3D or Not 3D, That is the Question.

This week George Lucas made the announcement that the Star Wars Trilogy would be returning to theaters in 2012.  Both the original trilogy and the prequels will be given the 3D treatment.  For Lucas this means more cash in his pocket. For fans this means flocking to the theaters to pay way to much money to see what will probably be mediocre 3D effects.  Initially I was very excited about this announcement.  The idea of seeing the original trilogy in theaters again was definately bringing out my inner geek.  However, the more I read about 3D conversions the less excited I become.

Anyone who has been to Disneyworld has hopefully seen the the Muppet 3D Show.  Very tongue in cheek, the show pokes great fun at cheap, gratuitous 3D effects.  My fear is that this is what will happen with the Star Wars Saga.  I can see it now, every severed limb in the trilogy will now hover in the air for an obnoxious amount of time and look like they are going to land in your lap.  Lightsabers will conspicously poke out the screen to be pointed at the audience, and shots of the Death Star will be extended so that we can marvel at how it looks like "you can reach out and touch it". A movie like Avatar, which was filmed with 3D in mind, was spectacular.  Cameron knew from the start that his movie was going to be 3D.  Conversions after the fact are a bit like black and white movies converted to color.  It just doesn't look right.

What is more disturbing about this announcement is that the prequels will be released first.  The films would then be staggered  a year apart.  This means that A New Hope will not return to theaters until 2015, five years from now.  I think most fans would rather see the original trilogy first.  I know I can't sit through Attack of the Clones in a theater ever again.  I'm certainly not going to pay close to $20.00 to do so.  Add to that fact that this process is going to be taking place over the next 7 years, it diminishes in my mind the possibility of any other Theatrical Star Wars projects, projects that Lucas keeps hinting at in appearances, most recently at Celebration V.

If Lucas really wants to enhance the films. maybe he could do us all a favor and just digitally remove all trace of Jar Jar Binks.

Hasbro's New Vintage Collection

This year saw the return of retro style Action Figure packaging.  The addition of foil stamped card backs and the inclusion of the prequels takes this line to a new level.  The first wave focuses on the Empire Stikes Back.  The most notable figure in this wave is a new version of Dack Ralter, never before sold as a single carded figure. 

The second wave takes us to Revenge of the Sith and includes a single figure from A New Hope, The Sandtrooper Sergeant.  The card back on this figure is particularly nice, especially the foil variant.  I however would have prefered to see the Sandtrooper Commander released instead.  The orange shoulderpads give that figure a really standout look.

Wave three which is due to be released later this month takes us back to Return of the Jedi with some of the nicest sculpts I think I've ever seen on a Star Wars 3 31/4 figure.  Admiral Akbar and the Gammorean Guard are the most impressive.  However I think I am most looking forward to seeing good ole Wedge Antilles on a vintage style card.

Wave Four will contain Attack of the Clones figures.  This being my least favorite of all six movies I have little interest in the wave.  Kit Fisto and Jango Fett do look very nice on their cards though.

Images of subsequent waves have not been released at this point.  There are rumors in the blogmosphere that there will be a Darth Vader sculpt with Lukes head from the Dagobah cave, and a Dr Evizan scuplt was being worked on at the Celebration.

I had the pleasure of speaking with the main Hasbro sculptor at Star Wars Celebration Five and got the opportunity to watch him working on an Aayla Secura headsculpt for an upcoming figure.  He was a lifelong Star Wars fan himself and played with the same Kenner Toys many of us did growing up.  Its nice to know that the line is in the hands of someone who shares the same passion for the figures as the collector's.