Project: B1 battle droid arm (part 1)

In the last several years of browsing Star Wars crafting topics on social media, I’ve determined that about 95% of replicas (especially 3D-printed ones) I’ve seen are of weapons, helmets, and armor associated with a tiny range of recognizable-to-the-public Face Characters or nameless Troopers. You will almost never see mundane artifacts replicated in the prop-building community…as one RPF user asked while seeking info on how to replicate a Kloo horn, “Anyone have any ideas or did nobody ever care because it’s not a lightsaber?”

As I was brainstorming my NRAC (New Republic Archeological Corps) persona last year, I began thinking about what kinds of artifacts I could potentially show off at a convention booth, hands-on interpretive historical talk, or similar venue/event. With Naboo’s focus on arts and learning, and the presence of a notable institution of higher education (Theed University—which coincidentally has the same initials as my alma mater), I felt confident in basing my NRAC impression on a Naboo background. I then began thinking what kinds of items would likely be collected or excavated by a Naboo archeological student, or possibly artifacts that could’ve been passed down through the family.
Around the same time, I saw someone online post pictures of a 1:1 3D-printed B1 battle droid:B1 il_794xN1521245503_mg8s.jpg‘Wow!’ I thought, ‘that would be amazing to display!’ Unfortunately, I was also living in a very small apartment at the time, and there was no way I had the space to store an almost-2-meter-tall figure I might use for a handful of events each year (if I was lucky!). Also, in terms of realism, what are the odds that my archeologist persona would have a complete B1 droid?
‘Okay’, I said. ‘How about just, like, an…arm?’ Continue reading “Project: B1 battle droid arm (part 1)”

Galactic whittling – shaak

After thinking about other possible pieces of pocket trash, I eventually decided that my partizan and archeologist personas could use a little memento of home. Enter the noble shaak, Naboo’s tick-like ‘space cow’ (meant to be designed as a sheep analogue).

shaakR20200522_125034 Continue reading “Galactic whittling – shaak”

Project: Adventures in Applied Color Theory!

The color scheme basically was the baddies would be black or gray, with the exception of the stormtroopers, and the goodies should be in earth colors—fawns and whites…Mollo tried to keep the colors muted wherever possible. Color is very, very difficult to use. Bright colors don’t work well on film, particularly reds and blues. George always goes for the authentic….and if it’s all garish color, it doesn’t work.” – Star Wars Costumes – the Original Trilogy (Alinger), p15.

At this point on my journey into the hobby/lifestyle of Star Wars reenacting/living history, I have a number of no-nonsense, generic civilian garments hanging in my closet, and as I’m always looking to Star Wars-ify my everyday wardrobe even more, I’m always on the lookout for things that fit the bill—or could fit the bill, with a little tweaking! Today, we’re talking color, and the surprising transformation seen below:

Continue reading “Project: Adventures in Applied Color Theory!”

Project: modding the Naboo winter shirt

(My apologies for the unintentional hiatus, dear readers. Back-to-school is a hectic time, but as I get back into the swing of things, I am able to get back to work on projects and keeping up the blog.)

silk_beforeafter

Between the cooler temperatures, low humidity, and new-fallen leaves (ideal for making debris shelters and leaf mattresses), it’s no surprise that autumn is the go-to season for most reenactors.
Even though the events that are most welcoming for a Star Wars ‘living historian’—sci-fi cons and the like—are traditionally held in air-conditioned hotels in summer, there is no reason why you should limit yourself to such controlled indoor events! I believe that if this particular hobby is to (one day ) be taken seriously by the larger Historic reenacting community, we should be as equipped as they are to deal with weather of all seasons, and not be afraid to get Out of the convention center!
Continue reading “Project: modding the Naboo winter shirt”

Building the Rebel persona – 4.1: Naboo soft kit

Based on the broad trends noted in the previous post, I decided that my Naboo civilian impression would need (at minimum) a tunic, trousers, and tall boots, and possibly an outer layer as well.
shirt
The tunic would need to follow local style, and so be in a muted color, have an overlapping and/or asymmetrical closure, a high Mandarin collar, and long sleeves, probably without cuffs.
Continue reading “Building the Rebel persona – 4.1: Naboo soft kit”

Searching for civilian style on Naboo

When I first started toying with the idea of portraying a Rebel ‘partisan’, I knew I wanted to integrate elements of the local planetary fashion, but also include enough elements of the larger galactic style so that the impression would still be recognizably Star Wars.
Finding the right ratio between the two would be the real trick, since a) Naboo’s nobles in the late Republic period tended to dress in an impractical, distinct Renaissance style, b) we don’t really know what Naboo fashion was like during the Imperial period, and as I’ve written before, it’s hard to be taken seriously as a guerilla fighter when you’re dressed like Catherine de Medici. If I wanted to pull this off, I was going to have to do some detective work.
Continue reading “Searching for civilian style on Naboo”

In Good Company

At the same time as I was struggling with my Naboo-rebranding dilemma, I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of copies of the 20th Anniversary Editions of James Gurney’s Dinotopia books. (Yes, I know these editions came out like, six or seven years ago…suffice to say that I’m thrifty, a laggard in more than just technology, and always wary of reissues with extra features…I tend to wait until I’m sure that the new edition will be worth it, find the best possible (usually secondhand) price, and then gift the old edition to a niece or nephew).
It was a particularly ironic bit of serendipity, since, as I touched on earlier, Naboo’s capitol Theed was maybe/maybe not influenced by Dinotopia’s Waterfall City.

Theed_youth_freedom
Source: Star Wars Art: Visions (2010)

Imagine my surprise then, when I began reading the added Foreword to the second volume, The World Beneath, and came across the following passage:
Continue reading “In Good Company”

Location, location, location!

I was re-watching Episode I on its 19th anniversary the other day, and I happened to notice something. Do you see it?
beechTPM
That’s right, Naboo has Beech trees! I did some digging, and as it turns out a lot of the outdoor Naboo scenes were filmed in England right outside of Leavesden Studios. And it got me to thinking…
Continue reading “Location, location, location!”

Artifact ID: Boba Fett’s toy airspeeder

Boba's_airspeeder_modelAppearing (as far as I know) only in the Episode II Visual Dictionary (p. 43) (and of course, subsequent frequent reprints by DK), Boba Fett’s airspeeder model is one of those items where one just has to scratch their head and wonder. Continue reading “Artifact ID: Boba Fett’s toy airspeeder”

Artifact ID: Neimoidian Silver Cups

As this post goes live on January 1st (by Gregorian Reckoning), I thought it would be nice to have something that would tie in with celebratory toast-making and libations.
This was a pretty simple artifact to identify, and like the refugee water bottle from a few weeks ago, the actual items are fairly plentiful, easy to find, useful, and SHINY.

The scene: Year 3 after the Great ReSynchronization (32 BBY), aboard the Trade Federation battleship Saak’ak (Profiteer). The Neimoidians, stalling for time before they deal with the Chancellor’s negotiators, send a protocol droid into the conference room. The droid enters bearing a tray of refreshments; our Jedi heroes accept the cups and sip politely…until the Neimoidians pump toxic gas into the room and everything goes to hell.
Continue reading “Artifact ID: Neimoidian Silver Cups”