news

 

 

friday 29th february 2008  
>>>this one will make you smile.  watch this first-class review of star wars, as told by a three year old girl.  and if we don't see more from this little treasure, i'm a jawa twirling a gaffi stick...

 

>>>here's hoping you enjoy this special, once in four years only extra day, and to help you with that here's yet another image from indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull. here indy comes face to face with agent spalko in an image taken directly from a german magazine.

indiana jones, the doctored photograph and the disappearing soldier...

thursday 28th february 2008  
>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with histai, key world in the ki-ki/setnin war...

histai

 

Lush fertile planet whose populace believe that their warriors are the best - although they are in fact not very proficient.  This led to wild boasts and confrontations that they could never hope to resolve or control.  Histai is also notable for its ditrinium ore, a useful component in the construction of Setnin Sector starships. During the Ki-Ki/Setnin War, Histai became a vital world, its ditrinium ore being used in the construction of the second Heed.  With a permanent New Republic warship high in orbit protecting the planet, Histai became a key world during the war and instrumental in the formation of the Setnin Defence Force led by Janite Tannis Rixx, and was the site of the Battle of Histai, a devastating Ki-Ki/Setnin confrontation that left many dead and wounded

>>>we bring yet another image from indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, this time with our intrepid hero indiana jones as played by the legendary harrison ford.  the clock is counting down, only 83 days to go...

the good doctor looking ready for action

wednesday 27th february 2008  
>>>with thanks to youtube, here we present the barbara walters interview with indiana jones himself harrison ford.
 
>>>the official site have posted their press release on star wars celebration japan.  "three-day event at makuhari-messe convention center near tokyo July 19 to 21 will be filled with entertainment, celebrities, exhibits, immersive events, costumes and much more.  celebrating the japanese 30th anniversary of star wars, lucasfilm ltd and the lewis daniel group will present the first-ever star wars celebration event in the asia-pacific region from july 19 to 21 at the makuhari-messe convention center near tokyo.  expected to be one of the largest events ever for fans of the star wars saga, star wars celebration japan will begin a little more than 30 years after the movie premiered in japan on june 24, 1978.  the three-day event will be filled with live entertainment, celebrities, special presentations, unique star wars exhibits, exclusive merchandise, pop-culture tributes, immersive events, costume contests, and many additional activities. star wars celebration japan will take place from saturday, july 19, through monday, july 21, which is ocean day, a national holiday. moreover, the three-day weekend marks the start of the summer school holiday for children throughout the country, making star wars celebration japan the perfect way for multiple generations of fans to enjoy this unprecedented experience together."
 
tuesday 26th february 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 278 with photographic artwork kindly submitted to us by jules corellia.  this shows commander terrie saffra just about to dive into battle.  for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>turning to the dork side 31 hits the site direct from neil bakers own dork side blog. you can view it there or go to our humour section through our assorted sidebar link where we ask if laughter is the best medicine, why don't medical staff tell knock knock jokes instead of asking for blood samples...

>>>more amazing the force unleashed clips for you today, with the 'destruction' trailer.

 

monday 25th february 2008  
>>>the oscars have ended with disappointment for the ilm teams on transformers and pirates of the caribbean - at worlds endthe golden compass walked away with the oscar for best visual effects, while in the sound effects category skywalker sound lost out to the bourne ultimatum, which took all sound category awards. in the acting stakes tilda swinton beat out cate blanchett for best supporting actress and marion cotillard beat cate for best actress with her winning role in la vie en rose.  for all the latest oscar news click here and visit the official oscar site.

harry and cally - makin' it large at the oscars...

>>>steve sansweet announced it at wondercon over the weekend - celebration arrives in japan the weekend of 19th - 21st july 2008.  held at the mukuhari-meese international convention complex, located between tokyo and the new tokyo international airport, this is sure to feature many familiar faces and perhaps some less well known to american and european audiences.  go to the celebration japan website for the latest news.

coming to a galaxy near you july 19 - 21st 2008

>>>we have some amazing in game footage from the force unleashed. watch and enjoy the 'raxus' trailer.

 

sunday 24th february 2008  
>>>we are thrilled to welcome back to Lightsabre a man who is a true titan of the special effects industry with eight oscars cluttering his shelves and a lifetime of innovation, dennis muren.  we spoke to dennis earlier in the year and chatted at length about his four decade long career, the third and final part of which can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

dennis muren

>>>no great surprise here, but shia lebeouf has confirmed that the warehouse seen in the indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull trailer is indeed the very same warehouse seen in raiders of the lost ark.  "crazy!  i don't know what else to say.  it's crazy and unbelievable.  it’s almost like you’re reflecting while you’re in the middle of it. because you know you’re gonna be telling your kids this, so you’re in the middle of it going ‘oh, my god, let me get every detail, how many buttons are on that shirt?  you’re really interested in the details of it. it’s wild to experience.”  and it appears that shia might have also been a touch...light-fingered shall we say.  "oh i stole a bunch of stuff,” he laughed. “i meant to tell you, steve, i stole a bunch of things. so did karen (allen) though, so it’s not my fault. it’s not my fault – karen did it too. and she’s older! she knows better.”  i shouldn't worry shia, we'd do exactly the same in your situation...

shia lebeouf

>>>the indiana jones marketing machine grinds into full gear with the release of the junior adaptations of the four indiana jones movies.  for the first time a junior adaptation of raiders is being released, and these are a great way to introduce youngsters to the world of indy.  get to your bookstores and check them out.
raiders of the lost ark temple of doom
the last crusade kingdom of the crystal skull
saturday 23rd february 2008  
>>>it's oscar night tomorrow night and all eyes will be on hollywood as the 80th academy awards ceremony begins.  here we are watching the progress of the ilm and skywalker sound nominees, as well as our indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull leading lady cate blanchett, who is nominated for both best actress and best supporting actress.  harrison ford is on hand to dish out an award, so this really could be a great night for fans of things lucas-related...

 

>>>will jar jar binks be making an appearance in the forthcoming clone wars series?  well, io9 certainly seem to think so, saying that he'll appear in the movie and the series.  the movie is a stand alone adventure and not the first three episodes, as has previously been reported elsewhere.  io9 also have a concept sketch of the clone wars version of general grievous looking particularly lethal...

concept image of jar jar just out of shot...beneath the generals foot...

friday 22nd february 2008  
>>>we continue our four-issue online comic adaptation of quest for freedom, drawn to celebrate not only the 30th anniversary of the original star wars but also the 25th anniversary of that very first Lightsabre story.  drawn and designed by richard skidmore, with cover art by craig burt and logo design by tim wann, this mark newbold written story takes places between the events of the empire strikes back and return of the jedi, as lando calrissian and chewbacca search the galaxy for their lost friend han solo.  click the mini banner below to reach the comic book archive and the sixth page of issue two of our comic strip adaptation of quest for freedom.
>>>mark newbolds interview with petovari attila of starwars.hu hits the net, and you can take a read by clicking here or on the screen cap below.

star wars hungary chat with mark

thursday 21st february 2008  
>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with hellion, the home of ryath centaurs iron claw mercenaries...

hellion

 

Forest covered home to the green-skinned and winged race known as the Hellions.  A savage world, Hellion has a history of engagements with other Setnin Sector races.  Ferrerea and Janos have both had wars with Hellion in the past two decades, and Hellion has had battles with neighbouring worlds for centuries.  Later swamped with newcomers after the end of the Galactic Civil War, the Hellion queen Tryxlla invited Ryath Centaur to the planet where he established a base for his mercenary unit the Iron Claws. 

>>>jude watson has written many books in the last 12 years.  in 1996, she wrote her first star wars book, star wars journal: captive to evil.  in 1999 she embarked on the jedi apprentice series, chronicling the adventures of qui-gon jinn and obi-wan kenobi. the jedi quest series concentrated on ben and anakin, followed by the last of the jedi series, of which her new book - reckoning - is the concluding episode.  

last of the jedi - by jude watson

wednesday 20th february 2008  
>>>we bring you something familiar and also a little different today.  turning to the dork side has been banging our funny bone on the corner of the table for a number of months now, brought to you direct from neil bakers own dork side blog. this week we introduce an occasional new strip - turning to the setnin side.   for a taste of what passes for humour in the mid-rim look below or go to our humour section through our assorted sidebar link where jan would be mortified at being referred to as a lady...

>>>that mistress of the artistic bonnie burton will be gracing room 232/234 of wondercon this coming weekend 22nd - 24th february alongside her how to draw star wars colleagues tom hodges and matt busch.  with peter mayhew, c. andrew nelson and the r2 builders club also in attendance, this is sure to be another great convention and - as they said in the sixties - a happening.
tuesday 19th february 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 277 with artwork by jason brown.  this shows a ridley shuttle preparing to leave a rebel alliance flight deck.  for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>generation star wars return this year to celebrate its 10th anniversary with another convention.  taking place on 26th - 27th april, this promises to be yet another great way to celebrate the star wars saga.  professional booths, fan oriented displays, trivia, lightsabre fights and costumes - it's all there, and admission is free.  no guests have been announced as yet, but click here or on the poster below for the official site and keep your eyes open for what's sure to be some great guests.
monday 18th february 2008  
>>>turning to the dork side 30 hits the site direct from neil bakers own dork side blog. you can view it there or go to our humour section through our assorted sidebar link where ice packs come as standard for all musicians...

>>>Lightsabre was present at last weekends 14th annual sfball in bournemouth, mixing it up with the likes of nichelle nichols, levar burton, gil gerard, erin gray, aaron douglas, caroline munro, richard arnold and our own jeremy bulloch for our review of the weekend, click here and get a taste of what sfb events have to offer down on the south coast every february, or go to our conventions page and check out our other convention reports...

would you diss judge fett?

>>>our good friends at eu cantina have a very cool podcast, featuring the latest news on the forthcoming clone wars movie and television series.  click here for the cast and also don't forget to delve into their newly redesigned media knowledge centre for all the latest information on the shows that are heading our way.

head to eu cantina for the very latest clone wars news...

sunday 17th february 2008  
>>>Lightsabre continues its webmaster interviews.  this week we interview one of the members of starwars.hu, petovari attila.  we first met attila at celebration europe, where he was visiting his good friend gerald home, and his interview can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

 petovari attila

>>>more images from indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull arrive, with this much clearer version of the image premiered in empire magazine last month.  this shows agent spalko waving her sword in the face of our intrepid adventurer...

spalko goes for the jugular...

>>>interesting news comes in regarding gen con and lucasfilm, news that may have an affect on future celebration conventions.  gamer chicks rule had the scoop, telling us that:
 
gen con failed to uphold its legal obligations in terms of financial reporting, accounting and payments to lucasfilm ($500,000 in damages)
gen con did not give auction proceeds to make-a-wish as they had agreed to do ($150,000 in damages)
gen con did not give lucasfilm their share of the auction proceeds ($150,000 in damages)
gen con did this all unjustly ($150,000 in damages)

to read the full official report click here.

>>>revenge of the sith actress bai ling has been arrested on suspicion of shoplifting.  taking a total of $16 dollars worth of items, ling was arrested and taken into custody, agreeing to appear in court on march 5th.  there was no mention of the incident on her blog, but she did wonder whether or not people were "rushing in the cold wind to work after the chinese new year and lamented that "life is a sad song but still sings the beauty for their loved ones."

wonder who will be bai-ling her out?

saturday 16th february 2008  
>>>more images enter the public realm from indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull as italian magazine l'espresso publish these three images.  the first sees agent spalko, played by cate blanchett making a point to indiana, while the second and third see indy in familiar territory, in a foreign village and at the business end of a snake.
>>>it would appear that both samuel l jackson and hayden christensen would be interested in reprising their roles as mace windu and anakin skywalker.  says jackson, "that'd be great for me, i would love to.  yeah, (there's interest)"  hayden had a similar take on events.  "i'd be happy to do the voice, that'd be a neat thing for me to do. so tell them to ask me about that."  you hear that george?  give the guys a call.

sam, when you were offered a part in jumper we meant the film, not the knitware...

>>>this one is a blast from the past.  if you are of a certain age you will remember sitting down and enjoying this as a kid, marvelling at just how they made tauntaun's run, at-at's walk and asteroids fly.  get your daily mark hamill fix with spfx - the empire strikes back...

 

friday 15th february 2008  
>>>the trailer is here.  at 2.00pm usa time yesterday the trailer for indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull hit both the official indiana jones site and yahoo movies.  many will have seen the sneak version on aint-it-cool news, but nothing comes close to seeing it in it's full glory on yahoo movies.  well, perhaps seeing it on the big screen.  roll on may 22nd...
>>>the trailer has finally arrived.  well, ok, may not the actual trailer, but watch as indiana jones leads you through hero school...

 

>>>here's a fantastic image by hugh fleming, cover artist on the phantom menace and shadows of the empire comics by dark horse, brought to you from entertainment news international.  rumour has it that this is either an alternative cover to the indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull comic adaptation, or issue twos cover.  either way it's an awesome piece of artwork.

hugh fleming makes a splash...

thursday 14th february 2008  
>>>it's that special time of year when you tell the one you love just how much you care, so to all you hopeless romantics out there, happy valentines day.  celebrate the love, eh...

"gimme some sugar baby..."

>>>you may have heard about this, unless you've been hiding in a hovel on tatooine near the jundland wastes, but the clone wars is hitting the big screen in the states in august, followed by a september launch here in the uk before its premiere on the cartoon network in september.  released at the flicks by warner brothers, who own cartoon network, the first three episodes have been stitched together and feature anthony daniels and matthew wood reprising their saga roles of general grievous and see threepio.  with samuel l jackson saying he would be prepared to voice mace windu for the show, the heat is certainly building up for the return of star wars to the big screen

clone wars - coming your way this autumn...

>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with halando, the sister world of a-desando that warred against its neighbour for centuries...

halando

 

Setnin Sector planet and sister world of A-desando, Locaarn and Lagara in the Desando System, Halando has been constantly at odds with A-desando for centuries.  Birthplace of Imperial General Narn Giapa Lomona, father of the A-desandian smuggler Jan Lomona, Halando is virtually identical to her neighbouring world, lying 285 million kilometres from her sun, almost exactly the same distance as A-desando and sharing the same orbit.  Halando’s seven satellites cause tremendous tidal pressures, therefore making it impossible to inhabit the coastal regions.  During the Ki-Ki/Setnin War Halando and A-desando went to war, a fight that was brokered by Lomona with the assistance of Locaarn and Lagara

wednesday 13th february 2008  
>>>it may have opened its doors seven months ago today, but celebration europe is still very much on our mind.  our good friend petovari attila dropped this youtube link to us, showing his expedition across the north sea to the uk and the greatest star wars convention the uk has yet seen...

 

tuesday 12th february 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 276 with artwork taken from the lucasarts game star wars galaxies.  this shows the setnin specification of x-wing fighter, as flown by blake de'athe for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>looks like shia terror on the face of the young man at the business end of cate blanchetts sword.  yet another image from indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, this time winging it's way across europe from italy and reminding us that there's only 100 days to go until the latest adventure is released...

cate blanchett makes a point...

monday 11th february 2008  
>>>turning to the dork side 29 hits the site direct from neil bakers own dork side blog. you can view it there or go to our humour section through our assorted sidebar link where having a fast ship is considered the highest form of wit...

>>>we introduce a new mini banner to the site, one that takes you through to our indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull coverage.  click the banner to find the very latest archaeological treasures coming your way may 22nd...
sunday 10th february 2008  
>>>we are excited to welcome to Lightsabre the lady who runs bantha tracks on the official site and who is the events manager for lucasfilm, mary franklin.  we met mary at celebration europe and later spoke to her about her career and star wars involvement, the results of which can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

mary franklin

saturday 9th february 2008  
>>>on monday 4th february hungarian star wars fan and fellow member of swora petovari attila interviewed Lightsabre's mark newbold for his site, starwars.hu.  click here for the english results of the interview, and wait for the hungarian translation to hit starwars.hu soon.

 star wars.hu...

>>>those good folks at vanity fair - who have highlighted so much great star wars and indiana jones articles over the years - bring us a look at this years the force unleashed, with screen shots, a video and an article on the game itself.  get on over there and feed the excitement for this years hottest game...

cloud city here we come...

friday 8th february 2008  
>>>more images filter through from indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, as we see indiana here in a cave with a familiar looking shrivelled corpse, a'la raiders of the lost ark.  but why the look of concern on his face?  we'll find out in 104 days...

 indiana jones and the dusty cave of springfield...

>>>friend of the site joe corroney dropped us a line to let us know about his latest project.  "i'm creating sketch card artwork for topps new indiana jones heritage trading card series... you can see the artwork right now at my official site right here."

 indiana jones heritage cards

thursday 7th february 2008  
>>>great news from official pix.  over to the press release.  "official pix is proud to announce our first ever signing with everyone's favorite indiana jones and star wars actor, harrison fordmr. ford will be signing an exclusive licensed limited edition indiana jones photograph and one very cool han solo image! the 11x14 inch indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull image will be limited to just 50 hand numbered pieces making it an instant collectible! each of these hand-signed photographs will come bagged, boarded, and include our numbered certificate of authenticity (coa).  our star wars 8x10 inch image is likely the most iconic image of han solo and a fan favorite photograph, which makes it perfect for this historic signing. each licensed, hand-signed photograph will come bagged, boarded, and include our numbered coa.  we will begin this pre-order wednesday february 6th at 11am central time at official pix.  for additional information on this autograph opportunity, and to view the exclusive indiana jones photograph, check out the official pix blog here."

 harrison ford at official pix...

>>>we continue our look at worlds of importance from the history of the setnin sector with gurney, the world that was orbited by the garyra station, a key location during the ki-ki/setnin war...

gurney

 

Unremarkable Setnin Sector forest planet just off the Borden Space Lane orbited by a small satellite and the disused Garyra Space Station.  Garyra Industries made starliners, and within lay the incomplete Pleasure Seeker.  The station became a stop-off point for those travelling the Borden Space Lane and was manned by a skeleton crew.  During the Setnin/Ki-Ki War the station was used by the Trac-Tran Transit Company as a stopping off point, and was also used by Iron Claw operatives as an unofficial `sleepover’ point, when in fact it was being used as a base of operations. 

wednesday 6th february 2008  
>>>the new packaging for this years clone wars series has arrived.  eye-catching, much like it's 30th anniversary and indiana jones predecessors, this new design by independent company pilot brings a fresh new approach to star wars packaging. arriving on shelves july 26th, this is sure to kick off a whole new exciting era in star wars collectibles.

 the new clone wars packaging by pilot...

>>>it's quite possibly the first image leaked of the actual skull from the forthcoming indiana jones and the kingdom of the crystal skull, and here we can see that the rumours might be right.  the skull - shown on a japanese site and captured by action figure insider - certainly appears to be alien in origin, confirming the rumour that the fourth indy big screen adventure is a homage to the 1950's 'b' movies of the era.

a  crystal skull walks into a bar.  the bartender says "why the long face?"

tuesday 5th february 2008  
>>>setnin select reaches number 275 with artwork by richard skidmore.  this shows an alternate specification of bug fighter for more looks into the worlds of setnin, click on the mini banner above and go through to the setnin select archive.
>>>swora is off the ground and you'll be hearing a lot about it round these parts over the coming months and years.  in the meantime, here's an official announcement from swora ambassador gerald home.  "dear swora members, it's your ambassador here with a few words of explanation about how i chose the winning logo. before i start, let me thank everyone who entered the competition - the standard was extremely high and it has been very difficult to choose the winner.  many of the designs are excellent; however, when you shrink them down to website logo size the symbols and writing in several of them are too small and not legible. this was the reason that many of the entries wouldn't work as a logo.  i also decided not to use anything which was too "political" - too imperial, or too rebel - or which had drawings of the death star or darth vader.  yes, these are fun and interesting, but not "neutral" enough to be the logo of an alliance which includes imperials and rebels - and people who are neither!  i hope you like my choice. i think it's perfect as the first official swora logo, and i hereby congratulate its designer jan "long_jb" okulewicz from poland. well done! i look forward to seeing your logo on websites etc very soon. your limited-edition signed photo will be in the post to you very soon, with my thanks and congratulations.  by the way, there were 2 other designs which i selected for possible use in the future, but they must stay a secret for the moment! you'll see them in the months ahead. thanks again to everyone who entered. it has been an honour and a pleasure for me to be involved in this wonderful swora adventure. hope to see you on the road. until then....may the force be with you all."  great words from the swora ambassador, and stay tuned for more swora news as it comes through.

 "ohh, there's aunty mabel..."

monday 4th february 2008  
>>>turning to the dork side 28 hits the site direct from neil bakers own site a place in the galaxy. you can view it there or go to our humour section through our assorted sidebar link where having a fit of the giggles doesn't mean you don't have to go down the gym today...

>>>could the first few episodes of the new cgi animated clone wars series be hitting the silver screen before the small screen?  well, our good friends over at jedi news seem to have confirmed this.  "the lego rep let us into a few spoilers including the fact there will indeed be a feature release in early september here in the uk (a couple of weeks earlier in the us), and he also told us about the characters included with these sets – don’t read the next sentence if you don’t want to know! rotta is jabba the hutt’s nephew or son (there seemed to be some confusion about this) and the first 2 or 3 episodes centre on his kidnapping!" couple this with rumours surfacing on the force.net about a theatrical release and it seems increasingly certain that we haven't yet had our final fix of big screen star wars action.

 coming to a cinema near you 2008...

sunday 3rd february 2008  
>>>Lightsabre continues its webmaster interviews.  this week we interview the founder of the fast growing jedi masters, dean carvilledean dived into the questions and his interview can be found here or by going through the sidebar and hitting interviews.  then go and discuss it at smugglers rants at blogs.starwars.com.

 dean carville

>>>lego indiana jones is on the way, and on the official lego site you can play the first level.  be indy and evade the rolling boulder in this fun preview of the forthcoming game...

 indiana jones - ain't no rolling stone...

saturday 2nd february 2008  
>>>clearly many spouses have star wars addicted partners - and don't be fooled into thinking that it's only women who are 'widowed' by the saga, there's plenty of male star wars widowers - and dr phil brought this to light recently on his show.  click here and read an interrogation that darth vader would have been proud of...

yes, he's pointing at you...

>>>the rumours were flying, but now it seems fairly safe to confirm that yes, we do indeed return to the infamous warehouse from the final scene of raiders of the lost ark.  and it appears that indiana is again trying to hunt it down.  so what's the connection between the crystal skull of the title and the lost ark of the covenant?  we'll find out in 110 days...

indiana jones - the fastest left foot in the west...

friday 1st february 2008