VE Today

“If I could sum it up in a word, I’d say ‘magic.’ John is able to put a magical and ethereal essence into his paintings.” ―Julian Montoya, director of international marketing for Fox Home entertainment.

Born sometime in 1948, John became a very successful Artist for Star Wars fans around the world. He was an illustrator who worked on multiple Star Wars book covers, posters video covers, and apparently over 120 separate movie campaigns. He died Wednesday, February 6th 2008, from a Heart Attack, His family and friends were grief stricken. He had many friends who like his family simply adored him and his artworks. John did many artworks for Star Wars books, posters movies, etc.

He was 59 when he past away so unexpectedly. He was considered the pre-eminent movie campaign artist of the past 35 years, Alvin’s career began in 1974 with his creation of the iconic movie poster for Mel Brook’s “Blazing Saddles”.

He most recently contributed many design ideas for the campaign for Walt Disney Studio’s “Enchanted.” In a career that encompassed multiple projects for directors like Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Blake Edwards, Mel Brooks and Ridley Scott. He was considered by many studios as the go-to artist for movie poster and campaign art. John Alvin said that his work “created the promise of a great experience” and in that he never failed.

I think he really lived up to that statement to till the day he died. He was a great man as well. John Alvin was married, his wife’s name was Andrea, had recently relocated to New York’s Hudson Valley from Los Angeles in order to be closer to their daughter. He only had one child named Farah, a Broadway actress. John Alvin said that as a child he eagerly anticipated the arrival of the Sunday paper so that he could peruse the ads for the new movies playing at the local theaters.

He was enamored with the magic of film at an early age and would create art inspired largely by his love of film. Those passions led him to the Art Center College of Design where he actually met his wife, Andrea (also a student at Art Center) from which he graduated in the early 1970s. Even Walt Disney had many great things to say about him,

His work inspires us,” say the Disney marketing execs. “Alvin brings emotion into his artwork that can only be captured in an illustration. We call it ‘Alvinizing’.”

Alvin acquired a full array of artist’s skills and techniques as a student of the distinguished Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Soon thereafter, in 1974, he got his chance to put his love of entertainment art and his artist training to work by creating the campaign art for Mel Brook’s Blazing Saddles.

He has developed and maintained a very loyal following among collectors of cinema art, making his original art and signed reproductions much wanted and revered pieces of movie memorabilia. Truly, John Alvin belongs to a very special and very short list of cinema art masters whose works have become icons in Hollywood’s rich and colorful history.

John was featured in the Star Wars insider 27, in an article titled “The Art of John Alvin Promises the Magic that Lucasfilm Movies Deliver.” He also appeared at the Celebration IV Art show in May 2007. He did many works for many books, some including the Jedi Academy Trilogy, Queen in Disguise, plus more. A quote from a Star Wars expanded Universe article states this:
“Theater audiences were lining up around the block night after night and Darth Vader appeared on the cover of Time magazine,” Alvin recalls. “The impact on my life is reflected in the impact on my art and Star Wars has been a key part of my career since then. It still is and will be for a long time.”

Alvin’s first poster was a picture of some of the most famous droids, you could probably guess who they are but I am still going to tell you. The poster depicts the two droids R2-D2, and his companion C-3PO as musicians. A quote from the man John himself, “The Star Wars Concert poster has become very rare and quite collectible.”

Another known collectible poster that Alvin created that is also rare and very favored among his fans is a “wide banner-like poster celebrating the 10th Anniversary of Star Wars made in 1987.

A poster From the Star Wars Celebration IV John created is this:

(Site Source, http://www.starwars.com/community/event/celebration/news20070323.html)

A Star Wars Expanded Universe article also has a statement from Alivan about his 10th Anniversary poster as well:

“Using the tagline ‘The first ten years’ on my Tenth Anniversary Star Wars poster was my idea. It seemed more uplifting and promising to commemorate the first ten as though there would be no future limit and, so far there hasn’t been. In the poster, I also wanted to reflect the broad expanse of the widescreen cinematic vision we all saw in a theater,” Alvin adds. “As most posters are vertical, I thought the anniversary piece should remind us of the movie experience and hence, the horizontal format. I wanted fans to be carried along again as Luke is compelled by great forces to recognize and embrace his destiny. We see what he sees as though he is saluting the very saga we see displayed within the larger-than-life title.”

He also made a series of paintings he called “The Force Influence.”

As Destiny Unfolds:

Johns words on this poster are these:

“Obi-Wan is the means by which Luke is drawn toward his own destiny and as the Jedi Knight’s tale comes to a physical end, he must point ‘the new hope’ in the right direction if there is ever to be peace in the galaxy,” Alvin explains. “He profoundly influences Luke by what he says to him and when he says it. I wanted to show respect for the great character of Obi-Wan and at the same time, pay homage to Sir Alec Guinnesswho so brilliantly portrayed him.

“Kenobi’s presence is grand, full of wisdom and larger than life,” Alvin continues. “He dominates the scene and yet he enfolds and cradles the innocent farm boy Luke — for all intents and purposes, a lost youth with no direction or goal. Yoda’s magnificent and enduring influence on Obi-Wan is gently suggested by the ghosted image of the Jedi Master in the sky. I wanted to set a mood of somber purpose and yet one of great affection and regard. Of all my work, this is one of my favorites.”

Another poster titled “Like Father Like Son,” was also created in the Force Influence Series.

Again Alvin’s words on this particular poster are these:

“I thought that there are few more profound relationships than that of father and son in life and this is especially true of the Star War saga,” Alvin explains. “Like any long time fan, I was captivated by Boba Fett and I thought it interesting to pose him at rest and full of potential violence. I like to think that the fire behind him depicts the gruesome end of yet another bounty. Look at the tip of his flame thrower. It’s very hot as though he was making good use of it and he has now turned to us and we should be fearful.

“Promoting our fear is the lethal legacy Boba Fett brings with his considerable skills, and this heritage is shown in the proactive and very dangerous posture of his father, the legendary Jango Fett,” Alvin continues. “It’s as though Boba wants us to know that he is the logical extension of his father and everything we fear about him, we do so with good reason. I wanted to portray the Fett lineage to reflect of the powerful hold these characters have had on all of us from the instant George Lucas put them on screen.”

(Picture from http://www.starwars.com/eu/explore/profile/f20041014/indexp3.html)

Alvin wanted to portray many characters like Queen Amidala, Princess Leia Organa, Chewy, Jabba the Hutt, Han Solo, Anakin Skywalker, although I am sure he already has in one way or another.

John didn’t just do Star Wars Artwork, he did artwork for many other things too. These are just some stated on his site but it goes to show that he was a man of many talents,

Captain Jack Sparrow,

Not Quite sure what this one is, but its a good one though,

(Source, http://johnalvin.com/)

He did works for Walt Disney too, John Alvin is said to have been chosen by Disney for works on The Lion King. He even did some works for Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, and Lord of the Rings too. He was a world wide known Artist that millions revere. None of his works will ever be matched.

On his fan-site (http://www.johnalvinart.com/) was a list of list of movie campaigns and posters worked on by John Alvin:

• Anchor Bay Ent - Tai-Pan
• Arthur II
• Artisan Ent - The Fabulous Baker Boys
• Buena Vista Home Ent - Earnest Scared Stupid
• Buena Vista Home Ent - Mr. Destiny
• Columbia Tristar - Bite The Bullit
• Columbia Tristar - By The Sword
• Columbia Tristar - Hanover Street
• Columbia Tristar - Hook
• Columbia Tristar - Lawrence Of Arabia
• Columbia Tristar - Old Gringo
• Columbia Tristar - Flatliners
• Disney - Aladdin
• Disney - Aladdin (European)
• Disney - Aladdin (Japanese)
• Disney - Arachnophobia
• Disney - Beauty And The Beast
• Disney - Big Wednesday
• Disney - Hercules (Japanese)
• Disney - Mulan ( Japanese)
• Disney - Newsies
• Disney - Pinocchio
• Disney - Rescuers Down Under
• Disney - Shipwrecked
• Disney - Snow White
• Disney - Tall Tale
• Disney - The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (European)
• Disney - The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Japanese)
• Disney - The Lion King
• Disney - The Little Mermaid
• Disney - The Three Muskateers
• Fox Home Ent - Mother, Jugs, And Speed
• Fox Home Ent - Raw Deal
• Fox Home Ent - The Verdict
• Fox Home Ent - Thumbelina
• Fox Home Entertainment -Dying Young
• Image Ent - Short Circuit
• Image Ent - The Twilight Zone
• Lisa
• Metro Goldwyn Mayer - Rainman
• Metro Goldwyn Mayer -Texasville
• Mgm - Betrayed
• Mgm - City Slickers
• Mgm - Fritz The Cat
• Mgm - Leviathan
• Mgm - Losin’ It
• Mgm - Rancho Deluxe
• Mgm - Red Dawn
• Mgm - Running Scared
• Mgm - Solarbabies
• Mgm - Spaceballs
• Mgm - The Princess Bride
• Mgm - Young Frankenstein
• Nickel Ride
• North
• Paramount Home Video - Star Trek Vi: The Undiscovered Country
• Paramount Studios - The Golden Child
• Royal Flash
• Serial
• Sherlock Holmes Smarter Brother
• Smile
• Twentieth Century Fox - Phantom Of The Paradise
• Twentieth Century Fox - Star Wars: The Concerts
• Twentieth Century Fox - The Turning Point
• Twentieth Century Fox - Star Wars 10th Anniversary
• Twentieth Century Fox -Project X
• Twentieth Century Fox -Rhinestone
• Twentieth Century Fox Silent Movie
• Twentieth Century Fox -Willow
• Twentieth Century Fox - Alien (15th Anniversary)
• Twentieth Century Fox - High Anxiety
• Twentieth Century Fox -History Of The World Part 1
• Twentieth Century Fox -Cocoon
• Twentieth Century Fox -Cocoon The Return
• Twentieth Century Fox -Conrack
• Umvd - Legend
• Umvd - Melvin And Howard
• Universal Studios - Always
• Universal Studios - Cape Fear
• Universal Studios - Darkman
• Universal Studios - E.T.
• Universal Studios - E.T. (Advance)
• Universal Studios - E.T. (Re-Release)
• Universal Studios - The Milagro Beanfield War
• Vestron Video - Ironweed
• Warner Home Video - Cats Don’t Dance
• Warner Home Video - Empire Of The Sun
• Warner Home Video - My Favorite Year
• Warner Home Video - S.O.B.
• Warner Home Video - Christopher Columbus: The Discovery
• Warner Home Video - Joe Vs. The Volcano
• Warner Home Video - Gremlins
• Warner Home Video - Innerspace
• Warner Home Video - Victor/Victoria
• Warner Studio - Mosquito Coast
• Warner Studio - That’s Dancing!
• Warner Studio - The Color Purple
• Warner Studios - 10
• Warner Studios - Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls
• Warner Studios - Batman Returns
• Warner Studios - Blade Runner
• Warner Studios - Blazing Saddles
• Warner Studios - Cobra
• Warner Studios - Deal Of The Century
• Warner Studios - Innocent Blood
• Warner Studios - New Jack City
• Warner Studios - Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
• Warner Studios - Quest For Camelot
• Warner Studios - Spies Like Us
• Warner Studios - The Frisco Kid
• Warner Studios - The Goonies
• Warner Studios - The Lost Boys
• Warner Studios - The Nutcracker Prince
• Warner Studios - Under Siege (European)

As you can see John completed many, many works throughout his life, some you may have heard of, others maybe not. If you didn’t know about some of those on that list, well know you do. I know millions appreciated Johns works whether they be Family, Friends, Employers, Fans, etc.
John lived a long, and no doubt a very worthy and fun life. John is a hero to many, a friend, and idol, and many other things no doubt. John Alvin will never be forgotten by anybody so long as Star Wars survives. Let us never forget everything he did for the world no matter who we are.

John Alvin was a man of many talents, Art probably being only just one of them. John said many things, here is just another one. John Alvin the Legendary Star Wars Artist may be dead, even confirmed by Lucas Arts, but he will be missed. Our respects and wishes go with him tonight. May he rest in peace, and his family be at peace.

• StarWars.com profile of John with lots of quotes
  “When working on any image relative to the Star Wars saga, all I have to remember is how I felt when I first saw the Rebel Blockade Runner overtaken by the Imperial Star Destroyer in the opening of Episode IV,” Alvin explains. “From that moment on, I was forever a part of the Star Wars universe. “

Article Links:

• www.johnalvin.com
• www.johnalvinart.com
• starwars.wikia.com/wiki/John_Alvin
• www.starwars.com-John Alvin
• Celebration IV Poster
• There may be more links, but these were the main ones, besides google

Reports from Corellia have shown an increasing amount of activity in an ‘up-and-coming’ human supremacy movement. More and more disgruntled members of society are actively speaking out against many of the non-humans that live within Corellian space. Those of us who were more self-aware of the ‘glorious’ empire in which we used to inhabit would remember the Humano-centrism and ‘Human High Culture’ which permeated much of Imperial society.

Here at the VE, it’s hard to imagine an upper class elitist system, where non-humans were segregated and even discriminated against. Iconified as the “Non-HuMan” or nHm classification, this purist attitude started to die out after the death of Emperor Palpatine in 4 ABY. However, a group of individuals calling themselves the “Human League” are apparently trying to re-live this ideology.

With Corellia still reeling from the Battle of Tralus, and with the entire sector suffering from a post-empire slump, disgruntled individuals serve as excellent recruits for this charismatic and extreme movement. Who better to blame than the aliens?

This new move is bizarre as it is unwelcome. ‘nHm’ classifications also included females and droids, but the “Human league” seems to be more lenient with the former. The League also holds a deep hatred for the growing “New Republic”, and the self-appointed ‘Jedi’ Luke Skywalker. People who have come into contact with the League have speculated that this group is trying to iconify everything they thought the Empire stood for, as they seem to hero-worship Palpatine and Vader.

This is not to say that this group is Imperial friendly. Ignoring the fact that the VE does not condone racism or xenophobia of any kind, since the Human League at the moment is comprised mainly of Corellians, the fanatic isolationism that most Corellians secretly harbour is a key point to the League’s manifesto.

We here at VE Today have decided to issue a general warning to all citizens that frequent Corellian space. The resident Imperial government is friendly with the VE, and have said they will try and protect any visitors, but please, if for no-ones sake but ours, please be careful.

We will keep and eye on this troubling movement, and keep you up-to-date with the latest happenings.

Connector hoses, Jedi Communicators, Helmets. Most if these you can make in your own home with your everyday basic items. Prop building has always been part of making the magic on screen. Some props one would be amazed on what items are used to make what we see from the movies or what is used in them.

Take the Scout Trooper Helmet. One can easily buy a Rubies off the internet or in a costume store. However to make it look just like it came off from the set is another thing entirely. Take the below picture for example. This is what a rubies, normally looks like when one orders it from an on-line store.

Now the one above actually looked slightly worse when it came out of the box. It looked as if someone had sat on it during a hot day. Therefore it had to go into much needed work. One of the first things needed was to re-shape the helmet with a leather belt strapped around it and then re-heated to form it back to the shape wanted. Once that was done the next step was the “Snout”. The small black knob on the end had to be cut out and a Sink Aerator was placed in there and the outside painted black. The remaining painted areas had to be painted to the correct color or Grey and the black outline to go across the top area above the breather.

The Ears on the side of the bucket had to then be cut out and a wire mesh put in it’s place to have the effect real. Also it makes it allot easier to hear out of. It’s hard to see in the pictures but the eye plate had to be cut out and replaced. The inside had plastic and eye site was extremely poor. Also you could see the outlined plastic viewing into it. The Faceplate was next and you had to revers the bolts that held it together and then glue on small button covers on the outside (painted grey) to cover the ending of the screw. For an added realism effect the inside of the visor (from the outside view) was caulked to make it look as one piece.

Sounds pretty simple but it’s allot of work. Rewarding in the end and that is only one prop piece. Allot of the weapons can be made from the original Kenner toys from the original movies. Mainly re-painted to look real. Some use molds and cast Resign weapons. A few Jedi Props such as the Jedi Communicator that Qui-gon had I have seen made from a Ladies Razer (Venus) with a few washers and nails added as well as paint. Many things are made and used for the props. I just touched on a few basic ones that don’t need to go into too much detail. However one of the best props that has been seen in the movie would be the ice cream maker… Yea.. that doesn’t need much explaining

Wars have always been commonplace in Galactic Society. From small tribal wars on undeveloped planets, too full scale engagements between empires, war is, and will probably always be, one of the few constants in the universe.

But how do we find out about them? How does a society find out about these things? Obviously there are Government announcements: friendly, reassuring statements saying everything is fine and that you’re not all going to die. Whilst these statements are about as useful as an angry wookie, they at least can guarantee that the populace are mildly aware as to whether or not they’re at war.

But what of the rest? What of the details? And how do people who don’t even care get told about these events that they are so busy not caring about? Enter the Journalist: a creature of such a rare breed, that their one single craving is information, details, events… The Journalist will strive to find out what happened, and tell you about it, whether you want to hear about it or not. Why? Probably because he or she has nothing better to do.

When it came to wars, Journalist would in days gone by simply sit on the sidelines, gleaning what information they could, and constructing a report over what they heard, or were told. Unfortunately, this still meant that the authorities were the main source of information. Whilst this would rate as slightly more useful than an angry wookie, it was still pretty poor, especially when an average Journalist could have found out more about the person they were interviewing, as opposed to the subject matter of the interview – If the public cared little for conflicts between foreign leaders, they would care even less for the detailed breakdown of sexual affairs conducted by said leaders.

Classic examples of how this style of reporting simply didn’t work can be seen from reports of the Clone Wars. Reports on the war were sporadic at best, especially when the military took over the Holonet News service in 22 BBY. Independent news networks on a galactic scale were still rare during these days, and so an overall view of the war was lacking. Some sector wide news agencies managed to get coverage, but only because it was their sector that the war was taking place in, and the coverage was mainly one sided. During a shoot of the popular talk show Coruscant Today, a guest on the show famously commented:

“Despite scouring the Holonet every day, listening to government updates, surfing the web and Vid shows, I have absolutely no clue how the war is going”

As time went one, there was a shift in attitudes towards war reporting, especially after the formation of the Galactic Empire. As atrocities such as the Great Jedi Purge and the Ghorman Massacre tried to go unnoticed, reporters were suddenly struck by a bad case of conscience. Did events really happen as Imperial Centre told us? What is the REAL story? Reporters from around the galaxy started hunting down the truth, and when the Declaration of Rebellion was realised in 1 BBY, reporters suddenly realised that there was a different side to the story. News corporations such as the newly formed Galactic Press were becoming fed up with the propaganda machine, and started to find ways to get independent reports, especially when it came to wars. And so led to the rise of the ‘Frontline’ reporter.

Frontline reporting went through serious growing pains in the early years. Skirmishes with the Rebellion were kept on the quiet-side as much as possible, so that not too much attention was drawn to their cause. Reporters who did manage to work up more objective works had their work stamped out, or simply refused distribution. A lot of reporters died during the fights, especially in later years as the Empire got more and more forceful. However, Journalists were given a break with the defeat of the empire at the battle of Endor. As the Imperium disintegrated, and the Rebels became more prominent, Journalists were given more of a free reign. The biggest break through in war reporting was with Zahn Sim, and his report of the ‘New Republics’ liberation of Courascant in 7 ABY. From start to finish, Zahn was there, giving a blow by blow account of the liberation. Once NR forces touched down on the surface, Zahn went all over the place, reporting as he went. His reports are generally considered one of the best pieces of Journalism in history.

A couple of years on, and Journalism is generally considered to be on a high. Reporters are going from place to place, tagging along with one army or another, and constructing comprehensive reports. News company owners predict a shift in how reporters are employed, moving from a more company ethic to more freelancing. HoloNet and Galactic Press bosses have especially commented that they tend to ‘hire’ people who are on or near the conflict, rather then send someone out.

What does the future hold? Who knows. Here at VE Today, the ethic is that all of our information is first hand. Many of our reporters were there during the Third Outer Rim War, telling a tale that needed to be told, and I hope that they will continue serving the people in such a selfless and courageous way.

So how come you’re not a scout trooper?”
“Once I put the helmet on, I couldn’t see. I sideswiped a cadet and caused a pile up that destroyed twelve speeder bikes. I was kicked out of the Trooper Corps.”

―Anonymous Stormtrooper on why he wasn’t a Scout trooper

Ok. So the scouts got their butts whooped with the rest of the Empire by those furry little teddy bears. However, out of all the armor that one could wear the Scout had the better end of the deal….Flexability wise. It was made to give the best movement during combat. Also it is one of the extreme few that the trooper could actually sit down in without a problem.

The Scouts armor consisted of two shoulder, two upper arm, two writs, the front and back plate, two knee and the helmet.Also add in the belt, TD (thermal Detonator)belt box’s and Balaclava. The scout also wore a black under suit,a groin-flap and a pair of white boots with tanned bottoms.Their helmets view plates capable of locating energy emissions and motion tracking. The helmets also gave the trooper night vision as well. Let’s go over the more finer details other then listing them.

The cummerbund or “diaper” is an essential piece of the costume. This is an item made from white fabric (generally heavy duty material) that extends from under the chest armor to the crotch. They completely wrap around the lower torso. The codpiece portion goes from white to a black piece of wide nylon webbing (think of a thong) that connects to the back of the piece. Also noted that camel toe is a common side effect to wearing these.

The Balaclava is what most scouts wear in their uniform. This is a “hood” that covers the head and makes sure that hair or skin will not be seen peeking out from under the helmet.The vest is another item that is used. It is not essential, however, some scouts do use them. Heres a few pictures from the film with it.

As far as weapons go the scout is lightly armored. Most just use a small pistol that’s carried in the boot holster. Some however would use a Blaster Carbine or a Rifle if they chose. The Scout in itself may not have the best armor or even camouflage, but they sure as heck made up for it with their flexibility and speed. Yet they still couldn’t take down those pesky ewoks! For more information of the finer details of the scout you can go visit Biker Scout.net ( A Detachment of the 501st Legion)

http://forum.bikerscout.net/index.php?act=idx

Quote was taken from the Wookieepedia and the pictures were uploaded from my computer and were from Biker scout.net

Probably one of the more useful weapons in the Star Wars Universe. While the blaster and other such weapons are good for major combat and or fire fights, it is also good to have a few of these in hand. One can’t just depend souly on such things. If the weapon malfunctions the situation can turn deadly for the user. Also, if the opponent uses Melee Weapons they may have the advantage over say a blaster for close-range combat. There are many different kind of Melee weapons such as follows…

The Vibroblade - These range anything from swords to ax’s and normally in the hilt there is a ultrasonic piece of equipment that made the weapons(s) vibrate at an extreme rate. So even the slightest hit could do some major damage.

Electrostaff - These had electromagnetic pulse-generating tips and were lightsaber resistant. Most people recognise these from Star Wars Revenge of the Sith. Used by the MagnaGaurds that Obi-Wan and Anakin fought against during the clone wars. Not the greatest melee weapon out there sense theses were more used for blunt-force.

Stun baton - These look more like a short stick to beat on someone. It is a short range weapon that requires that the user have to get close enough to touch his/her opponent. It would then give off an electric shock to stun them. So it was used more to control someone. Much like in real life with say a tazer.

There’s many more different weapons out there. These are just a few of them listed. Each one has it’s personal uses and range of pain or death. The use of such weapons can be found just about anywhere in the Universe.

What’s better? Anime or the wonderfully epic story that George Lucas has given us all? Each has it’s perks and for some there’s no question about having to ask such a thing. However, let us compare them and see…

Anime originated from Japan as many have known. Anime started back in the twentieth century but didn’t really hit the United States until 1980’s when the Gundam series hit. Other shows soon followed such as Dragon Ball Z and Sailor moon. Now today more and more shows are more like the Japan animation. With shows such as Pokemon, and Inu Yasha as many people’s favorites. There’s a never ending stream of merchandise to be bought over many stores and even online.

http://www.animenation.com/

AnimeNation is the best and leading source to get anything a person could want in the Anime World. T-shirts, key chains, snacks, drinks exc… The list goes on. Manga is available as well and you can even find items that you couldn’t’t get in a store. If it’s information your after.. other then using the on-line Wiki there is the Anime News Network.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/

There are hundreds of sites linking to different Anime talks, chats, and even conventions. On more then one occasion I’m sure someone has seen someone dressed up in some sort of costume from a favorite series. Going to a convention is one good way to see them. Not only would you find Anime costumers but others as well from a vast sea of fantasy and Sci-fi. Anime has taken such a foothold that it has been expanded to draw up favorite characters to see what they would look like if they were anime. Such as the Futurerama gang and Star wars.

Which now comes to the next section and another popular part of the World. Star Wars! Who would have imagined that back when the first movie came out that it would explode to become such apart of the American culture and the culture of many around the world. Video games, TV shows, Conventions, toys and clubs. Heck former President Ronald Reagan had used the name Star Wars for the Strategic Defense Initiative until the name was changed in 1993 by Former President Bill Clinton. Just like the anime, there is as much to buy out on the market for Star wars as anything else. With mass roll playing forums and even on-line games such as Galaxies’s and Empire at War.

Back in 1997 Albin Johnson started the now world wide costume fan group known as the 501st Legion or Vader’s Fist. What started out as a small group became so large that it expands in countries such as Japan and Asia. Members of the 501st Legion often make appearances at casual, promotional, and charitable events. A non-profit group the 501st also has close ties with the Lucas film.

The Legion itself also has it’s territory assigned. The united States for instance has the states assigned in groups to for a Garrison. Each Garrison has a name and their own set of on line boards to communicate. A few examples are Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas. They are grouped together to form Star Garrison. Florida is known as Florida Garrison but has several squads due to how large/long of a state it is. The main on-line source for the 501st is :

www.501st.com

From that site there is access to find the links to each Garrison. The Legion is well known and has been around now for ten years and is still growing. Recently, Two new Garrisons were formed in the United States. Alabama broke off to become their own Garrison and Kentucky, Tennessee and Mississippi became MidSouth Garrison. The Legion has also helped influence the Star wars universe as the name was taken to be added to the Clone group in Revenge of the Sith and in the Battlefront II game. Because of the what Star Wars has done for the world and the impact of this group there has also been done a special documentary about them. Called Heart of an Empire it has shown in film festivals across the United states and was aired at the last years Star Wars convention.

http://www.heartofanempire.com/

Anime or Star Wars? Both are great and have lots of world influence. Both have impacted peoples lives in either small or great doses. There is much more information then can be put into words on how a person feels about each. Some like one or the other. What is decided is based off each person. Anime junkie, Star wars geek, or both. This isn’t even half the information that could be found, as to place it all would be a very large book indeed.

Pictures were taken off my computer and found off of google images. The actual real pictures are from actual charity events that I attended.

“When you’ve been in this business as long as I have, you learn a few things: Nothing’s more dangerous than arguing with a Wookiee, nothing’s more foolish than gambling with a Jedi, and nothing’s more alluring than a Twi’lek dancer. But I’m here to tell you that last one is wrong. If you like your humanoids flexible, svelte, enthusiastic, and in multiple shades of red, then the most beautiful people in the galaxy are on Zeltros. Who needs Twi’leks?” ―Ruudi Buundaz 

As quoted there by the near human species called the Zeltron. Thee most physically visible trait that separates them from the humans is by their skin and hair. It ranges in different shades of red, from almost white to pink to deep red. Humans considered them Highly attractive. Even the near humans and others alike agreed

Zeltrons are also be considered a new species based of the human genre instead of being  considered another sort of alein.. They possessed three traits.The first was that all could produce pheromones ( chemicals secreted by one life-form to influence the behavior of other lifeforms, most often to attract members of the opposite sex. Prince Xizor of the race of Falleen is another that has this abailty.)

The secondwas that they could  project their emotions into their target or whatever. Thus adding a type of control on the subject (kinda scary). The third is their empathic ability, allowing them to read and even feel the emotions of others, becoming highly useful in certain situations.

 Their home world of Zeltros is known as a luxury world “party planet”. If anyone wasn’t having a good time on Zeltros.. well lets say they would know it and make sure whatever was wrong was taken care of. In other words.. perhaps the best sort of correction that one could have..

Now their culture is at most very interesting.The Zeltrons are highly influenced by sexuality and pursuit of pleasure in general. Most of their art and books were devoted to it.. It was natural to them then to many others who probably found their way of life to be revolting.. If their different shade of skin color or hair wasn’t an indication that you have ran into one of the species, their clothing certainly is a dead give away. They dress in high wild colors for the evening such as bright shades of diffrent neon colors that would hurt the eyes; as well as wild patterns and shapes on their clothing.

A few of the most famous Zeltrons are as follows:

Luxa -

Worked for the Exchange’s branch on Citadel Station over Telos IV. She was a high-ranking member who reported directly to Loppak Slusk.

Dani -adventurer and a master thief as well as once was a once a member of the Rik Duel gang

Unnamed Zeltron Sith General of the Dark Underlord - member of the Black Knights under the command of the Sith Lord known as the Dark Underlord, he faced Mandalorian mercenaries who intruded upon the Underlord’s fortress on Malrev IV.

So the question asked in the end, are the Zeltrons better then the Twi’leks? You as the reader will have to decide….

Quote, pictures and way  the order of the topic was posted  taken  from http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Zeltron

Now we all know what a blaster is. A  really cool weapon that fires out  blaster bolts from a  power cell.  It is the most common weapon used in the Galaxy. The oldest known type of blaster was used by some kind of old droid. The model is not known but it was  employed by the Rakatan Inifinite Empire. That weapon was actualy considered the best and up-to-date when it was made.

Other then that the oldest blaster by far was the tripple Blaster. It worked by using three separate blasters connected to the system,and fired at a target. However by the rise of the Empire these weapons had become extreamly rare. Prior to this weapon beam tubes were used.They consisted of backpacks with a hose coming out of the side. All of the equipment that was used to create the blaster beam in the backpack and was fired out of the hose. By the time the Empire had rosen to power the blaster in itself was the most commonly used weapon. Not only did the military use  the blaster but also by civilians as well for protection. Places such on Tattooine over in the Cantina were these items were supposadly not allowed. Actually,  it was commonly  shoutd out “No blasters” when a fight broke out. Not that anyone ever listened to begin with

This would be one species that is probably the most intresting by far. The Gen’Dai were a seemingly immortal species with distributed nervous and vascular systems.  They Lacked  the vulnerable vital organs that most races needed to survive.  These included the brain, lungs and naturally the heart.  The species was even known  to take  major hits that would kill most anything else  and survive. Among one thing they could survive was total dismemberment. So unles someone could vaporise them  they would live. Though many of the species if taken that hard of a hit it eould be a while before they could get up and fight. They would go into hibernation until the major injuries would heal or be regenerated.

Now no one knows were the homeworld is or was. It had been lost a long time ago. It’s also not stated wether they live on one planet another. That information seems to have been lost. Most of this species are non-aggressive save one name that comes up in the history chronicles.  The average years of life that a Gen’Dai can live is up to four-thousand years. Some can even live and have been known to live up to seven-thousand years making them look  as if they are immortal. Because of this as they age, their minds would weaken and would be left open for mental diseases. Another intresting fact is due to the nature of their nervous systems, they had very good senses, and are able to feel a Human’s heartbeat from ranges of up to 200 meters.

The most well known Gen’Dai was the bounty hunter and CIS commander, Durge. One of his more intresting  quotes gives a little more on how he looked at the universe.

“I was once buried alive—for 60 years! If that didn’t kill me… if the Sith and the Mandalorians and the Bloodboilers of Kragis couldn’t kill me—then you won’t kill me!“―Durge

Durge was a bounty hunter in the galaxy for a good number of years. Two thousand years to be more precise. Durge was able to survive several near-death situations  due to his species regeneration and his armor that was highly enhanced. But that’s getting ahead  so we need to start from his early life and work on how he became involved in several major wars and made a name for himself.

In his early life Durge was in great Physical shape but he also had a natural aggression uncharacteristic of the Gen’Dai species. When he had watched some bounty hunters in action this had  filled him with love or a lust for the hunt. He would then one day leave his tribe and had ventured out to be trained under various bounty hunters. It wasn’t until he met the Madalorian training master Jaing, who taught him everything  he needed to know in the feild of the madalorian combat and tactics skills.

At some point, Durge was  approached by a doctor  who offered to complement their bodies and armor suits with advanced cybernetics. Durge traveled to his  lab on an unknown planet, where he was  introduced to a woman who  who had been disabled to the point where she needed cybernetic enhancements to function. The female had talked Durge into taking in the same technology that kept her alive. Jaing was also there with Durge and both decided to take the risk and let them have it done. Thinking that it would make them more powerfull in battle the risk as a whole was worth it to them.After recovering, Durge and Jaing tested out their new abilities in a sparring match.As they were battling, a group of Mandalorians loyal to Ung Kusp attacked. The doctor that had initially brought them to the lab ordered them to fight the Mandalorians to pay back the debt they owed.In the middle of the battle Jaing was taken out and thought dead by a thermal detonator.Durge, thinking that his friend was dead had left to chase after the remaining Mandalorians, more specific Mandalore himself. After he had left the doctor had gone to Jang who was now dying and revealed to him that the whole point of them being there was to spark a war with the Sith and all the Mandalorian clans.

Further exploits

Durge fought for the Sith in the New Sith War. He faced  several Jedi in combat and learned  their techniques. Durge then became experienced at killing them. In order to avoid the Jedi reprisals, he  went into hiding after the Sith’s defeat at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan.

 He however, did continue  to hunt under a series of aliases and false names, earning the ire of the Bloodboilers of Kragis. Yet his most fateful mission came in 100 BB. Durge was hired to kill the then-Mandalore. Durge compleated the mission , but was captured by the Mandalorians and tortured. In the amount of time they had him the torture  slowly drove him past the edge and into insanity. Durge eventually was able to escape his captors but it took alot of time to regenerate. Nearly a century, and sixty of the years he spent buried underground.

Once he resurfaced, Durge ended up hired by count Dooku to go hunt down Boba Fett. iIs search ended up with him on Tattooine a couple months down the road. By that time Durge ended up taking another bounty by Jabba Desilijic Tiure. He eventually met up with Fett and tried to kill him. Not suceeding as the young man escaped he went back to Jabba and found out that the Hutt had assigned Fett to the same bounty he was on! After knocking Fetts helmet off Jabba halted the fight. Jabba, wanting to give Fett a short lead on the bounty gave Durge another task to hunt down combat archanids, while the young hunter left. In the end they both met up as Durge had quickly took care of the first task.The chase led them both into the heart of Libkath’s operations. After a long  fight, Fett fired at an air tank, blowing up both Durge and Libkath. Needless to say Fett became his number one on his list afterwards.

“I will sharpen my teeth upon this boy’s bones!” ―Durge, referring to Boba Fett 

Not long after that blast he was back to work. This time he was paired up with Asajj Ventress on one of Naboo’s moons. They tested a new chemical that became very effective on killing Gungans and thus then started to plan for a full scale effort against the Gungans on Naboo. Soon after a strike team with Jedi Obi-wan, Anakin, Glaive and  Zule Xiss arrived to invistigate. Durge, who was very eager to battle Jedi again revealed himself to the Jedi and even clubbed Obi-wan down with his magna bolas. Durge continued to attack the three other Jedi despite having been stabbed in the gut with a Lightsaber. Seconds later he was shot in the eye by one of the clones and was forced to call Ventress in for backup. As she fought Obi-wan he was preparing to to shoot the Jedi in the head when he was attacked by one of the other Jedi and sustained yet again another Lightsaber wound. Ventress then ordered him to flee and make sure that the swamp gas plan went as planned. Yet when he got back he saw the shuttles meant to bear the toxin destroyed. Angered that the plan was foiled by the clone Mandalorian Alpha-17 he threw him into the fire. Anakin Skywalker then  hit him from the side with his own magna bolas. Shocked and injured, Durge fled the battle, vowing to kill Skywalker later down the road.

“You know, it’s been over a century since I killed a Jedi… and today, I’ll get to kill four of you. Add that to the Gungans I already murdered, the hostages I’m going to kill later, and all the Naboo who will die tomorrow, and it’s a damn good week.” ―Durge 

After that defeat both Ventress and Durge knew the Jedi would want to find the source of the swamp gas. So they set up a trap on volcanic planet Queyta. To lure in the Jedi they used the antidote for the gas to lure them into an abandoned factory on a lava river, filled with Skakoans. The Skakoans were strapped with explosives and they thought that whatever the Jedi threw at them they could kill between them and the creatures in the lava. The Jedi did show up and as soon as they were known  Durge shot one of the Skakoans, causing a mass explosion and severely damaging the factory, sending it sinking into the lava. One of the Jedi used the force to absorb most of the explosion and took her own life to do it. In the end only one Jedi remained, Obi-Wan who had the antidote…

Near the end of the Clone Wars Durge was able to Lure Obi-Wan and Anakin into a trap in the Karthakk system.Kenobi was  searching for  Ventress, whom Anakin had defeated earlier in the war. Near the planet Maramere, Durge took a large number of battle droids and  killed the entire crew of a ship. Kenobi was then lead  into believing he would encounter Ventress on the ship.

 Both the Jedi  Boarding the ship,where  they started to head towards the bridge, where they were almost blown up by a thermal detonator. Obi-wan took a hard hit fromt he explosion and then  Durge immediately appeared,attacking the wounded Jedi. He was stopped by Anakin , who used the Force to impale Durge on hundreds of jagged metal pieces. He  shrugged this off as if it wasn’t a big deal , but was electrocuted from behind by Kenobi. Durge then started  to trigger some of the many explosive devices with which he had placed all over the ship.As Obi-wan ran off to look for clues to Ventress’s whereabouts Anakin started to fight Durge one on one.

Durge naturally was stronger then Anakin and overtook him. Yet he was severly hurt  when the Jedi  used the Force and sent  a large amount of the explosives at the Gen’Dai. One of the explosions took of his helmet and that sent him over the edge and into a dark fury. Anakin used just that and ended up forcing Durge into an escape pod. Again, using the force he was able to jetoson the pod and guide it into the Maramere’s star and thus defeated  Durge. 

Now it wasn’t clear but some say that durge hadn’t really died. 1.5 ABY a group of scientists were were assigned to “Project Durge,” an attempt to repair a grievously injured being. The scientistswern’t told any information as to the origins of the life form. One of the scientists  was astounded at the way the being was recovering once they had started to put the thing back together. Sccess fufilled as they  revived “Project Durge,” yet they couldn’t restore it to what it looked like before. They then equiped the being with a suit of heavy battle armor. “Project Durge” eventually escaped  and started collecting bounties once more. After beating one of Boba Fett’s associates to a bounty, the bounty hunter  ordered his associate to track down “Project Durge” and destroy it. Doing as he was orderd he defeated “Durge” on Naboo. Boba though had a feeling that he hadn’t seen the last of Durge.

So have we trule seen the last of this Gen’Dai? Agreeing with Fett I am sure somewhere out there the bounty hunter lays in wait. Probably regenerating and waiting for the perfect time to come back to his blood lust for killing. All I can say is that these are intresting creatures  and god willing no one in the VE ever has to face them. Taking in all read here it would take a lot of fire power to even kill on of these guys. Making an enemy from one such as Durge wouldn’t be a good idea…..