“The members of The 501st Legion, a group of ‘Star Wars’ costume enthusiasts, might be the bad guys but that doesn’t mean they can’t partake in charity work.” (Micah Mertes)

The iconic stormtrooper costumes from the Star Wars franchise are at the heart of a lawsuit being heard by the UK’s high court this week. One of the designers who helped create the costumes, Andrew Ainsworth, is being sued by George Lucas for £10m for making and selling replica costumes to collectors. Ainsworth is counter-suing for a piece of the pie that is the Star Wars empire.

According to reports, Ainsworth created the first thirty-five helmets for the original Star Wars back in 1976 and sold the first 50 to Lucas for £35 each. In 2004, Ainsworth found an original helmet in his home and began producing costumes for sales to fans.

“As far as I am concerned I am the original maker and I’m using the original molds,”" said Ainsworth.

A spokesman for Lucas Licensing said: “We would never want to discourage fans from showcasing their enthusiasm for the movies. However, anyone who tried to profit from using our copyrights and trademarks without authorization … we will go after them.”

A court in California has already ruled in favor of Lucas in the matter but because Ainsworth is UK citizen, the British high court will have to enforce the order.

Either that or George will have to call upon his old pal Darth Vader to look into this.

In celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Star Wars our good friend Indiana Jim has a big upcoming Star Wars shindig planned for his podcast that we here at Slice of SciFi want to clue you in on.

It’s called the “T.A.L.U. Star Wars Extravaganza” and will feature interviews with the likes of Nathan P. Butler from Star Wars Fan Works, Lou Tambone of Starwarz.com and Cris Macht, the director of The Force Among Us. Cris and his sister Courtney are the official guests of Star Wars Celebration IV to be held in Los Angeles, California.

So, if you love Star Wars be sure to listen to Indiana Jim’s Star Wars Extravaganza Podcast throughout May and beyond.

Ever wonder how much more exciting Star Wars would have been without some of George’s clumsy dialogue? Here it is — The Star Wars Sage as a Music Video — and it is awesome!

[Video courtesy of YouTube.com — Special thanks to Tom Boucher]

Join us!

On March 4, 2007, Wookieepedia (www.wookieepedia.com)—a wiki-based Star Wars encyclopedia—celebrates its two-year anniversary.

The huge encyclopedia draws information from all aspects of Star Wars, including the films, books, comics, magazines, television, and games. Thanks to the quality work of its many contributors, Wookieepedia has grown exponentially in the two years since its establishment by Chad Barbry and Steven Greenwood, now boasting over 45,000 articles, with thousands more in nine other languages! This makes it the largest encyclopedia hosted by Wikia, surpassing its elder Star Trek counterpart, Memory Alpha, by over 20,000 articles.

Yet the Star Wars encyclopedia no longer consists merely of words on a screen. As of February 21, Wookieepedia launched the first ever Wookiee-Cast. Less than two weeks later, after hundreds of hits on the new podcast, the Wookiee-Cast consists of three episodes containing over 1.5 hours of content.

Even official Star Wars authors and artists have been known to use the site, including fan-favorite Abel G. Peña. Peña himself has been known to praise the site on a number of occasions. As Peña so kindly wrote last year:

“Wookieepedia is a lavish and stunning homage to the Star Wars pop cultural phenomenon,” says Peña. “Thanks to its professional appearance, the scope of its content, the quality of its writers and diligence of its administrators, Wookieepedia has become a valuable resource to fans both casual and obsessive, as well as to Star Wars authors. It’s becoming the new nexus for everyone who wants to know as much as Yoda about that galaxy far, far away,” concludes Peña.

Wookieepedia is constantly on the lookout for additions to its roster of thousands of enthusiastic users from all corners of the world. If you’ve got the drive and the knowledge to help put together what will soon become the largest collection of Star Wars information on the web, head on over and sign up now!

Submitted by: Mike Smith (SoSF Fan)

Darth Who? — Name the Newest Sith Lord!

What’s in a name? A great deal, indeed, for those who choose to take that final, fateful step and join the dark side. Each Dark Lord of the Sith must leave behind their old identity — and old name — in order to assume a moniker befitting their fearsome new status. As it was for Darth Bane, Darth Sidious, Darth Maul, Darth Vader, and a long line of dark disciples before them…so it is now, for Jacen Solo. But what name shall he take to seal his allegiance to the dark side? How shall he be hailed by those who honor, respect, and fear him? Now, YOU have a chance to be part of Star Wars history. Because this time, this privilege of naming the newest Sith Lord…is YOURS.

One Grand Prize winner will have his or her Sith name featured as the official character name in Star Wars: Legacy of the Force: Sacrifice by Karen Traviss. The Grand Prize Winner will be recognized on the acknowledgement page of the aforementioned book.

To learn more about the rules and on how to make your entry you must login to StarWars.com.

5HeadsTall Productions, the Manchester UK based company responsible for the hugely successful online TV show “Inside Report”?, are thrilled to announce that the long awaited documentary, “George and Me“? is to be released on DVD on 30th September 2006.

“George and Me“? investigates how much of a positive “force”? Star Wars has been on fans’ lives since its release nearly 30 years ago. It shows that the traditional stereotype of the “geeky”? fan has little value in today’s world and that being a fan can really enrich your life and give you the courage to shoot for the stars. It features interviews with fans such as Albin Johnson founder of the 501st,, and Shane Felux director of “Revelations”?, the most successful fan-film to date. It also features many other fans from across the globe who have all done amazing and wonderful things because of their love for Star Wars.

The film took the two indie producers, Sky Wilson and Vin Kelly, nearly 2 years to complete, financing the whole operation themselves. They travelled across the United States and all over England in order to see first hand the amazing accomplishments that fans had achieved.

“All of the fans fans we met were special people and should get the recognition they deserve”?, said Sky.

“We wanted to show that Star Wars fans are really wonderful people who have done great things as a result of liking Star Wars,”? adds Vin.

This film is the company’s first foray into documentary filmmaking and they hope it’s not the last.

The film is released on DVD in Region 1 and Region 2 formats on 30th September 2006.

You can watch the trailer for “George and Me”? at the following link: www.georgeandme.co.uk/trailer.html

Submitted by: Cougar (SoSF Staff Reporter)

The Star Wars animated series will be ready to roll out by 2008 and the live-action series will be seen by 2010. At least that’s the latest word from Steve Sansweet, Lucasfilm’s Head of Fan Relations, who sparked excitement in Lucas fans at this past weekend’s ComicCon.

The animated series will be set in the latter half of the Clone Wars. “We’ve been spending the last couple of years building from scratch two new state-of-the-art digital animation companies, one at Skywalker Ranch and one in Singapore,” Sansweet said. “The scripts for the first batch of shows have been completed, and Animation is hard at work on the first episodes.”

Source: Entertainment Weekly
Submitted by: Cougar (SoSF Staff Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly has come out with their list of Top 50 Sidekicks in entertainment history and the skylined-tall furrball known affectionately as Chewy made it on that list of prestigious names.

At number one was the world’s all-time great sidekick, Ed McMahon who remained tied to the hip of his friend and boss, Johnny Carson for nearly 40 years.

The tall furr-clad sidekick and additional comedic relief to the smart-ass Hans Solo in Star Wars, Chewbacca, came in at number 4 on the list.

The Top 5 rounds out to include:

#1 Ed McMahon
#2 Robin, Batman’s masked kid companion
#3 George Costanza of Seinfeld fame
#4 Chewbacca
#5 Ethel Mertz from the old I Love Lucy days

In other Star Wars related news. Star Wars.com is reporting that Del Rey Books will continue to update and expand their library of Essential Guides with the addition of The New Essential Guide to Alien Species by authors Ann Margaret Lewis and Helen Keier. The original story, which was posted on the StarWars.com site last February had preliminary cover art, but this most recent update shows the real deal — the finished art by Steven D. Anderson.

The book will feature full-color interior artwork by Chris Trevas and William O’Conner. The text has been fully updated to encompass the entire Star Wars movie saga and the completed New Jedi Order series. Entries feature complete physical descriptions and official designations, specifics about homeworld, phonetic pronunciation, and a list of notable appearances. Plus, this brand-new edition includes a glossary of crucial descriptive terms.

The New Essential Guide to Aliens is slated for paperback publication this fall from Del Rey Books.

Source: Star Wars.com
Submited by: Cougar (SoSF Staff Reporter)

First off, in the distant future, a galaxy-shaking secret is revealed in the heat of battle in Star Wars Legacy #5. Old friendships will be strained to the breaking point, unlikely new alliances will be formed, and the relentless forces of evil will pursue their dark ends with even greater vigor and purpose. In a universe on the brink of either destruction or salvation, it is the actions of an unexpected few that will determine the fates of all. The latest issue of Star Wars Legacy, by John Ostrander, Jan Duursema, Dan Parsons and Jon Anderson, with cover by Adam Hughes, is scheduled for release on October 3.

In the distant past, secret motivations and a troubled history are revealed in a standalone story of fear, neglect and betrayal in the ancient Old Republic. After the great Sith War, one Jedi dedicated herself to training only the most gifted seers in hopes of foretelling and preventing the return of the Sith. But obsession with her mission led to oversight elsewhere, allowing dark influences to take hold amidst the Jedi order. Now, events have been set into motion that cannot be undone, the consequences of which will rewrite the fate of the entire galaxy.

Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #10, by John Jackson Miller, Brian Ching and Michael Atiyeh, is scheduled for release on October 25.

The dark times are here. Dark Horse Comics ventures into that shadows that stretch from Episode III to Episode IV, as the worlds of the Galactic Republic are drawn into the iron grip of Palpatine’s Empire.

On Coruscant, Darth Vader waits for his Master to reveal his vision for the future. But is there a plan beyond obtaining power? On New Plympto, Jedi Master Dass Jennir leads a Nosaurian army in a war they have already lost. Is this what it now means to be a Jedi?

Star Wars: Dark Times #1, the first of a five-part story arc, is the gateway to a new era in Star Wars history. The Path to Nowhere story references events in the bestselling Del Rey novel, Star Wars: Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader. Issue #1, by Welles Hartley, Mick Harrison, Douglas Wheatley and Ronda Pattison, is scheduled for release on October 25.

For more information about Dark Horse Comics, visit their official website HERE, or stop by their booth at Comic-Con International (July 19-23, 2006 in San Diego, California [USA]) and say hello.

Submitted by: Cougar (SoSF Staff Reporter)

Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 1, the Cartoon Network’s Emmy Award-winning animated series, is now available on ITunes for $1.99 per chapter or the full season of Volume 1 available for $10.99. Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 2 will be available later in June.