A Wretched Hive of Scum and Villainy

Touche Ben! My favorite scene in all of Star Wars is the Cantina. The mixture of exotic aliens, post apocalyptic humans and select shoe string budget horror movie characters made it one of the most interesting mixtures of folk possible. It became paralleled by the Jabba’s Palace sequence in Return of the Jedi but said sequence moved down a notch when the Special Editions came out and they added a bizarre out of place show tune number that fortunately the Cantina was never plagued with. C’mon, who can beat the Modal Nodes Cantina Song. I am not going to tell you what their brand of music is called. I’ll let you Google that, actually don’t.

Pictured above is a part, yes, just a part of my Cantina set up. The distillery is by Kodiak3D from Shapeways. Yes, this is a 3D printed distillery that I ordered from him and painted. The bar pieces are from Hasbro and I modified them a bit and painted them. For some reason they included bar stools but I ditched those since there aren’t any bar stools around the bar. Watch the movie if you don’t believe me. Around it are a variety of officially released and custom kitbashed 3 3/4″ figures. There is Wuher behind the bar and counterclockwise around it are, Davelynn Schmee(Custom), Cantina Spacer(Custom), Brea and Senni Tonnika(Customs), Hrcheck Kal Fas(Modified), Nabrun Leids(Official), Rycar Ryjerd(Custom) Sai’torr Kal Fas(Official), Dannik Jerriko (Modified), Dr. Evazan(Official), Ponda Baba aka Walrusman(Official), Obi-Wan Kenobi(Custom), Chewbacca(Official), Bosheck(Official), and Kitik Keed’kak.

Anyway, if you like the Cantina song and want to spice it up a bit download Meco’s disco version of it on iTunes, here. You will be the hit at parties, I promise.

Well your highness, guess this is it!

Well, don’t get all mushy on me. So long Princess!

In the subsequent scene Han tells Leia that she could use a good kiss after Leia tells Han that she just as soon kiss a Wookiee. It’s banter like this that made the romance between Han and Leia better than any romance scenes found within the entirety of the Star Wars saga. You really wanted to see them hook up. Below is where some of the most memorable lines of dialogue in The Empire Strikes Back begins. The Echo Base Computers are brought to you courtesy of DocOutlands of Production Platform 3 who had the ingenious idea of casting them from a Lego construct so that multiple consoles could be combined. He has since made even better ones that are stunning and I am just waiting to order them at some point. I painted the consoles and added little greeblies to give it that computer-y look.

The tactical screen, K-3PO, Toryn Farr, Han Solo and Princess Leia all come courtesy of Hasbro.

General Rieekan is a combination of the Saga Collection Major Bren Derlin body with the headsculpt and rankbadge from the General Rieekan of Habro’s SAGA Deluxe line.

The chair is from the Kenner CD-Rom Millenium Falcon game with a modified plastic strap adjuster for the base. It was then painted and weathered.

And one more funny bit of dialogue from Han from said movie….

Amazing Diorama Piece!

I wish I could take credit for this beautiful piece but this troop transport seen in Echo Base in The Empire Strikes Back is the work of Hole in the Ground Productions and I feel lucky to own it. All I can claim is that I painted it, added some custom headlamps and attached the antennae which is included with the piece. The custom figures in the piece are modified by me however. Below are the recipes for anyone interested.

Ready for Battle

Rarely seen publicity shot

The transport’s driver, also a Tauntaun handler, uses a Vintage Collection Echo Base Trooper body along with an Indiana Jones German Soldier headsculpt modified to include earmuffs on the hat. The one in the back uses an older Power of the Force Luke Skywalker head, doesn’t really look like Mark Hamill so it’s legit, and the trooper on the outside pretty much is as is with some weathering and an added pair of goggles.

Major Bren Derlin is from Hasbro’s Saga Collection line. Little factoid, the actor who played him in The Empire Strikes Back is John Ratzenberger, aka, Cliff Claven from Cheers.

The publicity shot is courtesy of starwars.com.

I dunno, I can imagine quite a bit.

I love this scene where Luke tells Han that if they rescue the Princess the reward would be well more than Han can imagine and Han says he can imagine quite a bit.

 

Luke Skywalker uses a Hasbro Vintage Stormtrooper body that has been shortened at the torso, legs and arms to fit in with the “Aren’t you short for a Stormtrooper” line said by Leia with the Luke Skywalker head form the 25th Anniversary Packs by Hasbro. The belt is from the Legacy Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper Disguise.

The Han Solo is a combination of a Vintage Collection Stormtrooper body with a Han Solo head from the Legacy Death Star Escape Han Solo figure.

C-3PO is a resized version of the Vintage Collection C-3PO.

R2-D2 is slightly modified and based off the Vintage Collection R2-D2

Mad Props go out to artist Jokabofe for the creation of the Death Star Consoles which show exceptional sculpting and talent.

The chair is from a Star Trek 2009 Captain Kirk figure from the JJ Abrahms universe.

What an incredible smell you have discovered!

This is the iconic scene just after Luke and Han rescue Princess Leia without an escape plan. Leia then proceeds to blast a hole from the cell block into the garbage compactor below. They all jump down the newly formed chute to escape the Imperials.

Into the garbage chute flyboy!

All figures are kitbashed. Luke Skywalker uses a Hasbro Vintage Stormtrooper body that has been shortened at the torso, legs and arms to fit in with the “Aren’t you short for a Stormtrooper” line said by Leia with the Luke Skywalker head form the 25th Anniversary Packs by Hasbro. The belt is from the Legacy Luke Skywalker in Stormtrooper Disguise.

The Han Solo is a combination of a Vintage Collection Stormtrooper body with a Han Solo head from the Legacy Death Star Escape Han Solo figure.

Leia is a combination of the lower torso being from the Vintage Early Bird four pack, the upper body being from a Legacy Medical Frigate Princess Leia and the head sculpt is from the Vintage Collection Princess Leia.

Chewbacca utilized the body of a Vintage Collection Chewbacca with the forearms from a Saga Bespin Escape Chewbacca.

The mini diorama is parts from the Saga Death Star Trash Compactor sets with the door from the Original Kenner Death Star Playset. You can see a Dianoga poking his head up to mug the camera. Everything also has a custom paint job and finish.