skywalker

The sounds of 'Star Trek': This man makes them happen

NICASIO, Calif. -- Growing up in the 1960s, Ben Burtt was such a big "Star Trek" fan that when he went off to college at a school where he had no TV, he had his father record the audio from each week's episode and mail it to him.

Sitting in his dorm room, Burtt would listen to the shows with headphones on, taking in each new episode with no pictures. But he didn't need the video to understand what was going on. "It was so vividly portrayed with excellent sound effects," Burtt said, "… Read more

Helping 'Star Wars' newbies finally embrace the Force

SAN FRANCISCO--What I'm about to tell you is 100 percent true, no matter how much you will want to tell me I'm full of it: there are American adults who have never seen "Star Wars."

The 1977 George Lucas film is a timeless global phenomenon and may be one of the most embedded of all our cultural artifacts. It spawned an empire that Disney ended up buying for $4 billion, in large part because of the passion and commitment of its worldwide audience. But still some people, even those who watch other movies, and are part of mainstream society, managed to make it to 2013 without ever seeing it.

For one group of "Star Wars" newbies, though, their lifelong exclusion from one of the biggest clubs on Earth is over. … Read more

Get psyched over this fan-made 'Star Wars: Episode VII' poster

If you're on the fence about seeing an elder Luke, Han, and Leia return to the next installment of "Star Wars," it's possible artist Adam Schickling's illustration of a mock "Episode VII" poster could get you in the mood to see some geriatric Jedis on the silver screen.

Schickling, a 37-year-old professional illustrator based in New York, drew and painted the 30x40-inch "Star Wars" art by hand over the course of four weeks. The mock poster features most of the beloved characters from the original trilogy -- including Luke, Han, Leia, Chewbacca, Lando, R2-D2, and C-3PO -- with some extra gray hair and wrinkles. Well, except the droids, who don't really age.… Read more

Carrie Fisher to return as Leia in new 'Star Wars' films?

Update, March 7 at 9:18 a.m. PT: A representative for Fisher says she was just joking about signing up for a future Star Wars film and that nothing has been announced. You can read our full story on that here.

The Force seems to be growing stronger with the upcoming new "Star Wars" films.

Actress Carrie Fisher will return to a galaxy far, far away to play the role of Princess Leia in the next "Star Wars" movie.

In an interview with Palm Beach Illustrated, Fisher gave a simple "Yes" when asked … Read more

Friday Poll: Which 'Star Wars' character should get the first spin-off film?

First, Disney bought Lucasfilm and "Star Wars" fans everywhere had mixed feelings. Then, a rumor became reality as J.J Abrams signed on to direct the next "Star Wars" movie. Now, almost everybody is feeling hopeful about the future of the franchise.

To put a cherry on the sci-fi sundae, we've now been told that a series of character spin-off movies are in the works that will follow along with individuals from the series.… Read more

Darth Vader turns to the art side

Even a stoic sci-fi bad guy like Darth Vader, with his menacing helmet, can be reborn into a fancy, smile-inducing art piece.

Indiana-based artist Gabriel Dishaw created an unusual twist on Darth Vader with an upcycled mask, which features a smorgasbord of old junk attached and integrated into the Sith Lord's helmet. The parts include various keys, circuit boards, and other appendages sourced from ancient adding machines, typewriters, and computers. Any of you out there with some extra holiday cash can pick up the one-of-a-kind Darth Vader junk art mask on Etsy for a crisp $800. … Read more

Behind the scenes with the world's greatest 'Star Wars' collection

PETALUMA, Calif.--Driving along the back roads of this idyllic, easy-going Northern California town, you'd never know that behind the walls of one of the most unassuming buildings around is perhaps the best collection of geek memorabilia in the world.

Welcome to Rancho Obi-Wan, Steve Sansweet's homage to his life's passion -- "Star Wars," a non-profit museum dedicated to serving "the public through the collection, conservation, exhibition and interpretation of [the films'] memorabilia and artifacts." Formerly Lucasfilm's head of fan relations and a Los Angeles-based reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Sansweet … Read more

Could 'Star Wars: Episode VII' feel like 'Return of the Jediatrics'?

Some would consider Disney's announcement of acquiring Lucasfilm (and the "Star Wars" franchise) for a little over $4 billion epic enough as is. Disney stunned sci-fi fans further with the additional announcement that Star Wars: Episode VII would arrive in 2015, causing many to wonder who would direct the movie, and more importantly, who would star in it.

It might take awhile to find out who the actors in "Episode VII" will be, but at least we know that the most cantankerous of the bunch, Harrison Ford, is onboard with participating in the highly anticipated follow-up to "Return of the Jedi," according to Entertainment Weekly. … Read more

'Star Wars' glasses: Use the four eyes, Luke!

There are some places where it's not appropriate to wear a Wampa skin "Star Wars" dress covered in fake blood, but you still want to express your fandom through fashion. That's when you whip out your surprisingly subtle Darth Vader glasses.

Japanese company Aigan has introduced a collection of officially licensed "Star Wars" eyeglasses. Choose the Force with Luke Skywalker or R2-D2 styles. Go for the Dark Side with Darth Vader or Stormtrooper models. Can't decide which side you're on? No problem. There's a Boba Fett pair, too.… Read more

'Star Wars' coins let you pay in Yodas

Following up on last year's popular launch of official "Star Wars" currency, the New Zealand Mint revealed a new set of coins featuring Queen Amidala, Yoda, Darth Maul, and Anakin from the epic sci-fi prequel trilogy.

The colorful 1.6-inch diameter coins work as $2 legal tender on the tiny South Pacific island country of Niue and individually contain one ounce of .999 silver. A ripple in the Force indicates that few people would probably actually spend these collectors' items, and if they do, they may get clubbed over the head by Yoda's cane. … Read more