In case you weren't able to attend CV or just couldn't face the four hour queue to get into the Artist Alley (it was crazy at times) - then StarWarsShop.com has some great news for you!  They've got very limited quantities of some of the art available from most of the artists at CV including some of our favourites including (in no particular order)... John Alvin, Spencer Brinkerhoff III, Matt Busch, Katie Cook, Grant Gould, JAKe, Ralph McQuarrie, JAKe, Tsuneo Sanda and Jamie Snell.

So take the link below and grab them before they're gone!

It's time for an update from the folks behind Star Wars The Old Republic...

Blood of the Empire #10! - In the tenth issue of Blood of the Empire, a battle between Republic and Imperial fleets rages over Korriban as Teneb Kel chases down his foe. The fate of the Sith homeworld and the Children of the Emperor is in the hands of one young acolyte and his slave--but duty and patriotism aren't the only forces guiding them...

Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!

Fur coat? A Jedi craves not these things - this is just one of many iconic images that feature 20th century heroes and villains taken from a quirky new calendar by design company Takkoda that fetaures photos of pets which have been digitally altered to create spoof poses of the rich and famous.

So which lookalikes do you think belong in the doghouse, and which are simply purrfect?  Take the link below to see the rest...

Site Sponsor Nick from 3Darths.co.uk has got in touch...

Just a quick heads up to say that both Wave 3 and Wave 5 of the New 2010 Clone Wars figures will be instock on Wednesday 1st September 2010. All the figures are now available for Pre-Order at www.3darths.co.uk Stock is very limited as these figures were not due until late September and October for Wave 5.

Clone Wars Wave 3 2010

• Kit Fisto (Super-Articulated)
• Mace Windu (Super-Articulated)
• Clone Scout Jungle Camo ARF trooper
• Battle Droid Commander
• Commander Gree
• Pre Vizsla (Mandalorian)
• Mandalorian Guard
• Aurra Sing
• Destroyer Droid
• Yoda
• Count Dooku
• Anakin Skywalker (Space Suit)

...and also Wave 5 as well !!

• Ki-Adi Mundi
• Cad Bane
• Super Battle Droid
• ARF Clone Trooper
• Battle Droid
• Shaak Ti
• Boba Fett
• R4-P17
• Embo
• Mandalorian Trooper
• Mandalorian Guard
• Count Dooku

Many thanks Nick, take the link below to pre-order now!

Just a reminder that FanExpo Canada runs today, tomorrow and Sunday and features guests, characters, retailers and workshops from the worlds of Comics, Sci-Fi, Horror, Anime and Gaming.

Among the exclusives on offer are the Zuckuss/4-LOM 2-pack and the Darth Maul/Owen Lars & Camie/Fixer comic packs, which will be available at the Hasbro booth.

UPDATED: Mike Barrick is the latest member to report on his C5 experiences....

One of the great things about attending a Star Wars Celebration is having the chance to meet up with fans from all over the world, many for the first time, including those that you may have corresponded with on forums and fansites for years.

Among those, are several members of the Rebelscum, TheForce.net, and the ForceCast team, who have posted their individual experiences, and you can view each of these by clicking on the links below:

• Philip Wise
• Eric Geller
• Shane Turgeon

Kyle Newman has sent us the press release for his awesome Star Wars-inspired movie Fanboys, with details of screenings in the next few days as well as finally announcing the DVD & Blu-ray release on the 4th October.

Click here to read the press release, and stay tuned for more details which Kyle will be passing on soon....

Sideshow Collectibles have posted a photo gallery and pre-order information for their latest diorama, which features three cuddly Ewoks going postal on a poor Stormtrooper.

Remember that the ‘Fall the Empire’ – Ewoks Vs Stormtrooper Diorama will be available for Pre-Order through the Sideshow Newsletter on Thursday, August 26th, which is typically published between 6PM and 7PM (Pacific Time). For those of you who can’t wait to see the full reveal of this Star Wars collectible, we’re posting the product gallery and info a bit early (see below).

We've received some more images from VolkerC, giving us a closer look at the Return of the Jedi wave of figures from The Vintage Collection.

The wave is made up of the following figures: Admiral Ackbar, Endor Rebel Commando, Gamorrean Guard, Luke Skywalker (Jedi Knight), R2-D2 (with Pop-Up Lightsaber), Yoda (The Jedi Master), Wicket (with two head-pieces) and Wooof (Klaatu).

James and I both had the pleasure of meeting Dan Curto at Celebration V (although I'd met him briefly at Celebration Europe and didn't realise who he was!), and Dan was able to catch up with Hasbro's Derryl DePriest for a couple of interviews, one of which was recorded with James for a special ForceCast: Collectors Edition!

Click here for part 1 and then follow this link for the ForceCast

VolkerC has passed on some carded and loose images of Waves 4 & 5 of The Clone Wars, which will comprise the following: Mandalorian Warrior, R4-P17, Shaak Ti, Boba Fett, Embo, Undead Geonosian, Clone Trooper Draa, Quinlan Vos (also shown in our previous report) and Cato Parasitti.

Click on the thumbnails above and below to check them out!

Following the images that surfaced over the weekend at JediDefender, Yakface have posted larger images of Quinlan Vos, both carded and loose, showing the packed-in speederboard.

Click on the link below for a closer look, including a possible new 'feature'....

The third and final live show from CV is up...

The ForceCast returns for Day III of Star Wars Celebration V with special guests Steve Sansweet, James Arnold Taylor, and four Star Wars artist superstars: Tom Hodges, Katie Cook, Grant Gould, and Jeff Carlisle. Plus, Dave Filoni pays a surprise visit to bestow an honor on our esteemed ForceCast hosts, a full recap of The Main Event, Kyle Newman on Ben Quadineros, and Big Honkin' Steve goes on a rant as The ForceCast comes to you live from CV!

 

iPhone/iPod Touch App Extras:  Have the entire ForceCast archives at your fingertips, plus bonus shows and exclusive content!  Get it now.

 

ForceCast T-shirts: Order yours today!

This from the Official Site...

As we finally catch our breath from the rigors and excitement of Celebration V, Disney sends some snapshots of the "Last Tour to Endor" event, which highlighted a weekend's worth of Star Wars activities that should be enough to get us through the rest of the year -- or, at least through next month's premiere of The Clone Wars: Season 3.

Featured in these photos are Main Event stars George Lucas and Jon Stewart, as well as just a few of the surprise cameos in the one-night only production of Raiders of the Lost Jedi Temple of Doom: A Fan Film of Epic Proportions.

For lots more photos including Seth Green, Jamie King and Anthony Daniels in the thick of the show take the link below...

This from the Official Site..

Guests at Celebration V in Orlando were honored with a rare appearance by legendary sound designer Ben Burtt. Burtt should be a familiar name to fans from his iconic work on all of the live-action Star Wars and Indiana Jones films. His accolades include academy awards for A New Hope, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T., Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and nominations for many more. As panel moderator Pablo Hidalgo puts it, "He's the reason so many of us have high-end surround sound systems in our home theaters."

Burtt came to discuss his latest book project, The Sounds of Star Wars. Written with New York Times best-selling author J. W. Rinzler, Sounds tells the intimate details behind your favorite Star Wars sound effects. From the majestic hum of a lightsaber to the lowly chitter of a Jawa, every effect has a story. This lavishly illustrated tome is more than just a book, it includes a sound module that lets you listen to over 250 original sounds from the Star Wars series in high-quality stereo as you read along.

Read the full article at StarWars.com by taking the link below...

This from DigitalSpy.com...

George Lucas is suing a company marketing a product which allegedly allows users to control computers with their minds.

LucasFilm has filed a $5m (£3.22m) lawsuit against Jedi Mind Inc, which is selling a wireless headset that purportedly detects brainwaves, meaning that buyers can play games or run software using only their thoughts.

The firm is offering three products, Master Mind, Jedi Mouse and Think Tac Toe.

The director's studio claims that the trademark infringement will cause confusion in the marketplace and harm its business and reputation.

According to Yahoo, LucasFilm is requesting an injunction and recovery of damages.

Another day and more Gentle Giant product reviews... this time from GentleGiantCollectors.com. 

First up is the Blue Coat Hoth Han Solo Mini Bust which is shipping this week to the lucky collectors who pre-ordered him. This variant version was a PGM Exclusive and limited to just 650 pieces and is currently sold out.  Click for video and/or pictures.

Next up, is the next Maquette from the Clone Wars line which features Commander Gree.  Click for video and/or pictures.

Our friends over at Rebelscum.com bring you an exclusive look at Gentle Giant's brand new PX Previews Exclusive Princess Leia Organa (Mynock Hunt) Limited Edition Mini-Bust and also the new Brown Coat Version of the Han Solo (Hoth) Limited Edition Mini-Bust, both complete with product specific details and photographs.  Take the links and enjoy!

All we know is that all six Star Wars films are coming to Blu-ray in the Fall of 2011, although this release is widely expected to include all the missing footage from the Original Trilogy including the scene shown at CV last week featuring Luke finishing off his lightsabre - more on the contents as soon as they're announced...

In the meantime, site sponsor Play.com has the complete set up and are asking you to register your interest - they've already had thousands of requests - so why not add yourself to the list, no commitment!  Take the link here.

Whilst you're there, why not check out their extensive range of Star Wars products or take the link here!

Take this as a pinch of salt but it's all over the Interweb courtesy of this original story posted by Kotaku a few days ago.  We've contacted LucasArts for their comments...

New Lucasarts president Paul Meegan certainly isn't wasting any time. Barely two months into the job and we hear he's already swinging the axe and cancelling high profile sequels.

If you were wondering why it was strange that Force Unleashed II creative director Haden Blackman would leave mid-project, this may explain things: according to sources at Lucasarts, Meegan has cancelled a third Force Unleashed game that was already in development, and members of Force Unleashed II's team (though we're not sure exactly how many) will be shown the door once that game ships.

Another unnamed project, due to ship next year, has avoided the axe, but has been "put on hold" while developers have been told to "expect management and reporting changes". Those changes are down to the departure of Blackman, who as work was winding down on Force Unleashed II had been leading development on this secret project.

These sources say "morale and productivity are at all-time lows" since Meegan took over, with most Lucasarts developers only finding out about Force Unleashed II's cancellation on the PSP by reading it on gaming news sites.

We've also been told that another sweeping change made by Meegan is that the majority of "external" development of Lucasarts properties is coming to an end, with BioWare's Old Republic MMO to be the last game not developed internally at Lucasarts. That would presumably mean, for example, no more LEGO Star Wars or LEGO Indiana Jones titles after the upcoming LEGO: Clone Wars, as those have all been handled by Traveller's Tales.

So, yes, if this is all indeed correct, big changes are afoot at the house that Star Wars built.

As soon as we have something official from LucasArts we'll post it...

Some crazy news on Indy 5...

Shia LaBeouf says the fifth Indiana Jones movie sounds “crazy”.

The actor can’t wait to reprise his role as Indy’s son alongside Harrison Ford and has already had a sneak peek at the new adventure being planned by director Steven Spielberg.

“They’re script writing right now,” says Shia. “I got called into Steven’s office and he pitched a little bit to me and it sounds crazy, it sounds really cool.”

The open beta for Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures has begun BUT only if you live in North America or Canada...

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures, a new MMO from Sony Online Entertainment, entered public beta testing Friday.

Those interested in giving the game a spin can apply for a beta code at the official Clone Wars Adventures website.

Clone Wars Adventures is a collection of Star Wars mini-games glued together with a social hub where character avatars can interact. The game is free to play, but for a $6 monthly fee wannabe Jedi will gain access to additional content. The game will also feature microtransactions allowing players to spend Sony’s “Station Cash” currency on virtual items.

To conicide with the launch of Season 3 of The Clone Wars in the US, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures is scheduled to launch September 15.

Posted over at JediDefender are carded images of the Return of the Jedi wave from The Vintage Collection, as well as those from forthcoming waves from The Clone Wars, including a figure that was only previously rumoured, Quinlan Vos!

Click on the link below to check them all out!

Another day and another podcast from our friends at the ForceCast.  This time, they have an exclsuive interview with Mark Hamill!

The ForceCast's CV coverage continues with an EXCLUSIVE interview with Star Wars icon Mark Hamill. Mark returns to the ForceCast to discuss fandom, Empire, and the big revelation of a previously unseen clip from Return of the Jedi. Join us as Jason checks off a biggie from his "bucket list" and Jimmy Mac struggles with laryngitis in the presence of a legitimate Jedi Knight.

ForceCast iPhone/iPod Touch App:  Have the entire ForceCast archives at your fingertips, plus bonus shows and exclusive content! Get it now.

ForceCast T-shirts: Order yours today!

Verizon Wireless officially confirmed the pending release of the Motorola Droid 2 special R2-D2 limited edition at CV last week - is it really that long ago already?!?  Click on the above image for a closer look (it's the one on the left!).

Your favorite droid companion who can only speak in bleeps and bloops will be making its official debut with Verizon at the end of next month. Basically it’ll have the same specs and features as its non-Star Wars counterpart, with a rad blue and white paint job and an extra stellar sound packs.

Read the full info by taking the link here.  If like me, you have an iPhone and you're feeling left out by this annoucement (is the Droid 2 even coming to the UK?) then fear not... 

You can get in on the licensed Star Wars memorabilia. The bad news is that this R2-D2 case isn’t designed for the iPhone 4; they’re making it for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. After all, this is happening a long time ago in a galaxy far away.  Still no sign of C-3PO either. 

Read the details here and the case is now available for pre-order at the Official Star Wars Shop here and click on the right hand image above for a closer look.

Hasbro made two special figures for CV - one for Jon Stewart (with two head variants) which was presented to him by R2-D2 and George Lucas during the Main Event - it's a Stewart Storm Trooper...

...the other was presented by the Hasbro team, headed up by Derryl DePriest, to Head of Licensing at Lucasfilm - Howard Roffman to celebrate his 30th year at Lucasfilm during his talk on Lucasfilm Licensing - it's Howard Fett Roffman! 

Click on each of the images for a closer look (thanks to good friend Dan Curto of Rebelscum for the Howard Roffman picture).

The second show from CV is up and listen you must...

The ForceCast once again leaves NO FAN BEHIND with continuing coverage of Star Wars Celebration V. Join us for Day II from the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida. Special guests include Dark Horse writer/editor Randy Stradley discussing Knight Errant; author Daniel Wallace talks about his latest Star Wars book, The Jedi Path; author Ryder Windham gives us the lowdown on Star Wars: Year By Year; and artist Grant Gould shares his CV experiences. All that and much more with the ForceCast live from Celebration V!

 

iPhone/iPod Touch App Extras:  Click on EXTRAS to download our exclusive CV wallpaper for your phone, featuring artwork by Josh Stolte!  Get it now.

 

ForceCast T-shirts: Order yours today!

Following reports of price reductions at Zellers for a number of their Star Wars exclusives, these have now been confirmed by Hasbro:

• TLC Wedge Antilles' Red 2 X-Wing - $89.99 reduced to $54.99
• TLC TIE Fighter - $79.99 reduced to $39.99
• TCW Battle Packs $39.99 reduced to $29.99

Hopefully this will clear some space for the new Target exclusives that were recently announced at SDCC and C5, assuming Zellers take them as they've done in the past!

A picture tells a thousand words... take the link below for the words that describe this precious moment that happened at CV!

This just in from our friends at Gentle Giant...

Dear Valued Gentle Giant Collector.

We have just received the following items and we are processing pre-orders this afternoon at 3:00 pm PT.

11637 Hoth Luke Mini Bust
12145 Oola Mini Bust
11636 Hoth Han Regular
80014 Hoth Han Variant

Pre-Orders for the the Boba Fett 12" Kenner Vintage Figure will be processed this afternoon as well. After orders are processed any remaining quantities will be made available the general public.

Thank you,

Gentle Giant Ltd.

It's time for the second round of videos from CV posted by our friends over at StarWars.com from CV for you to watch and enjoy...

The first video features a behind the scenes and on stage look at the Main Event featuring George Lucas vs Jon Stewart, watch it here.

The next features the Robot Chicken Empire Panel. 

You never know what will happen with the masters of pop television, Robot Chicken co-creators Seth Green and Matt Senreich, along with executive producer and writer Tom Root, take the stage. For this special panel, the group were also joined by 'N Sync singer and Robot Chicken voice actor Joey Fatone.

Star Wars fans had their chance to ask the team questions and were treated to a special sneak preview of the brand new Robot Chicken: Star Wars III special that will debut December 2010. They were also introduced to the director of the new untitled Star Wars animated project. 

Watch the video here.

Finally, we have a CV update from Gentle Giant and Sideshow - enjoy!

Click on the image below to see the Hasbro Panel from CV for yourself, there's some great products coming (the PowerPoint presentation has been converted to a PDF file for easier reading)!

A big thanks to Derryl and the Hasbro team for sharing so much info with us at CV!  We'll have an update from Derryl on which exclusives will be coming to the UK in the next week or so... stay tuned!

Here's some exciting news for those fans that couldn't make it to ComicCon and/or CV and who don't want to buy the show exclusives off of eBay.

Hasbro Canada have advised that they have been able to secure limited quantities of a number of the convention items, which will be available at the Hasbro booth at Fan Expo at the end of the month. Prices are currently unknown as the items will be sold through one of their distributors who are still to advise.

Posted on the Sideshow site yesterday:

Remember that the Exclusive Commander Cody 12-inch Figure will be available for Pre-Order through the Sideshow Newsletter on Thursday, August 19th, which is typically published between 6PM and 7PM (Pacific Time). For those of you who can’t wait to see the full reveal of this Star Wars collectible, we’re posting the product gallery and info a bit early (see below).

The Exclusive Commander Cody 12-inch Figure will be priced at $124.99 and will include a Commander Cody 12-inch Figure Display Base! A regular edition, without the Commander Cody 12-inch Figure Display base will be priced at $124.99. Both versions of this item will be sold on a first come, first served basis, and will have the FLEXPay option available for those seeking a low cost monthly payment plan for this figure. Make sure you log into your newsletter account on August 19th to secure this piece for your collection.

Follow the link below to view all of the images....

Not able to attend CV or just missed out on getting to the shop?  Fear not, StarWarsShop.com have added pre-orders for a lot of the CV goodies available at the show.  So, take the link below and place your orders below...

Our friends over at StarWars.com have posted lots of new videos from CV for you to watch and enjoy...

Saturday saw the Last Trip to Endor which also featured a visit from the Maker, George Lucas.  If you missed this event Star Tours is still open till September 9th at DisneyWorld.  We'll have some clips and photos from the event in due course from Disney but in the meantime enjoy this new Star Tours Commercial from StarWars.com by clicking here.

Here's some clips from Day One and Day Two of CV.

The Clone Wars featured heavily at CV and during the Main Event with George Lucas we were introduced to Darth Maul's Brother - Savage Oppress!  Watch this clip from Season 3 of The Clone Wars here.  Also, shown during the two Season 3 panels was a new trailer for the upcoming season and you can watch that it all it's glory here.  Finally, for now at least, here's a video from the Season 3 Panel on Saturday, take the link here.

Fans attending Celebration V in Orlando got a rare chance to see the Maker himself, George Lucas, interviewed on the Celebration Stage by Comedy Central's Jon Stewart -- a big Star Wars fan himself -- in a presentation that was broadcast simultaneously into an additional five theaters at the convention.

We've broken the hour-plus presentation down into a play-by-play series of quotes and events as they unfolded on stage, which included peeks at the upcoming season of The Clone Wars, a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi, an exciting Star Wars Blu-Ray announcement, surprise appearances by Star Wars castmembers, and some pretty hilarious moments that only the wit of Jon Stewart can bring to an interview.

Take the link below to read the Main Event as it happened, courtesy of Bonnie and Pete at LFL, and we also managed to record the audio from the Main Event which we hope to get up for you all to enjoy over the next couple of weeks...

Just in case you hadn't heard...

The Star Wars saga will at long last be released in a high-definition home video format as all six movies come to Blu-Ray in a Box Set in Fall 2011, as announced by George Lucas at Celebration V during the Main Event.

At the fan convention's Main Event, thousands of Star Wars fans braved the muggy heat of an Orlando morning to queue for a one-time only stage session between George Lucas and The Daily Show's Jon Stewart. Stewart asked Lucas questions submitted from the fan community, and one of the most frequently asked questions submitted online prior to the Main Event was about the saga's release on Blu-Ray. "I wish I could say it was coming out this year," said Lucas, "but it will come out next year."

The set will feature all six live-action Star Wars feature films, with the highest picture and audio quality, along with extensive special features.

More news as soon as we hear it!

Day one at Star Wars Celebration V and the gang's all here, starting with Rebelscum.com founder and ForceCast Grand Poobah Philip Wise in a rare interview. Plus appearances by Kyle Newman, Paul Bateman, Dan Curto, "Jovial" Jay, Eric Geller, Mandy B., and more. Dan Madsen shows up with some free swag, Hasbro's Derryl DePriest accepts an award, and members of the 501st surprise the ForceCast. 

 

ForceCast iPhone/iPod Touch App: Have the entire ForceCast archives at your fingertips, plus bonus shows and exclusive content! Get it now.

 

ForceCast T-shirts: Order yours today!

CV was a great event, in a great location with so much to do and see - there just wasn't time to do it all.  Adam and I had very little sleep over the last few days (getting up at 3am to see the Main Event with George Lucas and partying with our friends from the ForceCast until the early hours didn't help but both were immensely fun and exciting).  We're both in Florida for a few more days and we need to catch up on our sleep and reacquaint ourselves with our families who came with us on this trip - they didn't see much of us over the last five days.

BUT, we have taken hundred of photos to share with you, we've interviewed lots of people including Dave Filoni, the cast and crew of the Clone Wars, Steve Sansweet, Derry DePriest from Hasbro, the guys behind the Ralph McQuarrie exhibit - and that's just scratching the surface.  It'll take us a while to get all this content up so please bear with us.

Also, we'd just like to publicly thank Steve, Mary, Chris, Tracy, Pablo, Bonnie and Pete from Lucasfilm as well as the folks at Reed for all their help and also all those people from who made us so welcome you know who you are - in no particular order (I apologise if we missed anybody out)... Jimmy, Jason, Jay, Dustin, Philip, Ben, Eric, Curto, Chris, Mike, Dave, Dustin, Spencer, Grant, Mandy, JAKe, Tom, Katie, Jewell, Kyle, Lauren - the list goes on...

I'm at a total loss as to how we managed to miss this, but thankfully Jayson at Yakface was able to pick up the slack and has posted an image gallery from the Saga Museum's booth.

Not only did they have this amazing two volume set on display, they also had an awesome booth loaded with vintage items, many of them holy grail pieces, that we'd all love for our personal collections.

Click on the link below and be prepared for some drooling!

The next set of questions, to be sent to the Star Wars team at Hasbro, need to be in with us by this Thursday 19th August - so if you've got a burning question then send it in and we'll get them sent off and answered...

For your anticipation we have a list of potential LEGO sets due to be released next January. These are only rumour until officially confirmed, and details may well change by the time the finished products are released.

• Clone Trooper Battle Pack containing four specialised Clone Troopers.
• Mandalorians Battle Pack containing four Mandalorians.
• V-Wing Fighter in Imperial colours with a pilot and an astromech droid.
• Battle on Naboo containing bricks to build a Battle Droid carrier, multiple Battle Droids including a Pilot, plus Jar Jar Binks and a Gungan.
• Bounty Hunter Ship featured in The Clone Wars, with mini-figs of Aurra Sing, Embo and an Assassin Droid.
• T-6 Jedi Shuttle, coming with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker, Shaak Ti and Saesee Tiin.

At the Main Event today at Celebration V, we were treated to a deleted scene from Return of the Jedi that will be included on the Blu-ray editions of the saga that are due next year!

Anyone that has read the ROTJ novel will likely be familiar with this clip that is set at the beginning of the movie and now RS has posted the scene online.

The headline pretty much says it all.  Click on the link below to launch the PDF for printing, and then get your orders in for those rocket-firing Boba Fetts!

Whilst neither James nor I were able to make it to the Masters of the Empire Event to hear Gary Kurtz, Ben Burtt, Lorne Peterson and Jon Berg talk about their experiences on the Star Wars saga earlier today, the Guardian have picked up on a story from a few days ago, where the producer of the original trilogy told how the ending of Return of the Jedi might have been very different to the one we know so well....

After an exhausting first day at Celebration 5 (everything of which we're still trying to catch up on) and day 2 set to kick off for us in just over 6 hours, we report on the official site's review of Celebrating Celebration, hosted by friend of Jedi News, Steve Sansweet.

"Eight-hundred and sixty hours of programming" -- that's what "Celebrating Celebration" host Steve Sansweet claimed all the events of Celebration V would come to if added up -- and even the most diehard, tireless fan won't be able to see it all (fortunately, StarWars.com is going to do it's best to bring you most of it!).

BURNTWOOD, ENGLAND AND ORLANDO, FLORIDA - USA – THURSDAY 12TH AUGUST 2010 – James Burns, Adam Lamping and Mark Newbold are proud to announce the merger of the UK’s two premier Star Wars sites, Lightsabre and Jedi News.

Announced at Star Wars Celebration V by James Burns, covering the event for Jedi News, the merger is just the start of a detailed plan laid out by James and former Lightsabre editor-in-chief Mark Newbold due to roll out over the next year.  Mark continues “I’m hugely excited to be integrating a decade of Lightsabre content across to Jedi News.  James and Adam have built Jedi News from a cold start in May 2007 to quickly become the UK’s biggest Star Wars fan site and the Lightsabre team are thrilled to be joining forces and making Jedi News not only a UK force to be reckoned with but a worldwide force for Star Wars fans.”

James adds “It’s great to be incorporating a decade of Lightsabre content to Jedi News as well as welcoming on board Mark and the existing Lightsabre team.  Lightsabre had become the best place for Star Wars interviews as well as original fan fiction and these new additions fit perfectly within Jedi News.  We look forward to a bigger Jedi News team which is able to do more for fans around the world especially in the UK”.

In the next few days Jedi News shall incorporate the Lightsabre logo, to formally acknowledge the merger of the two sites.  Over the following months, Mark and the Lightsabre team shall be working alongside James and the Jedi News team to add both old and new content to a newly constructed site, scheduled to launch May 2011.  The merged site will be called Jedi News.

Here's our first few pictures from yesterday's setup where we caught up with lots of friends old and new including Dustin Roberts, Eric Geller, Derryl DePriest, Dave Filoni, Ashley Eckstein and Steve Sansweet to mention just a few (click on each image for a closer look)...

Whilst at CV our friends at TomTom have asked me to act as an Ambassador for them and let everybody know about the awesome new Star Wars voices available for TomTom navigation systems.  They've given me 40 codes which you can redeem for a Star Wars voice - Yoda, Darth Vader, C-3PO are also Han Solo (just released)!

How can you get a code?  Find me in my Jedi News t-shirt and every hour between 9am and 7pm each day I'll give a code away to the first person that asks 'Can you show me the way of the Force with TomTom?' - as easy as that!  See you on the convention floor in just a few hours!

If you've not seen the awesome recording session videos featuring Yoda and Darth Vader then take the link below...

We may be thousands of miles away but we're getting reports that the two 5 packs from the Force Unleashed are showing up at Site Sponsor Toys 'R' Us all over the UK (but not yet online).  They are priced at £39.99 each.

Whilst we're in Orlando getting ready for Celebration V which kicks off tomorrow, there's Star Wars news happening elsewhere with the following report posted over at Rebelscum:

Secrets Are Revealed In All-New Season of Star Wars™: The Clone Wars™
Premiering on Cartoon Network, Friday, September 17, 9 p.m. (ET/PT)
New Clone Wars Adventures™ Online Virtual World to Debut with Season Premiere

Here's an update on sixth and final trading card from the cast and crew of our pals at the ForceCast...

One of the best parts about working on the ForceCast is the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people. One such person is our buddy from across the pond Paul Bateman. Paul is one of those guys who, when you meet him, has a habit of instantly feeling like family and his lovely wife Athena is no different. The two of them are just plain good people.

The fact that Paul Bateman is also one of the foremost Ralph McQuarrie experts and an avid fan of all things "The Wars" is just the icing on the cake. He's a regular panelist on the Clone Wars Roundtables and provided wonderful insight for our Empire commentary track.

So, what would a set of ForceCast cards be without "awesome, awesome" Paul Bateman pictured alongside the man himself, Ralph McQuarrie?

Paul and the rest of the RalphMcQuarrie.com gang will be at CV in full force with a full-blown Ralph McQuarrie art gallery. Paul knows every brush stroke and pencil smudge, so there is no one better to be your guide through this collection of Ralph's work. Paul also designed the ForceCast trading cards for us, so please thank him for being so "awesome."

Take the link below for more info on how and when to get the cards...

We're in Orlando for Celebration V (and a well earned holiday too)!  Adam and his family have made the trek over from Canada and I've made the journey across the big pond from the UK with my family in tow too!  Together we hope to be able to bring you all the news from CV as it happens.

We couldn't come all this way without bringing some swag, so click on the above image for a closer look at the 3" patch and 1.5" badge (or button) that we'll be giving away randomly at Celebration V (both approved by Lucasfilm).  To get yours just come and find us in our Jedi News t-shirts and we'll be giving away a limited number each day. 

I've also been invited as a panelist on the Inside Star Wars Insider Panel on Saturday 14th at 7pm - so if you want to ask me or any of the other writers or editors a question relating to the best Star Wars magazine in the Galaxy then come along to room W303 ABC - hope to see you there!

ACME have announced a new Empire print by Lawrence Noble.  Lawrence has painted a revisited version of his original Empire Poster that was never used back in 1980 by Lucasfilm.  

ACME will be putting up the print for pre-order on their site here as well as taking pre-orders at CV. All pre-orders will get a special bonus of having their print signed by Lawrence himself!

Take the link below to pre-order and for more information...

Our friends at Official Pix have put up the Floorplan and Line Control details for all their Autograph guests as well as more news and details on their Photo/Pin Promotion.  Take the respective links and click on the image below for more info...

Here's an update on the fourth and fifth (of six) trading cards from the cast and crew of the ForceCast...

The fans owe a lot to Steve Sansweet and his tireless efforts to represent the best of all things Star Wars, from Jedi-Con to Comic Con, and all points in between.

Steve has been appearing on the ForceCast with regularity for years now and he's always a blast to talk to. With that said, we present card #4 in our series: Catching Up With Steve Sansweet.

The story behind the making of the 2009 film Fanboys is almost as crazy as the film itself. Our window throughout this process was the film's director and one of the biggest Star Wars fans we've ever met, Kyle Newman. What began as just another "In the Cantina" interview grew into one of our most frequent guests, a sometimes co-host, and a great friend.

So, card #5 is, appropriately, a picture of Kyle on the set of Fanboys directing a scene with "Hutch," played by actor Dan Fogler.

Kyle will be at Celebration V all four days. He's serving on a few panels and will be hanging around the ForceCast table from time to time. We will be giving away DVD and (the newly released) Blu-Ray copies of Fanboys signed by Kyle and Fanboys co-star Jaime King.  Jaime is also the voice of Aurra Sing on The Clone Wars.

The Fanboys DVD and Blu-Ray giveaways will happen during our live ForceCast episodes, which coincidentally is where you can get the ForceCast trading cards!

Take the link below for more info on how and when to get the cards...

Our great friends over at Rebelscum have updated their CV Survival Guide and it's also available as handy, mobile PDFs for your iPhone, iPad or Android. Follow the link below and get them before you leave!

You'll find a guide to the Artists (and their Prints), the Show Exclusives, the Vendors, plus two Schedules-one by Day and Time, the other by Day and Location!

Also, Jovial Jay has just added a detailed list of the Book And Comic Signing Schedule too!

This story, from earlier in the year seems to be doing the rounds...

George Lucas attended a charity screening of The Empire Strikes Back at the Chicago Field Museum, and also took questions from the audience.  One person in attendance asked him to give an update on the Star Wars live-action TV series... Here’s the quote from George Lucas (from Wikipedia): -

“The live action TV show is kind of on hold because we have scripts, but we don’t know how to do ‘em. Because, they literally are Star Wars, only we’re going to have to try to do them…a tenth the cost. And, it’s a huge challenge…lot bigger than what we thought it was gonna be.”

We'll be sure to ask the same question at CV...

It's that time of the week again and here's an update from the folks behind Star Wars The Old Republic...

The Mandalorian Wars - The Mandalorian Wars included some of the bloodiest battles in the Republic’s history. Mandalore the Ultimate’s relentless campaign to goad the Jedi into open conflict cost the lives of millions. Though the entrance of a Jedi splinter faction into the war is perceived as the factor that turned the tide against the Mandalorians, the perseverance of Republic soldiers and pilots like Carth Onasi cannot be underestimated. Jedi Master Gnost-Dural’s historical investigation analyzes the conflict with the perspective of modern events, highlighting the implications for the war against the Sith Empire.

BTC 311 – Too often, the Mandalorian Wars are characterized solely as a prelude to the Jedi Civil War, but the events surrounding the conflict itself bear close examination. When Mandalore the Ultimate called together the clans and began augmenting his armies further with Neo-Crusaders, his intention was to pull the Jedi Order into open conflict. As is the tradition in their culture, the Mandalorians sought to establish themselves as the most powerful faction in the galaxy by defeating the faction they considered to be their greatest rivals. Though the Jedi Council resisted the Mandalorian challenge, the splinter group led by Revan and Malak eventually joined the fray and won the war. Though there has never been a hint that the Sith were involved in the Mandalorian Wars, new analysis from Jedi Master Gnost-Dural suggests that the influence of the dark side was involved. The bittersweet victory in the Mandalorian Wars took a toll on the Republic for which the price is still being paid to this day…Watch the latest Timeline holorecord, The Mandalorian Wars narrated by actor Lance Henriksen.

New Playable Species! - So far we’ve only dropped hints about the range of playable species in Star Wars™: The Old Republic™. You may have heard about the Chiss Imperial Agent or the Twi’lek Smuggler, but we can tell you now that all classes will include optional non-human species.

Here's an update on the third (of six) trading cards from the cast and crew of the ForceCast...

Who can forget Jimmy Mac meeting the notorious G.L. in June of 2009 at the Gene Siskel Film Center Gala in Chicago?

When other fanboys would have melted like butter in Uncle George's presence, Jimmy was cool, calm, and above it all, still very much a fan. If you've never heard it, or haven't heard it in a while, check it out here.

So, it is with great pleasure that we reveal the third card in our Celebration V set of 6 collectible ForceCast trading cards: Thanking the Maker!

Take the link below for more info...

With less than one week to go, Lucasfilm's Pablo Hidalgo and David Collins drop by to talk about the Digital and Behind-the-Scenes stages at Celebration V. John Scoleri pops in with more details on the Ralph McQuarrie art gallery, and master of the Star Wars ink Shane Turgeon brings us up to date on his plans for the big show. Plus a ton of CV news, updates, Billy Dee, and more.

 

iPhone/iPod Touch App Extras: Check back later this weekend for a special app exclusive from "Jovial" Jay. 

 

ForceCast iPhone/iPod Touch App: Have the entire ForceCast archives at your fingertips, plus bonus shows and exclusive content! Get it now.

 

ForceCast T-shirts: Order yours today!

eFX have announced their Celebration V Exclusive - In honour of the 30th anniversary of The Empire Strikes Back, eFX is giving Celebration V attendees the chance to pre-order the Luke Skywalker X-Wing Pilot helmet from The Empire Strikes Back.

Included with the pre-order is a signature plaque without the signature BUT with a voucher to visit Mark Hamill at his Official Pix autograph booth and get the plaque personally signed by Mark right in front of you at Celebration V!  Here's the full announcement (click on the image for a closer look)...

Our good friend Philip from Rebelscum has let us know that all remaining Lt. Renz minibusts are on their way to Celebration 5, where they will be marked down to just $10 each and available on a first come, first served basis.

Look for them in the Official Pix Autograph Hall store area.

Sir Steve's Guide has posted a terrific two-part interview with Hasbro from last month's San Diego Comic-Con. It's a 2-part interview, which can be read by taking the links here...

Part 1 - SDCC Hasbro Booth Walk-Through Interview
Part 2 - Hasbro SDCC Questions & Answers Interview

Our great friends at the ForceCast have revealed the first two of six trading cards which will be available at Celebration V, here's the announcement...

Anyone who has been to a Star Wars Celebration knows that one of the best things about it is the FREE STUFF. You know: bumper stickers, patches, pins, buttons, posters... we like to call it swag!

Here at the ForceCast, we put our heads together (always dangerous) to come up with what we feel is a pretty cool, FREE, exclusive set of trading cards just for you--our wonderful listeners.

You get them by showing up to our live show tapings at Celebration V. We have three shows planned for the convention:

THURSDAY: 4:15-6:15 PM
FRIDAY: 12-2 PM
SATURDAY: 1-3 PM

Read more by taking the link below...

A number of sites, including Rebelscum and Yakface, have reported the following:

Hasbro will be hosting the Galactic Swap Meet at the Hasbro booth at Celebration V! Bring your surplus Build-a-Droid parts and trade with us, and other fans, as our booth becomes the hub for some serious droid-part-swapping!

Hunter PR have passed on the answers to our second set of questions which had gone AWOL for the past couple of weeks.  A big thanks to Danny for following up on these.

JediNews.ca want to provide Canadian Collectors with an opportunity to have their voices heard and their questions answered, so if you have something you'd like to ask Hasbro, please use the link below to submit your questions.  The next due date is 26th August.

Titan Magazines have sent out a notice to subscribers offering them a free digital sampler edition of Star Wars Insider.

Included among the features in this special issue are:

• An interview with Anthony Daniels, the actor famous for playing the protocol droid, C-3PO
• "My Star Wars" with Peter Serafinowicz, the voice of Darth Maul
• Behind the scenes with the parody kings behind Robot Chicken
• A look at Princess Leia toys through the ages
• A countdown of the ten toughest creatures in the Star Wars galaxy.

Follow the link below to read it online as well as find out details on how to win a trip to Rancho Obi-Wan!

JediDefender have posted carded images of the ROTS wave from The Vintage Collection, complete with Ultimate Galactic Hunt foil packaging.

Follow the link below to check out Magna Guard, General Grievous, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Commander Cody, Darth Sidious, Clone Trooper (Episode III), & Sandtrooper.

We've received images from VolkerC showing the European packaging of two exclusive figures which will be making their way to stores in the near future.

Click on the thumbnails below for a closer look at both front and back of the Nikto Guard and Jodo Kast cards.

For those of you still collecting Saga Legends, Yakface have reported on a running change to prequel-era Obi-Wan:

It looks like Hasbro heard our cries about the initial mold chosen for the Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Saga Legends line. As you may have seen, the first shipments of this figure included a repack of the mold first used in 2003 Saga line as the Outlander Nightclub version. New cases shipping now look to have switched this figure out for the more respectable 2008 TAC mold. No word yet if a similar upgrade to the Jango Fett is in the works.

Click on the thumbnail above for a look at the revised version.

It may be just over a week until CV but closer to home and happening this Saturday, 7th August, is the Fordingbridge Film & TV Festival between 10am and 4pm at the Town Hall, 63 High Street, Fordingbridge, Hampshire SP6 1AS.

It's been put together by our very good friend Dave Tree, from All The Cool Stuff, and features guests including Jeremy Bulloch, Emily Booth, Ian Whyte, Paul Blake and Rusty Goffe - click on the images below for more details...

As if that wasn't enough, in the evening at 7pm there's a special (seperate ticket needed) screening of Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced by the associate producer of the film, Robert Watts!

Friend of Jedi News, JAKe, has been in touch with a summer update:

Hi there

This a just a quick email to let you know about some new stuff I've been working on.

First up are two brand new Star Wars prints celebrating the 30th anniversary of the The Empire Strikes Back.
The first piece, '1980: The Saga Continues' is a signed and numbered edition of 250 and will be available at Star Wars Celebration V in Orlando, Florida. 12-15 August.

• Measures 16.5 inches by 23 inches
• Lithograph on 190 gsm art paper
• Limited edition of 250
• Hand signed and numbered

Posted a couple of days ago on the official site:

A few months back, it was announced that Star Wars Celebration V, the official Lucasfilm event that celebrates all things Star Wars, was going to be held at the Orange County Convention Center, August 12-15.

With Star Wars Celebration V taking place right down the road from Walt Disney World, Disney Theme Park Merchandise decided to join the Rebel Aliiance and get in on the galactic fun! Not only will Disney Theme Park Merchandise have a booth at Celebration V to showcase new Star Wars merchandise coming to Disney Parks, but we've also created collectible merchandise that will only be available at Star Wars Celebration V.

This from Gentle Gentle Ltd...

In honor of Star Wars' the Empire Strikes Back 30th Anniversary, Gentle Giant presents the 2-1B Surgical Droid Mini Bust. A limited edition run of 1980 pieces worldwide. Pre-orders for the Premier Guild Members are open now thru end of business Thursday, August 5th. If there any pieces available at that time we will open pre-orders to the general public.

You must be a premier guild member in good standing and logged into your account to pre-order the 2-1B Surgical Droid. Once you are logged in you will be able to access the link to the product page.

Pre-Orders for SDCC Exclusives - We will begin processing pre-orders for the McQuarrie Concept Darth Vader Mini Bust order on Monday, August 2nd @ 3pm PST. Pre-Orders for the other SDCC Exclusives will be processed within the next 2 weeks.

The following items are scheduled to be received in our warehouse within the next 2-3 weeks:

• Hoth Han Mini Bust (both variations)
• Hoth Luke Mini Bust
• Hoth Leia Mini Bust
• Oola Mini Bust

Happy Collecting!  Gentle Giant Ltd Staff

It's that time of the week again and here's an update from the folks behind Star Wars The Old Republic...

Nar Shaddaa: Crowning Jewel of the Underworld - Circling the planet Hutta is its largest moon - Nar Shaddaa, the ultimate corrupt city. Dominated by underworld concerns and owned by the Hutts, this sprawling mass of skyscrapers is considered one of the most dangerous and exciting places in the galaxy, where anything can be had for the right price.  Access the HoloNet to learn more about Nar Shaddaa. Check out this video to see the endless city that covers the moon's landscape. Also, don't forget to visit the media section for never-before-seen screenshots, concept art, and wallpapers showing this capital of illegal commerce.

Threat of Peace in Print! - Issue One of Star Wars(tm): The Old Republic(tm) Threat of Peace from Dark Horse Comics is available in print!  Threat of Peace unveils a galaxy on the brink of destruction three hundred years after the events of Star Wars(tm): Knights of the Old Republic(tm)!  For decades, the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire have been at war-the Sith have gained control of the Outer Rim, but their efforts to penetrate the Core Worlds have so far been thwarted. Now, representatives from both sides attempt to negotiate a peace treaty-but deception by the Sith puts the Jedi in an unfortunate position...

Pick up a copy of Threat of Peace Issue 1 from your local comic store, or order online directly from Dark Horse. An alternate cover version is also available at some outlets and online.  And don't forget to check back in August and September for Issues 2 and 3!

Blood of the Empire #8! - In the eighth issue of Blood of the Empire(tm), Teneb Kel is confronted with a strange and frightening vision of the past, the future, and of his greatest enemy. As he lies broken in the Lenico wasteland, he must seek the truth about Exal Kressh and the Emperor's goals within his mystical dream--or be utterly destroyed when he returns to reality.  Check out the latest issue of Blood of the Empire now!