I had the pleasure of meeting Randy Martinez, a wonderfully talented artist from Hollywood, California, a while before Episode I was released, back in the days when the Internet was still young and adventurous. Randy’s come a long way since the old days of Star Wars fandom, creating pieces for popular magazines and newspapers like the Los Angeles Times, plus official pieces for Lucasfil and other companies. Not only has he done work for the now defunct Star Wars Kids magazine, but you’ve seen his his cartoons gracing the pages of the Star Wars Insider. I figured it was time for a proper interview. (Original posting: May 22, 2004)
Tag: interview
Interview with Tsuneo Sanda
(Original posting: June 16, 2004)
If you’re a Star Wars fan, you’ve probably seen the work of Tsuneo Sanda in many places and have never even realized it. He’s done everything from Yoda-claus to Anniversary images to prequel images to expanded universe. He’s also worked on Star Trek pieces and much more. You’ve seen his work on book covers, in comic books, and in magazines like the Star Wars Insider magazine. I love his style and I especially like his “Shadow of Evil” series which you can find at his site Sandaworld.com. (Original posting: June 16, 2004)
Interview with Peter Mayhew
(Original posting: January 16, 2001)
At seven feet four inches tall, it goes without saying that Peter Mayhew is a big man. Fortunately, he has a heart just as big. Not only is Peter one of the nicest Star Wars celebrities I have met but he’s always ready and willing to share his fondest memories with the fans over and over again. Peter first worked as a hospital attendant at the King’s College Hospital in London when film producer Charles Schneer cast him in Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger. One year later, he became Chewbacca and entered the world of popular culture. Though he has not done much acting since the Star Wars films, he keeps very busy at conventions and is always ready to don the hairy walking carpet once again if asked, no matter the occasion. Peter is very proud of his role and his contribution to Star Wars. I recently interviewed Peter and we talked about life as Chewie, what he thinks of Chewie’s big finale in the Expanded Universe, the Holiday Special, and much more. (Original posting: January 16, 2001)
Interview with Michael Sheard
(Original posting: January 1, 2004)
Michael Sheard is a veteran actor who has appeared in hundreds of films including Force 10 From Navarone (with Harrison Ford), Escape to Athena, two Indiana Jones films and of course The Empire Strikes Back. He’s also known in the UK as the bow tied teacher Mr. Bronson from the TV show Grange Hill. He’s had countless roles on all kinds of TV shows ranging from Dr. Who to The Avengers. He has four books under his belt and promises more to come. Above all, however, Michael is a gentleman and a fun person to talk to. He took a little time out to answer some questions about his life and career. (Original posting: January 1, 2004)
Interview with Kenny Baker
(Original posting: July 25, 2000)
Kenny Baker is the actor/entertainer who crawled into the R2-D2 unit for every Star Wars film thus far. Being three feet and eight inches tall never stopped Kenny from making it big in the entertainment industry. He was in several fantastic films including Time Bandits, Flash Gordon, Amadeus, The Elephant Man, and of course the Star Wars films. If all goes well, he should end up being one of the proud few who can claim that they were in every Star Wars film. He currently lives in England and is enjoying life relaxing between touring all over the world and appearing at various Sci-fi conventions, something he really enjoys. Kenny was kind enough to take some time out to answer a few of my questions. (Original posting: July 25, 2000)
Interview with Joe Corroney
(Original posting: May 11, 2004)
Joe Corroney has been illustrating Star Wars artwork for Disney and Lucasfilm and Star Trek artwork for CBS Studios since 1997. Other licenses, studios and professional publishers he has illustrated for include Stranger Things for Netflix, Marvel Comics’ Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men, DC Comics, Green Lantern, Superman, The Jim Henson Company, Dolby Cinema, Indiana Jones, The Walking Dead, X-Files, Doctor Who, The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, True Blood, GI Joe, Farscape, Firefly, Heroes, The Phantom, Hasbro, Xbox, Sony Pictures, MTV, Random House Publishing/Del Rey Books, Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, Becker & Mayer! Books, Topps, Titan Publishing, Boom! Studios, Wizards of the Coast, IDG Entertainment, Upper Deck, Rittenhouse Archives, Paizo Publishing, and White Wolf Publishing. Currently, he’s developing his creator owned comic book series, Death Avenger and continues to create new Star Wars artwork for Disney and Lucasfilm. He was also the instructor for the Comic Book Illustration and Digital Illustration courses at the Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio for ten years and has taught the Ohio State University’s Summer Comic Book Workshop. Joe runs a full-time illustration studio and can be commissioned or contracted for work. You can contact him at joe@joecorroney.com . — Bio courtesy JoeCorroney.com (Original posting: May 11, 2004)
Interview with Dan Madsen
(Original Posting: July 18, 2006)
Dan Madsen is a publicist/marketing/public relations at Independent consultant working with fan based media. He is the former Founder/President/Publisher at Fantastic Media and created/produced the global official fan clubs, magazines, and merchandise for the Official Star Trek and Star Wars entertainment franchises under license from Paramount Pictures and Lucasfilm Ltd. He’s a humble, friendly guy and even had a cameo in The Phantom Menace. Dan took a moment to answer a few of my questions about fandom. (Original Posting: July 18, 2006)
Interview with Anthony Daniels
(Original Posting: May 10, 2000)
Anthony Daniels—the man behind and inside C-3PO—is one of the most friendly and entertaining personalities of all the Star Wars cast members. He is also a Shakespearean stage actor and does some writing on the side. He is always happy to reprise his role as C-3PO for any cause and will most-likely be one of the very few actors who can claim to appear in every Star Wars film. I recently got the opportunity to chat with Anthony Daniels and asked him a few questions. (Original Posting: May 10, 2000) Read More
Interview with Alan Dean Foster
(Original Posting: July 03, 2002)
Alan Dean Foster and Star Wars go way back to the beginning of it all. You may remember Foster as the author who ghost-wrote the novelization of the original Star Wars. He soon and unknowingly became the granddaddy of the Expanded Universe by writing the first piece of tie-in fiction approved by Lucasfilm called Splinter of the Mind’s Eye which takes place between Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. When it was revealed that Foster was returning to Star Wars once again many years later to pen a novel that would bridge the prequels Episode I and Episode II, fans were nothing short of delighted, especially fans like myself who enjoyed the original novelization. The new book is called The Approaching Storm and will be released in February of 2002. I was very pleased to talk to Mr. Foster and chew the Star Wars rag for a while. You can check out his website at www.alandeanfoster.com.
(Original Posting: July 03, 2002) Read More
Interview with Ann C. Crispin
(Original Posting: September 20, 1998)
Ann C. Crispin is the author of several best selling books which include the Star Trek novels Yesterday’s Son, A Time For Yesterday and The Eyes of the Beholders. She has co-authored two fantasy books with noted fantasy author Andre Norton and collaborated with several other authors on other projects as well including the novelization of Alien: Resurrection.
She has created her own universe with the Starbridge series. The books center around a school for young diplomats, translators and explorers both alien and human located on an asteroid far from Earth. Several books from this series have been recognized as superior reading material for young adults by the American Library Association. Books in this series have also been in consideration for the Nebula award (The top award given by the Sci-fi and fantasy writers of America).
In 1995, Ann produced two short stories for the Bantam Books Star Wars Publishing program: Play It Again, Figrin D’An and Skin Deep for the Anthologies Tales From The Mos Eisley Cantina and Tales From Jabba’s Palace. These stories led to an invitation to write a new Han Solo trilogy about Solo’s pre-Star Wars adventures for Lucasfilm/Bantam, which are fantastic.
Ann is a very busy person these days but she took time out of her schedule to answer a few questions.
(Original Posting: September 20, 1998)
Interview with Aaron Allston
(Original Posting: May 16, 1998)
In 1996, the Star Wars Expanded Universe was off and running with many critically acclaimed books and other tie-ins under its belt. It was around this time that Mike Stackpole’s “X-Wing” series of novels were released and started to fly off the shelves. These centered on the famous Rogue Squadron, founded by Luke Skywalker. Stackpole found it hard to keep up with the workload, and so another author, Aaron Allson, was brought in to assist. Instead of continuing the story of Rogue Squadron, however, he created his own group of pilots dubbed Wraith Squadron. A band of misfits and criminals, they are hell-bent on thwarting Warlord Zsinj’s attempts at taking over the falling Empire. The first book, Wraith Squadron burst with action and I am sure the second and third will be just as thrilling. I asked Aaron a few questions about Wraith Squadron. (Original Posting: May 16, 1998) Read More
Interview With Peter Diamond
(Original Posting: December 11, 2000)
Peter Diamond (1929-2004) was the stunt coordinator for the original Star Wars trilogy, but he was much more than a well-established master at the art of stunt performing. He was also an actor, fencer, and filmmaker. Being a man of many talents, it’s no surprise to learn that he performed many of the minor roles in the Star Wars films like the Tusken Raider who attacked Luke, the cantina patron who squeals to the Stormtroopers, or one of many dedicated Stormtroopers serving the Empire. Peter took a few minutes to talk to me about his long career in the entertainment industry and, of course, his many roles in the Star Wars saga. (Original Posting: December 11, 2000)
Remembering Tony Dyson
I was very saddened to learn that a very old friend of the site, Tony Dyson, has passed away. Tony was the robot engineer who created the many R2-D2 units for The Empire Strikes Back. He also worked on other films like Moonraker, Superman II, and Dragonslayer.
Interview with Steve Perry
(Original posting: February 8, 1998)
Steve Perry, author of Shadows of the Empire, was the first author to pen a Star Wars novel that took place between two original trilogy films: The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Most of the books that came out since Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire in 1991 were set after the theatrical trilogy’s finale. Shadows of the Empire is a fantastic piece of work and accurately reflects the action, adventure, and excitement of the original trilogy. It was launched as part of a huge multimedia extravaganza including a CD soundtrack, video game, action figures and toys, comics, and more. Some aspects of the project were even referenced in the Star Wars: A New Hope Special Edition. Steve was kind enough to answer a few quick questions about his work. (Original posting: February 8, 1998)
Author Ann C. Crispin Passes Away
It was reported today that author Ann C. Crispin has sadly passed away after a long fight against cancer. Ms. Crispin was an accomplished author, but most Star Wars fans will remember her for her Han Solo trilogy of the late 1990’s. Read More