'Twas the night before the new Star Wars movie...

So, I just can't let this historic event go by without proper commentary...

I remember, well over a year ago, when we got a two-fold surprise: not only had Disney acquired the rights to Star Wars, but now a new sequel trilogy was in the works.

People started having their doubts at first, but as time went on, things looked more and more promising.  And now, with the critics' reviews coming out, it looks like they just might have pulled it off.

...I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm glad Disney and all those involved managed to do it right and make something great.  Soon enough, everyone (including yours truly) will be able to find out for themselves.  (One of my mottoes in life: "If you're going to do something, then do it right.")

And yes, I did make this blog post with its title playing on the classic poem "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," because why the heck not?  It's not like I made the decision to release the new film so close to Christmas...  But since I did that anyway, I might as well write a like ditty for the occasion...

"'Twas the Night Before the New Star Wars Movie"
by Seth Shirer

'Twas the night before the new Star Wars movie, and all 'round the world,
everyone got ready as the theaters' red carpets unfurled.

For countless many, Real Life concerns were forsaken,
As they all wanted to see when the Force would "awaken."

It's finally here, ready to go, this brand-new "Episode Seven,"
And for the die-hard fans, this ought to be like Heaven.

It's the usual fare, with plenty of humans, aliens and droids,
and some space battles too, maybe even a few asteroids!

A franchise forty years old but still going strong,
No one wanted to see this new movie go wrong.

Never before had one of these films been released in December,
And this was a big event which they all wanted to remember.

Undoubtedly many parents will take the kids to see this flick,
To keep them busy as their young wait for gifts from St. Nick.

...Now the author wants to stop this poem before it gets lousy,
Especially before it wears on and he gets too drowsy.

Still, a final message for the fans who stay good and true:
Enjoy the movie, and may the Force be with you!

Happy Star Wars Day, 2015 - May the Fourth Be With You

Well, it's Star Wars Day for 2015, and here's what I've been working on... a song parody!

This particular piece is a parody of the song "Goodbye Black Ops" by Miracle of Sound, so maybe it would be best to listen to that first.  But otherwise, here we go...!

"Goodbye Star Wars Legends" (by Seth Shirer)

(Much gratitude to Gavin Dunne (“Miracle of Sound”), whose song “Goodbye Black Ops” helped inspire parody for the novels of the Star Wars Expanded Universe Timeline now known as the “Legends” Timeline.)

It’s been a year or so since Star Wars got bought out by “The Mouse”
And I’m looking through all the novels lying around the house
We got to enjoy the galaxy far, far away beyond the actual movies
And now it seems we’re at their mercy as they do whatever they please

Now it’s time to say
Goodbye lovely Mara Jade, goodbye smart Grand Admiral Thrawn
Goodbye heroic Dash Rendar, goodbye fan fave Kyle Katarn
Sure I can still crack open these books and there you’ll always be
But according to Disney it’s goodbye, farewell to thee
Goodbye
Goodbye

I wanted to rant and rave and hurl a hydrospanner
When I saw the brand-new golden “LEGENDS” banner
Then again, maybe that alternate timeline did go somewhere wrong
In the later years, starting with those fearsome Yuuzhan Vong

Now it’s time to say
Goodbye lovely Mara Jade, goodbye smart Grand Admiral Thrawn
Goodbye heroic Dash Rendar, goodbye fan fave Kyle Katarn
Sure I can still crack open these books and there you’ll always be
But according to Disney it’s goodbye, farewell to thee
Goodbye
Goodbye

So in us fans’ tender care, all these older books will survive
But then again, on the plus side, this means Chewbacca is still alive!

Goodbye lovely Mara Jade, goodbye smart Grand Admiral Thrawn
Goodbye heroic Dash Rendar, goodbye fan fave Kyle Katarn

Now it’s time to say
Goodbye lovely Mara Jade, goodbye smart Grand Admiral Thrawn
Goodbye heroic Dash Rendar, goodbye fan fave Kyle Katarn
Sure I can still crack open these books and there you’ll always be
But according to Disney it’s goodbye, farewell to thee
Goodbye
Goodbye
Goodbye

Idea Dump: Futurama/KOTOR mash-up

Well, now that I got all of that other stuff out of the way, onto other things!  (And I might as well post this now before 2014 draws to a close...)

So lately, I've had this one quirky idea in my mind: A humorous mash-up between Futurama and Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (a.k.a. "KOTOR")!

I'm certainly not the first person to have ever noticed this, but there is that similarity between Bender and HK-47: Humorous hatred for humans.  Oh, and the occasional tossing-out of the term "Meatbag!"

So now I want to draw little parodies of the Futurama crew as KOTOR characters.  (Such a fun concept is certainly nothing new: Just this past summer with the release and success of Guardians of the Galaxy in theaters, I saw all sorts of parodies, ranging from Charlie Brown and friends from Peanuts and Bob and his family from Bob's Burgers.)

So, I was thinking of making the following images...

Phillip J. Fry as the player's main character from KOTOR (hint, hint!)
Turanga Leela as Bastilla Shan
Bender as HK-47
Nibbler as T3-M4
Amy Wong as Mission Vao
Dr. Zoidberg as Zaalbar
Hermes Conrad as Jolee Bindo
LaBarbara Conrad as Juhani
Cubert Farnsworth as Carth Onasi
Dwight Conrad as Canderous Ordo
Professor Farnsworth as Jedi Master Vandar
(...or should Nibbler be the stand-in for Vandar? Farnsworth has the appropriate relative age, while Nibbler has the similar size.  Heck, maybe just resurrect Fry's old dog Seymour and make him stand in for T3-M4.)

...Hm, maybe Zapp Brannigan should be the evil Admiral Saul Karath?  And as for who gets to be Darth Malak, I'm thinking it should be Mom.

So, file this under "Things Which I Would Love to Draw".  If anyone else wants to draw it first, go right ahead.

"Breaking Bad" Finale 1-Year Anniversary

Well, I wanted to mark the occasion somehow, and I suppose this counts.  I was hoping to have my new and improved "Breaking Assad" parody image ready to go by now, but oh well, such is life.  I'm sure it can wait a few more days or so.  Anyway, here's to Breaking Bad, truly a one-of-a-kind television series.  Cheers!  (Or, as one certain character frequently says, "Yeah, bitch!")

"Breaking Assad" (sketch)

Hello, everyone, this is my first actual artwork, if you can call it that.  I'll definitely revisit this once my Photoshop skills get better.
But first, a little background...
In the week before the "Breaking Bad" series finale, Barry Blitt, the cartoonist from THE NEW YORKER, did a magazine cover showing Walter White (Bryan Cranston) walking down into the laboratory to find Bashar Assad (the monstrous tyrant from Syria who is notorious for using chemical weapons on his own people) already messing around in the lab.  I almost immediately got this idea for a parody, "Breaking Assad" (and, as luck would have it, [Ar]senic is #33 on the periodic table!).
Now, I know it's been a month or so since this issue of THE NEW YORKER first hit the shelves (and "Breaking Bad" ended), but what can I say, I've been busy lately. I figured my choices were either (A.) wait until my Photoshop skills improved and post it then, or (B.) just post it now as a "sketch" and do the better Photoshop job later.  As you can see, I went with the latter, but at least now I got the idea and the concept out there.
Naturally, I would like to particularly credit Vince Gilligan and Bryan Cranston (from the series itself) and Barry Blitt (from THE NEW YORKER) for giving me the inspiration for this.  But as for Bashar Assad himself (assuming that he might be reading this from wherever he is)... no, not really.  No warm and fuzzy feelings for him!
As for this being my idea... if anyone wants to borrow or improve upon it, then I say go right ahead!  Let me put it this way: I promise I won't be nearly as possessive or jealous as Walter White was in the series when it came to his own accomplishments!  (Or as dangerous, for that matter...)
That is all for now.
-StellarStylus
P.S.  I would also like to thank my friend and fellow "BrBa" fan, who goes by AbdhitanMireen on DeviantArt, for her own feedback and input!

ORIGINAL CARTOON: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/09/cover-story-barry-blitt-bad-chemistry.html

(Cross-posted here with my DeviantArt account.)

I really like "Breaking Bad", so expect a lot of it...

Hello again, everyone.

Yes, it's been a month or so since one of the greatest television series in the past few years of our time EVER came to a solid conclusion, but let me just get it out of my system and out of the way now, I really like Breaking Bad.  So much, in fact, that I feel the need to apologize for the cast and crew of the show for not being a more devoted fan[atic] who would meticulously comment on everything as every episode aired.  Hopefully, they'll forgive me for that.

Still, even if that wonderful series is now over, there are countless more things which can be discussed about it, as no doubt some people will be doing for years to come.  So, my thanks to everyone involved who made it.

But for now, I'll definitely be doing more stuff as it comes to mind.  I'll provide links to amazing related videos, write my own essays about the various characters (i.e. "Why I Don't Think Walter White Was Evil Enough"), and so on.  Hopefully later today or tomorrow, my first BrBa-related work will be shown to the world.  Here's a hint: It involves THE NEW YORKER and one of its recent cover illustrations...

That is all for now.

-StellarStylus