ROAR FOR CHANGE

Create a video of your best imitation of a Wookiee roar and post it on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #RoarForChange between now and the May 25th theatrical opening of SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY to help a fan favorite character from the Star Wars universe make a positive difference in our world.

For every social media post that shows someone roaring like a Wookiee that is tagged with #RoarForChange, Star Wars: Force For Change will donate a $1 to UNICEF USA up to $1 MILLION dollars in Chewbacca's name.  Funds unlocked through this campaign will help UNICEF provide Ready-to-Use-Therapeutic Food packets to children around the world suffering from malnutrition.



Let's help that giant fur ball from a galaxy far, far away provide needy children a chance for a  brighter future. Nearly one in four children worldwide are severely malnourished. UNICEF is working in 190 countries and territories to defend children’s rights and, among other issues, help address malnutrition. Let's roar for UNICEF!!!

Star Wars: Force for Change, a charitable initiative from Lucasfilm and Disney, harnesses the strength of Star Wars to empower and improve the lives of children around the world. Since 2014 when it was inspired by Star Wars fans, Star Wars: Force for Change has raised over $16 million to date for charitable causes around the world. For more information: forceforchange.starwars.com/

SOLO: A STAR WARS STORY arrives at movie theaters across the United States on May 25, 2018. Directed by Ron Howard and starring Chewbacca along with Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, this film takes audiences along for the ride through a series of daring escapades. It tells the story of how a young Han Solo meets his future co-pilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.

Chewbacca comic book mini-series answers nearly 40 year old question about original Star Wars movie

Marvel wrapped up the first year of its new run of original Star Wars comics by answering a question that has been on fans' minds ever since the original movie debuted in 1977.  In the closing sequence of the film why didn't Chewbacca get a medal along with his buddies Luke Skywalker and Han Solo?

Come on even George Lucas got a medal!

Well in the concluding edition of a recent five issue Chewbacca themed comic book mini-series story arc from Marvel that hit store shelves on December 30, 2015 that nagging question has finally been answered. This story by writer Gerry Duggan and artist Phil Noto involves Chewie heading back to his home world of Kashyyyk shortly after the events that transpired in A New Hope, but his transportation has some technical difficulties in route that leads to him crash landing on an Imperial occupied planet Andelm IV.  He then becomes embroiled in an adventure to help a teenage girl named Zarro save her friends and family from being enslaved in a gangster's mining racket that provides military supplies to the Empire.  In CHEWBACCA #5 this duo ultimately saves the day and as Zarro remarks in her goodbye to the Wookiee as he prepares to head home that she wished she had some acknowledgment or recognition for her heroic actions that saved the planet's inhabitants from a life of slavery.  In his Wookiee howls, growls and barks, Chewbacca communicates that displaying medals goes against the warrior nature of his species. He then hands Zarro a gift he pulls from his spaceship just before he departs for Kashyyyk...his medal, like the one seen worn by Luke and Han at the end of Star Wars, that he also was given following the ceremony celebrating the destruction of the Death Star.

So there you have it!  A new bit of Star Wars canon was just added to the saga acknowledging that Chewbacca was respected for his contributions in rescuing Princess Leia and destroying the Death Star but because Wookiees have a cultural aversion to being presented with medals he was provided with his privately at the conclusion of the ceremony.  So for all those fans who were distressed that the Wookiee had been dissed by his human counterparts don't be dismayed because it appears according to Chewbacca that medals are for sissies not real warriors so he really didn't want one in the first place.  So in a touching conclusion to Marvel's Chewbacca comic book mini-series a courageous teenage girl gets to enjoy and cherish a Medal of Bravery that will always remind her of a very special Wookiee who befriended her. 

Glow-in-the-Dark fun with Uncle Milton's Millennium Falcon UV Light Laser

** A Geek Daddy received the featured product for free to review **

Learn the science behind Star Wars with Uncle Milton's educational toys and gadgets.  Uncle Milton is one of our family's favorite brands because it does a great job of introducing children to scientific concepts in a fun and entertaining way.  The originators of the toy industry icon, the Ant Farm, since 1946 Uncle Milton has created toys that inspire imagination and learning while encouraging kids to explore the world around them.  We recently tried out the Millennium Falcon UV Light Laser kit from Uncle Milton's Star Wars Science line of products.  Recreate a Star Wars space battle on the wall of a room with ultraviolet light and a pinpoint laser. A Geek Daddy has to say this product is pretty darn cool!



To create your battle scene first peel and attach the included UV screen onto a wall.  It is about the size of a standard 3-tab file folder.

Next take the provided battle scene film and gently brush it across the UV screen with your fingers so that it clings to it.

The Millennium Falcon laser light device has two functions.  A lower button on its trigger releases broad UV light and pressing the upper button shoots out a laser beam.  Illuminate and charge the scene by pressing the lower button and moving the light all around the scene.  Quickly peel away the film from the UV screen to reveal a glow-in-the dark Star Wars battle scene.

Aim and press the upper button on the Millennium Falcon laser light device to shoot pinpoint blasts at the glowing ships pretending you are Han Solo and Chewbacca flying into battle versus the evil Empire.  See how many TIE fighters you can hit with your laser before the scene fades away. The Millennium Falcon makes laser blaster sound effects to enhance imaginative play plus the kit comes with glow-in-the-dark stickers so children can customize the experience beyond the the Star Wars space scene cling.  Then recharge the scene again with your UV light and start the fun all over again.

In addition to the space battle game, you can also have a lot of fun creating drawings on the UV screen.  Instead of using the Star Wars battle scene cling be creative and make your own designs on the UV screen.  Place your hand or different objects in front of the blank UV screen and illuminate them with the light function on your Millennium Falcon to create different glow-in-the-dark shapes.  Then use the pinpoint laser to draw additional details onto your image.  Have a blast making all sorts of glow-in-the-dark artwork.

A science learning poster packaged with the toy set provides children with information about lasers, ultraviolet light, and phosphorescence.  Then kids learn about how these topics that they are probably familiar with through Star Wars work in real life by enjoying themselves with the Uncle Milton Millennium Falcon UV Laser Light which combines phosphorescence, UV light, and lasers to make the toy set work.

Uncle Milton's Millennium Falcon UV Laser Light gets A Geek Daddy nod of approval for being an entertaining toy my kids really enjoyed that also did an excellent job of educating them on scientific principals.  This is an item we've stored on our game shelf so that we can use it over and over again. For more information on the Star Wars Science products from Uncle Milton visit unclemilton.com.

Star Wars Inspired Hot Wheels Cars Race to Stores

Hot Wheels has a new lineup of toy cars racing to store shelves just in time for the holiday shopping season that have designs inspired by the characters from Star Wars.  We recently picked up the Darth Vader Mobile that both my kids and myself agree is just pretty darn cool.

The back of the packaging for the diecast car reads:

As powerful and menacing as Lord Vader himself, this jet black sports car commands the road with a force befitting a Dark Lord of the Sith.

Vader's iconic helmet, mask and chest plate create an ominous design that can intimidate even the fiercest drivers, while his Lightsaber side trim indicates he's always ready for battle.

If you only knew the power of the dark side, you'd steer clear of this sinister speed machine!

To help market this new line of Hot Wheels toy manufacturer Mattel actually commissioned the creation of a real life #DarthCar that has been driving around the country making promotional appearances.  It looks like a fierce ride!

The Darth Vader Mobile was fabricated from a Chevrolet Corvette with a 526 horsepower GM LS3 V-8 engine featuring a six-speed manual transmission and has been road-tested at speeds at up to 80 miles per hour; though it has the capability of reaching a velocity of 150mph.  The car has illuminated side pipes that are styled to look like red lightsaber and special audio effects that include Vader's breathing and the sound of light sabers igniting which can be controlled by an iPad.  Plus the helmet styled roof lifts off to provide access to the vehicle utilizing a smoke machine to add dramatic effect to the process.  Impressive, Most Impressive!

Check out this video on the making of the Darth Car:

There are five models of the Star Wars Hot Wheels Toys - Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Chewbacca, R2D2 & Darth Vader unless you get the exclusive collectors pack at Target which features a sixth car: the Stormtrooper.

 

 

 

 

My wife's favorite car is the Yoda version which she says is adorable.  I personally like the Luke Skywalker fighter pilot car the best.  Interestingly, my twins actually agreed on something for once and both like the Darth Car the most.  We all came together though to agree that these cars were awesome...well except for the R2D2 buggy which we all felt was pretty lame.  These Hot Wheels cars are available at Toys R Us, Walmart, Target and Amazon.com.

New Chewbacca Action Figure is Hyper Jump Beyond the GI Joes & Barbie Toys of my Youth

Being a Star Wars fanatic, I'm always coming across interesting things related to the Sci-Fi franchise through the blogs and social media accounts that I follow.  The newest item to catch my attention and make me go WOW! is the 1/6th scale Chewbacca action figure being produced by Hong Kong-based HOT TOYS and distributed in the United States by California-based Sideshow Collectibles.  When first observing pictures of this Chewbacca action figure I thought it was a piece of artwork or Star Wars promotional material, but no it is a very detailed toy!  This action figure isn't anything like the GI Joes I had or the Barbie dolls my sister played with when we were kids, this toy looks like it could be the actual Chewbacca if a fictional character could be real.

Hot Toys recently acquired a license to produce Star Wars 1/6 scale collectible action figures and they've gone all out to make one of the best toy reproductions ever of one of the Star Wars universe's most beloved characters.  Chewbacca is over a foot tall ( 14 inches / 36 cm) covered in fabric that provides the illusion the Wookiee is covered in fur and features 30 points of articulation so that the figure can be posed to replicate poses from almost any scene in Star Wars.  I've never seen a toy that has done a nice job attempting to replicate Chewbacca's fur until now and from these preview images it appears that Hot Toys has done exceptional work.  The action figure also comes with some excellent replica accessories to compliment it including Chewie's cross bow, satchel and the head set he wears while co-piloting the Millennium Falcon.

Chewbacca's not flying solo though as his infamous smuggler partner Han is also getting his own figure as Hot Toys kicks off its new Star Wars line.  Han Solo is a little shorter than his Wookiee compadre, keeping these toys movie accurate, at a foot tall (12 inches / 30 cm) and is dressed in his outfit from the original Star Wars movie A New Hope complete with the laser pistol that he shot first with at that friendly chap named Greedo in that well known neighborhood cafe on Tatooine.

There is nothing "cheap" about these toys, including the price tag. Both figures will be available in April 2015 but can be pre-ordered now on the Sideshow Collectibles website with Chewie being priced at $254.99 and Han at $229.99...or both can be purchased together as a package deal for $479.99.  At this price and level of detail these action figures really are toys for adults that would be especially great for decorating a home office, game room, or man cave with. While these aren't cheap to purchase they are definitely unique pieces that would be excellent for any Star Wars fan to show off and enjoy. 

For more information about these very movie accurate and articulate posable toys visit Sideshow Collectibles website.

New STAR WARS Pinball Tables coming from Zen Studios

I've appreciated playing a good game of pinball on a "real machine" since my college days where I diverted a lot of quarters from my laundry money to the Star Wars pinball machine in my college dorm's student lounge.  Unfortunately, it can be cost or space prohibitive to own one in your own home, and you don't see pin ball machines featured at restaurants, movie theaters and other public establishments to play when you are out and about as much as you used to.  In fact there are only 2 manufacturers left of traditional pinball machines, long time manufacturer STERN (whose current table models include Avengers, Star Trek, Transformers, and the Ford Mustang themes) and a new start up company called Jersey Jack Pinball that has the licenses to create Wizard of OZ and Hobbit branded ones.  If you can't play the real thing you may want to check out the video game versions.

One of the leaders in producing digital pinball games is ZEN STUDIOS.  Zen Studios has the license for Marvel Comics and has made some great themed boards for Captain America, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor, Spiderman & Wolverine).  They also have the license for STAR WARS which I wrote about in an earlier post.  I've downloaded their Star Wars pinball tables on my iPhone and iPad (one complaint is that you can't download compatible tables for each ios format and have to buy the same table twice if you want to be able to play it on both devices) and have found them a fun way to pass some time.  They've had two releases of games so far with each generation of the game being enhanced with new features to make it more fun to play than the previous ones.  The first round of games featured one of my favorite Star Wars characters (Boba Fett),  my least favorite part of Star Wars (The Clones Wars) and the best Star Wars movie (Empire Strikes Back) themed pinball boards.  The second round featured some really impressive boards that included Darth Vader, Xwings versus Tie Fighters, and Return of the Jedi.  Now a third and final round of games is scheduled to come out for Spring 2014 that look to be the most impressive yet.

The new round of pin ball tables by Zen Studios will be titled "STAR WARS PINBALL: HEROES WITHIN" will feature FOUR brand new games with Han Solo, Droids: The Adventures of R2D2 & C3PO, Masters of the Force and Episode IV: A New Hope themes.  From the teasers I've seen they are going to feature more 3D character interactions than past games and a new in-table mini game feature that look really impressive.  The STAR WARS PINBALL: HEROES WITHIN games will be available for Playstation 4, Playstation 3, PS Vita, Xbox 360, Steam, IOS, Google Play, Amazon, and the Mac App Store.  The actual release date and information on some of the pinball tables has yet to be announced yet so keep an eye out for game teasers and the date when they will go on sale.

Some images and video of the HAN SOLO game have been made public and it looks to be a blast to play. The game leads off with the famous movie line by the character, "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side", so you know you're in for some classic Star Wars fun.  Include the games theme music as the Cantina Band from the original Star Wars movie and scenes of Chewbacca jumping across the table interacting with your game and this pinball action looks to be a wild ride!

The Episode IV game looks to be geared towards die-hard Star Wars fans too with lots of 3D elements taken from the movie and a great mini-game featuring the trash compactor scene from the Death Star. Check out these screen captures:

This screen capture from Droids also has a classic Star Wars vibe to it:

* Screen captures courtesy of Zen Studios and LucasArts for game promotional purposes.

If you enjoy pinball and appreciate the classic Star Wars movies and characters you'll absolutely want to check out these new Zen Studios games coming out soon. Check out this video trailer from AOL for the new Episode IV: A New Hope pinball game and for more information, visit:  www.starwarspinball.com