Is this the greatest prequel collectible of all time?
If you know me at all, you know I’m just a huge fan of everything Regal Robot does. I was able to get my hands on their latest: the Jar Jar Binks Concept Maquette Replica (Legacy Edition).
Both the Legacy (sketch edition of 75) and the Signature (timed edition until 5/28) go on sale this Tuesday, 5/21 at 12PM ET. It has my highest recommendation. Weesa so back.
The Mandalorian Experience at Celebration was truly the most incredible thing I have ever experienced.
Episode 0 (Introduction)
This is it. After almost six months of recording and researching, this is the first ever episode of Talking Bay 94. This is a Star Wars podcast featuring the people who actually made Star Wars happen. This is a Star Wars podcast, simply, that interviews the people who were in Star Wars, who wrote for Star Wars, who lived Star Wars. Depending on when you listen to this, we’re releasing this on an important day in Star Wars history. May 25, 2018 marks the 35th anniversary of Return of the Jedi. Besides a few small pieces of Disney Store memorabilia, Lucasfilm has been surprisingly quiet surrounding the milestone. Especially amongst the rest of the movies, Jedi feels often overlooked. So the first few episodes of the podcast will be a mini-season of their own, interviewing some of the cast and crew from Return of the Jedi, celebrating that 35 years ago they were in a dimly lit studio in London that doubled as Jabba’s Palace or suffering through the scorching heat of the Yuma desert as creatures on Jabba’s Sail Barge. Our first and second interviews, released today, are a nice complement to each other: Corey Dee Williams and Stephen Costantino were bandmates in 1982, traveling together to the sail barge set in Arizona and ended being a part of the Star Wars universe. Their stories are unlike anyone else’s who were in Star Wars: fish-out-of-water tales, focused on friendship. If you have George Lucas’ email address, send it along. Otherwise, we’ll be plotting a course and figuring it out along the way. Thanks for tuning in and may the Force be with us! For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Our theme music is composed by Austin-based Michael Meadows. You can find more of his work at: www.twitter.com/notablueberry
Jim Cummings: The Voice of Hondo Ohnaka, Everyone's Favorite Pirate
Welcome to a very special, very short May the Fourth bonus episode of Talking Bay 94: my conversation with prolific voice actor, Jim Cummings. Mr. Cummings is the voice of characters like Winnie the Pooh, Darkwing Duck, the Tasmanian Devil, and of course ... HONDO OHNAKA. Thank you, as always, to Zach McGinnis at Galactic Productions for setting this up: http://www.galacticproductionsevents.com/ We’ll be back tomorrow with another episode, this time with Regal Robot’s Tom Spina, which is such a blast. Until then, have a great Star Wars Day, thank you for your support, friendship and patience, and May the Force Be with You! If you can leave a 5-star review of the show right here on your favorite podcast app, or on Podchaser: podchaser.com/TalkingBay94 Unedited transcripts of previous episodes are now available over at talkingbay94.com. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 20 (Jim Swearingen)
Designing the original figures and vehicles, Jim Swearingen had a huge effect on our perception of the original Star Wars. From 1976-79, this Kenner project became Swearingen's project, witnessing portions of the film being made and even attending the first public showing. Straight from an episode of Netflix's Toys That Made Us, Mr. Swearingen takes us through that early period, before Star Wars was the phenomenon we know and love. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 1 (Corey Dee Williams)
Today's episode is part of our 35th Anniversary retrospective of Return of the Jedi. We talk to Corey Dee Williams, son of Billy Dee, about his father's time in the saga, the work he did in the Yuma desert, his Star Wars legacy and the funk music he loves to make. Check out Corey's music, as well as the "Cloud City Funk" video we talk about during the podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XNWX6BKB2A A special thanks to Coolwaters Productions (http://coolwatersprods.com/) for helping set this conversation up. Thanks for tuning in and may the Force be with us! For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 42 (Bill Kimberlin)
Today I’m talking to Bill Kimberlin, who started at Industrial Light & Magic as a Visual Effects Editor on Return of the Jedi, working alongside Ken Ralston, on the infamous SB-19 shot … dubbed the most complicated VFX shot in motion picture history We go through the history of ILM, the stories behind the movies and we even get into the Back to the Future sequels, which shouldn’t be a surprise if you know me at all. For more of his stories, and to see some of the incredible pictures, drawings and scans we were discussing during the episode, check out his book, Inside the Star Wars Empire: A Memoir: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Star-Wars-Empire-Memoir/dp/1493032313 Our Talking Bay 94 web store is officially live with our first round of merch. Support the show with some great shirts, pins and stickers. Store: https://superkaiju.storenvy.com/ For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 11 (Timothy Zahn)
In this very special episode, live from San Diego Comic Con, we are continuing our series focusing on the writers of the saga, by talking to the greatest one of all time: Timothy Zahn, the incredible author behind the seminal Thrawn Trilogy, as well as the upcoming Thrawn: Alliances. We, of course, start at the very beginning, detailing his influences and his first interaction with Lucasfilm. From his initial creation of the Chiss villain to his reaction to his reintroduction into canon, you will not want to miss this conversation. We even dive into his dream projects for the saga, which legitimately gave me goosebumps. Mr. Zahn will be appearing at Interabang Books in Dallas, Texas tomorrow (7/23/18) at 7PM. For more information about the signing, check out Interabang's website: www.InterabangBooks.com/event/thrawn-alliances-star-wars For more information and updates about the rest of Mr. Zahn's tour schedule, promoting Thrawn: Allainces (including stops in Denver, Salt Lake City and Portland), check out the notes section on his page: https://www.facebook.com/TimothyZahn/ We would like to thank Tom from Interabang Books for helping set this up, as well as David from Random House for making it happen. It was legitimately a dream come true. Thanks for tuning in and, until next time, may the Force be with us! For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 22 (David Ankrum and Mark Dodson)
Now for something a little different: a double feature of two "vintage" interviews recorded LIVE earlier this year. First up, we're talking to David Ankrum, voice of Wedge Antilles, as well as various voices in Rogue One. The second interview of the day is with Mark Dodson, the man responsible for the most iconic laugh in the galaxy: Salacious Crumb. If you love stories about Ben Burtt and raccoons (and tid-bits from Gremlins, the Ewok TV Movies and more), this is the interview for you. For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94
BONUS: Bad Dates (Paul Freeman)
"Who knows? In a thousand years, even you may be worth something." No need to speak Hovitos, Mr. Freeman gave some incredible insight into filming the greatest adventure movie of all time: Raiders of the Lost Ark, as well as his time on set for Young Indiana Jones and Hot Fuzz. Please check out the incredible work he is currently doing in Uganda (with the UK Friends of Healing Focus), and donate if you can: http://ukhealingfocus.org/ And, as is is most often the case with our live interviews, a huge thank you to Zachery McGinnis and Galactic Productions for coordinating this great conversation: http://www.galacticproductionsevents.com/ Our Talking Bay 94 web store is officially live with our first round of merch. Support the show with some great shirts, pins and stickers ... all packaged up and ready for Celebration Chicago! Store: https://superkaiju.storenvy.com/ For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94 Instagram: www.instagram.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 6 (J.W. Rinzler)
Today's episode features a conversation with the great J.W. Rinzler, the author of countless Star Wars behind-the-scenes books (my favorites) and one of the key voices for the galaxy for a long, long time. We talk all about his start at Lucasfilm, working with Rick McCallum and (very closely) George Lucas. We also dive into George's later focuses and the importance of the prequels and Brandon reveals his 1999 Halloween costume. The Enhanced Editions of his Making of trilogy can be found on iBooks and on Amazon and are seriously worth the $17.99: www.amazon.com/Making-Star-Wars-Enhanced-ebook/dp/B00DQQSD2W We also discussed a few of his latest projects, including All Up, a fascinating look at the space program and its history: https://www.amazon.com/All-Up-J-W-Rinzler Busy as ever, Mr. Rinzler's next book will be The Making of Planet of the Apes, which could be a whole episode in itself and can be pre-ordered here: https://www.amazon.com/Making-Planet-Apes-Jonathan-Rinzler For more news about the author, check out JWRinzler.com or follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JWRinzler Thanks for tuning in and, until next Wednesday, may the Force be with us! For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94
Episode 5 (Don Bies)
Today we're talking to Don Bies, a man of many talents and one of the few to make an indelible mark on all of the original six Star Wars movies. Model maker, R2-D2 puppeteer and droid unit supervisor, Don has some great stories, ranging from the Japanese Panasonic commercials to (correctly) designing Darth Vader's helmet in Revenge of the Sith. From Boba Fett to original Biths (to Indiana Jones!), he's played them all! We even delve a little bit into the great R2-D2: Beneath the Dome, a mockumentary, that you can watch online: https://www.starwars.com/video/beneath-the-dome-part-one We also get into his latest project, Keep the Gaslight Burning, an awesome horror film that he produced, alongside some truly great Star Wars alums and talents. For more Gaslight news, check out KeeptheGaslightBurning.com or follow them on Twitter: www.twitter.com/GaslightGhost Thanks for tuning in and, until next Wednesday, may the Force be with us! For more behind-the-scenes stuff, as well as a link to some of our other in-depth interviews, check out: Website: www.TalkingBay94.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/TalkingBay94
