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Though its head resembles that of a giant fly, this alien's production nickname was "Snail Head." According to original 1978 Lucasfilm documents, it was to have been given the proper name of Illna. This alien was part of principal photography in London, and is mostly edited out of the film, replaced with more elaborate booth aliens during the reshoots. It was largely forgotten until Decipher revealed it to be Tzizvvt the Brizzit.
Momaw Nadon
A fan favorite, this alien was known for years simply as "Hammerhead" thanks to the Kenner action figure. Its production nickname sounded cool enough to keep for the toy, and even the radio drama has Luke comment upon seeing a "Meerian Hammerhead" while in the cantina.
The particular Hammerhead alien was named Ammerha by Lucasfilm in 1978, though that name went unused. In 1987, The Star Wars Sourcebook established the alien as an Ithorian, and then Momaw Nadon was revealed to be the Ithorian in the cantina in Galaxy Guide 1: A New Hope. A peaceful Rebel sympathizer, Nadon has appeared several times in the expanded universe.
Mosep
Mosep can be seen lurking the backstreets of Mos Eisley as Luke goes to sell his speeder. This background alien has drawn the attention of many long-time fans because he served as a stand-in for Jabba the Hutt in the original Marvel Comics adaptation of A New Hope.
Mosep was a walrus-faced humanoid in a faded red suit with a cut reminiscent of an Imperial officer's uniform. During shooting, the alien was known as "Walrus," "Ming" or "Mingo." He didn't get his proper name and Nimbanese heritage until 1995, when Galaxy Guide 12: Aliens -- Enemies and Allies was published. This book also established that the Nimbanese work as bureaucrats for the Hutt criminal empire.
The ties to the Hutts were inspired by Marvel Comics using Mosep's design to depict Jabba in a scene cut from A New Hope. Though George Lucas had always intended Jabba to be a big loathsome creature, he simply didn't have the time or money to realize Jabba as a visual effect for the original film, so the confrontation between Han and Jabba was cut. It was originally filmed with an actor, Declan Mulholland, in a shaggy outfit, playing Jabba.
Though it was cut from the film, it stayed in the comic, and artist Howard Chaykin used Mingo as his Jabba substitute. Back then, the character was known as Jabba the Hut (he didn't get a second 'T' until 1983). This character would appear once more to plague Han Solo in the Marvel series.
Of course, there were more cantina denizens, but the ones spotlighted here represent some of the more interesting specimens. If further research uncovers more facts -- no matter how trivial -- about the classic cantina sequence, look for an update someday.
