Collectors and fans alike have a chance to own one-of-a-kind Star Wars art pieces while giving to a good cause with The Empire Muggs Back. Lucasfilm asked artists, comic book creators, toy designers, and celebrity fans armed with markers, paint brushes and glue guns to transform blank Mighty Muggs (donated by Hasbro) into custom Star Wars art which will be auctioned by The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
StarWars.com chats with Robot Chicken artist David Tuber about his process for turning a blank Hasbro Mighty Muggs figure into a special tribute to a Greedo.
What did you choose to do for your Mighty Muggs art piece?
I'm a storyboard artist for Robot Chicken and director on another show. But I have to boast a little and brag about the illustration I did for the Admiral Ackbar Cereal sketch. That's one of my prouder moments.
Ackbar was taken (and extremely well done), so I chose Greedo. I actually always dug Greedo's '70s threads and thought he had a legitimate alien dialect.
Why did you name your Greedo Mighty Mugg art "Han Shot First?"
Han shot first. You know it. I know it. He's a dirty space smuggler. Don't act surprised.
What was your step-by-step process? What materials did you use?
I applied some clay to him, and cooked the clay to harden it, which resulted in the Mugg melting a bit. Then I painted him and added some fabric. And no Greedo is complete without a foam-carved hand gun.
What were some of the challenges you faced while making your art piece?
Greedo wears an obvious turtle neck and yet, the Muggs have no neck to turtle. So that was an issue. Also, I am in no way a puppet maker and have no business working on these things.
Why did you want to participate in The Empire Muggs Back art project?
It's hard not to participate in an art project that is sponsored by Lucas. Whatever feelings you may have about the man, the idea of working that much closer with the name is kind of enthralling.
Why do you think Star Wars fans will love The Empire Muggs Back project?
Because it enhances geekdom. Not only do others encourage the Star Wars phenomenon as reason to decorate Mighty Muggs but the nerds who work on the geekiest show ever -- Robot Chicken -- encourage this. You can't get much geektastic than that.
The Mighty Muggs art pieces are now up for auction and can be seen at The Empire Muggs Back on Starwars.com. The auction ends August 14, 2009.
Stay tuned to StarWars.com for in-depth coverage on The Empire Muggs Back.
