Legendary make-up artist Stuart Freeborn, best known for his work bringing iconic Star Wars characters like Yoda and Chewbacca to life, has passed away at age 98. Having worked in feature films for over 60 years, he also worked with Stanley Kubrick on Dr. Strangelove, as the creator behind the many roles played on screen by Peter Sellers, as well as the ape-like humans in 2001: A Space Odyssey. [Read more…]
The online catalog for the Premiere Props “Hollywood Auction Extravaganza VIII”, scheduled for December 8-9, is now listed via online bidding partners iCollector and LiveAuctioneers. The auction purports to include over 1,000 lots from various film and television productions, though as of this writing, only ten items are listed. If past auctions are any indication, the sale will likely include are a substantial number of replica props and general memorabilia. [Read more…]
There is about one day left of bidding on the amazing, one-of-a-kind custom and “reimagined” Star Wars Boba Fett and Episode II Clone Trooper helmets made by some of the most talented artisans in the industry. The proceeds from the sale of these special helmets will benefit Make-A-Wish, and as of the time of this writing, the bids already exceed over $100,000. These helmets were on display at Star Wars Celebration last week. [Read more…]
Academy Award winning American filmmaker and special effects legend Joe Johnston has been offering some impressive memorabilia for sale on eBay in recent months, with auctions being held by a friend of his under the account mojo1316. Some of the material offered at auction include props and artwork from Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Rocketeer, Honey I Shrunk The Kids, Captain America, Star Wars, Jumanji, and more. [Read more…]
2012 is Prop Store’s fifth year exhibiting at Comic Con in San Diego, and they continue to improve on their visually pleasing presentation and wide ranging original props and costumes on display. This year, the centerpiece holding the front corner spot is John Hurt’s spacesuit from Ridley Scott’s Alien (1979). Again, the booth features both items from their private collection as well as material for sale (the latter at a variety of price points). [Read more…]
Filmmaker Kevin Smith’s new television series on AMC, Comic Book Men, recently featured in its second episode (“Life After Clerks”) an individual bringing a prop into the comic book store, claiming it was an original lightsaber used in Star Wars: A New Hope. The shop brought in a third party “expert” to authenticate and value the piece, though no information was provided as to who the authenticator was, or what his qualifications were in being cited as an expert. Having reviewed the segment, in my personal opinion and subjective reaction, the entire affair was quite laughable, from the positive authentication to the assessed value of $7,000 for an original Luke Skywalker lightsaber from The Empire Strikes Back. [Read more…]
This is a continuation of my article about a visit to Mr. Steve Sansweet’s ‘Rancho Obi-Wan’ museum in Sonoma County. This second part includes additional photos from my visit yesterday – click here for Part 1. [Read more…]
This past weekend, I had an opportunity to spend some times with friends and Mr. Steve Sansweet at his ‘Rancho Obi-Wan’ museum in Sonoma County. Mr. Sansweet is famous worldwide for his incredible collection of Star Wars artifacts and memorabilia, having written and published many books, as well as having worked for Lucasfilm for over 15 years as Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations. His museum holds over 200,000 Star Wars items and spans over 9,000 square feet, and being able to view his diverse and comprehensive collection is truly amazing. Please note this is being broken into two parts due to the large number of photos – click here for Part 2. [Read more…]