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Andrew Ainsworth Still Taking Credit For The Work Of Others, Compares Himself To Michelangelo…

The Daily Express have published a puff piece about Andrew Ainsworth (“the designer of the original stormtrooper”) today in an article by Gabriella Geisinger (see “How the Stormtrooper became Star Wars icon ‘More popular than Michelangelo’s David'”).  Ainsworth even compares himself to Michelangelo.  In the article, Ainsworth gives passing mention to Ralph McQuarrie for his original “sketch” of the Stormtrooper, and as in past interviews of course no mention at all of Liz Moore (who was responsible for the original Stormtrooper helmet sculpt) or Brian Muir (who was the first to sculpt armor parts).  And no mention of John Barry, (the production designer) or John Mollo (the wardrobe designer) who were also part of the team that created the Stormtrooper.  To be fair, Ainsworth deserves credit for what he did contribute to the original Star Wars film… but he always seems eager to take much more credit than is due. [Read more…]

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Nice Denver Post Piece on Colin Cantwell, “He Kept His Star Wars Legacy a Secret… for Decades”

The Denver Post published a nice piece by John Wenzel about Colin Cantwell last week, going over his contributions to Star Wars: A New Hope and other accomplishments.  You can check it out on their official website: “He kept his Star Wars legacy a secret in Boulder for decades. At 85, the sci-fi pioneer is ready to step out.“ [Read more…]

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(A Sort of) Movie Review: “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

A year ago I received a lot of nasty hate mail over my “sort of” movie review for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.  In short, I completely hated it (really even more than I let on in my review).  In addition to hating what they did with the classic characters, it kind of ruined the Original Trilogy, in that by Han and Leia having a child and doing such an awful job of raising him (along with Uncle Luke), they created a monster and basically undid all of what they accomplished in saving the universe in the original films.  So it kind of just made the entire Star Wars odyssey all pointless.  But there were plenty of other things wrong with it as well (in my subjective opinion), and you can read all about it in my full review of The Force Awakens.  But this review is different.  Finally, since 1983, there is a legitimate fourth Star Wars film.  Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.  And I absolutely loved it. [Read more…]

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(A Sort of) Movie Review: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”, A Problematic Film That Could Never Live Up To The Hype

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I didn’t plan on seeing Star Wars: The Force Awakens on opening day, let alone write a review about it afterwards, so this is a bit off topic.  I couldn’t find a critical review searching Google, so I wonder if I maybe saw an alternate cut of the film (some hailing it as the best or near best Star Wars film ever)?  As readers of the Original Prop Blog know, I am a huge Star Wars fan, and seeing the original in 1977 at 4 years old was a life-changing event.  Collectively, the first three films (Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi) are my favorite films of all-time.  Didn’t care for much in the Prequels (loved the Maul lightsaber scenes the best).  So how does the J.J. Abrams/Disney relaunch/update/merchandising empire measure up?  It’s a mixed bag, honestly, and as the hours passed from seeing it unfold on screen (about 12 hours ago), it’s the negatives that stick with me most, though I mostly enjoyed it while it was happening, if that makes sense.  I can’t say it’s a complete disappointment, since I went into it with low expectations; there are some excellent elements within the work (I’m also an Abrams fan).  But overall, there are some serious flaws that leave me feeling a bit down on it, because they transcend this film and the characters work against the characters I have grown up to know and love to make them worse.  I kept waiting for that rush of adrenaline to run down my spine, but it never came.  Out of context from the original films, it’s a well-made, entertaining film.  But context is everything.  Search “disappoint” and #starwarstheforceawakens on Twitter, and “does not” or “doesn’t” always precedes “disappoint”, so maybe it is just me, or maybe people just went in willing it to be what they wanted.  [Read more…]

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Update: Ewbank’s “Not A Prototype” Andrew Ainsworth Stormtrooper Helmet Sells for £3,500 GBP at Auction

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This is a quick update to recent articles about the “not a prototype” Andrew Ainsworth stormtrooper helmet that Ewbank’s put up at auction this month (“not a prototype” being interesting in that the maker, Andrew Ainsworth, himself claims the helmets of this style are prototypes).  In any event, this one did in fact sell at auction for £3,500 GBP (hammer price).  [Read more…]

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Ewbank’s Comments on Facebook About Their “Not A Prototype” Andrew Ainsworth Stormtrooper Helmet Auction

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An interesting discussion has broken out on the official Ewbank’s Facebook page about the Stormtrooper helmet in their upcoming auction (which I wrote about earlier this month – see “Andrew Ainsworth “Prototype” Stormtrooper Helmet Withdrawn By Christie’s in 2014 Now Offered by Ewbank’s in 2015“).  Ewbank’s has stated in this Facebook discussion that the helmet “is not a prototype“.  However, they include a letter as proof of authenticity in which the helmet’s maker, Andrew Ainsworth, states in writing that the helmet “was an early prototype made by myself“.  This is the exact same helmet that Christie’s put up for auction last year and then decided to withdraw from their own auction.  What does Ewbank’s have to say about Christie’s pulling the same item from their auction?  Per Ewbank’s, Christie’s “mis-catalogued [it] as a ‘prototype’“.  Yet Christie’s marketed the helmet as what Mr. Ainsworth claimed it to be… a “prototype”.  Confused yet?  So is Lindsay Muir (wife of Brian Muir, who sculpted the Stormtrooper armor and Darth Vader helmet for Star Wars).  She entered into this public debate with Ewbank’s on their Facebook page regarding their helmet up for auction.  Ewbank’s closing remarks to Mrs. Muir (one of the most knowledgeable people in the world on these matters) includes the line, “[y]our view is certainly not my experience of bidders who are generally very well informed actually”.  This, from the auction house who would seem to suggest that the maker of the artifact they have up for sale – who provided the letter regarding it’s provenance and authenticity – is flatly wrong about his own characterization the piece that he himself made and as he addressed it in that letter.  It would seem that auction houses (like with Profiles in History’s last auction) are evolving to reject Andrew Ainsworth credibility on his own creation, while embracing that very lineage to help them sell these problematic artifacts.
 [Read more…]

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Andrew Ainsworth “Prototype” Stormtrooper Helmet Withdrawn By Christie’s in 2014 Now Offered by Ewbank’s in 2015

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Following last month’s public auction offering of one of the “prototype” Star Wars stormtrooper helmets by Profiles in History (that went unsold), Ewbank’s has now offered one for sale in their own auction on December 3rd…  Upon examination of the photos, it would appear to be the same one that Christie’s withdrew from their own sale last year (with Nate D. Sanders withdrawing their own example from their own auction just one month after Christie’s).  [Read more…]

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Return of the “Prototype” (“Ridgeback”?) Stormtrooper Helmet at Profiles in History Auction

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I’ve been tracking the public auction of prop helmets characterized as “prototype” stormtrooper helmets made for Star Wars: A New Hope for many years now, going back to 2008 wherein I first published an analysis of these helmets floating around the marketplace at the time, as well as some context with regards to their maker, Andrew Ainsworth.  In the same article, I published archives of some of the past offerings of these helmets at public auction, including one from Profiles in History in their “Hollywood Auction 21” a decade ago (which passed as unsold at the time).  I thought maybe we’d seen the last of these following a lot of public controversy, when finally last year both Christie’s and Nate D. Sanders put them up for sale and then withdrew them from auction, but with the latest Profiles in History “Hollywood Auction 74”, we have yet another one, only now they’ve done away with the “prototype” moniker and call it a “ridgeback”.  In any event, the piece went unsold at this week’s auction, so maybe the collecting market is still not buying it? [Read more…]