Club Jade

The merchandise selection for the show store is out, and there’s plenty of great stuff to chose from. We already knew about the Expanded Universe maquettes, above. (There’s a zombie stormtrooper one as well.) As for the rest, I’m guessing the Jar Jar whoopie cushion and retro-style bag will be big sellers… See them, and a few of my other picks, below.

And yes, there’s a ton more at the link – StarWars.com has a handful of high res pics – and the Han and Leia couple shirts are back as well.

The graduating class of the Digital Animation and Visual Effects School created this in three months! The Clone Wars’ Yoda, Tom Kane, voices Threepio (via)

Not a bad way to wake up, though far too chipper for my tastes… But if you’re interested, here’s a how-to.

Well, we already know Artoo is probably the smartest character in the franchise…

Leave it to Japan… A company over there is producing gold and silver sculptures of Artoo and Threepio – actual gold and silver – for the 35th anniversary of Star Wars. According to Highsnobiety, they go for $1,800 and $6,000 USD, limited to 35 each, and will be available in May.

So, for $6,000 you can get a life-sized Darth Malgus… Or a gold Threepio? No idea how big these things are, but clearly there are way too many overly-solvent Star Wars fans out there, and Lucasfilm (or someone…) is fully committed to parting them from that money. Bless.

I feel quite safe in saying that Santa Maul would not approve of the R2-D2 Can Cooler. Bubba Fett, however, will love it. (via)

Curiously geeky? British site Play.com is offering mints in containers shaped like R2-D2, Darth Vader, a stormtrooper and the Death Star. But, let’s face it: The Artoo is best.

We’ve seen and heard about these at before, but now you can finally get your hands on the Han in Carbonite and Artoo ice trays via the always-awesome web store ThinkGeek.

Artist Jenn Hall’s great Artoo bike helmet has been making the rounds. (Of course there’s a how-to.) She was even Geekadelphia’s Geek of the Week.

Select members of Club Jade have long been creating custom Star Wars board games – it’s why we have a Games Night at every JadeCon – but no one has yet approached the game of Operation… But now there’s going to be an official version. Alas, perhaps in deference to the youthful audience, the ‘victims’ are droids. A lost opportunity!

Someday, we hope, some brave Wild Karrde or Star Lady will find it in them to create the game as it should be: With Extra Crispy Anakin Skywalker. Consider the gauntlet dropped.