Club Jade

• Rejected Star Wars merchandise still making the rounds, now on NPR.

• Comic Book Resources tours Star Wars artist Tommy Lee Edward’s home and studio.
• Popular Mechanics gets a few tips from on modelmaking from Grant McCune, who worked on A New Hope. (via)
• Lucas foundation honors former teacher.

NEWS

• Who is Hal Wamsley, the Jawa impersonator?

• Star Wars takes over ferry terminal.
• J.K. Rowling badmouths Star Wars prequels? Or did she? Two-bit celebrity wire services, ehh.

LISTS & THE LIKE

• Eight life lessons from Star Wars all kids should learn

• Three lessons Darth Vader taught me about money.

PASSING REFERENCES

• Time namechecks Artoo and Threepio in their obligatory gay Dumbledore article.

• Be Leia for Halloween.

PEOPLE

• Ewan McGregor to be the face for new fragrance.

• George Lucas Educational Foundation teaches schools to be more green.
• Review of the 30 Rock episode Carrie Fisher guest-starred in.
• Interview with Natalie Portman on her appearance in tonight’s Animal Planet documentary Gorillas on the Brink. She also has a piece in this week’s Parade.

THE LAST WORD

• Vader later regretted not getting the wolfman mask.

The Lucas Foundation has give a record-breaking $175 million to George’s alma mater, the University of Southern California. $75 million goes to build a state-of-the-art facility for their cinema school. Lucas says:

“I discovered my passion for film and making movies when I was a student at USC in the 1960s, and my experiences there shaped the rest of my career. I’m also an ardent advocate for education at all levels and encouraging young people to pursue their ambitions by learning. I’m very fortunate to be in a position to combine my two passions and to be able to help USC continue molding the futures of the moviemakers of tomorrow.”

Doesn’t that make you feel at least a little better about buying the Star Wars DVDs for a second time?