Club Jade

This 1977 Tiger Beat feature (preserved for the ages by Stuck in the 70′s) is disturbingly squeeful… My question is, how the hell does one get ‘horse’ from Chewbacca? (via)

Other than collect action figures?

StarWars.com’s Pete Vilmur takes a look at the horrific girl-oriented merchandise of the 70′s. Sadly, things haven’t improved that much in 30 years. (Well, the dolls are nicer, but good luck finding a female one.)

Of all the things I’ve come to expect on Etsy, a complete bathroom theme set has to be the most surprising… Yet completely natural. The only thing I should really be shocked at is that they haven’t apparently made a liscensed one yet. (Or have they?)

We’ve seen bedroom gear and dishware (The Phantom Menace ones were better) but bathroom products? Suddenly I’m seeing a new use for my Darth Vader pimp cup. [Vintage Star Wars Bath Sets by Greatful Thread, $165.]

(Check back later today for more Etsy gems!)

There is some seriously crazy stuff in StarWars.com’s look at faddish Star Wars merchandise: My favorite is the Luke Skywalker Member’s Only jacket. I swear if I didn’t actually remember the pogs and holograms and foil promo cards I would write the whole post off as April Fools…

Flickr user DrHaggis has unearthed a Mad article from 1982 that makes predictions for the saga. There are several coincidences with the actual prequels – Episode II as Send in the Clones, a Skywalker being fathered by the force, Yoda defending Kashyyyk, Darth Vader as the father of Threepio, and Artoo knowing the full story of how the Jedi were disbanded (and “holding the entire history of the Galaxy in his memory banks,” which I believe is pretty damn close to the Georgefax.)

And yet, not a single attempt at Return of the Jedi…

Yes ladies and gentlemen, for a mere $3,500, a complete set of original trilogy Kenner figures could be yours. Or, you could spend it on something legitimately cool. (Personally, I’d go for a really sweet Mac. And maybe a print of the Kenners.) Your choice. (via)

Pete Vilmur explores early Star Wars press in three parts: 1974-1975, 1976 and 1977.

A couple months ago, the LIFE photo archive went up in Google, fully searchable. Plenty has been done with them since then, but it didn’t occur to me to look for Star Wars until today. There isn’t a ton there – the bulk of images that come up are from The Phantom Menace premiere – but there are a few things of interest, like Time covers, some vintage toy pics and this shot of Carrie Fisher, Alec Guinness and Mark Hamill at a party celebrating the tenth anniversary of A New Hope. You get about the same amount of shots searching for just George Lucas, and even more for Harrison Ford, but clearly Sir Alec wins. (Wait! Was it really a party for ANH? Now I doubt.) But perhaps most amusingly: Jar-Jar and Madeline Albright? Or Peter Cushing in Hamlet?

Off the fannish track, two of the more interesting uses I’ve seen around the web have been Jezebel’s The Way We Were features and Typophile’s book cover meme.

StarWars.com takes another trip into the Lucasfilm Archives to check out what fans would be getting (or least, asking for) way back in 1978.

And while collectors today may have a hard time getting their hands on those late-70′s gems, they can at least console themselves with Gus and Duncan’s Comprehensive Guide to Star Wars Collectibles, which can be pre-ordered from Paizo now.

The StarWars.com crew did some digging and unearthed several Holiday Special props and other detris – even an animatic reel of the cartoon. There’s also a handful of old articles – one on the art directors and concept art, kicking off with Ralph McQuarrie and an interview with Patty Maloney, who played Lumpawarrump, and Stan Winston on Wookiee makeup/costuming. And finally, learn to draw Chewie’s family.