Author: jawajames

San Diego-based Jawa.
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Wear Star Wars Every Day: Weeks 31 & 32


Wear Star Wars Every Day moves into August with some summer Star Wars fashions! Week 31 wraps up July and kicks off the 8th month, then Week 32 is all about BB-8, since the 8th day of the 8th month falls during this week! We’ve got shirts, shirts, shirts, and a belt!

Due to the August prize drawings, we’ve had a nice uptick in donations in this two-week period, so huge thanks to Kismet, Nancy, Fen, Mark, and Anonymous! That’s over $300 in just two weeks, including one person who paid their entire year’s daily pledge at once! Big thanks to Scott and Brian for donating shirts. And thanks to everyone who has lent me apparel that I’ve worn in these weeks: Danielle, Caitlin, Anastasia, Paul, Christian, Lori, and Mark! Remember, every day i keep the streak of wearing a different Star Wars apparel item going, that’s another $4.65 pledged from my donors!

Looking at this week, we’ve got stuff from the 501st Legion at Celebration Japan, Chewbacca on a fixie, Admiral Ackbar’s Fish & Chips, and a whole lot of BB-8. This review for Weeks 31 and 32 covers July 29 to August 11 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

Thanks to everyone who has supported Wear Star Wars Every Day so far, both our one-time donors and our per-day pledgemakers. Each day I continue my project is another $4.65 donated by our pledge makers. I’d love to get that total up to $5.00 even (or higher!) for the second half of 2016. If you’d like to chip in at a dime a day or a quarter per day (or more), make your pledge at the per-day pledge form and you can choose whether to support the project for the entire year, or just start at the beginning of July. Or you can just make a one-time or monthly donation at GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016. Remember, if you donate in August, you might be eligible to win the prize drawings for an ARC of the upcmoing Ahsoka novel, a Star Wars Celebration Europe Crew shirt, and more!

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!

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Wear Star Wars Every Day: August prize drawing!

WSWED August prizes

Want to win some cool convention loot? Here’s your chance to score some swag while helping Wear Star Wars Every Day! You can win:

  • An uncorrected advance proof copy of Ahsoka by E. K. Johnston: to be given to random person who donates $25 or more in August via gofundme.com/WearStarWars2016.
  • CREW shirt from Star Wars Celebration Europe 2016 (Size L): to be given out to a random person who has donates any amount in August via gofundme.com/WearStarWars2016 or is set up as a monthly donor (via gofundme) or per-day pledge maker via the online form.

    3. THE RUSTY DROID bottle opener from Celebration Europe 2016 – to be given out to a random person who has liked the Wear Star Wars Every Day Facebook page and shared at least one of the daily ‪#‎WearStarWarsEveryDay‬ photos on their FB page in August.

Drawings to be held in September! Remember that your donations help Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit that provides assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees. Learn more about Wear Star Wars Every Day!

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Wear Star Wars Every Day: Weeks 28, 29, & 30


It’s been a busy few weeks for me, but rest assured, #WearStarWarsEveryDay is still going strong! Now that I’ve gotten to recover a bit from the marathon of Celebration Europe and San Diego Comic-Con, I’ve made the recap video for the past three weeks. We’ve got a ton of t-shirts, a random polo shirt, a Jar Jar baseball jersey and First Order soccer jersey, and even a dress in this batch of wear for charity. Yup, I show some leg. Big thanks to Brian, Sam, and Walt for donating shirts (all at Celebration Europe). And thanks to everyone who has lent me apparel that I’ve worn in these three weeks: James, Paul, Christine, Anastasia, Daniel, Michael, Mark, Danielle, and Mediocre Jedi! Remember, every day i keep the streak of wearing a different Star Wars apparel item going, that’s another $4.65 pledged from my donors!

We’ve got a bunch of different wear, including some custom designs, as well as a slew from Celebration Europe, and some for The Old Republic, 501st Legion, mashups, and more. This review for Weeks 28 through 30 covers July 8 to July 28 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees. While we have three weeks of cool wear, we don’t have a lot of fundraising news to report – just a single automatic monthly donation, so maybe now’s the time to pitch in and help us reach our fundraising goal!

Thanks to everyone who has supported Wear Star Wars Every Day so far, both our one-time donors and our per-day pledgemakers. Each day I continue my project is another $4.65 donated by our pledge makers. I’d love to get that total up to $5.00 even (or higher!) for the second half of 2016. If you’d like to chip in at a dime a day or a quarter per day (or more), make your pledge at the per-day pledge form and you can choose whether to support the project for the entire year, or just start at the beginning of July. Or you can just make a one-time or monthly donation at GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016.

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!

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Wear Star Wars Every Day: Week 27


Kicking off the second half of the year with a random batch of shirts for #WearStarWarsEveryDay! But in better news, with three donations this past week, we have now raised more than $2,000 total for Collateral Repair Project, about $1,600 via the GoFundMe and the rest via check, cash, and employee match. Also, I met Greg Grunberg at a book signing and he approved of the campaign so much that he signed by shirt on the spot! Two shirts this week are mine, and thanks to Paul, Mike, Darren, and Margaret for lending me the rest! We’ve got some original art, plus Coffee with Kenobi and Skywalking Through Neverland podcasts, the 501st Legion, and the NY Line. This review for Week 27 covers July 1 to July 7 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

Going to a convention this month? So am I! I’ll be at Star Wars Celebration Europe in London and San Diego Comic-Con, so if you have an article of clothing that you’d like to lend me or just donate, contact me and we can arrange a meetup!

Thanks to everyone who has supported Wear Star Wars Every Day so far, both our one-time donors and our per-day pledgemakers. Each day I continue my project is another $4.65 donated by our pledge makers. I’d love to get that total up to $5.00 even (or higher!) for the second half of 2016. If you’d like to chip in at a dime a day or a quarter per day (or more), make your pledge at the per-day pledge form and you can choose whether to support the project for the entire year, or just start at the beginning of July. Or you can just make a one-time or monthly donation at GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016.

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!

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Star Wars Story Talk: LEGO Star Wars book, The Force Awakens junior novel

Star Wars Story Talk title card 2016-07-07

Star Wars Story Talk (AKA the show formerly known as Unboxing Star Wars) gets in one more episode before Star Wars Celebration Europe! This time, Baby Jawa, Yowie the Skunk, and I try some snacks and review two books: LEGO Star Wars: The Chronicles of the Force, by Adam Bray, David Fentiman, and Cole Horton; and the junior novelization of The Force Awakens by Michael Kogge. Plus a little update on where I’ll be in the coming weeks —Star Wars Celebration Europe and San Diego Comic-Con. Hamburger Helper, Cheez-It crackers, and of course some Baby Jawa fun time!


Quick reviews
→ LEGO Star Wars: Chronicles of the Force – A fun and fact-filled guide to both Star Wars and LEGO Star Wars in particular. Lots of focus on LEGO minifigures and sets with plenty of call outs about the story of Star Wars. Plus the exclusive Unkar Plutt’s thug minifigure.
→ Star Wars: The Force Awakens junior novel – Thumbs up! Michael Kogge pens the adaptation of the film for the younger audiences. Quite a few scenes in it that weren’t in the film, and we see a few scenes a bit differently as well. Plus an insert of color photos from the movie.
→ Cheez-It Star Wars crackers – The cheesy square crackers have Star Wars shapes stamped into them! A Star Wars food tie-in done right.
→ Ultimate Hamburger Helper – Star Wars – Barely a tie-in. The food’s the same. Just an offer for $5 of movie concessions if you submit a photo of a receipt showing the purchase of 3 or more boxes. A Star Wars food tie-in done pretty sad.

Where to see jawajames at Star Wars Celebration Europe:
Find James at SWCE
→ Friday: STEM Heroes and Heroines of Star Wars, 12:00p to 1:00p, Star Wars Fan & Collector’s Stage, with Tricia Barr, Cole Horton, Kevin Beentjes, and Hannah Gillis.
→ Saturday: International Star Wars Fandom, 10:30a to 11:30a, Star Wars Fan & Collector’s Stage, with Mark Newbold (UK), Tim Veekhoven (Belgium), Johanna Nybelius (Sweden), and Kevin Beentjes (Netherlands).

Get more info on Wear Star Wars Every Day or make a donation at GoFundMe or sign up to make a per-day pledge.

Note: DK Publishing provided a copy of LEGO Star Wars: Chronicles of the Force for review.

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Wear Star Wars Every Day hits the six-month mark! Week 26


Can you believe that I’ve now completed six whole months of #WearStarWarsEveryDay? That’s a different Star Wars apparel item worn every day for the past twenty-six weeks – 182 days of shirts, hats, costumes, outerwear, even a skirt and a pair of sweatpants. And there’s still more coming!

To mark the six month point, I decided to wear a week of just Her Universe clothing, as a way to highlight the different programs of Collateral Repair Project that help empower women, including their Hope Workshop and their programs funded by Dining For Women. And so we go a whole seven days, turning from the light side with Yoda and Ahsoka, and slipping to the dark side with Mara Jade and the Empire! One shirt is mine, and the High Commander Cardigan borrowed from Mrs. Jawa, and the rest are loaned by Margaret Mays (4 items) and Dunc! Plus we got a donation – Jennifer, one of our per-day pledgemakers, got her bimonthly donation in ahead of time! Clothing art by Tsuneo Sanda, Dave Filoni, Cat Staggs and Nathan Hamill. This review for Week 26 covers June 24 to June 30 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

Thanks to everyone who has supported Wear Star Wars Every Day so far! There’s a lot of people who had donated to Collateral Repair Project, with more than $1,900 raised in the first six months, over $1,300 of which is via the GoFundMe. And each day I continue my project is another $4.65 donated by our pledge makers. I’d love to get that total up to $5.00 even (or higher!) for the second half of 2016. If you’d like to chip in at a dime a day or a quarter per day (or more), make your pledge at the per-day pledge form and you can choose whether to support the project for the entire year, or just start at the beginning of July. Or you can just make a one-time or monthly donation at GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016.

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!

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Video: Star Wars Story Talk: ABC-3PO, LEGO Star Wars Days, The Freemaker Adventures

Star-Wars-Story-Talk-6-26-2016-title-card

The hunt for a new name for my video series is over! Since we mostly focus on the latest in new Star Wars storytelling in TV, films, books, comics, and events, Unboxing Star Wars is now Star Wars Story Talk! Yowie the skunk, Baby Jawa, and I review the latest book for the kid set: Star Wars: ABC-3PO, by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy, with illustrations by Katie Cook. We also flash back to LEGO Star Wars Days held earlier this month at LEGOLAND California and discuss the new LEGO Star Wars TV series, The Freemaker Adventures. For more details on the LEGOLAND event, check out my article on starwars.com: LEGO Star Wars Days. Plus random fun with a Jawa buddy, and then some Baby Jawa fun time!


Quick reviews
→ Star Wars: ABC-3PO – Two thumbs up! Love the Katie Cook illustrations and fun rhymes by Calliope Glass and Caitlin Kennedy. Great for fans whether kids or parents! (For ages 3-5)
→ LEGOLAND California: LEGO Star Wars Days 2016 – A lot of fun! In a year without any new permanent Star Wars additions to Miniland, the park still knows how to make a great Star Wars event with plenty of unique activities including photo ops with costumers from the 501st Legion, Rebel Legion, and Mandalorian Mercs; the really awesome Fan Gallery, showcasing amazing Star Wars-themed builds from LEGO fans; family build, trivia and costume contests; and a bunch of scavenger hunts. Plus sneak preview screenings of the first episode of LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures.
→ LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures. Thumbs up! If you’re a fan of the previous LEGO Star Wars series, this new show on Disney XD will delight! Maybe a little more kid-focused than some of the previous series, it still contains the great mix of Star Wars stories with LEGO humor, and introduces a new set of heroes!

Get more info on Wear Star Wars Every Day or make a donation at GoFundMe or sign up to make a per-day pledge.

Note: Disney-Lucasfilm Press provided a copy of Star Wars: ABC-3PO for review.

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Wear Star Wars Every Day: Weeks 24 & 25


Time for a super-sized review of #WearStarWarsEveryDay for the start of summer! Since I was off at JadeCon last weekend, I didn’t get a chance to wrap up that week, so here’s Weeks 24 and 25. Big thanks to Russ of Empire City Garrison for my first donation of a 501st Legion shirt. Also, thanks to Fen, PG, Shannon, Todd, Margaret, Tony, Paul, and Mediocre Jedi for all their lending of different items of clothing I show off this week. Plenty of shirts – but also a Her Universe skirt! We cover a wide range of Star Wars interests from ILM to podcasts to a Fan Force chapter. This review for Week 24 and 25 covers June 10 to June 23 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

wearsw-origins16

I’ve very excited to be closing in on finishing the first half of 2016 with my project – that’s over 180 days of wearing a different Star Wars article of clothing each day – no repeats! And each day I continue my project is another $4.65 donated by our pledge makers. I’d love to get that total up to $5.00 even (or higher!) for the second half of 2016. If you’d like to chip in at a dime a day or a quarter per day (or more), make your pledge at the per-day pledge form. Or you can just make a one-time or monthly donation at GoFundMe.com/WearStarWars2016.

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!

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Wear Star Wars Every Day: Week 23


Week 23 of #WearStarWarsEveryDay gets us in a summer mood! Thanks to Todd, James, Anastasia, Paul, Margaret, and Mediocre Jedi for all the different tops I show off this week. Which looks best as a summer fashion? Some Jedi armor from The Old Republic? a nice Pacific Sun aloha shirt at LEGOLAND? a cute women’s rayon Rey raglan? or some cool 501st Legion threads? This review for Week 23 covers June 3 to June 9 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

What’s the news on fundraising? Nothing this week, but overall, thanks to everyone’s support, I can account for more than $1,800 being donated to Collateral Repair Project, with over $1,200 donated via GoFundMe. Can you help me reach $2,000 by the end of the month? Why not chip in $20 to get me to the milestone of 6 months completed! Just $50 is enough to provide a family of four with food for a month!

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!

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Wear Star Wars Every Day: Week 22


#WearStarWarsEveryDay hits Day 150 and crosses over into June with Week 22! Thanks to Tony, Christian, Paul, Shannon, Caitlin, and Mike for all the shirts I showcase this week: Wookiees, stormtroopers, and R2-D2, including some representing the Inland Empire Squad of the 501st Legion and the podcast Coffee with Kenobi. Plus I might reveal too much about my special Day 150 strategically placed sock! This review for Week 22 covers May 27 to June 2 of my wearathon, and an update on fundraising for Collateral Repair Project, a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance, education, and community support to urban refugees.

But the big news is that some of you answered the call to boost donations! Big thanks to Beth and Ian for their one-time donations to Collateral Repair Project. Let’s keep that streak going as I aim to complete six months by the end of June! Why not chip in $20 to celebrate this milestone. $20 is enough to provide a mattress to a refugee.

Get more info on what Wear Star Wars Every Day is all about, or make a donation or a per-day pledge!