Terryl Whitlatch: Designing Jar Jar Binks, Sebulba and Dewbacks for Star Wars
The incredibly talented artist responsible for the designs of Jar Jar Binks, Sebulba and so many more in The Phantom Menace is the legendary Terryl Whitlatch. Just flip through a dog-eared copy of Art Of TPM and see for yourself.
Ms. Whitlatch’s contributions to the saga cannot be overstated: whether it was the Dewbacks and new Jabba denizens of the Special Editions, the Podracer pilots or the creatures of Naboo’s planet core, I am just thrilled and honored to be able to share her story with you all and I hope you enjoy it as much as you’ll be quickly able to tell that I did. All on this episode of this Star Wars interview podcast!
I don’t think I’ve gushed in an interview like this before, but please correct me if I’m wrong. I just want to thank Ms. Whitlatch again for the incredible, incredible interview.
Greg Grunberg: Playing Snap Wexley and Watching Star Wars for the First Time with Best Friend, JJ Abrams
The ace pilot of the Resistance makes a rare podcast appearance this week on Talking Bay 94. We dive in deep with his role as Matt Parkman in Heroes, being directed by his best friend (J.J. Abrams), upcoming opportunities for Snap Wexley to make his triumphant return, as well as working alongside both his acting idols and the cast of creatures that populate the galaxy.
In case you could not hear my smiling throughout the episode, it was such an honor to have Mr. Grunberg on the show. If you would like to watch the video version of this interview, to see that smiling for yourself, head to the Talking Bay 94 YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCElrDBUy1VVaQcw30Ow3UgQ
Be sure to check out Greg’s DREAM JUMPER, as well as the incredible series THE INSIDERS that he is currently producing, hosted on his YouTube channel.
- DREAM JUMPER: https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B06XKM8JKJ/ref=dp_st_0545826047
- THE INSIDERS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bGgRlkGRvo
The Empire Strikes Back at 40: An Anniversary Celebration
Today May 21, 2020 is the 40th anniversary of the best movies (and one of my favorite movies) of all time: The Empire Strikes Back.
With the two year anniversary of this podcast happening this week, as well, I thought it would be fun for me to go back through the past 65 or so episodes of this show and pull some of my favorite moments from some of my favorite guests, as they talk about what it was like, firsthand, to work on the sequel to Star Wars.
If you know me at all, this look back focuses mostly on the special effects: Industrial Light and Magic’s move from Van Nuys to San Rafael, the Hoth sequences, the Tauntauns, the walkers, and go motion.
I’ll be introducing the previous guests who are talking throughout, but just know that it is a combination of ILM wizards, legendary editors and unsung heroes. I’m talking about a total of 16 Academy Awards won in this 25 minute episode.
So let’s all just buckle up and take a trip back even before that 1980 release, before we knew who Luke’s father was and before anyone of us had ever even seen The Empire Strikes Back.
Dan Madsen: Creator of the Star Wars Insider and Star Wars Celebration
If you’ve ever read an issue of the Star Wars Insider or attended Star Wars Celebration, you’ve got today’s guest, Dan Madsen, to thank.
Founder of the Lucasfilm Fan Club, Mr. Madsen got his start as the president of the Star Trek Fan Club, eventually coming to LFL in a time when there were no new Star Wars movies being made.
Whether talking about those early days of the magazine, his cameo in The Phantom Menace, or the rainy start of Star Wars Celebration Denver, Mr. Madsen’s love of the fan community and his passion for projects like Her Universe is evident in every answer.
It really is an honor to have Mr. Madsen on the show, if only to thank him profusely for the Insider articles that are still some of the best, most comprehensive resources out there, for Star Wars fans.
Make sure to check out his newest venture, Svaha, filled with some incredibly cool clothes and apparel, focused on STEAM, at: svahausa.com
Ken Ralston: The Effects Magic of Star Trek, Back to the Future and Return of the Jedi
What hasn’t Ken Ralston done? Whether talking through his early days working on the Original Trilogy, Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock and a host of Bob Zemeckis classics (including the Back to the Future trilogy), Mr. Ralston is full of incredible, historic stories, a living legend.
Strap in for visual effects conversations about working with the Dykstraflex, Videomatics, motion capture, and Ceti Eels.
Sam Witwer: Playing Starkiller, Voicing Maul and Hyping The Siege of Mandalore
You may know Sam Witwer as Starkiller from THE FORCE UNLEASHED and, of course, the voice of Maul in THE CLONE WARS, REBELS and SOLO.
But, right before we talked (just a few days before the first episode of THE SIEGE OF MANDALORE premiered), he tweeted “this may be the best thing we’ve ever done”, so we had to talk about that first.
After that, though, just buckle up for almost an hour of incredible stories, lore and the importance of “George Lucas Star Wars”.
You can find him on Twitter at @SamWitwer and on Instagram at @switwer1, as well as his website: samwitwer.com. His newest album, REVENGE OF THE CRASHTONES is some great music to blast while working from home.
Corey Dee Williams Returns: Even More Stories from the Sail Barge
This May is the two year anniversary of TALKING BAY 94, so, as a special bonus episode, I have invited on my very first guest, Corey Dee Williams, as well as his manager, Derek Maki from Coolwaters Productions, who made those first interview even possible.
Check out some new stories from the both of them, and thank you all so much for two years of support!
And, to sign up for Coolwaters’ upcoming In-House Con, just go to their website: https://inhouse-con.com/
This weekend is the first installment, featuring Corey, Dave Barclay from Episode 16, as well as Deep Roy and Julius LeFlore.
Thank you all again for a great year!
Duwayne Dunham: Editing for George Lucas and David Lynch
Duwayne Dunham is an editor, a director …. and he is the original, original Boba Fett.
Whether working with Marcia Lucas, watching Eraserhead with Stanley Kubrick or his multiple decade working relationship with David Lynch, I was blown away by the talent and enthusiasm that Mr. Dunham has for his art, during this interview. And, yes, we talk about The Clone Wars episodes he directed, too.
And, if you haven’t watched Twin Peaks: The Return yet … buckle up and get ready to have your life changed.
Next week, gearing up for the end of the Siege of Mandalore, is a Star Wars 101 deep dive with the legendary Sam Witwer. You won’t want to miss it.
Roger Guyett: The Visual Effects of the Sequel Trilogy
Roger Guyett is a Visual Effects Supervisor and Second Unit Director at Industrial Light and Magic.
From the early Harry Potter films to the models of Revenge of the Sith to his relationship with JJ Abrams over 5 films, we go through his journey to The Force Awakens, The Rise of Skywalker and so, so much more.
Listen for discussions on sand snakes, Maz Kanata, Millennium Falcon chases and filming on location. It is a great companion piece to the recently released documentary on the TROS Blu-ray.
Steve Sansweet: Inside the Largest Collection of Star Wars Memorabilia
Chairman and President of Rancho Obi-Wan and former Fan Relations advisor for Lucasfilm, Steve Sansweet is a Star Wars legend in any sense of the word.
From the writing of the Star Wars Encyclopedia to QVC shows to columns in the Star Wars Insider to the setting up the famous Rose Parade, we dive deep into Mr. Sansweet’s incredible history with the galaxy far, far away.
For more information on how to become a member of Rancho Obi-Wan and how to support it, head to RanchoObiWan.org, or follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/RanchoObiWan
And to hear about the very start of Star Wars Celebration 1 and Mr. Sansweet, head on over to the good guys at Blast Points, Episode 164: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/blast-points/e/59788814