GENERATION SKYWALKER: A STAR WARS PODCAST

Fresh from Star Wars Celebration Anaheim 2022, Craig sits with Stu, Mark and Jez to discuss our collective experiences of past Celebrations and highlights of the one just gone.

Themed around the latest output from Disney, vintage and modern collectibles, social events and swag – it's a jam-packed show that takes in the key live panels, The Mandalorian Experience exhibition, Collecting Track, the Generation Skywalker-sponsored Hop Wars craft beer event and all the action from the show floor and beyond.

What was the first post-pandemic Celebrations actually like? What new Star Wars playing cards do Theory 11 have up their sleeves? And what are everyone’s plans for London 2023?

Star Wars events don’t come any bigger. Post show round-ups don’t come any richer.

 

Generation Skywalker is all about passion, and fans and collectors don’t come more driven than our latest guest – Jon Aves.

 

In this interview, Jon takes us through some of his memorable Star Wars experiences, from trekking across the desert visiting the film sets of Tunisia, to meeting cast and crew to collect autographs on a very special quad poster in an incredibly short space of time.

But it's his stand-out Palitoy collection that really deserves your attention.

Quality like this doesn’t come without a huge amount of discipline, patience and tenacity, so sit back and marvel at some great collecting tales and guided tour of some world-class carded action figures and a truly outstanding array of unused boxed ships and playsets.

Those Old Fossils is back after a bit of a break, with a renewed focus and exciting plans for future shows.

Join us to find out what Jez has in store with his new figure-focused section, then settle in for more collecting stories from the team, a round-up of recent highlights from three major auctions and a look at the Palitoy Facebook Group hashtag that's got everyone posting.

Plus, there’s an exciting announcement about the next event we’ll be attending, that you really won’t want to miss.

After spending 31 days looking at a whole variety of topics in relation to Attack of the Clones, the Generation Skywalker boys reassemble one last time for Anniversary month to discuss what they've learnt, what they've learnt to love and what they've learnt to tolerate.

Have their feelings for Attack of the Clones changed?  You'll be surprised!

Enjoy the show.

The Committee is a new style show format from Generation Skywalker.

Each Committee Show will have a topic, a Top 10 countdown and the discussion that led to the order and what was included in that countdown to begin with.

In this pilot show, Craig, Jez and Stuart debate the most memorable moments from Attack of the Clones, with some very differing views.

The Top 10 highlights that the Generation Skywalker boys like their Star Wars dark.

Don't agree with the countdown?  Head over to the We Are Generation Skywalker Facebook page and join in the debate. 

Despite being the first theatrically released Star Wars movie not to have a dedicated toy line, Hasbro went all out for Attack of the Clones.

33/4 figures led with innovative action features and were loaded with accessories; the ships, vehicles and creatures were packed full of play value, and the Geonosis Arena playset was one of the best in the company’s history.

Launched at a time when background characters received as much love as the heroes, the team take a look at some of the hits and misses from Hasbro and beyond – starting with the very first sneak peak figures and bringing us right up to date with the latest announcements from Hot Toys.

We’ve looked at ‘art’, we’ve listened to ‘sound’, and now, as we move towards the end of our special Attack of the Clones month, we are turning our attention to another standout element of the movie – 'costumes'.

Stu, Craig and Dan explore the work of Trisha Biggar and Ian McCaig and their teams, as they appraise a number of key looks from both an ‘in-universe and 'real world' perspective.

It’s not every show where we get to talk 'antique lace', ‘the male gaze’ and ‘cosplay’ – so join us as we explore the costumes of a selection of key players and background characters, and of course, have a good rifle through Padme’s eclectic wardrobe. 

George Lucas and Skywalker Sound live by the rule ‘sound is half the picture’.

Join us as we look, well… listen to the wonderful work of Ben Burtt, Matt Wood and the masters at Skywalker Sound for a show that takes you deep into the incredible sounds of the Attack of the Clones.

Discover how dolphins, vintage aircraft and mating penguins all played their part in creating the soundscape of the galaxy, as Jez leads an exploration that will change your perception of the movie forever. 

Star Wars : Episode II : Attack of the Clones premiered 20 years ago today. 

We have been celebrating all month, but as an extra special treat we've curated and assembled a collection of behind the scenes clips, archive news and TV footage into one mega tribute to a chapter in the Skywalker story that has sat too long in the shadow of more revered movies.

Come with us back to 2002 for a journey across the stars. 

And back.



 

In 1977 a Star Destroyer flew over our heads and the Hildebrandt brothers turned in an mesmerising poster to promote a new space fantasy movie. Star Wars has continued to push the limits of visual artistry on and off screen ever since.

 

And Attack of the Clones was no exception.

 

Stu, Jez and Craig go deep on this one, as they explore the marketing campaign – from the teaser poster and Drew Struzan's stunning artwork, to the unusual strategy and some of the clever tactics employed to encourage people around the world into cinemas.

 

The team also look at the concept work of Doug Chiang and his team, examine the influence of Art Nouveau on the film and cherry pick some of the best licensed and unlicensed art inspired by the movie.

 

Checking out the enhanced version of this one is very much recommended.

Episode II? A missed opportunity to be brilliant?

Not for Prequel and Attack of the Clones superfan Matthew Schoenfelder.

Matthew joins Stuart to discuss why this film works for him and why he feels the need to defend the prequels on social media at every given opportunity.

It's a refreshing discussion with a fan who sees the positives in ALL Star Wars, even if it's sometimes flawed.

Join Stu, Jez, Craig and Dan for a big watch-along as we start to get into our special month of Attack of the Clones shows.

As longtime fans who are heavily invested in Star Wars, what exactly does everyone think to this film? Which bits work and which bits don’t? And what tidbits of info have stayed lodged in our brains all these years? 

Consider this your formal invitation to hang out with the boys for 2 hours and 25 minutes as they candidly air their views in real time.

May 2002 saw the release of the second chapter in the Skywalker saga, and Episode II : Attack of the Clones instantly rocketed to the bottom of a lot of fans’ lists of their favourite five Star Wars movies.

Its detractors are often quick to point at the bad dialogue, wooden acting and poor cgi, so why would Generation Skywalker dedicate a whole month to exploring a film most people are lukewarm about at best?

Because we we are convinced there’s more too it – things we’ve maybe missed and elements that certainly deserve closer examination with the hindsight of 20 years.

So join us as we set the the scene, with this short episode to kick-off 31 days of shows, unboxings and social posts that will explore the best and worst of the movie and its legacy.

Think you know Attack of the Clones? Think again.

Our modern collecting shows are always crammed with news and reviews of the latest Star Wars collectible releases – and this one is no exception. 

We have all the latest on Hasbro’s Star Wars licence renewal, a watch of the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer, a look at how recent TV shows are affecting the prices of older toys, thoughts on our freshly landed Razor Crests and of course, a run down of what’s new from Hasbro, Lego, Sideshow and all the other things we like to chat about. 

So join us to hear Mark get nerdy over Nerf, Stu get geeky about new tikis, Craig get a teeny bit excited for tiny toys and for Dan's hot take on Hot Toys stands.

This is the Modern Way.

Echo Base Live returned to Redditch at the start April and Generation Skywalker were there to capture what went on at the biggest and best Echo show yet.

Join us, as we discuss everything from what we spotted on the dealer tables and what we bought, to the guests, cosplay, swag, fundraising and other activities.

It was a great event, but you don’t have to just take our word for it as we have Mark Baker, Richard and Seth, Chris Lawrence, Dan Adey, Nick Dykes, Adam Pemberton, Phil Parker, Lee Gregory and Michael Havens all giving their views on the show too.

How much did we end up raising for the Echo charity? Do we think the £38,000 carded Palitoy VCJ was worth the money? What did Femi think to Mark’s Rancor impression? Listen and find out.

The 10th Echo Base Live Star Wars show comes to Redditch on April 2nd 2022 and what better way to celebrate, than a special look back at past events and a peek at what to expect this time around?

 

We hear about Echo Live's origins along with some personal highlights from Adam Pemberton, and Wayne Totty also drops by to discuss how the event has evolved, the tremendous charity work Echo Base does and which guests will be in attendance.

 

Plus trader Tom Scaife pops in to tease a few items he'll have for sale,  as well as discussing former events including his first show where he rocked up two hours late to set up! 

 

We also catch up with Echo's resident DJ Trev, who will be providing the soundtrack for the event and talk to Andy Preston about why he loves Echo Live so much.

 

All this, plus our own views on the show and what we are each looking forward to on the day.

Now that the dust, sand and spice has settled, the Generation Skywalker syndicate takes an in-depth, spoilery look at all seven episodes of the recent The Book of Boba Fett TV series.

We chart the highs and lows, shine a light on the main references to the wider Star Wars saga and painstakingly try to capture the bulk of the nods the show constantly makes to other classic movies.

With the benefit of few week’s distance and repeated viewings, the team also bring their personal stand-out moments to the table, as well as their own interpretations of some of the many themes the series explores.

It all makes for a great podcast. 

And an even better video!

(Which you can find here)

Lee Ward is a collector and independent retailer of Hot Toys. On this show he sits down with Dan to discuss his Star Wars collecting journey, from seeing The Empire Strikes Back in a Weybridge cinema in the early eighties, through to performing Instagram Hot Toys unboxings with comedian Keith Lemon.

He discusses the genesis of his store The Good, The Bad and The Robots and how Paddy McGuinness, as well as many other celebrities came to be his customers.

As well as selling Hot Toys, he collects furiously and admins several Hot Toy groups on Facebook. Join us as we discuss the trials and tribulations of Hot Toy collecting, from sequel troubles to the dreaded customs charges.

It’s the first Those Old Fossils of 2022 and the team have assembled to review their most exciting purchases of last year. 

 

From vintage jewelry displays to Clipper mailers, there are some fascinating items and great stories brought to the table for discussion, before Dan takes us on a deep analytical dive through the results of January’s C&T Auction.  

 

As vintage gets harder to find and more expensive across the board, our main topic explores the idea of community and ‘networking’ as the team share old tales, past examples and tips for new collectors. 

 

As Boba says: 'You can only get so far without a tribe.'  

 

We round off with a look at what’s on everyone’s wants lists – from the common, to the do-able, to some la la land items the lads have their eyes on.

Two years since the last Farthest From had taken place, December 2021 finally saw the return of the much loved event and Generation Skywalker were in town to capture everything that went on. 

 

Now, a month after the event, the team look back at what was an amazing return to the vintage Star Wars collecting gathering.  

 

Not only do we get the thoughts and memories of the Generation Skywalker team, but we bring back a host of interviews recorded at the event. David Tree, Steve Davies, Rob Marsh, Peter Lee, Chris Mann, Mark Newbold, Marc Hockley, Wayne Totty, Jason Smith, Jon Aves, Lee Bullock, Drew Tegg, Darren Hayman, Andrew Norton and Andrew Karnecki all stop by to discuss their experience of the weekend.

To kick off this year's run of Modern Way episodes, we are looking back at 2021 and forward to 2022.

 

Dan tots up all the figure releases from The Vintage Collection, Black Series and Hot Toys, before guiding us through what else has been announced in recent weeks, whilst the team are on hand to offer up their top picks from the whole bunch.

 

And of course, we wouldn't be doing our job if we didn't examine the failure of the Haslab Rancor project. What went wrong? What could have been done better? What effect this will have on future Haslab Star Wars projects?

 

All this is topped and tailed with some personal collecting highs and lows from 2021 and plans and hopes for the new Star Wars-packed year.

The UK's premier Vintage Collecting show returns after a two year hiatus.

 

Stuart, Grant, Jez, Mark and Dan sit down to reminisce about previous events and as they discuss highlights, purchases, social stories amongst other things, the excitement for the return of the show can be heard in all their voices.

 

Dave Tree, Mr Farthest From himself, joins us to discuss the origins of the event, his personal highlights and what to expect from this one – whilst Dave Shorter, Marc Hockley and Jason Smith all drop by to share their memories too.

Buying Christmas gifts for the Star Wars fan in your life gets harder each year, so here's the team to help make the task easier this festive season.

Breaking the guide down into four age ranges – Pre-School (up to 5), Primary (6-11), Teenage/Secondary (11-17) and Adult (17+) we are offering up give three main gift ideas (over £25), three stocking fillers (under £25) and a left field item, whilst also revealing the best places to purchase things and the current price you'd expect to pay.

Although the team do get a litte distracted with a nostalgia trip over video rental shops and the Kays and Argos catalogues.

From the hottest gifts on the market to creative fun items – there is something for everyone in this fun filled festive Star Wars guide.

This episode of Those Old Fossils takes some deep dives into specific  topics – Grant looks at focus collecting, with reference to his own TIE  Fighter Pilot focus, Jez explores the vintage Droid Factories and their legacy, Craig's new blog has made him very nerdy about Look-In magazines, and Mark runs through the evolution of Star Wars Palitoy ads of the 70s and 80s. 

 

It’s a packed show that also takes time to discuss Mark’s recent  appearance on Toyshop On Tour, Jez raises the confusing issue of historical toy line classification and we have a little look at our plans for December’s Farthest From.

Songwriter, musician and artist Darren Hayman sits down with Craig to talk about how the re-discovery of his childhood Star Wars figures has inspired a new set of paintings, some tentative steps into collecting and his first ever attendance at a Comic Con. 

 

From his beginnings with much-loved indie band, Hefner, to a solo career that has seen him bring his enquiring mind and unique creative perspective to everything from open air swimming pools to the Essex witch trials, Darren’s latest project sees him tapping into the magic of vintage Star Wars. 

 

Join us for a tale of action figures loved, lost and found again, Darren's memories of experiencing Star Wars in the UK in the mid 70s, his thoughts on the success of The Mandalorian, and discover how he is adapting his painting style to produce work that not only captures the look of his old figures, but their spirit too. 

 

It's work made with acrylics and a lot of love.