io9: Stormtroopers

Samurai Star Wars characters, out of a movie too awesome to exist

Cyriaque Lamar — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:10:00 PST

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Artist Clinton Felker has given some of the Star Wars universe's most iconic characters a bushido makeover. Check out his takes on Darth Vader, Yoda, the stormtroopers, and that notorious ronin Boba Fett. The only thing we're missing here is Oni The Hutt.

In Love Wars, gay Stormtroopers chafe under Don't Ask, Don't Tell

Lauren Davis — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 07:30:00 PST

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Serving the Galactic Empire comes with some murky moral questions: Is the Rebel Alliance really a terrorist organization? Is political stability worth the destruction of an entire planet? Should I serve in a military that doesn't even teach me how to shoot properly? As the short film "Love Wars" reveals, those questions become even more complicated when you're hiding the fact that you're gay.

How a Stormtrooper helmet is made, from start to finish

Cyriaque Lamar — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 08:00:00 PDT

Andrew Ainsworth built the original Stormtrooper helmet (and recently won a case against George Lucas to sell reproductions of said helmet in the U.K.). Here's a 13-minute video of Ainsworth building a mask — watch as it's transformed from an unassuming hunk of plastic to decorative headgear for Imperial cannon fodder. More »

George Lucas loses lawsuit over stormtrooper costume replicas

Charlie Jane Anders — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 06:30:00 PDT

You can't stop the Imperial Stormtroopers. George Lucas sued the original designer of the stormtrooper costumes in Star Wars, seeking to stop him selling replicas. But even though Lucas prevailed in a U.S. court, he lost in the U.K. More »

Troopers takes you inside the life of a Death Star Stormtrooper

Meredith Woerner — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 13:04:14 PDT

Want to know what it's like to be an Imperial Stormtrooper? Check out College Humor's brilliant new webseries, featuring two "stormtroopers" and Aubrey Plaza (pseudo-Princess Leia). It's pretty side-splitting. More »

Evil toy mastermind The Sucklord and his "ghetto Star Wars" empire

Cyriaque Lamar — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 16:42:10 PST

Who is The Sucklord? He's a Boba Fett-masked supercriminal whose passion for creating bootleg action figures has penetrated the rarefied world of high art. io9 hit up his recent gallery opening in NYC and learned of all things Suckadelic. More »

Darth Vader and the Stormtroopers invade the New York subway

Cyriaque Lamar — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 16:13:03 PDT

It's a typical day in New York. Leia Organa's doing some light reading on the subway, when suddenly a cadre of Imperial trooper enters. One stop later, a Sith Lord is using public transportation. Yes, Improv Everywhere has struck again. More »

Avatar + Star Wars = oh, sweet jeebus, no

Marc Bernardin — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 13:00:00 PDT

Quite a few artists have contributed to the 501st TK Helmet Project — which raises funds for the Make A Wish foundation — but Denise Vasquez's Na'vi creation combines two things that maybe didn't need combining. More »

Proof That The Internet Caters To All Tastes

Graeme McMillan — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:00:12 PDT

Sometimes, there is no need for an explanation beyond the link: Hot Chicks With Stormtroopers, a blog launched yesterday to showcase... well, I think the name says it all. No, I don't know why, either. More »

What a Stormtrooper Is Made Of

AndrewLiptak — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 13:46:19 PST

Over 4,000 people around the world are part of the 501st Legion, a group of costumed stormtroopers who attend conventions and charity events en masse. What inspires them to do it? More »

The Greatest Art Featuring 6 Iconic Scifi Villains

Charlie Jane Anders — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 21:17:00 PDT

Click to viewDarth Vader rocks out with the rest of the original Star Wars cast in this awesome painting by Hugh Fleming. Vader has starred in more than his fair share of offbeat and arresting artworks, but he's not alone — other classic science fiction villains have also inspired some provocative and clever art, from graffiti to gallery shows. We've gathered the wildest and most exciting art featuring Darth Vader, the Borg, the Daleks, Skeletor, Megatron and Godzilla. More »