Winning Hyperspace T-shirt Now at StarWarsShop

We caught up with Russell to ask just where the concept for his t-shirt design came from, and to ask whether or not the math actually adds up:

How did you come up with this idea?

I like puzzles, and I like the little easter eggs hidden throughout the Star Wars saga -- you know, things like "Prisoner transfer from cellblock 1138" (referring, of course to THX-1138). I try to occasionally do things like that in my own work, and I've been playing with "pop culture equations" for awhile now. One recent example is here. This was a piece for an exhibition in Canada called "The Shatner Show". It's entitled "The Shatner Equation", and if you look carefully above the great man's head, you'll see a "greater than" sign and the letter "U". So, the Shatner Equation is, literally, "Greater Than You", which is especially appropriate when one is referring to James T. Kirk.

When starwars.com asked me to participate in the t-shirt design process, the wheels in my head started turning, and I began to wonder what I could do in a similar vein with regard to Star Wars. Many of starwars.com's readers are probably familiar with Martin Gardner (and if you're not familiar with him, he's worth looking up), a teacher, writer and sort of professional skeptic. Gardner used to create little mathematical puzzles that I loved, and those were also sort of in the back of my mind as I began to think about what I wanted to do.

Can you describe where all these numbers come from, and their relevance to Star Wars?

I tried to include a letter, word, or phrase with each number that indicated its relevance with regard to Star Wars -- Docking Bay 94, for instance, so that even if the viewer had only a medium level of familiarity with Star Wars, he or she would get the joke. Clearly, there are fans out there (fanboy that I am, I'm among them) who would understand each number without the attached clue, and I salute those of you who are reading this! Live Long and Prosper! Wait -- that's the wrong benediction. I mean May the Force Be With You!

You're an illustrator -- what compelled you to submit a simple text-based design?

Just trying to shake things up! However, while I definitely want my work to keep growing and changing, I think it's safe to say that this particular design isn't necessarily a harbinger of what I'll be doing in the future. I don't see myself ever straying too far away from figure based, traditional illustration.

So, does the math add up?

Yes, the math adds up -- if you round the decimals. While I've got the opportunity, I'd like to thank my friend Karl Schwartz for his help in trying out the various formulas I came up with in an attempt to make this work. I was so eager to get things solved that wishful thinking occasionally clouded my math skills. Karl not only checked my work, but also made several valuable suggestions.