Collectors and fans alike have a chance to own one-of-a-kind Star Wars art pieces while giving to a good cause with The Empire Muggs Back. Lucasfilm asked artists, comic book creators, toy designers, and celebrity fans armed with markers, paint brushes and glue guns to transform blank Mighty Muggs (donated by Hasbro) into custom Star Wars art which will be auctioned by The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Starwars.com chats with ShadowMachine Animation artist Michael Possert about his process for turning a blank Hasbro Mighty Muggs figure into a special tribute to a TIE Fighter.
What did you choose to do for your Mighty Muggs art piece?
I chose to make my Mighty Muggs figure into a TIE fighter. I am a spaceship fanatic and that design is one of my all time favorites.
Why did you want to participate in The Empire Muggs Back art project?
I'm currently working for Shadow Animation on their next stop-motion animation project called Titan Maximum and was asked if I wanted to be a part of this. Having grown up with Star Wars I immediately said yes. The fact that we had considerable freedom to do what we wanted was a big factor.
What was your step-by-step process? What materials did you use?
We had little time, so I turned to "kit-bashing" to find the parts to complete it on time. Most of the parts used to assemble it are from a variety of other models and kits with some modifications done. The vinyl components of the Mighty Muggs were a bit of a challenge since most glue and adhesives won't stick to it. So I used some screws to hold my model together. Paint and weathering were the last step and really unified the look of the spacecraft.
What were some of the challenges you faced while making your art piece?
Time. We had just six days from the time we received the Mighty Muggs to the time it had to ship FedEx. The soft plastic head I mentioned above. That was a bit of a trick to work with.
Why do you think Star Wars fans will love The Empire Muggs Back project?
Anime is big right now. I think this combines two fun worlds -- the world of Star Wars with the world of anime to create something familiar and yet still new.
The Mighty Muggs art pieces are now up for auction and can be seen at The Empire Muggs Back on Starwars.com. The auction ends August 14, 2009.
Stay tuned to StarWars.com for in-depth coverage on The Empire Muggs Back.
