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 were auctioned by The Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Starwars.com chats with artist Kevin Graham about his process for turning a blank Hasbro Mighty Muggs figure into a special tribute to George Lucas.
Why did you want to participate in The Empire Muggs Back art project?
I've been collecting Mighty Muggs since they were first released and since I am such a huge Star Wars fan I just had to get on the project. The main reason I participated was because the proceeds from the sale of the Mighty Muggs will go to Make-A-Wish. Doing artwork for charities is very important to me and a big part of my life.
I know how important charities are to those in need. I was born with a hole in my heart and had open heart surgery when I was 3 and often got help from the American Heart Association. It means a lot for me to give back to those in need and loved the opportunity to help with this project.
What did you choose to do for your Mighty Muggs art piece?
I wanted to do a character that hadn't already been done for the Mighty Muggs set and figured who better then the creator of Star Wars wearing my favorite costume -- a stormtrooper. I tried to make it a bit more personal and did my rough sketch of the idea on the box. It's a bit challenging to draw it on the curved surface but hoping I did Mr. Lucas justice.
What was your step-by-step process? What materials did you use?
I drew a rough sketch of George Lucas' face on paper to get an idea of how I would need to draw it on the figure. Then I drew it all out on the box. I drew his face and body armor onto the figure with a pencil. I didn't use any transfer paper, as it just seemed too complicated to do it that way.
I painted all the gray areas and hair using animation cel paint which goes on in about 1-2 coats. Over the gray paint and body I hand inked over all the pencil lines with a Rapidograph pen using Black Film Ink which is permanent. I did a few shadows on the armor and cleaned up the eye details. I sprayed a few layers of clear coat to protect all the artwork.
What were some of the challenges you faced while making your art piece?
I had done several figures before for myself so knew a bit of what to expect. Drawing on the curved surface was a little challenging, but when drawing directly onto the figure you run into less problems.
Why do you think Star Wars fans will love The Empire Muggs Back project?
Mighty Muggs are very popular with Star Wars collectors so I think the chance to own a one-of-a-kind piece of artwork done by some great artist is a great opportunity. Along with purchasing a great piece of artwork they will be helping out a great charity -- Make-A-Wish.
Read more in-depth coverage on The Empire Muggs Back.
