Sheesh, teasers from Stitch Wars, the Star Wars-themed indie craft exhibit/sale at Bear and Bird of Lauderhill, FL have been dribbling out for so long, it felt like the release of Episode I. But it's finally out, and after jamming through all 232 photos on Bear and Bird's flickr set [!] I can say that, for all it's cuteness and adorability, the show is 100%, completely, safely, totally Jar-Jar Binks- and annoying little Anakin-free.
In fact, except for one Anakin-Amidala amigurumi wedding topper or something, it feels almost completely Ep. I-III-free. There is a smattering of characters from the Clone Wars [both TV and animated film travesty], but otherwise the vast majority of the craft artists have gone to the original source, Eps. IV-VI, for their inspiration. Which seems significant. It also means there are may too many Ewoks, but there you go.
Some standouts, with a slight emphasis on kid-friendliness, though as with most any indie toy, you'll want to be doubly careful to look at every seemingly detachable bead, button, or scrap as a potentially choke-hazardous bit to be kept away from the offspring:
The single-awesomest piece, I thought, is plush veteran Heidi Kenney's Hoth Luke & zipper-stomached tauntaun combo [top]. But wait, there's also Spooky Daddy's awesome Lucas x Ed Roth mashup, Rancor Fink [below]. I think we need a plush cage match:
Lots of Jawas, including Little Critters' group of punked out alternaJawas and Cutesypoo's more classical, less encrusted cluster of glow-in-the-dark fleece Jawas [below]:
If there's a new plush talent discovery for me, it's Denn Rodriguez, whose Wampas, available in scary and not-scary, look really nice, and whose Jedi Luchador Ewok is the only Ewok I'd consider letting into the house:
Frankly, I was surprised at the small number of Deathstars. I would have loved to see some Deathstar throw piillows, or even a giant, plush Deathstar ball, like one of those giant eyeballs Spooky Daddy does so well.
But what surprised me even more is this, The Woogie, by A. Pants:
Morning television is a galaxy far, far away from me, but I still know what kind of nonsensical, wearable blanket clone wars are being waged there. And The Woogie just ends those wars for me, right now and forever. And that's even before I found out that the Woogie is lined with vintage Star Wars sheets, which is some ineffable combination of awesomeness, sacrilege, and grossness.
Stitch Wars photo megaset at Bear and Bird's flickr [flickr]
Stitch Wars opened July 18 and runs through August 29 at Bear and Bird, Lauderhill, Florida [bearandbird.com via dt reader eric]
THose things kind of freak me out.