TIE Fighters Take Center Stage in Ambitious “Star Wars” Animated Fan Film Alex Gerage, March 25, 2015April 1, 2015 Star Wars never really left our collective consciousness, but with Disney’s long-anticipated feature film plans finally coming to fruition, the Saga is about to come back in a big way. One consequence of the renewed interest in the franchise is that many fans will likely seek to develop their own Star Wars fan films. Animator Paul Johnson recently finished his, and it is one of the best I’ve seen in years. Watch Star Wars: TIE Fighter after the jump.Johnson spent “over 4 years’ worth of weekends” drawing and animating the film, which chronicles an epic space battle between TIE Fighters and X-wing starfighters in a style that pays homage to popular anime cartoons of the 1980s. The result is a thrilling animated short presented from a unique perspective Star Wars fans are normally not privy to: the Empire’s fighter pilots. Watch it below:What if there was an Empire-focused short Star Wars animation, drawn with the crazy detail and shading of classic 80s anime that’s all but vanished from Japan nowadays? Well, I tried my best. Apologies in advance for not living up to Venus Wars standards. Drawn and animated by yours truly over 4 years’ worth of weekends, with music by the living guitar solo Zak Rahman and sound design by up and coming audio technician Joseph Leyva. Fans of Lucasarts’ seminal 1994 TIE Fighter game may notice a few familiar sights and sounds. That “incoming missile” noise gives me horrible flashbacks to this day…What makes Johnson’s commitment to the project even more impressive and commendable is that it stands as a true labor of love on his part. He has no designs on leveraging the film’s buzz into a full length feature, or using it as stepping stone to fundraise another endeavor. He just loves Star Wars and hopes the film brings enjoyment to fellow fans:Don’t support me on Patreon, because I don’t have one! And don’t donate to my Kickstarter, because I don’t have one of those either. Instead, if you enjoyed this, give someone at your workplace, uni, school or whatever a random bar of chocolate or can or Coke or something. Seriously, it’ll probably make their day. That would totally make my day.What do you think of Star Wars: TIE Fighter? Would you watch an anime-style Star Wars television show or movie? Let us know in the comments below. Fan Made Work Viral News animationDisneyPaul JohnsonStar WarsStar Wars: TIE FighterTIE Fighter
“Muppets Most Wanted” Posters Satirize “Skyfall” and “Face/Off”; New Adele Dazeem TV Spot March 8, 2014March 8, 2014Muppets have always had a brand of comedy that is self-aware and very relatible. They are never one to shy away from making fun of themselves or pop culture itself. And in these four new spy mashup posters that are promoting the upcoming Muppets Most Wanted, they are doing just… Read More
Viral Video Round Up: Batman, Goodnight Moon, The Walking Dead, And More! April 22, 2013The Internet is full of videos related to movies, whether they be fan made, studio made, or somewhere in between. We regularly bring you the best, most interesting, or just plain weirdest, and today we do it again. Check out the latest viral videos after the break. Read More
Fan Made Work Holiday Zombie Videos: Home Alone Mashup and Survival Guide December 23, 2010If Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is any indication, horror and Christmas go hand in hand. Modern pop culture seems to love mixing horror with almost anything (“Pride and Prejudice and Zombies”, anyone?), and the juxtaposition of horror and holiday cheer seems be the most popular way to channel… Read More