Crikey! Was I was really avoiding doing any drawing at all on this one? I think I just had the clippings of Threepio  and wanted to use them. Including a Star Wars bubble-gum trading card. It’s a cross between a treasured scrap-book and comic.

Art Notes: Ankle Deep

Art? Art? What art? Oh yes, one little panel. Honestly, you’d think I didn’t like drawing. Far from it, it was all I ever did. As I’ve said many times to friends and family, and my mum will attest to this: the bedroom floor was—much of the time—ankle-deep in drawings. It was covered in them. You think I’m exaggerating? No, seriously: I’m not. COVERED.

selection of star wars drawings

Centre-right – in pencil – is the very first Star Wars drawing I ever did, on the sitting room floor as soon I got back from the cinema. The thick soft pencil was obviously deemed a more worthy medium!

Centre-bottom – a weird rendering of Vader. “Darth Vador!” He looks more like a Hell’s Angel.

In the big haul of young artwork I rediscovered in 2010—with the help of my dad, it’s amazing just how much there is. Tellingly, it’s all World War 2 – mainly German soldiers and Horror characters like Dracula up until Christmas 1977. Then… it’s Star Wars all the way! Star Wars, Star Wars, Star Wars – with some occasional Incredible Hulk and Space 1999. Look at this lot!

Film Notes

I was always buzzed by the sound during these scenes in the desert. I don’t know what Ben Burtt did to the droids’ voices in the post-dubbing, but it sounds wonderful. I love the sound of it. In the cinema it was even more impressive. Made it all so… massive. “Hey – hey – over here!”

Next: Threepio gets it.

↓ Transcript
This comic page mostly consists of glued-in photos, with text written onto them.
PANEL 1
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Wide-shot: a glued-in Star Wars trading card of C-3PO on Tatooine, with the huge skeleton behind him. Is it a Krayt Dragon?
'After trudging over dune after dune--'
"I can't take much more of this--" says Threepio.

PANEL 2
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(Head and shoulder shot of C-3PO, drawn this time, with the bones behind him)
"Oh, I don't believe it... a vehicle!" he gasps.

PANEL 3
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(Full body shot of C-3PO, black & white news clipping photo)
He tries to catch the vehicle driver's attention. "Hey, over here! Help... help!" he shouts. "Oh, how fortunate."
'But 3PO was to learn that he was not quite as fortunate as he would like!'