New Zealand is now half-way through the most recent country-wide COVID-19 Delta-variant lockdown (Auckland will be in lockdown at this level for another week… other regions will downgrade to level 3 earlier). We’ve been passing the time organising a few collectible displays, but also stock-taking all the food in the house, including baking ingredients. There are enough of the basics to whip up some shortbread, which is exactly what our daughter got busy doing in the kitchen, making use of Star Wars cookie cutters to do so. The results are great!

We hope everyone else is managing to stay safe and cope with the restrictions.

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In our hunt to complete our Solo: A Star Wars Story action figure collection, we picked up this cool Han Solo and Chewbacca (Mimban… aka “muddy”) 2-pack via eBay. The packaging looks, aptly, like it has been dragged through the mud a little, so we scored it nice and cheap.

The 2-pack depicts, obviously, the pivotal scene where Han and Chewie meet for the very first time. The figures have interesting paint apps… i.e., they look like they are covered in mud, meaning they are likely more appealing to the completist rather than someone just looking for figures of hero & villain characters. Although not strictly part of the relevant movie scenes, the set also includes an “assembly-required” weapon accessory, that is styled to match the other military hardware seen during the Mimban segments of the movie.

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We are very saddened to hear the official announcement that Peter Mayhew passed away on April 30th (US time), aged 74 years. He was at his home in Texas, with his family at his side.

We are fortunate to have meet Peter when he visited New Zealand many years ago. He attended the Armageddon Expo conventions here twice – Auckland in 2002, and Wellington in 2003. And of course, we saw him many times on stage at the Star Wars Celebration conventions in the US.

Peter played Chewbacca in the Star Wars movies, from A New Hope in 1977, and up until contributing a few scenes in The Force Awakens in 2015. His graciousness and passion for attending public events to make himself available to fans is consistent with the experiences reported by those who have had the privilege of meeting him when he has appeared at conventions around the world. Peter was an enthusiastic storyteller, recounting tales from his filming days with positivity and fun detail. And of course, the extent to which Peter’s physicality and mannerisms contributed to the characterisation of Chewbacca the Wookiee will forever be cemented in our minds as a significant aspect of that much-loved character. He will be missed.

Check out Star Wars NZ for reports on the Armageddon Expo events Peter Mayhew attended –

• Auckland Armageddon Expo 2002 Report
• Wellington Armageddon Expo 2003 Report

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This collection of three vintage-style Star Wars character plates were a gift. The melamine plates each feature artwork of a Star Wars character, with a neat ‘old timey’ style. The art is part of a series titled ‘Victorian Wars’, by Terry Fan – you can see the full series here. Our set of plates includes Chewbacca with a monocle, Yoda with a top hat, and C-3PO in a suit.

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Both these Star Wars ties were gifts from family. I wore them during a phase in the mid ’90s, along with an assortment of superhero neckties… maybe one day in the future I’ll find an appropriate venue or excuse to don them again. They were made by Davenport, who sold them in both Australia and New Zealand.

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