Craig Burt e-mailed his latest piece entitled "Final Fling." Thanks Craig! I can't wait to see these two fight in Episode III. Here are a few words from Craig:

"Before anybody bothers to mention it. I know the console on the left of picture shouldn't be there. It's from another room on Mustafar - even though the duel does run into it - and not in the 'conference room'. When I had the idea for the pic I remembered the console and used it in the composition, even though it looked not to belong there, because I wanted something on that side (so na na na-na-nah). After completing the painting I had a good look though my pics and did find a set shot of the room where the console belongs."

Craig

LucasArts has announced that following the recent Lucasfilm Ltd. title announcement of the Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith motion picture, LucasArts revealed that it will release the Star Wars: Episode III video game on May 5, 2005, two weeks before the opening of the film. Currently under development, the third-person action/adventure game will deliver the ultimate Jedi action experience as Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi join forces in fierce battles and heroic lightsaber duels until one’s lust for power and the other’s devotion to duty leads to a final confrontation between good and evil.

In the Star Wars: Episode III video game, players will control all the Jedi abilities of both Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, including devastating Force powers and advanced lightsaber techniques involving robust combo attacks and defensive maneuvers. As Anakin, players will unleash the power of the dark side in ruthless lightsaber and Force attacks. As Obi-Wan, players will struggle to save the galaxy from darkness by focusing the power of the light side into swift and precise lightsaber attacks and using the Force to control enemy actions

Working closely with famed Star Wars stunt coordinator Nick Gillard, the development team is creating the most authentic lightsaber combat ever with choreography taken directly from the films as well as many new stunts created exclusively for the game under the auspices of Gillard. Expanding on the upcoming movie, the game will take place in never-before-seen locations that will give fans a sneak peek into the highly anticipated Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith film, releasing worldwide on May 19, 2005.

A special advance behind-the-scenes preview of the Star Wars: Episode III video game will be available on the Star Wars Trilogy DVD slated for release September 21, 2004. This special feature reveals what makes the game the truest and most cinematic Jedi fantasy fulfillment ever produced in a Star Wars video game. Follow the game developers as they visit the movie set in Australia and work with George Lucas, Hayden Christensen and Stunt Coordinator Nick Gillard to capture every nuance of the Jedi ways.

My good friend Craig Burt sent in this report recently. It is good stuff! Enjoy.

I've got what might be something in the way of news today.

I whent into a Newsagent - the first time in a long while - and found what looks to be the Australian version of the official UK Star Wars magazine - #50 the Grievous special edition. Most of the pics are ones that have been seen online before, but on a couple of pages I see some that I haven't spotted online, so I thought you might want to post them.

The biggest pic is from the Grievous article. You get to see some of the early developement sketches and some of the finished design drawings of his head from the side and behind, plus where those earing/veins come from.

The other pic is a small one from an article on Hyperspace. It shows the first image I've seen of the back-half of the new Jedi Starfighter. The front-half has been seen online - on landing pad with Obi-Wan and blue suited troopers/aliens -  in photos from the Insider magazine (not to mention the sketch I did of it 9 months ago, he-he) but this one shows the back of the cockpit.

Just thought you might like to know.

Craig

Thanks Craig for the great information! Be sure to see the Grievous picture and the Jedi Starfighter.

Sorry for the lack of updates from me this month. I have been preparing for major exams, working, and spending time with family. I currently have three family members that have cancer, with one in stage four which is the worst possible. Star Wars has just not seemed very important in comparison to dealing with this family issue. I hope I will be able to post a little more soon and that I will have the motivation to get things back to normal as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.

The Official Star Wars Site has announced that Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is the full title of the next Star Wars film, scheduled for release on May 19, 2005.

The Sith are masters of the dark side of the Force and the sworn enemies of the Jedi. They were all but exterminated by the Jedi a thousand years ago, but the evil order continued in secrecy. They operated quietly, behind the scenes, acting in pairs - a Master and an Apprentice - patiently biding their time before they could take over the galaxy. In Episode III, they'll finally exact their revenge on the Jedi.

The title was publicly revealed in a special presentation to a packed audience of Star Wars fans at Comic-Con International in San Diego, California. "For some time now, the naming of a new Star Wars movie has taken on some special meaning among core fans, who love to take part in guessing games before a title is announced, and then engage in debate once it is," said Steve Sansweet, Director of Content Management and Head of Fan Relations for Lucasfilm. "Let the debates begin."

The title wasn't the only surprise for those in attendance at the presentation. Click here for news about even more Star Wars DVDs in 2004 and 2005, surprise celebrity guests, new planets in Episode III, and more...

The Official Star Wars Site has made it's sixth Episode III webdoc, entitled Video Village, available to non-Hyperspace members.

While digital cameras have helped the amateur photographer, they've radically upended the guesswork of modern moviemaking. Gone is the alchemy and photochemical uncertainties of shooting film that would not be developed for hours -- or even days. Thanks to the precision HD cameras and their big-screen plasma feeds, the director and everyone on the crew could see Episode III as it happened.

Click here, and watch the making of Episode III.

The Official Star Wars Site has updated announcing the "new" Fan Club Store's first exclusive figure - a holographic Emperor Palpatine on an Original Trilogy card. It will be available this fall.

Emperor Palpatine is presented as seen in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back as an action figure for the very first time, though it is sculpted in the likeness of Ian McDiarmid, who first portrayed Palpatine in Return of the Jedi.

Click here for more information.

The Official Star Wars Site reports that Ubisoft, one of the world's largest video game publishers, announced it is developing a video game based on the blockbuster Star Wars Trilogy for the Game Boy Advance in cooperation with LucasArts. Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force is set to release September 21, 2004 to coincide with the launch of highly anticipated Star Wars Trilogy DVD.

Developed by Ubisoft's Montreal studio, Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force will challenge gamers to adventure through the most exciting and memorable scenes from the classic Star Wars movies. Gamers can control Luke Skywalker as he becomes a Jedi Knight, fight Darth Vader and Boba Fett, escape from the fearsome rancor beast, and destroy the Death Star. The game allows gamers to take part in unique co-operative single-player and competitive multiplayer modes, and participate in other memorable Star Wars-based tests.

Star Wars Trilogy: Apprentice of the Force will be the only handheld game dedicated to the entire Star Wars Trilogy saga.

Click here for more information and screenshots.

Model packs depict animated characters in many poses, turn-arounds and size comparisons for artists' reference ensuring consistency in the production process. Gicleé (zhee-clay) is a digital fine art printmaking process wherein millions of ink droplets stream onto canvas or high-quality stock paper. This piece shows a unique combination of these elements along with the resulting full color Yoda.

Each comes matted, is 20" x 24 ", and is hand numbered with a title plaque and official Lucasfilm certificate of authenticity. Edition Size: 300. Don't miss the chance to start a complete collection of all the main characters! Made by Acme Archives, fans can look forward to future Clone Wars collectibles created by the Giclče process.

The exclusive sales window is July 8-15, 2004.

If you would like to submit your site to be in the running for August, then apply here to be "Site of the Month!"

The Official Star Wars Site has provided a look ahead to what fans of Star Wars comics can expect this October and November from Dark Horse Comics.

Mutineers have taken hostages and are planning to turn over a fleet of Republic warships to the Separatists. Despite having a friend held captive aboard these vessels, Jedi Councilor Plo Koon believes the destruction of the fleet is the only way to keep these powerful vessels from being used against the Republic. Anakin Skywalker disagrees - he hatches a dangerous plan that relies on daredevil flying, split-second timing, and an untested weapon. Meanwhile, trapped on a derelict research ship carrying a menagerie of deadly animals, Obi-Wan must face his most hated enemy alone.

Star Wars: Republic #70 continues "The Dreadnaughts of Rendili" storyline. It is by John Ostrander, Jan Duursema and Dan Parsons, with cover art by Duursema and Brad Anderson. It features a guest appearance by a character well known to fans of the original Star Wars trilogy, and is slated for release on October 27.

 In Star Wars: Empire #26, Luke Skywalker and Red Squadron fly escort for a top secret Rebel Intelligence operation on a supposedly unpopulated planet. A surprise Imperial patrol traps half the squad on the ground, and jeopardizes the secrecy of the mission. As things start to look even worse, Luke makes a surprising discovery that dates back to the Clone Wars -- a discovery that can either save the Rebels or destroy them.

Star Wars: Empire #26 is by Ron Marz and Adriana Melo, with cover art by Tommy Lee Edwards. It is scheduled for release on October 27.

Inspired by the incredibly popular Star Wars: Clone Wars micro-series, Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures continues with a second 96-page digest-format trade paperback. Obi-Wan and Anakin play a deadly game of cat and mouse against Separatist droid fighters and human aces amid a dangerous asteroid ring above a remote planet. Elsewhere, Luminara Undili and Barriss Offee race against time to evacuate farmers and their families before their village is overrun by General Grievous.

Star Wars: Clone Wars Adventures Volume 2 is by Haden Blackman, Welles Hartley, Matt Fillbach and Shawn Fillbach. It is scheduled for release on November 10.

The fifth collection of Clone Wars comics is also due in November. Entitled "The Best Blades," this 144-page trade paperback features the darkest days of the Clone Wars, when even victories are cause for abiding sorrow. From political intrigue within the Senate to bloody battlefields on exotic worlds, the war has left its mark on the bystanders as well as the combatants, and the events in this wide-ranging volume reveal the extent of the damage. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker battle for survival, Senator Bail Organa struggles to preserve freedom within the Republic, and Master Yoda strives to prevent an old friend from plunging a system into war in four exciting stories from the Clone Wars!

Star Wars: Clone Wars Volume 5 - The Best Blades features the work of John Ostrander, Haden Blackman, Jeremy Barlow, Tomŕs Giorello, Brandon Badeaux and Hoon.

Pre-Order Star Wars Battlefront from EB Games and receive a free 3 3/4" Star Wars Battlefront Imperial scout trooper action figure while supplies last. Click here.